Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha

"How far is this place?" Inuyasha called back to Sango.

"It takes only three days from here." She told him.

"Bah! Too long." Inuyasha muttered. "You humans just slow me down--hey, Kagome, you still have the shards right?" He asked to the girl on his back. She still felt a little weak from the poison and had elected him to carry her.

"Yes." She sounded kind of surprised, as though she'd forgotten about them.

"Well, give mine back." He demanded. "And give Sango's back as well." He felt her shift behind him as she searched through her pockets.

"Um…" Came a voice behind him.


"What?"

"They've merged." Kagome told him.

"Huh?" Inuyasha stopped walking and looked over his shoulder to the pink shard Kagome had in her hand. The individual shards were gone in place of a larger, single one. "What did you do to it?" He demanded.

"I didn't do anything! All I did was put all three shards into my pocket, and now they're whole." She sounded irked over his accusation.

"But how--three? You only had two." Inuyasha said suddenly, his eyes narrowing suspiciously.

"Um…" Kagome nervously laughed. "I had the other one of yours too."

"WHAT!" Inuyasha cried, dumping Kagome as he pulled out the box and opened it. Sure enough, the shard was gone. He threw the box down in disgust while Kagome picked herself up off the ground, frowning at him.

"Would you warn me before doing that? Besides, it was your fault." Kagome told him crossly. "You ought to be more responsible."

"MY fault! You are the one that took the shard! When did you take it?" He demanded.

"The night when I tried to escape. You haven't had it for a few days now. You are so unobservant." Kagome said, though a small smile was playing on her lips. 'She is teasing me, damn her.' He was now completely irritated.

"We are not planning on stealing the shard from you anyway." Miroku said calmly. "We need Kagome to see the other shards, and your strength could come in handy."

"Then give her your other two shards." Inuyasha demanded. Sango, completely ignoring Inuyasha, was looking curiously at the shard in Kagome's hand.

"It has never done that before." She said, sounding a little impressed. "You're able to see the shards and combine them together."

"Hey! Listen to me!!" Inuyasha growled.

"Did you do anything with them?" Miroku inquired, also walking beside Kagome. She shook her head.

"No…all I did was put them in my pocket." Kagome replied. Inuyasha stood glowering in the background.

"You're ignoring me." He said angrily.

"That's so strange." Sango took the two shards out of her leather bag. "See, these didn't merge." 'What's so impressive about the shards merging anyway?' Inuyasha thought to himself. "Here." Sango handed her the two shards. "I think you should hold onto them."

"Really?" Kagome asked, a smile covering her face. Inuyasha wasn't sure whether to be glad that at least Kagome had the shards, or mad that the entire decision was made without anyone even listening to him.

"You're all annoying." He said finally. Kagome took the shards and set them beside the larger one, watching with awe as the two seemed to melt into the first and become one.

"Wow." She breathed.

"If you're done looking at stupid, merging shards, lets go." Inuyasha knelt down and waited for Kagome to climb back on his back. He felt Kagome's hand touch his shoulder, but then she stopped. "Hey? What's wrong?"

"This feeling…" She said softly. "…a shard!"

"Where?" Inuyasha cried. She pointed into the trees. "Lets go!" He picked up Kagome and sprinted in the direction she had pointed, Miroku and Sango following close behind.

"It's in that cave!" Inuyasha looked in front of him, staring in surprise at the gaping hole of a rocky cave. Tiny skulls formed a barrier around it, skulls too little to be humans, but disturbing nonetheless. Kagome jumped off Inuyasha's back, and slowly approached the barrier.

"Stay back, Kagome." Inuyasha told her. He had a strange feeling about this place. Kagome stopped within inches of the strange skulls. "It's in there, huh?" He leapt forward, meaning to bound directly into the caves mouth, but an invisible wall stopped him. He came crashing back on the ground. "Eh?"

"The skulls seem to be creating a barrier." Miroku said thoughtfully.

"Really?" Snapped Inuyasha.

"Can you remove it?" Sango questioned. Miroku nodded.

