::Walks in and blushes:: Thank you everyone for your wonderful comments! I appreciate it greatly and will try to post a new chapter each day... This moves up my timeline and it may be a week or two before part two is posted. ::has a thought:: Ack! Please no one get scared and stop reading because they think the story isn't worth their time! I did warn everyone that there are more parts to this fic but if you aren't up to it, please stay and enjoy Sick Days. ::scratches her head:: everyone is gonna hate me later but please enjoy this story if nothing else.

::grins:: And now! ::waves dramatically:: Fasten your seat belts for another exciting chapter! On with the show!

_________________Chapter 7_____________

Dreaming...

I was riding on Taomaru's back with Sesshomaru, the child cuddling close to me for comfort. He stroked my hair looking anxious. One of Taomaru's ears was cocked toward us, the other forward. Every now and then I panted directions which he obediently followed. I was following the cord, directing the youkai depending on which way the damn thing pulled.

The symptoms of whatever Inu Yasha was feeling had worsened. It was like when I had been awake in the living room, feeling sick long before all this shit started. Fever, cough, nausea, fatigue- the whole damn lot was back. Above all else though, I felt a need, an overwhelming urgency, to get to Inu Yasha. I closed my eyes, trying to figure out what was wrong, what was attacking him. The cord pulled right and I directed Taomaru that way.

We passed through the flower field where I first met the new youkai, through a black area which must have been a seam to the dream mesh and through more forest. Taomaru cleared the trees in a high jump and we were in the courtyard of a large castle.

"My home!" Sesshomaru said as he looked around, one of his little hands on my neck to track my pulse. Taomaru straightened and set us down. He kept an arm around me, steadying me because I couldn't stand straight. He watched me with a frown then picked me up in his arms. My legs couldn't hold me- I wasn't going to complain. The pull on my heart was almost unbearable; Inu Yasha was in here somewhere. In felt Taomaru and heard Sesshomaru inhale then stride up the wide steps, through the heavy doors and into the building. We all heard sounds of battle coming from straight ahead. I clutched my chest as my heart constricted in what felt like a heart attack. I gasped for air, unable to get enough, my lungs burning and nerves in my skin flaring with pain. What was happening to Inu Yasha?

Taomaru stopped, setting me down on the marble floor. "What?" I ground out and tried to stand. The youkai held me down and ordered Sesshomaru to stay and protect me. With wide eyes the child nodded and sat beside me, his tail pillowing my head. Taomaru took off down the hallway, almost too fast to see, transforming into a large wolf as he ran. I watched him reduce a set of doors to splinters and then my guts decided to twist in on each other. I rolled onto my side, curling up and trying not to scream. I clutched my stomach tightly, coughing blood and phlegm onto my knees. My cold had snuck up, intensified, and bitten me on the ass with stake knives for teeth

It took several minutes of laying there to realize that Sesshomaru was calling my name. His voice sounded deeper but that could have been my imagination. He was also licking my neck and cheek. I tried to pull away-I mean ick! - but he pinned me against his body, his very adult body, licking more fiercely. It was an extremely doglike gesture- some dogs licked their masters to comfort them in times of stress. Sesshomaru and I were a far cry from that kind of relationship so I croaked out my question, but the youkai never paused. He continued to lick me- to bath me- and would have gone down my shirt if I hadn't stopped him. The pain through out my body lessened and it became easier to breathe again. I uncurled and Sesshomaru wrapped his tail around me, pulling me into a sitting position and into his lap still bathing me.

The hall was silent, all sounds of battle gone. I heard the crunch of footsteps and turned toward the sound. Taomaru walked down the hallway, his tail swishing madly, looking very roughed up. He was back in his humanoid form; shallow cuts decorated his bare arms and chest, one ragged scratch bisecting his cheek. He did not look happy. Thrown over one shoulder was a body in a familiar red yukata.

"Inu Yasha!" I said happily and the cord between us hummed softly. I made a mental note to ask Taomaru about it- I mean; would this always be present between us? But that was a mystery to be solved later; right now we had our hands full. A grey eyed Taomaru dropped to his knees, the movement born of exhaustion, and laid Inu Yasha in front of me. Sesshomaru let me go and I hugged Inu Yasha to me, holding his body close and never wanting to let go. As far as I could tell, the hanyou had sustained minimal damage; cuts were on his face and hands but those weren't enough to knock him out.

I turned back to Taomaru and he was sprawled out on the floor, his eyes closed, face slack. I thought he was asleep but then he spoke. "Kagome you need to wake up. You need to wake Inu Yasha and your self up now! Right this second!"

