A/N: It's been way too long but I moved out of my mom's and then got married and then moved to a different state and now I work all the time and I'm trying to get back into college. But don't worry I will have the rest of this written out and posted very soon. I'm not one to leave people hanging forever.

Chapter Ten

They stood facing each other, just standing there in the steadily falling rain.

Kagome looked up into his amber pools that always captivated her. She could hear the heavy thrumming of her heart beating in her chest as a gentle breeze passed between the two of them, goose bumps starting to form on her body. She shivered slightly, but not from the cold. Her eyes drooped down a little as he brought his hand up to her face, gently moving her wet hair from her eyes.

"Sesshoumaru…" Kagome whispered, slightly unsure of how to proceed from their 'moment'. She was muddy and wet and no where near attractive and yet he touched her so tenderly and she leaned slightly into his caress. The storm from earlier was starting to settle and the blood from Kagome's shoulder that was bleeding was now settling into a steady trickle down her leg. Almost forgotten to her, Sesshoumaru took notice of the slight scent and gently made her sit on an uprooted tree root. Kneeling himself to get a better look at the wound, Kagome made a slight noise at the back of her throat causing him to look up.

"Don't…" she whispered, not forgetting the events of the last time he had a taken in her blood. She wanted to know that it was he who wanted her, not her blood that created this infatuation.

Sesshoumaru ignored her and slid the thin strap of her sports bra from her shoulder, giving him better access to assess the wound. She tried to back away and lost her balance, falling backwards off of the tree root, her legs now bent over her last spot of seating. She grumbled in annoyance and tried to shift, but an almost feral growl erupted from her companion. In mere seconds she was lying flat again the ground, her neck in the tight grip of Sesshoumaru's hand.

"Miko…" he stated dangerously, a predatory gleam in his eye. He took a questioning sniff and looked down her body.

Kagome would have gasped had she had enough air to breathe, but her eyes widened in realization and she wished she would have taken a bath when she had gotten home from school earlier that day. Her hands went to her throat, her eyes shutting in pain, as his grip tightened even more, a soundless cry falling from her parted lips.

He snarled as he got another scent from her. "You have become another man's whore?" His response was more of an accusation than a question. Kagome scratched her dull fingernails against his hand as spots started to dance before her eyes.

He released her when her lips started to turn blue, and she gasped for air as she coughed and fought for stability. Sesshoumaru was standing up, his eyes now tinged red for an entirely different reason.

"Sesshoumaru…" she rasped out as she continued to cough.

He growled in warning as he started to step away from her. She stood up, holding on to a tree for balance as she tried to explain. "I'm sorry…" was all she managed to say. How would she explain that she was having relations with his future self. "I… I don't know how to explain-"

"It's not necessary." And that's all he said as he turned and left leaving her alone to watch the sky redden with the rising of the sun.

…

Days turned into weeks and still Kagome had yet to see him. She no longer waited for him near the well during the nights. Inuyasha had found her sleeping in the forest alone one night and woke her only to see that she had been crying. It was then that she stopped going. Now they just traveled from village to village in search of the remaining jewel shards. Kagome was mostly quiet now and the whole group realized the difference in her demeanor. It was only after they had defeated a demon and collected another shard that they realized something was definitely wrong with the girl.

"Kagome! Here's the shard." Miroku ran up and handed her the tainted shard as the group waited for her to purify it and join it with the rest the held around her neck.

She grabbed it and tried to concentrate while the group waited… and waited… and waited. Kagome looked startled as she once again looked at the still tainted shard. She looked up at Inuyasha, a frightened look on her face, "I-I can't purify it."

…

"She has suffered a great loss of something she holds dear and it now starting to harbor aggressive feelings towards whatever that something or someone is." Kaede began to pour tea to the group as they listened intently to what may be wrong with the girl. Said girl was not with them at the moment. She told the group that she needed some fresh air and headed off into the forest still carrying the tainted shard.

"I can purify this shard for you if you'd like me to but whatever is ailing her needs to be rid of. If there are more shards she cannot purify then her own bitterness might begin to corrupt the others that she still carries. May I see this shard?"

Miroku blanched. "Kaede-sama, you don't think that she is able to corrupt these shard in her current state, do you?"