"It will take some time, though." He sat down and placed his staff in front of him.


"Waiting on some stupid monk…" Inuyasha glared. "Kagome--" He looked over at the girl, a little surprised by the serious expression on her normal cheerful, or angry, face.

"There's no barrier." She said simply.

"Yes there is, idiot." He smirked, tapping the invisible wall. She shrugged and walked over toward him, and had the misfortune to catch a small rock with the tip of the toe of her shoe. Her eyes grew wide as she stumbled into Inuyasha, and he, not expecting her to fall, was caught off guard and felt himself slipping as well. They both fell on the ground. "Be more careful." He told her.

She, however, was looking at her surroundings. "I told you there was no barrier." She smiled and picked herself up off him.

"Huh?" He blinked, realizing they were on the other side of the skulls, directly in front of the cave's entrance. "But how…?"

"Come on!" Kagome used one hand to pull Inuyasha to his feet. "We'll get the shard!" She called back to a very surprised Miroku and Sango.

"Why are you so set on getting the shards now?" Inuyasha muttered. "I thought your goal was to kill Naraku."

"It is." Her eyes narrowed, then softened. "I don't know…I just feel like I should have them. Besides, they are calling me." She said. Her hand was still holding Inuyasha's as she pulled them forward. 'She is strange.' Inuyasha decided. 'Now rocks are calling her.' He decided not to mention she still had a hold of his hand.

Sango looked at the cave in puzzlement, her hands touching the invisible barrier. "How was she able to get through?" She murmured. Miroku had decided to continue with whatever he planned on doing to get rid of the barrier. Right now, he looked in deep meditation. Sango sighed and sat beside him.

"I hope they are not planning on stealing the shards and leaving us." Sango said thoughtfully.

"I doubt that Kagome would let Inuyasha, even if he decided too." Came Miroku's voice. Sango nodded, a little surprised that Miroku had been listening to her. She had thought he was completely absorbed in his task. 'I should stop judging him so quickly.' She told herself. "Well, lets go." Miroku stood up.

"I thought you said that it would take you awhile to break down the barrier?" Sango asked.

"No, I only said that to annoy Inuyasha."

Kagome could feel the shard. It was a strange throbbing feeling in the back of her mind, and every so often she though she could see a faint glimmer of it through the wall. 'Its in here somewhere.' She thought to herself. What she told Inuyasha was true. It was like the shard was calling her…but that was a little strange. She couldn't see in the darkness of the cave, so she kept one hand on the dank walls of the tunnel. "Ouch." She muttered as she ran into something in front of her. Her questing hands felt along it. "Dead end." She said, disappointed. Inuyasha stood beside her and also felt along the walls. "I already told you it was a dead end."

"You sure you feel a shard beyond this?" He asked.

"Yes."

"Okay, stand back." Kagome hastily got out of his way, pretty sure about what was coming next.

"Um, Inuyasha, since this is a cave…"

"Sankon Tetsusou!" He yelled, and Kagome saw a red flash as his claws dug deep into the rock, blasting the portion away.

"…do you think it's a good idea to be messing with it?" Kagome sighed. As though to add on to her fears, the cave walls rumbled slightly and loose rocks fell from the ceiling. "Now look what you did. It's unstable."

"Hey, we got through, right?" Inuyasha exclaimed as he ran on, pulling Kagome after him.

"But it might fall on our heads." Kagome felt her stomach tighten with fear as a few more rocks fell. 'Why does Inuyasha have to act first and think later?' She thought. 'Well, I guess that's Inuyasha.'

"That just means we have to hurry." Inuyasha picked up Kagome and sprinted through the tunnels. "Which way?" He asked. Kagome couldn't see where he was looking at, but felt the feeling was strongest to her right.

"Right." She said. "You have good eyes, don't you?"

"Of course." He said boastfully. "Most youkai do. That's why we're stronger."

"Why do I even ask?" Kagome sighed. Inuyasha suddenly slowed and set Kagome down.

