Hi! Bet ya'all hate me now for taking so long, don't ya? Well, I am really sorry about the delay, but I did warn you about all my obligations this semester. Today (Friday) is the first day I've had off (literally) in three weeks, and I spent my time finishing writing this chapter and typing it up.
Side note: It's a beautiful day today! Blue skies with pretty white clouds and bright sun! Well, not so much the bright sun any more because the sun is setting, but the sky is a pretty magenta now! Of course, this is all offset by the frigid air temps and snow covered ground, but oh well, the pretty day makes me happy. :)
Okay, enough rambling… onto review responses!
SilverWingPhoenix: Nope, this isn't any more exciting. You'll be wanting the *next* chapters. :)
X5-452Star: You proud of me? I didn't force my writers block, and now it's gone! (But it left me with a not-very-exciting Chapter Eighteen. But a necessary one…) LoL… now it's just a matter of finding the time to write. :)
sadinah: I feel the same way as you! If only Inuyasha was real, I would be a happy chick… then again, maybe I wouldn't because I'd have a couple of thousand other girls who want him too! Hee hee. Oh, and keep looking, you never know when you'll find *the* guy!
Henio: Thanks! (STILL listening to them when I type stuff up. Can't help it. :) )
Christine: Thank you so much! I was worried that the characters weren't blending well enough. I feel bad enough as it is because Sango and Miroku were shoved aside, and I really do like their storylines. But I thought Serena/Darien and Inuyasha/Kagome were more important. But thank you, that assures me that I'm doing it okay! ;)
Jabba1: Welcome back. ;) Oooh… yeah, I have to go through the moving thing soon too. Well, not *too* soon… in July, but I have my apartment and everything already. I'm not looking forward to the moving part…. Anyways, thanks for reading!!
LadySilvrene: LoL! That was the funniest thing I've read in awhile! Glad to hear from all of you!
ishkabod: Oh! Thank you! I hope everything past Chapter Two satisfied you too, cause I know it gets a little more serious from there. But thank you!! :)
All right then... on to the chapter! Just a warning, each of you is probably going to hate me for this chapter, all for different reasons. Why? Read on and see for yourself.
___________________
Kagome awoke the next morning to urgent muffled sounds. She blinked in the early morning sun before sitting up to investigate. She saw that the sounds were coming from a noticeable angry Kouga who was bound and gagged with Miroku's prayer seals.
"Kouga!" Kagome exclaimed, scrambling out of her sleeping bag. Her shout brought everyone out of their slumbers. Miroku was the first to realize what was happening.
"Lady Kagome! Uh… let me get those for you," Miroku said, trying to remain brave even under Kagome's slightly evil glare.
"Don't blame him," Serena said through a yawn. "Kouga was going nuts after you and Inuyasha left. Miroku did that so that we could get some sleep."
Kagome looked over to Sango to confirm the story and was met with a nod.
When Kagome turned back to Kouga and Miroku, Miroku had just finished taking off the last seal. Kouga took a moment to stand up and stretch, but then he took off so fast that no one saw it coming. He did not go too far though, just to the other side of camp where a sleepy Inuyasha still sat in his tree, watching them. Kagome figured out what Kouga was doing just in time. With a resounding "SIT!" Inuyasha fell to the ground, barely avoiding the fierce attack. Kouga crashed into the tree and fell back onto a branch, slightly dizzy. That gave Kagome just enough time to run over to Inuyasha and stand over him. She had perfect timing because it did not take long for Kouga to recover.
"Kagome, move!" Inuyasha yelled from his position beneath her.
"Not a chance. Just stay there." She saw him move to get up. "Sit," she said, and was satisfied to see him settle back down.
"Kagome, move," came again. This time it was through the clenched teeth of Kouga, who had made it back down the tree.
"No. You're not hurting Inuyasha. I don't want you two to fight," Kagome said with surprising calmness. "Actually, Kouga, we need to talk."
Kouga calmed down enough to unclench his jaw, and nod, albeit reservedly.
"Let's go," Kagome said and finally moved away from Inuyasha. She moved off into the woods but kept looking behind her to make sure that Kouga was following.
Back at camp Inuyasha merely sat up and leaned his back against a tree. Everyone left behind stared at him like he was a blue alien from the planet Zenith. Shippou was the one to approach him.