Kaede sipped her tea thoughtfully. "It is possible that if she were to come in contact with other tainted shards while being in possession of one that she would could lose some of her senses for a certain period of time, yes… She is not carrying the shards now, is she?"

Inuyasha felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end. He let loose a string of curses and growled as he stood. "Naraku…"

Sango stood up, a look of fear plastered on her face. "Kagome!"

…

Kagome stood at the bridge. It was starting to get cold outside and she sniffled as her nose started to run. She ran her hands up and down her arms in an attempt to warm up. This was where it all began. She absently fingered the container holding the shards. It had been almost two months now and she had yet to see either of them. She refused to return to her time because she didn't want to risk getting his scent on her again while she was trying to reconcile things with this one in this time. She huffed in exasperation. He wasn't even willing to settle things with her, let alone talk. Her throat started to close and tears welled in her eyes but she shook her head. She wouldn't cry. She wasn't wrong, so she shouldn't feel guilty.

"It seems that we have more in common than you think, miko…"

Kagome turned, startled to hear a voice when she'd neither heard nor felt the presence of someone else in the clearing. She looked up to find Naraku staring at her from the other end of the clearing. She frowned and took a defensive stance. "I have nothing in common with you."

"Oh, come now, Kagome. That's hardly something a miko can say when she can't even purify a single shard." He walked forward, a chuckle escaping his lips. He lifted his half of the tainted shards and held them out to her. "What are you going to do if you get this," he swung the jewel in her direction and watched as her eyes followed it, "if you cannot clear it of its glorious taint?" He stood directly in front of her now, holding the shards out for her. She remained in her stance, eyeing him defiantly. "Do you not remember what happened last time you tried to avoid me?"

She relaxed her stance and realized that at her level, there would be no way to defend herself. She clutched tightly at the shards around her neck. "I won't let you take them."

He smiled darkly at her. "You wouldn't be able to stop me if I tried… but that is not why I'm here." Again he held out the shards to her, "Take it." He watched as her eyes fixated on the jewel. He looked at the ones around her neck. The pure ones started to flicker slightly reacting to the proximity of the darkness radiating from the others. "I know you can feel them drawing you. They can free you from your torment… you only have to let them…"

He watched as her eyes started to lose their spark. Her pureness becoming tainted with the evil emanating from the jewel. Her hand reached out shakily as she went to grab at the shard. "Take it." He repeated.

She was losing the battle in her own mind. One side told her that what he was telling her was true and that all she had to do was take that jewel and her problems would disappear. The other told her that there was something very wrong with everything that was happening. It reminded her of what he did to Inuyasha and Kikyou but that voice was steadily being drowned out. A tear rolled down the side of her face.

"I… I can't." she retracted her hand, her whole form trembling as she averted her gaze, her eyes closing with the gesture. She felt a hand on her chin tilt her head back to him. But when she opened her eyes she no longer saw Naraku.

"Sesshoumaru…" She gasped, her eyes widening even as her mind screamed at her that this wasn't really him. He took her hand and wrapped the tainted half of the shard in hers, closing her fingers around it.

"Take it, and I will stay with you." He tilted her chin up and brought his lips down to hers. More tears steamed down her cheeks as her internal battle was lost and her rational side was locked because a wall of glass keeping its screams silent. She reached up and closed the distance between them, the shards around her neck blackening with her movements.

…

"STOP IT FROM HAPPENING!!!" Sesshoumaru screamed throwing a chair across the room as he looked at Inuyasha.

Shippou grabbed Sesshoumaru in a tight hug, his arms wrapping around the older demon as he let his own tears fall. Shippou was always more of the sensitive type. Sesshoumaru sank to his knees, as he held his mate's son, his eyes never straying from Inuyasha's.

Inuyasha's ears flattened against his skull as he remembered this night. "I'm not supposed to be there…" He whispered quietly to everyone present in the room. Miroku held Sango as they both stood and left the room. "I'm sorry I just can't change things! She made me promise not to!"

Sesshoumaru looked darkly at him and Inuyasha got the message. He left the house and drove to the nearest bar.

He took a seat at the bar and ordered a beer, his concealment spell once again in place. A lady walked over and sat in the stool next to his.

"Looks like you've had a rough night." She said as she ordered herself a drink.

Inuyasha just shrugged and took another swig of his beer, "It's just the beginning."

