'What does she know, the old hag is half-dead anyways.'

It had been nearly three hours since Kaede had retreated into her hut but the half demon still stood on the hill where she'd left him, his temper slowly heating as the night went on. The stars above watched him carefully, like millions of tiny guardians keeping an eye on their unruly charge. They knew him better than anyone alive, having watched his progress through life. They had watched him grow and strengthen, knowing his every thought and feeling, watched him be thrown into the seemingly endless pools of love and then of betrayal and, of course, his growing reckless urges to jump feet first into danger without a hint of fear. Though they may have seemed to be impassive to this young man, the stars had watched him constantly and never let him feel completely alone.

With a half grunt, half sigh, InuYasha let his arms fall to his sides and peeled his gaze away from the road. She wasn't coming tonight. Again. Just like last night, and the night before…

"Damn it," InuYasha cursed quietly and looked up to the watching faces above. "Why are you staying away, Kagome?"

No reply came back to him, not that he expected one of course, but there was a chance that she could have heard him. It had happened before, albeit the need for contact was far greater than this. Or at least…

No, this time was different. She had been stuck there, and now she just refused to return. He couldn't understand her reasoning, if there was any, though he had been trying to guess at it ever since the day she left.

'I'll be back in a few hours,' she had said. She had promised. But a few hours came and went, as well as many, many more.

With one last glance at the road, InuYasha shook his head and leaped angrily into the tree above him. He landed gingerly on one of the higher branches and leaned against the ancient trunk. Sliding down, he sat on the branch and pulled his legs into the meditative position. The last things he did before letting his weary eyes finally close were taking his sword, the Tetsusaiga, pulling it against his chest protectively and muttering one last oath.

"If you're not here by sundown tomorrow Kagome, I'm coming for you, whether you like it or not."

(---)

Under a sky of different stars sat the very girl that plagued the mind of InuYasha. She had heard his voice, her body jerking from the suddenness as it intruded her thoughts, but did not answer. Her lips trembled as she fought back a response and to keep her silence. The skin beneath her lower lip was a angry red as her teeth bit into it again to hold her mouth shut.

Her hand was wrapped tightly around the empty glass phial that used to hold the shards, knowing that she could return to the feudal era at any moment but refusing to move. She had packed her bag two days ago filled it with her school books, some cloths, her first aid kit, her bow and arrows as well as about fifteen packages of the cup-of-noodles and five bags of potato chips. It was all the things InuYasha favored.

A smile tugged at the corners of Kagome's lips as memories flooded her restless mind. Like the first time InuYasha had tried the noodles. He was so fascinated by it…for the first two seconds and then he wolfed the whole thing down as quickly as he possibly could.

A small giggle cut through the stillness of the night. Kagome's eyes widened, realizing that she had made the noise. What if InuYasha had heard it? What if he came looking for her tonight?

Kagome shook her head violently and mentally cursed herself.

'I should go inside,' she thought urgently. 'He won't hear me in there.'

But the truth of it was, she didn't feel safe in there. Yes it was her home and no one would dare enter the home that belonged to a sacred shrine but no matter how many times Kagome told herself this, the more frightened she seemed to become. Her bed had lost its comfortable feel and the shadows that pooled in the corners of her room terrified her more than any demon. The sacred tree was the only place she found solace as well as being the only place that her mind was quieted slightly. She had curled up at base of it in the same position for the last two nights, this being her third, and had slept there until the first rays of the sun woke her just in time to sneak back into the house. She had managed to avoid a lecture so far and planned to keep it that way.

Her gaze moved from the weathered leaf at her side to the shrine not far away. Her bag sat just inside the front door, ready and waiting. The well called to her, reminding Kagome of the world that awaited her on the other side. But she refused to listen, yet another fear that had been formed when she arrived home. This one was different though and wasn't a fear per-say, more like second-guessing gone to the extreme.

Before Kagome had left the feudal era, she had run into Kikyou. The priestess had told her many things that made Kagome's mind go into overdrive and caused her to basically rethink her total existence.

(-Flashback-)

"Kagome."

With her one leg already swung into the well, the sudden voice had almost made her fall over before she was ready. Turning, she saw Kikyou, the priestess of whom Kagome herself was said to be the reincarnation.

"Kikyou?" Kagome asked hesitantly, alarmed that the priestess' presence. "But you died…InuYasha looked for you…How? Why?"

The words tumbled out of her before she could get control. Her limbs were suddenly weak and her breath was labored as Kikyou approached. It wasn't possible, her mind argued, Kikyou is dead, this isn't real…

"How much longer do you think you will be able to go between our worlds?"

"Well, I…" The question had caught Kagome off guard. Of all the things she thought Kikyou would say if she were still alive, that had not been it. But, the fact still remained, she wasn't supposed to be alive or saying anything! She was dead! There was no way she could have survived!

"How much longer do you think InuYasha will be able to protect you?"

"I.." Kagome felt her mind turning into a grey paste as her thoughts became muddled that deciphering one from the next was near impossible. The sight of the priestess stopped all progressive thinking so quickly that the wheels within her mind moaned grinded to a halt.

"Do you honestly believe that your presence here is not affecting this world? The way of life? InuYasha himself?"

Kagome's mouth hung open in awe. What had she done to bring on this attack? She watched in silent trepidation as Kikyou walked towards her, a look of disgust so apparent on her face that Kagome felt fear tightly wrapping itself like a blanket around her chest.

"I have warned you before but this is the last time. You do not belong here Kagome. Think about that as you return home. Maybe this time it will sink in."

(-End of Flashback-)

Kagome had lost her balance before the priestess had reached her, causing her to fall back into the well and her own time. Kikyou's words had echoed in Kagome's mind like a broken record, her voice recycling over and over again. She had thought so much about what the priestess had said that she was beginning to believe it herself. How much longer was she going to be able to travel between the feudal era and her own time? Once the last jewel shard was found and Naraku was defeated, what would be the point of her going back? And how long would InuYasha stand by her? What if he thought the way Kikyou did and was beginning to believe that Kagome really didn't belong? Did she even belong in the first place?

Tears stung the corners of Kagome's eyes, pooling there and threatening to fall.

"Oh InuYasha," she cried as silently as she could. It did not take long for a storm of quiet tears to fall, break the night's silence completely and blocking out InuYasha's last oath.

Author's Note: And this one is redone. I think I might come back to it though, not terribly pleased with it. Please let me know what you think…