~Chapter Nine~ ~Almost lost, but was picked up and saved~

Stillness. Nothing but stillness in this room sat in by the sobbing Inu-Yasha and the dying Kagome.

Kikyo was gone for good, Inu-Yasha knew this for sure now, but what good had it done for himself?

It wasn't like he was freed from her trap and able to love again. Although she was no longer there, that knowing that he would be alone for all time chilled him to the bone.

Kagome was leaving……she was suffering…..each breath she took, more time was wasted, and Inu-Yasha's life slowly went with her to that other world far away.

His arms holding so tightly, and still he knew she could not feel his presence.

"Kagome……please……don't leave me alone. I don't want to be alone……I'm afraid to be alone. I can't go on…..without the light that is what you are to guide me. I want to kiss you, and love you, and have children with you, and laugh with you, and talk with you, and run with you……..please…..don't go…..not yet. There are so many good times to look ahead to. God…..no……you can't leave me. You can't." He cried softly as the echoes of his weeps slowly faded away, unable to be heard by Kagome.

He reached down and took her face into his hands. He ran his fingertips over her features and then to her lips. So gentle.

He bent down and let his cheek rest alongside hers, letting that feeling sink in forever in his memory.

He again stared into her face and felt what her skin was like against his.

He knew that she was the one that could never be replaced. He worried about what he would do after she left, or where he would go. But for now, he pushed those thoughts away and only focused on Kagome. Only her. No one else.

All fell silent.

Inu-Yasha's breathing seemed to hold, as Kagome seemed to slip away in one long moment.

He held her again tighter then he had ever held her before, and whispered softly into her ear.

"Don't go away……..I love you……."

~~~Into Kagome's dream~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Those words.

So frail and perfectly created with the voice of one Kagome knew from somewhere in one time long ago.

Light surrounded her, and she felt herself being taken somewhere.

The words again filled the air around her, and whispered into her ear something she knew she had been waiting for.

"I love you….." It said.

She didn't understand at first why it said such dear words, but when she thought back in her mind, those words were the ones she wished for one to say. Someone………

Suddenly, a wall pasted her body.

A lit wall of something which she had no clue where she was or why, but something told her that that one person whom she had heard call those words….those three dear words……was far away now.

Somehow, she knew she didn't want to be away from that person.

New voices entered her head. They beckoned her towards another light.

She opened her eyes and looked around her.

White. That was all she saw about and surrounding her.

Her eyes closed again. The three words echoed one last time, and she listened to the way the words were said in that one precious voice…..and……….

Her eyes shot open.

"Inu…….Yasha………." She whispered as she suddenly remembered the name of that voice.

Instantly, images flashed through her mind of him.

She saw his white hair, and his cute ears, and his red kimono, and his perfect face, and his golden eyes, and his precious smile.

"Inu-……Yasha!! INU-YASHA!!!! He's calling to me from somewhere!!! But…where?? Where am I!!??" She cried out suddenly.

She again looked around her, but her eyes failed to see anything other then the endless white that she somehow could not escape!!

Kagome's body felt heavy, but she did not care.

Suddenly, one of the beckoning voices came to her.

"Kagome? Come with me! I'll take you to the place you want to go!" It stated.

Kagome stared. "You mean….to Inu-Yasha?" She questioned in a hopeful tone.

The voice stared back at her. "No, Kagome! To the other side! That is where you must be now!! You are ready to leave earth now anyway!"

Kagome didn't understand. "no…..No……NO!!!!!!! I DON'T WANT TO GO TO THE OTHER SIDE!! I WANT TO SEE INU-YASHA!!!!! WHERE IS HE!!!?? WHY AM I HERE!!!!!!!???" She screamed.

The voice disappeared then.

Kagome was more then confused.

She turned around and around, looking for a way out of this nightmare.

"INU-YASHA!!!! INU-YASHA!!!! WHERE ARE YOU!!! PLEASE!!! ANSWER ME!!!"

It suddenly hit her about what had happened.

It somehow all flowed back into her mind and everything was there!!!

"The demon that took me…….and left me out in the snow!! Then Miroku and Inu-Yasha found me….and they took me back to camp, and the next morning I didn't feel well……and while we were all traveling along, I collapsed and……"

It was almost a horror when she realized she was in a dream that would take her to the other world, a place where she could never again see Inu-Yasha. Ever.

With this thought in mind, she began to run frantically in one direction, trying to follow her wits.

The lit up wall soon came into view, and she ran up to it, placed her hands on it, and was shocked to find she could not get through.

"NO!!! PLEASE!!! OPEN IT UP!!! LET ME THROUGH!!!! I NEED TO GET BACK!!! IT'S NOT MY TIME!!! PLEASE!!!! PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

He cried were not answered.

She tried to break the door, but it would not shatter.

She even attempted to run right through it, but with no luck except a bump on the head.

She fell to her knees after a while, ready to give up.

"I love you" the words rang again through her memory.

"I….let me through. I have to get back to him. I must. I can't leave him alone. He doesn't want to be alone!! He's afraid. Let me go to him. God please……." She softly cried as tears formed, but would not fall. All except one did.

It fell in a slow way, and hit the ground delicately.

As this happened, she lifted her hand up, and noticed the wall beginning to become soft.

With a bit of hope left, she stood up, and backed up.

On the other side of the wall, she could see Inu-Yasha.

His lips curved into his own smile, and his arms were held wide open, just for her. Just for her………

More tears fell, and she began to run.

She ran faster and faster towards the wall.

"INU-YASHA!!!!!! I WON'T LEAVE YOU ALONE!!!!! I'M RIGHT HERE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Her body passed through the wall, ripped away parts of her closes, but she didn't care, it was a dream after all, right?

All she could remember after that was running towards Inu-Yasha's arms, missing, but not so, for at that moment………………..

