Author's Note: ducks from all the stuff readers are throwing Wow you guys, I am sooooo sorry that this chapter took me so long. A lot of junk happened over the summer (including having no internet for like 3 months), and I recently had a nasty break-up. So needless to say I have been feeling decidedly uninspired. But here's chapter 7, at long last, and I hope you all enjoy it. I promise that I will go back to semi-regular updates. (Semi-regular because finals are coming up and I have a new job. But hey, I promise I'll do my best)

Disclaimer: 1-2-3-4 I don't own it, I am poor. 5-6-7-8 I rhyme when I stay up late.

Chapter 7

The worst is over now and we can breathe again

Kagome's point of view

The mysterious figure extended a hand to help Kagome stand. As she took it she vaguely noticed the sharp claws, but was preoccupied with trying to recognize her strange visitor.But as the figure turned to face the light, recognition dawned and Kagome's muscles tensed as she prepared to flee.

"I am not here to kill you," a cold voice said. "I would not have wasted my time if that was all I wanted from you."

"Well then, what do you want, Sesshomaru?" Kagome asked fearfully. What if he just wants me to put my guard down? I'm helpless out here, he could just kill me and disappear. Oh man, what am I going to do?

Right as Kagome was going to attempt another break for it, Sesshomaru began to speak, and this time it was in a very different tone.

"For the first time in 500 years I find myself plagued by a curiosity of which I cannot rid myself. Unfortunately, the only remedy for a condition such as this is to satisfy the curiosity." Here Sesshomaru paused, and Kagome thought she heard him utter the smallest of sighs. "I want you to tell me the story of your life," he said.

Kagome was taken aback. "You… what? You want me to tell you the story of my life? Why… What for?"

Sesshomaru scowled at her. "This Sesshomaru will not explain himself to the likes of you, human."

"Well, maybe I don't want to talk to you. Maybe you're a jerk, and I don't have to tell you anything." With that Kagome turned her back on Sesshomaru and stubbornly crossed her arms.

"I command you to tell me what I wish to know."

Kagome, eager to satisfy her own curiosity, finally relented. "Hmph. All right, Sesshomaru. I'll talk to you. Where do you want to go?"

Sesshomaru simply turned around and walked towards downtown Tokyo. Kagome sighed in exasperation. Lead the way, I guess. She helplessly followed along behind him, not really paying attention to where she was going. Sesshomaru suddenly stopped, and Kagome was surprised to find herself standing in front of a small, out-of-the-way coffee house. Sesshomaru walked inside and sat down as if entering restaurants was a common occurrence for him. Wow, he's changed a lot since the Sengoku Jidai. I have to keep reminding myself that he's survived all these years, and so he must have adapted to life in the 21st century.

The pair walked up to the counter, and Sesshomaru ordered a cup of tea. He moved aside so that Kagome could order, but Kagome couldn't make up her mind.

"I'll have a… no wait… I want… well… I don't know…ummm…oh!… wait, no…" she mused. Sesshomaru arched one eyebrow and gazed pointedly at the indecisive Kagome.

"Okay, okay. I guess I'll take a vanilla cappuccino, decaf, with extra vanilla, and no whipped cream, but add caramel, and I want chocolate sprinkles on the top," Kagome finally decided.

Sesshomaru did not look pleased. As the confused cashier turned to make Kagome's drink, she interrupted. "Wait, do you have cinnamon?"

Sesshomaru scowled down at her. "Geez, never mind I guess," she muttered. Kagome was shocked when Sesshomaru, without a word, turned to pay the cashier for their order. Did Sesshomaru just treat me to coffee? Kagome silently giggled at the incongruous idea of Sesshomaru taking anyone, especially her, out on a date. Her enjoyment of the moment was spoiled, however, when Sesshomaru picked up his own beverage and left hers on the counter. He walked to a booth in a darkened corner, and Kagome grabbed her coffee and followed behind him.

Sesshomaru settled himself down into the booth, and Kagome slid into the side facing him. He wrapped his long fingers around his teacup and gazed impassively at the girl, but he didn't drink. She sat there for a minute, uncomfortable under his intense scrutiny, before she remembered the purpose of their outing.

"Okay, well, the story of my life," Kagome began in a monotone voice. "I was born in Tokyo, and when I was 7 my brother Souta was born. When I was 10 my father was killed in a really bad car accident. Now I live with my mom and my brother and my grandpa, in a shrine…"

"That information is irrelevant," Sesshomaru interrupted sharply. "I am more interested in the events occurring after your entrance into Feudal Japan."

