Normal Disclaimer Applies
PLEASE READ: I love reviews, but I don't appreciate cussing at all. When someone cusses at me in a review, I don't feel like writing if that's the kind of response I get. Please, if that's all that you're going to do, don't do it. I love all you guys and I know that most of you don't do stuff like that! Anyway, on with the story!
Kagome had lost herself in her thoughts a long time ago and was about to fall asleep when Inuyasha finally stood back up. Walking through the tall grass, he stopped in front of her and kneeled, facing away. Motioning to his shoulders, he told her to get on. He looked back at her to explain when she didn't move.
"We're out of the villiage now and there's no way you're gonna be able to walk any farther. Now climb on and I'll carry you 'til we stop for the night."
As he turned back around, Kagome cautiously reached for his shoulders, wrapping her arms around his neck. She didn't know if she wanted to get on, thinking back on the last time she had been carried by the demon; that was something she wasn't too sure she wanted to repeat. As soon as he felt her circle her arms around him, Inuyasha reached behind him and pulled her onto his back, holding her legs to his sides, and stood. The girl's grip tightened in response, causing him to resist the urge to choke. He waited a moment for her to calm down, then crouched to ready himself. Then he was off, running with the same speed he had on their way from the lab.
Kagome held on tight as the demon beneath her ran full throttle across the country side. She relaxed after a while, looking around and watching the scenery whip by. It amazed her that Inuyasha could run this fast while carrying her. What amazed her more was the fact that he was actually doing it. Maybe he did care about her welfare after all. That thought brought a smile to the girl's face.
The half demon ran, his feet pounding on the ground. It was exilerating; he was free. After so many years of rotting in that stinking cell, he was finally free to run about the country and smell the fresh air. It had been so long; he had almost lost hope of ever escaping that awful place.
But then that girl had come, that girl that was at present clinging to him for dear life. She had been a spark of light in his dim world; she was the only person that had actually been kind to him. Then they had taken her away and his light went out.
He had been intolerable for the guards after she had left. Not that he hadn't been before, but it had been worse afterwards. The hanyou didn't understand it, but he had actually enjoyed her being there. She was so vibrant and full of spirit, and he wanted her back. When they finally brought her in, she had been hurt. Rage had coursed through him, but he had held back the urge to rip through the guards throwing her inside; he was just happy to see her again, even if he wouldn't admit it.
When they had escaped, she had been upset to realize she couldn't go home; but she didn't think twice about helping him. While he found that almost disturbing, he was intrigued by it. Maybe he could let his guard down around her, however little. She was worth at least keeping around for company.
The sun had gone down and Kagome nearly fallen asleep when Inuyasha finally slowed to a halt. Kneeling down, he allowed her to slide off before flopping onto the ground himself. He stretched out fully, enjoying the space and free air around him. True, they had been out of that lab for more than a day now; but that city hadn't been much different for him. Much too noisy and crowded to actually be unhindered and able to run around.
Kagome sat down in the grass under the trees of the forest they had reached. They were right on the edge of it; she was personally releaved that Inuyasha hadn't tried to trek around in it after dark, feeling his way around unknown territory. Then again, he might have known that area like the back of his hand in his time. But this wasn't his time anymore.
Opening up the bag of supplies they'd been carrying, she dug around in it for something to eat. The dog demon's ears twitched in her direction as her stomach growled, making her search a little faster. Pushing himself into a sitting position, however sprawled out it was, he asked if she wanted some water. She gave him a quizical look in reply.
"Sesshomaru put some sort of water holding thing in there; you called it a, um, can...tu? Anyway, there's some water close by. I'll fill it up while you figure out what we're gonna eat," he finished, holding his hand out for the "cantu."
Kagome laughed when she realized what he was wanting. "It's a canteen," she said, stressing the last syllable. Finding it, she pulled it out and tossed it to him. "I thought we'd have some ramen, since you like it so much. But we'll need extra water and a fire for that."
The hanyou's ears perked up at the thought of the strange, new food. Without a moment's hesitation, he bounded off for the brook he had heard, returning with an overflowing canteen and an armful of firewood which he promtly lit. As soon as he had a satisfactory fire going and Kagome had emptied the contents of the canteen into a bowl she'd bought along with the food, he was off again to fetch more water.
