konichiwa mina-san! Heres da chap da u guys have bin DYING 4… literally lol. U noe I realized sumthing… backmail don't work if ppl give more den wut u ask 4… cuz I think dat I should use blackmail 4 every chapter cuz I not only reached 350 reviews I less dan a day I got 132 reviews! Mwahahahahaha dat is SO kewl! I'm now over 400 which is fun cuz dats wut I wanted 2 say in da beginning but im like 'nah I'm not gonna get dat many' so I put it down to 350. sooooooo ARIGATOU!!!!

My editor Lark is on my case now 2 get da next chap out really really really soon (which I will so dun worry) cuz she's anxious 2 read it lol. And a lot of u guys thot it was fluffy an not Inuyasha #whimpers# I wouldn't b DAT mean! Come on! Hope u guys enjoy dis chap although 4 all of dose Kikyo and Kouga haters, I think u'll like da next 1 better #hint hint# ENJOY!!!

sleep walking chicken and HAP u noe lotsa ppl were planning 2 do dat so I would update rofl.

ladykaa28 hai hai, Kagome got sick but it'll just make things more interesting, ne?

Melisssa Byrd aw, thank u #blushes# lol. I'm planning 2 ge da next chap up by da end of da week. Dat ok 4 ur sanity?

Ryguy5387 yeah, I AM evil ain't I? rofl. & I luv song fics so expect 2 c sum more!

Blue Vixen I noe kag's outfit is so KEWL! Gonna knock inu's brain 4 a loop wen he sees it mwahahaha

Kaye #cowers in fear# u wouldn't REALLY do dat would u? rofl ppl seem 2 get so emotional wen dey read my fic which is gude cuz I think da best writing r dose who make dey're readers laugh and cry out loud.

demented-squrriel #bows# gomen! I got da lyrics off da internet so I didn't think 2 check dem w/ da actually song!

Green Bird 2071 I didn't take 2 long did I? will u still give me pocky?

Geminia u reviewed so many times rofl. 1ce 4 every chap!

lazydoll06 #ducks rotten fruit# HEY!!!! U kep dat up and no more inu fanfics 4 u!

im writing for Chap 11 hai hai dere will b sum angst! I'm not gonna let inu off so easily 4 choosing Kikyo!

SUGAR03 dun worry! I'd never write anything other dan inu/kag. I think Kikyo's a bitch and she should rot in hell!

Hanyou007 ur reviews r HYSTERICAL!!! I seriously couldn't top laughing wen I red ur review, SO funy rofl (literally). Yeah Evanescence is really kewl. Da thing dat gave me da idea 4 putting dat song in2 my fic wus da fact dat my younger sis wus listening 2 da daredevil soundtrack ALL winter holiday! Rofl. And yeah I hope ur comp gets fixed soon cuz I wanna read ur fic!!!

Jinxx YAY u red my fic! #jumps up in the air# and I think I made a mistake in da email I sent u. da 'seven warriors' arc thingie is from ep 101 to 121 I think. But w/e... I hope U update soon lol.

"---" talking

'---' thinking

-italics- song lyrics

/---/ inner voice

----- letter / note

Disclaimer I don't fuckin' own Inuyasha. If I did I would b vacationing w/ him on sum far off beach cuz I den I could see him w/out a shirt on!!!

Thanks 2 my editor Lark 4 fixing all my mistakes! #glomps Lark as she tries to run away# hey come back! I've got pocky! Green Bird 2071 gave me sum!!! #Lark returns and steals Sereia's pocky and runs away again# bitch! Come back here with my pocky! #Sereia chases after Lark#

Chapter Eleven

Betrayal

"Hojou, you miserable bastard." Inuyasha hissed. Kagome could see the cut on his arm from where the IV tube had been. A thin line of blood trickled down his am and Kagome guessed that he must have ripped it out when he woke up.

"You low down, self-absorbed, good for nothing, ungrateful son of a bitch!" Inuyasha's voice rose, "I gave you a chance to get away with your bloody life and you dare to show your face again?! I won't let you off so easy this time." He got into a fighting stance and Kagome felt a smile tug at her lips. He looked like he hadn't missed a day. Although his clothes only consisted of a white, loosely fitting t-shirt and shorts, he still looked like Inuyasha.

Hojou tossed his dagger into his other hand, as if to mock Inuyasha. He twirled it around and then grabbed Kagome. She struggled to get away but Hojou had a firm grip on her waist. Inuyasha's eyes widened as Kagome felt Hojou push his blade against her neck.

"You come any closer and I'll slit her throat." Hojou warned, "Which I was planning to anyways but I think I'll let her watch you die first." Kagome saw Inuyasha's hands clench.

"You leave her out of this. This fight is between you and me...hobo." Inuyasha said, using his old nickname. Hojou stiffened behind her and pressed the knife harder against her skin. Kagome didn't dare to move, any bit of movement would cause Hojou's blade to pierce her skin. She even had to struggle to stay on her feet for her fever had gotten worse.

