A/N: don't think it gets WORSE... be surprised!

Chapter 4: A new life

Inuyasha stirred at the bright sun brought faint traces of light to the cave. He could just make out the outline of Kagome. She was still, as if she didn't appear to be breathing. Even though the darkness consumed most of her body, Inuyasha could see her as his equal, his hope, his joy, his pride, His love.

"Wake up. It's morning Kagome." He said smiling and nudging her cheek. Kagome's eyes flickered open and stared at Inuyasha. Kagome smiled at him.

"Good morning Kagome. You feeling alright?" Inuyasha said checking her out to make sure nothing was wrong.

"A little stiff but nothing I can't handle." Kagome said trying to stand up. She grunted a little at the pain coming from her leg. The poison was gone but the fact was that she was still struck by an arrow. Inuyasha smelled the fresh blood and knew the wound had to be changed soon enough.

"Do you want me to change your bandage?" Inuyasha asked looking down at the wound. It reminded him of the fact he failed her. Kagome only looked on at Inuyasha who was looking how far she opened it. The wound was closing that was for sure but it wasn't quite closed.

"Yeah, just be careful alright?" Kagome said looking away. Inuyasha didn't hesitate to start taking off the bandage. Kagome noticed something as he was doing this. She.... She wasn't blushing! It wasn't embarrassing for her to have Inuyasha this close to her. Why she wasn't was obvious to her.

She smiled at what she knew to come. Inuyasha looked at her face to see if she was in pain. 'She's......smiling?' Inuyasha thought. Should he say something? Kagome saw Inuyasha looking at her.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Kagome asked still looking away a little.

"Your.... smiling. Last time I did this you where going out of your mind." Inuyasha said. Inuyasha looked down and finished it. "Done." Inuyasha said looking back up at her for an answer.

"Because last time you did this, you didn't say you loved me." Kagome said smiling at him.

"Kagome..." Inuyasha moved closer to her. "if all it would take was to say I love you to make you smile then I'll do it." Inuyasha lowered his head and kissed her then moved next to her ear. "I love you Kagome." His breath tickled her ear but she tried to ignore it.

"Thank you Inuyasha." Kagome said wrapping him in a hug. Inuyasha embraced her and held her head aginst his chest.

"Anything for you Kagome." Kagome could hear his heart beat. It was beating for her. The moment was broken when Kagome's stomach growled and caused Kagome blush in embarrasment. Inuyasha looked around and noticed he didn't take her backpack. So they had nothing to eat. Inuyasha didn't want to leave her but he was afraid of her wound reopening. "Kagome can you stay here for a moment until I get back? I can't take you with me without that wound getting reopened."

"I don't care if it reopens just let me come with you..." Kagome said trying to stand.

"Don't try to get up and walk. Your'll only reopen your...." Inuyasha was in the middle of explaining when Kagome stood on her two feet. She wasn't very balanced because the pain from the wound was keeping her from trying to do anything but she started walking anyway.

"Now take me with you. I'm not staing here by myself." Kagome said slowly aproaching Inuyasha. Inuyasha ran over to her nearly knocking her over but he made sure he had his arms around her.

"Listen I don't like leaving you either but.. just please stay here for a little while... alright? I promise that i'll only be a minute. Just please try not to reopen your wound. It'll never heal if you don't give it a chance too."

"Alright but.." Kagome stopped when she sensed the sacred jewel heading towards them. "It's Naraku!" Inuyasha swung around towards the door and unshealted his sword to defend Kagome.

"Kagome stay back." Inuyasha stood ready as he felt a huge wind sweep through the cave. "NARAKU!" Inuyasha yelled towards the wind.

"Inuyasha.. your looking as well as ever... I'm not so sure about Kagome though.." said Naraku entering the cave,

"You leave her out of this." Inuyasha boldly stated unsteathing his sword.

"You know Inuyasha, her spiritral powers are very impressive." 'What's he getting at?' " I was surprised her spiritual powers was able to beat that poison. However.... " Naraku's body suddenly became spiked. "I doubt a fetal blow to her would be able to recover!" Naraku launched thousands of spikes everywhere in the cave. The cave rumbled from the attack. Kagome put up a barrior with what her powers would let her. "Kagome you are reluctant to die, but i'm not done yet!" Inuyasha tried as hard as he could to just stop the spikes from hitting himself and Kagome. Naraku aimed the spikes at the cieling. 'what is he..' Inuyasha trailed off as he relized what was under neath the cieling.

