Disc: Nope...Don't own any of the characters of the manga/anime or the lyrics, those are Matchbox 20's again...

A/N: Well...I'm surprised that I managed to make this update! I had like nothing written on it even as late as yesterday. Wow! I don't know if it's any good for something turned out with such speed...and you may note that I made an error...This is NOT the epilogue guys! You're going to have this "extra" chapter becuase as it was flowing out of me (that's what stories are like sometimes, just flow like a spring) I realized I had more to write than just an epilogue would allow. So you get this extra finishing chapter. The next chapter will be the epilogue...and it might be shorter than everything else, depends on what my reviewers tell me to put into it...that's right...YOU guys can tell me...this one is 14 pages (sighs) it just made itself long again...it might have more mistakes b/c I'm being lazy and not proofreading everything again...but I DO have to go through and italic everything (it seems to eat my italics now) and add the dividing lines and all. Kay...Inu's waking (YES! He's going to live guys!) I tried to make humorous, and as is typical of him when he's gone full demon and wild his memory is a little on the fritz at first...anyway, my new running gag is the in light of the fact that Inu is short of breath thank you Koshi's arrow from last chapter. You'll see...kay, nextly (I know it's not a word!) Suki sings a song here...I actually looked up an English folk song and took the lyrics, it's called "I know where I'm goin'" and it's real...the man's name in the song is supposed to be "Johnny" so when you get there you can chuckle at me b/c I leave it out b/c obviously Johnny isn't a Japanese name...(coughcough) and LASTLY! For those of you lamenting that this story is about to be over I have TWO others I am writing at the same time: "I Miss You" and "With Our Arms Wide Open." WOAWO is a sequel so you have double the reading in front of you, but if you read I Miss You which is my latest and review that one I'd be MOST pleased! (bows to her reviewers) But thank you again! ALL of you! On with the fic!

Breathe Through The Pain

"Yes there's times I've been afraid

And there's no harm in that I pray

'Cause I'm more frightened everyday

Someone will take the hope I have away…"

The breathing was slow, shallow, and pained. The firelight flickered unceasingly while she stared at Inuyasha's chest, watching the slow puffs, in and out, in and out…a few times she saw him shudder and attempt to cough, and after each try he'd fall utterly silent for a few moments…and each time the young woman found herself stiffening with horror.

You can't die…don't leave me…

Yet, despite her fears, each time the hanyou would once more shiver back to life, inhaling shallowly the precious oxygen that he needed to live. And slowly she started to realize that as the hours passed the rise and fall of his powerful chest was growing steadier, deeper. The attempts at coughing lessened. Soon the rate was as even as ever, as steady almost as her own. There was nothing to make her think he was anything but asleep for the most part, except for the damned arrow sticking so cruelly from his ribs.

A voice startled her into blinking and turning her gaze away. She didn't know how long it had been since she'd moved her head or her eyes, but her body knew that it'd been a long time. Her eyeballs ached at the sudden movement, her neck tightened with a brief stabbing pain. Her own body's needs were slowly rising above the fears her own soul had, willing her to stay awake to watch after Inuyasha's wellbeing.

It was Sango who'd spoken, her voice soft and gentle, like a mother's caress. "Kagome? You're still awake?"

Slowly she nodded, "Hai."

The demon slayer, who was laying comfortably beside Miroku, with Kilala curled in the crook of her legs and waist and Shippo sleeping between her and the monk, an obvious ploy to avoid the slight chill, sighed gently. A tiny, tired smile graced her face as the chocolaty brown eyes fell on Inuyasha's steadily breathing form.

"I think you can sleep now, Kagome—he's going to live." She whispered, confidently.

Although Kagome was beginning to suspect that that was indeed true, she didn't trust the hanyou not to slip away if she closed her eyes. If death were to slink into the impromptu camp while she slept and steal Inuyasha from her, she'd never be able to forgive her lapse. If death came for her hanyou she planned to fight it or offer herself up in his stead…

"I want to stay awake for him…"

"He won't wake anytime soon, Kagome, but you know if he was awake he'd want you to sleep too…"

The girl looked away from Sango and back toward her hanyou, watching in silence as the wheezy, but steady breaths were drawn and released. The powerful diaphragm flexing the injured muscles despite enormous pain and discomfort. Kagome's eyes shifted along the shaft of the arrow that had caused the half-demon so much grief, and she winced.

"Sango…" she whispered.

"Yes?" came the answer, equally quiet.

"I'll never be able to sleep you know…" she fought the tears, "Not when he's still like this."

