It had been a whole week with no word from him, and the weird black vain on her index finger was starting to bother her. Walking into school, she was accosted by dear Ayame.

"Kagome! I can't stand for you to be mopey like this!"

Giving her a weak smile, Kagome raised her eyes to her friend.

"It's okay, I'm just going through a rough patch."

Ayame hugged her tightly.

"I'm your friend! You don't have to put a brave face on for me."

A thought came to her then, "oh! I know! Why don't you go out with me tonight?"

Giving her a funny look, Kagome backed up a couple of steps, "I do love you, but not like that."

Laughing, Ayame slung her arm around Kagome.

"You know what I mean! I'm going clubbing tonight and I want you to join me. You don't have to dance with anyone but me, but I think you'll have a blast all the same."

Well, her mom was saying she needed to go do something instead of wallowing in her depression.

"Sure! Why not?"

Jumping up and down, Ayame talked about what she planned to wear and other details as they walked into class.

InuYasha stared up at the smoke-stained ceiling of his old house. For some reason, ever since that craziness with Kagome, this was the place he wanted to be. Maybe because it was more like 'their' place. According to Kagome, they had spent most of their time in the old country home.

Turning on his side, InuYasha furrowed his brow, "I want to remember everything, every small, seemingly insignificant detail of our time together."

He thought of that night, the cold look in her eyes, the resolve to beat someone almost to death. He didn't know that Kagome, and he didn't want to. How could sweet, innocent Kagome turn into that beautiful monster in the alleyway? It had been a week away from her, and all he could think about was how she was doing, and what she was up to.

RING!

Looking at the caller I.D., InuYasha rolled his eyes.

"What do ya want, lech?"

"Hey! Yash, come on! I called to see how you're doing."

"Just peachy. Bye-"

"Wait! Geez, man! Were we not best friends before your coma?"

He was right. Back in sixth grade, most jerks didn't want to sit next to the hanyou, but Miroku sat down and they started talking and laughing together. He was the first person to approach InuYasha, and that was in middle school.

"Sorry man, you're right. You are my best friend."

"Okay, glad you can admit that. Now, can you talk to me, bro? I can tell that something's wrong."

Sighing heavily, InuYasha told him everything that he knew from what others had told him, and what he had experienced since waking up.

"Dude, that's a lot to take in. I don't think I was fully ready for you to unload on me like that."

"What the hell, man! You asked me to!"

"Hey, hey! I'm just messing with ya, Yash."

InuYasha keh'd at his comment.

"So, what should I do, Miro?"

There was a long pause before he spoke up.

InuYasha pinched the bridge of his nose, "you can't be serious."

"Oh, but I am! Please do this for me, Yash!"

"Fine, fine…but you owe me big for this one."

"Thanks, dude! I'll wait for you at my house, be there at 9."

"Alright, later."

Hanging his head in his hands, he groaned.

"What did I just get myself into?"

(That night)

Kagome walked down the sidewalk with Ayame.

"Are you sure this is okay? I don't want to look slutty, Ayame."

"Trust me! You don't look slutty, you look hot!"

Pulling her tight skirt down for the umpteenth time, she questioned her friend's judgement in fashion. Ayame's closet was filled with very revealing clothing, so Kagome grabbed the only thing that still left something to the imagination. It was a mauve color on top, with a small ruffled look in the center and a halter neckline, but the black stretchy miniskirt was the only drawback. It just wouldn't stop riding up to just under her butt, however Ayame said it was supposed to do that. Her friend also let her borrow some black stilettos to match.

Getting to the front entrance, Ayame winked at the bouncer who grinned and let them both in before everyone else.

"Ayame! What the heck was that?!"

The wolf demon feigned innocence, "why whatever do you mean, Kagome?"

Crossing her arms, Kagome let it go and looked around the dark dancefloor with flashing colorful lights everywhere. It was not her cup of tea, but she would endure it.

Finding a place to sit, Kagome crossed her legs and ordered a cranberry and pineapple juice (this drink is truly amazing!), unaware of how much leg was now showing as the skirt was riding up a little more.

Drinking her fruity, nonalcoholic beverage, she watched Ayame dance in a sea of people and shook her head.

"How can someone be that brazen?"

