Disclaimer: I don't own InuYasha. If I did I wouldn't be writing a fan fiction of him.

Chapter 33: Suoh's Alive!

"I'll do it." Kagome knew for sure what InuYasha would say about her doing this. He wouldn't want to risk her to Suoh, but she had to do it. If she didn't he would continue to feed off her powers until she was killed. They would never be able to find him in time, especially since he most likely had a new body by now. No, this was the only way it could be done.

"I'll be honest with ye, child. If he catches on to ye presence before ye are able to pull back out, he'll attack. If that happens, ye must return as quickly as possible or he'll take advantage of the situation and take ye powers." Kaede put one more herb in the concoction and gathered some on her finger tips. "Are ye sure ye want to go through with this Kagome? Tis very dangerous."

Kagome nodded. "Yes Kaede. I have to do this. If I don't we may never find him." Kaede rubbed the herb mixture in a straight line across Kagome's forehead, and then once again started to chant. Kagome almost gagged at the smell. It was absolutely horrid; a mixture of the sea at low-tide smell, swamp mud, and who knows what other rancid smells. She was about to comment on the smell when she found herself falling forward to the floor, but when she opened her eyes she wasn't in the hut anymore. "Kaede?" she looked around for the old miko. "Kaede?" She was in a dark part of a forest. Tall trees grew all around her, reaching so high Kagome thought she could catch one of the many stars in the sky if she were to climb one of them.

She knew this to be part of the Western Lands; a part of Sesshomaru's territory. As she stood, it was almost as if she were floating. Of course it would be, since she was only there in spirit. Kagome suddenly caught a glimpse of movement out of the corner of her eye. She strained to see what it was, and when she saw it she let out a gasp. Suoh. He didn't look like his own self, but she had no doubt it was him. He had somehow formed himself a body out of bits and pieces of other youkai, but was also forming that body to look like he had before. One arm was already fully dragon, and his tail was too. The hand on the other arm was already growing the talon-like claws.

Suoh's flame-colored hair had already sprouted out, but from the head of a monstrous spider-youkai with half-formed lips with gray scales and disappearing mandibles on the side of his mouth. His eyes were also already back to their normal state; black and unblinking. He was almost completely resurrected into a new body. He must have used the miko energy he already drained from me to fuse together a new body for himself. Kagome thought to herself. She took her eyes off of the monstrous being to gaze up into the sky. It was night time. Funny. When she was at Kaede's it was just morning.

Whatever that meant, Kagome was happy for it. This way she could get a good direction in which to find this place as soon as she got back to InuYasha. She noted the formations of the stars over head, finding the position of certain constellations and memorizing them for later. She noted the landscape, too. The tall trees, what plants were growing near, anything that might be able serve as a good land marker for later on when they would hunt for Suoh.

"Miko…" A voice entered her mind. She froze stiff, not knowing what to do. "You shouldn't have come here miko. It isn't safe for a human wench." The voice mocked in her head. Kagome could feel his spirit reaching out to hers, then latching on with a fierce power. His hand wrapped around her wrist, sending a pulsing shock through her. She could feel the draining of her powers as they began, and she suddenly became very afraid. That attack had done something more; she felt cut off, alone. Part of her was missing, but she didn't know what. She was weaker. Kagome looked down at her wrist in time to witness as the prayer beads broke; sending the beads scattering through the air with a sharp whistling ringing in her ears. The magical bond that linked InuYasha's hanyou blood to her had been broken, leaving Kagome weak and venerable. She was far away from her hanyou, she couldn't sense his presence; the presence that usually gave her all the strength she needed. Kagome lashed out with her miko energy, forcing Suoh to temporarily back down. That's all she needed. She focused on her body, on going back. Slowly she felt herself being lifted away, flowing back in the wind, soaring back to the village, blacking out.