She heard Sango's soft breath, a tiny utterance of understanding that was filled with emotion. The demon slayer sat up, twisting to look at Kagome a little better. When their gazes met Sango smiled, tears sparkling in her own eyes. "You know, Kagome," she murmured, "I thought the same thing about you when you were still delirious with fever in the village." She shook her head, "I just kept thinking of how it felt when you'd been ripped from us the first time so suddenly…" her voice caught, "I've felt that sort of thing before," both of them knew she was speaking of Naraku's cruelty when he'd slain her family in front of her using her little brother, "And I never want to feel it again…"

Kagome finished her friend's heavy words for her, "Not without saying goodbye, first?" she whispered.

"Yes." She gave a tiny laugh, "So I know what you mean…"

"Sango?"

"Yes, Kagome?"

She paused, her gaze lingering once more on the hanyou who meant so much to her. "Why did he kill those samurais…?"

The demon slayer's expression clouded instantly and she looked toward the unconscious hanyou, her face unreadable. "Kagome…" she bit her lower lip as if stopping the words from flying out of her mouth and seemed to rethink the problem before risking further utterances, "Sometimes, Kagome, I think that you are the only one that keeps us all together."

The schoolgirl frowned, confusedly, "What?" neither of them missed the meaningful look that Kagome's eyes left on Miroku. It was a silent thought shared by both girls: Miroku helps keep Sango here…but despite the amusement that flickered in Kagome's eyes, Sango was not so easily playful.

"Without you, Kagome, Shippo is miserable, I am lonely, Miroku is uncomfortable with leading, and Inuyasha…" both girls' eyes flew to the hanyou as he shuddered in his sleep once before settling once again.

Kagome whispered his name to herself, shuddering in some unnamable, mysterious emotion, "Inuyasha…"

Sango turned back to her friend with an immense sadness in her eyes, heavy as the rain clouds before they burst and send their precious waters over the land, "Kagome," she breathed the other girl's name softly, "Without you he went crazy. He just left us, and didn't come back." She shook her head; "I don't think he ever would've come back if fate hadn't reunited him with you."

Kagome's cheeks brightened with something close to a blush and her gaze lingered once more on the still sick and sleeping hanyou, "I didn't know I meant that much to him…"

Abruptly Sango snorted and laughed a little, drawing the other girl's attention with a snap of her neck muscles. "What's funny?"

"Kagome—how can you be so blind?" the demon slayer demanded, through a thick grin.

"I don't know what you're talking about!"

Miroku jerked in his sleep and lifted his head, looking around blearily at the sound of their voices. Immediately Sango and Kagome turned away, sliding into themselves and pretending that they hadn't been talking. But it was too late.

"How's Kagome blind?" he asked, groggily.

Although she tried to hide it both the schoolgirl and the monk could see Sango's blush. "I was saying, Miroku," she began, clearing her throat, "That Kagome is blind to the obvious fact that Inuyasha…" her voice drifted and then died…

Only to be picked up and finished accurately by the monk, "That Inuyasha loves her?"

Sango didn't answer, but Kagome made a choking sound, staring in horror at the sleeping hanyou, as if she feared that he could hear them, and then looking back to Miroku with a terrified, confused expression. Finally she hissed at him, "How could you say something like that Miroku? What if he heard it? He'd never stop teasing me for it!"

"I wish he had, then maybe he'd surprise you." The monk sighed as he settled back down and snaked one hand around Sango's waist, trying to pull her closer to him, "It's too cold to sleep alone…" he murmured softly in her ear…only to receive a backhanded slap to the face.

"You'll live." Sango growled.

As the couple continued to argue Kagome stared at Inuyasha's silent body, wondering if they could be right…but doesn't Inuyasha always insist that he still loves and worships Kikyo? That's what I've always thought…she remembered Koshi's face as he'd told her of what Inuyasha had done that had forced such deep fear and terror inside the villagers' minds. He killed samurais…but why? What had driven him to do it? He hadn't been provoked she assumed, and he was alone when it'd happened. The thought struck her: alone…

Despite Inuyasha's callous appearance he was not fond of being unloved or unwanted or of being alone. She easily remembered that when she'd first met him as a bitter, angry, wild thing he'd tried to kill her for the Jewel…or was there more to it? Perhaps her resemblance and scent-likeness had made the hanyou even bitterer upon waking that he had wanted to lash out at her…but although he'd said he would kill her he hadn't actually done it—just tried to take the shards. Maybe he wouldn't have been able to make himself kill her because of her resemblance to the girl that he somehow still loved, deep inside…

But she doubted it…and at any rate, those were his feelings for Kikyo, not her!