Kagome's head pounded and sweat merged with her tears. She longed to run to Inuyasha; to hold him in her arms in order to make sure it was really him. She needed reassurance that he was real and not just another figment of her imagination. Determination built up in her soul and she finally made her decision. She quickly snaked her hand down behind her without her attacker noticing. Then she grabbed a chunk of his stomach and turned it as hard as she could. Hojou let out a yell of pain and let her go. But not before he was able to slash her across the neck with his tiger-tipped dagger.

Ignoring the pain in her neck, Kagome stumbled towards Inuyasha and reached out for him. He took a step forward and she collapsed in his arms. She wrapped her arms around him, clinging for dear life. Kagome never wanted to let him go.

"It's you, it's really you," she sobbed into his hair. Inuyasha's arms snaked around her middle and brought her into a hug.

#-#-#

"Kami-sama, I've missed you," he whispered, still keeping a watchful eye on the sandy-haired man who lay on the ground. He never realised just how much he had longed to see her until he had woken up to a crash. It had taken him a few moments to realise where he was, before turning to see Kagome cowering beneath the solitary window. Hojou had been walking towards her with that bloody knife in his hand and Inuyasha had become flushed with rage.

He had torn the IV tube out of his arm in anger and had been about to take Hojou out from behind when he had heard Kagome's whimper for help. It had tugged at his heart to see her like that because he knew what she could do. Hell, he was the one who had taught her! Then Hojou had gone into how he was going to screw her lifeless body after he was done and Inuyasha had cracked. He had loved the way the other male had stiffened at his words; the way Inuyasha knew he would have never turned around to look him directly in the eye. Hojou would never have done that because Inuyasha knew what he would have seen: death.

Inuyasha squeezed Kagome tighter, unconsciously inhaling her scent. He had always loved her scent; she never used perfume and yet Kagome always left a soft trail of strawberries where ever she went. He ran his fingers through her hair, trying to calm her down. Silent sobs still wracked her body and it tore at Inuyasha's heart. She clung to him with an urgency that he had never felt before. However, it was another question that plagued his thoughts.

'What is she doing here so late?' Inuyasha thought to himself. He looked outside and could see that the sun had set more than an hour ago. She should have been at home, doing homework or something...why was she here, in his hospital room? Inuyasha's thoughts confused him. An emotion deep within his soul surfaced but he couldn't figure out what it was. It was something he had never felt before in his life; something that warmed his entire body. Something Kikyou had never been able to do. Suddenly he heard a noise beyond the crying woman and Inuyasha's senses sprang to life.

Hojou held his stomach as Inuyasha watched him get to his feet. His golden orbs glared at the man. Hojou had a look of pure hatred on his face and Inuyasha knew it was time to finish the fight he had started all those years ago. He released his grip on Kagome and she looked up at him in confusion. Then Inuyasha lifted her chin so her gaze was in line with his. His face held a look of reassurance and he knew that she understood.

"Daijobou," he said, noticing the fear in her sapphire eyes. "I said I would always protect you didn't I?" Kagome's lips turned into a slight smile. Inuyasha brushed a strand of her raven hair out of her face and to Kagome's shock, laid a kiss on her forehead. His lips felt warm and soft and comforting. Then he stood up helping Kagome to her feet. Inuyasha took one look at the enraged Hojou and pulled Kagome behind him.

"Why the hell did you come back?" Inuyasha asked, his voice dripping with venom. He had told Hojou that he would kill him if he ever came near Kagome again and in Inuyasha never broke a promise. Hojou's eye's narrowed as he stared back at the silver-haired man. Then he smirked and brought his knife to eye level. He turned it around a few times before looking back at Inuyasha, his eyes gleaming.

"Unfinished business," he stated. Inuyasha stiffened as he felt Kagome grab onto his shirt from behind. He could tell she was scared.

'Goddamn it!' Inuyasha mentally cursed, 'This was the reason I trained her so much. So she wouldn't have to know this kind of fear. She shouldn't have to go through this again.' Inuyasha took a step forward, but Kagome did not let go of his shirt.

"And what business would that be?" Inuyasha retorted. He knew it was a rhetorical question but he needed Hojou to make the first move. The light-coloured male was looking at his knife again and Inuyasha noticed the animal on the hilt. It was in the shape of a tiger. The tiger looked like it was going to attack; it was poised and its eyes gleamed in the moonlight that shone in through the window. A shiver went down Inuyasha's spine.

'Where have I seen that before?' Inuyasha was puzzled. He new he had seen that dagger before. He wracked his brain, trying to place why he recognised the small knife but his memories failed him. He shook his head and took another step forward, this time causing Kagome's hand to let go of her death grip on his shirt.

"Do I really need to answer that?" Hojou asked innocently. Inuyasha's eyes flashed red and he clenched his fists tightly. He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down.

"No. I just wanted another reason for kicking your ass." Inuyasha sneered and got into a fighting stance.

"A lot has changed since we last met, Inuyasha," Hojou said, mimicking him, "You will find that I will not fall so easily this time." Inuyasha rolled his eyed again.

