Alright I put this chapter up in hopes of making up for my absence and plan on putting up a one-shot a bit later in the day or maybe in the next few days IF I can get it done. And I'll begin working on another story that was on the poll that I've neglected _ *Shot*

PLEASE READ: There seems to be a bit of confusion xD;; Inuyasha is HUMAN NOT HALF DEMON. Also, Inuyasha didn't kill the guy in the last chapter, if you go back and look it says that Naraku stabbed him, killing him. Inuyasha was just forced to pull the blade out. :D Hope this clears up some things for a couple of people and possibly more. THANK YOU ALL FOR REVIEWING! :DDDD

Disclaimer: I do NOT own Inuyasha and I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving! ^_^

~Chapter 26~

'Dad!' he shouted, running after a tall, shadowy figure in the distance. Every step he made only seemed to push his target farther away.

He was a hamster on a wheel; he seemingly running somewhere but in actuality was only staying in one place. His legs pushed faster and his feet began to get scratched from the cold asphalt under him, but he didn't care. He tried to call out to the figure again, crying out desperately for the man to notice him and to turn around.

Suddenly he tripped, falling to the ground and knocking the air right from his chest. His eyes glanced up ahead of him and the figure was gone. He looked down at the asphalt, feeling his heart sink; defeated. His father was gone again…

As he looked back up a startling sight was before him. The tall man was standing over him looking down at his son, a shadow cast over the upper half of his body.

"Get up, InuYasha," he said in his low voice, no emotion within it.

The young boy stood up as he was told, gazing up at his father before he quickly jumped back as the gruesome sight came in front of him. A gaping wound was in the man's chest and blood began to pour from the corners of his mouth as he took a step towards him

"No!" Inuyasha shouted, backing up from the image of his father. The sight was horrifying; the wound grew bigger, blood spewed from the hole, splashing onto the dark asphalt. None of this made sense.

"I haven't seen you in so long…let me give you a hug," the tall man coughed out, then stopped, looking at the young boy in front of him.

Inuyasha stared back in fear and began to panic seeing another figure approach his father from behind. He tried to take a step forward, calling out to his father in warning, "Dad look out!" he tried to shout. But only a soft whisper came from his lips.

Suddenly the gleam of a blade was seen being driven into his father's neck. The thick sanguine fluid burst from the new wound. Inuyasha watched in horror as his father's lifeless body dropped to the ground and over him stood Naraku, laughing maniacally—

The teen shot up in bed, a cold sweat covering him. He threw off his sheets from his body, shaking from the gruesome sights that had been before his eyes. It had all seemed so real…

He swung his legs off the bed, letting his feet touch the floor and placed his head in his hands, breathing heavily due to his erratic heart. "Fuck…" he huffed out.

He glanced up at his alarm clock while trying to keep himself calm; it was only three in the morning.

Inuyasha closed his eyes and took deep inhales, trying to slow his rapid breathing and trying to avoid a panic attack. It had seemed that ever since Naraku had taken him under his wing as a child he had been susceptible to nearly having them. He opened his eyes again and saw Buyo at his feet, pawing at his toes. He smiled a bit and picked the feline up, placing him on the bed, before getting up and heading to his bathroom.

He turned on the cold water and splashed his face to cool himself down. Dreams and nightmares of his father were nothing new, neither were nightmares of Naraku. But together…it had never happened before.

'It has to be because of what went on earlier,' he quietly thought to himself, remembering the night's events that had taken place in Naraku's apartment.

He splashed his face with the cool water again before drying off with a small hand towel he kept by the sink.

His eyes slowly glanced over to his reflection in the mirror, sighing, looking at what he had become. Naraku was right, his father would be ashamed of him. But, if it wasn't for Naraku himself, he may have never turned out the way he is.

The teen turned away in disgust, and headed back to his bedroom, hoping to sleep peacefully for at least a few more hours.

—xxxxx—

Kagome arose to the sound of her mother calling her name. She grumbled and pulled her pillow over her head to drown out the calls. It was still winter break, and she'd like to sleep in for a change.

"Kagome come downstairs!" her mother shouted again, something unusual for her to do.

"Ugh!" the teen let out in a frustrated growl, sitting up and brushing her fingers through her hair before pulling it into a sloppy ponytail. She looked at her alarm clock, seeing that it was hardly 9AM and headed downstairs. "Yes mom?" she asked, irritated. What could have been so important?

"Look at the television, and don't take that tone with me," the elder of the two said, pointing towards their television.

Kagome's tired eyes wandered over to the screen, seeing the morning news on:

We're back on the scene where the most recent gruesome discovery of a man was found in the very same river where three gang members were found several months ago. I'm receiving word that the man's identity has still not been recovered and that further analysis is needed.

