O…M…G…. I have like 19 reviews! Kiiiiaaaaaaaa, sooooo happy! Never have I gotten so many responses on a writing of mine before. This is absolutely utterly uber uber uber wonderful! I put the reviews on the bottom of the page because there are so many, and I won't make you scroll down to get to the chapter so desired (cause that takes sooo much energy :p). Here's to all you "sama"s out there. Respond again!

Chapter 5: Love Will Heal

Warmth pierced through the blinds of the window, and began burning away at the tip of his ear, causing him to stir from his slumber. He grunted as he rose, and felt the absence of the warmth he fell asleep with. When the hanyou woke up, Kagome was not there with him, but her scent was still fresh, so he knew she hadn't gone far. Even so, he didn't like the idea of ever letting her out of his sight again. He didn't have to go far to find her. As soon as he stepped out of the hut, he saw her in the distance, staring off into the valley below the hill. The wind blew her hair all around, surrounding her with a spirit of comfort, showing mercy for the girl who had suffered so much in the past twenty-four hours.

Kagome took in a deep breath once again, trying to rid herself of all the negative energy. It was naïve of her to think that she could wish it all away, so why was a part of her begging to forget it when that could never happen? 'Did I really expect for life to be fair?'

Every since she was little, all she wanted to do was grow up. She idolized pop stars, actresses and models; she wanted to dress like them, talk like them, be them. Beauty was everything in the eyes of a woman in her world. Manipulated by the false images of television and magazines. Growing up was always such a big deal to her, and now, after everything that had happened, she only wanted her childhood back. It was robbed away from her. Never had she felt such a strong longing to be young and childlike than when her treasured virginity was taken from her against her will. Great injustice she felt, and also a great loss. Oh cruel fate that should leave her yearning for an existence that could never come again. At least as a child, she could always wait for the day when adulthood would lay grace upon her. But as an adult, there was no going back. It was a moment in time that could never be retrieved again. How she missed it.

She held her breath, forbidding tears to fall. 'I can't go back to how I was before. But… I must be strong. It won't be that bad, will it? I can't be weak. What would Inuyasha think of me for being so vulnerable?'

She remembered what she was always told in her time about rape. There would always be hope for her. She couldn't give in and be consumed by fear anymore. She was strong enough for that, wasn't she? Kagome knew, it was okay to be afraid and sad, but she refused to let it keep her down. In doing that, she would only prove to Naraku that he had won. Never in a million years would she let that happen. She would never let him have the satisfaction of knowing that he had tarnished her spirit. She would regain it. Overtime, she had to regain her youthful joy.

Inuyasha took the uneasy steps towards her, as if he were walking the death march. He stopped some ten feet behind her and waited, thought of what he could do or say, but in truth there really wasn't anything to do. He could do nothing… no one could… to change this fate. The cruelty, the injustice of it all was almost too much to bear.

She somehow felt his presence, and turned to look upon him. Her gaze took his breath away. Those eyes… they still held that innocence and kindness that he loved about her. How could it still be there shining so brightly? How… how could she possibly be this strong? They murmured back to him signs of thankfulness and trust. They told him that she trusted him with her life. It made him sick. He was not worthy in the least of her friendship, let alone her respect. She gave a half-hearted smile to him, which faded away into a look of far-off sadness. She turned to gaze at the valley once more. "Kagome?"

She turned back to look at him, and the sunlight gave away to the sorrow in her eyes. She was holding back tears, she knew it, and he knew it. After a few moments of silence, Inuyasha jogged towards her and enveloped her in a warm embrace. The reaction took Kagome a little by surprise, but at the moment, she did not care. Almost as a reflex, she returned the embrace, and allowed the few tears in her eyes to fall silently on his haori. She was with Inuyasha, and that was all she needed now. Kagome knew that the past couldn't be changed, no matter how much she wished it would, but she had to be strong. She had to be… like Inuyasha.

Inuyasha could feel the pain radiating from her, but she wasn't crying or saying anything. Somehow he knew that she was dying inside, and it was tearing him apart, piece by piece. He cradled her head in his hands as he held her, holding her hair down so it wouldn't whip his face. His voice was barely a whisper, "This… This wasn't supposed to happen, not to you, not to anyone."

She lightly pulled out of his embrace, but looked at him kindly, "So you know, huh?"

A part of her felt shame, even in front of the man she trusted more than anyone. She turned to look back into the distance, "Well, I guess I couldn't have expected that it could stay a secret forever. I guess I was naïve, but I truly believed that if I denied it enough, it would just go away… but it didn't."

He stood a few feet behind her and stared with her at the horizon, "How are you feeling?"

Even the hanyou knew it was a stupid question. She took in a deep uneasy breath, "I've seen better days. I'm…"

She looked down at the ground as she gathered her thoughts. This had to be said, "I'm sorry I couldn't stop Naraku."

'What!' Inuyasha thought as his eyes lit up with complete shock.

