What's happening to me? I can't stop writing one-shots! AH! Well, here's another one.

I'll Hold You

Everyone watched as Naraku vanished before their eyes, every part of him seemingly breaking down to millions of pieces. The demon's screams echoed all the way until his final breath. Amongst the group of travelers, Inuyasha watched as the Shikon No Toma dropped to the ground. Kagome rushed over to the jewel and picked it up, the jewel purifying instantly as she touched it.

The battle was finally done. But it the battle wasn't easy. Blood dripped from Inuyasha's sharp digits of his claws, his own blood traveling down the length of his arm. The only thing keeping the hanyou on his feet was his trusty sword, being used as a crutch for the time being as Inuyasha tries to regain his bearings.

Kikyo had made an appearance in the battle. The priestess was slain by Naraku however, driving his claws through her chest. His incarnations, Kanna and Kagura, had both fought against Naraku; forcing the demon to crushing their hearts, killing both of them.

Shippo had been carried off the battle field by Kirara so that he would not be harmed. The kitsune was forced to watch the battle from a distance, praying that his friends would all come out alive.

Glancing over to his left, Inuyasha's gaze settles on his traveling companion he's come to call friend. Miroku stood over in his own little world, performing a ceremonial prayer for everyone who did not make it. The monk had survived the ordeal and the empty void in his palm had disappeared, telling him that he was, for the first time since his birth, free. Free of not knowing, free of fear, free of the curse.

Even with Naraku's demise, Inuyasha couldn't help but grieve. A little ways off he could hear Sango choking on her sobs as she cradles her little brother tenderly in her lap. When they finally caught up to Naraku, the demon was just getting the last piece out of the jewel. The shard out of Kohaku's back. Without the shard, his life no longer had any means of attachment to the world of the living.

Inuyasha felt crushed at it. True he had never known the real Kohaku, the one that wasn't chained down by Naraku. He only knew as much as Sango had told him and everyone else. Even though he didn't know the boy, he had promised Sango that they would get him back when they finally killed Naraku. When he made the promise, he meant that they'd get him back alive, not like this.

"Inuyasha."

The hanyou snapped his gaze to the girl standing in front of him. Kagome... The girl from the future. The girl who's in love with him. He would love to be able to return that feeling to her, she deserves it. But Inuyasha knows he could never fully love her. She would always remind him of a broken trust he had with the late Kikyo. In her hands she holds the purified jewel, holding it out to him, beckoning him to take it.

Reality finally hit home. The journey was over. They killed Naraku and gotten the jewel. This is it. They finally have the jewel, he can make his wish. He can become a full demon now. Reaching towards the jewel, Inuyasha hesitates as a new thought flashes through his mind, 'If I become a full demon, what will the others do?' He had been told several times that he becomes a bloodthirsty demon when his human blood is shadowed over by the demon blood inside him. If he were to become full demon, would he turn into that bloodthirsty demon?

What if he used it to become human? Would that be the right thing to do? Yet if he became a human, and got rid of the demon inside of him, he would become weak. He won't be able to protect anyone the way he wants to if he were to become human. So when it comes down to it, he can become a full demon and risk becoming a killing machine, or he can become a weak human.

Inuyasha's hand hovers uncertainly above the jewel cupped in Kagome's hand. What should he do? Become demon, or human? Kagome had once told him that he should stay as he is. That wasn't an option though. To stay as he is would mean to forever be an outcast, feared by humans and hated by demons. Kagome would never understand the torment that it causes him. He has to become one or the other.

Inuyasha closes his eyes in irritation, 'What? What? What do I do damnit!' Inuyasha gives a soft growl as clenches his fists, his claws nearly breaking through the skin. Opening his eyes, he glances around. His gaze settles on Sango and her brother again. The slayer had stopped crying and is now just holding the lifeless Kohaku. Inuyasha shakes his head, pulling his arm back away from the jewel. Upon Kagome's confused look Inuyasha speaks, "Feh.. The jewel can wait. There's more important things to take care of first."

Kagome nods her head once, "Alright. Then just hold onto it. No sense risking me losing it again." Kagome tries joking. She places the jewel into the hanyou's pocket before he can object. Kagome glances over the Sango her gaze filling with sorrow for her friend, "Sango..."

"You get the monk. I'll go get Sango." Inuyasha says firmly. Kagome looks back at him, finally a bit uncertain about the arrangement. Inuyasha gives something that's a mixture of a smirk and a smile, not sure what he should do in this particular situation. "Feh... I'm not going to go and yell at her to stop being weak, if that's what you're thinking. So go get the monk and meet up with Shippo, and send Kirara over to carry Kohaku's body. He deserves a better burial ground then this place"

"Uh... alright." Kagome replies before running off towards Miroku.