"Uh, Inuyasha?" Shippou asked, carefully moving closer until he was just in front of Inuyasha's knee.
"Whadya want, Squirt?"
"Kagome just went off… alone… with Kouga," he said, stating the obvious.
Inuyasha looked down at Shippou and raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, so?"
Shippou's eyes widened. "Aren't you going to go kill Kouga?"
Inuyasha shrugged. "Should I?"
Everyone, Shippou included, took a step back in shock, not quite believing that Inuyasha would give up a chance to kill Kouga. It made them all wonder just what had happened the night before between him and Kagome.
"Stop staring at me!" Inuyasha snapped, finally unable to take the gawking any longer. "I'm all right! Just pack up. We're leaving when they get back."
Everyone scurried to get everything together. Inuyasha remained where he was. He had managed to get everyone off his back about his strange behavior, which he was glad about. He did not want to reveal that he had not gone after Kagome and Kouga because he trusted Kagome and knew for sure she did not return Kouga's feelings.
Inuyasha closed his eyes, feigning sleep, but kept his ears alert. He may trust Kagome, but that did not mean that he was not allowed to listen…
~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-
Kagome led Kouga to a spot not far from camp and stopped. She turned around to face Kouga and relaxed against a tree. Kouga looked back at her, not quite so relaxed. Neither said a word until the silence hung thick between them. Finally Kouga could not take it anymore.
"Well?!" he snapped, throwing his hands up in the air before bringing them back to cross across his chest.
Kagome managed to hide that he had startled her.
"Why are you so upset?" she asked straight out.
Kouga looked at her, an incredulous look on his face. "Why am I upset? Why am I upset?! Because dogturd took you away last night to who-knows-where and did who-knows-what to my woman! I have a right to be upset!"
"Do you?" Kagome said back. Kouga's jaw dropped open at her question. "I don't think you do have a right," she continued. "For one, I was the one who wanted to talk to Inuyasha. He did not just take me away. Two, it is no business of yours what we did, but we did not do that. And three, for the last time, I am NOT your woman!"
Kouga was speechless for a moment, before getting an almost pleading look in his eyes. "But you are my woman! I claimed you, and I love you."
"You don't love me, Kouga. You love the idea of a jewel shard detector. You really don't know me well enough to love me."
Kouga looked like he wanted to argue, but could not come up with a good reply.
"Besides, Kouga, would you really take me against my will? Don't I have a say?"
"I would never take you against your will!" Kouga answered vehemently. "But I thought that you… that you would eventually love me." The look of sadness on his face almost made Kagome hold back her next words, but she fought against her conscious and won.
"No, Kouga. You will never be more than a friend to me. I love Inuyasha, and I think you know that. I have promised to stay by his side, and I will, whether he returns my love or not. Do you understand?"
Kouga remained motionless for almost a full minute before slowly, hesitantly, nodding.
"Good. Can we still be friends?" Kagome asked, giving him a brilliant smile. Kouga gave a half-smile in response, but nodded readily. "I'm glad. Now let's go back. I'm sure everyone wants to get going." Kagome headed back to camp, Kouga following behind her. Her heart was light with the banishment of one problem weighing her down.
~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-
When Kagome reentered camp she was surprised to see that everyone was packed and waiting for her and Kouga. As soon as they stepped from the bushes Inuyasha rose from his position against the tree.
"Ready?" Was all he said, surprising Kagome all the more. She expected… more. She was not sure what she expected. Maybe some anger, but not the calm look he was giving her.
"Uh… yeah," she said, and went to pick up her bag. But Inuyasha beat her to it. Without a word he swung the bag over his shoulder and started down the path. Kagome stared after him for a moment before scrambling to catch up.
Everyone fell into what had become their natural traveling order. Inuyasha and Kagome led, Serena and Darien came next, then Sango and Miroku and finally Kouga trailing behind. Inuyasha set a fast pace, following the fading scent of Kagura, but unwilling to go any faster in case the trail disappeared all of a sudden.
Without her pack Kagome was able to keep up with Inuyasha's pace easily. Despite the speed walking, she was enjoying the day immensely, because Inuyasha was walking closer to her than normal. Every once in awhile his hand would brush against hers accidentally, and it would always send a thrill up her spine and put a smile on her face.