And yet the thoughts wouldn't leave her mind…

It was nearly dawn by the time she finally nodded off into a deep, exhausted sleep. Only a few feet away, next to the smoldering remains of the fire, Inuyasha's body was warm and breathing steadily. In his feverish, confused dreams he was searching for the girl that haunted his memories—his Kagome.

In the afternoon of the following day Inuyasha stirred, regaining consciousness enough to blink open his golden eyes and to hear the sounds of his companions just behind him. Thus it made sense that he started to roll over, his memory was foggy, his senses blurred, but rolling over was not the wisest thing for him to do, though in his delirious mind there wasn't a problem with it. His brain had yet to register the tingling electrical transmittance of the nerves located in his ribs and lungs that would've told him—had he waited a second longer—that there was a nasty foreign object lodged happily in his flesh.

He rolled over nonetheless and received quite a wake-up call.

The weight of his body pressing down on the arrow shaft in his side cracked the thin but deadly wood audibly, catching the attention of his companions, human and youkai alike. Well, if the snap of the arrow as it jerked and pushed a tad further into the hanyou's side didn't make them turn their heads his way then Inuyasha's resulting scream of agony certainly did. Immediately three humans and two youkai rushed over to push the hanyou back onto his stomach the way he'd woken up.

"What the hell…is going on!" Inuyasha gasped and wheezed through his pain—his left side felt as if it were on fire! The others clamored about him—Kagome on his left, Sango on his right, Miroku somewhere further back and Shippo was planted on his butt—or at least he thought it was Shippo, it could've been Kilala, or even Miroku's right hand for all he knew…the thought forced out deep growl that ended in a pathetic cough as his left lung protested and tried to deflate like a saggy balloon. The pain shot through him, and although he could hear the others babbling away, probably feeding him nice words and answers, he couldn't focus well enough to understand them. Why was he in such pain?

He reached one clawed hand out; pawing at his left side, only to find that something warm and surprisingly strong caught it and ceased his foraging exploration. Frustrated he twisted his head that way and found Kagome, staring down at him as if she were his mother, the calm and gentle façade over her face enough to tell him that something was wrong—though the pain told him that well enough! His ears sank backward and he moaned as much as the pain in his left side would allow him to do. "What the hell…" his voice died and became a weak wheeze as he struggled to breathe again, "…happened to me…Naraku?" he asked, feebly. His memory was on the fritz. He remembered a village, a few men in suspiciously samurai-like armor…but everything else seemed gone. He sensed, deep within him, something of great pain—not the type of pain that now rippled through his ribs and left lung—but instead the pain of misery, of loneliness, of loss…

As if she could read his thoughts Kagome's hand squeezed his own and Inuyasha blinked, staring hard at her until he could make out her clear and surprisingly genuine smile at him. That's funny, usually when I do something and get myself hurt she's not so happy…did we kill Naraku? No that's not possible, I'd remember that…he let his head sink to be supported completely by the hard ground and tried to focus on the world outside him again…aside fromKagome's lovely face there was alsoa hand on his shoulder—Sango's. Shewas speaking to him.

"What?" he breathed, the sound coming out more of a gasp than anything else.

"I asked if you can breathe all right, Inuyasha?" her voice seemed right in his ear and he cringed.

"Yes! Let me the hell up!" he choked out with one painful but full breath.

"Do you remember what happened?" this time it was Miroku, whose voice filtered in from somewhere behind him and to the right—next to Sango he supposed. Always near enough for a quick grab…he wanted to snort with a "Feh!" but he knew it would hurt too much and the resulting satisfaction wasn't really worth it.

"No." he admitted, his voice wheezing again. Damn it all! Whatever had left him this way had done its job well. How long had he been out? A wound to the lungs…he tried to remember if he'd had such a wound before and came up empty. Yet that didn't mean anything, he'd wounded everything at one time or another and by human standards should've been dead years ago. But his youkai half was a lot tougher and designed for such wounds and more. His vital organs could regenerate easily—they worked a lot like muscles did when they were stretched. The place that had been harmed was repaired and likely made thicker than it had been before, like a callous. Callous lungs…he decided to ask something that he felt abruptly was very important, "How long…?"

