Kagome rose shakily to her feet, shivering uncontrollably from the cold.

"I'm going after him, no matter what he says…" she decided, her voice weak. 'I don't want him mad at me… and I'm worried for his safety.' What if something had happened to him? InuYasha was strong, but still…

"Kagome, are you sure you're in good enough shape to go off alone?" Sango objected, her brown eyes warm despite the freezing weather. "The cold seems to of gotten to you."

Kagome nodded stubbornly, her gaze fixed on the path InuYasha had taken. "I'll be fine; I'll make sure of it." Leaning over to pick up the bow and arrows she had set on the ground when the group had first hunkered down, Kagome gasped. They were almost completely covered by snow! 'This is crazy…' Kagome thought as she plunged her hand into the numbing powdery substance to retrieve her weapons. 'There's been too much snow fall.'

"I'll see you all later," Kagome promised, slinging her quiver over her shoulder. "And I'll bring InuYasha with me."

Miroku and Sango nodded; Kirara and Shippo simply watched as the young miko disappeared into the snow-covered trees.

After Kagome was surely out of earshot, Miroku smirked. "Poor Kagome. Out there all alone, so innocent… and such a beautiful girl, she'll be prey to any dangerous ma-"

SLAP

Shippo quietly laughed as Sango's hand once again met Miroku's face.

Kagome staggered through the snow, which was now nearly half-way up her shins.

"When will it stop?" she wondered aloud, squinting through the veil of snow that fell from the black sky. Stumbling along, she let out a shriek as she tripped over something; looking quickly behind her, she hissed at her stupidity – it was only a log. Gaining back her composure, the miko yelled into the night, "INUYASHA!!! WHERE ARE YOU?! INUYASHA….?!" Kagome wrapped her arms around herself tightly – it seemed to be getting colder and colder – and let out another call for the hanyou.

"What a jerk!" she sobbed, as a sense of despair filled her heart. "I'm lost, he's lost, and I'm lost only because I came looking for him because-"

Kagome let out a strangled gasp as someone grabbed hold around her waist, lifting her into the air. She dared not scream as she felt herself being carried away – for some reason, she felt safe. Shutting her eyes tight, Kagome waited 'til she was being put down to reopen them.

In front of her, eyes shining despite the lack of light, stood InuYasha. The two were in a dank, cold cave, and Kagome twitched nervously.

"BAKA! BAKA, BAKA, BAKA!" he snarled, grabbing hold of her wrist. "I TOLD you NOT to follow me! Now you're in trouble, too…"

"So you WERE in trouble!" Kagome exclaimed, pulling away from InuYasha's grasp and looking him hard in the eye. "I was worried," she blurted.

InuYasha's angered look instantly changed. "You were worried… about… me?" he stuttered, his eyes widening in surprise.

"Of course!" Kagome rambled, her heart racing. "I – uh – you – yeah."

InuYasha smirked, a triumphant look on his face. "Ha. I knew it."

Kagome grew red in the face, her anger boiling over. "YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE LIKE THAT! I BET YOU WEREN'T WORRIED ABOUT US, LEAVI-"

"Why do you think I left?" InuYasha calmly said, oblivious to Kagome's fury. "I went because I wanted to stop whatever was causing this…" He looked away, embarrassed.

"Aha." It was Kagome's turn to act victorious. "You do care…. about more than… than…" she faded out, unable to finish with what she wanted to say.

"Kikyo?" InuYasha finished, his gaze softening. Kagome bit her lip. Whenever he spoke of her… he changed. He was so gentle and docile when speaking of Kikyo… it made Kagome's heart break. Then again, from what she was told… he was the same way about her.

"Y-yes." Kagome averted her gaze from InuYasha, and inwardly sighed. He had saved her so many times… he had even cried when he had thought she had died. He HAD to care… but who did he care for more?

"Kagome…" InuYasha came to the girl's side, his heart racing also. "Are you okay? Aren't you cold?"

"Yes, but that's to be expec-"

Kagome was cut off as she felt InuYasha's arm wrap around her shoulders; her heart began to beat faster and faster, and her breath caught in her throat.

"Kagome… I… I'm so confused…"