A/N: And now, the much awaited chapter five! Here it is. Oh, and have all of you been paying attention? If you have you should be able to predict one of the main events in this one.

Collar desc: Inuyasha's collar is more of a black brown band the width of your index and middle finger. It has markings permanently inscribed in it and cannot be destroyed by anything while it's on Inuyasha. It's pretty smooth so whenever Inuyasha claws at it his claws slip and he slashes his neck instead.

Chapter Started: 9/24/04 Chapter Ended: 10/1/04

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or any of the characters that go by the names of the Inu cast. I own all other characters and this universe is intellectual property of me and a bunch of other people who I've probably forgotten. The point- don't copy it!

A shiver ran up Kagome's spine as she strode down the familiar forest ways, her eyes scanning the ground, particularly under small rocks and such. The sun was shining, the weather was warm, it was pleasant out here. It reminded her of her dream.

With a shudder she found what she was looking for, the same plant she had found in her dream, and bent to retrieve it when she heard a terrible snarling. The hair on her neck rose and she froze in fear before shaking herself.

Stop being a fool, Kagome. It was only a dream! She screamed at herself, dropping her basket and grabbing her head in her hands.

The snarling was suddenly broken into yelps of pain. Almost like a dog's whimpering, yet different. Almost like a wolf's!

Kouga, what's he doing here? And where's Inuyasha? She suddenly thought, getting to her feet, her basket forgotten, and running towards the snarls-yelps. This couldn't be good, the hunting dogs had always hated Kouga's wolves, she could only suppose Inuyasha, being a dog demon, would as well.

The snarls grew louder, as well as the yelps, and there were now thuds and growls. Kagome broke into a sprint, stumbling a little over her kimono's hem. She burst through the layer of trees and cried out, seeing Kouga kicking at Inuyasha's raised arms. Kouga's fists were bleeding while Inuyasha's clothing bore bite marks on it. The circling, yelping, wolves leaped as one for the half-demon.

"Stop it, stop fighting!" she cried, waving her arms. Kouga paid her no heed, but Inuyasha froze in his tracks, letting the wolves pounce on him and smashing into a tree trunk as Kouga gave him a hard kick in the stomach. What was Inuyasha doing, stopping like that? He was getting clobbered!

Oh shoot, I just gave an order! She realized, rushing in.

"Stop it Kouga, get off of him!" she cried, pushing at the wolf demon. He obliged and pulled the wolves off as well, revealing a disgruntled Inuyasha with his sleeves and pants shredded and blood flowing from bite marks. He glared at her with narrowed amber eyes, a look of pure hate.

"Kagome, you know this mutt?" Kouga asked nonchalantly. "Is he your slave?"

She glared at him, aware that Inuyasha's eyes were boring holes in the side of her head.

"None of you business Kouga, we'll be leaving now." she said, turning to help Inuyasha to his feet. He only growled and sprang up on his own.

"Wait, Kagome!" the wolf demon started but she strode past him, signaling Inuyasha to follow her, which he did. The two demons snarled as they past each other but other than that they got back to the house in one piece.

"Idiot girl." Inuyasha snarled as they broke out of the forest cover. She turned and met his eyes, narrowed and shooting daggers at her own. For some reason her temper snapped just then. Maybe it was because of her dream, maybe it was because of Kouga, maybe it was because of Inuyasha, but she glared back at him.

"Look, I'm sorry about that but you can't just insult me whenever you want!" she shouted, turning and glaring at the taller demon. "I'm sharing my home, food, and life with you and all you do is shout at me and make life hard!"

"Oh, they why don't you just do something about it then?" he snarled back, fangs bared. "Just order me to kill myself, or come up with some other, 'more worthy' punishment!"

"You know, I think I'll do just that!" she shouted, seething with anger.

"Alright then, do it!" he replied, crossing his arms and glaring down at her, at which time Kagome faltered. She'd never kill anyone, never, how did he think she'd even do such a thing?

"I... I..." she started but was cut off with a snort from the half-demon, who leapt nimbly back into the forest despite his wounds.

That night the dinner table was one person short.

Stupid girl, she was always just blundering around and then apologizing, he thought savagely from where he lounged across the tree branches outside her room. Preferably, he wouldn't want to be there, but it was the only good sleeping spot he knew the way to by heart. After all, it was too dark to see.

Why did she have to buy him anyways? In her own way the girl was even worse than his previous masters, and that was saying something, the half-demon thought, glaring at the curtained window that lead to her room. She was so annoying, and what a temper! Sheesh, what kind of parenting had she gotten to be allowed to just run her mouth off like that? What sensible human would allow their child to run around making trouble?