It was probably the third time that it had happened after the quick lunch stop that Kagome began to wonder if it was accidental after all, since it had happened at least five times that morning. So, when his hand brushed hers again, she grabbed it and held it in her own. He hesitated for only a few seconds before he held her hand back. She looked up at him with a warm smile. He looked down at her, a grin lifting the corner of his lips. A moment later they looked forward, and did not glance at each other again. But the smiles never quite left.
~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-
The group did not stop again until night had nearly fallen. The moment they stopped Kagome was kidnapped away by Sango and Serena with only shouts about the "hot spring we saw back there!" as an explanation. Inuyasha could not even try to come to her rescue because he was corned against a tree by Darien and Miroku.
"So, what happened last night?" Miroku asked with a lecherous grin. Inuyasha was about to slap him upside his head, but Darien beat him to it. But then Darien turned against him too.
"So, what happened last night?" he asked, but at least his grin was not a lecherous one.
Inuyasha contemplated not saying anything and just running away, but he knew they would never let it drop. Besides, Kagome was being grilled too, and he knew that she would be spilling it all right now. With a sigh, he told them.
"We came to an agreement, that's all." He almost left it at that, but saw the looks on Miroku's and Darien's faces, so he quickly added, "She's not going to leave me, I'm not going to leave her. There, ya happy?" he finished with a huff.
The two guys just stared at him for a moment before they simultaneously clapped him on a shoulder.
"Well, that's something, at least," Darien said, and Miroku agreed.
"Yes, and you never mentioned Kikyo, I hope?" That received an evil looking glare from Inuyasha, resulting in both Miroku and Darien quickly releasing his shoulders. "I'll take that as a no," Miroku said, edging away. "Uh… oh, look! Wood!" and he rushed away from the evil glare.
Darien stayed just long enough to say, "You did the right thing, not saying anything you weren't ready to say." With that he walked away to join Miroku in his efforts to start a fire.
A ghost of a smile crossed Inuyasha's lips before he bounded away to do a little hunting with Kouga.
~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-
Kagome's interrogators were not so easy on her. They at least held off long enough for the three of them to get settled into the hot spring before they ambushed her.
"What happened last night?"
"Why were you gone for so long?"
"Did you ever get your kiss?"
"What did you talk about?"
"What was with the hand holding?"
"Any wedding bells in the future?"
"More importantly, any mate marks we should know about?"
"Stop it!" A very embarrassed, very red raced Kagome said as she sank deeper into the water. Serena and Sango laughed at their embarrassed friend.
"You have to tell us though! We're dying to know!" Serena begged.
Kagome glared at her friends from her nearly submerged position in the warm water. She knew they would never let her out until they had their answers though. With a sigh she rambled off her answers.
"We talked about beating Naraku a bit, and I told him I would stay by his side no matter what. We were holding hands because… I guess because we're taking things slow."
"But did you kiss?!" Serena urged.
"No!" Kagome exclaimed, but a blush still brightened her cheeks.
"You're blushing!" Sango pointed out gleefully. "You did kiss!"
"No! We didn't kiss," Kagome insisted. "We just… we just kind of cuddled, I guess!"
"Spill!" Serena said.
"Tell us everything!" Sango added.
Kagome's face felt like it was ten degrees hotter than the hot springs she sat in. "What's to tell? He pulled me into a hug, I ended up in his lap and we stayed like that... for awhile."
Sango and Serena "Awwwe"d in unison.
"Oh shut up and pass me the shampoo!" Kagome said, and with that she effectively brought their minds to hygiene and away from her so-called love life.
They were all hungry so they hurried up and washed and were soon dried, dressed and ready to go. They were heading back to camp when Kagome realized that she had left her towel behind.
"Oh shoot! I left my towel back there. You two go ahead and I'll meet you back at camp."
"You sure?" Sango asked. Kagome nodded before turned back towards the hot spring. Serena and Sango went on back to camp. When they arrived back, two rabbits and five fish were roasting over the fire.
"Where's Kagome?" Inuyasha asked with concern when he saw that she was not with them.
"She left her towel so she had to go back and get it," Sango soothed.
Inuyasha waited for only a minute or so before jumping up. He stalked off muttering under his breath "Stupid wench is going to get herself killed wandering off."
The people left behind - except for a still-disgruntled wolf demon - exchanged knowing glances. That is, until they heard the angry howl of anguish coming from the direction of the hot springs.