~~~Out of Dream~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The moments seemed to stop as Inu-Yasha sobbed and sobbed, over Kagome's now almost dead body.

His tears mixed with her hair and no matter how hard he tried, he could not make them stop falling.

He was gasping for breath, and his hysterical way of expressing his loss was a sight that no one would believe if they saw him, which they did not.

"Kagome…..I'm afraid……….don't go away. Don't go away."

His whispering was soon turned to only mouthing words, for his voice became horse from his crying.

One last tear though, and he did not notice, but Kagome's hand, which sat beside his chest, grasped onto his kimono tightly.

"Inu-Yasha. I won't go away. I won't leave you alone. I'm right here." She softly whispered in a weak voice, but a beautiful tone.

Inu-Yasha looked down upon Kagome's features in shock. What had just happened, he wasn't sure.

Slowly then, something happened that changed his heart forever.

Kagome's eyes, bi by bit, opened gradually and fell over his eyes.

Brown and gold. They met like it was meant to be like that.

Inu-Yasha was breathless, as well as speechless for a long still moment.

Kagome reached up and wiped away his tears gently with her hand, and cupped his face into her palms, staring up at him as she lay in his arms.

"Inu-Yasha…..I'll never go away. I'll never go away. Never ever, ever." She whispered to him, and let her lips curve into a smile that Inu-Yasha would never forget.

This joy, Inu-Yasha couldn't express at first, except through expression, but after a few minutes of just staring at Kagome with absolute ecstasy, pulled her into an embrace, then took her face carefully into his hands, but rapidly, and kissed her cheeks and her forehead, and her head over and over, smiling and laughing softly with joy.

"Kagome……Never do that again!! Never!!! God damn it Kagome!!! I was so afraid!! So afraid!!! Do you hear me!!!! But you're safe and I love you. I love you!!!!!!!!!! My Kagome. I have so much to explain to you, and say sorry to you about!!!! NEVER DO THAT AGAIN!!!! NEVER TRY TO ESCAPE ME, CAUSE I'M ALWAYS GONNA PULL YOU BACK UP!!! I WON'T EVER LET YOU GO!!! NEVER!!!!"

He cried and laughed at the same time with happiness that Kagome had never seen in one person ever before in her life.

After a moment though, all fell silent again, and Inu-Yasha stared deep into Kagome's eyes with love and passion that Kagome had wanted to see in him all along, but thought he loved Kikyo.

She figured that he would tell her everything later, but for now, she favored to stare up at Inu-Yasha, and never let her eyes lose his.

"I love you……Kagome. Forever and ever and ever." He told her.

Her smile widened. "I love you too, Inu-Yasha. I fought and almost lost, but when I heard those words you whispered to me, I knew I had to get back to you. I wanted to be with you again. I want to always be with you….till the end…..and beyond."

Inu-Yasha pushed back her hair from her face and laid her down gently to the futon, pulling up the covers in the process.

He nodded then to her, and stood up, and backed away form her.

"Where are you…." Kagome began to state, but lost her voice for she became dizzy.

"You're still sick. Get some rest. I'm going out to find the others. I'll be back. Just close your eyes…….and sleep……just……don't go away."

Kagome shook her head. "No. I'll never leave you. I'll be by your side….forever."

Inu-Yasha smiled one last time before heading out the door to inform the others that Kagome would live.

Kagome lay and stared at the door where he went out for a while.

She could only wonder why he loved her so, but he did, and she would always love him just as much.

*I swear it Inu-Yasha…..I'll always be here for you. I'll be your home to run to when you're lost out in the rain, and I'll be your open arms and your warmth and comfort so you will never be alone out in the night, cold and unwanted. I will be your shield from harm, so that nothing will get you. I will always be here. Always. Nothing can push you away from my heart.*

~HeHe! One more chaptie, kay! So romantic and sweet! ^-^SMILE!!!~~~

~chibikagome1@yahoo.com~