Thanks to everybody who reviewed!! This chapter is a little longer to make up for the second chapter, and probably the fourth. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don''t own Inuyasha or any of the other cool characters in this story.

Rated for: just blood and swearing so far

Spoilers: Up to volume 29 in the manga. If I get some feedback in favor of it, I''ll post a brief summary of what has happened recently in the manga that is relevant in this story.

Chapter 3: Helpless

Kagome's whole body felt very heavy. Her head pounded and her eyelids seemed glued shut. She knew immediately that something was wrong and was trying to piece together in her mind what it was. She hazily remembered coming out of the well and not finding Inuyasha, but after that…? With an effort she forced her eyes to open. She let out a small pained gasp as the room spun around her and fresh pain assailed her head. She closed her eyes again, trying to lessen the pain. Wherever she was, it was dark and unfamiliar. She realized she was sitting against a stone wall and was quite uncomfortable. She tried to move but found that her hands were secured above her somehow, giving her enough slack to sit against the wall but not to lay down. Her legs were stretched out in front of her and chained around her ankles. She tried to bend her legs but they were as sluggish as the rest of her body, and she could only manage to squirm a little before the dizziness forced her to desist.

From somewhere close by she heard a small sniff. It sounded like it belonged to someone who had been crying. A small voice snaked through the darkness tentatively, "Nee-san…?"

The voice seemed familiar, though Kagome was having difficulty placing it. Slowly and carefully she opened her eyes again, enduring the painful blur it created in her mind. Gradually she focused on the small figure a few meters away, secured to the opposite wall. She recognized the orange kimono and the girl's ponytail on one side. The little girl that followed Sesshoumaru was here too.

"Is Nee-san alright?"

Kagome heard the worry and fear in the little girl's voice, disoriented as she was. She tried to smile and responded, "I'm alright." Her own voice grated past her throat and rang in her ears. "What's your name?"

"My name's Rin. What's Nee-san's name?"

"Kagome."

"Oh," said Rin, apparently considering this, "that's a pretty name."

Kagome tried to smile again but was having difficulty avoiding passing out. "Rin, do you know how you got here?" she asked. Every word was excruciating.

"The lady with the fan and the feather hurt Ah and Un and took Rin."

The lady with the fan and the feather. Kagura. Kagome felt a wave of fear crawl up her spine and she shuddered. Naraku had her again.

Rin continued, "Sesshoumaru-sama always protects Rin, even though Jaken-sama says he shouldn't. Do you think Sesshoumaru-sama will come and get Rin?" She glanced down at the cold floor and sniffed again. "I'm scared," she squeaked.

Kagome did not want to worry the little girl. "I'm sure he'll come, and until then Nee-san will try to take care of you." Though she sincerely meant to do everything she could to help Rin, she knew she was in no condition to do it. She could no longer fight the urge to slip back into unconsciousness. Not wanting to alarm Rin, she whispered, "I'm going to sleep for a little while now, ok Rin?"

"Ok," Rin said softly. Kagome's head had already drooped and she was asleep again.

The rain was just beginning to stop as the group had arrived back at Kaede's. They quickly carried Inuyasha's unresponsive form inside. Shippo was especially disturbed when he saw the hanyou's condition; even with his accelerated healing, many of his wounds were still bleeding freely. Sango quickly took Shippo with her and went off to retrieve water, leaving Miroku and Kaede with Inuyasha.

Though they both had seen Inuyasha badly wounded before, these injuries were numerous and most of them very deep. "Shit, Inuyasha," the monk gasped as they removed his soaked shirt, for the first time revealing the tears and punctures. He could not imagine how the hanyou had remained alive, let alone standing for so long. He held a cloth tightly against the most severe wound, where the kugutsu had pushed a vine all the way through his shoulder.

Sango returned with Shippo and the water and immediately set to work, helping the other two clean and bandage the wounds. Shippo looked on from a corner with tears in his eyes. Inuyasha was the strongest person he knew, and it scared him to know that he could be hurt this badly. The group worked in near silence as they attempted to put Inuyasha back together.

Finally, they had finished bandaging him and leaned back dejectedly. "Houshi-sama," Kaede said, knowing that Sango and Miroku's expressions were full of more than just worry over Inuyasha, "what has happened?"

Sango glanced over at Shippo and opened her arms to the kit as Miroku began to speak.