Kagome laughed at his enthusiasm; it was just ramen for goodness sake. But, as long as he was entertained she was fine with it. The water started to boil and she added the noodles; now all she had to do was wait for them to finish.
She laid back with a sigh, using her hands as a pillow. The sky was filled with so many stars that night, more than she remembered. It was intimidating to think that she would be spending the night outside in the woods, much less with a demon. Inuyasha didn't frighten her, though; she just didn't believe that he would do anything to harm her. In fact, there was no doubt in her mind that he would protect her instead; he had demonstrated that back in the laboratory when the guards had come for her. So, in reality she was only a bit anxious about staying out in the wild.
Smiling and setting her mind to its normal success mode, she decided that this would just be a great adventure. Her life would never be normal again, but this was going to be better than anything she could have done in a regular life anyway. It was going to be so much fun!
Inuyasha came back with the water and plopped down across the fire from her, folding his legs underneath him. "So, is it ready yet?" he asked without so much as a preamble. Kagome sat up and leaned over the boiling food to inspect it. Finally, she gave her nod of approval.
"Yep, its ready. Let me get you a bowl."
Before she had even turned to reach for the dish, Inuyasha reached for the food over the fire. Kagome whipped back towards him and shoved his hands away. "No, you can't do that! That's all that we have for now, and part of it's mine! Besides, the bowl is too hot; you'll burn your hands on it."
Inuyasha looked at her strangely for a moment before slumping back away from her, waiting impatiently for her to serve up some of the interesting noodles. Once she handed it to him, he enhaled it. Kagome laughed at the sight before her; he really was entertaining when he was eating. The hanyou quirked an eyebrow at her but didn't bother to quit eating to tell her to stop. In fact, he kind of enjoyed the sound of her laughter; it was almost melodic to his sensitive ears.
Inuyasha finished his meal and chugged down half of the water he had brought back. He was itching to ask for more, but he knew better. They had to ration out their food if it was going to last. Sure, he could hunt for them if he had to; but he didn't know how much game was left anymore. The humans could have killed it all for all he knew. And so he contented himself with lying back in the grass and waiting on the girl to finish eating her portion.
Kagome took her time eating and drinking; she needed to relax after such a long day. If she didn't take the time to unwind, she would never fall asleep and then where would she be in the morning? Listening to a complaining demi demon about how weak humans were and why they had to rest so much more than youkai did. When she finally – in Inuyasha's opinion – finished, she rinsed their bowls out with the remaining water and put everything away.
"Should we put the fire out before we go to sleep?" she asked, looking over at Inuyasha. He glanced up, only partly realizing she was asking him a question. The hanyou had apparently been lost in thought again. When the haze left his expression, he shook his head.
"It'll go out by itself soon enough. Besides, I'm not going to sleep any time soon; I'll make sure it doesn't get out of hand or anything. Now you get some sleep; I don't want any complaining about you being tired in the morning, got it?" he said, his comanding tone filtering into his voice as he continued. Kagome smiled and nodded, falling back onto the ground. When she finally found a comfortable position, she closed her eyes and willed herself to get some sleep.
Inuyasha waited for Kagome's breathing to even out before crawling over to make sure she was asleep. He stopped short when she shifted in her sleep, curling up tightly to conserve the warmth radiating from the fire. Changing direction, the hanyou made his way to the discarded bag and pulled out a blanket. He draped it over the girl's sleeping form, watching her as she slept. She was quite pretty while she was sleeping. No, that wasn't it. She was breathtaking – so innocent, so brave, so kind. It was all written plainly on her face, even when she was asleep.
The half demon reached out to her but caught himself just as his hand was about to brush across her face. What was wrong with him? This girl was pulling him in, breaking down his walls that had taken years to build. And she was doing it so fast. Slowly withdrawing his hand, he sighed, remembering days when he had been as naïve as she was now; but those days were long gone and he wouldn't make the same mistakes twice. He had decided to drop his defenses slightly, but not completely. Not yet.
Suddenly, he lept into the tree overhead, landing on a high branch. Leaning his back against the trunk, he let one leg swing freely over the side. He kept Kagome in clear view, making sure he would be ready at any moment. He would protect her no matter what came; she was all he had in this world even if she was only a stupid human miko.