"KAGOME MOVE!" Kagome looked up as the spikes cause the cave to collapse and spikes to fall. Kagome screamed. Then all was silent. Inuyasha looked at the rocks and looked all around. He collapsed the entire cave onto her. "KAGOME!!!!" Inuyasha screamed into the rocks. "KAGOME!!!!!" Inuyasha growled loudly. His rage clouding his judgment. Naraku laughed.

"So how does it feel Inuyasha? To have both loves of your life killed in front of you!!?" Naraku asked. Inuyasha charged at Naraku. Naraku dodged and dissapeared. Inuyasha tried to to follow when he heard a rumble from the rubble. Inuyasha looked back to see a spiritual bolt blow a small hole through the rock. Inuyasha ran over and looked in the hole to see Kagome. She was alive.

"KAGOME!" Inuyasha said in relief.

"Inuyasha.. I can't hold the barrior much longer.. there's way too much on top of me..."

"Dont' worry Kagome I'll get you out of there!" Inuaysha started throwing rocks away from where Kagome was. Kagome's barrior started failing and rocks started coming through the barrior. Kagome tried to renforce her barrior but to no prevail. Inuyasha made a hole where he could see her body. He threw aside the rocks covering the side of her.

"Help me Inuyasha. I can't..." Kagome's barrior completely failed and rocks started to fall on top of her. Inuyasha cried out to her.

"KAGOME!" Inuyasha rapidly threw rock aside and he didn't care what was in the way. He came across her body. Her barrior failed but she created a spirit shield but some of the rocks had scraped her body. Inuyasha threw the last rock out of the way and pulled her out. She wasn't completely smashed. Her body was bruised and bleeding all over her legs and arms. She was lucky. The rocks that fell on her where small ones and not big boulders. Her shield only absorbed the impact. Inuyasha was relieved she was still alive. Inuyasha knew if Naraku knew she was still alive he would kill her. He needed to get away. Far away... He bowed his head and growled softly. He failed again...

4 hours later

Inuyasha found the place he wanted to. He carefully laid Kagome down and tries to wake her up.

"Kagome wake up." Inuyasha repeated until she stirred and rubbed her eyes. She looked up at Inuyasha.

"What.... are we doing here?" Her memory recalled what happened in the cave. "Where's Naraku?!" she asked looking around. Inuyasha grabbed her shoulders.

"He's gone but that's not why I brought you here."

"Brought me here... what do you.." she stopped when she noticed what was behind Inuyasha. "Inuyasha why did you bring me back to the..." Inuyasha stopped her.

"Listen I need to talk ok?" Inuyasha said. "As much as I hate to say it.." Inuyasha paused and growled as he bowed his head. "I can't protect you."

"What are you.."

"I said I need to talk!" He said angry and startiling Kagome. "Everything Naraku is doing right now is to get after you. In the past I was able to hold him off but now... He's grown strong enough I'm not even sure I can beat him."

"then we will do it together!" Kagome said standing up. Inuyasha faced her and grabbed her shoulders. Kagome stood silent.

"No. Even if we could defeat him together then you would be in risk of being killed."

"I don't care!" Kagome interupted. "I'm not leaving do you understand! I'm staying with..!" Kagome was stopped by Inuyasha's xlaws digging into her shoulder.

"NO! I refuse to let you die.. do you understand?!" Inuyasha demanded.

"Inuyasha... why are you.." Inuyasha's claws dug in deep to her. "Stop your hurting me."

"Then leave!"

"No I won't!" Inuyasha dug his claws slightly deeper. 'forgive me kagome...or don't.. but knwo i'm doing this for you...' Inuyasha forced Kagome down to the ground with his claws dug into her shoulder. Kagome's body sruggled until she fell limp. 'she finally passed out.. I was worried that I might have to hurt her more...' Inuasha reached into his Kamino and pulled out badages he had picked up before he came here. He bandaged everything on her body that had to be bandaged. He picked her up and went down the well. As he came through the well he was surprised no one was there. Inuyasha quickly took kagome up to her room and laid her on her bed. He kneeled before her bed and wispered. "I'm sorry Kagome... I'm sorry." over and over. Tears rolled down his cheeks. He placed a hand over his heart and clenched his hand over his heart. It hurt him far worse then he imagined. He just hurt the same person he fell in love with. He thought he had all the reason in the world to do what he was doing but he couldn't bare it anymore with his heart. He just wanted her to go back home and be safe. 'Why didn't she just go damn it...why the hell would she insist on staying with me. Last time she was almost killed.' "WHY! Why couldn't you just go back here by yourself... why couldn't you just leave me!" Inuyasha begged Kagome.

