Hey everyone! I'm not too sure about this one so please give me any ideas or criticizing you see fit. I will try to update as soon as I can...but I'm not done so don't think that! Ok then! Hope you enjoy.

Chapter 6: Why Me?

Kagome awoke to the sound of the creek rushing close by. She attempted to sit up only to be weighted down by two strong, bare arms that could only belong to one person. She looked up to see the one who was protectively holding her so close in his lap. She saw Inuyasha asleep against the back of a tree, his face peaceful and his ears twitching. A smirk came across his face and a low growl sounded in the back of his throat. 'I wonder what he's thinking about.' Kagome thougth sarcastically as Inuyasha pulled her closer. Kagome smiled and sat watching the sleeping hanyou. He was so peaceful when he was asleep.

She nuzzled her face in the nape of his neck and was soon falling asleep when she felt Inuyasha's body tense and jump as he let out a small yelp. Kagome sat up and looked to see a troubled look on his face. His ears were back in pain and he gripped her closely in an extremely protective manner. He whimpered slightly as he struggled to not hurt the girl in his arms in his dream. At this point Inuyasha's entire body was tense and on guard. "Inuyasha? Inuyasha...shh. It's ok. I'm here. I'm here." she said gently caressing his cheek and ear.

He slowly began to calm down and released the tension in his body as he also released the tension in his grasp on Kagome. She smiled as his eyes slowly opened. "Ka...Kagome?" he said as he sleepily came to. She gave him a loving smile as he fully opened his eyes now. "You were having a bad dream." she said. He let out a sigh of relief, now aware of his surroundings. A troubled and thoughtful look then followed. "Inuyasha?" Kagome said as she sat up and twisted her body to face him. "What were you dreaming about?" she asked quietly. He sadly looked up to face her eyes.

"I was...dreaming about...losing you Kagome." he said, his eyes full of sadness. Kagome smiled. "Inuyasha. I'm right here. I'm not going anywhere. It's ok. Don't look so sad." she said.

"No Kagome. It was...awful. I had you right in my arms and I still couldn't protect you. I don't want that to ever happen." he said, looking away in shame. Kagome gently pulled his chin to make him face her. "You're not going to lose me. I won't leave you. I promise. I'll always be with you." She smiled warmly and kissed the boy she loved. She then stood, looking down at him as if he was supposed to follow.

"I'm sure the others are worried. We did just kinda leave yesterday." Inuyasha pulled at her hand making her collapse into his arms. "They'll come looking if they're concerned. You know that. Can't we just stay here a little while longer? Please Kagome?" he begged her. She smiled and kissed him once more before standing and recieving a whimper and feh from Inuyasha.

He crossed his legs and arms and looked away proudly. "You can go wench, but I'm staying." he said, thinking Kagome would then stay with him. He was wrong.

"Fine. Sit ou...Oh Inuyasha I'm so sorry!" she screamed as she realized what she'd said. She ran over to him as he mumbled something into the dirt.

"Why do you do this to me?" he whined as he slowly sat up. "Oh! I'm so sorry! I didn't do it on purpose that time! I'm so sorry!" Kagome said, placing kisses all over Inuyasha's face. He laughed and pulled her back into his lap and kissed her lovingly on the lips in forgiveness.

"When you're old and can't walk because I "S"ed you too many times...I'll carry you ok?" she said, pleading for forgiveness with her eyes. Inuyasha growled affectionately before kissing where he bit Kagome the night before. "Inuyasha!" Kagome said giggling. "I'll never be old. What are you talking about?" he said arrogantly and smirking at the miko in his arms. She just giggled and pulled him into another loving kiss.

LATER

Inuyasha jumped out of the well and into the small shrine with Kagome on his back. He ran towards the Higurashi's house and jumped into Kagome's window, setting her down on her bed. Kagome stood and walked over to her giant yellow book back and began to unpack it.

Inuyasha sat down with his legs cross in his usual stance and watched Kagome as she unpacked. She'd never looked so beautiful. As she leaned down to grab something else out of her bag, her hair fell over to the left side to reveal her now fully formed mate mark.

She looked over at the smirking hanyou. 'What's he thinking about?' she thought. "What?" she asked simply as she stood, her hand on her hip, smiling. Inuyasha stood and walked over to her, grabbing her hand and pulling her to her mirror. He pulled her long hair back to reveal the mark. Kagome gasped. "What's..."

