Key: ………. (10 periods) Means words were skipped. I will always use this system, but I will put it at the beginning of every chapter I use it in. - Fu Fu!

'around italics' means thoughts. If you hadn't noticed yet.

Chapter 22

The next morning Sango didn't say anything about what transpired the night before. And Miroku didn't push. To afraid of what she would say, after he had put himself so far out there.

They didn't linger long, and were soon on the way back to the village. Sango sitting behind Miroku on Kirara, with the still unconscious Kohaku in her arms.

They traveled for a few hours in silence, except for the few whimpers from Sango, as the wind assaulted her raw back. At that point they saw a red blur heading right for them. They assumed correctly that it was Inuyasha. When they got close enough to confirm it, they made sure he saw them descend into the canopy of trees beneath them.

"What the hell happened to you two!" Inuyasha demanded, the second he hit the ground. "We thought we had to come rescue your sorry asses!"

"That's a nice word!" Kagome whispered to her mate, he smiled back at her. Then Kagome noticed who was in Sango's arms. "Kohaku!"

Inuyasha quickly turned to see the sleeping boy. "How-?"

"I was taken to Narakus castle, and was able to bring him with me in my escape." Sango confirmed.

"That's great!" Kagome exclaimed. She ran over and wrapped her arms around Sango in a hug, her hands covered in white gauze from her first aid kit. Sango couldn't help herself, she screamed in agony.

"What!" Kagome asked, jumping back as if she'd been burned. Sango dropped to the ground, and let Kohaku, who had startled awake at his sisters scream, fall from her grasp.

That was when she saw it, Sangos back was red raw. Deep, blood red welts covered it. Kagome was surprised she was even able to stand in the first place. "Sango!"

"Sister?" Kohaku looked at his crumpled sibling, before he crawled over to her. "Sister!"

She looked up at him, and smiled weakly. "Kohaku, you're alright." She said weakly. The pain from her back was draining her of her energy fast.

"You're not." He pointed out. He didn't understand how he got here, or what had happened to Sango, but he didn't need to know just yet.

"Don't be silly. I'll be..." She gasped, as pain rippled down her back. "... I'll be fine."

She passed out. Kohaku catching her before she hit the ground.

They managed to get the unconscious Sango back to the village pretty quickly. And Kaede confirmed Sango would be fine. She was just in a lot of pain.

That's when the questions started. Shippou sat in Kagomes lap, with Inuyasha to her right. As Miroku, Kohaku, and Kaede sat across a fire from them. There where a lot of questions to answer.

"Who are you?" Kohaku asked. They had all decided he wasn't being controlled by Naraku anymore. He no longer had a jewel shard.

Kagome glanced at her mate, She loved calling him that, before jumping into the story of what had happened with the exterminators village. Leaving out that he was the one to kill his fellow slayers, and father. He didn't need to know that, and hopefully he'd never remember.

"So, they're all dead? All except sister?" He asked amazed, and heartily saddened. Everyone he'd ever cared about lived in that village. Now all he had left was Sango.

"Yes." Miroku said sadly, as Kagome hung her head.

Kohaku got up, and exited the hut. Kagome made to follow him, but Inuyasha held her back. Saying, "Let him be Kagome."

Shippou was looking from Inuyasha to Kagome, particularly Kagome's pointedly covered neck, which was so, courtesy of her thick mane of raven hair.

Inuyasha noticed the runt watching his mate, He just couldn't stop thinking of her that way, and asked. "What are you looking at runt?"

Shippou, with out warning, jumped up on Kagomes shoulder, and pulled her hair away from her neck, to reveal two puncture marks, that where surrounded by slightly purple flesh. "Shippou!" Kagome exclaimed, trying to cover it up, but the damage had been done, both Kaede and Miroku had seen. And both were positively beaming.

"I see you've been busy Inuyasha." Miroku commented. In two seconds, he was out cold.

"Inuyasha!" Kagome scolded. As she batted Shippou away from her neck.

"Why'd you bite Kagome, Inuyasha? Why'd you hurt her?" the kitsune asked. Inuyasha turned beat red. So did Kagome.

"It didn't hurt Shippou." Kagome said, her face averted, as she heard Kaedes humble laugh coming from the corner where she sat.

But Inuyasha took a different action. He stomped across the room, and grabbed the kitsune by his tail. Bringing him up to his eye-level. Before her growled out, "You really think I'd hurt Kagome? You little shit! I marked her, it shows everyone she belongs to me! Got it?"

Kagome rose to her feet, anger radiating off her. "I don't belong to you! I love you, I will spend the rest of my life with you, but you don't own me! Got it?" she screamed. Rage coursing through her. Miroku started to rouse, and Sango groaned in her sleep.

Inuyasha looked at her like she'd grown a second head, before he dropped Shippou, grabbed her hand, and dragged her out of the hut. Them having been in one of the few that had survived the assault on the village.

She struggled against his hold for a few minutes, but then decided it was hopeless. And just let him take her wherever he was taking her.

The ended up in front of the Goshinboku. And Inuyasha was silent for a second.

"Inuyasha?" She asked cautiously.

"I'm sorry." He said sharply. Crossing his arms across his chest.

"For what?" She asked, having momentarily forgotten what had happened back at the hut.

"For saying you belong to me!" He blurted. Rounding on her with fury in his eyes. "It's instinct okay! According to all Youkai law, you do, technically, belong to me. And I belong to you, that's how it is! We don't do anything with out the others consent...," He whirled back around, so he was facing the trunk of the great tree, his back facing her,"... and if one of us ever tried to be unfaithful, we'll be thrown away from the person we're doing it with! That's how it works, you belong to me Kagome! Whether you like it or not! That's what you agreed to by becoming my mate!"