"Only since yesterday." That was Shippo's voice, and for once Inuyasha didn't want to hit the little annoying youkai kit. If he'd had the lung capacity he would've sighed, but because he didn't he simply closed his eyes with relief. If it's only been since yesterday then I'm healing pretty fast…a punch through the left lung—in three days he guessed he'd be up and breathing with only minor pain…

He started to push himself up, but immediately felt his companion's worried hands all over him. With a scowl—but for once without a growl or a snarling word—he swatted their hands away. He heard them move away from him a little, giving him space—all but Kagome. She remained on his right side, watching him with her dark, intense gaze, full of concern. The moment he sat up he felt a terrible tickle in his lungs and started to hack, though the pain with such movements made him cringe and wince in agony. Damn my stupid lungs!

A few hacks later and they were all around him again, trying to encourage him or get him to lie back down and Inuyasha scowled and glared daggers at them even through his pain. Yet when the coughing fit had left him Inuyasha found that he had a mouthful of very gross gunk—and it tasted like blood. The others were watching him with concern and before he could even consider the action's consequences he'd swallowed the gunk. After all, when one is wounded every little bit of nutrition helps—so why waste what the body has already made as waste? But the others all appeared uncomfortable suddenly, which only angered the hanyou more. "Back off!" he barked, forcing his voice to be strong and steady.

They did—even Kagome gave him space this time. Satisfied Inuyasha peered down at his left side for the first time and gawked. Through the bandages he saw half of a shaft of an arrow burrowed into his side. "Damn it!" he hissed in a mixture of anger and astonishment. He reached to pull the thing out and the others rushed in to stop him, each shouting in the negative.

"Inuyasha—wait, stop!"

"No, don't pull it out!"

"Don't do that! Inuyasha!"

He glared at them, his fingers wrapped around the arrow shaft. "Are you blind?" he snarled, and then gave way to a fit of coughing that produced yet another mass of what tasted like dried blood. Once more he swallowed, making his companions grimace.

"Inuyasha, if you pull it out you'll probably start bleeding again…" it was Sango's voice, from his right side.

And from his left Kagome was nodding, "And I think your lung might collapse."

The hanyou scoffed, unimpressed with their worry. Stupid women—I bleed all the time. And to think that I wouldn't be able to manage on one lung! Without another thought he closed his fist tightly around the arrow and wrenched it out of him, biting the insides of his cheeks to avoid screaming at the fresh pain. Screams erupted around him and he felt hands touching him, several of which were trying to pry his fingers from the offending arrow—but it was too late.

In a few seconds there was a small trickle of blood oozing from the arrow's entry wound and Inuyasha started shredding the wimpy string of wood to distract himself from the terrible pain that was rushing through him, as well as the lightheadedness…

The others waited, their eyes wide with fear and worry, but there was nothing that they could do any longer. If Inuyasha died drowning in his own blood with a collapsed lung they couldn't fix him. There was no way to do that in fifteenth century Japan.

But despite their fears Inuyasha actually started to look better—despite the blood that was coming steadily from his side again. After the first few minutes, during which the hanyou held his breath, he started to inhale again. They were tiny breaths and never very deep, but somehow he took them, anyway, and even managed to glare at them murderously while he did it. The amber eyes were tight with intense pain at first but by the time the arrow's sliver of wood was broken into tiny pieces by Inuyasha's claws, the hanyou looked considerably more comfortable. His breaths suddenly became deeper and quicker—not normal but certainly closer to normal, and his pain seemed to have diminished greatly.

"Inuyasha…?" Kagome asked, timidly from his side.

He looked at her, focusing carefully through his remaining blur of pain and barked shortly, "What?"

"Are you going to be okay?"

"Duh!" he stopped and took in another of those shallow but deep breaths and spoke again, looking from one friend to another, "One thing…" he took another wheezy breath, "Did I kill…" another breath, "The bastard…?"

There was a brief pause as they realized what he was asking and then, before they could stop themselves they burst out laughing, worry was erased. Inuyasha was going to live if he had the state of mind to bother with whether or not he had managed to kill the person that had left him so wounded. Through their laughter they didn't see how angry the hanyou was getting, his amber eyes darting from one companion to another, his fists clenching. He couldn't growl and speak too—there wasn't enough lung capacity. But he certainly could glare, and he made good use of it.

"Did I?" he demanded, snarling as best he could on only one useable lung.

Miroku and Sango were still too busy laughing with Shippo to answer but Kagome managed to sober herself enough to answer him—although untruthfully—with a silent nod.