"But I thought those in a dream mesh couldn't wake up until everyone was in their respective dream." I said and tried to push Sesshomaru away. He still licked me and wouldn't stop, snarling when I tried to get him to do so.

Taomaru waved a hand, rolled his head to look at me, eyes open and red tinged. "This is important! Now, wake yourselves up!" In one liquid movement, he had rolled and gotten at all fours. He snarled his words in my face and I was more than a little scared. I clutched Inu Yasha to me, my fingers digging into his shoulders. The hanyou stirred with a moan, blinking awake. Taomaru towered above me, his face changing, his body shifting, his eyes completely blood red. I was scared- terrified- and wanted to get the hell away from him. The longer I stayed the more his shape blurred and the more he became something out of my nightmares. "Wake up, Kagome! Right now!" the words were a growl. Taomaru bared his impossibly long teeth, lips pulling back so I could see the sharp canines. His head came down, his jaws wide to eat me and I screamed-

-and suddenly I was awake in my bedroom.

I sat up in a rush, panting loudly. I was weighed down by something and a scream threatened to claw its way out of my mouth. I looked around my room wildly, searching for the hanyou. A warm body next to me moved, its hand wrapping around my waist and trying to pull me back down. I began scrambling out of bed, going for the window because that was the first exit I saw. I cleared the bed, tumbling over the side, not caring about falling. I stood protectively in the sunlight that puddled on the floor, arms raised to defend myself. Adrenaline pumped through my system and I was good to go.

It took several minutes of standing there, panting, to realize that the thing on the bed wasn't coming after me. From the creaking of the bed and rustling of the covers, the person was tossing and turning. I heard my name softly mumbled and relaxed my guard. I put my arms down, looking at the floor where, apparently, someone had been sleeping. I crept closer to the bed, raising one arm just in case, and looked around the side of the headboard.

Inu Yasha, furry ears and all, was asleep in my bed. His pajamas were askew, the top cutting into his neck and looped around his opposite shoulder. He grumbled, his hand hunting for something under the covers. I touched one of his ears, scratching behind the furry triangle gently. The hanyou's hand withdrew from the covers and covered mine. He sat up, pulling me forward, around the headboard and onto the bed. I was too surprised to resist and found myself lying on the bed. Why was Inu Yasha in my bed? He had obviously been on the floor a little while ago, why was he in my bed now?

When I failed to do anything, Inu Yasha opened his eyes, the gold orbs looking at me blankly. I was pinned to the bed under Inu Yasha's weight before I could blink. He remained above me, propped on his elbows. I couldn't believe this; usually he gives me a passing glance and now he's suddenly pinning me to my bed? I glared up at him and looked him straight in the eye. My jaw dropped and, to distract Inu Yasha from doing anything else, I began petting his ears again.

Inu Yasha wasn't actually awake. His eyes were like those of a sleep walker; part of his mind was awake, making him restless, but in the end Inu Yasha was still asleep. Whatever part of him was awake was probably responding to his dream, incorporating what his eyes looked at now into it. He dipped his head, pushing against my hand and laying down on top of me. "Inu Yasha," I whispered. Maybe I could wake him up fully. "Inu Yasha, wake up please." I got an unhappy grunt for a verbal reply, his head nuzzling my neck. He sighed in contentment and relaxed. Damn it!

Play time was over. I pushed at him, trying to dislodge him enough to stand. He fought me, snarling and firmly settling back on top of me. I tried again but he was ready this time and pinned me easily by just staying sprawled on top of me. I opened my mouth to scream for help and his lips touched my throat in a kiss. He kisses my pulse point, licking a damp line up to my jaw.

My heart kicked into overdrive; it beat a mile a minute, doing shame to the fastest race horse. My breath became ragged, from fear and something else- an emotion I was unfamiliar with that I was both excited and frightened by. Inu Yasha continued to kiss my neck, never going any higher, as if he were waiting for a sign. His teeth grazed my skin, a gentle bite under my jaw that made me shutter. He moved higher, this time paying attention to my ear. I squirmed and he purred softly, his arms wrapping around me and trapping me against him.

Some part of me shrank from his attentions, screaming that this wasn't right, that this wasn't Inu Yasha! Another part urged me to go on, to enjoy it- after all; I had wanted this for a long time, wanted Inu Yasha to love me for myself. My eyes closed of their own accord, my hands tangling in his hair. His mouth met mine and I kissed him hungrily. He responded to my hunger with his own, pushing my back into the bed, on hand under my head and controlling it. I could hear noises and realized it was us. His free hand found its way under my shirt, kneading my back and urging me onward. Again, he seemed to wait for a signal, his hand not going any higher or lower on my body.

