A/N:  I'm so sorry!  For the few loyal people out there still reading this story, I am *so* sorry that I haven't updated in a few days. I read back on the last thing I posted and that and some reviews made me realize that it might be interpreted as a cliffy…I didn't think of it as a cliffy when I posted it!  Sorry!  I have no excuse except that I was forced to be social this weekend.  I guess it's because I'm off to school in a few weeks, and although I like being wanted, I was kind of in a spurt, cause I didn't know where I was going to go for the chapter after this, and I kept thinking about it most of the weekend anyway!  ~_~ ;  On the upside, I've got this chapter done (although it's short) and the next one mostly done.  (Billy Cristal from The Princess Bride shows up)  "With all dead there's only one thing you can do…go through his pockets and look for loose change."  (Have you realized I'm a movie freak yet?  K.  Glad we got that cleared up.)

About the chapter:  Well, guess what happens in this chapter?!  Ooo!  Ooo!  ::Emania claps hand over mouth:: She can't tell, it'll ruin the surprise.  Just read on.  ::Cat glares at Emania, but the image is ruined as Emania has not removed her hand from Cat's mouth.  Emania smiles sweetly, then yelps, shaking her hand.::  She bit me!

::Cat smiles smugly:: So, as I was saying, in this chapter…

Disclaimer: Guess what I'd do if I had a magic Shikon Jewel that would grant me my wish?  ::Shakes head:: Yep…that's right…I'd get lots of money, but if I had another wish…it'd be to not have to write another of these disclaimers ever again!  Oh, yeah, and I'd love to have Inu and gang belong to me, too…

Okay, so maybe not the *whole* gang…maybe just Inu.  sighs  Okay, *and* Mirouku, I gotta admit, he's kinda cute when he's being perverted…raises eyebrow  See?  I told you I was jaded.

Thanks: 

Moon Fairy:  You are incredibly sweet!  ^____^  I can't express how heartening it is to read your reviews!  The emotion was one of the main things I focused on in this chapter, so the fact that you picked up on it is a very good sign to me!  I'm glad it came through as I intended it to!  Thanks a gazillion for keeping reviewing!

Eartha:  Another new reviewer!  ::happy dance escalates:: I'm working on that, Eartha, really and truly.  It's hard to get past the angst that I've imbued in this fic, but I'm working on it!  I promise!  Stick with me!  Thanks for reviewing!

RinoaOHeartilly:  ::blushes, grins stupidly::  You're really too kind!  Thanks for your perseverance and your more than kind words.  I will try not to put myself down, but some of the themes I'm writing about here with this fic are a bit new to me (writing wise) so I feel really rather self-conscious about it. 

Evil Irish Eyes:  ::happy dances out the door, then hurries back to her computer::  ::stops dancing and looks down sheepishly:: Sorry about not posting sooner.  I hadn't seen you were in suspense.  As I said above, I didn't really think I had left it on a cliffy when I posted, and then my weekend got completely complicated!  Sorry!  Gomen!  Perdon!  I am glad that you can't figure out my plot line, I hate the ones that are so obvious!  I hope I don't disappoint with the next few chapters…don't abandon me now…keep reviewing!  These next ones are the tricky ones…

Angel Moon:  Hey, Angel!  ::grins from ear to ear:: I'm so glad to hear it was worth waiting for!  I don't think this is one ends in a cliffy, but in case it does, I've got the next two chapters or so mostly written so they should be coming up soon!  Keep with me!  

Chapter 11: Almost Unreal

"Sometimes I feel / Strange as it seems / You've been in my dreams all my life / … / It's almost unreal / so unreal…"

-Almost Unreal, Roxette

She had to fight her way into the bathroom, her hopes of pressing cool water on her flushed face dashing as the sound of drunken laughter and rushed talk like so many hens assailed her already overwhelmed senses.  She glared daggers at the gaggle of women standing before the mirrors, completely ignoring the sinks, but hogging the space to freshen their horribly overdone makeup and re-applying their whorish lipstick.  Okay, so maybe she was being a little harsh, but damnit!  She was in no mood for this!  'Can't I even get a sink around here without it becoming a scene from Mission-Freaking-Impossible!'  She looked around almost desperately for an empty sink and found a corner of the bathroom set up as a kind of powder room, with Louis 16th armchairs and a table with magazines on it.  She somehow managed to make her way to the chairs and sank gratefully into its plush seats, laying her head on the back and closing her eyes while she waited. 

God!  How cold she have been so stupid!  After all her tough talk she weakens like butter when all he did was look at her.  She was starting to feel a little light-headed and the dark swam a little before her closed lids.  The liquor was finally taking effect.  She thought about not drinking anymore, normally this would be about the time she stopped, but then discarded the idea.  She said she'd live it up tonight, didn't she?

God, she had been so stupid!  How could she have thrown herself at him like that?  She could blame it on the drink, but although she felt just slightly lightheaded, she didn't feel drunk.  She knew she wasn't drunk enough to do what she had done.  There was no excuse, except…she sighed.  Except that she wanted to be there, held in his arms, feeling his heart beating.  She opened her eyes as she heard the girls all leave at once and the bathroom was suddenly quiet, the bass of the music outside just an echo.    She couldn't deny it anymore.  One part of her question was answered…She looked at herself in the mirror and was shocked to see the look of disbelief on her face. 