"I smell something." He said softly. "I don't know what it is though…stay here." She heard his footsteps leave her. Suddenly, Kagome felt very alone as a dead silence settled around her. She hadn't realized what company and safeguard Inuyasha was until he left her. Alone. In the middle of a strange cave. 'So irresponsible.' She thought, feeling a little disappointed. 'Well, I am sure this is was he thinks is best, in his own way.' She sat down against the wall, shivering a little in the cold air. The cave rumble again, this time with increasing force. 'It's going to land right on my head.' She thought worriedly to herself. Too add on to her growing fear, a massive boulder dropped by her feet. She leapt up and ran in the direction of Inuyasha.

"I don't care what he says." She said out loud. "I am not going to be buried alive in this stupid cave." 'Since when do I listen to him?' She told herself, a small smile forming. She rushed forward, hands outstretched to avoid running into any walls--now that would be painful. Kagome suddenly stopped.

The cave was too quiet now…like the wake before a storm…it sent shivers running down her spine. Then, in one groan, the cave began to collapse.

Inuyasha ran alone along the cave tunnels. He felt a little bad about leaving Kagome alone, but he felt something unsettling about these caves, and he didn't want to place her in unnecessary danger. 'What is that smell?' He thought to himself. He was surprised to find the tunnel ending suddenly at a small, wooden door. He wondered whether he should knock or just tear the door down.

"Don't stand out there all day. Come in." Came a scratchy voice inside. Inuyasha pulled open the door, surprised to find himself in a small room. A small fireplace crackled in one corner, and an old woman sat on a cushion on a floor. "I was expecting you."

"Who are you, old woman?" He demanded. The scent that came from her was human…and youkai. 'A hanyou?' He wondered. No wonder he was confused by the smell; hanyou's weren't common…

"Yes, we are a rare breed, aren't we? Never belonging to either species, but wanting to belong to both." She said, taking a sip of the tea in front of her. "And yes, I can read your mind."

"Eh?" He said, startled, then shook his head. 'Who cares if this hanyou can read my mind? I need to get what I came for and return to Kagome.' "You have the Shikon shard?" He demanded. The old woman withdrew something out of her pockets.

"Yes."

"Give it to me."

She looked at him. "Only if you bring that young girl you were with to me." She said, placing the shard back up.


"I don't have to listen to you." He cried.

"Well, she'll die since the cave is about to fall." She took another sip of tea. "Then again, you will never be able to protect her."

"What?" He started to charge out the door, but her last comment stopped him. "Of course I'll be able to protect her." He snarled.

"Nope." She said. "More than likely she'll die before this journey is done." She sat the teacup down, the thump it made sounding very affirmative.

"Bitch…" He hissed, then a tremor hit the caves. "Kagome!" He leapt out the door. He raced down the tunnels as rocks began to fall around him. "Kagome!" He yelled again.

"Inuyasha!" He heard a faint cry. It was closer than where he had left her…meaning that she decided not to listen to him. Again. Still, that probably saved her life. He saw her form in the dark, running blindly toward him. He also saw a small portion of the cave roof begin to crumble above her. Without thinking, he tackled her down, and shielded her from the rocks with his own body. The ceiling fell down around him, filling the air with thick dust.

"Are you okay?" He asked her softly, once the rocks stopped falling.

"Yes." She coughed. 'That's good.' Inuyasha thought to himself. He realized that his heart was beating unnaturally fast. 'I was actually worried about her. Completely afraid.' He found himself thinking incredulously. 'Damn, I am becoming too attached to her.' He hated being this worried over anybody. But at the same time…he didn't…

He stood up slowly, pushing away the rocks that had covered him. The exit to the caves had been blocked, but the way back to the old woman was perfectly clear. "Thanks." Kagome said after a moment. "Are you…all right?" She gasped in concern.

"Of course." Inuyasha helped her to her feet. 'She was worried about me too.' The air was still thick with the dust and debris, so of course Kagome was having difficult time breathing. She coughed violently, leaning against the wall. "Sorry, I feel a little faint now." She said softly. 'She was still weak from the poison…' He grasped. He pulled her to him.