"You're all talk asshole. I bet you're still afraid to get your hands dirty." Inuyasha could tell Hojou's anger was building with every comment Inuyasha said, which was exactly what he wanted. He needed Hojou to become mad enough so he would make the first move.

"I don't need to get my hands dirty. My skills allow me to kill with such accuracy that I can walk away without a speck of blood on me." Hojou smiled.

"You momma's boy, you're just as cowardly as when I kicked your ass all those years ago." Inuyasha smirked. "You haven't changed; a coward never loses his stripe." Inuyasha watched as Hojou's eyes narrowed. His mouth formed a firm line and Inuyasha could see his muscles tense.

'Gotcha.' Inuyasha thought with a smile. 'You're mine now, you bastard.' Inuyasha let his senses come alive as he got ready to fight. He knew that Hojou had become better, even though he didn't want to believe it. Kagome wouldn't have been beaten so badly if his skill level was still the same. But Inuyasha didn't care; he was going to kill him for attacking Kagome, for abusing her, for coming back...hell Inuyasha was going to kill him for bloody existing!

The two men stood in silence, not breaking their staring contest. Then Hojou charged and Inuyasha was ready. He stood his ground and just before the other boy reached him, Inuyasha sidestepped and stuck out his arm. It took less than two seconds for Hojou to be flipped around and thrown to the floor. He landed flat on his back, choking and gasping for air. Inuyasha was barely able to get a "Feh" before he too landed on the ground. Hojou had swung his legs around and caught him in the back of the knees.

"Told ya." Hojou said, jumping to his feet. He lunged at his enemy but Inuyasha rolled out of the way. He was about to get up but Hojou landed a punch in the face. The silver-haired man's head whipped to the side and everything spun. Inuyasha tried to focus but Hojou kicked him from behind. Inuyasha went sprawling across the floor. He cringed as pain shot up his side.

'He's also got stronger,' Inuyasha thought, 'Fuck, this is going to be harder than I thought.' Inuyasha slowly got to his feet and turned to glare at Hojou. He was running towards him again and Inuyasha went to meet him. As soon as Inuyasha got in range, he spun around and kicked Hojo in the head. Hojou looked as if he was gong to fall but caught his balance at the last minute and sliced Inuyasha across the stomach with hi knife.

Inuyasha heard Kagome gasp as his stomach began to sting. He looked down but thankfully enough, Hojou had only managed to give him a small scrape. A thin line of blood was now visible diagonally along his abdomen and his shirt had a huge rip in it, but it was nothing severe. Inuyasha grabbed the hand that had the knife in it and twisted it around Hojou's back. Hojou yelled out in pain and Inuyasha laughed.

"Not so tough now, are you?" Inuyasha spat out, twisting his arm even harder. Hojou replied by elbowing Inuyasha in the gut. Inuyasha involuntarily let go of the sandy-haired man's arm and took a step back, holding his stomach. Hojou slashed his dagger across Inuyasha's face, cutting into his pale skin. Inuyasha took no notice and instead punched Hojou in the belly. Hojou bent over in pain, coughing. Then Inuyasha elbowed him in the back, sending to the floor. He kicked him in the side, causing Hojou to cough up blood. Small red specks were now present on the white tiles; Hojou wiped his mouth before flying to his feet.

Inuyasha went to punch him again but Hojou had learned from his first mistake. He ducked Inuyasha's fist and plunged him knife into his thigh. Inuyasha cried out in pain and Hojou laughed as he swung his leg around, kicking out Inuyasha's legs from under him. Hojou towered over him, glaring.

"Baka," he said kicking him in the same place he had stabbed him. "Did you really think you could beat me?" Inuyasha attempted to grab the knife from Hojou's grasp but all he succeeded in doing was getting a long cut up his arm. Then Hojou picked him up by the collar of his shirt and threw him against the wall. Inuyasha cringed and closed his eyes in frustration.

'Kuso. I seemed to have a habit of getting into fights,' he thought with a smirk. He opened one eye and saw Kagome in the far corner of the room. Her gaze was locked with his and Inuyasha could see the fear in her eyes. A lump formed in his throat as her sapphire orbs looked into his soul. Her stare squeezed at his heart and Inuyasha felt something well up inside him.

'What is this thing I keep feeling?' Inuyasha asked himself, 'I've never felt like this before, what the hell is going on? Every time I look at her, I want to take her in my arms and never let her go.' Inuyasha was jolted out of his thoughts by Hojou throwing a vase against the wall. It shattered into millions of pieces, the shards flying everywhere. He looked enraged, but Inuyasha just smirked.

"What's the matter, hobo?" Inuyasha scoffed, "Didn't like the colour of the vase? I'll make sure the ones at your funeral are pink, just like you like them. Although I don't think it'll really matter. No one would ever care enough about you to go." Hojou's face contorted and flushed with rage. He stalked up to Inuyasha and hit him in the face. Then he grabbed his hair and brought his gaze up to meet his.