"It's your mate mark." he replied

"But...just yesterday it was your two fang marks."

"It transforms into this. This is my clan's symbol."

Kagome ran her fingers over the small purple crecent moon that had now fully revealed itself on her neck. She turned, smiling, to face Inuyasha."But..Where's yours?" she asked. As if to read her thougts, Inuyasha pulled down the neck of his kimono to reveal it just above his right breast. "But I didn't bite you."

Inuyasha smiled at the confusion written all over Kagome's face. "I know. I'm the male. I'm dominant. So when it shows up on you, it automatically comes to me."

"Well that's not fair." Kagome said laughing. "That hurt when you bit me." she complained, pretending to pout.

"You can if you like." Inuyasha said, smirking at the pouting and pulling at her hips and closing the gap between their bodies.

Kagome smiled triumphantly and then leaned up to his neck and hovered for a moment.

Inuyasha growled and pulled her closer as the heat of her breath on his skin aroused him. "Kagome..stop playing." he whimpered. She smiled knowing she'd made her point and bit his neck as he had her. He yelped as well, causing Kagome to smile as she pulled away. "See...It does hurt doesn't it?"

Inuyasha smirked right back. "If it means I'm yours then I'll take the pain any day." he said leaning down and nipping her mark and sensing her scent spike in pleasure. "Inuyasha." Kagome whispered. "Stop. We're at my house now. My family's here." she said giggling quietly.

Inuyasha couldn't keep his hands off of her. They wandered her body before resting on her hips. He nipped her mark once more before smacking her butt and smirking at her as he sensed it spike as he did so. "Inuyasha. Ok...stop. We've gotta go down stairs." Kagome said pushing Inuyasha away gently and removing herself from her pinned position against the wall.

She walked downstairs, followed by Inuyasha. "Mom? Sota? Grandpa? Where are you?" Inuyasha made his way to Buyo and began playing with him as Kagome searched the house for her family. She then came across a note on her mom's door.

'Kagome, I'm sure we will not be back by the time of your next visit for we've decided to spend the first month of Summer in America with your Uncle. I am saddened that we will not be able to see you on your 18th birthday but I'm sure you will want to spend it with Inuyasha anyways. We are all going to miss you and will think of you on your day. Happy birthday sweety! We love you!

Love, Mom, Sota, and Gramps'

Kagome sighed and walked back downstairs. "Ow!" Inuyasha yelled. Kagome laughed as she saw that Buyo'd swapped him across the face for playing with his ears. Kagome just laughed as the annoyed hanyou glared at her. "What's so funny?" he asked. "Well...If you hate it when people play with your ears...why'd you play with his?" she said, still trying to contain her giggles from the other side of the room. Inuyasha growled. "Well, I like it when you play with my ears." He jumped across the room and pinned Kagome once again against the wall.

Kagome busted out laughing at her next thought. "What?" Inuyasha wondered. This wasn't her usual mood at the time he did things like this. "Well..." Kagome said barely getting the words out through her laughter. "...if..you wanted to be...Buyo's mate you should've just told me!" She'd lost it by then and couldn't contain the laughter any longer as Inuyasha growled. "Feh." was all he could think to say before suddenly releasing her and walking up to her room and pouting on her bed.

Buyo simply looked innocently at the girl who was now crying from her laughter and walked outside as if nothing's happened.

Kagome made her way up the stairs and knocked on the door. Without waiting for a reply she opened it, walked in and shut it. She looked around to findthat Inuyasha wasn't there. "Inuyasha? Where are...YOU?" She squealed the last word as Inuyasha jumped from behind the door and threw her on the bed, lying on top of her. He smirked at his triumph. "So where us everyone?" he asked after sitting up.

Kagome remained lying down, but propped up on her elbow. "They're gone for the month..in America. I think they're thinking I might end up living there anyways because of college. But...I'm not. I'm...staying with you." she smiled as she looked at the grinning hanyou. "A whole month you say?" he said huskly before leaning down back on top of Kagome. She giggled as he removed his two shirt in the heat. "Yes. A month. And we're gonna be innocent little angels now aren't we?" she asked sarcatically. Inuyasha grinned and leaned down and nipped her mark.

"Are you crazy?" he replied, his hot breath on Kagome's mark. She giggled as chillstingled her spineand pulled him down onto the bed next to her. "Maybe just a little." she replied before kissing his. She giggled as she stood from the bed, pulling the reluctant hanyou up behind her.