She loved the lout. 

Damnit, despite knowing everything she did about him, despite knowing he never wanted to be human, despite knowing he didn't love her, despite the things he said…she still felt love for him.  Why?  Well, it was like Sango said, she supposed.  You don't pick 'em and you can't force it, one way or the other.  What was that quote?  The heart wants what the heart wants. 

'Okay,' she told herself, looking in the mirror.  She tried to focus her mind enough to think logically.  'So what are you gonna do about it?' she asked her reflection.  Well, how could she get over him?  There was no doubt in her mind that she'd have to.  If she could prove to herself that she loved him because he made her feel safe, then, theoretically, if she beat back this Death by herself, she should be able to convince herself that it didn't hurt so much if he didn't love her back.  At least, theoretically.  It seemed like a logical enough conclusion.  Now all she had to do was prove it.

She sighed again as she ran the cold water.  She couldn't splash her face because then she'd ruin her makeup, but she could place some cool water on the back of her neck. 

She wouldn't think about this anymore.  She wouldn't let him ruin her night.  She wouldn't think.  She tried to still her thoughts, and as she lowered her face toward the sink, she felt strangely calm, as if she were outside herself.

As soon as she placed her hands in the running water, the vision overwhelmed her and her breath left her in a gasp as if she had been hit in the stomach.  She opened her eyes and there was water all around her, she was swimming in it, breathing it in…drowning in it.  Her eyes wild, she searched for a way out but could feel nothing but the water supporting her.  The bathroom around her was gone, replaced by water.  She looked above and could see the sun shining through the surface but when she tried to kick to swim up to it, she couldn't feel her legs…it felt as if they were bound.  She felt disoriented.  She didn't know which way was up and which was down.  She felt the fear as she realized that she would die.  She wanted to scream, but she couldn't breathe.

'Someone help me,' she thought frantically, feeling her lungs burning for lack of oxygen.  She looked ahead of her and saw a shadow in the water…a shadow of a boy.  She irrationally thought it was Inuyasha but knew it impossible as soon as she saw the black hair swimming around him.  His eyes met hers and there was such pain in them that she momentarily forgot that her lungs were screaming for air.  She lost consciousness just as he reached out a hand to her.

+~+~+

She awoke, gasping for breath.  It took her a second of unrestricted air flow for her to realize that she was sitting on the floor of the bathroom. 

"Kagome?"

She turned her face to see a very worried Ayumi staring at her, kneeling by her side.  She cleared her throat before even trying to speak. "What happened?"

Ayumi smiled wryly.  "That's what I wanted to ask you." She helped her up.  "I came looking for you and found you on the floor, out cold."

Kagome remembered everything about the strange vision, but wasn't about to tell her friend that.  She wasn't about to tell *anyone* that.  She didn't want them all worrying about her, regardless of how worried she actually was. 

"It's nothing…" she told Ayumi, standing up and fixing her skirt.  "It was stupid, really."  She looked in the mirror to see her reflection and tried not to wince at the look of survivor's shock on her face.  She forced herself to smile and hoped it looked real.  "I was hot so I came in here to cool off.  Next thing I know, I lost my balance…" she trailed off.  "I must've fainted from the heat or something."

"You *never* faint," Ayumi pointed out.

"True, but I guess I did this time," Kagome answered.  "It's okay.  I feel fine now."  She laughed.  "Maybe I just needed a little nap," she looked at her watch and was amazed to see it was past 2 in the morning.  "It's past my bedtime, you know."

Ayumi smiled, even though she didn't completely buy it.  "Are you sure you're okay?"  She looked in her eyes and saw a little bit of fear in Kagome's.  "You want me to take you home?"

Kagome laughed.  "I'm fine, really."  She shook her head.  "There's no way you're getting me out of here after Ping got us in!" 

Ayumi wasn't completely convinced, but she let it go.  "Alright, if you're sure."  She reached out for Kagome's arm and wrapped it in her own.

Kagome started for the door smiling at Ayumi.  "I can walk on my own, you know," she said jokingly.

Ayumi grinned.  "I know," she winked, a mischievous glint in her eyes. "I just didn't want you to get away when I asked you about that dance you had with Inuyasha."

"I'll tell you what," Kagome promised.  "As soon as I figure it out, I'll let you know."

"Is that a promise?"

"It is, but don't get your hopes up…" Kagome shook her head.  "I'm starting to think I may never figure him out."

Ayumi winked and squeezed her arm, motioning to where the selfsame Inuyasha was walking towards them.  "Those are the best kinds, darling," she whispered.

A flood of warmth burst through Kagome at the sight of him.  'Oh, yeah, you've got it bad,' she thought to herself.  If she would have died on that bathroom floor, she wouldn't have seen him again.  She would've died wanting him. 

'Shit,' she cursed.  That was no way of thinking to get over him.

