The hut is surrounded in lonely darkness. The sky is too dark and cloudy to have any stars or even let the moonlight show through. Inside the hut is even more darkness. Kagome is sitting inside hugging her knees close to her. I can't believe I yelled at her.

Kagome shakes her head nervously. "I don't believe this."

"Believe what?"

"I'm sorry…but there's just no way. I wasn't meant to stay here. I don't belong here!"

"Mommy?" Yume questions.

Yume wipes the tears away from her eyes. "W-What?"

Kagome stands back up, furious. "I don't believe Kagura, or InuYasha, or you, or anybody else! You're not my daughter! You're not!"

Yume looks confused and upset. "Mommy…"

"Stop calling me that!!"

From the bushes, Kouga and InuYasha look on helplessly. Kouga ducks down again. "Kagome is pretty upset." InuYasha nods. "Yeah she is."

Kagome's face is tear stained and angry. Yume is confused and sad. "I don't understand."

"Look, Yume, I don't know where or who your mom is. But she's not me! You said yourself you don't remember much. How do you even know that I'm your mother?!" Kagome yells. Tears well up in Yume's eyes.

Kagome sighs. I can't get a break. First I get Souta deathly sick and now Kagura wants to use some girl for Naraku's plan? And pose her as my daughter?!

"This isn't happening to me." Kagome says quietly out loud. Sango and Shippo are asleep in the other side of the hut. Miroku is asleep in the corer away from Sango and Kagome's empty sheets. Kagome turns her head and looks up at InuYasha across from her. He's asleep too. Next to him Kouga is sound asleep with Yume right next to him. Kagome buries her face in her arms. "Am I the only one who is freaked about this?"

"Would you keep it down?"

Kagome looks up to see who's talking. InuYasha rubs his eyes sleepily.

"Sorry. Did I wake you?"

"Not really."

Kagome shrugs. An eerie silence fell over the hut. Kagome refused to let her eyes close although she was begging for some sleep. InuYasha stayed awake until he felt tired again. But Kagome's voice broke through his sleep again. "What do I do?"

InuYasha yawns. "'Bout what?"

"Kouga tried to talk to Yume but I don't think he got through."

InuYasha yawns again. "Normal." InuYasha closes his eyes. "Stupid wolf doesn't know when to keep his mouth shut."

Kagome shrugs again. "Guess so."

InuYasha looks up again. She guesses so? What's that mean?

Kagome gives in to her refusal of sleepiness and closes her eyes.

"You think Naraku is doing this to you on purpose?"

Another shrug and a quick muffled "Hmm." escaped Kagome. "Sango said you were looking for me earlier."

InuYasha nods. "Where were you?"

"I wanted to go back home. I thought if I did and someone noticed I'd just say I home to change. Decided not to I guess."

InuYasha looks down away from Kagome. Is she that scared?

"Naraku shouldn't have to make you suffer like this. Or the girl. Next time I see that bastard, he's dead." InuYasha tightens his grip on the Tetsusaiga.

Kagome doesn't reply at first. Finally she whispered a "Thank you." And fell silent again.

"Hmm? What's wrong?"

Kagome looks up for the first time since she and InuYasha started talking. She had tears in her eyes and looked very pale. InuYasha lost grip on the sword and it fell to the side and clattered on the ground. They both froze afraid that would wake someone up. When nobody said anything for a while InuYasha picked up the sword and laid it down next to him.

Kagome didn't say anything or do anything but stare at the floor and sob softly.

"Kagome, you ok?"

Kagome doesn't reply.

"You alright, Kagome?"

Kagome didn't say anything again. "No. I'm so tired but I'm afraid to even close my eyes for a second. What if Kagura kills her overnight? I can't let that happen. I already feel bad about yelling at her. She didn't even try to defend herself."

"She knows. It's instinct. At least that's what Sango and Miroku told me."

Kagome peered out the window to gaze at total darkness. "I can't believe it isn't morning yet."

"You've probably been up all night."

Kagome looks him straight in the eye but at he last second, he looks away. Kagome shrugs again and looks down. He still can't look me in the eye. She buries her face again and closes her eyes. InuYasha thinks about going back to sleep but Kagome says something to get his attention.

"Out of all this madness, who can I trust? Who's gonna help me? Who's going to help Yume and get her back to her time? She probably hates me I yelled at her so much. I can't do it. It's just too much pressure. After what you've told me and what Yume has said, I don't think I can do it. I can't even go to sleep."

Kagome thinks about what all she just said and wishes she didn't say it out loud. After what seemed like hours but was only seconds she heard something next to her that scared her. She looked up quickly and InuYasha sits down next to her.

"InuYasha?"

"I've been asleep most of the night. You get some sleep and I'll watch over the brat and watch out for the witch."

Kagome nods gratefully and buries her face once again and in seconds is asleep.