Don't own InuYasha…..ooh….

Anyway, I'm sorry I haven't updated in a bit…I was kinda getting' ready for surgery but other than that I have no excuse…except for exams! this story will be um…post phoned for a while…in fact, I'm thinking of deleting it so I guess we'll have to see.

InuYasha bursts in. "You!"

'InuYasha! What brings you here?'

"I have business with you, wench! Now, I'll ask you only once…"

'Ask away, my hunted prey.'

"I'm going to ignore that. Now, where is my bow?"

'…Your…bow?'

"Yes." He grit his teeth. "The bow around…well, you know!"

She titled her head. "You mean the bow around your pants?"

Now that she mentioned it, InuYasha was holding onto his hakamas "Yes…THAT bow. Hand it over and I won't kill you."

'Oh InuYasha, it's just not that simple.'

"Oh really? How so?"

'I have a disclaimer!'

"…Dammit. You got me there."

InuYasha trudged back to what he was sure Kaede's village. He was bruised, and cut, and he was sure his left wrist was broken as it hung limply at his side. Sesshomaru ran away…again! But this time, he ran away half dead. InuYasha smirked.

Even Sesshomaru wouldn't last that long…not with that wound to his chest…

That Inuyoukai landed..but on his bad leg, glaring at his younger half brother.

"See that Sesshomaru! I ain't so weak am I?"

His brother didn't speak. He carefully pulled his brothers sword from his chest and in the process getting his hand burned. After carelessly throwing the sword to the side, the youkai prince, limped away.

InuYasha smirked again. He knew he had over stayed and it took nearly eight days to get where he was now and everyone was probably worried and if he knew Kagome—.

Kagome…

She was probably killing herself over him being late. After all, he had promised. He sighed again and sat down on a tree root. He couldn't hold it in any longer. I he didn't tell someone h would go nuts. So to no one he slumped his shoulders and said…

"I miss you Kagome."

She was attacked. It was a small youkai but a youkai nonetheless. She tried to dodge but it hit her spine. Damn it…she even found a bow too. Was it a snake demon? She didn't know but it hit her and she tried to move but she was paralyzed. Her legs wouldn't move…her arms were useless. She knew she was going to die and even though she couldn't feel it…she was crying. "I'm sorry InuYasha…I tried."
He reached the village not long before sunrise. He looked around hopefully for Kagome but she didn't come. "Stupid wench." He grinned. "She's still asleep."

He found the hut that they usually stayed in and pushed aside the flap and entering the still and dark hut.

Sango was asleep in the corner with Shippo next to her though not as close as he usually was to Kagome. Miroku was sitting up sleeping in the corner across from her with a hand print on his cheek. Kirara was curled up on Shippo.

Wait—

He froze. Let's see, Sango in the corner, Shippo next to her, Kirara on him, Miroku in the other corner…where was Kagome?

InuYasha searched frantically before darting out of the hut again this time towards Kaede's and slipped inside careful not to wake the old hag. To his surprise, the hut was empty. No Kaede, no Kagome, just some messed up bedding against the other wall.

The hanyou burst outside, knocking the flap off its hangers and it collapsed to the ground. He found the old miko and three other men from the village in a small circle with their useless katanas. "Hey, Kaede!"

Kaede turned around slowly to find the dog demon come rushing up behind her. She sighed. "Aye, InuYasha. No name calling this morning?"

InuYasha obviously looked confused but Kaede waved her hand. "Ye been gone quite a while, have ye forgotten 'old hag'?"

InuYasha blinked. "Oh right. But that's not important! Kaede, Kagome is—."

Kaede hung her head. "So…ye have been here long enough to find out?"

InuYasha nodded solemnly. Kaede heaved a sad sigh. "Of course, I'm sure Kagome was the first thing on ye mind."

Another nod. "Well, where is she?" Kaede's one good eye looked to the half demon sorrowfully. "I don't know."

He froze again. "No one does. She disappeared about last night, waiting for ye."

InuYasha's fist clenched at his side. "And she left?" His tone was full of anger…but not at Kagome. At himself.

"I—I should've come sooner."

"Are ye mad? You're injuries are so severe, how can ye even stand right now?"

InuYasha ignored the old miko and sniffed the air for any evidence of Kagome's scent. It was faint and something else was mixed with it.

Was it? No…it couldn't be! It couldn't be!

Without another word, the boy dashed off towards the girl's faint scent. Please, please, please, please hang on Kagome! Please!

InuYasha pushed through all the branches and shrubbery and instead of getting, stronger, Kagome's scent got weaker but he was getting closer. He could see a clearing up ahead and dashed towards it, maybe getting a better whiff of her scent. "Kag—Kagome?"

Then he heard it. Cracking under his foot, was Kagome's bow. He didn't even hear it. He didn't hear anything. Not inches away from the bow was Kagome's outstretched hand attached to the rest of her lifeless body. He took a step backward…then forwards. "Kagome…"

She looked like she had been paralyzed. Her eyes were only a fraction open and they were a deep brown like Kohaku's…

It couldn't be her…no! No! No!

InuYasha gingerly made his way closer to the girl and gently touched her cheek. Ice cold. Like blood hadn't been to her cheeks in days. He folded his left arm over her waist and pulled her upright and closer to him, holding the lifeless miko as close as he could to him.

She was so cold. He would give anything for her to shiver just a little. Or lift her head up and stare at him with those brown eyes of hers and say, "InuYasha, I'm cold."

But her stiff neck lay at his shoulder. "Please…do something. Say something. Yell at me for coming home late."

Home?

"Yell at me for holding you too tight!" He put her arm in the back of her head, tangling his claws in her long black hair.

Anywhere with you is home.

"Call me a baka for making you worry so much!"

And I was so worried about you.

"Call me a baka for not picking up your scent earlier!"

You should've waited at the village.

"Yell at me because I didn't have that flea come and tell you I was going to be late!"

That way you would still be asleep in the hut.

"Hell, Sit me for it!"

And I could be right there with you…

"Sit me for stuff I didn't even do! At least not yet!"

But please Kagome…

"Don't leave me!" He had practically yelled it. Even though no one was around, he wouldn't let it show, the tears forming in his golden eyes, so he buried his face into Kagome's hair.

She no longer had that sweet scent that he couldn't help but love. It was the scent of death. He hated it. Whoever-whatever-did this was not going to live long.

How was he going to bring her back like this? It didn't really matter. He scooped her up gently in his arms shaking the rest of the remaining tears and slowly walked back to the village.