Kagome was totally blown away. For as long as she could remember, a man saying you belonged to him, didn't say they loved you, it said they wanted to have you, not be with you. It was always considered a bad thing. But here...

She walked slowly up to him, and laid a hand on his shoulder. He whirled around quickly, but on his eyes connecting with hers, his anger melted away. She didn't look angry, or regretful. She had nothing but love for him shinning out of her chocolate brown eyes. He couldn't resist for more then a second, before his lips descended on hers, and they were involved in a long, passionate kiss. Which stirred his Youkai with the first contact.

It was a few moments, before they broke apart, gasping for air. And Kagome leaned her head on his chest. "And I'll never regret that." she said, knowing what was going through his head during his entire outburst. How could she have though that this man, this hanyou, could feel anything but love for her, especially, when he kissed her like that? A kiss that seemed to bring them closer, in not only body, but mind, soul, and spirit. She would love this hanyou till the day she died, and she had every faith in him, that he felt the same way.

"Me neither." He replied. Before he took her hand, and lead her back to the village. At a much slower pace then what brought them there.

When they got back to the hut, Miroku and Sango where awake. And they greeted each other warmly. Before they sat down around the fire again. Kohaku still wasn't back.

"So, how did you get out? Of Narakus castle I mean," Kagome asked.

Sango exchanged a glance with Miroku, before she explained what happened.

"...After I refused to answer, he brought In Kohaku, and I still wouldn't tell him anything, I looked away, and I could have sworn I heard him kill Kohaku...Then she told me to leave, and to come back one week from the next evening, Narakus human night. So I ran, and got out. A fell asleep somewhere. And I was woken by Miroku, and he..." She trailed off, staring into the said Monks eyes.

"That's... probably not important." Kagome said, picking up on the emotions that were coming across her friends face.

Sango barely heard Kagome, as she searched Miroku's eyes for the truth. She hadn't remembered what had happened that night until just now. And naturally, she wanted to make sure all of it was true. Miroku just smiled lightly at her, with a twinkle in his eyes. For once his eyes weren't wandering, neither were his hands, he was staring at her with an intensity that made her feel like glass. Vulnerable, fragile, and transparent. She felt like he was reading her mind.

Kagome and Inuyasha shifted uncomfortably, as the watched the exchange before them. They didn't know what had happened in that forest, but it was definitely something.

Sango suddenly broke eye contact with Miroku, and turned back to the others. "Please, excuse me." She stood and walked out of the hut. Miroku watched her leave, whishing he had the courage to follow.

When she was out of hearing range, everyone, including Kaede, turned to look at him.

"What?" He asked.

Inuyasha snorted. "You really are an idiot."

"Go after her!" Kagome.

"Be not a fool, Miroku." Kaede.

"I think she wanted you to follow her." Shippou pointed out bluntly.

Miroku stared out the door for a minute, made up his mind, and sat put. Not ready for the disappointment he was sure to receive, if he moved from this spot. He was usually quite brave when it came to these things, but not this time. The stakes where too high.

Without him noticing, Kagome had come up behind him. And right when he finished his though, she smacked him upside the head. "Miroku! If you don't go to her right this instant, so help me! I will make sure you are never killed by that wind tunnel, by cutting off the hand it's made it's home!" She shrieked. Inuyasha flattened his ears to his head, while Shippou covered his with his palms. Kaede merely chuckled into her tea cup.

Miroku looked up at Kagome, and saw the rage she had on her face. And that spurred him to his feet. And he ran to catch up with Sango. 'It might just hurt less to get my heart pulled out, then have my hand cut off.' When he caught up to Sango, and saw just how beautiful she was, he decided. 'Nope, it would probably hurt less if she cut off my head instead. My hand being sawed off will probably feel like a splinter compared to this.' She turned and noticed him, before turning her head back in the direction she'd been looking. They were on a ridge, in a valley that looked over the village.

'Well, here goes. This is either the end of my life, or the beginning' He stepped forward, tapped her on the shoulder, and opened his mouth to say something, he wasn't quite sure what, but was stopped by what Sango did next.

And... I'm dead. Another week till you find out what she did. I'm sure some of you might guess. And others might not, but you'll all have to wait to know for sure. So bring out the torture devices now, not that it'll do you any good, I'll never tell! (Takes out a roll of duct tape, rips some off, and covers my mouth with it.)(It's magical duct tape, that only stops me from saying anything about the plot line!)
I'm sorry this took me so long, I twisted my ankle really bad when I went rollerbladeing at my friends birthday party. But I'm okay now! I've never been more happy to be able to walk! After being on crutches for three days! I know its a small amount of time, but it felt like forever to me!
So, I'm two reviews short of the 600 mark. And yet none of you worked extra hard to put me over the mark. But I can see your point, I've reduced you to one update a week, but it's the best I can do! And then I give you this terrible cliffy! Anyway, so you all next time!
PS: I'm starting a new story. It's not Inuyasha, It's Stargate SG-1. It's a Sam/Jack ship, called The Big C. So, if you like Stargate, give it a look, I think you'll like it. It may not be up for a couple weeks though.

This chapter is also dedicated to those who lost there lives in Katrina's fury. And to those who lost there homes, there whole lives in fact, in a matter of days. God bless, and good luck to all those who did survive. (Note: All my chapters, and even this whole story, is dedicated to the city of New Orleans, Louisiana. )

I'm the all powerful Fu Fu!
Mwahahahaha!
(Sry, had the urge)

Disclaimer:
Why aren't they mine?
I wish they were
But I'll settle for terrorizing them
(Grin)