The lady looked over at him. "You don't recognize me, do you?" Inuyasha looked over, his eyes glancing over the pretty young lady sitting next to him.

"Am I supposed to?" He scratched the back of his head thoughtfully as she smiled at him and gave a slight bow. Her hair fell over both of her eyes but she only uncovered one.

"I guess I never really introduced myself. My name is Etoku Mimi. I'm an art teacher at the school we both work at. You teach…" she blushed slightly and coughed into her hand, "You're the Sex-Ed teacher, right?"

Inuyasha smirked slightly and nodded. "Yes, I'm Hokori Inuyasha, but my kids just call me by my first name… My students I mean." He fidgeted slightly and took another swig. Noticing their surroundings, he glanced at her puzzled. She seemed to understand.

"My boyfriend and I just broke up a few hours ago." She took a sip of her martini and sighed. "I've never really been into the whole control thing…"

Inuyasha looked at her confused. She looked at him and shook her head. "Don't worry about it, it's nothing you should concern yourself with." He shrugged as they both sat there in silence thinking about their own problems.

…

"KAGOME!!!" Inuyasha ran as fast as he could through the forest following Kagome's scent as best he could. Miroku, Sango and Shippou weren't far behind riding on Kirara while screaming for Kagome. They could feel Naraku but his evil wasn't just coming from one direction anymore. It seemed that his aura was just expanding into the surrounding forest with no beginning. His evil was no longer his but they could feel something else joining in his power and it was too big for them to handle.

"KAGOME!!!" Inuyasha ran faster heading toward an old bridge he used to use many years ago. Maybe he could find her there. He was getting so close he could see the clearing. He could see her. He dashed towards the bridge, and skid to a stop, his eyes not believing what he was seeing. "Kagome…"

Naraku looked up to Inuyasha breaking his kiss with the black miko. "You're right on time, Inuyasha." He looked at Kagome and took her by the hand. "Kagome, dear, this hanyou wants to bring back your pain. He wants to take the jewel from you…"

Inuyasha looked at Kagome, no longer seeing that beautiful spark that was always in her eyes. He took a step back as she brought out an arrow from her quiver and notched it with incredible speed. "I should never have released you from the Goshinboku tree… and to think that I once loved you…" Inuyasha's ears flattened against his skull, her words stinging him more than he thought they would. But he knew this wasn't really her.

"Kagome, please-"

"Shut-up!!!" Kagome poured power into her arrow, the once pink energy now swirling a deep crimson fury. "You have always caused me nothing but pain… I… hate… you… And now I'll put you back where you belong."

Inuyasha stood frozen as she released the arrow. The arrow flew straight with precision fully intending on hitting its target. Inuyasha's pupils dilated as he watched it come closer.

"SIT!!!!" Her scream echoed in the still of the forest as Inuyasha barely missed being hit by her arrow, her subduing spell bringing him plummeting to the floor as the arrow whipped by and hit the tree behind him. A wash of power enveloped the tree, winding around it before it dissipated.

Naraku frowned and looked as Kagome grabbed at her head and fell to her knees. "What's happening to me?" She cried out as she felt herself slipping away once more into the recesses of her mind. Naraku grabbed her hand and dragged her behind him. "This will not do, miko. I have much to teach you…" He picked her up and in a cloud of miasma, they vanished into the night.

…

"Inuyasha!" Miroku jumped down from Kirara and ran over to him. Inuyasha hadn't moved from where Kagome had just sat him. "Inuyasha, we need to find her… Inuyasha?" He reached down and pulled him up from the dirt. The dirt had smudged from the wetness on his face. Miroku looked at him in silence before placing a hand on his shoulder. "You know she didn't mean anything she said. It wasn't her talking… we're going to find her, we just need some help."

Inuyasha wiped his face and stood. "We need to find Sesshoumaru…"

…

"I'll be fine… whoa!" Mimi grabbed Inuyasha as she lost some balance. She giggled slightly and let him go. "That's was purely coincidental! It's just these heels are really thin and I can't-"

"I'm driving you home. Now where do you live?" Inuyasha sighed and held the woman in front of him steady. She pouted and swatted at him.

"I live three blocks up this way… It's cool, I'm fine. I'll just walk home." She started to walk up the sidewalk and glanced back at him. "Well, Mr. Macho, aren't you going to walk me home?"

