Ahh! OMG! I am soooo sorry I haven't updated in so long!

School is hectic, not to mention my life in general. It's half past midnight here and I am posting this quick. Sorry tis so short. I promise to post Chapter 12 next time I get, because it is already completed. Thanks for your patience!

'Ships: Kagome/Inuyasha, Sango/Miroku

Chapter Title: Guilt Changes Everything

Chapter Teaser: She wavered, wondering whether or not to tell Inuyasha the whole truth. She decided against it.

Notes: "words"- means speaking; 'words'- means thinking; italics- emphasis on words

Dedication: Rozefire, Rogue Pryde, Pline, and all of my reviewers!

Disclaimer: I WOULD HAVE THOSE DARN PRAYER BEADS IF I OWNED THE DOG DEMON!

Chapter Eleven: Guilt Changes Everything

"No, damn you! I actually didn't do it!"

A very disgruntled hanyou, more concerned about Kagome (and how many ways to kill Kikyo and Kouga when he got a hold of them) than the fact that he was in handcuffs, was trying to cover up his faux pas.

Kagome was sitting, staring absently at Sesshomaru's body when she seemed to realize Inuyasha was in trouble. "Stop." She said quietly. As those were the first words she had spoken, everyone froze. Inuyasha looked up, but Kagome was staring at Sesshomaru and her voice quavered slightly when she spoke again, "I-It was Sesshomaru. Not Inuyasha."

That was all she said. The police released Inuyasha, apologizing briefly before turning to a still unconscious Sesshomaru. He was sentenced to five years without bail for attempted assassination. But those six words were the only thing Kagome said for a week. A week dragged on to two weeks. Two weeks dragged on to three and Sango and Miroku were getting worried.

"She's traumatized." Sango whispered to Miroku one night.

"Maybe it's Post-Traumatic Stress? Aftershock?" He reasoned.

Sango shrugged, "Whatever it is...we need to get a hold of Inuyasha."

No one had heard from Inuyasha since that day.

Sango and Miroku were both slightly irritated and slightly worried about his absence. "What if he did something stupid?" Miroku asked. Sango looked at him and replied, "How probable is that?" Miroku sighed.

"Knowing Inuyasha, it's not probable...it's certain."

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Kagome stared at the wall, fingering Inuyasha's beaded necklace. (Ch. 8) She had forgotten she had even had it. (hehe, so had I...) It had been placed into her jewelry box with great care. She didn't want to wear it in the shower for fear of it eroding the string, making it more liable to break. But now she had it out, twisting the cool glass beads and an occasional slick fang around her fingers, thinking about him. If she had not forgotten about the damn thing, she could have thrown it at him with the tabloid. Even though she was positive she would yell at him next time she saw him...

She wanted him there.

To distract her somewhat, she flicked on the television. Glancing at it, she realized it was on MTV, one of her favorite channels. Smiling a little smile, she watched a video by some rap group she'd yet to hear of, enjoying the beat. Then there it was. A bump on her window. At first she thought it was a skipped beat in the song, but then it turned to a playful knock, kind of like when you play ding-dong-ditch but you have to knock on the door because they don't have a doorbell...

Her eyes growing wide, she ran to the window and unlocked it.

"Inuyasha" She breathed.

She barely allowed him to clamber through the window before she threw her arms around his neck and sobbed. Inuyasha's own eyes widened and he awkwardly patted her on the back. Pulling her gently away from him, he replied, "Geez, woman, you're gonna ruin every shirt I own if you do that every time you see me. Am I that ugly?" Kagome hiccoughed, laughing and crying at the same time, she turned back to the TV screen.

A sweet little piano melody began and Kagome suddenly squealed, "I love this song, but I've never seen the video!" Plopping down on her bed, she turned up the volume to Britney Spears, "Everytime". Inuyasha wrinkled his nose in clear distasteat seeing the barely-clad pop star emerge on the screen. Kagome watched the video, while Inuyasha made comments...

"She went out like that?" (wearing only a very short dress and a shirt it looks like.)

"How did she start bleeding from her head?" (bathtub scene)

"Did she die?" (running down the hallway in white)

"I don't get it!" (ending)

Kagome was still staring, transfixed, at the screen.

"They had to cut a scene out...it implemented suicide. I heard about it the other day... And the bathtub part. You bleed faster in water. So if she was trying to kill herself, that's why..." Kagome said, turning her eyes slowly back towards Inuyasha. "Now what are you really doing here?" She asked.

Inuyasha, taken aback at her change of subject for a moment, decided to reply honestly. Which happened to be extremely out of character for him.

"I wanted to see how you were. And to ask you something."

"Shoot."

"Why was I the first blamed when the tabloid came out?"

Kagome stared at him. Should she tell him about Hojo? In her mind, she picked a daisy...

I should...

I shouldn't...

I should...

I shouldn't...

I should...

'Stupid, imaginary five-petal daisies...' She thought reluctantly.

"Okay, Inuyasha, I'll tell you..." She paused for breath here and began, "When I was fourteen, I had a boyfriend. His name was Hojo. His father was the editor of a well-known tabloid. Well, I..." She wavered, wondering whether or not to tell Inuyasha the whole truth. She decided against it. "I broke up with him. His father agreed to spread rumors about me. The printing was ceased before it got widely mainstreamed, but still, a few people saw it."

"So you just..." Inuyasha began, but Kagome finished for him.

"Assumed it happened again," She replied with a shrug.

Suddenly, Inuyasha felt very guilty. His face was beginning to tinge pink and he felt very hot and emotional. 'Oh, Kagome...That's exactly what I'm doing...' Suddenly becoming very interested in the watch on his left wrist, he shrieked, "Holy crap! I gotta go! I'll be late!"

"Wait!" Kagome jumped up, "Where are you going!" But he jumped from the window and dashed across the lawn before she could get an answer. All the while he was thinking, 'I have to stay away from her...'

A even more confused Kagome made her way to the library to clear her mind.

She walked into the room and shut the door behind her. It was when she was looking for a book that she heard it. "Hello Kagome."

Whirling around, she screamed.

Naraku.

Again I'm really sorry this is so really, really, really short.

To my 10 for Chapter 10:

I'm super exhausted, so right now I'm just thanking you by pen-name...No cute comments this time, sorry ya'll...

myinuyasha04
Key17
alejandra
XxDemonic-PrincessxX
alishia
Black-Rouge Dapura
kokoro
Ahnatmas
Pline
partalien0

(special thanks to the last two, they motivated me to get my lazy butt in gear.)