Disclaimer: Inuyasha does not belong to me.

AN: Psycho King… so is that where you disappeared to? Thanks, you made me feel so appreciated, just kidding there buddy. Anyways… what is there to say? (Not in a talkative mood today) Last chapter was kind of sad, this chapter is pretty much angst. I think I'll do a Sesshomaru/Rin chapter after the next one... Dreary Sunday mornings… Well… without further to do, enjoy the chapter!

Icari
Chapter 14

 Last time on Icari…
~* "Sesshomaru is thinking of leaving this little pack with Rin and Jaken. I… I was considering going with them." (Icari)
~* "I have a whole group of pathetic humans to protect!" (Inuyasha)
~* 'If there is a god, let me stop loving Inuyasha. Let me hate him so I don't have to feel this anymore…' (Kagome)
~* "Inuyasha! If you can't find her, don't bother coming back!" (Sango)

~*~

 Kagome peered into the campsite, hoping that Inuyasha wasn't there. If he had been though, he would've smelled her scent. Sure that he wasn't there, she carefully walked over to Sago, Miroku and Shippo, knowing that Icari wasn't going to come with them. Besides, if Inuyasha only saw them as a burden, he wouldn't care if they left…

 "Miroku, Sango, Shippo, wake up!" They all stirred in their sleep before groggily sitting up. Shippo's vision was the first to clear, and he gaped at her. For a moment, she thought he would scream out, but her name came only as a whisper. This woke the others up, and they happily hugged her.

 "Lady Kagome! I thought you wouldn't come back this soon… my goodness, it's the middle of the night." Miroku looked up at the moon's position to tell this. "Where is Inuyasha?" Kagome made a face and went over to her large, yellow pack.

 "Hopefully, nowhere near here. Come on, hurry up, we're leaving." She hefted her pack onto her bag as her friends watched her with wide eyes. "What?" They stuttered for a bit, but Sango managed to get her words straight.

 "But what about Inuyasha?"

 "Humph. He doesn't want a bunch of pathetic humans to slow him down. Come on! We have to leave before he gets back from where ever he is. Probably with Kikyo or something…" The three still watched her in shock.

 "Is that what he said to upset you Lady Kagome?" Miroku started to stand slowly, using a tree for support.

 "What do you think? I was going to leave right away but I thought you guys would feel hurt if I did." She decided this was taking too long and pulled Sango off the ground, lifting Shippo into her arms.

 "And what of Inuyasha? He'll miss you too." This voice caused Kagome to jump, as it was not Miroku, Sango, or Shippo. The raven-haired miko whirled around to come face to face with Icari. She gave a bit of a snarl, but quickly apologized to the youkai.

 "You were there, why would he miss a shard detector and a bunch of pathetic humans?" She turned to the others, expecting this conversation to be over, and folded up their blankets and everything. "Come on, before he gets back."

 "He was angry at me for thinking of leaving him again after all these years." Icari grabbed the younger girl's wrist and turned her to face her. The dog woman's eyes skimmed over the still dazed companions of the girl's.

 "Oh, then I should thank you for pushing everything out in the open instead of making him keep it to himself." She yanked her wrist away with an oddly strong pull and walked away.

 "You say you aren't Kikyo, but your trust in him is as easily broken as hers." She stopped, frozen for a moment. That had hit the spot directly. But within seconds, the sharp smell of salt hit Icari, hard. She was crying…

 "You're wrong. What Kikyo had, was love, and she doubted his love for her, which she shouldn't have done. Me, I never had his love, nor his friendship, I just thought I did." With that she ran, making the two humans and little kitsune bound after her with pitiful expressions. If only she knew…

*~*~*~*~*

 It was only a few minutes after she had left that Inuyasha dragged himself pitifully into the campsite. Apparently, he had heard. He collapsed in front of her, flipping over to look at the stars.

 "You didn't run after her…" he mumbled, barely even audible, even to Icari's youkai ears.

 "Neither did you." There was an unbearably long silence after that between the two. Finally, thinking that they were being childish, Icari broke it. "I need to talk to you. Follow me."

 Inuyasha pushed himself off the ground slowly, making it seem like he was about to die. But then again, he'd probably try and kill himself now… 'Wait, Kikyo can do that for him.' Icari continued to stride towards the edge of the little clearing, showing no mercy for her little brother.