Then she landed back in her body; confused, tired, a fierce headache, and shaking all over her body. She felt warm hands grab hold of hers, and a soothing aura surrounding her; the shaking stopped instantly. InuYasha was there with her. She had gotten the information she needed and had made it back safe, and he would keep her that way for as long as she desired. Kagome opened her eyes to be met with the angry gaze of the hanyou. So angry in fact, that she was afraid to speak.

"Go back to sleep, Kagome. We'll talk later." He stated in a neutral tone. Kagome managed to nod, then turned her head from him. He was really mad at her this time, and she couldn't blame him. She had betrayed her hanyou's trust, and that was something serious to InuYasha, especially after Kikyou. That's all InuYasha ever really wanted, someone to trust that would trust him in return. And now Kagome betrayed that trust. She decided then and there that she would do anything to regain his trust.

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

InuYasha lazily sat in his favorite branch of Goshinboku. The wench had been gone a long time now. He just figured she was doing like she always did; talking way too much about nothing. He took this private time to run through his thoughts. So much had happened on his and Kagome's trip. Mates. He liked the thought of Kagome being his mate. He never thought anyone would love him that much, or that he would love someone else more than Kikyou. Everything was new to him.

There were a lot of things he had to get use to real fast. Sleeping inside the hut on a bed was one of them. He use to be happier to sleep outside alone, and rarely slept inside. No, not happier, just more comfortable. Now, sleeping in a bed wasn't so bad after all, as long as Kagome was with him. Having a home was something else he had to get use to, too. Before he was always on the move. InuYasha never stayed in one place too long. Now he had a full time home, a mate, and friends to boot.

He grinned, something only Kagome could make him do. The ear rubbing had become an almost nightly ritual with him and Kagome. They would sit outside their hut and watch the sunset over the fishing pond, InuYasha laying his head in Kagome's lap as she rubbed away. He knew the secret was out now. She had discovered just how sensitive his ears really were, what the rubbing did to his senses, and she took that to her advantage. Not that he minded, not anymore. She could rub his ears 24/7 if she wanted.

Where is she anyway? He asked himself, looking down from the tree branch. It had been two hours already, and she hadn't came out of the hut yet. InuYasha swung himself off the branch and landed on the ground, walking into the hut.

"Hey Kagome! What's taking so lon-" he froze. His mate was laying on the floor, Kaede leaning over her with a bowl of herbs that made his nose curl. "What happened, what's wrong with Kagome!" His instincts kicked, instantly panicking his youkai blood.

"Settle down, InuYasha. Kagome is fine."

"What do you mean fine! If she was fine she wouldn't be laying on the ground like that!" He covered his nose with the sleeve of his haori. The smell was really starting to make him sick.

"Kagome has sent her spirit out to find Suoh. He has been attacking her and stealing from her powers to re-create his body. It was her choice to go."

InuYasha thought. "She could get hurt, can't she?"

"Yes. There is a chance that Suoh will realize she is there before she leaves. He'll try to absorb the rest of her powers."

"Any you let her go! Why didn't she talk to me about this! What was that wench thinking! I can't believe she did this on her own." His eyes flared. He was ticked. InuYasha fell to the floor beside Kagome holding his nose. "And can you get rid of that junk! I can't even breathe in here!"

Kaede nodded and set the bowl outside. When she returned InuYasha was kneeling beside Kagome looking as mad as ever. "InuYasha, she did what she thought was right for her to do. Ye should just respect her decision and help her in any way possible when she returns from her journey."

"When will she be back?"

"That I do not know. It may take her quite awhile to reach Suoh, and an even longer amount of time to get back."

"Can you take a guess, hag!"

"Two days."

"Two days!"

"Aye. But after that ye will most likely know the whereabouts of the youkai. It was a risk she was willing to take."

"Well I'm not willing to risk her! How can she be so stupid!"

"InuYasha, I thought I heard a distressed hanyou roaming about. What seems to be the problem now?" Miroku, followed by Sango holding Mai with Shippou on her shoulder, walked in. "What happened to Kagome?" he commented after seeing the miko laid out on the floor.