Inuyasha turns away from the future girl and heads towards Sango. He takes his time on getting to her, trying to use the time to think of the right thing to say. After all, he never was good with words. He watches the slayer as she continues to brush her hand through her brother's hair, holding Kohaku's form in her lab. Her gaze never lifting up from her brother's face, not even when Inuyasha stops in front of them.

Inuyasha glances off to the side, finding it hard to look at her, "I'm sorry, Sango." Inuyasha says, his voice uncharacteristically soft. When the demon exterminator doesn't say or do anything to acknowledge his presence, he continues, "I promised that we would get him back. I know how much you wanted any part of your family still with you. But I failed to get him back for you, for that I'm sorry."

Sango's hands stop below Kohaku's chin, cupping his head in her lap. Black locks cover her eyes as she stares down at her brother. "Kohaku's free..." Sango voice comes out as a whisper, "That's all that matters."

Inuyasha can't help from letting out an irritated growl. It pissed him off to no end that she always tried to find the best in a situation, always trying to keep her sorrow concealed after being caught crying. Inuyasha knows from experience that it takes a lot longer than a few minutes to grieve over someone you love. Of course the only time he had grieved was when his mother died. Maybe he would have grieved for Kikyo while pinned to that tree for fifty years had he known that she had died after he did and that she hadn't betrayed him. He can't bring himself to grieve for her now however because the Kikyo he knew died long ago, she was no longer the same.

Yet Sango is different. She never allowed herself to grieve for her family. They had been all killed in one night, yet she wouldn't allow herself to grieve. She had always been strong, waiting for her revenge. Bottling up her sorrow inside, waiting one day for it all to burst. If she's to hold it in any longer, it could affect her more than she may think.

"Don't be an idiot Sango." Inuyasha's voice raises a bit, getting enough of the slayer's attention to have her look up at him with glistening eyes. "That's not all that matters! We had not tracked that bastard down for so long to just let him kill Kohaku once he was no longer a use to him. If that were the whole plan, then we've been wasting our time. We came to get your brother back, alive along with the jewel. Kohaku may be free from that bastard's hold, but he never got to live either. Stop trying to look in the best of the situation to hold yourself back from grieving. Because quite frankly. I don't see any damn thing good out of it."

Inuyasha remained in his spot as he watched Sango carefully set Kohaku's head down on the grass so she could stand up. The demon exterminator locks her gaze with the hanyou's. Out of the corner of Inuyasha's eye he caught movement. Before he could identify it however, he falls to the ground from the force behind Sango's slap, having been too weak from the battle to take the strike.

Inuyasha starred up at Sango from his spot on the ground, his arms holding him up in a sitting position. With his ears flattened to his head, he could only look at her in disbelief as she glared down at him. Than suddenly, Sango drops to her knees and falls into Inuyasha's form as a new wave of tears appeared. Inuyasha winced a bit from his wounds as the slayer cried into his chest, her hands gripping the front of his kimono.

Awkwardly, Inuyasha slowly wraps his arms around her before holding her tightly. He hand only been this close to her only a handful of times. He can only recall two however. When he was carrying her the first day they met, and that embarrassing time with the purple mist that caused her to try to kiss him.

Inuyasha knows the pain of loss. He knows it all too well. He lost the only person he looked to as family. He remembers how long it took him to get over his mother's death. Having no one there to help him when he was broken, he was forced to heal his shattered heart himself. It had taken him years to get over it. Everywhere he had gone people had thrown him out, not caring who he really was, the only thing that mattered to them was that he's a hanyou, therefore he couldn't fit in and have comforting arms around him to help wash the pain away, like Sango has now.

Inuyasha doesn't envy Sango. He sympathies with her. He may not have had someone there to help him, but that doesn't mean he doesn't want Sango to have someone. She's already broken as it is, if someone isn't there for her than it could take her years to recover, just like it had taken him.

So Inuyasha held her. Held her to help her with her grief, trying to take away the pain away. He'll be the one to hold her and comfort her if no one else will. He'll try to make the bad things go away fade away until someone more qualified for the job takes his place. Until that day comes however, he'll be right here, holding her.

The End-

You want to know something? I just may decide to continue this. (Shrugs) Guess it depends on the feedback I get. So how 'bout it everyone? Want this one-shot to turn into something bigger? If I do add to it, I don't know how long it'll be though. Guess I kind of did leave a gap or two in here. Like what Inuyasha decides to do with the jewel, which I kind have already thought of. Well If I do decide to continue this, it'll definitely become a Inu/San fic heh heh heh. Well, thanks for reading! And remember to review! Reviews are always nice!