He collapsed back onto the bed, his arms latched onto her waist, pulling her down with him. She giggled and tried to get free. "Inuyasha! Let me up." she said laughing. He growled and pulled her closer. "Ok. Ok. What do you want?" she asked still giggling.

"You." he replied softly, kissed the back of her neck and nibbling her ear. "You already have me." she said, revealing the mark on her neck and smiling. She giggled and stood. "Ok. Inuyasha, I gotta go to the store to get some food for dinner. I'll be back soon ok?"

"Where do you think you're going?"

"To the store. Why?"

"Not without me you're not."

"But..."

"It's gonna be dark soon. You don't really think I'd let my mate go out alone with darkness coming soon."

"Inuyasha I'll be fine. Don't worry."

"No Kagome. I have a bad feeling about this. You can't go today. Not without me." Inuyasha said protectively.

"Inuyasha! I'm going and that's that! Now you just...stay...here and behave and I'll be back soon enough." And with that Kagome walked out with a dumbfounded Inuyasha sitting speechless on the bed.

'We're finally mates...and she's the dominant one. I'm the male. I'm supposed to be the dominant one. I can't believe she's got me sitting here. ME! She should be the one sitting here...I'm dominant.' he thought, pouting heavily. He looked outside to see that darkness had fallen. He could still smell Kagome's scent walking two blocks away. She was in the store now. 'As long as I can smell her I suppose it's ok.' he thought, trying to reassure himself. He sensed that she'd left the store and was now on her way home.

Inuyasha sat for a moment and then shot up in panick. He sensed her scent spike in fear. "INUYAAAASHA!" he heard Kagome scream. Inuyasha shot out of the house and followed Kagome's scent all the way to an abandoned old mansion. He slammed through the rotten front door and stopped dead in his tracks.

His nose was overwhelmed with all the different scents. It reeked of blood. He searched through the scents, looking desparately for Kagome's. Then he caught it. The scent of her blood. 'I'll kill them.' he thougt, growling and followingher faint scent up to a locked room. He heard struggling behind the door and Kagome's squeal. He heard something knock hard against the wall as he shoved hard against the door. He forced it open to reveal Kagome lying on the floor and three men standingaround her, looking viciously at her barely covered body. Inuyasha gagged at the smell. The smell of blood was everywhere, but Kagome's was the freshest. He gagged once more and had to block out the scents, gaving a deadly glareto the three men.

"What do you want freak? Get out of here! Can't you see we're busy here!" one of the men screamed.

Inuyasha growled as he looked once more at the unconcscious girl on the ground. "That's my woman you're messing with. And I'll make sure you pay for it." Inuyasha growled and his claws sharpened in anger. He tried desparately to grasp hold of his control over his demon blood. He knew Kagome wouldn't want him to kill them. He tried so desparately to grasp hold of that idea.

"Your woman? You mean she's used? Tainted? That's my kinda girl. She looks about 18 don't she boys? She's perfect for us." the man snarled. He charged upon the now conscious girl who screamed andkicked him hard in the stomach but was then met by another charging upong her. He slammed her against the wall only to be yanked off by Inuyasha, who was now beating the crap out of him.

The last of the men saw his chance and charged on Kagome as well. He managed to rip part of Kagome's shirt off when a vicious and murderous growl came from Inuyasha. The man, in fear, struck at the first thing his fist came into contact with, which just happened to be Kagome's cheek. "You can have your stupid used woman! I don't want a whore anyways!" the man screamed as he kicked Kagome hard in the stomach before being ripped away from her and thrown through the wall.

"Inuyasha...please...don't hurt them...Please." Kagome pleaded quietly before completely going unconscious. "Kagome!" Inuyasha screamed. He turned, looking viciously at the last man. "You can have the whore! I don't want her! Personally I thought we shouldn't have! Really! She did look too easy. We like a challenge. Hojo would like her. That's why we did it."

Inuyasha was using every ounce of energy he had to restrain himself. At last he lost it and attacked the man. He beat him until he could barely feel his heart beat and then walked over to Kagome's still body, covering her with his haori and picking her up and holding her shuddering body close. I'll get them later." he growled lowly and ran as fast as he could to Kagome's house. 'Right now I've gotta worry about Kagome.'