"I fucking tired of your snide comments," Hojou's voice was a deadly whisper. "First I'm going to kill you and then I'll kill your precious girlfriend. You two can be together in hell!" Hojou tossed his dagger up in the air and caught it so his thumb was touching the tiger. Inuyasha's eyes widened as Hojou bent over to pierce his heart.

Then Hojou flew across the room.

Inuyasha looked up in surprise to see Kagome standing in front of him, looking fiercely at Hojou. Her fists were clenched at her sides and Inuyasha could see that she was trembling with anger. Her raven hair hung loosely around her shoulders, a few strands dangling in front of her face.

"Stay the fuck away from him," Kagome said, her cheeks flushed red, "You threatened to kill him once, I won't let you do it again." Inuyasha's heart skipped a beat.

"Ka...gome." Inuyasha managed to get out. She turned to him, a smile tugging at the side of her lips. She reached out her hand and helped him to his feet. He cringed a little, from all the hits Hojou had landed but that wasn't what concerned him. Kagome's face was very red and it wasn't with anger. He could see sweat droplets running down her face and her eyes would go out of focus every now and then.

"Kagome, daijobouka?" Inuyasha asked. He put his hand on her shoulder but she just waved it off.

"Hai, hai," she said, not taking her eyes of Hojou, who was still lying on the floor. "But he isn't." Inuyasha turned to the man and watched him as he shook his head. Then he threw the couple a fierce look.

'If looks could kill,' Inuyasha thought, 'Kagome and I would be a pile of ashes on the floor.' Hojou got to his feet and started towards them.

"You goddamn bitch!" Hojou yelled, his eyes blazing, "You never know when to stop, do you? That was always your problem. You say you're going out with me but then screw every other guy behind my back. You're a slut! That's all you'll ever be: a slut." Hojou was about to grab her when Kagome kneed him in the groin. Hojou let out a squeak and Kagome landed a punch in his face. He flew across the room again, hitting the metal part of Inuyasha's bed.

"You bastard! Will you get a life?" Kagome swayed slightly and Inuyasha moved to catch her but she took a step forward. He knew something was wrong with her but he didn't say anything. Inuyasha knew that Kagome had to deal with Hojou and he didn't want to interfere unless he had too.

"I never fucking cheated on you! Can you get that through your thick skull?! You just assumed that every time I even talked to another guy that I was screwing him! If you had taken one minute out of your self absorbed life, you would have realised how loyal I am to my friends!" Kagome picked up a cup of water that had been on Inuyasha's bed side table and threw it at Hojou. The water soaked his head but Hojou just stared at her.

"How can you say that when every time I turned around you were hanging out that asshole?" Hojou pointed to Inuyasha over Kagome's shoulder and Inuyasha was about to reply when Kagome cut him off.

"Baka! He's my best friend! He means more to me than anyone else in the world, why wouldn't I want to hang out with him?!" Kagome continued to yell at Hojou, with Inuyasha a few paces behind her. The golden-eyed man was shocked at Kagome's words. He had never heard her speak like this before and it made his chest swell.

'That's why she didn't tell me that he was abusing her.' Inuyasha thought grimly, 'That's why she was so distant; she wanted to protect me.' Suddenly Inuyasha saw Hojou move. Kagome had gotten to close and now Hojou had his dagger up against her throat. His other arm was wound tightly around her waist, anchoring her arms to her side.

"You stupid bitch. When will you ever learn to keep your mouth shut?" Hojou then looked at Inuyasha, a menacing glare tinting his blank eyes. Inuyasha took a step towards them but stopped when he saw Kagome wince. Hojou had dug his knife into her neck; a line of blood trailed down the knife and pooled at the hilt.

"Come any closer and I'll slit her throat." Hojou threatened. Inuyasha mentally cursed. How could he have been so stupid? He had just unconsciously let Kagome walk into the arms of the very man who wanted to kill her.

"Hojou, you bastard! Let Kagome go!" Inuyasha said, "Your fight is with me!" Hojou just smirked.

"Aw, poor Inuyasha can't even save his helpless, little girlfriend. You're not so tough, are you dog shit?" Never before had Inuyasha wanted to punch him so bad. His fists were clenched so hard that Inuyasha could feel his nails digging into his palms.

'Kuso...I need to do something! But if I even move Hojou is going to kill Kagome!" Inuyasha's frustration burned through his body. He was about to yell at Hojou when Kagome spoke.

"That was your first mistake Hojou," Her voice was calm and emotionless. For one fleeting moment she reminded Inuyasha of Sesshomaru. Hojou looked at the raven-haired woman with a questioning look on his face. Kagome was staring right at Inuyasha, her gaze never wavering. Inuyasha raised one of his eyebrows and Kagome's mouth turned up into a smile. At first Inuyasha thought he had imagined it, because the next second it was gone. But he knew Kagome; and she was up to something.

"What the fuck are you talking about bitch?" Hojou increased the pressure on his blade and Kagome's flinched. Inuyasha brought up his hand as if to reach to her but her eyes told him not to move.

