Don't own Inuyasha... crys .o.o.

"talking"

'thinking'

The group settled for the night yet again without being any closer to the jewel shard, it always seemed just out of their reach; and since they were deep in the heart of the northern wolf territory, and no human would dare live here for fear of being attacked they had to settle for camping outside again.

Shippo was busy with a coloring book and crayons that Kagome fished out of her bag, she knew that she needed to keep him busy so that he wouldn't bother the angry half demon that was with them. She knew with his attitude right now, one wrong move from the small fox and he would be getting a bump on the head.

Sango and Miroku decided to go find some wood suitable to make a fire, they knew that their friends needed time to get what is on their minds out... they only hope Inuyasha thinks before opening his mouth and just doesn't start screaming at Kagome, that wouldn't help the situation.

Kagome... seeing what their friends were trying to do, thought now would be the perfect time to talk to her grumbling friend who was currently sitting up in a tree far away from where the group had settled for the night.

"Inuyasha?... Inuyasha...."

"... What woman?" the growl was laced in his words, not even trying to hide it, he knew she wouldn't leave him alone until he gave her some type of response; though it didn't need to be a nice one. Her words from this morning still were fresh in his mind and it hurt like an open wound from a resent demon attack.

"... Can we talk? Before the others come back?" she wasn't going to yell at him, and tried very hard not to sit him, she knew what her words from earlier did to him and how she wished she could just tell him that there wasn't anything going on between her and the strange new half demon... it was their son for kami sake. But she still feared that he would go after him and try to stop him for what Inu would do to Kikyo, it wasn't that she wanted Inu to kill her because that was wrong, she just didn't want Inuyasha to get hurt; though she doubted Inu would actually hurt his father... but one could never be so sure.

"What's there to talk about wench? If you want to leave and go with that demon than be all means go, we don't need you here if you don't want to be."

"W-Who... who said I wanted to go with him!? I just really met him last night, what do you take me for? You acted the same way when we first met Koga too... y-you always are jumping to conclusions!"

"I jump to conclusions! What about you!? Every time I go see Kikyo you think I'm going to leave with her to go to hell, you think I want to die that quickly!?" Inuyasha was letting his rage get the better of him as he jumped down from his perch to stand right in front of her, his demon side demanded that she submit to him and right now she wasn't backing down.

"Well I don't know what you want because you never talk to me or anyone else for that matter... you could want to just die and just leave all of us, and you could just disappear one night and never come back! Just because he is following me around doesn't mean I'm going to go off with him... I promised I wouldn't leave you didn't I? Unless you want me to leave."

"Keh... of course I don't want you to leave... just like I ain't going anywhere wench! Some trust you have in me, we still have to get the jewel back together before anything else can start..." Inuyasha had hoped she would get the hint of what he met with that statement, he wanted her to know that after the jewel was complete he could start the relationship they obviously had in the future. He didn't want what happened to him in the future to happen again so he wanted Naraku killed before they were together; he didn't want to attack Kagome and the pups... and that's what was keeping him from being with her now, and he still had to talk to Kikyo also. But Kagome completely missed the whole meaning behind his words, which only caused more trouble to start.

"So you do want to leave us, look if we're keeping you tied down and you think you owe us something, then I'm telling now you don't; if you want to go then go be with Kikyo... I won't stop you anymore." Kagome knew she was about to cry and didn't want Inuyasha to see her tears, that would only make him feel guilty and lie about him wanting to stay with them. She turned and instead of going back to the camp site, where she knew the others were already back she went off farther into the woods. She didn't want the others to see her upset and blame Inuyasha, even though it was partly his fault, so she decided to calm down first before going back.

"Wha?... Kagome wait!" 'What the hell did I say? Why is she crying?... Damn it!' Inuyasha took off after the distraught human girl, knowing she would get into trouble if he wasn't at her side, he also wanted to know why she was so angry now; he thought they were getting over what happened this morning, however he still wanted to know what was going on between her and the rival male.

Kagome once again got lost in the forest since she wasn't paying attention to where she was going in her crying state. But she didn't care at this point, she just wanted to find a place to sit and try to calm down, and hearing Inuyasha call her name from a few yards away didn't help very much. 'Why doesn't he get it, I don't want him to follow me, I need my space. He's always gets worried that I will get myself in trouble... although, if he wasn't looking out for me I probably would seeing as I forgot my bow back at camp.' Kagome continued to fight with herself while moving farther into the wooded area trying to get away from her pursuer.