IN THE HIGURASHI SHRINE

Inuyasha gently laid Kagome's battered body onto her bed and she instantly curled into a ball in the familliar surroundings. "Oh Kagome. I'm so sorry. I should've been there to protect you. Please forgive me." he said quietly. He could still smell the scent of her blood. "Please forgive me for this as well." he said as he began to remove what was left of her shirt as well as her pants, smelling te blood coming from her legs. She had dirt and grass everywhere. As Inuyasha checked for injuries, he then saw big blue-purple spots forming on Kagome's stomach, left ribcage and side of her hip; She must've fallen on it when they grabbed her or something; and cleaned the cuts covering her legs and cheek.

He growled lowly at the thought of the three men. Kagome stirred and whimpered as she slept. 'Kagome. I'm so sorry.' he thought.

"Inuyasha. Inuyasha help! Please help me..." Kagome whined in her sleep as she tossed from one side to the other. She then whimpered at the pain piercing through her sore body. 'She wants me?' he thougth. Inuyasha crawled up on to the bed and pulled Kagome into his arms. She instantly snuggled closer and calmed. 'Wow.' Inuyasha thought. 'I wonder if I do that when she comforts me in my sleep.'

Inuyasha sat, stroking Kagome's hair and kissing her head. The scent of the three men, the house, and blood still covered her body. It nearly made him gag again, but he searched forher scent and settled on it. "I love you so much Kagome. Please forgive me." he said, nuzzling his face into her hair. 'I can't believe what those men were going to do with her. I should've been there. But I was so determined to be good...I just...' he scolded himself, but was then interrupted Kagome stirring once more.

She slowly opened her eyes half way. "Inuyasha!" she screamed sitting straight up, only to wince in pain. She fell back into Inuyasha's arms. "Oh there you are." she said. Kagome looked up to see a troubled Inuyasha.

"Inuyasha? What's wrong? Are you ok?" she asked, concern lacing her tone.

Inuyasha flashed back to when he walked in seeing Kagome lying on the floor. The way those men were looking at her...It made him sick to think about. He was yanked out of his horrible thougths by Kagome's sweet voice.

"Inuyasha?"

"Huh? Oh...what is it Kagome?" he asked, realizing she was talking to him.

"Are you ok?"

"Huh? Oh yea. I'm fine."

After a moment of thought, Inuyasha looked at Kagome. His face was desparate and troubled. "Kagome? Please forgive me. I'm so sorry. I should've been there for you. I should've been there to protect you. I should've..." Inuyasha stopped at Kagome's now troubled look.

"It's my own fault." she said suddenly.

"What? It's not your fault Kagome! Why would you..."

"Inuyasha. You told me not to go. You told me you should go too. But I told you to stay. I should've gone to the other side of the street form the old house. But I didn't. I didn't care. I ignored everything. It's my fault." A saddened look crossed over Kagome's face.

"Kagome. It's not your fault. I should've gone with you, reguardless of what you said. I knew something wasn't right but I stayed anyways. It was my fault for not being there. Had I been there they wouldn't have even thought of attacking you."

Kagome sat for a moment, seemingly in thought. "Inuyasha?"

"What is it Kagome?"

"The man...he called me...used...tainted. He called me a.. a whore." Kagome said sadly. She looked down at her seemingly interesting hands.

"Am I...am I any of those things, Inuyasha?"

Inuyasha pulled her chin to look at his now angry amber eyes. "Kagome. Don't you dare listen to those bastards. You are not even close to any of those things. And you never will be. So don't listen to them. You're perfect and one of the most pure people I know." Kagome could see the small tears forming in the corners of Inuyasha's eyes, begging to be finally allowed to fall. But he just forced them back as he'd always done and continued to be strong for the one he loved.

Kagome's saddened smile relieved Inuyasha's frustration with the men subtly enough to allow him to calm down.

'Why is it that she can always seem to gain control over my emotions and not know it, when after I fight tooth and nail, I still dont gain what she does? How is it that she can do that?' he thought to himself as he smiled down on the exhausted miko. "I love you Kagome." he whispered into her ear and kissed her head. 'I don't know what I'd do without you by my side. I'd probably have lost it over a year ago. I'd have been a slave to my demon blood by now if it weren't for your love, kindness and devotion. Please don't ever leave me Kagome. I wouldn't make it without you there.'

'I love you so much Inuyasha. Please stay with me...forever.' And with that thought the two fell asleep comfortably, rightfully in each others arms.