Satisfied, Inuyasha huffed briefly once, and tried to cross his arms, but stopped when he realized that that both hurt his ribs and decreased his chest space. Frowning in misery he continued to glare at them and wondered what had happened to him—to them? Everything seemed normal but something deep inside him whispered that it wasn't…why don't I remember? He asked himself, and then nearly shivered despite his burning pain at the responding thought: maybe you don't want to…

He bonked Shippo on the head to distract himself—knowing full well that Kagome would never sit him when he was so wounded. Thus when Shippo whined and bounded to his protector Inuyasha managed to grin triumphantly as the laughter around him ceased. And it's about time too, he thought, there's only so much being laughed at that a guy can take!

Koshi notched the arrow carefully and lifted the bow, taking careful aim. More than a hundred feet away the tree with the target—which he'd drawn there himself earlier in the day with charcoal from Mijai's fire—whispered in the wind. The youth paused, the bowstring taut, the arrow ready and aimed…and his mind wandered.

It'd been nearly three whole days since the night that he'd scored a decent hit to the Red Demon's lungs. Of course when he'd been aiming the shot he'd meant to slice through straight to the demon's heart. He had heard that demons were mortal to a certain extent—after all, if they were truly immortal like gods, why would there be demon slayers? Yet still he couldn't shake off the feeling that the Red Demon was still alive somewhere…and although he had let Sakana and Kagome go, along with all of their strange friends, Koshi still felt as though he had failed himself, and the samurais that had died…

My shot would've felled a mortal easily...He assured himself and suddenly he bowstring tugged itself free of his fingertips and went flying through the air with its typical whirring sound. There was a thunk when it hit the tree—not on the target at all but slightly farther left of it along one of the tree's branches. Yes, slightly left… he sighed, knowing that the arrow that had been aimed for the Red Demon's heart had gone slightly left too, missing the perfect alignment that would've sliced through the edge of the left lung and burrowed through the left ventricle and right atria of the heart instead, coming out it was likely at the right collarbone. Instead his arrow had whizzed too far back and to the left side of the demon. It must've ripped right through the lung on that side…

If I were right handed and not left handed then just maybe… but Fate had given him a dominant left, and had bestowed a useless right. He could never change it.

Frowning, he reached back behind his shoulder for another arrow and notched it…

A small, high pitch girl's voice reached him, making his hands quiver and weaken…the arrow lost its perfected position, the bow lowered. Koshi turned his head, glancing behind him. Just through the trees he could make out the spot where the women washed their laundry in the river. When he'd come it was empty, but now he saw that while he'd been practicing someone had made her way down to wash clothes…and he knew this someone.

The girl's dark eyes, pretty and sweet smile, her long, straight black hair that flowed down and over her shoulders, like a black waterfall, all teased him, made his muscles twitch. He watched her lowering fabrics into the water, watched her begin to gently run her delicate fingers over the folds of kimonos and haoris and hakama pants…and he was nailed where he was, just as firmly as any arrow lodged in either wood or flesh or stone, by the sound of her sweet, wavering voice.

Does she know that I'm here? He wondered, and as her song continued he listened, and realized with a jolt that she didn't.

"I know where I'm goin' and I know who's goin' with me
I know who I love and my dear knows who I'll marry…"

She stopped, staring out over the river and pausing in both her simple song and the task of washing the clothing. Her dark eyes strayed over where he was through the brush that separated him from the river, but although Koshi stiffened and prepared to be caught watching her she didn't seem to see him. Her eyes passed right over him and there was no sign in her face that she had seen him at all. So Koshi remained where he was, straining intently should she begin to sing again.

After a moment the girl resumed working on the clothing, but it was absently, and she seemed not to be there at that spot mentally. She was actually elsewhere, thinking about someone or something else. Her eyes were misted over as she worked over the fabrics, kneeling in her simple peasant's kimono—which happened to expose her milk-colored legs, making Koshi sweat.

When did I start feeling this way about…Shisuki? She was only a girl, it was true, there was no use in denying that, but she was beautiful, and she was sweet natured, just as Sakana had been. It was just such a nature that he loved. The arrows were completely forgotten at his side as the girl at the river below took up her song anew…

"Some say he's poor, but I say that he's bonnie
Fairest of them all is my handsome winsome…"

She lifted her eyes again looked about, her face flushed red. Once more her gaze briushed past him and once more she failed to see him. Perhaps she sensed someone's presence nonetheless? Koshi hardly dared to breathe lest it disturb her last word of song…but as the seconds passed it seemed clear that she wouldn't finish the lyrics, whatever man's name was in it. He was about to try and creep away so as not to embarrass her by revealing himself, when he heard her let out a long and heavy sigh. His eyes and attention were immediately drawn back to 'Suki.