I tilted my head back, needing air, and Inu Yasha showered kisses on my throat again. He bit over my pulse point where my neck met my shoulders, this time causing a twinge of pain as he drew blood. He locked over the wound, licking it slowly, his teeth grazing it again and again. I blinked, trying to regain control over my body and shake off the effect of my hormones. His other hand slipped under my shirt beside the other one and my control almost shattered. "Inu Yasha," I said. He ignored me and I tried again with the same result. I pulled his head by his hair, forced him away from the love bite to meet my eyes.

His eyes were pure solid gold, the color more brilliant than it had ever been before. They remained blank unfortunately, only one emotion reflected in them: lust. Inu Yasha was looking at me but he wasn't seeing me. Some part of me cringed in disappointment, the enjoyment of the situation slipping away. I didn't know what had happened to the Inu Yasha I knew, but he sure wasn't the one in front of me. He tried for a kiss again, leaning forward and brushing his lips to mine. I moved my hands to his chest and held him away. "No, Inu-chan," I said firmly, shaking my head. "No, not now."

"Later?" He asked so plaintively it made my heart hurt- and flutter. He backed off, sitting back on his knees and looking up at me. His ears had drooped and I scratched behind them without thinking. I hugged him, and he hugged me back. I felt empty inside, the warmth from the kissing ebbing away. "Later, when everything is back to normal." He nuzzled the exposed skin near my collar bone. I sighed unhappily while I fought not to cry.

In that moment I hated my conscience and allowed my self pity to settle over me. I would never have another moment like that with Inu Yasha; I knew it even if he didn't. If I did it would be far, far in the future and who knew if both of us would be around for it; the enemies we faced in pursuit of the Shikon no Tama shards were getting more and more powerful, the fights harder. I hated myself in that moment but I would not consent to this; it wouldn't be fair to Inu Yasha or me. All this I knew and my heart still felt as if it had been cheated.

I had two options in front of me: I could get up or go back to sleep. I felt better and laying bed all day would not help my resolve so getting up it was. I scratched behind Inu Yasha's ears as I climbed off the bed. The moment I stopped touching him, he was off the bed and following at my heels. It became really annoying when he attempted to follow me into the bathroom. I locked him out and changed as fast as I could. I didn't have a shower- it was too much to hope for that he wouldn't knock the door over and come `help' me bathe. So instead, I grabbed some clean sweats and put those on. The moment I left the bathroom, Inu Yasha pulled me into a hug. His body had a slight tremor to it and I asked if he wanted to go back to bed. To that, I got a fierce kiss- the answer was clear; if he went to bed, I was coming with him and I didn't know if I would be able to say no a second time.

While in the bathroom I had taken a look at Inu Yasha's `love bite.' What I thought to be just an overzealous kiss turned out to be more on closer inspection. The blood flow was sluggish and obstructed the pattern, but the design seemed intricate and impressive. I didn't know what it meant and didn't think I could ask Inu Yasha while he was like this. So I cleaned it as best possible and hid it under a Band-Aid and the high neck of my sweatshirt.

We went downstairs and into the kitchen, Inu Yasha beside me the entire time. He moved forward and pulled out a chair, me doing the same next to him. Before I could sit down however, his arm looped around my waist and pulled me into his lap. Both arms encircled my waist, his head resting against my upper back. It startled me enough to make me hold still for the entire movement, making me ignore my mom. She cleared her throat and I must have turned beet red.

The sudden rush of blood made me dizzy and for a moment I had to rely on Inu Yasha's great strength for support. I closed my eyes briefly, hoping I didn't look too guilty. His head pushed harder against my back, moving in a side to side motion, his arms tightening to let me know he was here, and my blush came back in full force. My mom watched us the entire time, eyes wide and lips pursed. I expected her to demand an explanation, to tell Inu Yasha to let me go and to go to hell. What I got was: "How are you two feeling?" I almost fell off Inu Yasha's lap.

"I'm almost back to normal." I said and Inu Yasha took that moment to lay his throat parallel to my spine and purr. It was a quiet sound but it vibrated against my ribs and spread through my body. It reverberated in my skull and I couldn't hear myself think. I concentrated and the feeling receded, but didn't go away; it became a constant pleasurable hum in the background. My mom lifted an eyebrow and walked around the table until she could see Inu Yasha behind me.