"You've made a mistake, Hojou," Kagome said, "In thinking that I'm helpless." As soon as the words left her lips, Kagome flung her body upwards, kicking Hojou in the head. Hojou had let go of Kagome in shock and his knife went soaring across the room. Kagome quickly spun around and let Hojou have it. She punched him the face and in the stomach with all of the strength she had left. Then as Hojou slumped over, coughing up more blood, she took hold of his sandy hair and kneed him in the head. Inuyasha watched as Hojou dropped to the floor, unconscious.

He lay on the floor, unmoving except for the small wisps of breath coming from his bloody mouth. Kagome stepped back, her whole body trembling. Then she turned to Inuyasha and smiled. Blood ran down her neck from the cuts Hojou had given her, mixing with her sweat. Kagome's head burned and she struggled to stay on her feet.

"Couldn't let you have all he fun, could I?" she said, laughing a little. She took a step forward and reached out to Inuyasha but the fever was finally taking its toll. The room spun and Kagome felt blackness engulf her. Knowing that the danger was finally over, Kagome let herself slip into unconsciousness. She fell into Inuyasha's arms as he called out in panic.

"Kagome? Kagome?!" Inuyasha caught the lifeless girl as she stumbled forward. He went to touch her cheek in order to wake her and pulled back in alarm. She was burning up! Inuyasha's eye's widened in fear.

"Kami-sama, Kagome. Were you fighting Hojou this whole time along with a fever? Baka..." He picked her up and walked over to the bed. Lying her down carefully, Inuyasha was about to got and get a damp towel when the door to his room opened.

#-#-#

"Kagome, I brought up your soup if you want to—" The old woman stopped dead. It looked as if Kagome and Inuyasha had traded places. The silver-haired man was standing over the raven-haired woman as she lay, unconscious, on the bed.

"Tetsusaiga-san? You're awake?" Anne sputtered. The man nodded before turning his gaze back to Kagome. Anne's eyes followed his as she rushed to the bed side. She had almost reached Kagome when she realised that there was another man lying on the floor. Anne looked at Inuyasha in question.

"Tetsusaiga-san, what in hell's name is going on?" she asked. Inuyasha took a deep breath.

"That man, Hojou, came up here and attacked Kagome. I don't know how long it went on but I woke up to find her trembling against the wall, near the window. Needless to say, Hojou was surprised to see me awake." Inuyasha smirked and looked back at Kagome. "With my help, she eventually beat him but then passed out. I think she has a fever." Anne reached over and touched Kagome's forehead. She recoiled as soon as she made contact, panic wracking her entire body.

"You should call the police, obaa–san. He tried to kill us both. His knife is over there." Inuyasha said, pointing across the room. Anne didn't need a second opinion. She quickly nodded and rushed out of the room. She ran for the elevator and in no time at all, the police had been notified. Anne and Inuyasha watched as the dragged the unconscious Hojou away. They told Inuyasha that both he and Kagome would have to make a statement but he had refused to let them wake Kagome. The police reluctantly told Inuyasha that they would be back later.

"Can't you see how sick she is?" Inuyasha had argued, his fists clamped together at his sides. "She needs her rest. Just leave her alone she'll come to you when she's ready." The police promised to do so as long as Inuyasha promised to bring Kagome down to the station as soon as she was well enough.

"Feh." Inuyasha said. Then he turned his back to them and walked back into the hospital.

"Now to deal with Kagome." Anne said to herself as she silently followed Inuyasha's lead.

#-#-#

Inuyasha stared at Kagome. The old woman, Anne as she had called herself, had brought a bowl of cold water into his room and now a damp cloth rested o Kagome's forehead. An extra bed had also been brought in; it now lay adjacent to his own. The doctors had insisted that he stay for a few days, just so they could check up on him.

"Feh, like I would wanna go home anyways." Inuyasha said aloud. Even if they had let him go, he would have stayed; for Kagome's sake. It had been a little over twelve hours since Hojou's attack and Kagome still hadn't woken up. Her fever had broken, much to Inuyasha's relief but he was still worried.

"You have perfect timing, Kagome," he playfully scolded. "Couldn't you have waited a little before passing out?" Inuyasha looked at her from the edge of his bed; he had persuaded Anne to move Kagome's bed so it was touching his so he could take care of her himself. He leaned over and checked the cloth. It wasn't as cold as it should be so he removed it and soaked it in the basin of cold water. Then he put it back on her head. Suddenly the door opened and Anne walked in, carrying a tray of food.

"Hungry Tetsusaiga-san?" she asked kindly. Inuyasha just shrugged and Anne smiled. She set the tray down on Inuyasha lap and looked up at him but his gaze was on Kagome. Anne smiled secretly.

"She'll be okay, Inuyasha. She just needs some rest."

"Feh, I know." He replied, still looking at Kagome. Anne raised her eyebrow and smiled.

'It seems she has affected you more that you know, Inuyasha. Let's see what you make of it.' Anne thought to herself. She suddenly got a very wicked idea. An idea that would make Inuyasha think long and hard about how much Kagome really cared about him.