Shisuki was wringing out the haori she had been washing, her knuckles were so pressured that Koshi could see them bleach white even from so far away. A moment later she jumped to her feet and flapped the material in the wind before placing it back in the basket that she'd brought with her to the river, folded neatly but still clearly damp. When that task was done she lingered, staring at the river again and sighed out one single name, "Koshi…"

He waited, watching her intently. Sure enough a moment later the girl sat back down and gazed at her reflection in the bright water, squinting in something that looked like disgust. Her voice was quiet when she spoke to herself again, "I'm almost as pretty as Sakana was…why can't he see me? Mother says that any young man in the village will want me in a year—but…" her vice died and with sudden vehemence she slapped the water's surface and turned back to the clothes with much more vigor, taking out her frustrations there it seemed.

Koshi felt himself release a breath he hadn't known he'd been holding as the girl resumed her work. His mind was spinning. I barely know her…he thought, but I'd love to court her…he felt his jaw set hard as a rock and nodded silently as if agreeing to himself, coming to a decision. I'll speak to her father this evening, I'll beg him if I have to! A different side of him rose up, discouraging him for a moment: you have no money, you could never provide for her and her father will laugh in your face…he felt his heart sink. That was true…but a revelation struck him in the same moment: I could work for Shisuki's father and family. It would save me from the samurais when they come to check on this village and it would give me a place to belong…

Carefully, cautiously, he turned his back to the river and slunk away through the brush, leaving Shisuki to her frustrated work. Soon, he promised her silently, soon you and I will drink sake together and let the gods smile on our union…perhaps Fate has aligned everything more perfectly than I first thought…he had lost a father to the Red Demon in exchange for the promise of a permanent family, a permanent home.

In a small way he was thankful suddenly to the Red Demon, for just as the maple leaves in the fall turned brilliantly red in the fall before they tumbled away free in the wind, so too had Koshi freed himself from the samurais. Fate had provided…it wasn't Sakana he had come to the village for, it was freedom and the girl that somewhere behind him was still washing clothes in the river…

Beautiful 'Suki…

He had never been more relieved to see the old hag ever.

For a week they'd traveled steadily in that direction, all of them putting in the last extra effort to get their destination—because once they got there all of them knew that a giant rest was in order. Kagome would go to visit her family for a time, making sure to bring back lots of Ramen and chocolate for Inuyasha and Shippo, and anything else that she thought might catch Sango or Miroku, or Kilala's fancies. The monk and the demon slayer would relax until cabin fever drove them to head their separate ways—Sango to the demon slayer's village to honor her family's gravesites, and Miroku to the temple where he had been trained to perhaps purify himself (not that it ever worked). Shippo would probably entertain himself by annoying Inuyasha or playing with Kilala as well as learning from Kaede.

And Inuyasha…of course he couldn't ever do anything except agitate about their lack of activity, although throughout the journey to Kaede's the hanyou was remarkably quiet. Whether this was due to pain from his wound, lack of air, or maybe some emotional turmoil none of them could venture to guess. For once he didn't lead the group and tended to look as if he were near to passing out. The others kept a slower pace than usual for him—a thing that was unheard of until that moment. When they thought he wasn't looking all of them threw his nervous glances, usually to catch his angry glare right back. It appeared that although his spirit was willing his body just was not. They might've worried about him but because he showed no sign of deathly illness they assumed he was fine.

In reality the hanyou was recovering as best as one could—on just one lung. The stress that his body had to endure without the other half of its respiratory system to oxygenate his blood was enormous, slowing his recovery. Also, unusually, Inuyasha actually worried, silent as he was, whether his left lung would recover again or not. He doubted that Kaede could help him much but it was worth a shot, and at the very least he could rest…it was hideously embarrassing to him that he had trouble keeping up with his companions. He'd always prided himself on his strength and speed, and now one, perhaps both, had been compromised. He feared attack continuously as they traveled back, but for once luck was with them and the group arrived at Kaede's without incident.

That was how Inuyasha soon found himself under the prodding, invasive, dried and shriveled up old hands of the hag. He cursed his failed left lung for limiting his growling and snarling and speech abilities. It made the hag's task easier because he couldn't curse her so effectively, and it was, apparently, entertaining for the others to watch because they were once again laughing at him.

"Ow!" he raged, slapping at her probing hands, he wanted to curse her too but that one very loud exclamation had taken up too much air and he had to breathe again before he could speak, "Stop it witch!" another breath as Kaede frowned at him and the others sniggled quietly, pretending they weren't watching, "Damn you!"

