Disclaimer: Don't own the characters, Rumiko Takahashi is the one with that honor

A/N: Sorry for the long delay between chapters, but life has a way of throwing you for a loop and it takes a while to regain your footing. But thank you all for bearing with me.

Dedication: To TallyMark...thank you, thank you, thank you...for the greatest honor of the most amazing fanart for chapter two in this story...Go check it out on deviant art...Tallydragon. deviantart. com

Hope you like this current chapter...and I promise the next chapter will be posted next week...

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Laying on her sleeping bag she felt Inuyasha's eyes boring holes into her. She knew that feigning sleep would not work on him so instead she lifted her gaze and her eyebrows daring him to put words to his glare.

He grunted in reply and jumped down from the tree he was perched on. She watched him, not blinking, not backing down. For a moment he returned her look with blazing eyes then turned his back and stomped out into the woods.

Sighing she closed her eyes, Inuyasha was still apparently not over his pique at being sat earlier, and he was definitely distrustful of her exchange with Sesshoumaru. If not for the presence of Sango and Miroku and, bless his little soul, Shippo's innocent comments of Inuyasha acting jealous of Sesshoumaru she had a feeling they would still be bickering.

Huffing into her nylon sleeping bag and wiggling into a more comfortable position, she wondered what the big deal really was. It is not like she and Sesshoumaru were caught doing a naked tango or something. Giggling at the scene that unfolded her mind she mused, now that would be kinda hard to talk my way out of!!

Smiling in the darkness she conjured up a mental picture of Inuyasha walking in while she tangoed with Sesshoumaru a rose clutched tightly between his fanged teeth. The picture in her minds eye took on a life of its own. The idea of such an utterly ludicrous position made her almost burst out in gales of hilarity. But then when her mind casually wandered to the image of a naked Sesshoumaru she forcibly put those mental wheels to a grinding halt. Blushing furiously under the cover of night she thought to herself, Ok maybe that would not nearly be as funny as I first thought.

Turning again in her sleeping bag she gathered her rampant thoughts around her again and meticulously pondered her memories of Sesshoumaru. His presence remained an enigma to her. With each meeting with him her fear grew less and less...but her curiosity...well that was another story. His being had taken on a different importance in her life; he was no longer just Inuyasha's murderous older half brother. He was more...Now he was a baffling presence, a presence she could not unravel. But she wanted to understand him; she wanted to make sense of him.

There was something about him that called to her. Something is his gaze belied all the truths she thought she knew of him, it made her question her beliefs in black and white and perhaps try to understand the grays in the world. If she could not make sense of anything in this crazy existence she found herself in, there had to be one thing she could make sense of. And right now she hungered to understand Sesshoumaru, his motives, his life, him...

Recalling his first statement directed at her that was not along the lines of "die wench", or "ignorant human", she thought of his statement, "Why do you haunt me". The words were laced with such agony, as if they were torturously wrenched out of the cold demon without his consent. It was those somehow cruelly naked words that tumbled around her disjointed mind while she fell into a fitful sleep. And in those moments before the darkness of slumber claimed her plagued mind, she finally wondered in painful resignation when exactly did the haunted became the haunter?

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It had taken a few days but she and Inuyasha were back on their usual bickering terms the incident with Sesshoumaru finally over, or at least not on the forefront of Inuyasha's mind. Her mind, well that was something different. Pushing the image of the beautiful stoic demon lord from her brain for the millionth time that day...

"Kagome", came Sango's call from the hot springs. Damn Kagome mused in exhausted acceptance, she could not continue to avoid Sango's concerned questioning. She had been shooting questioning glances at Kagome for a while since the incident with Sesshoumaru. Until now she had used Shippo's presence while bathing as deterrent to the inevitable conversation. But with Shippo clearly immersed in a heated conversation of fox demons with Miroku and Inuyasha off doing Kami knows what she knew she could no longer avoid Sango.

It was not as if she did not want to talk to her best friend, she just did not know what to say to her. How could she when she herself could not seem to make sense of anything?

Walking slowly toward the spring as if she were walking to the gallows Kagome tried to try to find ways to extricate herself from the impending conversation. Laying her worn yellow book bag on the ground next to Kirara she vowed to herself to try to control the conversation. She did not know why she felt so protective of her meetings with Sesshoumaru but she was reluctant nonetheless to speak of them.

Disrobing quickly she slid into the spring, feeling the warm waters caressing her aching muscles. She released a relieved sigh ignoring for the moment the perceptive gaze of her friend.

