Yay, an new chapter. Woo. Heh. . Eh... Whatever.

You know, whenever I try to edit this on the 'easy edit' thing, I can't put in one of those long, horizontal lines in there, so I have to do the coding for it... It bites.

Though, now I have a longer chapter to apologize for the short one.


Save Me From Myself

Chapter Eleven: A Pause for Breath

It was nice seeing my family, but I put them in danger. I decided that I had enough of 'realization' for one trip. It wasn't fun, it was scary. How could something like that happen? One moment I was fine, and another I was transforming into a vicious monster. Usually when humans transform into youkai, they actually want to transform, for a selfish reason.

But... What if I turn out like Naraku? What if I become a demon like him, that goes and kills everybody? I hadn't killed anyone so far, but I would have to make sure that I didn't transform to make sure I wouldn't kill anyone later.

- - -

Kagome climbed out of the well, breathing in the fresh air of the Sengoku Jidai. InuYasha hopped up behind her, happy to be back in his own time period, even if it was littered with demons and dangers.

The two of them walked in awkward silence towards the village, when they saw Miroku talking with some women.

"Stupid lecher," InuYasha muttered. "Oi! Monk! I want to congratulate you on your marriage!" Miroku turned to see InuYasha in the distance and smacked his forehead, his hand brushing back the black hair that fell over his forehead.

Miroku shook his head sadly as the women left, a little miffed at the prospect of the monk being married.

"InuYasha, why did you have to do that?" Miroku asked once InuYasha was close enough.

"Sango would have killed one of us if I didn't, so I'm not taking that chance," InuYasha said, smirking.

Kagome frowned. "Miroku-sama, you're engaged to Sango-chan. I don't think anyone betrothed to you would like you flirting with other women," said the miko.

Miroku turned to Kagome and looked at her quizzically. "Did something happen while you were home, Kagome-sama? You sound quite upset," Miroku pointed out.

The miko sighed. "I was taken over by the Jewel again..."

Miroku saddened. "Oh. I see... Well, you better rest up. We found out some information about Naraku. Tomorrow we're going to go pursue it," explained the monk.

Kagome nodded but was startled by InuYasha saying, "Why didn't you say so sooner?"

Miroku shrugged and went off to look for more women, but Sango found him instead.

"Going somewhere?" Sango said bitterly.

Miroku shook his head exuberantly and said, "No, no, Sango dearest! I was just looking for the most beautiful woman in the village, who I've found."

Sango blushed a bit and tapped him on top of the head. "Oh, just be quiet," she said, walking into Kaede's hut.

"Anything for you, Sango dearest!" Miroku exclaimed, bowing towards her.

Shippo hopped up on Kagome's shoulder, eating a stick of Pocky and said, "What a maroon."

Kagome turned her head towards Shippo and ruffled his hair a bit. "Shippo-chan, what were you doing?" Kagome asked.

Shippo shrugged and finished off the Pocky, wiping his face of any crumbs. "I was just playing with some of the other kids," said the kitsune, adjusting himself to sit more comfortably on Kagome's shoulder.

Kagome smiled. Shippo always seemed to be so cheerful, no matter what was happening. Kagome wished that she could be as optimistic as the little kit sitting on her shoulder. Like everyone else, he was being more careful around Kagome, but Shippo didn't act much different than usual.

Shippo pulled Kagome out of her thoughts by asking, "Did you bring any snacks Kagome?"

Kagome frowned playfully and said, "You just got a bunch of snacks a few days ago! Do you really need more?" Her frown turned into a smirk.

Shippo nodded, giggling a little bit.

"Well, sorry Shippo, but I didn't bring anything with me. I didn't have any time," Kagome explained, instead of saying that she transformed.

Shippo pouted a bit and let out a low groan. Kagome laughed softly, a real smile forming on her face for once.

InuYasha watched the two of them and was amazed at how Shippo could make Kagome smile so easily. He frowned a bit and said, "We better get ready to go."

Nodding, Kagome walked towards the hut with InuYasha by her side and Shippo on her shoulder.

- - -

The group of five, plus one nekomata, set off to find Naraku the day after Kagome came home. They made quick progress on the trails, but all were occupied with their own thoughts.

InuYasha frowned as he thought more about Kagome and what was happening to her. He glanced at Kagome who was walking next to him, and his eyes landed on her back, the spot where the Jewel rested, the spot on her spine in between her shoulder blades. InuYasha could even sense a faint youki leaking out of the Bachiatari Jewel.

What would this Jewel do to Kagome, besides transform her? And what would it do to everyone else? InuYasha thought back to the time where he had almost lost himself to his youkai side. Would the same thing happen to Kagome?