"The wound has healed well outside, Inuyasha," Kaede nodded positively, the fingers of one hand digging through the layers of his bandages, the other holding up his weakened left arm away from his ribs. Inuyasha wanted to clobber her with it. "But on the inside…" she sighed and withdrew, scrutinizing his shirtless chest as if he were a fish that she thought might just be too small to eat, as if she might throw him back out into the lake, a hook still in his lip.

"Brainless hag!" he choked out and stifled a small cough. Damn that lung! Haven't I coughed enough already! "You're telling me…" he paused to refill his single lung, "Nothing new—and it's…" more breathing, "Really damn annoying!"

He threw Miroku, Sango, Kagome, Shippo and Kilala a combined dirty glare as their sniggles reached his ears. The silent promise in his glares lately had been honed and perfected. He could pin each of them just right enough that it would wipe the grins from their faces. He'd learned to do this during their long nights together on the trip home when his difficulty speaking became most obvious. Now he tried it, moving down the line until all of them were silent once more.

Kaede reclaimed his attention then with a long and loud sigh—which seemed to Inuyasha to be a mocking thing because he himself couldn't do it… "Ye will just have to rest, Inuyasha, until the wound heals completely."

He rolled his amber eyes skyward and tried to rise to his feet from the futon she'd lie out for him, but Kaede held her hand out in front of him sternly, "Inuyasha—did ye not just hear what I said?"

Inuyasha barked out a short answer, the only thing he was capable of doing right now, "Piss off!" again the tickle rattled in his left lung. Damn it! Well, at least it doesn't hurt so bloody bad anymore…

"Inuyasha," Miroku spoke now with a sigh in his even voice, "It's late—where do you expect to go anyway?" it was a reasonable question and Inuyasha knew that he'd end up sleeping in the corner anyway, and it didn't really bother him at all, but he couldn't go down without a fight or he just wouldn't be Inuyasha.

"Stay here and sleep with the rest of us." Miroku finished, shifting the staff from one shoulder to the other, making it jangle pleasantly in the small space. Inuyasha caught a glance from the demon slayer to the monk, filled with suspicion. Miroku had just freed up his right hand which, besides being "cursed" was also the closest to Sango. The demon slayer edged away from him slightly, though Miroku appeared not to notice at all.

The hanyou couldn't help but smirk at their antics. His eyes slid to Kagome and he noticed that she was already staring at him, smiling faintly. It won't be bad sleeping in here at all…

He woke gasping in the middle of the night, his chest tight with pain of multiple kinds. The muscle pain from the desperate flexing of his diaphragm as it tried to force him to inhale. The stabbing pain in his left lung where his body was still trying to mend the organ before he could breathe with it again. Yet also with a pain that wasn't physical but was just as grippingly painful as all the others.

In the darkness his amber eyes adjusted until he made out the peaceful forms of his friends—all of them. They were all there…just to be certain he tried to scent them too, but it was a difficult task with the way his chest hurt so much. Was there danger? He paused, holding his breath for as long as he could stand it before he had to gasp pathetically again to recover, but it was long enough. There was nothing amiss…only himself and…the past…

In the week of travel he'd been far too tense to wonder what had happened that he couldn't remember. The pain in his chest and his difficulty with even simple speaking had taken up most of his thoughts during their journey home. He hadn't ever asked the others of what had happened and they seemed content to leave it that way for now during his recovery…only now it wouldn't be necessary, he remembered…

The pig demon, rushing at them, pinning Kagome between its terrible tusks and nothing but the thin air…the schoolgirl had chosen the air. He remembered rage, slaughtering the beast until there was nothing short of blood and guts left, the mangled parts of a once living creature, still steaming and warm. And then there was the grief. The mourning. Heavy and thick inside him it still lingered, like a parasite, sucking away his strength, his sanity. He had done things; he had been feral. Did the others know? He wasn't completely sure and the shame he felt outweighed the guilt. He wouldn't ask them. He would rather bury it…but…then there was the grief…

His mind was a boggled mess. Kagome was dead in his memories; he was wild with that knowledge. And then there was the village and a different girl who smelled like Kagome but was sure that she wasn't the schoolgirl that he knew…that he loved…and somewhere through that mass of confusion he had been wounded—he couldn't remember that, no matter how hard he tried—and woken to find everything nearly back to normal. It was almost as if he had dreamed the whole incidence…had he?

When Inuyasha forced himself, despite the pain, to take a long, deep breath he scented them all—even Kagome. They were all healthy and just as he remembered them before the pig demon that may or may not have attacked them…all except for Kagome. Her school uniform was gone. She had worn a simple white kimono on their way back instead of the short green skirt and white shirt of her time that normally covered her frame at all times…but the kimono wasn't really what bothered him. The schoolgirl had a way of sometimes losing her clothes in their adventures…he liked the thought that perhaps one day she'd lose her clothes for him…but that wasnot the point.

