K/S. In order to complete his revenge for Inuyasha, Sesshômaru kidnaps Kagome and does something unforgivable to her. When she is at last returned to her companions, however, Kagome is surprised to find that, rather than feeling hatred towards Sesshômaru, she now can't stop thinking about him...

Disclaimer: Yeah, yeah, I don't own Inuyasha, etc, etc

Notes: This chappie has been reposted due to a misunderstanding: SESSHOMARU DOESN'T RAPE KAGOME! UNDERSTAND? Geesh...got all these reviewers killing me cuz they think I made him do that...no, no, read the AN on chappie 2!

I love you all! Throws little silk banners with "SESSHI/KAGOME AND INUYASHA/KIKYO 4EVER" printed on them into the crowd Thanks for the constructive criticism and ideas, this is something usually very lacking in my other fic reviews.

Rating: PG-13 again...keep changing it...

Bittersweet

By Sango-chan

Chapter Three

"Kagome!"

What was that? Is someone...calling to me? She tried to open her eyes, but managed only a brief flutter before she gave up. It hurts so much... Her throat contracted as she tried to scream for the person shaking her to leave. It's so warm and dark here...I just want to curl up and sleep..' Drowsiness flooded over the girl in warm waves, and she started to lose consciousness once again. Mmm...feels nice..'

But the voice calling to her wouldn't let her go to sleep. The shaking became rougher, and she began to get irritated. Who is this? Why won't they let me rest? A pair of golden eyes floated hazily before her vision, and she blinked slowly. Who? Is it...him! The face swam more clearly into view, the anxious expression, the silvery hair in a mess. No..' She was aggravated now, wanted this annoying person to leave her in peace.

"Go...away..."

Inuyasha caught the mumbling, not making out any words, but it spurred him on. He shook Kagome even harder, seeing a flutter of her eyelids. "Damn...wake up!"

Why doesn't he leave me alone! Annoyance bubbled up.

"Come on, Kagome..." Inuyasha's voice cracked, on the verge of tears.

"SIT!"

His view changed from Kagome's pale face to the slightly damp soil as Inuyasha plummeted to the ground with a startled yelp. As soon as the spell's effect wore off, Inuyasha was up again in front of Kagome, growling in anger.

"What the hell was that! Is that all the thanks I get for chasing you across..." his voice trailed up as Kagome tried to lever herself up into a sitting position, wincing as she did so.

"Kagome, don't try to move yet!" Moving to assist her, Inuyasha laid the girl down gently. She tried to speak, and then touched her swollen, cracked lips and the dried blood running down her chin.

"What..." Kagome coughed, pain fluttering across her face with each heave of her chest. It was a while before she spoke again. "What happened to me?"

"You...you don't remember?" Surprise, worry, and fear combined, each clamoring to be heard in Inuyasha's thoughts.

"Nothing."

"Well..." He fidgeted, looking down.

How do I explain to her? I don't even know what happened! Why can't Kagome remember anything? What's wrong? What did Sesshômaru do to her? His scent stinks everywhere, but I can't make anything definitive out...but it looks like she was beaten...did he torture Kagome to get information out of her? That bastard...

Seeing that Inuyasha wasn't going to be of any help right now, Kagome sighed, and reached for her arm to pull her sleeve down farther where the cold wind was biting bare skin. Her fingers brushed fine, smooth material, and she stared down at the beautiful red cloth, threaded with golden-hued strands of silk. Gold...

Deciding that it was best to just tell Kagome as much of the truth as possible, Inuyasha cleared his throat nervously. "You see, Sesshômaru..."

"Then it was Sesshômaru." Kagome's voice was flat, dead, completely devoid of any expression at all.

Inuyasha paused, staring at her unreadable face. "What do you mean?" he asked, frightened by the cold tone. She didn't sound like the Kagome he knew, and that scared him more than anything else that had occurred in the last 24 hours.

"Then it was Sesshômaru that I remember...I thought it was you...the same eyes, almost, but...it...it..." Kagome stopped speaking. A frightened edge had crept into her words.

"What is it?" Inuyasha asked her, his voice gentle but urgent.

"It's like a dream! A nightmare! I thought maybe it was just my imagination..." How could she tell this to him, that sympathetic expression on his face?

"Kagome..." He gathered her up in his arms, cradling her to his chest like a young child. "It's ok. You don't have to tell me."

But she did. If she didn't tell somebody, the half-remembered fragment would prey on her mind, drive her insane with the wondering. "No...I have to say it...he, he, all I remember is that...it's horrible, oh god, it can't be true!" Kagome's words tumbled out in a babbling rush, thoughts tangling with each other hopelessly. All she wanted to do at that moment was let herself collapse against Inuyasha's warm chest, sleep until she woke up from this bad dream.

Maybe it's not a dream.