A groan made him leap to his feet looking this way and that for whoever had made it. Too bad he couldn't make anything out besides the girl's window. Damn it, of all times why did it have to be the new moon tonight?

Humans just had to be near blind in the dark, and he just had to serve his monthly time as a human. After all, it was the fate of all half-breeds. He hated it.

Whoever it was groaned again and he managed to pinpoint the sound. It was coming from the girl's bedroom?

Feeling hand over hand he moved down the tree branch, carefully pushing aside the curtains and peering into her room. Nothing but darkness, he was blocking the faint light from the moonless night.

Silent as an assassin he slipped in, taking to the shadows as he heard the girl stir and moan. She was having a bad dream was all, no danger to himself here. He turned for the window, but something held him back.

Turning he saw that the girl had moved again and the smell of perspiration was in the air, strong even to his human senses. From her moans and groans she seemed pretty traumatized, it didn't seem right to let her suffer.

There you go again Inuyasha, just more proof she's poisoning your mind.

Shut up.

With that he crept over to her bedside, cursing when the floorboard beneath his foot creaked, and grabbed the girl by the shoulder, shaking her roughly. He'd wake her up but he wouldn't be gentle about it.

'The bushes rustled and Kagome turned, her heart beating in fear. She knew what was coming next and she tried to resist but her body didn't heed her mind and went carefully over to the bushes. She drew aside the curtain of leaves-

and was thrown off her feet by the world as it rumbled and buckled beneath her-'

Kagome's eyes snapped open, her heart pounding in loud thumps. Something was on her shoulder, and as her eyes quickly adjusted she saw it was a hand, a hand that belonged to someone just beside her bed, their face hidden in shadow.

She couldn't help it. She screamed.

"Hey! What are you trying to do, scare the life out of me?" snarled the familiar arrogant voice. Kagome's high pitched note died at once and was replaced by anger.

"What are you doing in my bedroom, Inuyasha?" she cried, sitting up furiously then realizing she was in her night gown and dragged her twisted covers over her shoulders.

"I couldn't sleep, you were all moany and groany, and in case you haven't noticed the only decent tree around here is the one just outside your room!" he snapped in response, "And unless you want to wake the whole household quiet down!"

"Well you were sleeping perfectly fine for every single other night!" she snapped in retort, though she lowered her volume.

"How would you know that?" he asked quickly.

At that she could only blush in embarrassment, glad that the darkness hid her pretty well. Actually, after she woke up from her nightly dream and couldn't get back to sleep she had been looking out the window, and therefore seeing Inuyasha sleeping like a baby, though she would never say that aloud. She had found the sight strangely comforting.

"Because I like looking at the stars, and you just so happened to be in the way!" she said after an awkward silence, though she couldn't completely mask her embarrassment. "Why are you hiding in the shadows anyways?" she asked again, pleased to see that now it was her turn to catch him unawares.

"Why should you care?" was the angry response.

Well, if he wouldn't show himself she'd find out the hard way. Reaching over to her bedside she found the candle holder and the flint and tinder she always kept near in case of nighttime strolls. With a deft flick and a blow she made a fire and lit the candle.

Inuyasha must have heard her because he made a mad dash towards the window, but too late.

"Inuyasha, what's going on?" she said with a gasp staring at him.

His hair was black now, like her own, and his now brown eyes were glaring at her angrily. The wind from the window blew back some strands of hair and she saw the ears, human ears, right where they were supposed to be. Not the silver dog ones that were supposed to be on top of his head. She almost thought she was looking at a different person, until she saw the collar around his neck. That was Inuyasha alright.

Stupid girl, she just had to get curious, Inuyasha thought savagely as he stood, illuminated by the candle light. Another part of his human mind was wondering why she hadn't commanded him to show himself, but that was quickly snuffed out by his own fear and anger.

"If you tell a single soul about this I'll..." he started, glaring at her knowing that whatever threat he tried to use it would never work. To his surprise she nodded mutely in compliance, still staring at him, her eyes wide.

"What happened?" she asked again, her voice barely a whisper.

"What happened, the new moon, that's what happened." he growled in response, not liking at all that she had found out about the secret he had worked so carefully to hide. He should have never woken her up, he should have left her be with those horrible dreams of hers, yet if what she said before was true she would have seen him anyway. She would have found out.

"You mean, you turn human on the new moon? Every new moon?" she asked again.

"Yes every new-"

"And you couldn't sleep because you're vulnerable now-"

"If you tell anyone about this-"

"I won't, as long as you don't tell anyone about my dreams."

Hold it, dreams? He blinked at her for a moment. That explained why she was always looking tired all day, and was tired all day though only he could tell it. She had been having bad dreams at night.

"So you've been having bad dreams every night?"

