***Author's note: hey guys, so since I'm back (I'm better than ever… lol. Just kidding), I want you guys to follow me on tumblr so I can update you guys on things that will be going on with my stories, and the stories not just on here. I want to get something of mine published! And if I show to the publisher how much followers I have on tumblr, here, and (hopefully soon) fictionpress they will most likely publish it because I already have amazing, awesome followers. Okay, so here's the next chapter!

FYI: I don't own Inuyasha, just my characters and creatures.

Chapter 21

The next morning, Inuyasha left before Kagome woke up, only after Amaterasu came to take over. They were going to watch her closer now, after yesterday.

But Inuyasha really needed to go home and get changed and take a shower.

When Inuyasha came back he stayed at her house the rest of the day, and Sango came over in the evening to take over watching her.

But while he stayed over, he helped her grandfather and helped getting the tent and tables and floor were packed up. He hung out with Kagome, watching her, always watching her, and observing everything she did. The way she hated the way her hair looked when she woke up, the way she blushed when her mother asked questions about what they did together all the time.

Monday came along, killing the terrified fun in the house, making Inuyasha go on red alert. Kagome felt that whoever tried to kidnap her the first time sucked the fun out of her life. She was scared all the time, even if she wasn't showing it or paying attention to it. But it was always there.

What would they do to her when they got her? And the other question was the story. It had to be them. The silver locket that hung around Kagome's neck. It was in the story. Half dog demon to protect the girl with the locket. But who was the Lady and the Warrior?

Inuyasha planned to tell Kagome his theory when he arrived at her house.

When he did, he saw the same happiness he did on Saturday, and he didn't want to take it away from her. It was hidden with the anxiety of reality. Saturday was meant to be a bubble of perfect fantasy in a disastrous reality. It brought her eyes alive.

But if he told her, the perfect fantasy would vanish. There would be no more hope to hold onto. She wouldn't be happy. He didn't want her to be unhappy.

He loved her.

So the school day passed slowly, until lunch. He started decided he was going to tell her his theory, but she brought it up first.

"Inuyasha!" she called from down the hall. She was right next to him now, and she lowered her voice. "I think the story about the Keeper was true!"

"Why?" he asked.

"I was standing next to Sango, and my locket fell off, and she picked it up and it sort of flashed," Kagome stated. She was a bit anxious, Inuyasha noticed. "I think she might be the Warrior. Because the demon slayer thing and all."

"Then who's the Lady?" Inuyasha asked.

Kagome shrugged. "I think we should tell everyone else. Then I can see if Amaterasu is the Lady."

When they got to the table with all of their friends waiting there, Kagome sat down quickly and explained to them what Kagome discovered. She told them about the story and everything in it, and the locket.

"Well, now we know what they want," Sango stated. "But how do you know I'm the Warrior, and not the Lady?"

"Well, you're a demon slayer, so it wouldn't make sense for you to be the Lady. And I'm sure you're not," Kagome explained, feeling the sense that Sango being the Warrior was right.

"Then I'm definitely not the Lady," Amaterasu stated. "I'm anything but ladylike."

"Then who could the Lady be?" Sango asked. "It has to be a girl."

Miroku was looking at the locket and the designs. He found the locket intriguing. "How does it know?"

"It picks," Kagome told him. "The Jewel picks the Lady and Warrior."

"Can I see it?" Miroku asked absentmindedly.

Kagome nodded, unhooking the chain from her neck and handing the locket to Miroku. As soon as he touched it, it flashed like a camera.

Kagome's mouth fell open, along with everyone else, except Amaterasu. Amaterasu smiled instead.

"I can't believe it," Miroku said, silently horror-filled. "I'm never living this down." He thrust the locket back into Kagome's hands.

Amaterasu smiled more. "I saw this coming," she mumbled.

"Well," Jurou said, with a slight smirk. "It looks like we found our Lady." He was trying so hard to keep his face in check, but in the end, his laughter got the better of him, as well as everyone else at the table, excluding the Lady.

"Miroku's the Lady!" Sango said laughing.

"Shut up," Miroku snapped at everyone. "I prefer the term 'Lord'."

"I prefer the term 'Lady'," Amaterasu stated. "I think it fits you better." She was smiling ironically at Miroku.

Miroku was about to say something but the bell rang.

"Oh, look at that," Amaterasu said. "Time to go to class." She disappeared.

Miroku glared. "When I see her next, I'll get her."

Sango smiled and bowed. "As you wish, my Lady."

Miroku glared at her.

She laughed when he tried to grab her and ran away. Miroku stomped to his locker, muttering the whole way.

After school, when Inuyasha was walking up to Kagome's locker, he heard Koga talking to her.