"We went after the demon, which was, as we suspected an offspring of Naraku's an managed to intercept it before it reached the village. It was fast, but the three of us together managed to take it down, though Inuyasha took several bad blows." He sighed tiredly before continuing. "Inuyasha realized it first. That demon was only a distraction to keep us away from the well while Naraku grabbed Kagome. He must have known some how that she would be back this afternoon. He's been watching us more carefully than we knew. When we arrived, she was unconscious and being held by one of Naraku's kugutsu. Inuyasha was already too badly damaged to fight the Kugutsu, and Sango and I were occupied with Kagura and the shouki. Naraku sent a wave of lower demons at us, and Inuyasha destroyed them with his Kaze no Kizu, but Kagura escaped with Kagome in the process."

By now Shippo was sobbing uncontrollably into Sango's shoulder. It was bad enough that he was afraid that he might lose Inuyasha, but he didn't know what he would do if he lost Kagome.

Sango glanced down at the hanyou, who had shown no sign of movement since muttering Kagome's name on the battlefield. His chest was beginning to rise and fall in a more regular rhythm as his body struggled to repair his most vital organs. "We have another problem," she said slowly. "He'll certainly come to before he is anywhere near finished healing. And he won't want to wait if Kagome is in danger, but we can't let him fight in this condition."

Miroku and Kaede nodded in agreement and set to work sealing the hut.

The following afternoon the hanyou began to stir. They had been watching him in shifts through the night as he lay deathly still, trying not to think about what might be happening to Kagome while they delayed. Miroku was watching him when he began to show some signs of life again. It was obvious he was dreaming. His claws twitched and he held his ears rigid and growled softly. Every once in a while he whimpered Kagome's name. Before long his eyes snapped open and he snarled loudly. "Naraku!" He struggled to try to stand but found he could not move at all.

"Don't try to move, Inuyasha," said Miroku, coming to his side. The others had heard his roar and he could hear their footsteps approaching.

"Don't try? I can't! What did you do to me!?" He glared menacingly at the monk, who was a little frightened by the dangerous gleam in his eyes.

"We sealed you down. Your injuries are too severe for you to run off yet."

"Damn you, Miroku! Naraku has Kagome, I don't have time for this shit!" Inuyasha tried to lift his arms and legs but failed again and growled in disgust. "How long have I been down?"

"A day. I'm amazed you've awakened so quickly," responded Sango, who had joined Miroku next to Inuyasha.

"A day! Naraku has had her for a day!? Let me up! Why didn't you bastards go after her? You should have left me!" The anger in his voice was gradually being replaced by more and more fear.

Miroku slammed his fist on the ground next to the hanyou's head in an attempt to get his attention. Inuyasha's ears flattened briefly and he glared at Miroku. "We had no way to track Kagura. Hell, we don't even know which direction she went!" Frustration had crept its way into Miroku's voice as well; he hadn't meant to sound so angry.

"Well, now you do. Let me up." Inuyasha's voice was hard and even. The hanyou rarely sounded so serious. As his companions hesitated he felt the desperation taking over again. "Let me up!"

All he could see was red. Kagome was in trouble and his own friends were holding him here helplessly. He felt the rage and desperation surge up within him and roared as he forced himself off the floor. The seals on his arms and legs burned him as he resisted their spell and the pain of his earlier wounds hit him full force.

His friends stared on in shock as Inuyasha managed to wrench himself off the ground. No sooner than he reached his feet it was obvious he was in terrible pain. The scrolls they had placed on him were glowing in an attempt to fulfil their purpose. Miroku, realizing they were doing the hanyou more harm than good, stepped up and tore the scrolls off him. Inuyasha slumped tiredly, but remained on his feet. "Bouzu," he growled, "are there more scrolls on the door?"

Miroku nodded.

"Remove them."

Miroku hesitated for a moment. If he refused, he did not doubt that Inuyasha would charge the barrier as many times as it took until he collapsed or made it outside. Judging from what Inuyasha had just accomplished, he could probably make it past the scrolls, though not without considerable pain. Miroku walked to the doorway and removed the scrolls. Inuyasha picked up Tetsusaiga from where it was propped near the door next to where Sango had set Kagome's yellow bag and walked through cautiously, the rest of the group following behind him.



As soon as Inuyasha had cleared the doorway he took off at a run towards the well. Sango and Shippo followed on Kirara while Miroku ran beside them. Inuyasha was not as fast as usual, and the whole group reached the clearing at the same time. Inuyasha's nose and ears were twitching like mad as he walked shakily around the clearing. Kirara came up along side him and unconsciously the hanyou laid his good arm over her back and allowed some of his weight to rest there. His head raised as he reached a desiscion. "North-east," he said, leaving the group and sprinting out of the clearing as best as he could manage. Miroku was about to follow when Sango grabbed his arm.

"Houshi-sama," she said locking eyes with him. "Take Kirara. I'll run for a while. Try and talk some sense into him."

