**

Sesshoumaru reached the beach first, scouting quickly with a glance, before leading the stream of youkai to a stretch of beach that reached into the lagoon before encircling the lagoon to give the island a small calm area of water. He set the kitsune onto the soft sand and unfurled the raft to create shade. He stuck four large posts into the ground and latched the raft onto them to create enough shade for most of the youkai. Their healing was working now that they had food, access to sunlight, and water, however, they were still too weak to do much else than heal.

His disgust for their weakness rose like bile in his stomach. He waited while the remaining youkai filed from the trees into their new sanctuary as the black smoke billowed from the island behind them. He watched as Shippo came, supporting an older youkai, but with a face so distraught Sesshoumaru's heart sank. He glanced through the youkai in search of Kagome.

"She stayed back to hold off the humans so we could get to safety," Shippo cried over the waves and the chatter of the people. Many youkai's eyes widened and they looked back towards the island when cries and screams met their ears. They shifted uneasily as Sesshoumaru stared at the trees. His feet felt like they had taken root to the sand. He couldn't move. His heart raced in his chest. He knew if he didn't move, she would die.

In a flash of rising sand, he was gone.

**

Kagome swung the branch like a baseball bat and smacked the guy in the temple. He fell into the rocks and laid without moving.

"C'mon then!" She cried, her eyes burning fiercely behind her bruised cheeks. A few people hesitated before coming at her, but then a woman screamed a battle cry and launched herself at Kagome. Kagome moved to swing the branch, but the woman tackled her to the ground. Pain ripped up her back and into her chest, as she rolled on the ground with the woman. They clawed at each other's faces, pulled hair, and slapped hard. Kagome finally got her knees under the woman and launched her away from herself. She got to her feet, coughing, blood spitting out of her mouth as she did so.

"She's hurt bad! Get her!" A voice cried. A few men attacked at once, causing her to back up against the rock. She growled as she swung the branch, catching the second one in the belly. The others jeered and laughed.
"What a cute little growl!" They remarked, the third one grabbing her branch. Her lips pulled into a snarl as she pulled at the branch. They held on tight, so she let go, and it snapped back and caught the man in the lip, tearing it to show his top molars.

The other two men jumped on her, fists punching towards her, only to be thrown backwards with a snarling growl. Kagome looked up to find Sesshoumaru standing in front of her and the humans backing off.

"Sesshoumaru," his name left her lips in a breath, her heart thumping hard against her chest. He glanced back at her and saw blood dripping from her chin, trailing from her mouth. His face hardened, and his hand glowed green. The humans scattered, knowing his poison whip well. Left alone for the time being, he turned to her.

"You've kept your injury to yourself the entire time we've been here," he stated, wiping the blood from her mouth. It kept coming. Worry rose in him. He felt his lungs clench.

"That's why I elected to stay behind. I don't think I'll live long enough to be rescued," her voice came out as a whisper. "When the raft exploded under me, I think it broke my rib and pierced my lung. It's been slowly filling with blood ever since. I have no lung capacity, and it's harder and harder to breathe. My head swims from lack of oxygen." Her breathe came out in huffs. He gripped her arms.

"Why didn't you say anything?" He demanded, a look akin to panic in his eyes.

"I didn't want you to worry," she said softly, her limbs shaking. He picked her up, holding her close to his chest. Spears fell around him, followed by large rocks. He snarled at them, his breath coming out in sharp hisses. He turned and ran for the beach. The smoke was thick around them now, the fire raging in the trees around them.

"Just hold on, Kagome," he whispered as he ran. He took the wrong turn once, and had to back away from the fire. His nose burned and his eyes shed tears from the smoke. Or that's what he told himself. He irrupted onto the beach only to find a ship anchoring off the coast, the youkai flagging it down.

"A ship," he whispered. Kagome turned and looked, smiling.

"Good," she whispered. She held her hand to Sesshoumaru's face. "Sesshoumaru..." He looked down at her and saw how deathly pale she looked. "I think I've fallen in love with you on this island." His breath caught in this throat, his heart pause in it's beating, and his mind filled with the rush of oxygen. She smiled, her eyes looking so at peace. He took her hand in his, kneeling down in the sand. He kissed the back of her hand, golden eyes gazing into her deep blue oceans.

"Kagome..."