Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha.

Chapter 26: Fear

My eyes were closed and my head felt fuzzy. Then I remembered what happened to me. I died. I saw a bright light behind my eyes, which meant I must be in heaven, or I was in my room and this was all a cracked up dream and I was a masochist. At this point I wasn't all that sure which one I wanted to happen. "Open your eyes wench. I know you are awake" a gruff voice said. I opened my eyes and they were bombarded with light. My eyes squinted against the intrusion and I was able to slowly make out a red and silver figure. My eyes focused and they were met with beautiful golden orbs set in a tan face framed in silver hair. Inuyasha.

He was staring at me; his eyes held annoyance and, what looked like, concern. Either I am still alive or this one messed up version of heaven, I mean where's my super sexy man catering to my every need or the fields of flowers for me to frolic in? Not to mention the other dead people. "This had better not be heaven or I will sue" I managed to rasp out. Great my throat felt like hell, again.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean, wench?" he glared at me. I was definitely alive and this wasn't a dream.

'I'M ALIVE!' my mind screamed at me. "I'm alive" I managed to say in slight disbelief. "What happened?" I asked Inuyasha, who handed me a cup of water after listening to my raspy voice.

He sighed and sat down next to me as I tried to sit up. When I did pain shot through my back, 'can't I go ONE day without being injured?' she thought to herself. Her skin stretched against her taut back and at the scabs that had been formed from the demons claws. She could also feel a bruise in the middle upper part of her back. (For all of you who have medical training, I know that the water most likely would not have come out of her lungs when Inuyasha hit her back, but this is fan fiction and if I want I can defy the laws of physics. So, meh)

"You were drowned by that youkai, after that I managed to find you. I killed the bastard and then got the water out of your lungs. After that you started breathing again" he said and I made an 'oh' with my mouth.

There were a few awkward moments of silence before I smiled slightly to myself, "Thank you, Inuyasha. Thank you for saving my life. I owe you one."

The only response I received was a 'keh', but in the short time I have known Inuyasha I was expecting it. To be honest I actually got along with… those weren't the correct words to describe our relationship. No, we tolerated each other and trusted our wellbeing with the other. After all there was no one else in this era that I could trust besides Kaede and Inuyasha. Besides them I was alone. I was also a target in this era, if for nothing but to be food. I am able to see the jewel and I have the blood of a demon line that is sought after. Although now I have a clue as to who I am. If I wanted to prevent anything like this from happening again I would need to train my newly found powers and figure out who I am.

That thought scared me. What if there was a good reason that my powers were sealed besides protecting my identity? What if my race was supposed to be dead? What if me being here is a bad thing? What if I was supposed to die? I thought to myself as all of these what if's flashed through my head. I could feel tears starting to prickle the edges of my eyes. I hated crying, it never solved anything. I simply scowled at the floor beside me.

"Oi. Don't start cryin' stupid." Inuyasha said, clearly uncomfortable.

"I'm not." I defiantly said.

"Keh, do you think I am stupid? I can smell your tears!" turned to scowl at me.

"Maybe I do! Does it look like I am crying?!" I started to yell. I really need to stop letting my anger get the best of me.

"NO! But you were about to!"

"I was not!"

"Were too!"

"Was not!"

"Were Too!"

"I WAS NOT!" I yelled at him. I bet it echoed in the hut. I know it hurt his ears because they were pinned to the top of his head.

"YOU WERE T…"

"OSUWARI! And I was not" I said as he was thoroughly acquainted with the wood of the hut's floor.

"Keh! You just don't want to admit that you were cryin'!" he said from his position on the floor after the subjugation spell wore off.

"I wasn't crying! So get off it!" I said, getting angry again. He may very well be bad for my health.

"Yeah, you were! So why the hell were you!" he growled angrily.

"Because I'm Afraid! Okay!" I huffed and went outside. The sun was high in the sky, signaling that I had slept until about noon. Yet that didn't matter as I stalked through the village with tears still prickling my eyes.

'I am afraid. Afraid of being alone, of being killed and of who I really am. I am not sure I want to know. Or if I want anyone else to find out.' I thought to myself as I collapsed next to a tree on the outskirts of the village. In truth I always knew that I was adopted, actually my parents had sat me down when I was four, almost five, and told me that they had found me and took me in. They said that my dad had found me near the well when I was three. Yet I don't remember anything from that time, heck my birthday probably isn't even my real birthday.

I sighed and tucked my head between my body and my knees as I wrapped my arms around them to keep them in place. I heard the soft noise of clothes rustling and someone sitting next to me. "What do'ya want?" I mumbled from my position behind my knees without looking up. I figured it was Inuyasha.

He sighed next to me, "Wench."

"Kagome. If you don't use my name then don't talk" I said grumpily. Was it really that hard to say someone's name? C'mon seriously!

"Here. I picked this up for and thought ya would want it back." He said as I turned my head to look from my position on the ground. He had his left arm perched on a knee with his other leg on the ground and bent. His right hand he held in my direction as my pendant dangled from its leather strap. I smiled slightly and took it from his grasp.

I muttered a thanks to him when he decided to speak again, "You don't have to be afraid. I'll protect you, Kagome."

"You finally said my name" I said in almost wonder.

"Keh" was all the response I got before he turned his head away from me.

I figured I would not get much of a reaction from him besides his scoff. So I sat up against the tree with my legs crossed in front of me and I reached behind me with the pendant in tow and retied the sting to it rested again along my neck. I was about to rest my head against the bark of the bark of the tree when I decided to look over at Inuyasha one last time. He was staring at me with a weird expression on his face. "What?" I asked him.

"You don't act like a girl at all" he said gesturing his head to the way I sat.

"I am wearing pants, why should I force myself into an uncomfortable position just for you?" I asked with a sarcastic and annoyed voice.

"Keh, I feel sorry for the dope you marry" he sneered, apparently he enjoys making me angry and being insulting.

I stood up and glared at him. Before he even knew what hit him he was face down in the dirt with a very loud 'osuwari' echoing off of the hills. I huffed and walked back to Kaede's hut so I could help her and get my mind off of murdering my new 'friend'.

Meanwhile, Inuyasha was cursing about stupid wenches and girls sensitive feelings, but while he was cursing into the ground around him a thought crossed his mind. 'At least she isn't upset about what was bothering her before.'

A/N: Yay, a some what understanding Inu!