AN-okay, now this fic has the potential to be either incredibly painful, or kinda good…and I'm not sure which of those it's gonna be…you expect me to know now? Oh well, I probably, in all good judgment, need to see more Inuyasha, but it runs at midnight on week nights, and my video player hates me, so I can't get it…I have to rely on one of my friends. Thank god she doesn't mind lending it to me. Thanks Sara^.^  and please, forgive the inevitable OOC-ness, it's gonna happen. And I need to point out something too,   it is taken for granted that from the beginning in this, Sesshoumaru sees something in kagome. Something, okey? Oh damnit, already ranting random nonsense. On with the fic!!

DISCLAIMER-this will apply to the entire fic-the characters in this fic are not mine, apart from any that I make up(you'll know, you wont have ever heard of them)and I may twist the happenings a bit…

Should Have Known

Plop. The ripples from the pebble spread in never-ending concentric circles from where it had landed in the lake. Plop. Another pebble followed the first, creating opposite waves to the first, the tiny swells of water crashing against each other, a parody of their bigger cousins in the ocean. Thunk. A third stone, larger than the first two put together went sailing into the lake, sending sparkling drips onto the thrower's face.

Kagome didn't bother to wipe the water away. There was really no point, the silent tears trickling down her face weren't going to stop any time soon, she knew, so a few drops of water weren't going to hurt.

Why hadn't she seen this coming? All the signs along the way had pointed to this, but she'd blithely ignored them, so sure in herself and in her 'knowledge'. She'd been certain that Inuyasha had feelings for her, besides seeing her as a shard detector and possible friend. But, oh! How wrong she had been. She'd sucked up all of her courage, and gone in search of the hanyou, intending to tell him how she felt. Well, she found him alright. With Kikyo. Kagome had 'overheard' their conversation. What the hell, she'd eavesdropped. And she'd been just in time to hear Kikyo ask Inuyasha if he still loved her, only her and not Kagome. That had gotten her hooked, and she'd crept as close as she could to hear his answer.

Unfortunately, her feet didn't get the message from her brain that she wanted to be quiet while she did it, and had stepped on a branch. Inuyasha's sensitive ears hadn't missed the crack, and when he rounded on her, his face went blank with shock, and then he had demanded to know what she was doing there.

Kagome had refused to answer, instead she'd insisted that he answered Kikyo's question.

That had stopped the hanyou short, and Inuyasha had looked very panicked. Then something in his eyes snapped and he'd said the most hurtful thing to Kagome that he'd said in their two years of travel together.

"What does it matter to you bitch, if I still love Kikyo? If you had thought I had feelings for you, you can drop that idea now. If you have feelings for me, forget them as of now. All I see you as is The Shikon no Tama detector, a means to an end. But then again, why do I need you? Kikyo can see the shards, she can fight better, and yeah, I do love her. So, you're actually not needed anymore. I don't care what you do, but go away."

When she hadn't moved, he'd charged her, swinging his claws in a vicious attempt to make her leave. Kagome had frozen as he rushed her, and then something woke inside her. A well of violet power had opened up, and she'd reached into its depths, pulling forth a bolt that sent Inuyasha sprawling back several feet.

His grunt of pain and Kikyo's shocked gasp had brought her back to reality, and she'd fled. Her traitorous feet had done her a turn, and without her knowing it, brought her to the lake where she now sat.

Sighing, Kagome brought her knees up and rested her chin on folded arms, pensively staring out across the lake.

What am I going to do? I can't leave; Miroku and Sango are still here. Then there's Shippo to think about, I definitely can't leave him here with Inuyasha, and I can't take him back to my time. Damn, how do I get myself into these situations? Oh damn it all! I'll stay. I can't abandon my friends, and Inuyasha is still my friend, even if I'm not his…

Child's laughter brought Kagome back down to earth, and she spun just in time to see Rin run to the lake's edge, screeching in delight as the cool water lapped at her toes. And where ever Rin was, Sesshoumaru was sure to follow, which he did, looking as cold as ice. Kagome shrank into as small a ball as she could manage, shrinking down into the gravel, not wanting to be seen by the Western Lord.

She had no such luck. Rin spied her shoes, and with a delighted giggle, ran up to Kagome and peered up under her bangs.

"Hey, hi!! I'm Rin, who're you pretty lady?". She paused as Kagome sniffed back a tear. "Why're you crying pretty lady? Rin doesn't want you to cry. C'mon, smile pretty lady, please? For Rin?"

