Chapter 14:

Inuyasha, overcome by his injuries, had fainted into Kagome's surprised arms. Outside, the rain picked up, thundering onto the house creating a rhythmic soothing background noise the girl inside didn't even notice at the moment.

Struggling with his body, Kagome managed to get him back into the bed without too much trouble. After careful consideration, Kagome ran through the rain to the shed outside, retrieving a length of strong rope. Returning, she soon had the unconscious Sango tied up where she lay on the floor in her mother's room.

Kagome's perspective:

Tying the last knot around Sango's ankles, I settled back on my heels and regarded my handiwork. Sango lay slumped up against the wall beneath the closed window, her hands and feet bound up with the best knots I knew how to make. Which weren't all that great, I had to admit, but hopefully they would hold.

Luckily hitting her on her head with the marble idol had only knocked her out. 'I could have killed her by accident' I thought with self-loathing. I couldn't make myself worry about her that much though. After all, she had just tricked her way into my house, bossed me around, and tried to kill Inuyasha!

Inuyasha.

With a sigh, I rose and went to the bed, sitting down next to Inuyasha's form. Taking the blanket, which had slipped down below his chest again, I covered him up to his neck again. He had started to twist and moan again in his sleep. Which was bad news as far as I was concerned.

He was mumbling something in his sleep. Putting my hand on his forehead, I smoothed back a lock of silvery hair. I didn't really need to, it just seemed that somewhere along the line, I had become used to being in contact with him. It made me feel better.

It was strange. Before when I touched him, I would get little tingles, and my blood would race. It was different now; when I touched him recently, it seemed like my pulse slowed, and I felt calm. Yet at the same time, my heart seemed to pound a little harder, but slower in my chest. It really was the strangest feeling I had ever experienced. As soon as my hand rested on his forehead, he quieted again sleeping peacefully once more.

I still couldn't figure him out! He had refused to move until the very last while he was in danger, yet as soon as I had started crying he had almost killed himself trying to make me feel better! Literally! What had he been thinking?!

"Idiot." I whispered as I leaned lower until our foreheads were touching. I wished his eyes were open.

"Of course." Sango's weary voice chuckled behind me.

Whipping around quickly and springing to my feet, I looked on as Sango groggily lifted her head to regard me, a slight smirk on her face. "I should have realized why you were helping him sooner." She rasped at me, "You're his lover."

Feeling my face burn up, I shook my head quickly. "Don't be ridiculous!" I scoffed. "I just met him yesterday! I'm helping him because he is sweet, and he needs it." I couldn't keep the tender tone out of my voice as I glanced down at him as I said that. My hand twitched as I felt a sudden desire to touch his face, or a hand, anything. But I couldn't. Not in front of her.

"Sweet?!" Sango said incredulously. "You have no idea what these things are capable of! Trust me! I know. Your... friend... may seem to be acting sweet now, but he is half-demon! Half-DEMON." She emphasized.

Well, someone here was obviously prejudiced. "Who cares?!" I shot back. "Damn straight he is sweet! A-and brave too. He is here healing from three gun wounds because he wanted to protect me! He stopped two guys from raping me! Did you know that?!" I railed into her suddenly blank expression.

I wasn't done. "That is all I care about. He passed out again just now because his wounds re-opened while trying to make me feel better! Where do you get off coming into MY house trying to kill MY friend because of who his parents were?! BIGOT!" I stopped, breathing hard. My throat had gone a little raw from all my screaming. She deserved it though! Telling me my Inuyasha wasn't to be trusted.

MY Inu Yasha?' I thought in awe as I turned my head to gaze down at him again. I couldn't tell even to myself whether I meant as a friend or as something more. But I would find out, and until then I wasn't going to let him get away from me! I determined fiercely.

Sango had grown quiet. When I finished, she just stared past me at Inuyasha, her eyes lost in thought. 'Well, I guess she didn't feel like arguing anymore.' I thought, a little relieved.

"I'm getting us some food. If I hear any trouble in here you'll be sorry!" I threatened, knowing there really wasn't much I could do to make her sorry, except maybe eat food in front of her. I really didn't have the heart to hurt her more than I already had. But she didn't have to know that.