Information will be made available later on tonight, if you have any information please contact your local police station immediately. As for now, the police suspect that the man was executed purposefully. The body was found with arms tied firmly behind his back, it is believed that this was done prior to the killing. His body was badly bruised and there are likely some bones broken. The official cause of death at this moment is neither being released nor confirmed.

Kagome's eyes widened hearing the news before turning back towards her mother, "So what about it? I mean it's terrible…but why did you wake me up?" she asked curiously.

"I don't want you hanging around all night like you have been with the recent spike in crimes," her mother said in a worried tone of voice.

"Mom!"

"Don't 'mom' me. I've let you hang around with your…boyfriend. But this is for your safety, not to keep you away from him. I've accepted that I can't do it and that you're growing up. But I don't want to get a call from the police telling me they pulled your body from the same damn river!" her mother frantically spoke. She closed her eyes to calm herself down, "Sorry. Just…I want you to be safe."

"I am safe with Inuyasha. He never lets me out of his sight when I go to his place," the teen responded, crossing her arms.

"Because I'm sure he knows how dangerous that neighborhood is. All the more reason for me to want you home before nightfall."

Kagome sighed and looked away, "What if I promise to not leave his sight?" she asked.

"He can't protect you from everything. You two have only been together for a few months. You act as if it's been years."

"Mom…just trust me please. I'll be safe with Inuyasha. Besides just because some psycho gangs are out for one another doesn't mean I'll be in the crosshairs," Kagome pleaded and tried to reason.

Hesitating, but finally answering, her mother sighed, "Fine…But if there is one more killing on that side of town, you stay home."

"I don't know if I can make you that promise, mom," she honestly replied before quickly heading back upstairs to brush her teeth and shower before calling Inuyasha.

—xxxxx—

"So your mom doesn't want you to see me anymore?" Inuyasha asked solemnly, sitting on the bank of the pond that was in the center of the park.

Kagome sighed and shook her head, "No, that's not it. She doesn't want me to go to your apartment though because of the killings. I don't know. She assumed that your side of town is behind it all."

"Oh," he quietly responded, not putting up a protest that it wasn't his side of town's fault.

"What's wrong, Yasha?" Kagome asked, furrowing her brows and leaning against him.

"Nothing's wrong."

"If nothing is wrong, why don't you look at me? And why are you being so quiet?"

"I'm just thinking…maybe your mother is right. You should stay over here where it's safer," he shrugged lightly.

Kagome huffed and sat straight up again. "You know, if you don't want me around for some reason, just say so."

"It's for your safety, Kagome. That's all," Inuyasha tried to reason. He pulled her closer to him, turning her chin up towards him, so she'd look right at him. "It is dangerous over there, whether you realize it or not, okay?"

"Inuyasha…did you know about the murder before the police did?" Kagome asked warily, looking in his eyes and seeing that they seemed empty though deeply troubled.

An odd numbness was sent through his body, "Look, just don't—"

"Inuyasha don't you dare lie to me. Not now," she asked, sternly but pleading. "Now tell me…Did you know?"

"Yeah," he trailed off, looking away from her.

"Who did it?"

"I don't know."

"You're lying again."

"Yeah and if I don't someone else could end up hurt," he said looking back at her, nothing but seriousness in his voice.

"Fine. If you think lying to me is going to help anything then go ahead," she said, huffing out in irritation, pulled from his arms and looked off elsewhere with her arms crossed.

Inuyasha looked down at the pond, watching small ripples come from a leaf that fell onto the otherwise still waters.

"I don't want to fight with you, Kags," he muttered softly.

"Then don't," she replied, finally looking back at him.

"I'm trying not to. I just want you to understand. There are going to be things I can't tell you. If I don't tell you then it's for a good reason," he attempted to explain, still not locking her gaze.

"And there's no budging on this for you is there?"

"No. Unfortunately not."

She sighed and moved closer to him, tipping her head around and kissing him lightly on his lips, receiving one back. "Alright then, I guess we'll just have to figure out some sort of compromise, then."

"Okay," he replied softly, nodding his head once.

—xxxxx—

Inuyasha walked into his apartment building, he had dropped Kagome off back at her house and was mentally drained. His mind had been racing ever since her question sent chills through his body.

"Did you know about the murder before the police did?" Her voice rang through his head, clear as day.

How was he supposed to answer her? Tell her that he had in fact witnessed it? That his knife was the murder weapon? That he was forced to pull the blade from the man's corpse?

The questions continued to make their way through his mind, searing themselves into his conscious until he felt the guilt weigh him down. He let out a deep sigh as he took his keys from his pockets, and made his way down the long, dark corridor of his floor.

As the teen walked into his home, his eyes grew wide and he quickly shut and locked the door behind him, hurrying over to his couch after he saw who was sitting on it.

