Wishing Well

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha or Dragon Ball Z. Even my pants are on loan. Don't sue me.

Disclaimer: This is my first fic. Expect it to suck. Don't hurt me.

Legend: "…" = speech

'…' = thought (usually)

~~~ = beginning/ending of flashback

It was complete. The Shikon no Tama rested gently against Kagome's collarbone, as she quietly contemplated just what the hell she wanted to do with her life.

They had, of course, thrown a party for her. Sango and Miroku hunted her out of her spot under the God Tree and hauled her into the village for the celebration. Shippou turned into various cuddly creatures in an attempt to impress his adopted mother, and the sake and food flowed freely. Everyone had been there. Well, almost everyone.

'That temperamental, juvenile, idiotic, clueless dog just couldn't stand me long enough to show up! I swear the next time I see him, I'll sit him till his back breaks! Then, and only then, will I take those prayer beads off of him.'

Kagome's angry features softened as her thoughts finally turned to Inuyasha. She turned her head towards the pristine sky above, vaguely aware of the twinkling stars. She quietly whispered her thoughts aloud to the uncaring North Star.

"Inuyasha, how can you expect me to let you kill yourself for a shadow of a woman? You mean too much to me. I can't just let you…let you…"

The image of Inuyasha in his human form, dead, escorted by the smiling form of Kikyou came crashing into her thoughts. Her sobs broke from her chest in huge gulps, her breath hitching in her throat.

"But if he were to live for you, where would you make him live?"

The voice drifted out of the darkness, catching Kagome by surprise. She twisted this way and that, straining to see who was intruding into her thoughts.

"I wouldn't make him live anywhere! He could stay here! This is his time!" Kagome responded loudly, stung to the core by the unexpected question.

"What about your tests and your school? And your family? Are you willing to give up all of those things just to live with him?"

Kagome was shocked by the question, rocking back against the God Tree as she struggled to answer.

"I…I…"

"Answer now girl, can you?" The voice had grown hard and insistent, almost barking out the question.

Kagome gave the first answer that came out of her mouth, no longer thinking logically, submitting to her subconscious, "Yes!"

Her shout rebounded throughout the forest, echoing off of every tree, till it surrounded her.

'What? Live without Grandpa, and Souta, and Mama? What about school? Or a career?' her mind screamed, logic rushing back to the fore.

"They don't matter, nothing like that matters," she whispered to herself, her heart confident.

That was the moment Kikyou chose to enter the clearing.

"Then you deserve him," the undead miko calmly stated, her face as expressionless as ever.

Inuyasha was experiencing an emotion that he had fervently hoped to never feel again. He was feeling alone.

He had set off running the moment Miroku had called him to the party, fleeing into the surrounding wilderness with no care where he went, as long as Kagome wasn't there.

He knew what she would do now; he knew she would be deliriously happy to return to her time, to never see that idiot hanyou again. She would return to her tests and forget about him, about all of them.

Inuyasha didn't need to see her joy, or her relief. Because he knew that without Kagome, his life would be hell. Which was the reason why he would join Kikyou. If the remainder of his life was going to be hell, he might as well be in hell for it.

'Feh. Kikyou would love that.'

Inuyasha had stopped running some time ago, and hopped into a nearby tree.

Kami only knew how badly he wanted her. He had loved her for some time now, and he had finally admitted to himself that it had nothing to do with her resemblance to Kikyou. Her scent was totally different, she was much more…accessible. So much more human. That very humanity was the only thing that kept his youkai blood under control at times.

Of course, there were the times she unwittingly flared his youkai blood. Like when she showed her courage. Or when she made him sit so she could clean his wounds. And those touches…

Inuyasha grunted uncomfortably as he repositioned his erection. Again. His mind turned uncomfortably to the thought of Kagome's absence from his life.

'I would do anything for her. Dammit I have done damn near anything for her. But she doesn't love me. She never will. Who could love a half-breed?'

Inuyasha idly fingered the cursed prayer beads around his neck, fingering each bead tenderly.

"Kagome…why can't you see how much I love you?" he asked the North Star. He already knew the answer though.

'Because you can't take her rejection. Coward.'

Inuyasha snarled loudly, smashing a hand into the tree, which toppled as he jumped to the ground and set off racing, trying vainly to outrace his thoughts and his tears.

Kikyou approached a wary Kagome. The undead miko had come to realize the futility of Inuyasha coming to hell with her. She was tired of her existence, nothing more than a doll brought to a shambling, corrupted version of life. And she already knew that Inuyasha's death would not relieve her anguish.

"Why would you let him live?" Kagome inquired cautiously. None of her experiences with Kikyou had ever been good, and she didn't want to be caught off guard, no matter how curious she was.

Kikyou shrugged gently, "I have Naraku to torture eternally. I will never tire of that."

Kikyou stroked Kagome's cheek once, feeling life for the last time. She abruptly turned and walked back towards the dark forest.

