A/N: Thanks for the reviews! Here's the next chapter!

>>>>>>

Dream of Me
Chapter Five

"What are you…are you serious?" Naraku frowned. "You would die…to protect these people? You are nothing but a fool!" he hissed. "Why would you sacrifice your life for them?" he demanded.

Kagome smiled. "Oh, I would in a heartbeat if I had to…but I won't need to today…" she laughed.

"What?"

"How dare you! How dare you stoop to such levels to get what you want! How dare you manipulate me like that!" she yelled at him. "I will make you pay for everything that you put me through!" She let the arrow fly. Naraku dodged it, but part of his arm disintegrated.

"You…" Naraku growled.

"Oh, that looks like it stings…" Kagome smirked. "But look at me…I'm perfectly fine…which is more than anyone can say for you."

He blinked. "How did you….why aren't you…?"

"I told you, you clueless idiot…your scent is no longer on the girl. That means the mark is gone. You just don't happen to listen very well."

Naraku, for the second time in his life, was completely speechless as he stared at the place where his arm once was. The only other time he had been this surprised had been when Kagome had nearly purified his entire body…but that had been a long while ago.

Inuyasha drew his sword, and charged at Naraku, but a barrier prevented him from getting very far. "Damn you, you stupid coward!" Inuyasha screamed. "Do you plan on running away again?"

Naraku laughed. "Are you so willing to die today, Inuyasha?"

"I don't think any of us is going to be killed by a one-armed hanyou hiding behind a barrier…" Miroku grinned.

No one said a word as a second arrow from Kagome's bow flew through the air and sailed past Naraku's head. She missed by a mere inch, and Naraku hopped to the side.

"Meddlesome girl…" he growled before he disappeared completely.

"That was too easy. He is going to be back soon." Sesshoumaru whispered.

Inuyasha scoffed. "We aren't that dense, Sesshoumaru…" he sheathed his sword and took a deep breath. "In any case, we have a few more things to take care of at the moment. I'm almost glad the coward decided to run like that. Kagome's family is probably worried sick by now…" he realized.

Sesshoumaru nodded, and looked down, where Kagura was lying on the ground. She wasn't moving. Sesshoumaru could feel his tenseiga pulsing urgently, and he unsheathed it. He could see several little gray creatures scurrying around Kagura's body. He sliced them away with his sword, and a few seconds later, the Mistress of the Wind stood up to brush the dirt from her kimono.

"…Thank you…" she whispered, and Sesshoumaru grunted.

Inuyasha picked Kagome up, and took off into the forest towards Kaede's village and the bone eaters well. Sango, Miroku, and the others followed quickly after him.

"Where are you going, Inuyasha?" Miroku asked, an eyebrow raised.

Inuyasha turned around. "I'm taking Kagome back to her time for a couple days so that she can relax and visit with her family. They have been worried about her for long enough, and I don't want them to be worried about her anymore."

Kagome blushed. "Inuyasha…" she whispered. She wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly. "Thank you."

"Don't worry about it, Kagome." He nodded, and jumped down the well.

Sango picked up Shippo and glanced at Miroku. "Do you think he's going to talk to her?"

Miroku laughed. "Inuyasha? No! I bet you we're going to have to force him to tell her as she's hopping down the well after the jewel is completed. You just watch…"

"Would you like to bet on that, Miroku?" Shippo smiled innocently.

Miroku raised an eyebrow at the small fox demon. "What do you know that I don't know, Shippo?"

>>>>>>

Inuyasha landed softly at the bottom of the well in Kagome's time, and jumped out quickly, setting her down once they were safely outside of the well house.

Kagome took a deep breath. "It feels good to be home…"

Inuyasha took her hand, and Kagome jumped slightly. "Come on, Kagome…." He smiled. "I made a promise to your mother, and I do not intend to break this promise…or any other promise I have ever made…"

Kagome smiled inwardly.

"Mom? Souta? Gramps?" she called as she came into the house. Her family ran to her, nearly mowing her over as they all tried to hug her at once. She smiled, returning all three hugs before making her way into her living room and sitting down on the sofa.

"Kagome, are you all right? You can remember everything, can't you? You look…awful. Did that man do all that to you?" Kagome's mother demanded.

