A/N: FORGOT TO SAY..these characters don't belong to me at all (but you all know that) but I do own this new enemy of Inuyasha's, which you will know once you read on ),

Only one review so far? Even if you don't like my story, I will still publish it, hahas. But please R/R anyways.

Bonded Lives

Chapter Three: Snatches of Love

Later in the evening, our fellow heroes decided to make camp near a hot spring, a place that they were familiar with. A village wasn't far off, which they decided to visit the next morning.

Of course, the guys were being gentlemen enough to let the women bathe first..

The steamy atmosphere of the hot spring was more than enough to calm Kagome, Sango, and Shippo down after a long day.

"This feels great, doesn't it Kagome?" Sango asked her, "there is nothing like a nice bath after a long day."

"Yeah.." Kagome agreed, looking up at the starry night. You can always see the stars here, it's wonderful.

She sighed deeply and went a little deeper into the water. Sango, and even Shippo notice how quiet she was after the attack, and were worried.

"Are you sure you're alright Kagome?" Shippo inquired, swimming around casually. "You seem quiet. You didn't even argue with Inuyasha at all!"

Kagome forced a smile. "No...but since I probably won't be here for much longer, I guess we should try to get along."

"What do you mean?" Sango asked. "Are you going back to your own time?"

"Once all the shards are found, what else can I do?" Kagome mumbled, obviously depressed.

"What?" Sango asked increduously. "You'll always be welcome here Kagome!"

Kagome looked into the water, and her eyes watered. She shook her head. "Not by everyone, Sango, don't forget, Inuyasha will become a full demon by then."

Sango looked at Kagome, shocked. Her friend's eyes were so filled with pain that her heart ached for her, as it did for Kohaku.

Kagome started to cry, letting out some of the pain that had been wrenched into her heart ever since she fell in love with Inuyasha. "I've never meant much to Inuyasha, nothing more than a shard detector. Once all the shards are found, Sango, he won't care about us anymore! He'll be a full demon."

Somewhere in a Cave

"He'll be a full demon.."

"Kagome, you pathetic weakling," a shadow sitting in the dark, mysterious cave muttered. The form of this shadow was a woman, and she was observing Kagome through a puddle of water that was on the ground. Her claws were long, and sharp, and they seemed to be caressing a shining bottle that was strung around her neck. Echoes of the drops of water could be heard in the cave, which set the ambiance for this demoness.

The blue eyes of this mysterious demoness flickered as she observed Kagome through the water. This was all connected with the bottle that was strung around her neck. Slowly, the demoness lifted her sleeve, and gently ran her finger up her pale, slender hand. Suddenly, she used her sharp claws and pinched her skin there until she drew blood.

Back in the Hot Spring

Kagome gasped and winced in pain. She quickly retaliated her arm out of the water and hugged it, wondering where the sudden sharp stab came from.

"Kagome.. are you alright?" Sango asked, worridley.

Kagome looked at her hand, which was flawless, and showed no evidence of pain, yet the sting could still be felt.

"I'm...okay.." Kagome said slowly, wondering what just happened. Sango smiled, relieved, and stood up to shake off the water from her hair.

Back in the Cave

"I'm okay.."

The demoness laughed. This proved their connection was real. She continued to admire Kagome's confused face, relishing the girls stupidity and her own cleverness.

"Imagine, bestowing the powers of a priestess upon such a weak fool," the demoness muttered to herself. "Well, this was worth sacrificing a shard over. Priestess of the Other World, you will be my weapon of destruction."

And she caressed the bottle once again.

Back with Inuyasha and the others

Kagome and Sango quickly put their clothes back on (to avoid Peeping Tom's) and headed towards camp. On the way, they found Miroku keeping guard.

"Why, I will never understand why women look so radiant after a hot spring bath," he complimented Sango. She blushed a little, and was about to reply when she was interrupted by a certain hanyou.

"Finally you're done. Does it really take all day to take a bath?" Inuyasha asked.

Kagome opened her mouth, and was about to say something snide back, but found that she couldn't. She looked away.

"I gather it's our turn to cleanse up a bit, will you watch our things for us?" Miroku asked, in his nice way of talking.

"Of course," Sango said, and placed Miroku's staff close to the fire. "I'll keep it safe. Inuyasha, are you going to leave your Tetseiga here?"

"Yeah, why not," he said, remembering the time when Jaken nearly made off with it. "But you better watch it."

"We will, we will," Shippo said. They watched the retreating backs of the two guys, and when they were out of sight, Sango brought up a subject that she had wondered about for a long while.

"Kagome..?" She started, once they both settled near the fire.

"Yes Sango?" Kagome curled up into a ball and gazed into the burning embers. Sometimes, she could lose her worry on peaceful night's like this, and the weather was perfect, too.

"Tell me.. do you have feelings for Inuyasha?"

"Of course she does," Shippo said nonchantly, "it's written all over their faces." A smaller Kirara came out of the bushes and jumped into Sango's arms, folding herself into sleep.

Kagome looked at Shippo, and smiled. "Is it?" She looked up at the sky, really serious this time. "I don't know, Sango.. sometimes I feel like I love him, and sometimes I know I love him but I'm afraid to, you know?"

"What's there to be afraid of?" Sango studied Kagome. "I can tell, he feels something for you."

"Yes, but what? Sometimes I think I mean something to him, but I think he only protects me because.." her voice trailed off, almost afraid to say it.

"Because?" Sango knew what Kagome was going to say.

"Because I'm his shard detector."

"I think it's more than that, Kagome."

"You don't understand, Sango. At times I can feel a connection, but it never lasts for long. He's always placing a barrier between us, and I know he still misses Kikyo. "

Sango was still looking at Kagome, full of empathy for her friend. "Kagome...have you ever really talked to Inuyasha?"

"No, do you think I'm crazy?" Kagome couldn't help but laugh a bit at the thought of telling Inuyasha how she really felt. "I'd rather be rejected later than now, atleast later on, I can still stay here just awhile longer."

Sango looked away, and had nothing else to say, nothing else to comfort her friend about. Because she herself didn't know.

Behind them, in the bushes, stood Inuyasha. Out of their sight. He had came back to get his Tetseiga, which he felt was safer near him than with them, and had heard every word of their conversation. His head was down so that his bangs covered his eyes, and he stood still, still processing what Kagome just said.

I never knew she felt that way..