The hanyou wished desperately that he could help Kagome in some way, but he had no idea how. I guess... all I can do is be here for Kagome, InuYasha thought sadly.

Though, InuYasha's thoughts were ended by Kagome saying something to him.

InuYasha's white ear twitched and he turned towards Kagome, saying, "Huh?"

The miko sighed and said, "It's dark out, and Sango said that she found a hot spring. Can we stop here?"

InuYasha was about to protest when he remembered how Shippo had made Kagome smile so easily. InuYasha's refusal died on his lips and he glared at the trees, folding his arms. "Fine," InuYasha said, straightening his posture. "I'm gonna go collect firewood."

Kagome looked like she was in shock. Closing her gaping mouth she blinked and said, "Huh? What just happened?"

Miroku and Sango walked next to Kagome and looked off in the direction where InuYasha left.

"Is he feeling all right?" Shippo asked, bouncing up on Miroku's shoulder.

Kagome shrugged and said, "Well, whatever. I'm going to go take a bath."

"I guess I'll come with you," Sango said. "Shippo, watch the monk and make sure that he doesn't follow us."

Shippo nodded and jumped over Miroku and transformed himself with a loud poof. A statue fell in Shippo's place on top of Miroku's head before he could do anything, and he was knocked out... for at least a little while.

- - -

Steamy mist accumulated around the hot spring, floating around the two girls sitting in the water. Kagome hugged her legs close to her body, watching the mist swirl around objects, the fog never reaching much higher than her own head.

"We haven't really gotten to talk much lately, have we?" Sango said, a small smirk on her face.

Kagome's gaze shifted from the mist to Sango and she shook her head. "I guess not."

Sango was obviously worried. "Are you doing all right?" she asked.

"Y-yeah. I'm fine," Kagome replied, her voice cracking a bit.

"No, you're not," Sango said, shaking her head.

Kagome sighed. "I suppose you're right. I feel horrible, and there's nothing I can do."

Sango's eyebrows furrowed. "Let me see it. The jewel, I mean," she said, holding out her hand.

"Fine, but do not touch it," she said warningly.

Kagome turned around and Sango moved closer to her, her hands resting on Kagome's shoulders as she looked at the jewel and the scar around it carefully. She smiled sadly and said, "I find this mark sadly familiar."

The miko's eyes saddened. "Yeah, I realized that when I looked at it. It seems like there's a barrier around it, at least for humans," Kagome explained.

"Maybe it's for stopping people from trying to take it out," Sango said, her hand hovering above the jewel where the barrier started.

The two turned their heads towards the camp when they heard the bushes rustle. And it wasn't the kind of rustling from the wind, it was a distinct person.

"Houshi-sama..." Sango said warningly, picking up a rock.

He cleared his throat and said, "I'm here but that's not me in the bushes, that's Shippo." Miroku's voice was obviously coming from a different place then the rustling.

"Why are you here?" Kagome asked angrily.

"InuYasha sent Shippo and I to get you girls because he and I felt a strange youki in the area," Miroku explained.

Sango looked up to the sky. "Funny. I don't sense anything," she said, shrugging. "Why didn't Shippo just come alone?"

"InuYasha said that you two may need protection. And Shippo was a little bit afraid to come alone," Miroku explained.

Shippo popped up next to the two girls and handed them their towels and then ran towards Miroku, telling the two of them it was okay to come out. Shippo made sure that Miroku was facing the other way the whole time.

As soon as the girls dried off, they went to get their clothes. Sango picked hers up and Kagome searched for hers, but wasn't able to find them.

"I can't find my clothes!" Kagome said as soon as Sango was dressed.

Sango walked next to Kagome and looked around. "Are you sure you checked everywhere?" Kagome nodded.

Deciding it was safe to come out, Miroku came from his hiding spot and walked up next to Sango. Hardly glancing at the jewel that still stuck out of her back, Miroku said to the miko, "Sango, Shippo and I will search for your clothes, Kagome-sama. Surely you have some extras in your bag."

Kagome nodded. "You're right. I'll go back to camp," said Kagome before hurrying through the forest.

Sango turned to Miroku and said to him, "Why do I have to help you look, Houshi-sama?"

"Because it's a set up," Miroku said, a large grin on his face.

"Huh?"

Shippo walked over to Miroku and said, "Here's Kagome's clothes, Miroku."

Sango glared at the monk and he waved his hands out in front of him. "I didn't do it to look at Kagome, trust me! Shippo and I did it to help out Kagome, and InuYasha to an extent. See, Kagome needs to be cheered up, and who better to cheer her up then her best friend? And if all goes well, then I think that they may be feeling a little closer than friends," Miroku said, picking up Kagome's clothes.