The point was that the girl's scent as well as her clothes had changed. Her scent was full of stress hormones, a sign that she had been sick for sometime and weakened. He couldn't remember that having happened. How had she been weakened? When had she been sick? He couldn't answer these questions and yet the scent was there…

In his memories he had nearly lost her for good, nearly lost her to the nether regions of Death itself. As powerful as he was he didn't think that he could survive with his sanity if she left him like that again—so suddenly, without ever giving him the chance to—

But he buried the thought and settled back into his corner, choosing to lie on his stomach to further aide his lungs. In the morning…he thought with as much of a sigh as his pained lungs would allow, in the morning I'll ask Kagome what really happened, and then…then I'll tell her how much I'd really miss her if it ever really did happen…but even the thought of that small admission scared him witless. What would she say? What would she do? What if she figured him out and it made her uncomfortable? He shuddered and tried to force all thoughts away, calling the deep sleep that his body needed to heal him, up and out of the dark recesses of his conscious mind…

Minutes later he was asleep.

Endnote: YAYS! You guys are AWESOME! Thanks to you guys this little fic of mine is close to having some 250 reviews now would be my guess...I'll watch for the lucky 250th now...THANK YOU ALL!

Pyrinsomniac WOW! Thank you! sveta89, Taeniaea, cool-chick-rae it's perfectly okay! It was you that solved this one for me as I recall (grins) I owe you more than you owe me silly! Missyblue Wow! Thank you! I got a lot of you telling me that this chapter was good (grins) don't know how besides the sudden action... Lady-Sttar Yes...I mean part of her has got to understand grief, intense emotions make everyone act in ways that they wouldnt otherwise... SerenaClearwater hehe...I know I went on a major cliffie splurge there...but now that I've had my fill of them I think my last update (WOAWO) and this one are FAR less cliffie-ish...but there can always be mre (winks) Yami Chikara hehe...I'm glad you forgot! And you guys have even gotten another chapter out of it...I guess I'm feeling generous today too (snickers) Tiamath About your review of Was It All A Dream, (shakes head) You ARE loyal! I think I astounded myself when I wrote that one...all the blood and death and emotion and rage...(shudders) I like couldn't face it...I don't even know why I posted it! I will try, becuase you requested, to reread it and consider writing the conclusion (it was close to being done) but it's going to be tough...I promise nothing (sheepish grin) especially when their are happier fics here waiting for me... And yes, i could revisit Koshi and Suki yet again if you wish it...if enough of you wish it anyway, and see (grins) I didn't kill Inu! Lena17 updating is...(ponders) well let's just say I write ALOT, especially lately without play practice (which will change again sadly, I'll be forced back into it soon...) and it looks like I have the advantage in your quest to be irritating (grins and winks) I can leave CLIFFIES! (evil grin) toxiclollipop Thank You! Unwary Hanyou I LOVE your name! hehe...yes, I AM a slave to writing, seriously...but it's a loving slaving relationship... Psycho-PlayGirl WOW! Thank you! I'm very glad to hear that! And happy to please! I just wish my own fav. authors and stories would update...(glares at her Favorites list muderously) b/c then at least I could have something else to do besides writing my own...ahh...my boredom is agood thing for you guys no? fanfiction1 THANKS! (squee!) I'm sorry your butt hurts though...(snickers) and I'm sorry I hurt Inu...blame it on my Adv. Bio class, I now, whenever I'm writing about his pain and his lungs I have the visual of our Fetal Pigs...(grins) lungs are squishy you know...(shudders)

I think that's it...if it isn't and I forgot someone I offer my sincerest apologees and offer up the chapter and it's decidedly un-cliffie-ness as a peace offering, and the promise of the next chapter. I have a schedule for my updates now...(grins) so I update a story everyday and I have three of them, so tomorrow it's I Miss You's turn...please read and review that one...(whimpers) I'm always excited about something new, but I like to have you guys guide me too...sometimes the reviewer's opinion is the difference between whether I finish it or not of get writer's block or whatever...seriously! Again I must admit that I have no preview for you...(sheepish smile) but I DID make the update ontime! (grins proudly) and tomorrow I think Ishall make I Miss You's update too...well that;s all for now! Remember I'm watching fornumber 250 now! SQUEE! I think we can do it easy before the next chappie is ready (as soon as Weds guys!)...gotta go...