Chapter One: The Options

InuYasha focused back to Kagome, who was now turning pale as blood gushed out onto her crispy white shirt.

"Idiot." He said as he tried to think of something to do.

"Are you ok?" She said, ignoring his insult and the series of swears.

"Don't worry about me. I'll live. You're the pathetic human."

"Don't tell me I threw my life away then." She said with an idiotic smile. InuYasha's features suddenly filled with panic and sadness as he gazed at Kagome's figure. Death was on its way, he could smell its foul stench, and it was coming for Kagome.

"I won't let it." He said, scooping her up and dashing to Kaede's hut. Once he got there, he burst in, and he looked at his friends, who were sitting up, all bandaged, and looking miserable.

"Where's the hag?" He said as he held Kagome close to his chest.

Sango gasped as she looked at the limp figure in his arms. She got up and walked over to him, and InuYasha could feel his blood boiling. She reached to touch her, his eyes narrowed dangerously. He growled menacingly and bared his teeth. She gasped and drew back quickly. Miroku looked up and scowled.

"InuYasha, calm down. She mean's no harm." Something in InuYasha clicked, and he returned to normal.

"Sorry." He muttered as Kaede rushed in. She ordered InuYasha to lay Kagome on the mat, and he obeyed. She ripped open her shirt, forgetting to order the men out. InuYasha realized he should not be here, and he grabbed Shippou and Miroku, and walked out.

"Hey! I'm not even the pervert!" He wailed as the walked a distance away from the hut.

"I had no intentions, I swear." Miroku said, holding up his hands defensively. InuYasha glared at Miroku before looking off into the distance and sighing.

"You worried about her. I know, I sensed death too." InuYasha said nothing. He just wondered if she would be alright.

"InuYasha, what happened back there?" Miroku asked, interrupting his thoughts.

"Well, we were fighting Kagura-"

"That's not what I was talking about."

"You're too smart for your own good monk. Do you know that?"

He sighed. "And I don't know. Something just clicked."

"If I am correct, responses like that are only towards mates. You and Kagome are not mated right?" InuYasha looked away as a flush came over his cheeks, but he still couldn't shake off what happened earlier.

"Right," He said. Miroku nodded.

"InuYasha, the only thing I can say, is that you believe her for your mate, though she is not. And don't try to lie," He said, looking at InuYasha's face. He had to look away to keep from a laughing fit. The poor guy looked like Miroku just killed a kitten.

"Your actions towards her prove it." InuYasha opened his mouth to say something, when he felt a familiar yet ever so annoying pinch on his neck. He slapped at it, and watched as the flea youkai floated towards his outstretched hand.

"Hello Lord Inu-" Myouga stopped and looked at him. "You taste different, like your fighting your instincts. It's making your demon blood angry. It's sour." He said, wrinkling his tube to make his point. Miroku smiled as InuYasha blushed.

"Is that so? Maybe it's because I'm keeping it from killing you." His threat fell on death ears, for Myouga seems to have important news.

"So, I smell death." InuYasha pressed his ears on his head, and let out a small whine. Myouga sighed and sat down, folding his arms.

"InuYasha, is there something you're not telling me?"

"You can't smell her blood?" He said softly but sadly. "It's mixed with death, and it's kinda faint, but it's still there." Myouga sighed. InuYasha explained to him about everything, how they were fighting, her sacrifice, and Kagura's advice. Myouga was especially curious about her wound though.

"You say it gave her a fever, and Kaede said the wound would eventually kill her?" InuYasha nodded, covering his eyes with his bangs, tears threatening to fall.

"I wonder…Lord; I ask may I research something for you."

"Does it matter? You're going to do it anyway." He sighed at Myouga's waiting expression. "Go ahead. Just what Is it?" He ignored the question, and hopped on.

"I'll be back by nightfall!" He called before InuYasha could no longer smell him. Once Myouga was out of sight and earshot, he took a sharp right turn, and headed for Sesshomaru's territory. He knew he was there, he could smell the young Human girl and the Toad demon.

I wonder if it will work, because he is a hanyou. But, he still has inu-youkai blood, regardless. But, there is no harm in being safe. If I hurry, I may be able to help him save Kagome. That's only if Sesshomaru let's me live. Myouga sighed. I hope this is all worth it! Where is he? I mean, I'm a flea, you definitely can't miss him, he's about a million times bigger than me, but yet I can't find him! Dratz!

InuYasha grunted as Miroku walked into the hut and he leaped into Goshinboku. He held one knee up to his chest, the other one hanging lazily off the branch he was perched on. He let Tetsaiga rest on his right shoulder, securely fastened between his arms as he shoved his hands in the sleeves of his haori. He was sulking, because Kagome was almost gone. He promised himself, and everyone who cared about her, that she was going to be fine. But look what happened. He let her get hurt, and now she's going to die. He pressed his ears against his forehead again and growled. He was going to kill Kagura, give her a slow, and painful death for what he did to her. And he bared his fangs at the thought of Naraku. Kikyou was probably glad, which angered him too.