The child's bright chatter and third person narration had made Kagome smile. Just a little.

Why does this always happen to me? Oh well, since she's noticed me, it'll only be a matter of time before Sesshoumaru wakes up and sees me too. She stole a glance at the Taiyoukai. He showed no signs of having seen her, appearing dead to the world.  Guess it wont hurt even if he does see me. I'm expendable after all…

"My name's Kagome, Rin." Sesshoumaru's head snapped up and turned their way. Kagome didn't notice. I'm crying because a person whom I thought was a friend said something very nasty to me, and hurt me.?"

Rin frowned and then a bright smile lit her face again. "Sesshoumaru-sama will make you smile again!" With that little thought, she left Kagome, and ran up to the tall youkai and tugged on his leg, not seeming to note that he was staring at Kagome, an inscrutable look in his amber eyes. Under that heavy gaze, Kagome shivered and cast her eyes downwards.

"It was my idiot half-brother, was it not?"

"Eh?"

Sesshoumaru sighed. He had little patience with humans, but for now, he would forget that this girl was human, and find out what Inuyasha had done this time. "The person who hurt you, it was my brother, am I right?"

Kagome sighed and stared out across the lake again. "He said inasmuch that he hated me; that he could care less either way whether I lived or died." Another sigh. "He was with Kikyo. She wanted to know which of us he loved. He chose her" Kagome finished bleakly.

Sesshoumaru could not have thought less of his brother at that moment if he had tried. For all the loyalty, courage and love this girl had shown him over the years, and this was how he repaid her? Sesshoumaru was disgusted to say the very least.

"Get up girl. I will take you back to your friends."

Kagome was stunned. How'd he known that she was lost? And why was he actually being nice to her? Didn't the rules say that he was to try and kill her? Not that she cared or anything, but what was he doing? Not one to pass up an offer though, she scrambled to her feet, and trailed behind the tall youkai, watching his silver hair brush back and forth across the forest floor, the tips barely missing the dust. Plucking up her courage, she drew abreast of him, looked him in the face, and asked him why he was helping.

No response. Well, no surprise there. I guess it was too much to expect him to be friendly on top of nice.

The trio continued to trek in silence towards where Kagome and her friends were camping. Rin skipped alongside the path, picking flowers as she gamboled about. Kagome then realized that there was one member of Sesshoumaru's usual traveling group missing. Jakken. Not wanting to ask another pointless question that Sesshoumaru wouldn't answer, Kagome bit back and followed along.

Through the quiet, she could hear something was wrong. There was no noise. Nothing, the forest was still as a grave. There was no bird song, as there had been scant minutes ago. Nothing moved in the bushes. Nothing, save for a flash of white.

Without warning, Kagome found herself on Sesshoumaru's back, with Rin by her side. Sesshoumaru's sudden burst of speed had her flying back behind her. Rin laughed delightedly, but Kagome was worried, Sesshoumaru too, judging by the way his shoulders were tensed, and his habitual mask completely blank. Even when he had had it in place by the lake, she still saw a little of what he was feeling. But now it was unreadable. And that had her worried.

Banking the turn of track that lead to her camp, they entered on a scene of chaos. Inuyasha's Tetsusaiga was out and swinging in full force, and had been for a long time too, if the toppled trees around him were any testimony. Sango and Miroku stood by, Miroku with one hand on the prayer beads that covered his wind tunnel, Sango had her oversized boomerang at the ready, and both were watching for a gap to strike.

Naraku smiled as the girls entered in, riding the demon lord's back. This was all too easy.

As soon as he had taken in what was happening, Sesshoumaru dumped the two girls from his back, and leapt at Naraku, hands glowing sickly green with poison. Seeing where he was going to land, Naraku made a leap of his own.

Kagome watched from the sidelines, huddled around Rin to keep her from seeing what was happening. She flinched when Sesshoumaru leapt off, the dust burning in her eyes. She turned her back on the battle, Rin still clutched in her arms. So she didn't see Naraku jump, she didn't see him land only meters away, and she completely missed the hardened shaft of miasma that he shot directly at her. She did however, feel it crunch straight through her right shoulder, barely missing Rin's head. She bit back a pained scream, and threw her head back in silent anguish, not hearing the outraged screams of the others.

Should have known…