He had assumed that it was Naraku, but the shock did not come from the sound of the name so dreaded. She was… blaming herself.

She assumed he was referring to Naraku, "Yes, it was Naraku, and I'm sorry. I promise I'll never be so weak ever again," she replied when she heard him gasp.

"Shut up! Just shut up!" Inuyasha yelled.

Now it was Kagome's turn to be shocked, and she fearfully looked back to find out what she had done wrong. The hanyou's fists were clenched tightly as were his teeth. Inuyasha continued, "Don't you dare ever say you're sorry! Don't you ever fucking dare apologize, not when you are the one that is suffering! No, you have no fault in this whatsoever! How dare you blame yourself! It was me who left you all alone, it was me who wasn't there to save you, it was because of me that you were… were…"

"Raped?" Kagome finished the sentence, and Inuyasha tensed up.

"Don't ever say that word!" Inuyasha commanded.

Kagome looked angry now, "But that's what it was, wasn't it? Whether I want to accept it or not, that is what happened. I can't change that and neither can you. Don't lecture me on what I can and cannot think, and don't you dare tell me that this is any fault of yours. In the past twenty-four hours, I have gone through more anguish than you can possibly imagine, and I will not have you add to that pain with your misguided guilt!"

It made her sick to think that he felt responsible. How dare he, after everything she had been through, add to her guilt? She knew he meant well, but the words were still there as they were. Seeing that this conversation was going nowhere, she took a few steps to leave, but Inuyasha grabbed a hold of her arm, keeping her back. "Where are you going?"

"I want to be alone," she simply said without looking at him.

"Are you crazy, Kagome? There is no way I am leaving you alone, especially after what's happened!"

She glared at him angrily, "What happens to me is truly none of your concern!"

Inuyasha grabbed on to both of her shoulders and pierced his gaze straight through her, "Baka! Anything that happens to you is my responsibility!"

"I don't need you to be my babysitter, Inuyasha," Kagome stated, feeling utterly insulted.

Kagome hated to think that Inuyasha thought of her as a weak child in need of constant surveillance. Surely he had more faith in her than that. Inuyasha glared at her, "I know you want nothing to do with me, but even if you didn't need or want my protection, that still doesn't mean I wouldn't want to do everything in my power to keep you safe! There is no way in hell I am going to abandon you again! Not when your pain is killing me."

Kagome's anger was mixed with curiosity now. "And why is that?"

"Because I love you!"

His answer came quick and sharp, and he was taken aback even by his own words. He didn't mean for them to come out in this moment, but his tongue and heart defied him. Kagome's angry eyes faded away and she looked shocked. 'What?' she murmured in her thoughts.

He dropped his hold on her and looked at the ground, knowing it was all over for him now, "So, now you know…"

Her lips parted to speak, but he cut her off by holding up his hand as a signal for silence. He turned away from her, afraid to hear her reaction to his bold statement, and he wouldn't even allow her to speak to verify that fear, "…It doesn't matter what you think of me now. Whether you like it or not, I am obligated to protect you and nothing is going to change that, not you, not anybody. I have to avenge this, because I could never let your pain go unpunished. Understand me clearly when I say that I am never going to ever let you be alone again, and I never ever will let you see any sorrow again as long as I still have breath in me. And I don't care what you have to say to me."

Silence followed, and Inuyasha's bottom lip started to tremble and his entire body tensed up, almost certain that she would laugh at him. His emotions never flowed so freely before and yet she had pushed him to the edge. But right now, he didn't care what she thought of him or his love for her. God as his witness, his law would stand firm. The gently flowing wind picked up again, encircling all around him a few times before dying down completely. It was waiting for an answer too. It was encouraging a break in the uncomfortable silence. He suddenly felt something press down on his back, and his nerves felt the pressure of her fingers on him. Another hand grabbed a hold of his forearm and Kagome squeezed onto it in order to turn him towards her. He complied, but still didn't look at her. He just couldn't take the humiliation. Kagome rested a hand on his cheek, beckoning him to look at her, but he wouldn't budge. This was her cue. "How about if I say that I love you too?"

His eyes went wide as his lips slightly parted and he was finally able to gaze at the girl. He saw a sweet and serene smile engulf her face, as if despite everything that had happened, she was happy. The girl who he had once considered weak was the strongest person he had ever known. Her strength and her compassion and her beauty surpassed their very meanings, and her soul was cosmic. How could the wonder of the universe be bottled up in the one soul who was standing right in front of him? And how could it be true what such a being had just said? 'She loves me?' Inuyasha thought.