"Are you sure you're all right?" Kagome nodded, then slumped against him. 'She fainted.' He realized, and carefully picked her up. 'Liar. She wasn't all right.' He ignored the bruises that were forming on his own back, and carried her quickly to the old hanyou's home. "I told you I could protect her." He sneered.

"Yes, and that is why she is unconscious." The old lady snapped. "But, I'll forgive you since you were really worried about her.

"I was not!" He exclaimed.

"Don't lie. I can read your thoughts." She studied the girl in his arms. "Set her over there."

Inuyasha glared but followed her request. He settled beside Kagome. "Okay, she's here, so give me the shard." He demanded. The old lady ignored him. 'Why is everyone ignoring me today!' He thought to himself.

"I can read your thoughts."

"Shut up." He hissed. "Just help Kagome, give me the shard, and I'll be on my way." The old woman looked at him.

"You're really worried about her."

"Stop reminding me."

"Really worried."

"Shut up!" He cried. "She is my slave, so of course I am worried!"

"You don't treat her like a slave. Nor do you always think of her as one." The old woman said as she placed a warm cloth on Kagome's head.

"Don't you mean that she doesn't act like a slave, so it's hard to treat her like one?" He yelled. The old woman looked at him.

"I think you like her."

"I don't! And GET OUT of my MIND!" He yelped, clawing his head in annoyance. 'I don't like her.' He reassured himself, but a feeling of doubt kept nagging at him. The old woman smiled knowingly and turned her attention back to Kagome.

"Do too."

Inuyasha growled in anger as he leapt to his feet, feeling about ready to kill the hanyou bitch. 'How dare she look into my mind!' He cried inside his head. Kagome decided this was the moment to begin to wake up. Inuyasha sat back down and looked as unworriedly as he could at Kagome.

"Nice try." The old woman smirked.

"Shut up! Shut Up! SHUT UP!" He cried.

"Inuyasha?" Came a soft voice.

"Kagome?" His attention quickly switched to the weak girl on the bed. "You're not dying, right?" He ignored the laughter of the annoying old hanyou.

"Yes." She reassured him. "Thanks." Inuyasha shrugged uncaringly. The hanyou snickered at him.

"Just like I said, you like--" Inuyasha dove at the cackling woman, cutting off her words. He felt his face blush furiously. 'I don't! You hear me? I don't!' He thought as loudly as he could.

Kagome looked a little confused by the entire scene, but didn't seem inclined to ask, something Inuyasha was VERY grateful for. 'That old hanyou is annoying the hell out of me…but if she was really reading my mind…would that mean…that it was…true?' He hated to think like that. "Oh, Inuyasha," Kagome began.

He looked at her. "Yes."

"You're an idiot."

"Huh?" He was not expecting that.

"I told you the cave would fall." She said. "And it was you who made it unstable." He glared at her angrily.


"Who's the one who saved you?" He demanded.

"Who's the one that put me in danger?" She shot back. "You could have been killed too, you know." Inuyasha glared at her.

"Hmph, I am a lot stronger than you, weakling slave." He cried. Kagome started to snap back a reply, but the old woman stopped them.

"I can see why you can't tell." She told Kagome.

"Eh?"

"Oh, nothing. So, you're Kagome?" She asked her.

"Um…yes…who are you?" Kagome asked.

"I am an old hanyou that lives in these caves Inuyasha broke." She said. Kagome blinked in surprise.

"A hanyou? And…you have a shard in your pocket." The old woman withdrew it and smiled.

"Yes. You certainly are an observant girl." The hanyou placed the shard into Kagome's hand. "Keep it safe." Kagome nodded. Inuyasha gawked at both of them.

"Why are you being so nice to her?" He demanded to the old hanyou. "Why don't you go and read her mind too?" 'It'd be interesting to know what Kagome thought of me…'

"No can do, Inuyasha. If you want to know, ask her yourself." The old woman said. "I can't read her mind. Too much interference."