She panicked hearing him getting closer, she was running out of places to go and didn't really want to deal with him right now; luckily her savor appeared out of the shadows just as Inuyasha dropped from a tree a few feet behind her. 'Inu!' Seeing her son in the same clearing relieved her somewhat, she knew that Inuyasha would be angry again but she felt safe with the younger boy at this moment.

"YOU!" Inuyasha had been chasing Kagome for about ten minutes before he finally caught up to her, he was surprised that she seemed to be trying to lose him in the way she was running randomly through the forest; he knew she would never be able to actually make him lose her trail but it hurt him to think she was trying too. And the minute he landed in the clearing behind her was when he spotted the other half demon; it angered him that he wasn't able to scent the boy before seeing him; it was like his nose was betraying him and if he couldn't rely on that... what could he. He became even more enraged when he saw Kagome run to the man's arms and the guy put his arm around her as if to protect her from him... that made Inuyasha's blood boil, it was his job to protect her not anyone else's. "Get away from her!"

"Feh... why should I? You obviously can't keep her safe, otherwise why would she seek me out? Just as last night you are incapable of protecting her as she needs."

"Inu..." Kagome whispered so softly into his chest that Inuyasha couldn't hear her, she couldn't believe he would be so cruel to his own father, he must know how fragile Inuyasha's ego was when he was younger; he didn't trust himself with keeping anyone precious to him safe, and of course what the boy just said couldn't possibly help, Kagome could just tell by the way Inuyasha's ears drooped slightly. But Inu just gave her a look like he knew what he was doing and to not interfere.

"I... I protect Kagome just fine, what would you know anyway... who the hell are you anyway? Judging me like that... damn bastard. Wench! Get over here so we can go back to the others." Inuyasha was hurt and angry that his woman was in the arms of another rival male, but this time unlike with Koga she seemed to be happy that she was there and not trying to push him anyway.

"From where I'm standing I don't see that, and from where we were last night you seemed quite content in the arms of that other woman... I think I'll just take Kagome-sama with me to protect; I'm sure with my full attention on her we can find the jewel shards a lot faster than with a second rate half demon like you who is unable to make up your mind about whom you wish to be with." Inu pulled his mother closer to him making it seem that he was about to disappear with her; however, Inuyasha's demon like growl halted his movements and caused him to smirk, knowing he just pushed the wrong button.

"Inu... yasha?" Kagome could feel his demon aura rising causing a chill to run up her spine and she gripped Inu's haori tighter, fearful of turning around to see the purple stripes and red eyes of Inuyasha's demon side coming through on his face.

Said half demon, now full demon was fighting with himself to keep control and losing terribly. He grabbed his sword and hopped that would calm him some, which did and he was able to see clearly without the red haze in his eyes, only to grow angry all over again to see Kagome still in the other guy's arms. "Let Kagome go... now!" He pulled tetsusaiga out and for some reason... it didn't transform. 'What? What's going on? Why didn't tetsusaiga transform... did he do something to it?' "Hey! What the hell did you do to my sword!?"

'Tetsusaiga won't transform? Does it recognize Inu as Inuyasha's son... even before he does? Inuyasha... please don't fight him.' Kagome's thought was completely ignored by both men as Inu too pulled his sword which didn't need to transform into a bigger form but did go completely black on the blade part down to the hilt.

"You wish to fight me half demon... though you know you will lose?"

"I ain't leaving without Kagome," though Inuyasha's orignal plan has to be altered now that for some strange reason tetsusaiga refused to work for him.

"You wish to die because you refuse to give up a woman that you don't wish to be with? You are strange, though if it is what you want... then far be it from me to deny you," Inu moved around Kagome so that she was now behind him and away from the danger that soon would be inflicted upon the field.

"Inu... please don't do this," Kagome again begged her son to stop this before it started, but he refused her wishes and moved closer to his father to start this duel. "Inuyasha please don't do this!" Since she couldn't convince her son, maybe she could get through to Inuyasha... he never didn't listen to her; but this time he refused to as well, both men were stubborn and both clearly related to each other.

Within a matter of seconds both men charge for the other, swords drawn ready for the end, "Inuyasha... STOP!"

Note: What will happen? Who will win, will Inu really hurt Inuyasha? Find out in the next chapter! Finals are over so more chapters to come for the next three weeks, I hope I did good on them, I was mostly worried about my animation final that I had to draw 398 pictures for... so many my hand started to cramp up.

Thanks to:
ayeshadewan
13inuyashagurl13
ohemgee123
Moonlit- Silhouette
phoenixoffireluvsanime
SeeingPower15
Broken White Roses
IzayoiLover666
twianime01
usagigirl11
Black Light Brightness