+~+~+~+

Inuyasha instantly knew something was wrong.  She was shaken up…and badly.  "Kagome, what is it?" he asked, looking at her for any sign of injury. 

Kagome swallowed and took a deep breath, letting it out slowly.  She could feel the remaining fear leave her as she physically calmed herself. 

Inuyasha noticed it as the scent of fear and anxiety left her, but there was still something in her eyes…

Kagome shook her head, smiling with effort.  "I'm fine, just…" she trailed off.  "Just a false alarm."

"But what happened?" Inuyasha insisted. 

"I fainted," she answered.

"You what?" he asked, surprised at her declaration.  "Why?"

"It's stupid," she said, trying to laugh.  "Nothing for you to worry about…" she tried to brush it off with a wave of her hand, but she knew that Inuyasha wouldn't let up until he had a reason.  "The heat, I think," she answered, at least halfway truthful. 

Inuyasha neared her slowly, stopping inches away from bumping his nose with hers…and then he sniffed her.  His face moved ever so slowly over the contours of her face finally coming to a stop at the base of her neck, where the pulse of her blood was the strongest.  This was one of the most powerful places for scent.  He could smell the artificial fragrance she had used in her soap, the perfume she had dabbed on before leaving, the flavor of her sweat and under it all, the heady almost intoxicating scent of her blood. He breathed and watched as the feel of his breath on her neck brought goosebumps to her flesh. To any casual observer, it would simply seem as if he were giving her a caress, teasing her before kissing her, touching her…but he wouldn't make that mistake…not again.   "You're lying," he whispered in her ear. 

She fought to keep herself from shivering at the sensations the feel of his breath on her skin brought.  'Damnit!' She would never be able to be near him again without remembering the way the muscles of his back moved under her arms or the feel of his body pressed tight against hers. 

But she would die before she let him know that.

She raised a hand to the base of his neck, under all that silky hair and held his head in place next to her ear.  She was half surprised when he didn't even try to pull away, but instead, went perfectly still at her touch, as if it burned.  "You may be able to know my scent and hear my pulse," she whispered against his ear.  "But you can't read my mind and you'll never know what's in my heart."  She let him go and he pulled back slowly.  "Don't pretend to know if I'm lying or not."

They held each other's eyes for what seemed like eons, but was only really mere moments.  Finally, the look in his eyes changed and he blinked, shrugging.  "Fine, suit yourself," he replied.  "If you wanna lie and pretend everything's fine, go ahead, but remember this, Ka-go-me…I know you better than you think."

"Ha!" Kagome's laugh came out bitter.  "Now who's lying?"

She started to walk past him but Inuyasha grabbed her arm, stopping her.  She met his eyes, half surprised at his contact, half cursing her blood for pulsing in her ears at his mere touch.

"You know," he started, his voice low.  "One of these days, I'm going to get awful tired of you walking away from me."

"Really?" she asked with more humor than she was feeling.  "Then you'd have a lot less patience than I've had," she retorted calmly.  She looked down at her arm poignantly, but didn't dare move.  The heat from his hand seemed to be radiating up her entire arm and she didn't think she could get her arm to break the contact even if she thought she could physically force her arm out of his grasp if he didn't want to let her go.  What the hell kinda comment was that, anyway?  She latched on to the anger as if it were a life line in this mad game they seemed to be playing and leveled her gaze back on him. 

He let go of her arm, but not her eyes.  He wanted to say more, but didn't know what.  Was that anger in Kagome's eyes?  Directed at him?  He hadn't seen anger like that since Kikyo had trapped her to the tree and she'd heard…

Shit, could she have heard…?

"Kagome, look…"

She blinked and broke the stare.  "Save it, Inuyasha," she said, her voice suddenly very tired.  "We're never going to see eye to eye," she broke off and looked at the dance floor.  Her friends must've sensed the tension between them because they had made themselves scarce at some point.  The scary part in Kagome's mind was that she didn't know when.  "You should probably come to terms with that…" she shrugged.  "I have."

Inuyasha watched her walk away until her form was lost amongst the throngs of people on the dance floor.  He didn't understand.  "What's wrong with that?" he asked nobody in particular. 

+~+~+~+~

A/N:   Okay, couldn't resist this one more little argument between them.  How does that work for you all as a kind of realization on Kagome's part?  Oh, and of course, there's the whole thing with Death?!  Huh?  Whatcha think?  Come on, review…please!  I'm beggin' here!  Have you ever seen an authoress on her knees?  (Well, you can't really see an authoress on her knees now, but maybe if you imagine really hard…) ::Author glares at SarcasticEmania::  Shut it.  (Sorry, continue.)  ::Back to readers:: Please?  Pretty please?  With Sugar on top?  And a…cherry?  I wanna have a HUGE party when I hit the 50 mark on the reviews.  It's sad, I know.  I've read fics with like 8 chapters that have over 200 reviews, and I wanna have a party when I hit 50…sigh  Oh well.  I wouldn't exchange my regulars (you know who you are!) for 100 reviews, so THERE!

But you guys are so great and it would make me so happy to see that little number go above 50…

Okay, I'm going to sleep now…g'night!