"So Kagome, since you're sixteen now, why don't I take you out for coffee or something tomorrow before school?" he asked, making Inuyasha's anger spike.

"Um… I guess," she said uncertainly. Inuyasha got angrier.

"Alright. I see you tomorrow then," he said.

Inuyasha waited a minute after Koga left. He walked over to her locker where she was packing her bag. He felt betrayed. She was his.

They walked in silence for a long time. Kagome knew something was bothering him, but she didn't want to ask what.

When they were at the alleyways where Inuyasha heard the men so long ago, he spoke.

"You're going on a date with Koga?" he asked quietly, Kagome almost didn't hear him.

"Um yeah. It's not that big of a date though. Just coffee," she stated. She was getting tired of waiting for Inuyasha to do something. She was getting tired of waiting for him.

"Haven't you thought he might be the guy that wants to kidnap you? How well do you know him?" he asked, he wouldn't look at her.

"Inuyasha, he's just a guy at our school. He's harmless," she told him reasonably. She smiled at his ridiculousness.

"He's a demon. He could hurt you. He could be working for the guy who wants you," Inuyasha stated. "He asked you out after the first kidnap, didn't he?"

Kagome got angry. "Well how am I supposed to know you aren't working for him too? You started talking to me after the first kidnap too!" she yelled.

"I'm your Protector!"

"Well you could turn against me. You could turn to him like the first miko did!" she turned to him with her hands in fists.

"Fine, you want to not take this seriously? Go head and have your date with Koga, and go head and walk home by yourself if I could be working for him," he snapped. "Because apparently, I can't be trusted." He crossed his arms and glared.

"I will!" she yelled. She stomped away from him.

He watched her go, not feeling a thing as he did.

Kagome stopped away from him, and when she was finally away so that he wouldn't see her, she turned around and glared back, but she couldn't see him. She turned around again and started walking, hoping that he'd come after her. She heard a sound, and her heart jumped up in hope, and she turned around with a smile on her face.

"Inuyasha-"

A young woman with black hair done up in a bun was standing where Inuyasha should have been. She had red yes and an ominous smile. "It looks like the miko is finally without her guard dog."

"Where's Inuyasha?" Kagome demanded, backing up from the woman.

She smiled wider. "He's on his way home, not caring what happens to you. Looks like your Protector ran out on you, Keeper."

"He wouldn't do that," Kagome told her, trying to hide her fear. She wasn't sure who she was trying to convince; the woman or herself.

The woman laughed. Kagome turned and ran, but then the woman was in front of her again. "That was a bad idea."

Mrs. Higurashi was waiting fro her daughter to get home. It was over half an hour since school let out and she still wasn't home. She was starting to get worried.

Of course she knew that Kagome and Inuyasha realized that Kagome was the Keeper, she walked passed the room while she was reading it to him, and Inuyasha would recognize some details of the story. She also felt it when the Jewel found the Warrior and the Lord. So now she was very worried because she was sure that Naraku felt it too.

She decided to called Sesshomaru and Rin.

"Hello?" Rin's cheery voice answered.

"Rin," Mrs. Higurashi said. "It's me."

"Saki?" Rin asked. "Is something wrong? You sound worried."

"Kagome isn't home yet," she told Rin. "She should be back."

There was a pause. "But Inuyasha's back," Rin whispered. "He seemed… detached when he came back. He just walked in like he was a robot."

"Let me talk to him," Mrs. Higurashi said anxiously. She heard a muffled, "Inuyasha!" Then it was silent for a few seconds.

"Hello?" Inuyasha asked from the other line.

"Inuyasha, it's Kagome's mother. She hasn't come home yet."

Inuyasha thought time stopped at those words. It seemed like forever before he spoke. "What?" He didn't hear her right, that's what it was.

"Kagome hasn't come home," Mrs. Higurashi repeated. "Is she over there with you?"

Inuyasha blinked. "No, she isn't.

"Then where is she?" she demanded.

"I don't know."

After the phone call, the call in which he had to explain the fight that happened between them, he called Miroku. Miroku called Jurou, Jurou called Amaterasu, and Amaterasu called Sango. Miroku called Inuyasha again to brace himself for Amaterasu's wrath.

Minutes later the front door to Inuyasha's house burst open and Amaterasu stormed into the living room, followed closely by Jurou, Miroku, and Sango. He was regretting calling Miroku and telling him what happened now. Amaterasu stopped in front of him. She looked pissed.