"You really have to ask?" Kagome asked him. Inuyasha flew his head up and looked at kagome. "Inuyasha how many times do I have to tell you I'm with you by choice not by force. I'm with you because I want to be with you. Get that through that thick skull fo yours!"

"Then stop wanted to be with me Kagome." Inuyasha once again burrying his heart and standing up. "I can't bare to watch you get hurt anymore." He tried to get her scared.. anything.. anything to make her hate him. He had to do something. He flung his claws at her. He closed his eyes and targeted a very non-critcal point on her body and flung up in the air. As he came down he put his claws away and collapsed next to her bed. Kagome rushed to his side.

"Are you alright Inuyasha?" kagoem asked. He didn't move. She noticed something... He was crying.

"I can't do it..I just can't do it Kagome.." Inuyasha kept repeating.

"Do what Inuyasha?" Kagome asked knowing why but wanted for him to say it.

"I just can't break away from you. I can't stop loving you Kagome. I though if I tried really hard then I would make you hate me... disgust me.. something for you to hate me by so I could get over you.. but I can't keep it up anymore. It was killing me and... I couldn't take it anymore... "

"Inuyasha you could never make me hate you. It's true you get me mad sometimes but I can't imagine a life without you. I just never want to be apart from you. I always think about you and can never shut up about you. I can never convince myself that you and me wheren't ever going to be together. I tried convincing myself as well that you are just some arrogant jerk and I should ahve someone better but... " Kagome looked down at Inuyasha. "I couldn't think of anyone better then u you Inuyasha." Inuyasha picked himself up and tears continued to fall butt he pain in his heart was gone. His heart was healed by her words. He walked over to her still tears falling. He crawled on her bed and wrapped his arms around her. KAgome smiled and felt his tears stain her shirt.

"Please Kagome I just never want to see you hurt. It hurt more knwoing that you could die in that cave and I couldn't get to you fast enough then Naraku getting away. When I saw your body laying there with all those bruises I my heart ached and I couldn't take it anymore. I thought ... that I might loose you. Naraku is ruthless and even took out his own heart to kill a women he once loved, but I can't."

"Would you though?" Kagome asked him. "Would you take out your heart if you could?" there was a short pause.

"No. I couldn't because it would mean I wouldn't be able to love you Kagome. That's why I couldn't go through with getting you to try and hate me. I couldn't bare the thought of me without you." Inuyasha said.

"And what's wrong with that?" Kagome said holding Inuyasha tight. "What is wrong with caring about someone.. why is it that you have to hide everything?" Kagome said loosening her grip to him. She pulled away to see his face. "When we are together I'm happy because I can be with you. I hate it when I have to go but I'm always happy to see you again. Inuyasha.. why don't we just stop fighting ourselves and finally admit it.. we are in love... arn't we?" Inuyasha smiled and chuckled..

"Yeh .. that's about right." Short pause. "Yeh we have fallen in love haven't we? I guess I can't deny it now. I am in love with you Kagome."

"And I love you too Inuyasha." Kagome and Inuyasha smiled at each other.

"So now what Kagome? I mean now that we admitted it.. now what?" Inuyasha asked her. He wasn't sure what that ment because he never let anyone get that close.

"I'm not sure what you mean......"

"I mean what do we do now that we know that we love each other.. is there anything we do?" Inuyasha asked her.

"I guess... " a long pause.

"Spit it out already!"

"now we..."

"Now we?....."

"get Married..." Inuyasha's heart stopped beating for a moment. 'Married? Seriously?'

"What... do you mean..." Inuyasha asked her to confirm what he was thinking. Kagome saw that and knew he knew full well what she ment.

"I think you already know what it means Inuyasha." Kagome said.

"Kagome.. to go that far..." Inuyasha said shocked.

"Still three years we where together. We stuck together all that time. We never admitted we loved each other but we both knew it. I'd say that was dating. Now that only thing left is.. marrage."

"Kagome once you commit..."

"I've already commited. I always told you i'd be by your side. For better or for worse." Short pause. "It doesn't have to be today... tomarrow.. or even in a coupple months. But that's something that is next that we have to do. We've already said we would stick by each other. So now it is just following up on that promise. So Inuyasha... will you?"

"Kagome... " They stare deep into each other's eyes. "Yeh I will."

"Now you have to ask me...." Inuyasha smiled and looked at her.