"I know what you mean. I wouldn't be caught dead out there."

Turning around, Kagome smiled, "hey, you're Sango, right?"

Sango looked at the girl and pointed her finger smiling back, "yeah, and you're InuYasha's girlfriend."

Sango watched a wave of sadness wash over Kagome's face at that.

"Actually, I don't even know if we're together anymore."

Putting up some shot glasses, Sango rested her arm on the bar top.

"You wanna tell me about it? I hear us bartenders make the best listeners."

Giggling, Kagome decided she really liked this girl.

"Okay, but you can't speak a word of this to Miroku, because InuYasha doesn't even know the whole story and I can't have it leaked to him and then he's got another reason to be upset with me. I'll tell him everything when it's time."

Nodding her head, Sango told the other bartender that she was going on break and walked to the other side to sit next to Kagome.

"I'm all ears."

Miroku smiled wide as the place came into view.

"Come on, bro!"

Dragging his feet in protest, InuYasha rolled his eyes at him.

"I change my mind. I don't wanna go."

Walking up to his friend, Miroku grabbed him by the collar of his black shirt and glared straight into his soul.

"Now, you listen here, Yash. You've been MIA for two f***ing years, and I ask you to do this one thing for me and you're chickening out? You owe me this! Remember all the times I helped you beat up the kids that would pick on you, and not once did I ask for anything in return. So, just do me this favor for one night."

He let go of his shirt, and InuYasha straightened it out.

"I'm not going in there with my clothes jacked up."

Grinning, Miroku walked into the line with InuYasha by his side.

Taking a shot of vodka, Sango stared at the wooden bar top like it was the most interesting thing in the world.

"I expected some kind of sob story, but this was totally different. I've never heard of a curse that throws you out of your body like that."

Finishing off her drink, Kagome nodded.

"Yeah, neither had I, but that's it. Now, with the whole miko purple flames thing, I think he's scared of me."

"Well, he is a half-demon, and half or whole, mikos scare the hell out of them."

Kagome wanted to talk more, but Ayame came up and dragged her onto the dancefloor. It if wasn't bad enough that she had been rejecting guys every time they come up to ask her to dance, now she was going to be in a sea of them!

Dodging shoulders and elbows, Ayame found them a perfect spot. Kagome closed her eyes and swayed to the music, pretending that no one else was around as she fell into the rhythm.

InuYasha scrunched his nose up at the onslaught of sweat and musk, even the flashing lights were messing with his senses. Making his way to the bar with Miroku, InuYasha took a seat and watched the show as Sango turned around to a grinning lecher, man, he should have brought some popcorn.

"Miroku! What are you doing here?!"

"I just couldn't wait until tomorrow night to see you again."

"Seriously?! Are you wanting to get me fired?!"

"Of course not, my dear Sango."

"Didn't you get the hint when I flipped you onto the floor for grabbing my ass?! I'm not interested in being eye candy and a piece of meat for someone!"

"Sango, just because I appreciate your body, it doesn't mean that your body is all I'm after. I want everything that makes you Sango."

Blushing, Sango rubbed, the glass cup in her hand, vigorously. That's when she noticed InuYasha next to him.

"Hey, InuYasha! Are you here to see Kagome?"

His instincts went into overdrive at the mention of her name, and he stared at the woman with a strange intensity.

"Where is she?"

His voice was leveled and calm, but Sango wasn't stupid. She could hear the lethal intent hidden there.

"On the dancefloor with her friend, Ayame."

Turning around, InuYasha stomped into the crowd and trained his nose to pick out her scent.

"Gotcha."

He zeroed in on her fragrance as he weaved in and out of couples before finally finding her. Mouth dropped, he stared at the scene before him.

Kagome had her arms up above her head, swaying her hips from side to side. The black stretchy skirt moved up more and more as she dipped a little and came back up.

That's when he noticed all the other eyes on her, but what's even worse, one bastard had the nerve to come up behind her and thrust into her backside, gyrating behind her!

"Ah, HELL NO!"

InuYasha moved quick as he threw the man across the room and, unceremoniously, picked Kagome up over his head, holding that damnable skirt down at the same time.

Running out of the club, he didn't stop until they were at the local park, Kagome screaming and protesting the whole way there.