"You can read minds?" Kagome asked in surprise. The woman nodded. "What does Inuyasha want to ask me? And what interference?" Inuyasha glared

"I don't want to ask you anything."

"Yes he does." The old woman laughed. Kagome looked at Inuyasha.

"What do you want to ask me?"

"NOTHING." Inuyasha cried. 'NO stray thoughts.' He told himself firmly. "So, what about this interference?" He asked the old woman quickly, before Kagome could ask anything else.

"Oh, yes." The old woman's eyes narrowed and she turned to Kagome. "I feel several things in you most, most very powerful…" She drifted off. "I thought I sensed something else too…but that's impossible…" She muttered. "Oh well, you know that you have Miko powers, right?"

"What?" Kagome asked, confused. "A Miko…but they are really powerful…"

"Didn't you wonder how you were able to get pass my barrier? Or see the shards? There's a Miko in you, girl." The old hanyou said softly, retrieving her cup of tea.

"A Miko?" Kagome still seemed in shock by the entire idea.

"No matter how many times you say it, it'll still be true." The old woman said. "And yes, Inuyasha, you are an idiot for not realizing it yourself."

"Damn you…" He muttered.

"Why are you here all alone?" Kagome asked curiously.

"Well, hanyou's can't fit in with humans, nor will they ever belong with the youkai's. I'm especially out of place, since I can read people's minds, and that creeps most people out. I enjoy my solitude, fortunately, so I came to these caves and placed a spell in front to keep out intruders." She spoke warmly, seeming to enjoy talking about her past. "Well, you better get going. Shikon shards to complete and a Naraku to kill."

"But…the cave is blocked." Kagome protested. The old hanyou smiled and pulled open a curtain in the back of the room.

"There are always two ways out of a cave, deary. A front and a back." Kagome thanked the woman and left through the curtain, Inuyasha following. The old woman placed a hand on his arm as he started past her. "Try to protect her, even though in the end it'll be in vane. You'll never be able to fully protect her." The old woman smiled at him. "And no, I'm not senile." Inuyasha growled and stomped after Kagome. The old woman watched them leave. "There are strange things coming." She murmured. "And there is something about that girl…"

Sango and Miroku followed the cave blindly, going very slow because neither of them could see well in the blackness of the tunnels. Sango was a little better off than Miroku, since years of tracking youkai's in the dark gave her excellent night vision. Still, Miroku was just fine having Sango lead the way. He had to keep his hands in check, resisting his urge to grope Sango from behind. He was trying his best to stay honorable, at least until they made their way out of the cave. Sango suddenly paused.

"The cave is shaking." She said softly. "It feels like it is about to fall apart."

"A cave-in? Probably the work of Inuyasha." Miroku smiled. Rocks began to fall around them. Miroku quickly pulled Sango to the edge of the cave as dust filled the air. "Defiantly a cave-in somewhere." He looked down at Sango. "Shall we continue?"

"Yes…just let go of me. You're holding me too tight, pervert!" She cried, squirming out of his grip. He laughed.

"I was hoping you wouldn't notice." He managed to dodge the boomerang she tried to hit him with. 'I am getting better.' He thought to himself.

"Come on." They continued down the cave, but soon found it completely impassable. "Kagome and Inuyasha are blocked in…" She muttered, looking at the rocks that were piled up to the ceiling.

"Hmm, and my air void will probably take away whatever is left holding the cave up…" He murmured, gripping the hand containing the mixed curse.

"Damn." Sango swore. "I hope Inuyasha and Kagome are okay."

"Don't worry. They are both too stubborn to die." Miroku said. "Lets go back and try to find another way out of the cave. They'd probably get out there."

"And if we don't find them…"

"We can keep going west. That's where they'll be heading anyway." Miroku smiled. "For now, we're on our own again."