Anne walked around the two beds and fiddled with Kagome's bed. She pretended to fix her sheets and then went to check on Kagome's cloth. She looked up and noticed that Inuyasha's eyes had still not left the sleeping girl. Anne smile and spoke.

"Your girlfriend must really care about you, Inuyasha. She's been here every single day since you got here." Her words jolted him out of his thoughts. He stared at the old woman in surprise.

"Nani?" Inuyasha asked. Kikyou had come to see him every day?

"Hai, it's no wonder she has a fever. She's hardly been getting any sleep. I guess she worries about you too much." Inuyasha was confused. Kikyou didn't have a fever... He suddenly realised who Anne was talking about and shook his head.

"Iie, Kagome's not my girlfriend." Anne looked stunned.

"Hontou? I'm surprised. From the way she's been sitting by your side every single day... Why she's scarcely left this place! She only leaves to go to school. I'm amazed her family hasn't said anything about her staying the night." Inuyasha's breath caught in his throat. Kagome had been by his side the entire time. The entire time. He turned his head and stared at the woman lying next to him. He imagined her sitting next to the bed, talking to him...singing.

'It was her,' Inuyasha thought in astonishment, 'It was really Kagome singing to me. Her voice reached me.' Inuyasha reached over and stroked her cheek. Her skin was so smooth against his. Her face was abnormally pale because of her being sick but that just made her dark, ebony hair stand out more. Inuyasha continued to caress her cheek as he silently thanked her for standing by him. Then he suddenly realised what he was doing and pulled back his hand. He looked back at the old woman to find her smiling. Inuyasha blushed and avoided her gaze.

"So...if Kagome is not your girlfriend, who is?" Anne innocently asked. She knew she had caught him, but she wanted to back him into the corner even more. She watched as Inuyasha shook his head and looked out the window.

"Ah...her name is Kikyou," he answered, "She kind of looks like Kagome but her skin is paler and her hair is longer. She also wears more makeup than Kagome." Inuyasha found his eyes wondering back to Kagome and he realised how much more he liked her natural face to Kikyou's made up one. Kagome hardly ever wore any makeup; not that she needed it. Inuyasha could not think of a time that he had seen Kikyou without any makeup on. Inuyasha secretly wished Kikyou would go a day without putting anything on her face. He much preferred woman who were confident enough to go out with hardly any makeup on at all.

He had even asked Kikyou to do that once but her response had been "Don't you want me to look pretty for you, Inuyasha?" He had never bothered with the question again. Inuyasha finally looked up at Anne, waiting for her comment. She seemed deep in thought, her index finger up against her chin. Then she shook her head and spoke.

"I've never seen a girl of that description in here." Anne answered. It wasn't exactly a lie. She had seen Kikyou get into the elevator that one time, obviously coming to see Inuyasha but she hadn't been in the room at the same time. "The only other visitors, besides Kagome of course, that I've seen in here are a woman with long brown hair and a man with short hair that he tied into a small ponytail at the back."

"Sango and Miroku?" Inuyasha asked.

"Hai, that's what Kagome said." Anne walked up to the sleeping girl and changed her cloth. "Poor girl, she's been so worried about you. I've often found her asleep in her chair, holding your hand without any blanket on. That's probably why she got sick." Anne smiled as she patted Kagome on the head. Then she told Inuyasha to buzz her if he needed anything and walked out of the room.

"She means more to you than you think, my boy."

#-#-#

"Kikyou never came to see me?" Inuyasha wondered out loud. He had figured that Anne would have been to busy with other patients to notice anyone new; but then he had remembered her telling him that she had been the one in charge of his room. Plus she worked at front desk sometimes so she would have known if anyone had asked to see him.

"Why didn't she ever come and see me? Did something happen to her that prevented her from coming? Or was I just an inconvenience?" Inuyasha's blood boiled at his last thought and his eyes opened wide. This was the first time that he had ever been mad at Kikyou. He tried to push the feeling of contempt away but it bothered him that in the four weeks he had been here, Kikyou hadn't come to see him at all.

/And Kagome's been here everyday./

'Oh great, my inner voice, come to haunt me.'

/I'm just proving a point. Kagome seems to care more about you and yet you're still dating her cousin./

'What do you mean still?'

/You're so ignorant./

'Feh.'

Inuyasha sighed. He hated having arguments with his inner voice because his inner voice was either always right or always confusing. This time it was confusing. He shook his head in frustration. Then he looked back at Kagome and sighed. Something was happening to him. He felt...he didn't know what he felt. But it was new and mystifying and...and...it only happened when Kagome was around.

'I need to call Kikyou.' Inuyasha thought to himself. He reached for his back pocket and then suddenly realised that one: he was wearing shorts and two: they didn't have any pockets anyway. He looked over at the bathroom and saw his clothes hanging on a chair inside. Inuyasha sighed in frustration and was about to get up when someone opened the door. Anne entered but didn't come up to him like she usually did. She looked at Inuyasha for a moment and then she spoke.