She still hadn't responded when I made my way out, headed for the kitchen. I had to hurry though; I didn't want to leave those two alone in the same room for very long. It was too dangerous.

As Kagome ran downstairs to prepare something to eat for the three of them, Sango sat and thought about Kagome's words. Meanwhile, Inuyasha drifted back to consciousness.

Inuyasha's perspective:

The world came back into focus slowly. I was on my back in the bed again, staring up at the white plaster of the rooms ceiling. Crap, Kagome was getting way too much experience moving my unconscious body around the house. It was getting a bit silly.

I felt another presence in the room. Damn I hated being this weak. Never again! Once I was out of this house and back on the streets, I wouldn't make another friend like Kagome again. I mean, look what had happened this time. Kagome had almost gotten killed along with me, all because of what I was. I wouldn't be able to leave with her watching though. I didn't think I could.

Every time I got near her, it was like I gave up the controls to my brain and handed them over to her. If she asked me again to stay, with her brown eyes catching mine, I didn't think I would be able to say 'no' to her. It was a strange power she had over me. Thinking back I couldn't think of an instance were I had really said no to her, over anything she had truly wanted. It was a scary thought that sent shivers down my spine. I would leave when she was asleep or something. The thought hurt me, which was itself proof that I had stayed too long.

"Kagome?" I croaked out weakly, before I remembered the presence I felt could have been someone else.

"No." Sango's voice responded. Turning my head wearily, I regarded my newest enemy. I seemed to pick them up as easily as breathing. Sango was pretty. In fact in a small way, she sort of resembled the way Kagome might look in five or so years.

There were differences of course. Kagome was a natural beauty, while Sango used make-up. Sango was all business while Kagome was casual. Plus, the Kagome I knew had a quality about her that elevated her above anyone else I had seen as far as attractiveness went. It was something I was still trying to figure out.

"So, your Sango." I stated.

"So, I'm Sango." She agreed, not looking away from me. Her eyes were different than Kagome's. I felt no danger of getting lost in Sango's pretty brown eyes. It came as a relief.

"I know you still want to kill me, Sango. I can smell it, you know." I confided in her.

"So?" she chuckled. "I wasn't trying to hide it." She said grinning at me.

"Why? I heard you're a demon killer. But I'm part human. What did I do that was so bad?" I really wanted to know the answer to this one. I flashed back to Kouga and his friend. Had they died? Was I a murderer now? 'Good.' I thought with a certain satisfaction. I hoped they were. I could live with the consequences.

"Because, deep down you are a beast, and sooner or later, you will kill innocent people. It's what your kind do." She stated flatly. I smelled something else on her. Grief? After she said that, I immediately felt guilty about my satisfaction that had come with the thought that Kouga was dead. Put in Sango's light, it now seemed like a traitorous part of myself I hadn't even known was there.

"I smell grief on you. Was that dip-shit Kouga your boyfriend? Or the other guy?" I reasoned. "Don't expect me to feel sorry for you if they were. You should have seen what they were about to do." Images of the showdown in the ally the day before played through my mind.

I had guessed wrong. "Hardly." She said, looking at me with amusement, grinning a little. At least she seemed to have a lighter side. It was a start. She seemed much nicer when she wasn't scowling or trying to kill me, I discovered.

"So what then? My kind? I haven't even met another demon." I asked reasonably.

She sighed deeply, the amusement leaving her face. "Why are you here, Inuyasha? Why are you staying in Kagome's house?" So she was going to ignore my question. Oh well, I hadn't really expected an answer anyway.

"I... I was hungry." I admitted. Seeing her scowl, I hurried on. "Not for flesh! Food! You know, normal stuff. I was hoping no one was home, so..." And I told her. Once I had started, I told Sango everything that had happened up until now.

I don't know why I opened up to her like that, maybe it was because she was my enemy, and I knew it didn't matter what I told her. Maybe it was just so I could get it straight in my head after hearing myself describe it out loud. Or maybe I just wanted her to understand, to not be my enemy any longer. I was tired of making enemies.

Sango turned out to be an amazing listener. Asking occasional questions to straighten something out, providing an insight here and there. If she was this good to an enemy, she must be a great friend. And I told her so.