"Kagome will you be mine.. forever?" Inuyasha asked her. Kagome only smiled and replied.

"Yes." Kagome and Inuyasha fell together into each other. All of Kagome's body felt like it wasn't even there. They stay there hugging each other for a long time.

(outside of Kagome's door) Yuka, Eri, and Ayumi

"What are they saying.."asked Yuka

"I don't know I havn't been able to hear anything they are saying because of you guys." says Eri

"What have you hear this whole time?" asked Ayumi

"I don't know it has been mumbled and stuff." responded Eri

"But we know he is in there right?" asked Yuka

"Right..." responded Eri.

"So we should go in there shouldn't we?" asked Yuka

"Yeh in case he's trying something." Eri agreed.

"Right." the other two said nodding. Eri puts her hand on the door and hesitates to open it.

"Alright.. here we go..." Eri turns the door nob and open the door. All three of them rush in to find them still hugging each other. Inuyasha seemed not to be surprised by them. He knew they where there. Inuyasha's head was blocked by Kagome. Kagome turned around and responded to them bargeing in.

"Hey guys what's going on?" Kagome asked and then looking back at Inuyasha. He didn't have a hat on so his ears where exposed. Though still blocked from view his ears would pose a serious issue if Kagome's friends saw them. Kagome turned back around and notived his ears where exposed. Kagome started to panic. "Inuyasha your ears... if they see them them..."

"Don't worry. I got it covered. He lifted up his head with his ears exposed. Kagome got really worried and wondered if her friends would know what he really was.

"Hey girls." Inuyasha said. "so what are you girls doing here?"

"We are here to check up on Kagome. She isn't at school often and her grandfather started running out of ideas for excuses. So one day we made a chrge for your door and found you wheren't there. You grandfather said you where out and we didn't believe him. Eventually he told us you go somewhere everyday and that he doesn't even see you much. That's all we got out of him. So we put two and two together and came witht he conclusion that.." they point at Inuyasha " he's been taking you somewhere everyday. So fess up!"

"Yeh tell us the truth!" the other two demanded. Inuyasha looked at them.

"Yeh she's been with me so what?"

"So because of you she's never at school and stuff so you better...."

"Better......what?" Inuyasha said cause she stopped her statement.

"Stop keeping her from her school work." she continued worried Inuyasha was going to go ape ship on her.

"Oh really?" 'oh god... he's gonna blow'

"Yeh so... stop it." They replied softer then before.

"Well if that's how you feel.." He moved closer to them. They stared to wonder if he was going to hurt them.

"Alright then. Kagome will go to school for awhile."

"Not so fast.. since you guys where going someplace before this... we want to know where this place is so you two arn't running off again."

"Hey guys really it is not that bad that you guys are making it out to be... " said Kagome in defence and forgetting that she was still covered in bruises from her narrow escape of death. Kagome's friend stared at the bruises on her.

"What happened to you?" Her friends all asked together. Kagome relized she was still bruised. 'uh oh... this isn't good!'

"It's just some bruises from .. uh... "

"No lies!"

"We want the truth!"

"The truth is she was hurt like that from a rock slide. She was very lucky too that they where just small stones that fell and not boulders. When I pulled her out I tended to her then came back here after awhile to make sure she was ok. Then I came back here just a few minutes ago to lay her down."

"What?"

"Is that true Kagome?"

"Yeh... it's true."

"So you saved Kagome's life?"

"Yeh."

"Wow.. Kagome... we had no idea that happened to you. We are so sorry for doubting you."

"So did you take her to a hospital?"

"No."

"Why not?!"

"They could tend to her better."

"They could never tend to her like I would." Kagome's friends started swooning over him. "On the other hand how would it look if I brought her in like that. It would make me look like something was up." Inuyasha explained.

"Oh I see.."

"you have a point."

"So can you leave us now. Kagome's still hurt and I still have to make sure she's feeling fine."

"Of course. Get better soon alright Kagome?"

"Yeh get better soon." all three of them said "goodbye" and they where off. They started commenting on Inuyasha's actions.

"Inuyasha..."

"Listen I had to tell them the truth or they never would have left."

"It's not that."

"What is it then?"

"You handled that really well." Kagome said smiling.

"Is there usually a problem witht he way I handle things?"

"Yeh. Usually your mean with your comments but... this time you really where kind." Inuyasha was kind of hurt by her statement but happy that she thought his new attitude made her happy.

a/n : End of chapter 4. Stay tuned for Chapter 5!