"Dammit, Inuyasha!" The air around Amaterasu swirled dangerously. A mini tornado started to form around her. "If you just swallowed your damn pride we wouldn't be in this god damned mess!" she shrieked. "If you just told Kagome how you felt and mated her, we'd be able to find her and we'd know if she was hurt! If you didn't let her go off alone she wouldn't be missing at all!"

Inuyasha was backing up from her. Then, he wasn't sure if it actually happened, her irises flashed crimson and the white of her eyes flashed black. She blinked quickly and her eyes were normal.

Jurou grabbed Amaterasu's wrists from behind her. "Amaterasu," he said softly.

Amaterasu took a deep breath. "Inuyasha, why the hell didn't you go after her?"

"Why the hell are you saying if I told her how I felt and mated her we'd be able to know if she was hurt and where she was?" Inuyasha demanded.

"Oh, please, Inuyasha! It's all over your face that you're in love with Kagome!" Amaterasu screamed at him. "And you're going mad because you don't know where the hell she is and what's happening to her!"

"You don't know anything about how the hell I feel, Amaterasu!" Inuyasha snarled at her.

"Then tell me you don't care! Tell me you don't feel like screaming your lungs out because you have no idea what's happened to her!" Amaterasu screamed at him. The air around her was swirling more powerfully now.

"I don't... I don't want to scream. I want to kick the shit out of myself and look for her. Something we could be doing instead of fighting with each other," Inuyasha growled.

Amaterasu instantly calmed down. The wind stopped swirling. "You're right. Jurou, you can let go of me now," she said.

Jurou looked at her with an unsure look and slowly let go of her wrists.

"Okay, now that we're all calmed down a little we should start looking for Kagome," Sango said.

Miroku nodded, agreeing with her. "I agree, the sooner we start looking for her, the sooner we'll find her."

They all nodded.

Rin looked confused. "What's happening?" she demanded. "I want to know everything."

"Kagome was taken," Sango stated. "We need to find her. It's our job."

Rin tensed. "So you know."

They nodded.

"Sango's the Warrior and Miroku's the Lord," Amaterasu stated.

Rin nodded. "You need your weapons then. Inuyasha, I'll get you your father's sword. You'll need to bring Kagome a bow and arrow."

Inuyasha nodded. "How can we find her?" he asked. "How can I know they aren't hurting her?"

"If you were mated..." Amaterasu mumbled.

Inuyasha growled at her. He knew it was his fault that he let her go, but she didn't need to bring up things that would never happen. He shouldn't have let her go.

Rin looked between the two. "You should be able to know. That was why the Jewel chose your father. He could sense where the jewel was."

"So does that mean I can?" Inuyasha asked.

"If he Jewel chose you I guess you should," Rin stated. "Just... try."

Inuyasha looked at her warily. He didn't know what the Jewel felt like, so how could he sense it?

He took a deep breath and tried to remember what made him take the route Kagome took when she first was attacked. He thought it was the need to explore and do something different, but now he wasn't so sure. He felt like something was pulling him down the road in his memory, he felt like something was wrong. He felt it again, a lot stronger than that night, pulling him. He knew where to go.

"I know where she is," he said quietly.

Kagome pulled at the chains at her wrists that were bolted to the wall. The chains were about five feet long, so she could walk around a bit.

She was in a huge room, mostly empty with a few broken machines here and there, dust everywhere, and garbage. It looked like an abandoned factory, and the closest abandoned factory Kagome knew about was on the outskirts of town.

She had yet to see the man that has been trying so hard to get her, and she doubted she'd see him so soon. He would use his minions to talk to her and bring back the information.

She stopped pulling at the chains. She hoped one of her friends would find her. Inuyasha, Amaterasu, or Sango would have the power. Inuyasha might even be able to know where she was. But then she remembered that Inuyasha wasn't coming. He didn't come after her; he didn't stop her from walking away.

He let her go.

Kagome fought back the tears. It was all because of that stupid fight! Why did she have to say that he could be working for Naraku when she knew he wasn't? She was so stupid! She thought he'd come after her, but he obviously doesn't care for her in the way she thought he did. He kissed her.

But he wasn't coming. She wished she never walked away from him. She wished she never said she'd have a coffee with Koga. She figured since Inuyasha wasn't making anymore moves she'd have to move on. She wished he'd tell her she didn't have to.

Kagome sat down against the wall. She didn't care if she'd get dirty anymore. She wondered how long it'd be before her friends and family knew she was missing, or how long it'd take for someone to come through the door almost fifty feet away and get what they want.

****Author's note: hey guys, really sorry I didn't update for like four months. I've been busy with school and the Reading Competition. It's the end of the year for school, so I've been kind of busier, but I made it a point to update for this. I might be long on updating again, but hopefully not as long as I was. Thanks for reading and please review!