**A/N: Hey. Here's another addition. This one is really short. I'm sorry. But I hope that this will hold you until the next part. I didn't get a chance to post it earlier cause I was super busy. Anywho, as usual, please let me know what you think. Again, thank you pruning shears. You're the only one who actually lets me know that you do read it. All right, I'm done.**

The half demon, Inuyasha, sat in a tree gazing down at the well. His golden eyes stared blankly at the moss covered well. His thoughts entangled in the memory of the past; the previous seven years to the most recent hours. He could still see the expression on her face, when she saw him for the first time in four years. Surprise. Hurt. It was painted all over her face.

He still remembered what it felt like when he had told her he was going to look for her; his first love. He knew it tore her up inside to hear him speak of her; to talk about his need to find her. It wasn't easy for him to tell her, but he had to. It wrenched his heart to see the tears falling. He hated to see her like that. The beauty in her face faded when she was in pain and it killed him.

The sound of her voice saying those three words, penetrated every part of his being. He had longed to hear her say those words. She had asked him if he loved her. The voice inside him ordered his mouth to answer yes, but he couldn't. If he had spoke the truth and told her yes, it would hurt her more in the end. Inuyasha knew it wouldn't be fair to Kagome. He knew that he couldn't give her all of him. Not until his other matters were settled.

Then she left. Sure, she had done it many times before, especially when she was mad at him. But the result was always the same. She came back. Even when he was being completely stubborn, knowing her leaving was his fault and that he should be the one to apologize, she would come back. This time, it was different.

"And what about me?" Her arms tightened around his waist as she began to cry. From the strength in her grip, he could feel her need, her desperation, to hold onto him. "I know she says you owe her that…but you can't just die…I…I don't want you to…I…I love you…"

Inuyasha could feel fluttering in his stomach and his heart skipped its beats. At the very sound of those words coming from her, made him want to pull her into his arms and kiss her, but he couldn't do it. There was still one more thing that had to be taken care of. Then they could be together.

He fought hard at hiding his emotions, "Kagome, I have try and set things right."

In between her sobs, he could hear her ask, "Do you love me?"

'Yes,' his mind ordered. 'Tell her you fool. Tell her yes! You know you want to!' But his heart argued, 'Don't. What about Kikyou? It's not fair to Kagome.'

"Kagome," he stumbled through his words. His mind and his heart conflicted with one another. It was difficult to give her an answer. "I…I…It's not that simple…"

"Yes or no," she pushed against his chest, looking into his eyes.

"It's just…" he tried once more, over the growing sounds of the voices within him. "Well…I…"

"Right," she pushed his arms away from her. "Goodbye Inuyasha."

She stood before him, silent. He knew that she was waiting for him to say something. The half human searched for the right words to tell her, but couldn't get them out. Her eyes burned right into his face, studying every feature, every detail. She spoke no words, then she turned from him and walked away.

Inuyasha sighed as he pictured his return to the village, four years ago, just after he had spoken to Kagome. The young girl's scent lingered and was slowly fading. He knew she had gone back to her own time. He painfully remembered how his heart sank when his eyes fell upon the Shikon jewel. It was resting quietly in the hands of its new protector, the elder priestess Kaede. The teenage miko was not coming back.

The hanyou closed his eyes and thought of the time he went to see her. It was late at night, just a few days after she had left him. His visit was brief, for he only went to check on her one last time, before his search for her incarnation. She nearly caught him looking in on her. The creak in the floor had woken her from her restless, sniffle-filled sleep. He hid himself in the shadows, watching as she searched for him, with puffy, red eyes. The emptiness was still there, but watching her fall into her pillow in tears again, only added to his anguish. It was too much. He whispered goodbye to her and raced back to the well, with the image of a suffering, shattered, young girl embedded in his mind.

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