"Yes, and don't tell anyone, please! I don't want them to worry about me!" she pleaded.

"Just worry about keeping your own mouth shut!" he snapped back before hopping onto the windowsill. "Now good night!"

With that he climbed carefully back to the tree, finding his place again, and sat, facing the opposite direction. It didn't take long for him to realize he was being watched.

"What now?" he moaned, turning to glare at her.

She was leaning against the window sill, watching him, though she averted her eyes as he glared at her. If he read her expression right she looked pitying.

"I don't want your sympathy." he growled, turning around again.

Ten minutes later nothing had changed. Kagome was still watching him from the window and he was getting very annoyed.

Turning, yet again, he glared at her.

"Aren't you going back to bed yet?" he snapped, unable to take it any longer.

"I won't be able to fall asleep." she replied with a sigh, "I'll just wait for morning to come."

Just like him, waiting for morning, but she did this every day. He only had the new moon's night.

"You'll get sick." he said pointedly. It wasn't the dog days of summer anymore. Fall was coming and the nights were getting colder.

"Then maybe I'll actually be able to sleep without those dreams." she replied stubbornly.

"It's your life." he said, though he didn't turn around again. Surely she couldn't keep this up forever, but for now it looked like she could. She was just standing there watching him, her eyes occasionally darting around the grounds. Of course, now he was getting tired. There was nothing to do, and these stupid human senses of his told him he should be sleeping. He had to do something or just drift off into unconsciousness.

"What are your dreams about anyways?" he asked, pretending not to be interested.

"It's always the same. I'm walking through the woods, I stop to pick up a plant, and then I hear a bush rustle. I turn around and this thing attacks me." he could hear her shudder involuntarily. It was probably worse than she had described it. Then again, humans were always overreacting to even the smallest things. One day he'd killed a stray rabbit in one of his forgotten master's fields. His daughter had burst into tears and started screaming, getting him beaten and then promptly sold. It had been just a stupid rabbit.

Suddenly the branch creaked and he was jerked from his train of thought. The girl was climbing up the branch, towards where he was sitting, and settled herself beside him. He promptly turned the other way, wishing she hadn't blocked his way down. Human bodies were so frail, he couldn't just hop down like he normally would have.

"I see why you sleep up here, it's nice." she said quietly.

"You mean you've never climbed a tree before?" he asked sarcastically.

"Nope, it's not as easy as you think."

"I've never had problems with it, even on the new moon." he replied. Everyone climbed trees when they were young, he had just supposed she would do the same.

"Well you're a practiced climber." she said with a huff.

"If you call jumping onto a tree branch practiced." he snapped back.

"You still have one night a month-"

"Oh just shut up!" she was getting annoying now, but at least she had taken his words to heart. The silence that came between them then stretched far longer than anything else. Finally he broke it, feeling a little uneasy.

"Why me?" he asked, but he received no response. Turning around he saw she was asleep against him, her face turned into his now black hair.

Well, at least he wouldn't be falling asleep for this night.

A/N: Okay, I think that last part was really lame but it has to start somewhere doesn't it? -cringe- Sorry for the wait, my favorites list just got two stories longer and I was really caught up in reading them. But hey, I updated in a week right?

Replies:

Inutashio: Oh no, don't do that! -cringe- Anyways, you read above, you tell me. I couldn't exactly have Inuyasha torn to pieces could I? Do you think it would have been better if I had made them fight in a barnyard? I originally thought of that...

Neko-Yuff16: Nope, sorry, but I have no place for her to have a good part. Inu's just going to avoid the princess of ice.

Amaya Mitsu: I'll see if I have time, and that cliff hanger was horrible in my eyes. Don't worry though, I have a really good one coming up in the next chapter or is that bad?

GoddessDiana: Lol, how ironic.

cheli81, Naturesunicorn, Anime-Devil-101: Thanks for the reviews, and as you can see I've updated.

Mariahbaby: Really? I wouldn't exactly call it beautiful, but if you say so!

turtlerad17: Yes, that's a bit of an issue with me. I don't like too much OOCness in stories. I guess it's a little... creepy?

Keyo-Red angel of hope: Yup, I have a description above. The rosary will come into play later though, but I think I'm going to edit some of the beginning chapters so it can have a bit of a bigger role. Sorry all, but I think I'm going to take some time off new chapters for that.

Copperline Kitty: Really? Well I'm sure nobody says "bad dog" to him afterwords.

Victoria Wolf: She'll jump in and make a big mistake that causes Inuyasha to get injured though not very badly. Yup, that's what she'll do.

-looks up- I only had... 12 reviews? I'd like more than that please. I want a solid fifteen before I update, please?

Darkwolf