Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha. All rights are reserved for Rumiko Takahashi.

He looked down at her sleeping form in his arms as he made his way to this well of hers. He was at peace now that she was back with him yet when he found out about her abduction he had tried to avoid rescuing her. His beast finally raged enough to the point of taking over and chasing her down. The beast even took on a barrier of considerable strength trying to get to this woman. It infuriated him how she went to great lengths for this jewel with no worries of her own safety.

When they arrived at the well she had awakened in his grasp and struggled to stand on her own. He let her down and held her arm to help steady her balance. She wouldn't look him in the eyes.

"I'm sorry you had to go to the trouble of saving me..." She spoke quietly as she eyed the well.

"Do you realize this jewel means nothing to me?" he growled, "And yet you would recklessly risk your life for it on many accounts? I must ask why you would go so far."

"Because it's my fault. I broke the jewel so that means I have to put it back together!" she yelled.

"Why not let the dead Miko do it and live your life in peace?" he asked calmer this time.

Hurt reflected in her eyes as the worst intention of his words were understood. Why not step aside and leave? Sadness echoed her hurt before he could clarify his meaning.

"I guess I don't know when to quit." She turned away from him now. "Sure I knew she was better than me- but I just couldn't walk away from this world without knowing the outcome. I suppose I should just leave..." She turned towards the well and he grabbed her wrist, pulling her to a stop.

"You do not need to leave, just don't let the burden be yours alone. It would hurt those who love you if you should you perish prematurely..." he spoke to her with honesty as he traced circles on her skin with his thumb.

Her eyes lightened a little, "I'll be back in a few hours..." She turned and walked to the well, but stopped to peer in before placing a hand on its edge.

He walked quietly up behind her and placed a hand around her waist. "You don't always have to be so strong. Let me help you."

"I'm not that strong..." she whispered sleepily while leaning against him.

He lifted her into his embrace and then prepared to jump into the well. He didn't wish to argue with her further on this topic while she was in such a weakened state. "This well leads to your home?"

"Yah... I'm from five hundred years in the future," she answered simply trying to conserve her energy.

He went forth into the well and found himself face to face with a river of odd scents. They were in a shrine house now as he effortlessly lifted her out of the well. He could smell her scent only a few days old as he exited the shrine house. He ignored the other strange looking huts and followed her scent to what he thought to be her domain. He laid her down on what seemed to be a bed and listened to her moan quietly.

He disappeared through the open window as the room was entered by a foreign woman. He could smell the resemblance in their blood and knew they were closely related.

"Oh Kagome, I thought I heard you come in. Are you okay dear?" She asked while going to Kagome's side. "You don't look good at all. I'll go make you some soup, sweety."

"Thanks mom." She replied quietly before searching the room for him.

"Did Inuyasha bring you back?" Her mother asked before she made it to the door.

"No, not this time," she replied with a hint of sadness in her voice.

"Oh... I see. I'll go fix you some tea while I'm at it." And she left the room at last, granting him his private re-entrance he had been craving.

She laid on the bed where he had left her and noticed her eyes were searching for something. When her gaze rested on his face she ceased her searching and smiled at him. He went to her side silently and knelt on the floor next to her.

"You didn't have to bring me this far, you know," she said as her smile faded a little.

"You asked to be brought home, I complied with your wishes," he brushed the hair from her face as he spoke.

"I wish I could understand your reasoning behind it," her voice was soft as she answered.

"If I could answer and quell your curiosity, I would," he said carefully while he eyed her room filled with foreign objects.

"Thanks for bringing me," she said suddenly and decided to study the ceiling now.

"You are welcome," he said before the room went quiet again. He listened to her breathing as it evened out and smiled inwardly. She must have been very tired to need this much sleep. He turned his head to peer down at her sleeping form and then pulled the blankets over her.

As she slept he made up his mind to help her complete this meaningless jewel and when that was complete, he would have her attention completely. He would also tear any demon limb from limb who tried to hurt her to gain possession of this god forsaken jewel. He didn't know what drove him to such protectiveness, but he had an idea.

"Do you see it now?"The beast asked inquisitively.

"See what?" He asked in return.

"How admirable and strong will this woman is. Not to mention how fearlessly she took on that disgusting tengu." The beast growled at the mentioning of the treacherous being.

"Fearless or not, why should it matter to me?" He was starting to develop strong feelings for the Miko, but his pride demanded stubbornness to force him to deny himself. Which was quite silly judging by the way he acts towards the Miko, it was obvious that he is quite drawn to her.

"You know you want her... It is foolish to deny yourself of something so irresistible as such."

"What would deprave you to think I would listen to such an unrealistic being as you?" He seethed into the depths of his own mind.

"Because you know I'm right." It replied with a deadly calm voice.

He didn't respond after that and the beast left him to ponder his words. He was in denial, sure, but how much of his feelings was he truly denying?He glanced back at the sleeping girl and thought it was best not to push the subject further or at least not til she awoke.

He waited for only a mere two hours, in said time her mother returned with food, for the Miko to wake and restore some of her previous energy and life. He was relieved to say the least when she began smiling and laughing again without signs of fatigue.

"No, no! You use that to scratch your back!" She giggled, clearly amused by my confusion at the object in my hand.

"Interesting..." was all he said as he laid it on the bed next to her. The next thing he picked up was an oddly shaped pink object with numbers that went around the outer edges of a circle painted behind glass.

"That's an alarm clock. It wakes me up in the morning when I have to go to school." She told him as she watched him tinker with it.

"And you enjoy this school?" He asked before he set the odd little object down.

"Ever since I started my hunt for jewel shards, no. It used to be my life before all- this happened," she said while making a slight hand gesture to emphasize this.

"The jewel has thrown your life off balance." He commented.

"But if not for the jewel I wouldn't have ever met you." She replied quickly.

"True, but I am not sure if that is worth the risk of your life on a daily basis."

"I get to decide that and I say it is well worth it," she said while looking up at him.

"My say should be important to." He said in return.

"It is important to me, but it's not like I can up and quit searching for the shards. It's a responsibility not only to the people, but to myself as well." He could smell determination and slight sorrow coming from her and couldn't help but place a comforting hand on hers. She smiled up at him and any trace of her sadness disappeared.

She was up and about an hour later packing things for our trip back to his era. She was also going on about some test that she seemed to have missed in her absence. She paced the room for a few moments then turned back to him.

"I think we should go back now. It's getting late and I forgot Kikyo's waiting for us." She said as she grabbed sack she planned to take with her.

"Very well. Let's go then." He replied before he picked her up without warning and set her down before the well moments later.

"Wow, you're fast," she said breathlessly.

"Did you expect anything less of me?" he asked in a low tone.

"Of course not, just let the world right itself before you let me go though." She said as she placed her hand to her forehead.

"Oh, but I have no intentions of letting you go, Miko..." He smiled at her disoriented expression and decided that the jewel had some good purposes yet. It had brought them together and that, for now, was good enough to prove its worth.

To be Continued...

Thanks for reading! Since devoted readers demanded an early update, here it is! I hope you like it! Please review and let me know what you think! Thanks again!

-Lala 3