At that she smiled at me. "Not really. I haven't really had the chance to get friends in my line of work. I guess my psychiatrist has rubbed off on me." There it was again, that sharp spike of grief. An opening.

"Why a psychiatrist? What happened to you? I can smell your sorrow again." I dared to ask.

"It's not important! Stop asking me about it." She flared at me, her eyes collecting a bit of moisture in them.

Quickly I remembered what had triggered her grief before. She had said something about demons killing innocent people. Now it appeared again when she had mentioned friends and her psychiatrist. Of course, why else would she be in the demon killing business?

"So, A demon did something nasty to someone you know, and now you hate all of them." I concluded out loud.

Her face paled showing shock so profound I was amazed she hadn't fainted. Bingo! Her mouth worked but no sound came. Tears really had started forming in her eyes. Oh crap! Not again! How could I get two girls crying in one day?! I couldn't get out of bed, not this time. Besides, she wasn't Kagome.

"I'm sorry that happened to you, Sango. At least now I know why you hate me." I said, genuinely relieved. I hated not knowing why people hated me. I always felt better after learning the reason.

"Don't give me your pity!" She spat, as tears fell freely down her cheeks.

"Fine! I won't." I snorted. "I wasn't pitying you anyway. It was just a sad story, that's all." Then I thought of something. "I have a proposal for you. Will you listen?"

Cheeks still wet, her eyes red, she looked down at the ropes holding her. "I guess I will." She said to me sarcastically.

"Give me a head start once I've recovered before you start hunting me again." I said.

She looked at me, confused. "Huh?"

"Look, I have never killed anyone, ok? Never!" I was actually pretty proud of it. It would be really easy if I tried. "Unless those two in the ally are dead?" I asked, suddenly worried about my perfect record.

Sango just shook her head, staring at me like I had grown a third arm. Good. I thought, relieved, even while in the back of my head, a voice screamed DAMN!

"Ok! So look, if I agree to free you, will you agree to not kill me until I am healed and safely away from Kagome and her house?" If we had to fight, I wanted it far away from Kagome. She deserved that much at least.

Sango frowned, her face in deep thought for a moment while she mulled it over. Slowly, finally, she made up her mind. "Deal. If this is a trick though...!" She left the threat hanging. I wasn't too worried about her breaking the deal.

She just didn't seem like the type. Besides, even if she did manage to kill me, I almost welcomed it. I doubted I would be able to tell the difference between being dead and alive anyway. There wouldn't be a Kagome. That was probably the only thing I would miss.

"NO!" Kagome shouted from the doorway, causing both of us to whip our heads around to stare at her.

I couldn't believe I hadn't heard her coming! Then I realized that I had heard her coming, but had filtered the sound out as safe, since it belonged to her. A cold hand gripped my heart. This was bad! I needed to get out of here before she really got to me! 'To late.' A mocking voice cackled in my mind.

Kagome stood there with a tray filled with food, glaring at us both like we were children caught with our hands in the cookie jar. "Inuyasha! How could you make such a stupid deal?! IF we release Sango, she has to agree to never hunt you again!"

God she was beautiful. I felt myself staring, and shaking my head, I squeezed my eyes shut to stop it. No! This was too important; it was for her safety!

"Sorry Kagome." I said with a grin, opening my eyes to look at her again. "We already made the deal. Now, can you untie her? I'm not sure I can right now."

"No way! You made the deal, not me." She said smugly, thinking she had won.

Sango had grown a chagrinned look on her face.

"Well, guess I'll have to do it myself then!" I said defiantly. Gathering myself together I sat up, the pain in my stomach was especially nasty this time.

"Wait! Your wounds!" Kagome cried, coming into the room, setting the food on the bed.

I huffed, nearly passing out again as I did so. "These? These are just about healed!" I bragged, as I started to move my legs out of the bed, sending a fresh wave of pure hurt from my hip.

Kagome had a hunted look on her face. Poor girl. I knew she couldn't win this one. "Ok! Damn it! FINE! Just lay yourself back down before you kill yourself! Stupid!" She cried, defeated.

HAH! I settled back down again in with a sigh of relief. Score one for me! Okay, I think that made it Kagome: 1000, me: 1. Getting up had tired me out more than I had thought. Drifting to sleep, I watched as Kagome untied Sango's ropes.

To be continued...