A/N: Here's chapter three! Hope you guys like it:D Please review!

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Don't Cry for Me
Chapter Three

Sesshoumaru's words rang through Inuyasha's ears as he carefully carried Kagome back to the village. The remaining chunk of the jewel, which Sesshoumaru had thankfully thought to pick up, was now in Inuyasha's pocket. Kagome did not stir throughout the entire journey. When they returned to the village, Inuyasha laid Kagome down.

She groaned and flinched slightly. Inuyasha jumped with worry, and began to run his fingers slowly through her hair. "You're all right..." he whispered to her. "You're safe. You're back home..."

A single tear rolled down Kagome's cheek, and Inuyasha swallowed hard.

I will land beside the lion
Run my fingers through his mane
Or I might find out
What it's like
To ride a drop of rain

"Inuyasha?" he turned around. It was Kagome's mother. She smiled at him. "Are you all right?" she asked.

After a moment, he nodded. "I'm...I'm fine. I just worry about her is all. She's...she cried in her sleep a moment ago. I don't like to see her cry..." he admitted.

Kagome's mother shook her head slowly. "I'm sorry, Inuyasha. I understand how you must feel...but I think there will be a lot more tears to come..." she told him, patting him lightly on the back. "And you know, it's all right if some of those tears are yours. I have cried about this. So has Souta and gramps. I've seen the demon slayer and the monk crying as well...and Lady Kaede was very upset about the news. Even Kagome has cried about this, Inuyasha. It's all right if you need to cry too..."

"I don't cry." Inuyasha smirked, although he glanced back at Kagome for a moment as he said this.

"You may not...but you just might need to every once in a while..." Kagome's mother replied. "No one is going to think any less of you for it."

Inuyasha nodded, but said nothing. Kagome's mother smiled at him, pat him on the back once more, and turned to leave Kagome's hut. Inuyasha returned to stroking her hair. After a couple minutes, Kagome finally stirred.

"What...what happened? Is it over? Is everyone all right?" she whispered.

Inuyasha looked down at her and nodded. "Yes, we're all fine. Although you nearly gave me a heart attack rushing off on your own like that..." he admitted to her.

She smiled. "I'm...I'm sorry, Inuyasha. I just didn't want you to get hurt. I hope I didn't upset you..." she frowned slightly.

Inuyasha shook his head, and pulled Kagome into a tight hug. "No...it's not like that, Kagome. I wasn't upset with you. I was worried about you. Really worried. I was so scared that you would get hurt, and that I wouldn't be there to help you..." He paused. "I was afraid that I was going to lose you even sooner..."

Kagome gasped in surprise as she felt the heat of Inuyasha's tears. He was doing so silently, but he was indeed actually crying. Kagome pulled back slightly and smiled as she wiped the tears from his cheeks.

"Don't cry, Inuyasha. It's all right. I'm not scared about this. I'm just...I'm sad to be leaving you. But please don't cry over me..." she snuggled herself back into his chest and sighed deeply.

When I get where I'm going
There'll be only happy tears
I will shed these sins and troubles
I have carried all these years
And I'll leave my heart wide open
I will love and have no fear
Yeah, when I get where I'm going
Don't cry for me down here

"Kagome..." Inuyasha whispered. "I don't think I can lose you."

Kagome swallowed hard. "Neither one of us has a choice about that, Inuyasha."

"I know that, Kagome, but I...I think I l..."

"Inuyasha..." Kagome whispered, interrupting him. "Please don't say it. I don't want this to be any harder on either of us than it already is. I don't want to be scared to die..."

Inuyasha shut his mouth tightly and nodded. He wrapped his arms around Kagome and gasped. He hadn't noticed it before, but she felt really thin. He looked down at her. "Have you eaten lately? I can go make you something to eat? I think you've lost weight, and that's not good for you when you're sick, Kagome..."

Kagome sighed. She too, had noticed her sudden weight loss, but she was hoping that this detail would escape Inuyasha's attention for a little while longer. She had only been in the feudal era for three months, and she was hoping to make it to the six that her and the doctor had talked about. She swallowed hard.

"Yes, Inuyasha..." she nodded, "I think I would like something to eat..."

Grateful to be off of their earlier topic of conversation, Kagome sighed with relief and slowly helped herself up into a standing position to help Inuyasha make some food. Outside, Sango had Shippo sitting on one knee, and her little brother Souta sitting on the other. Judging by their wide eyes and smiles, Sango was telling them one of the stories about one of their many encounters with Naraku or of her old demon exterminator days. Closer to the fire sat Miroku and her grandfather, who seemed to be deep in conversation about something which Kagome herself could not make out. Nearer to the woods stood the old woman Kaede, who was no doubt trying to teach Kagome's mother about the various different herbs Kagome had once had to learn about. Inuyasha already sat cross-legged near the fire. He was waiting on a pot of water to boil.

Kagome sighed and smiled slightly. Inuyasha making food of course meant ramen. She laughed slightly and took a seat next to him.

"Ramen?" she asked.

Inuyasha nodded, and Kagome couldn't help but giggle.

At hearing her voice, Shippo abandoned Sango's knee and ran towards Kagome happily.

"I'm glad you're awake! Sango was telling us about how her village used to slay the mean demons!" he smiled.