"Inuyasha, there are some people here to see you." Anne stated, looking kind of awkward. "Do you mind having a couple visitors?" Inuyasha lay back in his bed and shrugged his shoulders. He didn't really want to talk to anyone right now but if it was Miroku and Sango, he wanted to ask them some questions.

"I guess," he said, making himself comfortable. Anne nodded and motioned for the people to come in. Inuyasha, expecting his two friends, smirked.

"You must have heard I was awake. Wow good news really travels fast—" Inuyasha's voice got caught in his throat as he stared at the person that had just walked into the room.

"I heard that you were awake, brother, although I don't know if it was good news." Sesshomaru said. Inuyasha's eyes automatically narrowed, his golden orbs glaring at the silver-haired man who was now standing in the middle of the room. He watched as his half brother inspected his room, his eyes finally landing on Kagome. Sesshomaru raised an eyebrow.

"You seemed to have switched places." Inuyasha scowled.

"She has a fever," he said, growling. He was in no mood for Sesshomaru's sarcasm. "She was also attacked by her ex-boyfriend, Hojou, if you wanna know the whole story." Inuyasha crossed his arms over his chest, not taking his eyes off his half brother. But as soon as Hojou's name had passed Inuyasha's lips, he saw something flash across Sesshomaru's eyes. It almost looked like anger but Inuyasha wasn't certain because the next second it was gone.

Sesshomaru walked over to Kagome. Inuyasha was about to protest his actions when Sesshomaru patted her legs twice. Inuyasha stared in wonder as his half brother continued to look at the sleeping woman.

'That's what my mother used to do to me when I was sick.' Inuyasha thought to himself. 'It's supposed to be some sort of charm...' Inuyasha's golden orbs went back to Sesshomaru. His face was still expressionless but there was something in his eyes... Suddenly Inuyasha heard a noise from the doorway and turned to see a woman with dark hair and ruby eyes enter his room.

The woman's hair was tied up in an elegant twist, secured by a white clip. The hairpiece was made up of two feathers and a string of pearls encircling it. Her crimson eyes were wary but held a look of confidence as well. She was dressed in a simple lavender blouse and white jean skirt that stopped just above her knees. The skirt showed off her long, tanned legs and on her feet were a pair of white ankle boots. It took Inuyasha a minute to comprehend who it was and when her face finally registered in his brain his eyes widened in shock.

"K-Kagura?" he stuttered. What the hell was she doing here? Inuyasha knew her from school because she hung out with Kikyou. It had been kind of surprising when he had first met her because she didn't seem to be the type that would hang out in Kikyou's crowd. Kagura was more reserved than the others and if Inuyasha was right, went to all of her classes. However, Kikyou had obviously seen something in her that was popular material and included her in all of her little 'outings' that Inuyasha knew about. But there was still a question on his mind: what the hell what she doing here?

Kagura met Inuyasha's eyes and her lips lifted up into a half smile.

"Hey Inuyasha. Feeling better?" Inuyasha nodded numbly. Then her eyes drifted over to Kagome. They reflected confusion and Inuyasha was about to explain when Sesshomaru spoke.

"She should be fine in a day or so, Kagura. She just needs some rest." Kagura nodded as Sesshomaru walked towards her.

"Hontouni?"

"Hai." Her eyes were fixated on him and suddenly everything clicked into place.

"Been busy while I was sleeping, ne fluffy?" Inuyasha smirked. Sesshomaru was never going to hear the end of this. He wasn't the easiest person to open up to and he never let his guard down. But the look in his mature, golden eyes as he gazed at the ruby-eyed woman gave away all of his emotions. Sesshomaru froze in the middle of the room and slowly turned around to meet his half brother's knowing gaze. His eyes narrowed and he gave Inuyasha a warning look.

"Inuyasha you just got out of a coma," he stated, calmly, "Don't make me put you into another one." Inuyasha smirked again and put his hands up behind his head. Kagura giggled but it turned into a cough as soon as Sesshomaru looked at her. She quickly composed herself and winked at Inuyasha when Sesshomaru wasn't looking.

"Get better soon Inuyasha, and tell Kagome the same when she wakes up." Inuyasha nodded at Kagura's comment. Suddenly remembering what he was going to do before Anne had interrupted him with his half brother's introduction, Inuyasha sat up.

"Oi Kagura?"

"Hai?"

"Have you talked to Kikyou lately?" he questioned. "The nurse said she hadn't seen her around here at all. Has she been really busy or something?" Kagura broke eye contact, suddenly finding her silver bracelet, that she wore on her left wrist, very interesting.

#-#-#

Kagura fidgeted wit her bracelet, trying to avoid Inuyasha's question. She desperately tried to think of an answer that wouldn't cause him to go berserk.

'What am I supposed to say?' she wondered, 'Hai, she's been busy. Too busy to come and see you because she's been screwing some teacher. And oh yeah! Kagome threatened to decapitate her if she ever showed her face in this hospital again.' She could feel two pairs of golden orbs on her. 'Not that I blame Kagome. I wouldn't mind getting in on the Kikyou ass-kicking action too.'

