I do not own the characters of Inuyasha. I didn't own them the first 4 chapters I wrote and I don't own them now.

A/N: here's the update… Monkey: still at her fathers… Me? Still going to update for her. Sorry for the delay, don't you people hate moving… I know I know this story has been one delay after another but I REALLY can't help it…. Anyways this chapter is kinda, blah, but it picks WAY up next chapter!

Thank you for the reviews! This story will never be idle for more than a week at a time from now on. . . . I promise on my baby sisters grave…


The Price Of Happiness

Chapter 4: Embarrassment


Kagome inwardly sighed, she was somewhere between wakefulness and sleep. That place you find yourself floating in just before you become fully conscious or just before you drift to sleep. The place where you are aware of the soft bed beneath you, the warm covers pulled tightly around your body, but at the same time dreams are still dancing through you mind. Her body was completely relaxed, all her muscles loose and limp.

The sound of a door brought Kagome from her haven and she forced herself to open her eyes. A woman in a dull gray dress was at the side of her bed straightening things here and dusting things there. Kagome watched with laden eyes as the woman scurried around the large room tidying, finishing up with placing a fresh garment on the chair to Kagome's right. Kagome decided to take this moment to let the woman know she was awake.

She tried her voice only to find that her throat was dry and no noises would come out. Instead she settled for raising her hand in the direction of the woman who was obviously a maid. The woman caught the gesture out of the corner of her eye and stumbled back in surprise. Kagome pried her eyes open a little farther and saw that she was white as a ghost.

"Im sorry milady I wasn't aware that you were awake. I will go inform milord immediately." The woman said and scurried from the room.

Kagome tried to protest, to get the woman to at least get her some water, but she was out of the room before the small squeak left Kagome's lips. With another inward sight she propped herself up in the bed and looked around the room.

The room was almost completely bare. A writing desk stood just to the right of the bed with a large empty clay vase in the center of it. A chair was positioned near the center of her bed, obviously for someone to sit in and check on her injuries. A narrow chest lay at the foot of the bed and a large oak wardrobe stood just beyond that.

The rest of the room was just cold, bare stone.

Kagome had no real clue where she was or who this 'lord' was but she had a pretty good guess. After all the last things she remembered before the white void was coming into the Western Lands, a bear youkai, and golden eyes. She was pretty sure she only needed one guess to name the 'Lord' of this place.

Sesshoumaru.

Kagome decided that she didn't like sitting here in this bed, in this room, in this home. She needed to go somewhere else, anywhere to get away from the inevitable confrontation between demon lord and future girl. She swung her legs over the edge of her bed and made to stand. Her nose wrinkled as she stirred the air around her.

First though she seriously needed a bath.

Kagome grabbed the garment and pushed her body upwards to stand only to find that a very difficult task. Her legs felt like jell-o beneath her and gave way the moment her weight was put on them. Kagome braced herself for the impact of the floor.

It never came.

A pair of muscled arms were wrapped gently around her waist supporting her weight. Kagome twisted in the man's arms. She didn't need to look to know who caught her but curiousity got the best of her, as it always had, causing her to face Sesshoumaru.

"Running away?" Sesshoumaru asked his voice completely void of any emotion or warmth.

Kagome wrenched herself from his grasp and winced slightly as his clawed fingers delicately scratched her bare flesh and she collapsed on the bed.

Wait a minute.

Bare flesh?

For the first time since she awoke Kagome glanced down at her body. Bandages were wound around her chest but other than that she wore nothing. Crimson seeped into her cheeks as she quickly pulled the sheets over her naked form. Sesshoumaru just stood and watched her with mild amusement.

"Embarrassed?" Sesshoumaru asked arching an eyebrow. "You have nothing that I haven't already seen. Now answer my question, where were you going?"

Kagome turned her head away from the Demon Lord and folded her arms over her chest. "I was going to wash up."

Sesshoumaru snapped his fingers and even before the last word was finished coming out of her mouth Jaken was standing in the doorway.

"Yes Sesshoumaru-sama, how can this lowly Jaken be of service?" Jaken asked bowing deeply. Kagome cringed, the sound of the ugly toads voice reminded her of fingernails on a chalk-board.

"Take this woman to the washroom and then bring her to the dining hall." Sesshoumaru turned to Kagome. "We will talk then." With that Sesshoumaru turned and left Jaken and Kagome alone in the room.

"I am so looking forward to that." Kagome mumbled as she followed the ugly, annoying toad from the room. "Not."


A/N: Monkey has a ? for you all reading this. Any idea's on what event should take place to make Sesshoumaru and Kagome fall in love? Monkey doesn't quite have that figured out yet and is slightly stuck on it. If so e-mail me at … alright alright again I am sorry for taking so long, moving sucks but must be done. I have another chapter from Monkey but she told me to wait a couple days before I post it so yea yell at her not me! Next time on: The Price Of Happiness…. Kagome has to confront Sesshoumaru OH THE HORROR! And on top of that Kagome meets an oh-so-very-charming stranger. All this and more next time on The Price Of Happiness Chapter 5: Men -insert eye rolling-