The object of his undying affection truly loved him back. The power of the thought nearly made his heart burst open with a rapture of emotions that took him, and all breath became lost. Kagome didn't wait for his shock to die down. She leaned upward and took his lips into a powerful kiss. The tremors of the touch shot like electricity all the way to their finger tips and their toes. Once Inuyasha was able to find the strength, he wrapped his arms around her tightly, taking the kiss deeper. The wind picked up again a circled around them mercilessly, and the world seemed to spin around as they were suspended in time, space, and gravity. They seemed to be spinning in the endless reaches of every that ever existed in the ecstasy that was love. He practically picked her up on the ground as he held her close, and she was on his tiptoes to reach him. The kiss didn't end as he caressed her cheek with his hand, pulling her farther still into his affections. Fresh tears emerged from the eyes of the reincarnated miko, and when they spilled over, they landed carelessly on the hanyou's cheeks. Inuyasha ended their interlocked lips at this to kiss her eyelids in order to sweep away the tears, and thereby christened her eyes with his touch. Kagome gave a cry of joy as he did this, and he took possession of her lips once more. Inuyasha actually felt himself trembling ever so slightly, forbidding himself to cry for joy. A hanyou and a miko… who would have guessed it? Yet here he was again, fallen in love with the same soul he had fallen for 50 years ago. The object of his affection may have changed vessels, but that which he loved, that powerful soul, had always been there. It was eternal, as was its connection to his.

After what seemed like a short lived eternity, they parted and opened their eyes to look at each other. They were clouded by tears. Their souls intertwined with each other, becoming one force, one desire. All imaginable power now lay between their gazes and their fingertips. Kagome smiled and let the sadness leave her for the time being. She held him close and placed her head underneath his chin against his chest. A weak smile escaped Inuyasha's lips, and he panted slightly to catch his much-needed breath. Inuyasha held his nose to her hair to smell her sweet scent. Kagome sighed and spoke, "Somehow, now, I think I'm gonna be okay."

To be continued…

NOT the end of the story! I still need to get Naraku after all, duh! And Kagome is still in need of recovery. I know she appears to be taking this too well already, but the point I want to make is that she is trying her hardest to be strong, but the emotions can't stay bottled up forever. Moreover, Inuyasha learns the big lesson of this story, so be sure to stick around for that. So, the 'I love you's' are rather quick, I'd speculate. But I think I needed to have it so that I can develop the characters more, so I hope you're cool with that… please?


LanierShazar: I thought so too. This really becomes a story when Inuyasha doesn't know what Kagome needs and Kagome doesn't know what Inuyasha feels. (hugs)
InuyashaKougalover: Absolutely! While I do have very fluffy chapters, I will try to put in plenty of dialogue. (hugs)
Jenn-silent breed: Wow, I'm being begged on knees? Has this ever happened to me before? Hmmm, I like it. Thanks for your worship. (hugs)
orangepencils: There will definitely be hope at the end of all this. It's really one of the main points of the story: that there is always hope. (hugs)
HorridlyTruthful25: Always good to hear that you're that into it. (hugs)
inubaby2: 'Nearly' made you cry?... oh wait there is it! That's better! (hugs)
-dragonofdoom3-: I can definitely comply with that… afterall, Kagome's reaction is an integral part of the whole moral, Not a problem. (hugs)
Mikkasura: It's my first Inuyasha fanfiction. I have written two small ones for Teen Titans, but this is definitely my favorite and most prized fic work so far. Wow, a professional writer, there's something to think about. Thanks oodles! (hugs)
slummyreddragon: I can get very emotional when I need to be, especially when I'm listening to awesome music. Doo doo doo doo doo… (hugs)
cherimai: Yeah, intense subject, but something very important for people to hear. (hugs)
kawaiigirl-77: Sad yes, but it shall get happier and more intense. Thanks a bunch. (hugs)
scuppers-the-dog: Naturally I will. (hmm, might I ponder your pen name?) (hugs)
fireyredfire: Haha, it's all good. With all the homework I have, it might as well be a school day. God, please let college end soon and make summer last longer. (hugs)
fluffyrachel: InuKag fics are the only way to go! Glad you love it so much! Judging by your pen name, I can assume you'll like my stories, since I'm all about the fluff. (hugs)
Sad Eyes: It won't be sad for long, I promise. Gets better starting this chapter. (hugs)
Kyoung: I won't leave you hanging very long. (hugs)
inuyasha4ever1: First Inuyasha fic, but I have done a few Teen Titans fics. None of them match up to my pride with this one though. This is by far the most poetic and fluffiest of my fics. It won't stay sad forever. Always hope to be discovered. (hugs)
secretshadows: Oh, alright… I'll be fixing that then. In linguistical terms, 'k' and 'g' are actually a lot alike, so I hope you'll forgive my ignorance. Thanks for reviewing. (hugs)
japanimeniac: I was in the mood for angstiness. Glad you like it. (hugs)

OMG… there's like a page worth of reviews here. I am sooooo happy right now everyone, I can't even tell you how much this means to me! You are all so wonderful to me; I am so glad you are loving this fic. I will update again very soon! Okay, please respond everyone! I love you all uber uber uber uber uber uber uber uber uber uber much! (I like 'uber' a lot).