"Kagura…what are you doing here?" he asked in a hushed voice, as though they would be heard. "And how did you get into my home?"

The woman whom sitting on his couch, her legs delicately crossed, and continued to stare straight ahead at the wall either in thought or bored, "I just wanted to talk to you. How did I get in? You should know that answer yourself. I picked the lock of course," she said matter-of-factly.

Inuyasha nodded, "Right…". He sat down next to her, and before he was able to get a another word off he was stunned to see the other half of her face. His eyes caught sight of multiple scraps and a large bruise that started from above her eyebrow, continuing down past her cheekbone.

"Kagura…what—" he began to question.

"What do you think, happened?" she asked before he finished his sentence, something she was always good at, letting out a hoarse laugh.

"Why do you still—"

"Come back to Naraku? Because I have no other choices."

"But you can leave, you can go somewhere where he won't ever find you," the teen began to say.

"Really? You make it all sound so simple, if that was the case, why haven't you left? I know you want to."

Inuyasha looked at her, not knowing what to say back - she had been in his life since he was fourteen, a year after Naraku took him in. He confided in her with certain feelings he had about being in the gang. His fears. The things he saw because of Naraku. Never once did she relay the information back to the gang leader. She was the closest thing he had to a mother.

"I get your point," he muttered nearly under his breath. "What made you come around this time?"

"I had to tell Naraku some news…he didn't like it, but if I didn't tell him he'd find out one way or another…he always does," she muttered silently.

Inuyasha looked away, already knowing what she had been talking about.

Kagura had been Naraku's "girlfriend" for quite some time, though he hardly ever brought her around for anyone else to see, unless she showed up by herself. And throughout their relationship he had gotten her pregnant more than a couple of times.

Though, there was never a chance for the child to be born.

"How far along are you?" Inuyasha asked quietly, not fully able to look at her.

"I'm not anymore. It was done at the clinic before I came here. I just told him about it."

"I would have thought he would have been relieved."

"Oh he was, though he wanted to be there with me I guess. Sick bastard. If you're wondering about the bruise is because he wanted to fuck me…and I didn't want to, especially since with what I just had done. I don't know why I said I didn't want to have sex with him though. It was going to happen one way or another."

Inuyasha's brows furrowed with concern even as the turning of his stomach began. Kagura had always been a little too frank with him about certain aspects of the "relationship" she had with Naraku. Though it wasn't like she was telling him anything that he didn't already know.

She looked over out of the corner of her eye and noticed the familiar queasy look spread out over his face, "I'm sorry," she said in a soft but monotone voice, though Inuyasha knew she truly meant it.

"It's fine. I always dump my problems on you, so it's only fair."

She let out a bitter laugh, "I wouldn't call what I have to be "problems" anymore. It's just a part of my life. I made that choice when I met him six years ago."

Inuyasha looked away, trying to think of what to say.

"Kid," - she had always called him that from time to time - "promise me that you'll get out of here one day…before it's too late, okay? I don't want to see you get hurt more than what he's already done to you."

The teen looked back at her, his deep grey eyes focusing on the un-bruised side of her face. "I'll try." He couldn't make her that promise. He had wanted out ever since he had gotten in. But it didn't seem possible.

"That's all I ask. So enough of my life. Tell me, how have you been doing in school? Are you're grades staying okay?" she asked, raising an eyebrow, having always wanted him to keep his grades up and have an excuse to leave the gang behind, even if it was only for about seven or eight hours.

"They're good," he smiled a bit, his eyes darted down to her legs as she propped them up on his small coffee table and he felt the sick feeling in his gut return seeing a small glimpse of multiple scratches on the inside of her leg before she straightened out her skirt.

He assumed she didn't notice that he had seen, and if she had, she didn't say anything about it.

"Any girls trying to "talk" to you?" she joked, but her small smile turned into a smirk as the teen looked away in a timid manner. "You do, don't you?"

"I, no, it's just—"

"Don't worry. I'm not Naraku, remember?" she said, the smirk leaving her lips as she spoke.

"I know…yeah I do. We've been together for nearly five months now."

"Well I'm very happy to hear that. Take things slow and…" she trailed off, looking towards Inuyasha's door.

His eyebrows raised as she stopped her sentence short and followed her gaze, hearing the same noise she must have heard: Keys.

The lock to his door began to jiggle, turning slightly and then all the way before the door was pushed open.

There was only one other person had a key to his apartment: Naraku.

*Hides in bomb shelter in case you guys are angry or whatever else* o.o I'm sorry I left it there and that the chapter was so depressing… But I hope you at least enjoyed it! ^_^;;; New character! Yay? *Shanked* X_X

Leave a review letting me know what you thought of this chapter! Please and thank you! I'll try and reply to them all~