AN – I'm am soooo sorry! You guys, I really am. I have been moving back home from college, working 40 hours a week, studying for a test that I'll take at the end of the summer, being involved in church, and trying to have some symblance of a life. But I have neglected ya'll and I really love ya'll! You guys have been so great. So, I'll be posting 2 chapters today. I know it in no way makes up for being 5 or 6 weeks behind, but its a start right? Anyway, hope ya'll liked this one! Thanks for all the reviews! Please send me reviews!
Will – Thanks for the review! This summer is kinda crazy so I haven't been able to update as often as I would have liked, but I promise to keep writing til its finished :) I'm so glad to have inspired you; that's very encouraging. You know what? I hadn't really thought about whether or not Inuyasha could use the Tetsaiga or not. Silly me :P But, now that I do think about it; no, he can't. He only got it just before Kikyou killed him, so he didn't have the chance. When he does figure it out, it'll be a doozy! Thanks again!
purplepeopleeater – Yeah, isn't Inuyasha sweet? :) I've never really had much experience with broken ribs, so I was just kinda playing it out. Sorry if it wasn't quite realistic! I try to make my characters as real as possible, but sometimes they end up doing things that couldn't happen. I'm gonna try at 2 chapters again, so keep an eye out! Hope that you liked this chapter! Thanks!
MrsInuyasha69 – Thanks for reviewing! I sometimes wonder if I'm still in character, so thanks for the encouragement! I promise to keep updating, just am not sure when I'll get to! Thanks again!
Horga – The shikon no tama is going to be used in this story, but somebody (won't tell who, but you probably know) already has it. I don't know about Kirara yet, its a possibility though :) Thanks for the review!
B. S. Kagome – Shippou's coming! :)
Samieko – Shippou will be in this fic, but Miroku and Sango as such will not. Since they would have died a long time ago, I decided just to make modern versions of them. Basically, they'll be the same with different names ;) Thanks for the review!
katie – chan – Glad that you got my e-mail :) Its no problem to e-mail after I update! Thanks for the review :)
Reality – Thank you for the review and the idea! I'm not sure if it will work in, but it might and then I'll be thankful that you mentioned it!
Dragon Man 180 – Yeah, I liked his reaction to the ramen, too. I hope that you enjoyed this chapter! Thanks for the review :)
Marash & Shisou – Thanks for reviewing! Hope that ya'll liked this chapter!
PLEASE READ: I love reviews, but I don't appreciate cussing at all. When someone cusses at me in a review, I don't feel like writing if that's the kind of response I get. Please, if that's all that you're going to do, don't do it. I love all you guys and I know that most of you don't do stuff like that! Anyway, on with the story!
Kagome had lost herself in her thoughts a long time ago and was about to fall asleep when Inuyasha finally stood back up. Walking through the tall grass, he stopped in front of her and kneeled, facing away. Motioning to his shoulders, he told her to get on. He looked back at her to explain when she didn't move.
"We're out of the villiage now and there's no way you're gonna be able to walk any farther. Now climb on and I'll carry you 'til we stop for the night."
As he turned back around, Kagome cautiously reached for his shoulders, wrapping her arms around his neck. She didn't know if she wanted to get on, thinking back on the last time she had been carried by the demon; that was something she wasn't too sure she wanted to repeat. As soon as he felt her circle her arms around him, Inuyasha reached behind him and pulled her onto his back, holding her legs to his sides, and stood. The girl's grip tightened in response, causing him to resist the urge to choke. He waited a moment for her to calm down, then crouched to ready himself. Then he was off, running with the same speed he had on their way from the lab.
Kagome held on tight as the demon beneath her ran full throttle across the country side. She relaxed after a while, looking around and watching the scenery whip by. It amazed her that Inuyasha could run this fast while carrying her. What amazed her more was the fact that he was actually doing it. Maybe he did care about her welfare after all. That thought brought a smile to the girl's face.
The half demon ran, his feet pounding on the ground. It was exilerating; he was free. After so many years of rotting in that stinking cell, he was finally free to run about the country and smell the fresh air. It had been so long; he had almost lost hope of ever escaping that awful place.
But then that girl had come, that girl that was at present clinging to him for dear life. She had been a spark of light in his dim world; she was the only person that had actually been kind to him. Then they had taken her away and his light went out.
He had been intolerable for the guards after she had left. Not that he hadn't been before, but it had been worse afterwards. The hanyou didn't understand it, but he had actually enjoyed her being there. She was so vibrant and full of spirit, and he wanted her back. When they finally brought her in, she had been hurt. Rage had coursed through him, but he had held back the urge to rip through the guards throwing her inside; he was just happy to see her again, even if he wouldn't admit it.