Miroku nodded and climbed onto Kirara and followed Inuyasha with Sango and Shippo just behind him. He quickly over took the hanyou and Kirara flew along side him. Inuyasha glanced over at them as he stumbled slightly. Miroku extended his hand and after a moment's hesitation, Inuyasha allowed himself to be pulled onto Kirara.

Inuyasha sighed as came up in front of Miroku. "We're running blind. Any scent of Kagome or Kagura vanished just after we left the clearing."

Miroku's heart leaped as he felt Inuyasha go limp in front of him, afraid he had lost consciousness again or worse. He let out a breath as the hanyou spoke softly.

"Miroku…I have to get her back."

"I know my friend," sighed Miroku. The silence stretched for a moment between them. "You know, there is no shame in loving her."

Inuyasha remained slumped, but his ears swiveled slightly when the monk spoke. Miroku took this as a sign that he was listening. "I know that you have held yourself back for a long time now because of Kikyou. I wish I could have met her when she was still alive, still herself. From what I've heard she was an extraordinary woman. But she has been dead for 50 years. It is admirable that you have not wavered in your loyalty and responsibility for her, but you should not deny yourself happiness for her sake. The woman who has been described to me would not have wanted you to torture yourself this way. Kagome loves you. You should let go of your fear and doubt and just love her. I know you have wanted to for a long time."

The silence returned and was broken only by the rustling of leaves and the rhythmic motions of Kirara and the footsteps of Sango riding behind them.

"I do love her…" the hanyou began softly.

"…and now I have failed her."

Miroku, taken aback by his admission and his sudden air of defeat, did not know what to say.

Kagome stirred when she felt something brush against her face. She had awakened a few times in the past few days when servants of Naraku had come and forced some food and water down her throat. She suspected, in her rare moments of lucidity, that they continued to give her more of the drug to keep her down, but there was little she could do about it. Whenever she had awakened, she attempted to comfort Rin. From what Rin said, she had been taken from Sesshoumaru at least three days ago and Kagome had been here at least two, though she remembered very little of it.

As she wakened she felt cold fingers softly stroking her cheek, tracing her jaw down to her chin and slipping down her neck. She shivered in panic and her eyes shot open.

She was staring straight at Naraku. He was grinning, apparently pleased with her fear. "Surprised?" he asked tauntingly. His fingers rested on her neck, tapping her skin idly, watching her try to squirm away from his touch with little success. "No one will come for you…until I want them to." He walked his fingers across her collar bone.

"Sorry about the poison, but I don't think I want to take any chances with you this time," he said, sly smile still in place. "You've given me enough trouble as it is. It's time you pay me back for some of the problems you've caused." As he spoke his hand went to her shoulder and in one quick motion sliced a long shallow cut into it.

All Kagome could manage was a strangled whimper as he proceeded to cut her again on her legs, arms, and once across her stomach. He seemed to greatly enjoy having her in this position, leaving his hand on her at all times, just to demonstrate to her that he could. Kagome hoped when he pulled his hand away that he was planning to leave her for a while, but instead heard something click above her head. Looking down, she realize that her left arm had been released and was now being held in front of her by Naraku, who was also holding something else.

"Mind if I borrow some of this?" he asked conversationally, and before Kagome could interpret his question, he sliced a horizontal gash across her wrist. A scream tried to escape but caught in her throat and she choked. As she felt her blood trickling across her wrist she realized Naraku was catching it with whatever was in his hand. After a few minuets he was apparently satisfied and lidded the container. "You know, I thought about sending Kagura to do this, but I think we've both enjoyed getting to know each other a bit better," he said while tightly wrapping her bleeding wrist.

Kagome looked down in puzzlement at the bandage and then up at Naraku's satisfied face. "Can't have you dying just yet," he said in explanation as he replaced her hand in the chains above her. Slowly he drew his eyes away from her and across the room. Kagome followed his eyes to where Rin was huddled and shaking opposite her. "I wonder…" Naraku mused. "Perhaps Sesshoumaru needs a bit more incentive."

Kagome felt fear and surge inside her, but this time rage accompanied it. He may have been able to do this to her, but she couldn't let him hurt Rin.

Naraku spun as he felt Kagome's miko powers rise, struggling to find an outlet. He returned his attention to her slightly glowing form. "I'll be back to see you later, miko." He spun towards the door.

Just as he reached it, Kagome managed to find the strength to push her words past her lips. "No…"

He turned, a slightly bemused look on his face. She looked normal again, and very weak. "No what?" he asked.

"I won't help you find the last shards," she managed.

"You will. But not quite yet. There is something you and I must take care of first." Without another word, he left them alone again.

"Inuyasha…" she whispered softly to the dark.

Ok, I promise I''ll get Sess back in here next chapter.

This is my first fic, so please review. I'd love to get some criticism.

-Aiwen