Kagome walked carefully through the dark tunnel. There was no light for her eyes to adjust too, so she was pretty much blind. Still, with her hands questing ahead of her, and Inuyasha walking behind, she wasn't too worried. Inuyasha was being unnaturally quiet, and also seemed a little angry ever since leaving the hanyou woman's cave-home. "What's wrong with you?" She finally asked, not liking the silence.

"Nothing."

"I don't think its nothing," She told him. "What did that old lady say that is making you so quiet?"

"NOTHING." He stated again. Kagome didn't have to see him to know that he was glaring at her. 'Hmm…he's being secretive…' Kagome thought to her self.

"Well, so long as it doesn't have to do anything about me." She said easily, listening for any kind of reaction.

"Why would it be about you?" He laughed.

"So it is something." Kagome replied.

"No it's NOTHING."

"Then how can it not be about me IF it's nothing?"

"It just is." He yelled, sounding defensive, as well as a little confused by her reasoning.

"I think it is about me." She decided. "Why else would you be so testy about it?"

"It's NOTHING and it's NOT about you." He cried.

"You're contradicting yourself!" She accused. "It's either something and not about me, or nothing at all! It can't be both."

"Now you're confusing me." He muttered. "I'm thinking, so shut up." 'Thinking?' Kagome asked herself.

"What did that hanyou tell you?" She pressed again. Her mind began to think to everything that had been said before. Okay, the hanyou could read minds. That would probably get on Inuyasha's nerves. Kagome knew that Inuyasha wanted to ask her something. The old hanyou also began to tell her something that Inuyasha didn't want her to know… 'Wait, does Inuyasha…' She thought how angry he was at her all the time and even in the brief nice moments he had, he seemed to be have conflicting emotions. "Do you…hate me?" She asked softly. 'That had to be it. He wouldn't want me to know, since then I'd probably stop looking for the shards for him.' She thought, a little surprised by how sad she was feeling. 'That also why he saved my life all those times…for the shards.' A faint blush appeared on her face as she thought of how he had saved her from the poison…and how he had promised to help her get revenge. 'I am such an idiot!'

"What?" He sounded amazed. 'I must have gotten it right.' Kagome thought, startled to feel tears running down her face.

"You do, don't you? Because I always fight with you and don't do anything that you say?"

"Hey…" He crossed his arms. "Don't cry."

"Well, that's the way I am! You'll either have to live with it, or just get rid of me!" Kagome cried, feeling herself get a little angry. "You know, I can't even run away anymore. I've no where to run away to, since that bastard destroyed my city and my only brother is dead! Idiot, you're the only one I have left now, so if you want to get rid of me, you'll have to dump me off yourself! Don't expect me to just vanish!"

"Wait…" He sounded uncomfortable. "I don't want to dump you off anywhere."

"Because I can see shards, right?" She demanded.

"Well, yah, and not only that." He stated. "I don't hate you."

"You don't?" Kagome was startled again.

"No." Inuyasha looked away. He seemed embarrassed. "I don't." He sounded very sincere, in a strange, confused and surprised way.

"Then why didn't you tell me the moment I asked you!" She shrieked, but at the same time was feeling relieved. 'He doesn't hate me.' She began to feel foolish for even thinking it. He had saved her life so many times, there had to be a reason behind it. "I was an idiot again!" She sobbed. "First with my brother, then with you!"

"I told you I don't hate you." He said again. He brought one hand and wiped away the few tears still under her eyes. "So I command you to not cry."

"Why can't I cry!?" She yelled. "I want to cry. I jump to conclusions and my family is dead. I want to cry." She sighed and knelt down to the floor, wrapping her arms around her legs. "It's my fault he's dead, you know."

"Who?"

"My brother. He was going to be sacrificed to that youkai, but I took his place. It would have been him enslaved, and I would have been killed in the village. He should have lived. I should have died." She smiled sadly. "Silly, huh? But it's the truth. He would have lived if I hadn't done the stupid thing and been noble."

"Hey, you tried to save the brat by switching, right? So it's not your fault." Inuyasha told her gruffly.