"Kagura?" Inuyasha prompted. She looked up at Sesshomaru and he shook his head. He knew what a slut Kikyou was, because she had hit on him as well...when she was already dating Inuyasha! Talk about wanting to keep it in the family. But Kagura could see it in his eyes that he wanted Inuyasha to find out on his own. So she turned to Inuyasha and shrugged her shoulders.

"I haven't talked to her in a while, Inuyasha," she lied, "I've been occupied with..."—her eyes darted to Sesshomaru for half a second—"...other things." She saw Inuyasha raise an eyebrow and she blushed. Then she felt Sesshomaru's arm around her waist and he was leading her towards the door. She cast one last look at Inuyasha and sighed.

'Oh, Inuyasha,' she thought silently, 'The one who cares for you is not Kikyou. It's the one who's lying next to you.'

#-#-#

Kagura seemed uneasy about something. As soon as he had asked about Kikyou she had avoided his gaze. Then again maybe he had been hit harder than he thought. It had looked like Kagura had had to think about her answer but then again maybe her thoughts were just fixated on Sesshomaru. Inuyasha laughed out loud. So his half brother had a girlfriend.

"This will be interesting," the silver-haired man said to himself. He couldn't wait to torment Sesshomaru about his new 'relationship' with Kagura. His eyes drifted over to Kagome and he sighed. He wanted her to wake up. More than anything else in the world right now he wanted her to wake up. He reached over and took off her cloth to feel her forehead. His lips turned up into a slight smile when he realised that her fever was almost gone.

He took the cloth and dumped it in the basin of cold water Anne had left on his bedside table. Then he turned back to Kagome and stroked her cheek, as if the gentle caress would wake her up. But the raven-haired woman was in a deep sleep and even Inuyasha's tender actions would not wake her up. Inuyasha sighed and slid out of his bed. He wanted to take a shower, mainly because of the fact that he had been lying in the same bed for over a month. He walked into the bathroom and closed he door silently. He was about to remove his hospital garments when he saw his regular clothes draped over the back of a chair.

"Oh yeah, I was going to call Kikyou," Inuyasha said out loud, reaching for his phone. "Maybe she'll tell me why she didn't come and visit me while I was in a coma." The last words were mixed with a growl as Inuyasha punched in Kikyou's cell number. It rang three times before Inuyasha herd the click of someone picking up.

"Moshi moshi? Kikyou is that you?"

"Iie, hold on a sec," a deep, masculine voice sounded at the other end of the phone and Inuyasha was taken aback.

'What the fuck?' he thought, 'Why the hell is some guy answering Kikyou's cell phone? She never lets anyone touch it but her.' Inuyasha heard the man's far off voice as he called for Kikyou.

"Who is it?" Inuyasha heard her answer. She sounded as close as the man. As if she was right beside the phone.

"I don't know, some guy," the man replied. The next thing Inuyasha heard was a groan, but not one of annoyance. Kikyou's breath was a little faster than normal and he heard her moan again.

"Well tell him to call back," she said, her voice strained, "Tell him I'm busy doing something." Inuyasha heard the man chuckle.

"Namely me," his voice suddenly got louder a he talked back into the phone. "Gomen, she's busy doing something," Kikyou giggled. "Can you call back later?" Inuyasha didn't even acknowledge the man. He just hung up and stared numbly at his reflection. Kikyou was cheating on him.

'That's why Kagura was so awkward just now,' Inuyasha was in complete shock. His cell phone fell to the floor as he continued to stare at his reflection. It took a while before his brain to register what had just happened but as soon as it did, Inuyasha's entire body was consumed with rage.

"That goddamn cheating bitch!" he ground out. "Guess she figured it wouldn't count as cheating if I was unconscious." He shook with anger. Inuyasha clenched his fists together so hard that his knuckled turned white.

"That bitch..." he growled. His mind was a blur and he needed to hit something. He pounded the bathroom counter, trying to get rid of some of his emotional pain. It did not help so he did it again. Hot tears sprung to his eyes but he refused to let them fall. He was not going to let even his reflection see how much the whore had hurt him. Inuyasha closed his eyes as he shook with fury.

"Fucking hell," he cursed. Inuyasha just stood there for a few minutes, trying to stop the throbbing in his head. Finally, when the pounding had stopped, he opened his eyes. He looked at his reflection; his eyes were bloodshot.

"I think I'll take a cold shower instead," he whispered to himself. He removed his garments and turned on the cold water full blast. Then he stepped inside and let the water numb his body, mind and soul.

'I will not forgive you for this Kikyou... You are going to fucking pay for betraying me.'

#-#-#

Obaa–san - grandma

Editor's Note

Don't worry! I'm doing my best to get Sereia to write the next chapter really fast, so hopefully we will see it in less than a week!

A/N : hai hai I'm planning 2 get da next chap put by end of da week since u guys r all so eager #smiles# but remember! Lots of reviews make authors happy and happiness mean updating quicker. RITE?! Review, onegai! Or I'll make Inuyasha 4give Kikyo and ask her 2 marry him! #starts to gag# oooooooooookay maybe not...

--Sereia