Kagome was taken aback, and not only by his characteristically-rude interruption. "You want to know about all that? But… some of it is kind of personal, and boring, and you really wouldn't be interested in all that junk. Let's talk about something else…" She trailed off at the sight of Sesshomaru's determined face. She sighed, resigned to her tale.

"All right, well, one day when my cat Buyo ran away, I chased him into the well-house of our shrine…"

(about 2 hours later)

"…and now that I'm back in my own time I can't get Inuyasha out of my head. It's like he's always beside me, reminding me of how miserable I am. I can't eat, I haven't been sleeping, and whenever I close my eyes I see his face. It's been awful, and the worst part is that I know that he doesn't return my feelings. He never did. He's happy now with Kikyou, and I'm no longer a part of his life, and that's just the way things have to be. But that's not how I wanted them to be."

With these last words a single tear slid its way down Kagome's bruised cheek. She didn't really know why she was telling Sesshomaru, of all people, her deepest feelings, but she was. Here I am, sitting in a coffee shop, telling Sesshomaru about how betrayed I feel, and how badly his younger brother hurt me. Why is he so easy for me to talk to? She dared to glance up at Sesshomaru's face, and was surprised to see something reflected in his eyes. Is that… sympathy? No, it couldn't be. Not Sesshomaru, the Ice Prince. And as soon as she had seen it, the glimmer of feeling in Sesshomaru's eyes was gone, vanished into the cold, dark recesses of his demon heart.

Suddenly aching for a subject change, Kagome cleared her throat. "So Sesshomaru, what have you been up to for the past 500 years? Whatever happened to Jaken and that cute little girl you used to travel with?"

Sesshomaru's gaze turned stony. "She died," he said shortly. Kagome's miko abilities, although they were limited, warned her of a subtle change in Sesshomaru's aura. It had suddenly turned darker, more angry. Worried that her question had offended the demon lord, Kagome nervously cleared her throat again and began to stand.

"Thanks for the coffee Sesshomaru, but it's getting dark, and I really should go home now," she said.

Sesshomaru gracefully rose to his feet. "I will accompany you back to your home," he said.

"Oh, you don't have to bother. I'll be fine," she replied quickly.

"I am not asking you, I am telling you," he said sharply. Kagome jumped slightly at the commanding tone, painfully aware of the fact that he towered over her.

Sesshomaru walked to the door of the coffee shop and held it open, silently waiting for Kagome to follow. He closed the door behind her, and the pair walked back to Kagome's house without speaking to each other. Kagome was too preoccupied with her own thoughts to be bothered by his silence. He's changed, but then again he hasn't. She remembered him holding the door for her, and paying for their drinks. Those are very gentlemanly things to do; totally not Sesshomaru! But he's still rude, and arrogant, and cold, and distant. So he hasn't really changed much at all. But still, something about him is different.

Before she knew it they had arrived back at the shrine. Kagome, unsure of herself, turned to face Sesshomaru. On a sudden impulse she grabbed her pen and a piece of paper out of her pocket and quickly scribbled something on it. She pressed the paper into Sesshomaru's hand before he could react.

"This is my telephone number. Give me a call sometime, I guess. It was really nice talking to you, Sesshomaru," Kagome said. And the funny thing was that she actually meant it. For the first time since her return from Feudal Japan she had enjoyed herself, in spite of the fact that she had been with Sesshomaru, talking about Inuyasha.

Sesshomaru glanced briefly at the paper in his hand and Kagome cringed, expecting him to throw it away right in front of her face. But, to her great surprise, he folded it neatly and put it into his pocket. Without a word he turned abruptly and left.

Kagome watched his retreating back for a few minutes before she fully realized what she had done. I just gave Sesshomaru my number! And the thought of him actually calling her sent her straight over the edge. She began to laugh at the ridiculous situation, and didn't stop until she couldn't breathe. It felt good to laugh again.

Responses: (yay!) You guys are awesome, and I fully appreciate the positive feedback you've been giving me. muah I love you all!!!

AlixMM: Here's an update!! Thanks for reviewing!

Joey: yup, here's an update. I know the chappie is kind of short, but more is on the way. Thanks for the review!

LadyAkina: hahaha Painfully horrible death for Kikyou: noted! Would eternal torment and suffering work too? Lol Thanks for reading!

Mish-sernity: Sorry about not updating for so long. I know, I hate it when authors do it and I swore that I would never ever do it, but I did it and I apologize. I will update more often now, I promise. Thanks for reviewing!