She pushed herself away from Inuyasha and steadied her voice, taking a deep breath. No matter how long it took, it needed to get out. "What I remember is seeing Sesshômaru in front of me. I think I was crying...yes, because my face was cold where the wind blew..." Kagome touched a cheek as if still feeling that, then continued. "And I was scared...there was some sort of bed I was on..." the girl stopped again, looking at the hanyô a few feet away with something akin to pleading. "It's a dream, isn't it? I was sleeping?"

Inuyasha could only shake his head mutely. "Maybe...but I don't think so."

Touching a cut on her wrist, Kagome felt pain shoot up her arm at the action. If that had been a dream, where did this come from, then? No, the best thing to do was to explain it...all of it.

"Lying of top of something soft. It was so cold there, and Sesshômaru touched me, and bit me. I think..." This was the hardest part of all. "I think...I think I wasn't wearing anything. I was completely naked."

"Kagome..." Shocked, horrified, Inuyasha's voice came out as a tiny whisper.

"And...and then he leaned down and he touched me again! That's all I can remember...oh god...Inuyasha!" The last part came out as a sobbing scream as Kagome threw herself into the half-demon's protective embrace again. He rubbed her back comfortingly, the red silk cool and smooth under his fingers. She wept brokenly into his arms, sagging limply and allowing him to soothe her, try to calm her futilely.

"I'm kill him, Kagome, I'll kill him..."

Those words brought fierce energy into Kagome, and she drew back again, this time ripping the yukata savagely, shredding the delicate weave as she sought to untie the sash. A sleeve ripped, breaking free completely, and Kagome threw all her strength into tugging the rest of the garment away. Tears streamed down the girl's cheeks as she bit and tore at the beautiful cloth.

"I'll tear it to pieces...I won't wear it! I won't!" A last hard wrench split the sash at the seams, and the yukata sagged open at the top to reveal Kagome's shoulders and chest, slashed with many wounds in various stages of healing. Bite marks ran up and down the length, crisscrossed by jagged red scratches and dotted with mottled bruises. Kagome stared at her mutilated skin in silence, letting the yukata slip down completely as she touched a still-bleeding wound.

Inuyasha couldn't avert his gaze from the large patch of caked, semi-dried blood that spread over Kagome's stomach and thighs, the product of a deep gash in her side and several smaller scratches on her upper leg.

All the pain flooded back as Kagome stared at the bloody mess that was her body. I didn't realize it was this bad... she thought numbly as she collapsed.

Without a word, Inuyasha whipped off his outer shirt and covered Kagome snugly with it, scooping her up in his arms. He removed the remainder of the red yukata, the blood undetectable through the bright hue, and threw it without another glance into the bushes. Tearing off a strip of his white undershirt, he bound the largest cut on her side as best as he could and tied it securely.

"Inuyasha..." Kagome said softly, slumped in his arms, her tears dripping onto his skin. She closed her eyes and seemed to fall asleep.

Shifting her weight, Inuyasha could smell the strong scent of dried blood, even through the overshirt wrapped twice over the girl. How could I have missed it before? he raged at himself, angry for letting Kagome go without treatment for so long in her condition. Now he had to get her to Kaede, and fast. His tired muscles protested against yet another long run, but he grimly silenced them. It didn't matter the cost; Kagome had to get help.

"Inuyasha!" Footsteps falling heavily from exhaustion, Sango, Miroku, and Shippo cleared the tree line and hurried up to him. Sango's gaze immediately fell on Kagome, hanging limply in Inuyasha's arms, and she checked her friend for a pulse.

"Kagome!" Shippo cried, throwing himself onto the girl's chest, but Miroku held him back with his staff. "It would not be wise to bother Kagome-sama right now, Shippo."

Sango gave Inuyasha a sharp glance. He waited tensely for what she had to say.

"It's not good, Inuyasha. Her heart is beating slower than normal right now...it seems she has lost a lot of blood."

A nod from the hanyô.

Miroku opened his mouth to ask Inuyasha what had happened, but seemed to think better of it and said nothing. Now was not the time for explanations.

Noticing the dog demon's pale face and ragged breathing, Sango quickly added, "It would be faster to use Kirara to get Kagome-chan back to Kaede-sama's village. You, Miroku, and Shippo can follow me at a slower pace.

Inuyasha looked like he was about to argue. Right now, he didn't trust anyone with Kagome's welfare. 'But if she dies?' an inner voice probed him, and he didn't protest. Gently depositing Kagome's still form onto the firecat's white-furred back, Inuyasha patted the yôkai's head. "Hurry." Kirara gave him a glance, seeming to understand.

Settling herself behind Kagome, Sango carefully propped her friend's head on her own lap. Noting Inuyasha's desperate, worried expression, the demon exterminator tried to reassure him by adding, "Kagome won't die—I'll make sure of it."

The yôkai didn't look completely convinced, but he didn't say anything as Sango, Kagome, and Kirara flew off in the direction of the village.

Miroku started off at a brisk walk in the same direction and Shippo hopped onto his shoulder. Inuyasha stared at Sesshômaru's castle for an instant more, his gaze full of venom.

"I'll be back," he whispered, and then followed the others.

End Chapter Three