When they had escaped, she had been upset to realize she couldn't go home; but she didn't think twice about helping him. While he found that almost disturbing, he was intrigued by it. Maybe he could let his guard down around her, however little. She was worth at least keeping around for company.
The sun had gone down and Kagome nearly fallen asleep when Inuyasha finally slowed to a halt. Kneeling down, he allowed her to slide off before flopping onto the ground himself. He stretched out fully, enjoying the space and free air around him. True, they had been out of that lab for more than a day now; but that city hadn't been much different for him. Much too noisy and crowded to actually be unhindered and able to run around.
Kagome sat down in the grass under the trees of the forest they had reached. They were right on the edge of it; she was personally releaved that Inuyasha hadn't tried to trek around in it after dark, feeling his way around unknown territory. Then again, he might have known that area like the back of his hand in his time. But this wasn't his time anymore.
Opening up the bag of supplies they'd been carrying, she dug around in it for something to eat. The dog demon's ears twitched in her direction as her stomach growled, making her search a little faster. Pushing himself into a sitting position, however sprawled out it was, he asked if she wanted some water. She gave him a quizical look in reply.
"Sesshomaru put some sort of water holding thing in there; you called it a, um, can...tu? Anyway, there's some water close by. I'll fill it up while you figure out what we're gonna eat," he finished, holding his hand out for the "cantu."
Kagome laughed when she realized what he was wanting. "It's a canteen," she said, stressing the last syllable. Finding it, she pulled it out and tossed it to him. "I thought we'd have some ramen, since you like it so much. But we'll need extra water and a fire for that."
The hanyou's ears perked up at the thought of the strange, new food. Without a moment's hesitation, he bounded off for the brook he had heard, returning with an overflowing canteen and an armful of firewood which he promtly lit. As soon as he had a satisfactory fire going and Kagome had emptied the contents of the canteen into a bowl she'd bought along with the food, he was off again to fetch more water.
Kagome laughed at his enthusiasm; it was just ramen for goodness sake. But, as long as he was entertained she was fine with it. The water started to boil and she added the noodles; now all she had to do was wait for them to finish.
She laid back with a sigh, using her hands as a pillow. The sky was filled with so many stars that night, more than she remembered. It was intimidating to think that she would be spending the night outside in the woods, much less with a demon. Inuyasha didn't frighten her, though; she just didn't believe that he would do anything to harm her. In fact, there was no doubt in her mind that he would protect her instead; he had demonstrated that back in the laboratory when the guards had come for her. So, in reality she was only a bit anxious about staying out in the wild.
Smiling and setting her mind to its normal success mode, she decided that this would just be a great adventure. Her life would never be normal again, but this was going to be better than anything she could have done in a regular life anyway. It was going to be so much fun!
Inuyasha came back with the water and plopped down across the fire from her, folding his legs underneath him. "So, is it ready yet?" he asked without so much as a preamble. Kagome sat up and leaned over the boiling food to inspect it. Finally, she gave her nod of approval.
"Yep, its ready. Let me get you a bowl."
Before she had even turned to reach for the dish, Inuyasha reached for the food over the fire. Kagome whipped back towards him and shoved his hands away. "No, you can't do that! That's all that we have for now, and part of it's mine! Besides, the bowl is too hot; you'll burn your hands on it."
Inuyasha looked at her strangely for a moment before slumping back away from her, waiting impatiently for her to serve up some of the interesting noodles. Once she handed it to him, he enhaled it. Kagome laughed at the sight before her; he really was entertaining when he was eating. The hanyou quirked an eyebrow at her but didn't bother to quit eating to tell her to stop. In fact, he kind of enjoyed the sound of her laughter; it was almost melodic to his sensitive ears.
Inuyasha finished his meal and chugged down half of the water he had brought back. He was itching to ask for more, but he knew better. They had to ration out their food if it was going to last. Sure, he could hunt for them if he had to; but he didn't know how much game was left anymore. The humans could have killed it all for all he knew. And so he contented himself with lying back in the grass and waiting on the girl to finish eating her portion.