Kaede once again when through explaining what Kagome had done. There were many distressed and worried looks from the entire party. InuYasha let out a few of his comments: 'keh' and 'stupid wench' .

"Kagome is strong. She can take care of herself, and if she thought this was the best way to get to Suoh then chances are it was." Sango bounced the cooing baby in her arms. Shippou reached down and let Mai grab at his fingers. He really enjoyed playing with the little girl.

"Sango's right. We shouldn't worry too much about Kagome. She has proven herself in these matters before." Miroku looked over to InuYasha, who seemed to be ignoring the lot of them.

She ain't gonna leave the hut. That's all that's to it. No more going off to the hot springs, no more walks, nothing. She'll just have to sit at home with me watching her every freakin second for the rest of her life.

The next day didn't change that much. InuYasha either sat in Goshinboku or in the hut by Kagome's side. Sango and Miroku made sure that he ate and got some rest this time. They didn't want a repeat of the last time Kagome was like this. Other than that, he mostly kept to himself. Then that afternoon, Kagome finally returned to her body. InuYasha was there when she did. His ears flattened to his head as her body started shaking uncontrollably. He reached out and took hold of her hand. Her eyes slowly opened.

InuYasha was mad. Very mad. "Go back to sleep, Kagome. We'll talk later." He stated in a neutral tone. Kagome nodded, swallowing the lump in her throat. He noticed the scattered beads on the floor, eyes going wide. "What happened Kagome! Di-did he hurt you!"

"N-no. I'm fine, InuYasha, and I know where he is. He's somewhere in the Western Lands, in Sesshomaru's territory. We've got to get to him, his new body has to be complete by now!" she shot up trying to get to her feet, but was detained by InuYasha's hand on her shoulders.

"Kagome, do you know where in the Western Lands he is? Did you see any kind of landmark that could help you guide us there?" InuYasha turned his head to see Miroku. He hadn't realized he was in the hut.

She nodded. "I'll have to lead you there though. It was night when I was there, and I remembered the star formations."

"You ain't coming!"

"Yes I am!"

"I said you ain't, wench, and I mean it!"

"Then how are you going to find him! You can't find him without me." Kagome sighed. An argument was the last thing she needed right now. "InuYasha, I'm sorry. I know I should have talked with you first, but you would have said no."

"Keh! You bet I would have said no! That youkai could have done anything to you, and I wouldn't be able to help."

"I'm sorry."

The smell of salt reached InuYasha's nose as Kagome began to cry. Any anger he had went away instantly. He really couldn't stand it when she cried. At first, he was just confused as to why she cried. He had stopped crying long ago. Now, he hated hearing her cry, because she was hurting. Forgetting that Miroku was even there, InuYasha moved over and nuzzled his face into Kagome's hair, letting out a soft comforting growl from his throat. Kagome sobbed, but no more tears fell. She turned and looked into InuYasha's eyes; he looked right back, lowering his lips and giving her a quick, but passionate kiss.

"Ahem." Miroku interrupted.

InuYasha jerked upward. "What is it monk?"

"I was just wondering if you two want to be left alone for awhile… that's all." A lecherous grin spread on his face.

"What do you think?"

Miroku turned and left, leaving InuYasha and Kagome to themselves.

"I had to do it InuYasha." Kagome stated after awhile. "I had to find him. We can't let him get away now."

InuYasha sighed. "I know. .. I know. But you better not do anything like that ever again, wench, or I'll be the one pinning you to a tree for fifty years. At least that way I'd know where you were all the time." He leaned down and nuzzled his nose against hers.

She giggled. "Baka."

"Wench."

"InuYasha?"

"Hm?"

She lowered her lips to one of his ears, tickling it with her soft whisper; "I love you."

A big grin spread across his face. "Love you too, Kagome."

A/N: All the fluffiness! At least this time the lecher was considerate enough to leave the two alone. And, mmm, sorry I didn't post yesterday. No excuse. I just…kind of… forgot.