AN: *crawls back to the keyboard* sorry ya'll I know it's kinda been a good while since I updated. For that I have one word to say: work. Same disclaimer applies to this story as it does for the rest I write because I'm not that creative to come up with something THIS cool.

Ok just as a recap for myself more than anyone else…

Last time:

"Inuyasha, what are you doing? You know she doesn't want you near the spring while she's taking a bath." Miroku remembered the warning and shivered.

"I don't care, monk. Can't you sense it?"

"Sense what?" Inuyasha glared at him. "Come on Shippo; let's see what's going on." Before he could get up, Miroku felt an odd sensation. "Shit, now I sense it, Inuyasha. What is it?"

"I don't know, but whatever it is... it's coming from the direction of the spring. I can smell Kagome all the way from here, and I don't like what I smell coming from around her."

They didn't notice Kouga had left long ago, just after the girls left for their bath.

CHAPTER 6

Kagome and Sango found it, what had caused that feeling inside Kagome. A young injured demon. She's a cat from the looks of it. Kagome took a cautious step toward the tiny ball of fur curled up on its side.

"Kagome, what are you doing?" Sango whispered so she didn't startle Kagome or wake up the one in front of her.

Kagome slowly continued to walk up to the cat, looking over her shoulder to answer the demon exterminator. "She's hurt... and.........." Kagome looked back to the cat demon laying at her feet, "she's got a shard in her mouth."

Sango went full alert when she felt two demons coming at them, quickly. "Kagome, someone's coming."

Said girl sniffed the air and felt jewel shards coming with the scent she picked up, she relaxed. "It's just Inuyasha, Miroku, and Shippo. Kouga is off that way." She pointed back to the area of the spring. She knelt down to take a closer look.

"Kagome? What do you think you're doing?"

"Relax, Sango. She's unconscious, and she's not going to wake in the next few moments. I can feel her injuries, smell them all over her." She brought her hand to rest not even an inch above the cat's head, as if she would pet her. "Shhh..." she said to both Sango and the little demon. She closed her eyes and tried to remember what all Kaede told her about how to use her powers.

Inuyasha, with his perfect timing, came running in during the silence. Moments later Miroku and Shippo came. What a sight they came upon.

"Kagome?! What the hell are you doing?" In a distant voice that came from her, he barely heard her say not to interrupt her. "Why the hell not?!"

A blue light began to flicker around Kagome as she concentrated on what she was doing, effectively ending Inuyasha's questions. The light grew brighter, looking like blue flames all over her body. Everyone watched with silent apprehension as to just what she was doing, but hoped she knew herself.

Kagome just sat there; seeming to do nothing, but glow.

Soon the glow faded and Kagome took a deep breath. "Shhh.... you're fine now, Alina."

"How the hell did you know her name is Alina?"

"Inuyasha, calm down. She told me her name." Kagome picked up the tiny cat and cradled it close to her body. Kagome easily took the jewel shard out of Alina's mouth, and put it in the pouch around her neck. Slowly, she stood and started walking back to the camp, Shippo on her heels.

After a quick glance at each other, Sango and Miroku followed. Inuyasha came behind them, reluctantly.

*****

"Sango, can you hand me my pack? I need to clean out these wounds before they become infected."

"Here Kagome." Sango reached behind and grabbed the pack, handing it to Kagome.

"Thanks. Ok Alina, let's get you cleaned and patched up." Kagome carefully dabbed disinfectant all over the cat's body and wrapped her up.

"Such delicate hands....." Kouga said under his breath, hoping no one heard him. Unfortunately for him, someone did hear; one of the people he didn't want to hear him.

Kagome stiffened. "Kouga, I don't want to hear you talking about my hands behind my back. Why not come out here and join us?" She gently put the cat demon at the head of her sleeping bag.

'Damn......how does she do it?' He started walking over to the fire.

"Isn't it obvious, Kouga? I can feel you coming, I can hear you coming, and I can smell you. Good she's sleeping." She added the last part softly so as not to seem divided in her attentions.

"But I didn't say anything." He sat down between Inuyasha and Kagome. 'Ok, now I'm confused.'

She just stared into the fire. "Yes you did. I heard what you said. About my hands, then about how I did it." That earned her a few stares of shock, she continued to stare into the fire. "Oh and Kouga...... you're not the only one who's confused." She looked into the eyes of the entire group sitting around the fire. "What?"

"Kagome, you couldn't have heard me say about how you did it. I didn't speak, I thought it." 'Oh shit if she can read minds now, I'm in trouble.'

She stared back into the fire, as if in a daze. "Kouga, you're always in trouble. At least in some way."

"Ka-kagome? What's going on? He didn't move his mouth at all. We all watched him. How can you know...?" Sango started to say but was cut off.

"I'll be right back." Kagome gracefully stood up and started to walk away into the forest. Inuyasha ran up behind her and grabbed her arm to keep her from going into the woods by herself. She twisted her arm free of his grasp and looked over her shoulder into his eyes. He saw the pain and fear evident in them.

"Come on," motioning for her to get on his back. Once she was on, he flew to a small clearing not far from the camp. He landed in the middle and brought her around to face him with a single clawed hand.

"Inuyasha, I don't know what's happening to me." she said barely above a whisper, he could hardly hear her. "But whatever it is, I don't want to hurt anyone." A single tear started to form in her blue and golden eyes. "There's no telling what all is going to change in me."

'But you will always be Kagome....... my Kagome.'

She smiled. "I'm glad you think of me like that, Inuyasha." He visibly paled. "Yes I heard what you, um, thought about me. For a while now, that's what I wanted; to be thought of like that, by you."


When he managed to regain his composure, "Kagome, whatever happens, I will help you. You know that."

"I know, I guess I'm just scared. I mean it isn't everyday something like this happens to me." She attempted a smile.

In a moment all by itself, Inuyasha brought a hand up to tuck back a whisp of red hair behind her ear. He brought up his other hand and both cupped her ears, holding her face just where it is. 'Gods, she's beautiful in the moonlight.'

Her breath caught in her throat, "Really?"

"Yeah, would I think it if it wasn't true?."

"Inuyasha....." she closed her eyes and before she could lean forward to hug him, she felt lips on hers. She opened her eyes wide at the shock and saw it was Inuyasha kissing her, his eyes closed at their contact. She closed her eyes again, ran her hands through his silver hair and let herself be drawn in by him and the moment.

*****

AN: Well now, wasn't that nice. I mean come on, just the right amount of fluff makes it all good.

Ok I'm going to try for another chappie before I get sidetracked. Tune in next time for more of the good stuff… *wink* what else?…………. Fluff.