Chapter 2

Kagome awoke with an enormous headache and several questions. 'Did I die? Am I dead? Did we defeat Naraku? Where is Inuyasha? Where am I? Why does my head hurt so much? And what is that smell?' Kagome finally managed to get her eyelids to obey as she slowly lifted them and let her eyes adjust to what little light there was. Her eyes roamed around the room. 'This is Kaede's hut. That's a relief! WAIT! Someone's in here. I can here their heart beating.' Kagome continued to scan around the room, looking hopefully, for a familiar face, and she found one. Lying about two feet away, parallel to her, was the one person who invaded her dreams almost every night.

Inuyasha was dressed in only his white shirt and pants. His fire rat jacket was...was...on TOP of HER! Kagome looked at the jacket then to Inuyasha. She then leaned down to examine his sleeping face more closely. 'He looks worried. I wonder why? What...wait...that smell from earlier... Inuyasha... it smells like the forest but there's something else there. Is this his smell? It's nice.' Kagome leaned in further and smelled more. 'WAIT... since when can I smell him? Her face was only a few inches away from his when he stirred, startling her.

Inuyasha slowly opened his eyes, feeling he was being watched. He stared up into a pair of beautiful golden brown eyes. He watched as she gave a fangy smile. At seeing her fangs a twinge of regret shot through him. 'I'm not sure what happened but I think it was my fault. She's gonna hate me. I just hope Kaede can explain it to her...somehow. But until then I'm gonna make sure she's happy.' "Kagome! You're ok!" Inuyasha sat up suddenly and pulled her into his waiting embrace. He held her tightly to him and whispered into her ear. "Please...don't ever scare me like that again!"

"Inuyasha its ok...I'm Fine... and I..."

"KAGOOMMMEEEEE!"

"Oww, Shippo not so loud!" Kagome yelled at the fox child as he came bounding into the hut. Kagome moved to cover her ears from the loud noise Shippo had made. All of a sudden time stood still. Kagome's eyes grew wide with terror as she realized her ears weren't there. She looked over at Inuyasha for some answers. There was a hint of sadness on his face as he brought his hands up and placed them on hers. He slowly drew them toward the top of her head, keeping eye contact with her the whole time. Her hands soon found the two fuzzy lobes that rested on top of her head. Her eyes grew wider, if that's even possible. 'What's happened to me?' Kagome ran from the hut while slipping Inuyasha's coat on, for more modesty then just her pajamas, which they must have put her in after tending to her wounds. She ran until she came to the river and fell to her knees at the edge, staring down at her reflection. 'At least my hair stayed black..... My eyes are now more golden but still have some flecks of brown. COOL! I have fangs too! I still don't understand what's happened to me.' She stared down at herself for several more minutes before catching a familiar scent.

"Inuyasha its ok, tell me what happened," Kagome asked. When there was no answer she tried again, "Inuyasha, I can smell you now, so stop hiding and tell me what happened or I'll say it." A few seconds later he was kneeling next to her on the river bank.

"I'm not really sure myself what happened. After I defeated Naraku, I placed all the shards in your pouch. You tried to say something, then you...you...you...died...in my arms." Inuyasha's voice became very soft during that last sentence. "The jewel started to glow and float above us. It then passed through me into you. And you started to breathe again. I then collapsed myself from exhaustion. When I woke, Miroku and Sango had brought us back to Kaede's. You've been unconscious for about 6 days now. Your body was probably adjusting to the change." He paused for a moment to collect his thoughts. "Kagome you realize what you are now, your a hanyou...like me. If I hadn't been shielding you from the jewel it probably wouldn't have passed through me and you would me normal." Inuyasha averted his eyes from her and stared down at their reflections in the river. "You hate me now don't you?"

Kagome let out a heavy sigh and brought her hand up to his face. She forced him to look at her. "Inuyasha I could never hate you, even after seeing Kikyo kiss you, I didn't hate you. Or when I heard you say you were hers, it hurt, but I didn't hate you.....You were protecting me, I couldn't hate you. Besides, it might take some getting use to, but I think it may be cool.... now you can't sneak up on me." She removed her hand and smiled brightly at him.

'Gods, why does she have to smile at me like that.' "Are you sure? I mean... you've seen the problems I have being a hanyou in this time. It will be even worse for you in your own time where there aren't demons on a daily basis." Inuyasha continue to look at her, noticing the look in her now youkai like eyes. 'She actually looks happy about it. Why?' "Ano...Kagome...about Kikyo?"

'Oh Gods No, he choose Kikyo. He choose my past, dead self.'

"Kikyo is gone." He noticed her head snap up to look at him. Her eyes begged him to tell her more. "Miroku told me. Shortly after I collapsed, she showed up. He said she walked over to us and just stared for several minutes. She then turned to him and said her "revenge was satisfied. And that at least a part of her was with me. He said she then turned to dust."

"A part of her?" She looked back down at her new reflection. ' I may look like Kikyo, but I'm not her. I know have part of Inuyasha's soul in me not hers.' "Inuyasha... Do you still see me as her reincarnate?"

The question totally through him off his guard. "WHAT? GODS NO! For the longest time I've noticed the differences. You're everything she's not. You're forgiving, and cheerful. Your caring, and kind to everyone you meet. You'd put your life on the line so others will live." He placed a hand on her cheek and watched her blush. "You smile at the smallest things and you take joy in living. You are always trying to make those around you happy even when you're sad. Maybe that's what drew me to you." He leaned in closer to her face, he was just inches away. 'God, I've wanted this for so long.'

"Kagome, how are you..." Miroku stood staring at the intimate moment he had just interrupted. "Woops, sorry." He then quickly retreated.

They both finally released the held breath they had been holding. "I guess I should get you back, Kaede might have an idea about what happened to the Shikon no Tama." Inuyasha stood up, pulling Kagome with him and headed back to the hut.'Damn that monk. I was so close too. DAMN! DAMN! DAMN!'

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