Kagome took her time eating and drinking; she needed to relax after such a long day. If she didn't take the time to unwind, she would never fall asleep and then where would she be in the morning? Listening to a complaining demi demon about how weak humans were and why they had to rest so much more than youkai did. When she finally – in Inuyasha's opinion – finished, she rinsed their bowls out with the remaining water and put everything away.
"Should we put the fire out before we go to sleep?" she asked, looking over at Inuyasha. He glanced up, only partly realizing she was asking him a question. The hanyou had apparently been lost in thought again. When the haze left his expression, he shook his head.
"It'll go out by itself soon enough. Besides, I'm not going to sleep any time soon; I'll make sure it doesn't get out of hand or anything. Now you get some sleep; I don't want any complaining about you being tired in the morning, got it?" he said, his comanding tone filtering into his voice as he continued. Kagome smiled and nodded, falling back onto the ground. When she finally found a comfortable position, she closed her eyes and willed herself to get some sleep.
Inuyasha waited for Kagome's breathing to even out before crawling over to make sure she was asleep. He stopped short when she shifted in her sleep, curling up tightly to conserve the warmth radiating from the fire. Changing direction, the hanyou made his way to the discarded bag and pulled out a blanket. He draped it over the girl's sleeping form, watching her as she slept. She was quite pretty while she was sleeping. No, that wasn't it. She was breathtaking – so innocent, so brave, so kind. It was all written plainly on her face, even when she was asleep.
The half demon reached out to her but caught himself just as his hand was about to brush across her face. What was wrong with him? This girl was pulling him in, breaking down his walls that had taken years to build. And she was doing it so fast. Slowly withdrawing his hand, he sighed, remembering days when he had been as naïve as she was now; but those days were long gone and he wouldn't make the same mistakes twice. He had decided to drop his defenses slightly, but not completely. Not yet.
Suddenly, he lept into the tree overhead, landing on a high branch. Leaning his back against the trunk, he let one leg swing freely over the side. He kept Kagome in clear view, making sure he would be ready at any moment. He would protect her no matter what came; she was all he had in this world even if she was only a stupid human miko.
AN – I'm am soooo sorry! You guys, I really am. I have been moving back home from college, working 40 hours a week, studying for a test that I'll take at the end of the summer, being involved in church, and trying to have some symblance of a life. But I have neglected ya'll and I really love ya'll! You guys have been so great. So, I'll be posting 2 chapters today. I know it in no way makes up for being 5 or 6 weeks behind, but its a start right? Anyway, hope ya'll liked this one! Thanks for all the reviews! Please send me reviews!
Will – Thanks for the review! This summer is kinda crazy so I haven't been able to update as often as I would have liked, but I promise to keep writing til its finished :) I'm so glad to have inspired you; that's very encouraging. You know what? I hadn't really thought about whether or not Inuyasha could use the Tetsaiga or not. Silly me :P But, now that I do think about it; no, he can't. He only got it just before Kikyou killed him, so he didn't have the chance. When he does figure it out, it'll be a doozy! Thanks again!
purplepeopleeater – Yeah, isn't Inuyasha sweet? :) I've never really had much experience with broken ribs, so I was just kinda playing it out. Sorry if it wasn't quite realistic! I try to make my characters as real as possible, but sometimes they end up doing things that couldn't happen. I'm gonna try at 2 chapters again, so keep an eye out! Hope that you liked this chapter! Thanks!
MrsInuyasha69 – Thanks for reviewing! I sometimes wonder if I'm still in character, so thanks for the encouragement! I promise to keep updating, just am not sure when I'll get to! Thanks again!
Horga – The shikon no tama is going to be used in this story, but somebody (won't tell who, but you probably know) already has it. I don't know about Kirara yet, its a possibility though :) Thanks for the review!
B. S. Kagome – Shippou's coming! :)
Samieko – Shippou will be in this fic, but Miroku and Sango as such will not. Since they would have died a long time ago, I decided just to make modern versions of them. Basically, they'll be the same with different names ;) Thanks for the review!
katie – chan – Glad that you got my e-mail :) Its no problem to e-mail after I update! Thanks for the review :)
Reality – Thank you for the review and the idea! I'm not sure if it will work in, but it might and then I'll be thankful that you mentioned it!
Dragon Man 180 – Yeah, I liked his reaction to the ramen, too. I hope that you enjoyed this chapter! Thanks for the review :)
Marash & Shisou – Thanks for reviewing! Hope that ya'll liked this chapter!