Kagome woke slowly, and she was immediately confused as to why she was on an unfamiliar couch.

She sat up slowly, her blanket heading in the other direction and collected around her waist.

Only then did she remember where she was, but that did not help the questions of the all too quiet apartment.

noticing the chill in the air, she hugged the blanket back around her shoulders, and promptly discovered that the 'blanket' was actually a large, red, jumper.

She pulled her arms through the sleeves, and wrapped herself tightly in it, standing up.

'InuYasha?' She called quietly, looking around.

It took her a few seconds, but she eventually spotted the small alarm clock on the coffee table showing three in the afternoon, and the note leaning against it.

Good afternoon, sleepyhead.

I had to go out for a while, be back around seven(ish).

The bathroom's for you to track down, and there's snacks in the kitchen.

Don't be too noisy, or Mrs. Grump-from-across-the-hall will be mad, and stay in the apartment.

Now that he had mentioned it, she did feel grimy, so she stood up.

Wrapping herself up more firmly, she set off towards the tiny hall.

Her first guess lead to a bedroom, with blue walls and a bed with dark blue covers.

This was just as messy as the rest of the house, she noted as she shut the door again.

Her second guess proved right, an average sized bathroom with a shower, one that she nearly threw herself at.

Shutting the door carefully behind her, she got in as quickly as she could, draping her clothes over the back of the chair there.

Usually, the hot water seemed to make everything better, it was her way of relaxing in a time when she couldn't.

She considered her options, which were as simple as they were complicated.

For some strange reason, she actually liked this guy, who had pulled her off the bridge and given her a place to stay.

Of course, not like like, he was just interesting enough not to go back to the bridge, and really mean it that time.

And he would probably kill her if she died.

But some of the things he had said were a little worrying.

Something about 'Random acts counting'? Was he really in trouble with the law?

She smiled bleakly.

That was exactly the reason she had first liked Kouga, before she found out about his temper.

You really go for them, don't you Kagome. A small voice said and she shook her head in response.

This InuYasha seemed like a genuine nice person, when he wasn't stirring others up, or getting irritated.

She had noticed that when he was on the phone to his friend, how suddenly his face changed from casual to irritated.

Also, she wasn't sure of how much of what he had told her to take seriously.

In for assault? Seriously?

Wonder what the other guy did, She thought.

Half an hour later, she sat down on the couch again with a bowl of cereal in hand, scowling slightly.

Her wrist was aching where she had knocked it, she had discovered a large hole on the back of her shirt, and using the A4 sized mirror in the bathroom, had found out just how worse for wear she was really looking after Kouga's treatment.

So currently, she was wearing the overly large jumper that was just long enough to be a robe, and not a lot else.

After a bit of digging, she had managed to extract a red tie from a pile of stuff that sat by her foot, and used it to tie the front of the jumper shut, as she couldn't figure out the strange looking tie on her right shoulder, which just hung loose.

As she sat there, eating cereal, she thought about what she should do now.

Every single time she had thought this thought over the past few years, her first and foremost thought would be the bridge.

But today, it was not.

Today, her first thought was of a certain person.

Three guesses who.

Although, the smile he wore upon his lips was smug.

She wondered what his normal, happy smile looked like.

She took another bite of cereal as she tried to picture it, but failed miserably.

Yawning so hard her jaw cracked and stretching, she slouched as she ate, contemplating each bite, when a thought struck her.

She could just get up now, and walk out of this place, and head to the bridge, or just keep going.

She could 'borrow' a shirt from him, leave the city, and go abroad, or something.

The whole, 'start a new life' thing.

He wouldn't know she was gone for another, she gave the little clock a quick check, hour and a half.

By then she could have gone far enough that he couldn't find her.

But she knew she wouldn't.

She liked it here, and that made it just about the only place in the world she liked.

And this guy, this InuYasha, he was just enough of a nut bar to want to keep an eye on her, to make sure she didn't go back to the bridge.

She set the now empty bowl on the coffee table, and wrapped her arms around herself.

Strange as it was, as he was, and for some unbeknown reason, for the first time in a longer time that she wanted to recall, she felt wanted.

Quietly, he shut the door behind him, waiting for the reproachful look he was sure he was about to receive.

The where-have-you-been look, or the you're-late look.

He was indeed an hour later then he said he would have been, it was harder to get rid of Miroku then he had anticipated.

Surprisingly, he got none of them.

Not even the why-did-you-trap-me-here look.

He turned slowly, almost afraid of the sight to see, of the damage done.

He found her quickly, and was shocked.

She was still asleep.

Must have been tired, he thought, shaking his head.

She was curled up on the corner of the couch, looking more relaxed then he had ever seen her.

He nearly smiled, and tiptoed past her to get to the bathroom to wash off the terrible scent of the guy who'd been seated next to him's cologne, which stank to high hell.

It took him a full thirty seconds to realise why a girl's clothes were draped over the back of the chair, and how they got there.

He turned and stuck his head back through the door, to notice she wasn't wearing any shoes on her feet, which was the closest thing to him.

He shrugged, and turned back towards the sink.

Wonder why she's still here, he thought.

He was surprised he didn't have to go and pull her off the bridge again.

Suddenly, there was the sound of the door slamming open, and the sound of a girl screaming.

Kagome appeared in the doorway and flung herself inside, looking both still asleep and scared out of her wits.