I looked straight ahead; trying to slow my heart beat which was doing its race horse impression again. Mom came back into view and she was smiling wryly, her eyebrow quirked to one side as if saying, and what mischief are you two up to now? I looked as innocent as I was able but could still feel a blush tinge my cheeks. My mom and I stared at each other and I didn't know what to say. I broke first and closed my eyes as I coughed quietly. I rubbed my temple and felt a headache make itself known.

"Where's Sota?" I asked, noticing the lack of noise from the house.

"Out playing with friends. It's Sunday so I let him go. He should be gone all day and I'll be leaving shortly to do some errands. Grandfather will be here to check on you two." She eyed me and the tilted her head to one side. "I thought you said you were feeling better but I think a day in bed will be a good precaution."

What could I say? She was my mom and on the subject of sick children, she was the authority.

"How is Inu Yasha?" she asked.

Hmmm... How should I explain this? "Well, he's acting very strange." And the award for understatement of the century goes to... "I think he's still asleep. He's walking around like a sleep walker even though he should be perfectly normal now that he's a hanyou again." My mom blinked and looked worried. I blinked. "What's up mom? Did something happen last night?"

"He had a high fever last night and began to thrash around. Being near you," and she smiled again wryly. "Calmed him. Sota and I couldn't stay awake all night and I feared he may be hurt if someone didn't watch him, so we dumped Inu Yasha into your bed." She smiled at me as if this was an everyday occurrence.

I opened my mouth, shut it, and opened it again. Half of me wanted to scream at her for what she had done, the other half was really glad that she had done it. The thought of having to explain why Inu Yasha was sleeping in my bed left me cold. What is the etiquette for that? Good morning mom, how did you sleep? Yes, Inu Yasha did sleep with me. No nothing happened- it only looks that way. Why was he in my bed? I have no idea- I woke up and here he was. We could ask him but he only seems to want to have sex with me. I shuttered inside. God, I'd be dead in a second, Inu Yasha would be banned from the house and the well sealed. No way would I ever see him or any one in the Warring states again. But my mom had tucked him into my bed. It showed she trusted him with me, asleep or not. It made me love my mom all the more and I finally smiled at her. What I had been thinking must have showed on my face because my mom merely smiled and nodded in my direction.

"He did say one thing that seemed important while we were moving him." Mom said quietly and I waited for her to elaborate. "It was the one time he actually seemed to be awake. He said `Go get Miroku. Youkai in the house.' I checked with grandfather and he said he didn't feel anything but he did put up sealing scrolls around the house just in case."

I thought that over for a few minutes. If a youkai had been in the house, Gramps wouldn't have felt it if the thing had been sitting on him. "We'll go see Keade today. I had a dream that may help us figure out why Inu Yasha is acting so odd." I blinked and absently pulled at my top, running a hand through my hair, mindful of Inu Yasha behind me- didn't want to poke out his eye after all. I coughed, thinking over what I had to do and trying to keep what I remembered about the dream clear. It wasn't as memorable as my previous nightmares so it required more thought. My headache wasn't helping either; I closed my eyes and tried to block it out. I rubbed my temples, wiping the sweat I found there away. I felt a hand touch my forehead and nearly jumped in surprise.

"Back to bed you two." My mom said, looking at Inu Yasha and me with concern in her eyes. I blinked at her, confused. Inu Yasha stopped purring and turned his head, the movement sliding along my back, and I knew he was looking at her too. She shooed us out of the room and the moment I was on my feet I felt the floor lurch. In a heartbeat, Inu Yasha had my arm and was steadying me. I looked at him gratefully. I gently pulled away from his hold, standing on my own firmly. I looked at my mother as I stood there, a bit of defiance in the gesture. "I'm fine." I said clearly and it would have been a wonderful statement if it hadn't been augmented by the room swinging wildly.

I wasn't sure if it was my mom, the room, or me swaying; every time I thought I had it pinned, the view changed. The feeling only worsened and I felt like I would throw up. The room swirled in the background, my mother swinging in the opposite direction of its movements. I blinked several times and my vision did not improve in the least; in fact it became worse. My mother's face began to distort so that every time she swung back into my view her face was longer, her body lines more blurred. She took a step toward me and, panting, I backed up, bumping into Inu Yasha. I felt like screaming and crying; like clawing my eyes out to just make the room settle. I pressed the heels of my hand against my eyes and whispered over and over, "It's not real." Heat crept up my neck, flowing over my cheeks, burning inside my skull. I pressed my hands to my temples, my head pounding, the blood rushing in my ears until I though I'd loose my mind. When darkness threatened, I gave into it
willingly.