 "Hurry up, you aren't dead yet." She stopped behind a tree, not jumping up because of her brother's lack of enthusiasm even in moving. 'Kagome must mean a lot to him… though his pride gets in the way of any progress.'

 "What is it?" He fell roughly against the tree trunk, looking longingly into the forest where Kagome had last disappeared to. Right now, he looked so lonely and helpless that Icari almost made to hold him like a little pup again…

 "You have twenty days to find her and make her believe you love her, am I right?" Inuyasha nodded his head, still not looking at her. Now was a good a time as any… "Tell me, who exactly is this 'Koga' guy?" And within seconds, he was gone. "A rival then."

*~*~*~*~*

 "Kagome… What are we going to do after? We can't exactly look for jewel shards you know…" Shippo panted as he finally caught up with Kagome, who had just slowed to a walk. They had been running so far now, he doubted Inuyasha would get here anytime soon, even if her started only a bit after they had left.

 "Shhh…" The girl stopped, making Miroku and Sango nearly run into her. "I sense some jewel shards… Koga's" Sure enough, the scent of a wolf drifted to Shippo's nose and the demon in question appeared right in front of them.

 "My Kagome…" he went on one knee and took hole of Kagome's hand, gazing up at her lovingly. "I could've smelled you tears all the way from my den, did dog-turd hurt you my dear?" His fingers trailed up her arms and rested on her cheek as he stood up too.

 "Koga, that's really sweet of you but-" His clawed finger to her lips silenced her as Koga smiled down at her softly.

 "Really now, Kagome, you don't have to protect that worthless hanyou anymore. He'll never know how to treat woman, so don't try and stand by him all the time. Now, tell me what he did and I'll go tear him apart." Kagome stood there, a bit dazed at the kindness, but decided not to say anything. Besides, Shippo had it all covered.

 "Inuyasha hurt her again! He said that humans were pathetic, and that he didn't like her!" What? That wasn't what had happened, though it covered what she felt right now… Koga looked at the little kitsune and patted him lightly.

 "That's a good little kit you've got there, Kagome. I certainly wouldn't mind taking him in as my own… and your friends, if they are important to you…" He fixed his gaze back up on Kagome's face. "Consider my offer, will you?"

 "No, she won't!" Sango swiped his hand away from her face, surprising her. Why did everyone seem so keen on speaking for her? "You will not confuse her with these offers… Right now, all she really needs is some time to think. I will not allow intrusions on this." She stood between the youkai and Kagome defensively. With hesitation, she looked at Kagome and over her shoulder, behind Miroku. After a moment, her shoulders slumped in defeat.

 Inuyasha still hadn't come yet…

 "Come back when she is feeling better. Right now, Kagome is confused, and winning her this way would be dishonorable." The wolf prince looked at her for a moment, before bowing slightly.

 "But of course, as you may now know, I am honorable, and shall keep to my word, unlike that dog hanyou…" He stepped around Sango and caressed Kagome's face a bit…

 "Get your dirty paws off her you worthless wolf!" Inuyasha appeared, in his fighting stance, ready to rip whoever touched his Kagome into pieces. But events following this surprised him. Koga simply smirked at him and ran off, but if that wasn't enough… Sango, Miroku and Shippo had gone to protect Kagome… from him!

 "What are you doing? I'm not your enemy, d-did you let wolf boy touch her?" Inuyasha stumbled back a bit, surprised of their change of hearts. He slowly started to remember what Kagome had said prior to her leave, and started to shrink back.

 "Inuyasha, you have hurt Kagome enough, It'd be better for everyone if you just left." Sango had her boomerang out, and was stepping towards him ever slowly… Inuyasha felt a sudden sense of fear in his heart. What did this mean?

 "But, Kagome, I came to tell you-" the smell of salt came to him again, and his legs failed him; turning him into a useless lump on the ground. Of all the incredibly dumb things he had ever done, he guessed he was paying for it all right now.

 "Stop lying to us, Inuyasha… It's good that you've finally let the truth out… just let us be and go with your sister… maybe she'll stay with you now…" Kagome's small voice drifted into his ears, calming him a bit, but frightening him even more.

 They turned and left, leaving him there, without even looking back. Hadn't Sango and Miroku understood what he had said? They knew how he felt, and knew that he hadn't meant what he said. Or did they believe it? Of all the things… why had Kagome heard what he had said? She already thought very little of what she meant to him, and now he had screwed everything up again.

 "But Kagome… I love you…" He fell into a restless sleep.

~* TBC