Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha.

A/N: I know I know I'm late. And by a whole … umm… 4 months? Sorry! Life just kept getting in the way and although I know that it is not a good excuse but I just couldn't seem to finish this chapter. This chapter was half written and then deleted either by mistake, or I realized that it sounded too stupid for about five times. Needless to say that I had lost my inspiration by the time I got down to writing it again. But once I got past the part I had written about 5-6 times, I enjoyed the rest.

Kikyo finally makes her appearance in this chapter. And I will be more regular in updates… hopefully. I can't make any promises. But now I have time to finally write. For all those of you who r waiting for Sand Dunes, it's half written. I will be completing it soon.

Enjoy!

Chapter 5: I am me, he is not me.

Inuyasha sighed. He was tired. He hadn't gotten much sleep the night before and he didn't have the energy to listen to the wolf's ranting. Not like he didn't know how to do his job, the wolf didn't need to clear the specifics of this assignment to him. Keep the girl hidden until the president finds a way to negotiate while making himself look good and then let the girl go. And oh yes! The girl should be alive at the end of the whole fiasco. Not so hard right? Wrong.

He kidnapped the wrong girl. That in itself is an inexcusable mistake. He didn't do his job right, he deserved to be killed. Simple as that. But he was important to Naraku, the man – or demon – behind most of the 'mysterious' deaths in the city. Inuyasha was by far the most trusted and loyal of his cohorts. He could never have made this mistake unless there was no way for the dog demon to have known. Hence, he had to kill the wrong girl. Fix the mistake as they say. Whoever 'they' are. But Inuyasha failed again.

Has to be the human half. Demons are too smart to let feelings get in the way of work. Stupid human half.

The 'girl' was currently very alive, even after almost destroying his right hand. And the 'girl' was currently tied up in the basement of the house trying to be as inconspicuous as possible.

Not like she has a choice, to prevent her from screaming herself hoarse at the first sign of another life in the house he had to gag her and tie her hands and legs together and then tie her to a pole. She has to be something if she manages to open that many knots.

Now, to return to the current predicament. The wolf was still talking. Inuyasha was still not listening. And Kagome was trying as hard as she could to slip her hands out of the rope that bound her wrist together behind her back, around a pole.

Stupid idiotic kidnapper killer assassin guy. Why does he dress in black anyway? Not like he needs to hide. He can just kill whoever sees him.

And he must have been a boy scout. How else did he learn to tie these knots?

Kagome whimpered. She was hungry… and cold… and the basement was really dark.

I want my mommy. The unbidden statement brought tears to her eyes as flashes of her life before the murder flashed before her eyes. She remembered her little brother, he was so young and annoying. He would put his own vegetables into her plate when she wasn't looking and then claim to have eaten all of his, and poor Kagome had to finish twice the amount.

And her mother, she would hug her everyday when she'd come from school. And she would give her snacks when she studied for exams. And she would tuck her in and tell stories when she was feeling down or got sick.

Then there was her grandfather. His stories about how everything in the house had a history came crashing down on Kagome. All of a sudden, she felt very alone. With no one in the world to question her disappearance. No one to cry over her fake death. No one.

Even her father… Kinanashi had stabbed him right through his throat. He showed no mercy. None. What was she expecting from him anyway?

Of course he won't show up and untie her hands. Maybe he had acquired a heart last night when he had not killed her and then let her stay for the night but it didn't mean he had one now. And who knows… maybe he had his own little selfish reasons for keeping her alive.

Her mind drifted towards the event that happened early morning right after she had attempted to escape and had been brought back by his accomplice. Yes, 'the event' or rather, 'the incident' as it was in Kagome's mind.

That pervert. Kagome seethed. I can't believe him. He is such a pervert.

Maybe… he's keeping me around for… for… that. Coming to a conclusion, she started twisting her arms in an attempt to dislodge the knot that was keeping her in place.

And he didn't have to gag her too.

Mumbling against the gag, her movements increased.

She won't let Kinanashi win. She won't let him use her and then kill her. She won't let him roam free after murdering her family. She won't let him live.

She stopped as the thought popped into her head. She couldn't possibly kill… could she?

No. There was no way she could take another life. There was no way she could kill him no matter what he had done to deserve it. Kagome was not like that.

But he deserved it. He deserved to be slaughtered just the way he had slaughtered her family. The way he had stabbed her little brother, still in his bed. The way he had first stabbed her mother in her gut and then sliced her all the way to her throat. The way he had beheaded her grandfather. And her father…

Choking on her sobs, she tried to twist her wrists to free herself again.

It was not fair. She wanted to be home, warm and nice in her bed with her mom yelling at her for not cleaning her room. She didn't want to be in a dark cold basement in the middle and she will do everything in her power to have her revenge and return to her life… even if it will be lacking a few very important persons because of one very unimportant person.


God, will the wolf ever shut up?

"And if you somehow manage to mess up just one more thing, Naraku will have your head. And I will be more than happy to be the one to do the honours."