He'd come to realize that he really did care for Kagome, and tried not to get too attached to her. He thought she would abandon him like countless people did over his cruel lifetime, but she never turned her back on him. She was always there smiling, when he needed someone to talk to, no matter what condition she was in. She used to always mask her feeling, too nice for her own good he often thought.

She always thinks about someone else before herself. He thought. That's why she in the condition she's in. A very puppy like whine escaped his throat as he remembered her smile, her laugh, the way she used to look at him. He remembered that determined look on her face when she tried to be of any used to them, how he used to love the way she bit her lip in concentration.

Gathering up his sense, he hopped off the tree, and taking a deep breath walked into the hut. Everyone looked up at him, with sorrow and remorse. The scent of salt and different combinations of herbs was strong; he could smell it before he even entered the hut. He walked straight to Kagome, before lifting her up and laying her on his lap. He stared at her face, how it was white, and fragile. Her lips looked dry, and her eyes looked hazy and clouded. They were open, but he doubt she could tell he was even there. Seeing her like this brought tears to her eyes, and as Kagome hissed in pain as the medicine wore off, InuYasha had to keep from tearing their heads off their necks.

"Make it stop." He growled at Kaede. She looked at him, with an odd look on her face.

"InuYasha, have ye and Kagome mated? Have ye marked her?"

"No?" He said, a red tint coloring his features. "Why?"

"Because ye responses to her pain say so." InuYasha grumbled as Kaede walked over to them. She put some ointment on her hand, and reached for Kagome stomach, when she heard InuYasha growl.

"I have to." She sighed, still reaching. He nodded but still growled. As she rubbed it on Kagome stomach, she yelled and writhed.

"Stop it!" He barked, baring his teeth and flexing his claws. "Don't touch her." He said, everyone backed up in fear, and his eyes narrowed. He began licking Kagome's face, trying to calm her down. She replied after a while, before closing her eyes and going to sleep. Something in InuYasha clicked as her breathing became heavy, and he looked at everyone with confusion.

"Why are you guys in the corner?"


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Myouga walked up to Sesshomaru, quivering with fear. Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes at the scent of the youkai, before he recognized the familiar stench of his half brother and of his flea.

"Myouga, is it?" The flea bowed in respect.

"Yes M'Lord. I have requested that you conclude my suspicions sir."

"Tell me. Is it for my useless half brother?"

"Yes M'Lord."

"Really? Continue." Myouga nodded, receding to his straight stance.

"I have heard that the Inu-Youkai clan has healing power in their blood. Is this true?" Sesshomaru nodded.

"Why would you want to know?"

"It's for Lady Kagome. She's been fatally injured in a battle, and Lord InuYasha's badly shaken Sir." Sesshomaru nodded once again and looked thoughtful.

"Sir?" Myouga asked, thinking Sesshomaru wasn't going to answer.

"It is true. Though I have never heard it being used on a filthy human though. But I believed that if he used it on his wench, then she will surely turn into a hanyou. She'll be connected to InuYasha, so surely know that she's hurt, he's been snapping?"

"Yes, and has been frightening anyone that makes her hurt when they are trying to help her."

"If he goes through with it, she'll react the same way. If the two people really love each other, their instincts will be like they are mated mentally, but not physically. It can be used in two ways. One, to heal, but is mostly used with your pack. For InuYasha to use it on a human is totally absurd-"

"Sorry to interrupt you my lord, but Lord InuYasha believes them to be his pack, and technically they are, are they not?"

"I suppose so. Awkward, ever since he was little. And another way to use it is for adoption, or enslaving. The object that drinks his blood will become connected to him as his own pup, therefore making him extremely dangerous. If his family is endangered, inu-youkai fights till his death to protect them. If one dies, then the other will too. And a youkai can not kill his mate. It is punishable by death, by me." Sesshomaru said coldly.

"Thank you M'Lord. That is all."

"Very well. You may be off." Bowing once more, Myouga hopped, following InuYasha's scent as fast as he could. His suspicions were right. He overhead Lord InuTaisho talking about it one day, how an inu-youkai's blood had healing powers. But it was foggy in his memory. He had a way to save, but he had to hurry before he was too late. Remembering his surroundings, he was there in no time, earlier than he promised. He walked in Kaede's hut unnoticed, but InuYasha's nose picked him up. He seemed to be on Kagome's protective mode.

"Lord! I-I" He panted tiredly. "I know a way to save Kagome!"