Yo. I don't own InuYasha. I keep forgetting to say that.

Anyways...please read. I know, the cliffy has a sucky thing. You'll see. And this chappie is sweet, yet cheesy. But I had to get it over with. So yeah...read and REVIEW!!


Kagome opened her eyes slowly. She lowered her arms from her face. What just happened? Hadn't Tama just stabbed her? Why didn't she feel any pain? She heard a chough from in front of her, and then a small splatter of liquid upon the ground. That definitely wasn't coming from her.

She looked up to see InuYasha standing in front of her, a spear sticking straight through his stomach. The tip of the spear was glistening with red blood, dripping onto her shoes. She stepped back and gasped. How did he get here? Why did he jump in front of her? Especially after what he had just said?!

"I-InuYasha…"

InuYasha turned his head around to face her, a sad smile upon his lips. Blood leaked from the corner of his mouth.

"Hey." He coughed up a fresh batch of blood onto the already red stained floor.

Kagome's eyes pooled with water.

"And the valiant InuYasha always manages to save you, doesn't he Kagome?" Naraku spat, anger on his face. "Well I have news for you, with both me and Tama here, you don't stand a chance!" He thrust a spear down to meet InuYasha in the chest. Blood sprayed onto Kagome, covering her clothes and soaking her skin.

"F-fuck…" InuYasha muttered, his shaky hands grasping both weapons that were piercing him. Kagome's eyes were frozen in shock. Her mouth was agape. Her own child… had just…stabbed the man she loved…and then Naraku…her baby's father…had followed up on it. Her screwed up, backwards family was ganging up on the love of her life. It was so…wrong.

"InuYasha…" she muttered, bringing her hand up to cover her mouth in despair.

InuYasha yanked the menacing impalements out of his body with a grunt.

Drawing his sword, he stood before Naraku and Tama bravely. Blood poured from his body like a waterfall, but he stood his ground. Kagome walked up. She got in front of him. Spreading her arms wide, she glared at the toddler before her, and at the bastard above.

"K-Kagome…" InuYasha stuttered. He winced in pain. He tried to get in front of her, but she pushed him back.

"No son of mine, and no father of my son, is going to hurt the man I…the man I deeply care for. InuYasha…you always protect me from dangers and things that you caused. Things that are you're responsibility, and therefore you feel like it's your duty to protect me from them. Well now it's my turn to protect you. I caused this mess, and it's my child that's hurting you. So I'm not going to let anything happen! It's time I return the favor!"

InuYasha stared at her in disbelief.

"Kagome…"

Naraku threw his head back and laughed maniacally, followed by Tama's copycat cackle.

"How sweet Kagome…so touching. It's too bad though. Not everyone can have as big a heart as you!"

Tama continued for him, "Yes mommy, I don't think I care for you, or your little shield. Why don't you just come and live with daddy? We'd be such a happy family!" He broke out into a fit of hysterics.

Kagome glared.

"I think I'm going to kill you now. Both of you!" Tama ran at them again, a second spear in hand. InuYasha swiftly grabbed Kagome around the waist, hoisting her up. He jumped away as quickly as he could, bounding through the trees at the speed of lightning. Kagome clung to his wet kimono, trying not to inhale the scent of his blood.

Arriving at Keade's hut, InuYasha practically dropped Kagome. He stumbled slightly, trying not to collapse from blood loss. Kagome took his hand and led him into the hut, trying to make him sit down. He refused.

"I'm fine," he stuttered, his eyes slightly crossing.

Kagome sighed. "No, you're not." She forced him to lay down, sitting next to him. She carefully started to bandage him, he reluctantly letting her. Tightly closing the last cloth shut, she wiped some blood off his cheek. "There's no need to act so strong all the time. You can't walk around like that, you'll kill yourself."

InuYasha smiled up at her, his eyes half closed.

"Sometimes I think I'd be better off dead."

She half-smiled back at him. Daringly, she lifted his head up to lay on her lap. It reminded her of a long time ago, before they had met Shippo, Miroku, Sango, and Naraku. Those were the days. Alone together, although they didn't have any feelings for each other back then. Even though now, InuYasha apparently still didn't love her, or so he said, but still, it was nice to hope. She smiled, remembering the scene. They were hiding from a spider demon of some kind, and InuYasha had been human then. He had been injured, as he was no, with his head on her lap. Then, he had looked up at her and said-

"Kagome…you smell nice."

Kagome's eyes widened. She looked down at him inquiringly.

He smiled up at her, his white hair spilling over the sides of her thighs.

"Don't you remember? A long time ago, we were just like this, and I told you that you smelled nice."

Kagome couldn't believe it! He actually remembered something so trivial as that, from so long ago?! It had been so important to her back then, but it seemed it was important to him as well.

"I think it still holds true." He continued, "Back then I felt so…relaxed and safe with you. Like you were protecting me. It's so…so sweet and innocent when you do that. Like you did today. I think that's one reason I think I l-love you Kagome."

She stared down at him.

"But today you said-"

He cut her off, "I just didn't think you loved me back. And I thought that was the last thing you needed at the moment. But today…when you got in front of me and made that little speech. I figured "man I deeply care for", translated to.. "man I love". At least I hoped it did. But even if it didn't….I…I want to confess."

He grabbed her hands, imitating Miroku's romantic gesture. He sat up, wincing in pain. Staring into her eyes, he spoke carefully and slowly,

"Kagome…I love you."

She gasped. She couldn't believe it! She got teary eyes yet again, only this time, out of joy.

"InuYasha…."

He kissed her softly, enveloping her lips in his. Her head tilted back to rest against the wooden wall, and he took his hands and placed them behind her head to support her. His tongue slid into her mouth between her lips, deepening the kiss. He broke away, leaving them both breathless. He stared into her eyes, and she stared back.

Moving her lips to speak, InuYasha leaned forward and kissed her again.

"I don't care what has happened, or how fucked up our lives are. All I care is about you and me, right now. I don't even want to hear your answer. Just please, let me have this moment with you."

Kagome nodded, a stupid grin plastered on her face. InuYasha smiled back. They both were relishing the moment that they had both been secretly waiting for, for so long. And now it was finally here.

But karma is a strange and absolute truth.

And with the good, comes the bad.