Inuyasha gave a disinterested nod and added, "In your dreams wolf. Now unlike you I have things to do so get the princess' royal ass into the house and get your battered one into the car and then into Naraku's lap. Deal?"

Kouga bared his teeth at him and turned to open the car door for the 'princess'. A slender pale leg appeared followed by a very smartly dressed dark haired woman. She looked as though she was in her late teens and her manicured hand was gripping her expensive leather purse almost protectively to her chest. She wore an expensive looking white silk shirt that had the first few buttons open to reveal a very pale creamy chest. She had a knee length black skirt that ruffled as she stood there looking at the two men. One of them hired to keep her for a couple of weeks, looking very mysterious – and suspicious – with a black mask covering his hair and face. The other man responsible for making sure she got to her father's summer cottage safely.

"You must be the infamous assassin everyone refuses to name. I am Kikyo. It has been a pleasure to meet you." She offered her hand delicately to him but he looked at her and refused to introduce himself or at least murmur a greeting.

Kikyo, feeling rejected, took her hand back awkwardly. In an attempt to rectify the sudden tense air, Kouga looked at Inuyasha's right hand and exclaimed, "What happened to your hand? Did the girl give you trouble?"

"I burnt it." He said simply and turned to leave.

"You burnt it? How did you burn it? How come it hasn't healed yet? Are you losing your abilities?" Kouga rattled off trying to hit a nerve and discover something that will bring him down from Naraku's praises.

"I burnt it. And I don't know why the fuck it hasn't healed yet. And I would appreciate it if you'd get outta my face and take it somewhere where it wouldn't hurt my eyes or anyone else's." Inuyasha snarled at him and Kikyo clucked delicately.

"My, my. You have a quite a temper. Again, I find myself questioning my much more mature father's decision making skills."

"Are you coming in lady? Or if you wanna stay outside be my guest, I'll throw your bed out the window." Inuyasha snapped. This much stress was so not good for him. He'll grow old before he hits thirty.

Kouga growled, "Be nice to her. It is not her fault you didn't learn any manners when you were young."

Pissed out of his mind, Inuyasha turned to the girl with a glare and said mockingly, "I am so sorry miss. It is completely my mistake that I was not taught manners when I was young since you see, I was too busy being fucking starved. You will have to excuse my rudeness, since I so fucking obviously don't fucking know how to talk to pretty little bitches."

To Inuyasha's disdain, Kikyo smiled. "Oh my, I believe that was a complement. Thank you kind sir, I do not deserve such praise."

Kouga whistled. "That girl's got bite." He chuckled. "I'll see you around princess. Teach him some manners while you're at it." He winked at her before he got into the car and it sped down the road.

"So, you want to tell me what actually happened to you hand?" Kikyo said casually.

Inuyasha glared at her. "I told you, I burnt it."

"No. You told that to him. Now tell me what happened. You clearly didn't burn it."

"What would you know? How can you say that I didn't burn it?"

"Firstly, demons heal way to fast for you to have to bandage a burn. Secondly, you are too touchy about the subject. Thirdly, I cannot visualize you cooking."

"I don't cook."

"I know."

Inuyasha looked questioningly at her but gave up and entered the house.

"Where are you going?" God, did the girl shut up? Or was it in all the women to talk. Maybe god shouldn't have given them vocal cords to go with that mouth.

"Kitchen."

"Hungry?"

"Starving."

"I can help."

"No thanks."

She followed him into the kitchen watching him take out some bread and tuna from the refrigerator. She leaned in the doorway of the kitchen and Inuyasha tried to seem nonchalant. She was too close to the basement door. Too close. And his enhanced hearing caught the muffled sound coming from downstairs. The knowledge that she couldn't possibly hear it did nothing to pacify his overly active heart.

"What are you making?"

"Sandwich."

"I see."

They were silent for a moment as Inuyasha cut open the can with his claw and dumped the tuna onto the bread before realizing that he had forgotten to toast the bread. So he started scraping the tuna off of it and piled it into a plate.

His eyes travelled unbidden towards the closed door behind Kikyo and he was fully aware that the girl downstairs must be faint with hunger. She hadn't eaten anything since she got kidnapped and humans were frail creatures.

"You don't make lunch yourself often do you?"

Inuyasha winced at the sound of her voice after the brief moment of silence.

"I don't need to."

"And today you need to?"

"I am hungry."

"But you don't like tuna."

Inuyasha opened his mouth to retort but his mind then registered what she had said and he turned to look at her.

"You don't have to pretend with me around Inuyasha."

Freezing up, his voice came out colder than he had expected it to.

"I don't know what you're talking about. And I am not Inuyasha."

She sighed. Coming into the kitchen, she watched his every move. The way he looked at her. The way he seemed to unconsciously lean back as if needing to run but steeling himself against it.

"I told you to stop pretending to me. Look, I…" Then feeling hesitant she moved toward him and she noticed the way he dug his claws into the counter. She knew he was trying not to run.

Reaching him, she reached up towards his eyes, feeling the soft skin exposed around it and then traced her fingers lightly to his mask covered head.