"But it is my fault! It has always been my fault! My parents died because they were protecting my brother from the youkai, since I had decided to go off on my own again! My brother died because a man was searching for the shards that we are now trying to collect, dying because I left him alone! I swore I'd protect him, ever since my parents died! I swore it!" She cried. "I told him he wouldn't die! I told him to be good! He could have lived!" She couldn't believe the words she was saying. It was as though everything she had been thinking, keeping deep inside, was coming out. She just couldn't stop talking. "It's all my fault. It's my fault for everything…" She whispered. She heard Inuyasha kneel down beside her, and was surprised when she felt his arms wrap around her and pull her to his chest. She just sat there for a moment, crying, and listening to the soothing rhythm of his heart.

"You're just trying to take all the credit." He spoke after a moment. "It can't all be your fault, you moron." He told her, his voice surprisingly gentle.

"Inuyasha." She said softly. She could feel her heart beating unnaturally fast.

"You're letting you're grief control you. Is that what you want? To wallow in self pity?" He mocked. "You're brother died because you were tying to protect him, right? He would have probably died anyway, since that slave trader would have sold him and his youkai master would have probably eventually killed him." He sighed. "You human's have too many emotions. Youkai's would care less if their family died, unless for some reason there was a mutual gain from it. We don't let our emotions control us."

"And here I thought you were trying to be nice!" Kagome told him, pulling away from him.

"Heh, why would I try to be nice to you?" He growled. Kagome tried to glare at him, but found that she couldn't. Not after making Inuyasha listen to her selfish ramblings.

"Well, sorry for telling you all that." She managed a weak smile. "You can just forget I said anything. My brother is dead, and I'm going to get revenge. You promised you'd help me, and you want me to complete the shards. We have a mutual gain for being together. Sorry for crying." She started to get up, but Inuyasha pulled her back down, and looked carefully into her eyes.

"You sure you're okay?" He demanded in an undemanding tone. 'Something only Inuyasha could accomplish.' Kagome thought to herself, but found herself blushing under his sudden gaze.

"I'm fine." She tried to sound convincing. She didn't know why; maybe it was the poison or the darkness of the caves, but she felt…sad. Kagome had been consumed with anger for her family's deaths, but now…she was left with only grief. "I just need fresh air."

"You're still sad, aren't you?" He asked, sounding a little incredulous. "Humans do get too attached to their families." He let his voice trail off, as though remembering something. He quickly shook his head. "You're a bad liar, so don't lie." He commanded.

"Well, your not very good at comforting." She told him.

"Why should I be?" He demanded. "How was I suppose to know that you were so sad, unless you tell me?"

"So, would you have liked me to tell you earlier that I was really crushed that my only home, my only family, was killed? I thought that it would be obvious that I wasn't happy." She muttered.

"Well, you didn't sound so sad before."

"Maybe I'm a better liar than you think!" She told him. He just looked at her carefully, as though trying to see whether or not she WAS lying.

"You humans are complicated." He finally said. "You talked about you protecting your brother, and you're family protecting your brother, and how you're going to get revenge. Who has ever protected you?"

"What?" Kagome asked, unprepared for his sudden question.

"Well, I guess since you're my slave, I'll have to protect you. And I WILL protect you, despite what that stupid hanyou said." He insisted as he stood up.

"What did she say?" Kagome asked curiously, also getting to her feet.

"Nothing."

"Not that again." She sighed, but couldn't get rid of that warm feeling in her heart. She liked having Inuyasha by her. She liked his attempts to make her feel better. She liked his occasional childish behavior. But what did that all mean?

*******

This chapter was WAAAYYYY over do!! I am super sorry!! Anyway, what did you think? I hope you enjoyed it ^_^ Thanks for all those that reviewed. Also, a little correction in direction I need to make. Inuyasha and Kagome were heading SOUTH not NORTH. So Kagome's village is in the south, not north ^_^ I know, that's a little thing, but it bugged me once I caught it.

p.s I tried to put more contractions in ^_^! Thanks for pointing that out, Katra Winner--I speak using little contractions, so I write that way to *looks sheepish*

Review please!