"Oh... Houshi-sama," Sango said sweetly. She then noticed him looking at Kagome's clothes carefully, trying to figure out what they were. Sango glared and took the clothes from him.

"Hey!"

"Let's just go spy on them all ready. I'm sure Kagome has gotten there by now.

- - -

Kagome hid behind a tree as she crawled towards the camp, holding onto the towel covering her body like it was a lifeline. She cleared her throat, seeing as InuYasha didn't notice her, setting another log on the fire. He turned to see Kagome inch herself so he could see her better, and she blushed. InuYasha blushed back.

"Uh... InuYasha," Kagome said, looking at her feet and playing with them. Miroku and Sango hid behind a couple bushes for cover and watched what was happening.

"Damn, she's got a nice ass," Miroku whispered. His comment was met with an exterminator's fist.

Kagome blushed even more and said, "My clothes went missing at the hot spring, can I have my bag? I think I have extras in there." After finishing her explination she cleared her throat nervously.

InuYasha, still blushing, nodded and turned his head quickly away from Kagome to her yellow backpack.

The hanyou walked over to the backpack and picked it up, turning towards Kagome. Luckily, her eyes were carefully examining the bark of the tree and she didn't notice InuYasha quickly glance at the other parts of her body.

While slowly making his way over to Kagome, or what seemed like slowly, InuYasha couldn't help but notice that the towel around her as much shorter than her skirt. It also showed a bit of cleavage. He also couldn't help but notice that she was still wet; the water from her bath rolled down her arms and legs, and a few droplets slowly made their way down her chest.

InuYasha finally made it to where Kagome was standing, and he dropped the bag a little ways away from her. She crouched down, the towel concealing any parts that she wouldn't want to show, and started looking through her backpack. Though, InuYasha had a better view of what he was looking at before, and he blushed once he realized what he was looking at. He quickly turned away, hiding the blush from any onlookers.

Once Kagome was finished looking through her bag she groaned. "Shit!" she exclaimed.

The sudden curse from Kagome made InuYasha turn and look at her strangely. "Huh?"

"Shit, shit, shit!" Kagome said again, slamming her fist on her leg. "Ow!"

"Well, you wouldn't be in pain if you didn't hit yourself!" InuYasha growled, his glare deepening at being ignored. "What's wrong?" InuYasha managed to say over Kagome's cursing.

"My clothes are gone! All of them! Well, except for this," Kagome said, pulling her underwear out of her bag and crumpling them in her hand.

InuYasha noticed that gesture and thought that her underwear must be very small for her to fit them in her hand like that.

Kagome looked up to see InuYasha undoing his haori. She blushed and saw that he was keeping his under shirt on. He walked over to Kagome and handed her the robe made from the fur of the fire rat, making sure to avoid looking at her.

"Here. You can wear this for now," InuYasha said, releasing it once Kagome had grabbed onto it. He walked away to the other side of camp, and left Kagome to change.

Once Kagome had started to loosen the towel around her body, Sango covered up Miroku's eyes with her hands. He sighed but knew not to speak up about it.

Kagome quickly pulled up her panties and then put on InuYasha's haori, saying to him, "Okay, you can look now," once she was ready.

InuYasha turned around and blushed at Kagome's new garments, which was almost as bad as the towel. If possible, they may have been a little shorter than the towel, and showed off as much cleavage.

Kagome unrolled her sleeping bag and looked at InuYasha. "I suppose you might be a little cold without your haori... Do you want to share my sleeping bag with me? You know, return the favor stuff," Kagome suggested, making InuYasha blush harder than before.

"Wh-what?"

Realizing what she said, Kagome corrected herself, blushing as red as the haori she was wearing. Kagome started talking hurriedly, "Oh! I didn't mean that! I meant that I would cover us with this! Not sleep like that, not that you'd want to. I mean--"

"Yeah. Sure," InuYasha interrupted, sitting next to a tree by the fire.

Ignoring her earlier embarrassment, Kagome walked over to him and sat down next to him, cuddling up closer to him then InuYasha had expected. Hell, she even laid against his chest, not that InuYasha was complaining.

The large sleeping bag covered both of them comfortably, not even one of Kagome's feet stuck out. Kagome fell asleep quickly, though it took a little longer for InuYasha to fall asleep as well. Though, once he did fall asleep, anyone could tell that it was one of the most peaceful sleeps that he had had in a while.

Soon Sango had fallen asleep as well, and Miroku watched as she shivered every once in a while. He got up and went into the camp to get one of the other sleeping bags that Kagome had brought for them, and he opened it up to cover Sango and himself, and Shippo, only because he was close enough.

Though, everyone in their little traveling group slept close together, some even not knowing that someone cared enough to share his warmth with her.

Chapter End