Inuyasha shrugged and jogged up to her. "I was already following you, keh!" They walked in relative silence. Every now and then, she'd grab his hand to steady herself and then walk ahead like it never happened. When they finally reached her apartment, there was a guy waiting outside for her.

She groaned and turned to Inuyasha, "Hey, thanks for the walk home but I'm fine now so I'll see you at the school tomorrow, okay?" Her eyes pleaded for him to go and he glanced at the guy who he'd figured out was her boyfriend. He nodded but waited. She looked at him, waiting for him to go.

"I'll just wait 'til you're inside and then I'll go."

She nodded and turned to her apartment. The guy looked at Inuyasha and than at Mimi. She just ignored him and fumbled with her keys. He walked toward her. "Hey… uh, Mimi, look. I'm sorry about what happened earlier. You know I would never hurt you-"

"Yeah, well, too late for that, right!" She finally found the right key and slipped it in the lock.

"Hey, I said I was sorry, don't be like that!" He grabbed her arm and she smacked him.

"Listen, don't ever put your hands on me, alright! Just get out of here, I already told you we're over." She moved her hair from her eye and showed it to the guy, "And this is why."

She unlocked her door and made to close it but the guy stuck his foot in the doorway.

"Hey, she told you to leave, man." Inuyasha walked casually toward the man, his calm clear on his face.

Mimi looked at him. "Inuyasha, I'm fine. Thank you, but you really shouldn't get involved."

"Yeah, man. She's not your girlfriend. She's mine, so just leave."
Mimi pushed him from her doorway, "I'm not yours either so you have to leave too." She made to close the door but he held it open, grabbing her shirt in the process.

"Mimi, you know what happens when I get mad. Don't do this again tonight." She struggled with him as he forced his way into her apartment.

Inuyasha sighed calmly walked in after the guy. Why did he get involved in these things? He grabbed the guy's shirt from the back and pulled him away from Mimi. "Look, I don't really feel like doing this tonight so you should just go." He dragged him out of the house and threw him across the street, literally. Mimi watched wide eyed as her ex landed painfully on the concrete. She was completely sober now.

The guy across the street stood up his hands in front of him. "Alright, I'm leaving. You can have that bitch. She's not going to give you any either." He spit blood from his mouth and walked off.

Inuyasha walked into her apartment and closed the door behind him. He walked toward Mimi but she backed away. "You need to leave, now." He just walked forward as she backed into a corner. "Please, just leave."

He walked toward her and tilted her chin back, letting her hair fall back from her face. Her left eye was black and her lip was slightly bruised. "Is this the first time?"

She stayed silent but shook her head. "He always did it in places I could cover up…"

"Sit down… where's your fridge?" She pointed him toward the kitchen. He returned with an icepack. "Here, place this above your eye." She did as she was told and he took a seat on the other couch. "Does he have a key?"

She nodded. "It's at his place but he could just go there and come right back…"

"Do you mind if I stay here tonight? I'll sleep on the couch…" He scratched the back of his head. This was rather awkward.

She nodded and stood, "Thanks… I'm just going to go to bed then…" She walked toward the bedroom and closed the door behind her. Inuyasha sighed… what a night…

…

"We have to travel to the Western Lands."

Inuyasha sighed and knotted his brows. "It won't be fast enough if we all go. I know where to find him. I'll go by myself."

"But Inuyasha-"

"No!" He stopped Sango from changing his mind. "We don't have enough time. You didn't see what I saw."

Miroku glanced up and told Kaede to take Shippou out of the room. Once it was clear, Inuyasha sat down nervously, the attention of the group on him. "Naraku is impersonating Sesshoumaru to use Kagome for his own means… We all know that Kagome looks like Kikyou and that Naraku, once Onigumo, still retains his dark heart and his love for Kikyou." Inuyasha hesitated. He didn't know if he should tell them all of what he'd seen.

"He's not going to hurt Kagome, is he?" Sango asked, slightly nervous of the various ways the innocent girl could be harmed.

"When I got there, Naraku was kissing her… and his obsession may take him further than that."

Miroku sat up, fear creeping into his eyes. "Go, Inuyasha. Find Sesshoumaru, we're going to start on our way to look for Naraku. We'll meet you there." They all nodded as Inuyasha took off out of the hut to look for the one person who might be able to save their friend.