Inuyasha-Freak15: I'm so glad that you luv my story!! Here's an update, hope you like it!! Thanks for the review!

The Spiked Dragon: HAHAHAHAHAHA yes, your idea was slightly psychotic, but I loved it anyways. Especially the part about burning her like firewood… sorry, I'm a pyromaniac!!! Lol Thanks for reading!

Jammies2000: Awww I'm so glad that you are still reading and enjoying my little story. Here's an update, and I hope you like this chapter as well. Be sure to let me know! wink Thanks for reviewing!

Cool Cat 96: Sowwy, but it's not Inuyasha. It could have been, but it isn't. Hope you're not too disappointed. Thanks for the review!

Madin-of-tv: Thank you so much for telling your friends to review my story!! I really appreciate it. I am not, however, frightened of you because I have a large knife/sword collection of my own. Muah ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!! But here's a new chappie so you don't have to worry about killing me. Lol Thanks for reading and reviewing!

Playette: I know, I hate it when authors go on hiatus and leave me with a terrible cliffhanger! But oh well, the waiting is over now. Let me know what you think of the new chapter ok? Thanks for reading! P.s. I promise to check out your fic as soon as I get a chance.

Dark Miko Kagome: Oh hooray, somebody who was rooting for Sess-chan! I'm glad, because most people wanted it to be Inuyasha. But I agree, I'm too mad at him to forgive him and let him have Kagome. Lol. Thanks for the review!

KharmaSmack: Not only do I love your screen name, but I love your idea too. You pretty much took the ideas right from my head! Lol But I love writing angst, so don't get your hopes up for an end to the angst. From now on things in Kagome's world will start to look brighter though, so don't worry. Thanks for reviewing!

MichelleAnneSummers: Here's an end to your waiting! Let me know what you think of this chapter too. Thanks for the review!

Kittie9078654: lol Thanks for the compliments! I hope you enjoy this chapter as well. Thanks for reading!

Kawaii Saki-chan: blushes Am I on your faves list?! Aww well, thank you very much, I'm flattered. Yea I agree, a gothic Kagome is a little too out-of-character for me. It's fun, but still. Lol Thanks for liking my story!!!

Pinayazngrl: Lol okay, now I understand the screen name. Thanks! It's Sesshomaru! What did you think? Were you expecting him or Inuyasha? Let me know what you think of this chapter, okay? Thanks for reviewing, and I hope you're still going to read my little fic!!

PJ: hmmm good question. I don't think that she would live again just because she and Inuyasha became mates. He's a dog demon, and dogs don't mind dirt and bones… lol. Oh, and don't worry, Inuyasha will definitely get what's coming to him! wink Thanks for the review!

Kirei-kitsune13: lol The waiting is over! Here's an update for ya! Let me know what you think. Thanks for reviewing!

Rushyuo: blushes Speechless readers are ALWAYS a good thing!!! I'm really glad you enjoyed it, and I hope you enjoy this chapter as well. Thanks for reviewing!

Swimchick1614: oh hehehe It's not Inuyasha or a reincarnation… it's Sesshomaru!! I hope you aren't too disappointed that it's not Inu. Thanks for the review, and I hope you liked the chapter!

Tessie-fanfic: I'm glad that everyone didn't mind the lyrics too much. I know I said I wasn't going to use any, but those ones seemed to fit too well for me to leave them out. Hope you enjoy the update!! Thanks for reading!

ShortPoet: OMG I am desperately hoping that you didn't lose interest in the story during my long hiatus. Yea, I agree about the cat fight think, and I don't think that Kagome would actually do it. Kagome always struck me as one of those sweet-and-innocent girls until you set them off, and then one of the woe-betide-he-who-pissed-her-off kind of girls. But not in a violent sort of kick-your-ass way, more of a slow-and-careful-exact-my-revenge way. You know what I mean? lol Unfortunately I didn't get internet over the summer… my mom got into a car accident so we had to buy a new car and couldn't really afford the internet. sigh Oh well, crap happens, and now I'm back at school. BLESSED HIGH-SPEED!!! Lol Thanks for the review, and I hope you're still reading.

DraGonMistress704: Oh man, don't get me started on hot goth kids! There was a brutal hottie in Hot Topic the other day when my roomie and I went to buy tongue rings. I was like 'stand still and let me stare at you, please!' But anyways, can't get side-tracked on the oh-so-delectable guy who works at Hot Topic. Lol I'm glad you liked the story, and I hope you like this chapter as well. Thanks for reviewing!