"Search for him. Don't let him go." Those were the last words Kagome heard as the undead woman disappeared into the forest, crumbling as she went.

"Dammit, Gohan, I'm not a doll, so hit me!!"

"But Videl…."

"Hit me!"

Videl was not amused. Every since she'd started training with Gohan, he'd started treating her more and more like some fragile flower, too delicate to take a bruising. And that whole attitude was making her sick.

Especially since Videl wanted nothing more than to have Gohan hold her in a bruising embrace, crushing his lips against hers like a starving man, sucking her into his heat and passion…

'Where the hell did that come from?! Girl, you need to calm down and concentrate on training with him, not fucking him senseless. Although…ACK NONONO STOP!' Videl shook her head twice, gently jostling her shortened tresses.

Gohan was far from amused. Every since he'd agreed…or, better put, was blackmailed into training Videl, he'd been forced to touch her. And he was sure that she was blatantly unaware of what touching her did to him. He was eternally grateful to his father for the advice he'd given him on training attire.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Flashback ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"So, you got tricked into training Satan's daughter."

"Please don't remind me, Dad."

"Hn. Like father, like son."

"Shut it, Vegeta!"

"Guess we need to get you some looser training gear."

"What's wrong with my stuff?"

Vegeta took a sidelong glance at the older Son son, with his characteristic smirk on his face. As if that wasn't disturbing enough, Goku also took a sidelong glance at his older son, with an uncharacteristic smirk on his face.

Goku, still smirking, turned back to his push-ups and asked, "Did anyone tell you about the battle between me and your mother at the Tournament?"

Gohan, still clueless, played right along, "Gee, no, why?"

Goku chuckled evilly, semi-lost in his own memories, "The sight of a beautiful raven-haired woman, with the mouth of a sailor and the attitude to match, crouched into a fighting stance…if your Saiyan blood let's you get through more than three training sessions, I'll let Vegeta beat me in sparring for a whole week."

Vegeta, who was also semi-lost in his own memories, perked up at this. "Hn. Your brat is too human, so I'll take that bet. Now, you weaklings, get the fuck out of my gravity trainer, and go shopping."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Flashback ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

'Damn my father and Vegeta. Kami, I wish they could be wrong every once in a while.'

The sight of Videl in any fighting stance brought him to the brink of humanity time and again, but the discipline he'd learned from his studies helped him to keep his cool. He'd lasted past ten training sessions. Of course, the sight of his father being beaten to a pulp by Vegeta for one whole week was added incentive.

Gohan was snapped back to reality by a roundhouse kick. Not that it hurt, but his instincts kicked in, and the head punch shot out almost before he remembered whom he was fighting. Luckily, he was able to modify the power and direction of the punch. Unfortunately, there was only so much he could do before it clipped her cheek.

To say the least, Videl still went sailing.

Furthermore, the power of the blow had knocked her out.

Gohan cursed fluently as he shot off after her, quickly grabbing her unconscious form and twisting so that his back was towards the rapidly approaching ground. Only then did he give himself permission to enjoy the position.

'Kami, how does she stay so soft and smooth when she trains every day? She's so tiny; I can't believe the power in her body. And her scent…oh Kami her scent!' Gohan buried his nose into her hair, drowning in the smell of Videl. His erection, which he had sported on and off for the past ten weeks, violently flared to life, as his Saiyan blood hammered through his veins, urging him on.

That's probably why he never realized that they had landed at the bottom of an old well.

Gohan remained in that position for many minutes, so beguiled by her scent that he hadn't noticed that she had regained conscious. And Videl wasn't going to tell him. She was enjoying this proximity too much, the heat of his presence surrounding her.

Unfortunately, she realized that the sky had completely darkened to night. She needed to get home, before her dad threw a fit. Again.

"Mmmm. Gohan?"

Gohan heard the muffled question, and flushed a brilliant red. What sort of pervert was he, enjoying the feel and scent of Videl's body while she was unconscious? He swiftly got to his feet, unwillingly placed Videl onto her own two, and pushed her gently away.

"I warned you about my strength, Videl, " he joked lamely.

"Yeah, I'll remember that next time," she conceded, rubbing her cheek where he'd hit her. She would definitely have a bruise in the morning.

Remembering the time, Videl looked around.

"Hey Gohan, where are we?"

Gohan scanned the surroundings, searching for familiar ki as he did so. He frowned, answering Videl's question as he searched again for the two ki's most familiar to him, his father's and Piccolo's.

"Looks like we're in an old well. Can you fly up or do you need help?"

"I'm fine, Gohan, like I said, I'm not a doll. Come on, I've gotta get home soon."

Videl started flying to the top, but was unexpectedly pulled back to the bottom.

Gohan turned to her, his serious eyes covering the vast confusion and rising panic he was beginning to feel.

"Videl, I can't sense anyone."

"Gohan, of course not, we were training in the forest, who could be nearby…"

"No, Videl, I mean I can't feel anyone."