InuYasha pushed his way past her, and, still dripping slightly, stuck his face into the lounge, where a very stunned Miroku greeted him.

He stepped out, and opened his mouth about to swear at him, but was interrupted by a thundering knock on his door.

He flinched, and the two turned towards the door slowly.

He opened it a crack, to see a very tired, very cranky looking, middle-aged woman standing there, glaring at him.

'I've warned you once,-'

'Yes, Mrs Kaguya,-'

'Twice, a thousand times, and this is the last straw-'

'Very sorry, it was an accident-'

'You know I have to work, and I specifically told you-'

'Didn't mean to, you see-'

'Complete disregard-'

'Apologies!' Miroku called from inside.

They continued like this until the woman had finished her rant.

With a tiny, unsatisfied 'humph!' She turned on her heel and disappeared into the apartment across.

He shut the door quietly, then turned back to the lounge, with Miroku looking apologetic, and Kagome's face peering around the corner, looking worried.

'What are you doing here, Miroku?'

Miroku relaxed out of his stance, and shrugged.

'I thought I'd come and check on you,' he said, winking, 'You were awfully keen on getting rid of me today. So I let myself in to find a girl on your couch! What have you been up to?'

InuYasha crossed his arms. 'Nothing. I told you to mind your own business.'

'Touchy, touchy.' He turned to where she was hiding, and she vanished from sight.

'Good evening. Kagome, was it?'

She stuck her head and one shoulder around the corner this time.

'Hello, Miroku.' She did not seem willing to reveal she was only wearing a jumper. 'Oh, and by the way, InuYasha, you're late.'

InuYasha shrugged. 'Keh.'

She disappeared back out of sight, and did not reappear.

'So then how long has she been here?' Miroku questioned lightly, trying to avoid getting beaten to a pulp.

'Since yesterday.' Ever since she got away from that mangy 'boyfriend' of hers… He added to himself, frowning, sitting on the couch.

Next time I see him I'll deck him.

Miroku nodded. 'How did you convince her to come back here? Usually, you're terrible with girls.'

He received a look that would have frozen water.

'I don't exactly see them falling at your feet, Miroku. I have no idea how you manage to keep Sango, the way you flirt with anything that moves.'

'Anything that moves? I'm offended.'

InuYasha rolled his eyes. 'No, anything that's female.' He allowed.

Miroku looked hurt, then grinned.

'Kaede's pretty annoyed at you though. Did you get those messages?'

'What, coz I didn't turn up to work yesterday? Geez, it didn't kill her, did it?'

'By the way she was acting it did. Oh well, random acts count, so who cares?'

Miroku looked at him for a long moment.

'Speaking of random acts and why you weren't at work yesterday, how exactly did you save this girl's life?'

'Ah…' InuYasha looked uncomfortable, and glanced towards the bathroom where the girl in question was hiding. 'You know the old bridge by the cliffs? She nearly fell off it. Simple as that.'

'Really? And you were there at exactly the right time?' Miroku asked, raising an eyebrow.

InuYasha nodded.

'Then why is she back here? Why not at home?'

'She,' He paused lying wildly. 'was a bit disorientated, and was by herself, couldn't remember why she-'

'I was about to throw myself off it because my life is shitty. Happy?' Kagome said, appearing again, looking annoyed.

She had pulled her skirt on underneath the jumper, the clothes not matching at all but still providing enough coverage to present herself to this friend of his.

InuYasha stared at her, then shot a glance back to Miroku, who was looking shocked.

'Something about random acts counting?' She added, not smiling.

Miroku and InuYasha exchanged a look, a dry one with a sure one.

'Huh. Anyway,' Miroku said, glancing at the clock. 'Got to go. See you tomorrow, InuYasha. Don't be late or Kaede will have your guts for garters.'

InuYasha grimaced, then watched as Miroku winked at Kagome, nodded at him, then slipped quietly out the door.

'Sorry about him. He's like that sometimes.'

'So who's Kaede? Where do you work?'

'Kaede's my boss. I have to volunteer down at this place. Anyway, I have a question for you.'

She gave him a suspicious look.

'What is it?'

'What year of school would you be in at the moment?'

'Year twelve. Why?'

He shrugged. 'What school did you used to go to?'

'Uh, Takeda Academy, why?'

He shook his head. 'No reason, just forget it.' He got up, and strode over to the kitchen, ignoring her confused look.

Takeda Academy, I've heard of that. He thought, opening a cupboard and pulling out the ingredients for his most common meal.

Two instant noodle containers later, he turned the kettle on for the hot water.

Pretty sure its in Kai, or about seven suburbs away. He shook his head. Dodgy place, wonder how long she did time there, an idea that had been forming in his head since that morning reminded itself to him.

Because during that day, he had figured out several things.

One, that there was maybe one other person that would take her in at the moment that he knew of, and that one person he wouldn't let near her with a ten foot stick.

Two, that he wanted to keep an eye on her, and he was betting that despite her staying throughout the day, the bridge wasn't completely gone from her mind.

And three, that if she was going to stay with him, she might as well get something done with her life.

He still wasn't entirely sure as to why she was suddenly so important.

Hey guys, here's the long chapter I promised.

Won't be updating for a while, so I made it extra long, but you'll still have to wait to see what InuYasha's got planned.

(A cookie to whoever can guess!)

Oh well, love you all, and will update later,

InuKag :)