"Saunas back home have nothing on hot springs here" she said to Sango as she began scrubbing her body with meticulous attention, hoping her friend's curiosity of the wonders of the future would perhaps provide a useful distraction.

"Kagome" Sango's voice was shaded in exasperation as she settled her shoulders against a smooth rock in the spring, "you know you cannot keep avoiding me forever", the slayer said with a small smile. For all her strength and wisdom Kagome was still a young girl in so many ways Sango thought to herself. And sometimes, only sometimes, Sango felt as if she were centuries older than Kagome not just the few years that truly separated them in age.

"Come on Kagome, start talking" Sango leveled her glance at Kagome.

"You have been so quiet and distracted since the fight with Inuyasha" she observed quietly. And never being one to prevaricate she went straight for the jugular... "What really happened when you were alone with Lord Sesshoumaru?"

Sighing Kagome looked over at her friend. There was no way she could try to gloss over things with Sango. Sango knew her better than anyone. She used to wonder if she and Sango would have been friends if she had met her in the future. She may have dismissed someone like Sango simply because she was too straightforward, too honest, too intense. No point in dwelling on what ifs Kagome thought to herself. Because if she was honest with herself she may have just be a shade too shallow and yes, a touch too immature to have actuality considered someone like Sango in her circle of friends. What a loss that would have been, she mused. She has taught me so much, there is no truer friendship that the one Sango gives me unconditionally. So with a gusty sigh Kagome began to speak.

"Nothing happened," she began while watching the water ripple around her. Chancing a look at Sango she continued speaking in a rush at the sight of Sango's 'don't-give-me-that-crap' look.

"Well nothing really happened, he was watching us and he approached me. I don't know, that was about it..." she trailed off with a soft shrug of her shoulders.

"Why would Sesshoumaru want talk to you?" Sango stated in alarm as she sat up straighter in the spring, "What is he after?!"

"After..." Kagome began, "He is not after any..." she stopped for a moment and let the ideas circle around her brain.

"Answers Sango...he is after answers" her eyes widened with the simple realization.

"No offense Kagome, but from you? What kind of answers does he expect?" came Sango's thoughtful reply.

Kagome laughed lightly, "I don't know Sango, I truly don't know". Kagome knew she could be more effusive, she knew Sango would be more than willing to listen and help Kagome sort out the muddled thoughts of her mind. But still, this is too new for me, too uncertain. How can I explain anything when I have yet to understand?

"But," Kagome continued, "he does not seem to want to kill me" at least not yet anyway she finished the sentence in her mind.

"Well that's a relief" Sango remarked with dry humor. "But why Kagome, not to sound like Inuyasha..." she paused and wrinkled her nose in distaste

"You could never sound like Inuyasha Sango...you can't growl deep enough or sprinkle enough 'keh' and 'wench' into your conversation" Kagome interrupted with a lilting laugh. She wanted nothing more at this point that to end this conversation and continue to worry thoughts of Sesshoumaru by herself.

Sango chuckled a bit, but like a dog on bone would not let go of the conversation, "Not to sound like Inuyasha" she repeated in determination, "but why hasn't he killed you? You know there is no love between him and Inuyasha, and we all know how he feels about humans."

Ughhh, Kagome mentally threw up her hands, it's not like I haven't asked myself these questions already...Ok guys give it up already! I am not dead...Shouldn't that be a good thing? Maybe we have all been wrong about him. Maybe he is not such a bloodthirsty killer. Maybe...Like a chipmunk storing nuts away for winter Kagome decided to tuck those ideas into her mind and ponder the ramifications of her theories later.

Instead of saying what she was really thinking Kagome replied with a sigh, "Damn Sango I wish I knew, I think at this point we should just wait and see." Sinking down deeper into the spring Kagome leveled a look at her friend. "It could be just mere curiosity, or maybe it's just nothing at all and we are just looking at it too hard".

Sango looked skeptical, but with her ever present praticality she remarked, "Ok Kagome, let's just wait and see but if you meet up with him again try not to be alone with him." She moved closer to Kagome and placed a wet hand on her shoulder, "I know you Kagome, you're too soft sometimes. Please don't trust him or underestimate him."

Kagome brushed aside that comment with a laugh, "I may be soft hearted Sango, but I am not soft headed...I'll be careful." I wish people would stop thinking that I am a bleeding heart to every stray. But right now I just cannot bring myself to completely believe that he is the demon we have thought him to be all this time. Again his words whispered themselves through her mind 'why do you haunt me?' Shaking off the memory, "I promise Sango, I'll be careful" she vowed to her concerned looking friend.

"Now," she said with some cheer and dunked her head under the water, coming up she remarked, "now tell me what has been going on with you and our favorite monk?"

