Disclaimer : I don't own InuYasha, or any of the characters, much to be my eternal dismay. They belong to Rumiko Takahashi, who I thank with every fibre of my being for giving us such wonderful and interesting characters to work with. So, please, don't sue me : )



Authors' Notes:

1 - I would like to thank the following people for their reviews - KenYasha, Psy-girl, Geminidragon, Merith, Ambereyes, and Port. You guys are great : ) Thank you so much for your wonderful reviews, and please, feel free to tell me if you like it, hate it, think it could use such and such a change, whatever. You made me feel really great.

2- Once again, another chapter with 2 parts . . . I hadn't realized my chapters were so damn long. I'm sorry, please don't shoot me.

3 - I've tried to stay as true to the characters as I could. I'm not very familiar with Sango or Miroku, which is why they don't show up much. InuYasha and Kagome will probably be out of character a goodly amount . . . but then, anytime the two of them show their emotions to each other in a story like this it's OOC, so bear with me. Hopefully, you'll like the changes in their characters I've made. Just enjoy as is, a fan fic. This is stuff that I personally see in their characters, so of course, it's my POV on what COULD happen to them in situations like what I'm doing. With that said, enjoy the story, and please review. Reviews make me feel loved, and make me more inclined to put more stories up : )





Chapter 2 (Part 1)



Pain flared through InuYasha's back. He hissed, his back arching in an attempt to remove itself from the pain as it intensified. He felt Kagome pulled away from him, but his mind couldn't get past the red haze clouding it. He spun on his knees to face the source, the pain intensifying unbearably as the knife in his shoulder was dragged across and up with his movement, opening a huge gash across his shoulders. He struggled to rise, to get into a more defensive position, but his legs wouldn't cooperate. 'Damn . . . human . . . body . . . GET UP!' he snarled to himself. He stared at the filthy human before him, noting absently the mismatched armor and unkempt hair. 'Thieves . . . just perfect.'

The thief laughed at his pathetic attempts to get to his feet. "See boys, I told you this night would bring fun and profit!" he called to his ragged band. He kicked InuYasha in the stomach, laughing as the temporarily human hanyou bent over the blow, his breath coming in gasps. "Didn't anyone ever tell you the forest is no place for children at night, boy?" he sneered. "Especially not for a tryst with such a beautiful girl." He turned his attention to the struggling Kagome, held a short distance away by one of his men. Roughly pushing the wounded hanyou aside with his foot, he swaggered over to her, grabbing her face harshly to catch the feeble light of his men's torches.

Kagome ceased to struggle, glaring at the man defiantly as he turned her face first one way, then the other. Inside, her heart pounded with fear. 'Oh gods, InuYasha, please be okay!' she prayed silently. She began to shiver uncontrollably as images from her dream returned to haunt her - InuYasha, human and alone, unconscious and covered in blood. She tried to look at him, to reassure herself, but was yanked roughly back to face her captor.

Viscously grabbing a fist full of her hair, the thief mashed his lips to hers in a passionless kiss. Kagome gagged as his tongue pushed it's way into her mouth, bringing with it the vile taste of cheap sake and fouled meat. Only his hand, knotted into her hair to the point of pulling it out of her scalp, prevented her from biting down on the offending flesh. Tears of pain, fear, and humiliation ran down her face as she felt him roughly grope her chest with his free hand. 'So this is my first kiss . . . and the first time a man has touched me . . . will I live through this? Will I want to?' she despaired



InuYasha, lying on the ground, struggled to master his limbs and rise as he watched the thief grope Kagome. Fierce waves of jealousy and possessiveness surged through him, feeding his anger and the adrenalin, pushing him to his feet. He growled low in his throat, fighting through the pain as he say the glint of tears on Kagome's face.

"Let her go you BASTARD!" he shouted.

Releasing his hold, the bandit turned to stare at the wobbling hanyou. "Stubborn boy, aren't you?" He turned back to Kagome, catching her knee before it connected with his groin. "Bitch!" he snarled and backhanded her, knocking her unconscious.

"Kagome!" InuYasha howled, watching her head rock back with the blow and fall forward, limp. He charged blindly, his rage pushing him without thought. The man dodged his charge easily, watching as, off balance, InuYasha crashed back to the ground a few feet away.

InuYasha glared up at him, impotent rage seething as his legs refused to obey him once again. "Your woman will fetch a good price on the market, boy," the bandit gloated. "After, of course, we make sure she's sweet enough." He laughed mockingly at the look of horror that crossed the wounded hanyou's face. Turning his back on InuYasha, he slung the unconscious girl over his shoulder and walked from the clearing. "Kill that mangy brat and get back to camp quickly. This night promises to be entertaining, especially with this prize," he called over his shoulder to his men.

'Oh gods, Kagome!' Why did this have to happen tonight, of all the nights of the month . . . and no one would be coming to look for them, so he couldn't expect any help. Sango and Miroku had gone to the next village for Kaede, and Shippo was with the old miko. It was a long time till sunrise . . . and the gash on his back was still bleeding fiercely. 'Damn human body . . . I have to get to Kagome!'

The remaining members of the band surrounded him as he managed at last to rise shakily to his feet. They stood easily, assured of a quick victory over the boy before them. InuYasha pulled the sheathed Tetsusiaga from his side, his hands tightening around the blade. Even untransformed, the blade could help him . . . as long as he left it in it's sheath. He kept the image of that human kissing Kagome in his thoughts, using it to fend off the pain and weakness from blood loss. 'Hang on Kagome. I'm coming,' he prayed. 'I swore I'd protect you, and I will . . . even if it costs me my life.'

*--------------*-------------*-------------*



Kagome swam back to consciousness slowly, her arms screaming in pain, her face throbbing. 'What . . . where am I?' she wondered hazily. She shivered as a gust of cold air moved over her and tried to cover herself, only to find her arms tied above her head. The cold served to bring memory back into focus, and with it came the terror and shame. "InuYasha!" she whispered brokenly. "Oh gods, it's all my fault!" Tears ran unheeded down her face as she saw again the dream superimposed over her last glimpse of him.

"Ah, you are awake. Good. It's so much better when they scream." She watched in terror as the bandit stepped into the cave through the blanket covering the entrance. Her eyes locked onto the knife in his hand, still covered in InuYasha's blood. "Your young lover won't be coming to save you, if that's what you are hoping. By now, he'll be lying dead in a pool of his own blood." She moaned in denial, shaking her head furiously, her eyes shut tight.

She froze as she felt the cold metal of the knife against her cheek. She shivered as it slid down her skin, leaving a trail of blood to her blouse. The sudden rip of cloth sent her into motion, struggling futilely as she felt his hand at her skirt. 'No, please . . .' her mind screamed in denial, 'No . . . oh no . . . not this . . . not him . . . oh god . . . INUYASHA!'



End Part 1 Chapter 2



AN : okay, okay, another cliffhanger, I know....so, what's gonna happen? Is InuYasha dead? Is Kagome gonna get raped? Keep reading, I'm still writing : ) And please REVIEW! I'm a major review junkie : )