Ghosting her fingers over his head she felt the two bumps on either side of his head and her hesitancy disappeared.

"What are you doing?" Inuyasha asked quietly. She smiled at him softly before reaching for the slightly tanned skin around his eyes again.

"Remembering you." She answered as she drank in his wide golden eyes. She still couldn't believe that someone with eyes as wide and innocent as his had killed so many people. It was not possible.

"You can't remember me. Because we've never met." He answered still lost in her eyes.

"Now you lie too?" She asked, still not moving.

"I started after I found out that telling the truth does nothing but hurt people."

"That's not true. Truth can hurt sometimes but it is also the only thing that can touch people's hearts."

Suddenly the golden shimmering eyes turned hard and cold again.

"You are one to talk. You've been living a lie."

"I am not living a lie Inuyasha." She said, her volume increasing. "I did what I had to do. Not all of us can go running through the streets and give up their life if they don't like the way it goes."

"Inuyasha! Inuyasha! I told you. I am NOT Inuyasha. The name's Kinanashi. Remember it. Ki – na- na- shi. Get it? Kinanashi."

"And you say I am living a lie? You even lie about your name! And what's up with the mask? What are you hiding from?"

"Don't talk about me as though you know because you don't."

"I know you better than you know yourself. You're scared aren't you? You're scared of the world. That's why you hide behind that mask! And then you turn around and try to prove your own courage to yourself by turning into the most notorious killer anyone has ever known. But we both know the truth, you are a coward!"

"Trying to protect yourself is not cowardice. It is called self preservation."

"Protect yourself from what? What could you possibly be in danger from?"

"You." He said quietly. Surprised he had even muttered it out loud. He couldn't believe he was talking to her after all this time. He had promised himself he would never ever talk to her again. He would disappear off the face of the earth. She wouldn't be able to find him even if she tried.

But he had failed. He had failed this assignment. He had continued to fail the moment he had taken the mission of killing the Higurashi family.

His first failure – failing to kill Kagome Higurashi. His second failure – failing to look for Kagome Higurashi and then killing her. His third failure – taking an assignment he knew would take him to the last person he wanted to see and keep her with him, alone, in complete secrecy for a while. His fourth failure – kidnapping the wrong girl. Hisfifth failure – Failing to kill the wrong girl and rectify his mistake. His sixth failure – Being discovered by the last person he had wanted to find him.

No. He thought she wrapped her slender fingers around the hem of his mask and peeled it off his neck exposing the soft, warm sun kissed skin there.

Stop. Pulling the mask off his face, she freed the two small furry triangles perched on top of his head that twitched when exposed to the cool outside air.

She threw the mask behind her distractedly and caressed the flushed skin of his cheeks. Cupping his face gently in her hands she placed her lips lightly over his.

The sensation was so familiar yet so exciting. She had missed this contact. The way his skin warmed when she kissed him. Even after kissing him repeatedly, he still blushed like a young schoolboy.

Oh god, she loved him so much.

Tilting her head slightly to the side she deepened the kiss. Revelling in the way her lips fit so perfectly against his. Moving her lips against his, she tasted him. She had forgotten the way he had tasted so sweet.

She had missed him so much. Pulling back she placed another small kiss against his soft lips and ran her fingers against his silver bangs.

"Why'd you do that?" He whispered. They were so close. His breath mingled with hers until they were both breathing in the same air.

"Because I love you." She told him.

His eyes widened slightly before he ripped her hands away from his face and backed until he was standing next to the basement door.

"Don't ever say that!" He yelled at her. "Don't ever say that because we both know it's not true and it just hurts to hear it!"

"What do you mean it's not true? Did the past few minutes feel like a lie to you? Don't tell me you didn't feel anything!" She yelled back at him. Damned be her manners and etiquette.

"If you had really loved me you wouldn't have left me!"

"I didn't leave you. You ran away! You always run away!"

"I ran away after you left me! What did you expect me to do? Stick around and bow to your highness?"

"I never asked for anything! I just wanted to be with you!"

"Funny." He said calming down suddenly. "'Coz I don't remember you saying that."

Then faster than she could see, he ran into the kitchen, jumped over the dinner table and grabbed his mask, pulling it over his head.

"Your bedroom is the one on the right down the hallway from the stairs. Obviously it is upstairs. Your luggage is still outside, I will bring it in. Go change or take a shower or do whatever. I don't cook so fix your own lunch. I am fucking outta here."

Kikyo sighed. It seemed that by pulling the mask over his face he truly believe he was another person. She looked forlornly at the half made sandwich on the counter. Wonder who he was making that for when she knew for a fact that he didn't eat tuna?

Well, might as well she fix it and eat it rather than have it go to waste.


Sorry, no Review Responses… Really tired.

Until Next time!

PS I would love to recieve reviews... they make my day... and uh... don't kill me for the Inuyasha/Kikyo scene. I swear this story is Inuyasha/Kagome. You'll just have to wait and see how that comes around. ;)