Laughing over the blush that stained her friends checks Kagome neatly turned the conversation and the girls were swapping tales about their favorite lechorous monk.

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They had not caught even the smallest of hint of Naraku or the jewel shards for several long, agonizing days. They were merely blinding hunting now, going on rumors and theory.

"Inuyasha this way", she said pointing over his shoulder from her perch upon his back. "I sense shards..."she hesitated, "ALOT of them."

Inuyasha tossed an alarmed look over his shoulder, "Kagome there are only a few shards left...how many is a lot?"

"More than what should be left"

"Naraku", he growled, putting all his pent up rage into that single word and started speeding like lighting across the rough terrain. Arms wrapped tight around his neck Kagome shook her head sending strands of ebony hair to blend within the white of his own. "No," she whispered more to herself than to Inuyasha, "no, not Naraku it is something more...more evil."

She mused to herself for a moment I have felt this presence before, I know it...but where?

"Kagome, Inuyasha why are we moving so fast." Sango called from atop Kirara's back with Miroku and Shippo perched behind her. They must have gotten on when Inuyasha started moving so fast. "Naraku" was all Inuyasha answered.

"No!" Kagome had to shout to be heard above the whizzing of trees and branches. "It's not Naraku, it's something else" she wondered why that sentence sounded so eerily familiar suddenly she remembered, "The village...this is the same aura from the village we found!"

Inuyasha sped over the rough terrain, Miroku, Sango and Shippo following close behind them on Kirara. "Inuyasha" Kagome gasped, "I can't sense them anymore".

"What...What?!" Inuyasha threw an angry glare over his shoulder. "What do you mean you can't sense them?" his voice gravelly with barely restrained anger. "That many shards could not just disappear that fast Kagome". He kept bounding from treetop to treetop still following the direction she had originally pointed out to him.

Inuyasha came to a screeching halt stopping to sniff the air around him. "Inuyasha," Kagome whispered close to his fuzzy ear. "what..."

"Blood" was all he said. Lightly jumping down from the rocky hill they were now perched on his feet hit the ground with a soft thump. Kagome quickly albeit gracelessly slid off his back moving to stand next to him. In a lightening quick movement Inuyasha shoved her behind him, his hands in one smooth motion pulled Tetseiga from its sheath. Pausing to sniff the air he glanced over his shoulder barely acknowledging the graceful touchdown of Kirara with the rest of their group on her back.

"Stay here" he gruffly ordered them and bounded down the rocky terrain.

Shippo came jumping off Miroku's shoulder and threw himself at Kagome. "Kagome," he chattered from his waiting perch in her arms, "what's going on?"

"Yes Kagome," Miroku said as he calmly walked over to her, "where is Inuyasha going?"

"I thought we were following shards and Naraku?" Sango voiced as she wandered to the edge of the hill her eyes searching out Inuyasha's whereabouts and taking note of their current location.

"I don't know," came Kagome's confused reply, "one second I sensed a lot of shards, and then the next..."she shook her head in frustration, "they were just gone."

Directing a worried glance in the direction that Inuyasha had taken she continued "And Inuyasha said he scented blood and then ran off".

"Whatever he sensed he should not be running off by himself" Miroku said thoughtfully, "we should follow him, who knows what traps he could be falling into. Inuyasha should know by now that we must never underestimate Naraku".

"Let's go find Inuyasha" Shippo piped up.

"Agreed" Sango concurred while securing Hiraikotsu on her back. The group was just about to descend the hill when they caught the sight of Inuyasha's red fire rat robes coming into view.

As he approached, Kagome noted darker red marks adorning his sleeves and staining his feet.

"Inuyasha" Kagome worriedly ran over to meet him. Stopping a scant inch away from him she almost stepped back from the look of angry sorrow that blazed within his gaze.

"It's another village" at Kagome's gasp he looked at the rest of their pack. "And it's even worse than the last" he said as his shoulders slumped in defeated resignation.

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A/N: Sorry there is no Sess/Kag interaction in this chapter, but would you believe that this chapter was getting sooo long that I had to break it up into two chapters? Yep, sure did. But on the bright side it means that the next chapter will be out by next week and our favorite couple will be together again:)

And thank you all, truly...for reading and reviewing this story. It means a great deal to me, this story has become near and dear to me and I cannot express just how happy I am that you all seem to enjoy it so much and are willing to bear with me while I weave a romance out of, well,...nothing at all. Thanks again and I look forward to seeing you all again next chapter :)

P.S. don't forget to review it makes me realize that I am not only writing for myself but for you guys as well... :)