Kagome sighed. "He is not a man, mother, and yes, he did. But I am fine. I promise. Inuyasha rescued me like he always does." She smiled.

Inuyasha felt the heat rising into his cheeks. "Don't worry about it." He said quickly.

Kagome's mother laughed to herself. Was Inuyasha ever going to tell Kagome what he had told her that day in her kitchen? He was so scared…she could see it in his eyes. Maybe she would have to talk to him about it? But that would require getting Kagome out of the house for a while…

"Kagome…I think you should go to the hospital in case some of those cuts were to get infected…" Kagome's grandfather advised. Akira sighed. Thank the gods. Saved by gramps once again.

"Yes Kagome…I think it would be wise." She nodded, smiling at herself.

Kagome blinked. "But mom…"

"I'll go with you." Inuyasha offered.

"No, Inuyasha. I need you to stay here and help me with something." Kagome's mother said quickly. Souta glanced at her with questions in his eyes.

"Mom…why do you need…?" he began, but his mother cut him off.

She coughed. "You are not to worry about it, Souta. Just go with your sister and grandfather to the hospital please.

"But I feel fine!" whined Kagome.

"Better safe than sorry…" her mother retorted.

"Naraku's body is full of poison, Kagome. It might actually be a good idea for the people at the…hospital…to make sure that you are okay. You don't need to get sick." Inuyasha added, much to Kagome's mother's surprise.

"Fine…" Kagome grumbled, stomping out to the car.

Inuyasha turned to Kagome's mother as soon as Kagome and the remainder of her family left the house. "What was that about?" he demanded, eyeing her suspiciously.

"Grab your hat, Inuyasha. You and I are going to go to the mall." Kagome's mother smiled.

"Why?"

"Just do it!" she commanded.

>>>>>>

"Ms. Higurashi, what's going on?" Inuyasha whined. "I'm confused."

"Yes, Inuyasha. You are. I can tell." She laughed.

He blinked. "What is that supposed to mean?"

"When do you plan on telling my daughter what you told me the last time you were here, Inuyasha? Are you ever going to tell her? You want to know a secret? I am pretty sure she feels the same, Inuyasha…but what are you going to do when everything with this jewel is over with, Inuyasha?"

Inuyasha stopped in his tracks. "Kagome…will come back to this time." He whispered as if he had just realized it.

"She might, Inuyasha." Ms. Higurashi nodded with a matter-of-fact tone of voice.

"What do you mean, she might?" he repeated, his eyebrow rising in interest.

Kagome's mother sighed. "Kagome has been asking me for some time…how I would feel if she was to stay in the feudal era." She revealed. There was a pause as both Inuyasha and Ms. Higurashi pondered the meaning of Kagome's words. "I have told her…I would be sad…and I would miss her…but I would rather her be happy…"

"You would…you would let her?" Inuyasha gasped.

Ms. Higurashi nodded. "Yes I would, Inuyasha…if that was what the two of you wanted."

"The two of us?"

"Yes."

"I see…" Inuyasha nodded slowly. He took a deep breath. "But I…I don't know how to talk to her. I don't know what I am supposed to say…" he admitted.

Ms. Higurashi smiled. "I can help you with that, if you want me to," she offered as she grabbed Inuyasha's hand and led him into a nearby store.

>>>>>>

"Who gave you this beating, child?" the doctor demanded. "How did you manage to get this beat up? And don't give me that crap about falling down the stiars…I hear that one a little too often…"

Kagome gulped. "I didn't…fall down ant stairs…" she whispered. "I was beaten."

Her grandfather's eyes widened in shock at her honesty. Souta allowed his mouth to hang open.

"You were?" the doctor confirmed.

Kagome nodded in agreement. "Yeah. Those karate tournaments are brutal nowadays, you know?" she smiled weakly, and the doctor blinked.

>>>>>>

"Now remember, Inuyasha…this is only half the battle." Ms. Higurashi reminded him, handing him a rectangular shaped box. "Good luck, sweetie…."

"Thank you, Ms. Higurashi." He gulped nervously as they pulled up to the hospital.

>>>>>>

A/N: Hmm…cliffy! I'll review when I get home from Kentucky! Please review!