Kagome laughed. "You've heard those stories about a million times, haven't you?"

He nodded with enthusiasm. "Of course! But they get better each time!" he insisted.

"That's good." Kagome agreed with him. He jumped from her lap and ran back over to Sango.

Kagome's mother cleared her throat. "So...you never actually explained to us why the little fox boy calls you 'mommy', Kagome. I know it's a story I would love to hear." She took a seat next to her daughter.

Kagome smiled. "He's not really my son, mom. You know that..." Kagome sighed. "But he might as well be. The thunder brothers killed his parents way back when I first started coming here. When he found Inuyasha and me, he was all by himself, so he started traveling with us. After a while, we kind of took it up as part of our job to help raise him. Inuyasha and me are the only parents he's known for quite a while..." Kagome explained.

Her mother nodded in understanding.

Kagome frowned. "Maybe Sango will be able to watch over him after I've..."

Inuyasha looked over quickly, as though he was afraid of what Kagome might say. He swallowed quickly. "The food...the ramen is done." he coughed.

"Thank you, Inuyasha." Kagome smiled at him. She picked up a bowl and some chopsticks and slowly began to eat. Inuyasha seemed slightly comforted at this.

Inuyasha sighed deeply and busied himself eating his own bowl of ramen. "What are we supposed to do now?" he asked her in-between bites.

She looked up at him, confused for a moment, and blinked. "Hmm?"

"I mean...now that Naraku is not in the way..." Inuyasha explained himself. "What are we supposed to do? The only remaining shards are the ones in Kouga's legs and the one in Kohaku's back..."

"I know that much," Kagome agreed. "I think Kohaku should be safe from harm now that Naraku is dead..." she thought out loud. "Kouga will more than likely give you guys his shards willingly..." Kagome sat her bowl down.

Inuyasha glanced at her. "Aren't you going to eat any more of that?" he asked with concern.

"I can't eat anymore of it, Inuyasha. I'm...full, is all..." Kagome insisted. "I feel fine."

Kagome's mother sighed deeply and shook her head, looking away from her daughter. Kagome was getting thinner, eating less, and sleeping more. Since they had arrived in the feudal era, Kagome had spent almost all of her time with that 'Sesshoumaru' character hunting down the demon Naraku that her mother had heard so much about. It had been a long process, and Ms. Higurashi remembered the monk and the demon slayer literally having to guard Inuyasha to keep him from going out in search of her. They had succeeded up until about a week ago when Inuyasha finally left to look for her. He did not return with her until two days ago.

Ms. Higurashi could easily tell that her daughter was trying to hide her deteriorating condition from her friends, and especially from Inuyasha...although she was sure that the quiet hanyou already had his own suspicions. It pained her to watch her daughter grow thinner and weaker as the days passed. The doctor had promised them six months together...but they had already spent almost three of those apart.

"Mom?" Kagome's voice brought her mother out of her own thoughts and back into reality.

"What is it, Kagome?" she smiled.

Kagome blinked. "Are you all right?" she wondered.

Her mother nodded and flashed another smile. "I was just thinking, Kagome. It's nothing to worry about..."

"What were you thinking about?" Kagome questioned, scooting closer to her mother.

She sighed. "You. I was thinking about you, Kagome." she whispered. "You don't look well any longer..." she admitted.

Kagome's expression turned instantly to a frown. "I know, mom." She paused a long while. "I am beginning to think that maybe six isn't our lucky number..."

"Kagome!" Her mother gasped. "Don't say such things!"

"I'm sorry..." Kagome whispered apologetically. "But I know even you're thinking the same thing..." she accused.

Inuyasha frowned and stood. "I don't...I don't want to hear it." he snapped sternly. "I don't want to hear talk about when you die. I can't deal with it."

Kagome blinked. "I'm...I'm sorry, Inuyasha. I don't mean to upset you."

He looked down and smiled slightly. "It's all right, Kagome...I'm sorry I was snappy with you. I don't mean to be, really..."

"We're all upset about this whole situation, Inuyasha." Kagome's mother reminded him.

Inuyasha swallowed. "But I...never mind..." He shook his head and walked off toward the forest.

"What was he going to say, Kagome?" asked her mother with a tone of curiosity.

Kagome sighed. "I...don't worry about it, mom..." Kagome whispered, taking a deep breath. "I'm not feeling that well right now. I think I'm going to go lay down..."

"Kagome..." her mother sighed, and Kagome stopped in her tracks. "I think I know what this might be about...and I'm sorry it had to turn out that way. I wish we could have done something to change this..." her mother sympathized.

Shippo looked over in curiosity, and Kagome quieted her quickly. "I wish there was, too, mom...but I don't think there is. Please...don't let Shippo hear you. I don't want him to know that I am sick..."

"Where did Inuyasha go?" Her mother asked her next question.

Kagome sighed and looked towards the forest. She frowned. "He's just gone to think for a little bit. He'll be back soon. He just needs some time to himself..."

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"Inuyasha...just how long do you plan on sitting up in that tree like that and sulking? It's very unbecoming, especially from a hanyou of royal blood. If our father could see you like that right now, he'd have your neck in a sling..." Sesshoumaru smirked.

"Go away, Sesshoumaru. I'm not in the mood to deal with you." Inuyasha snapped.

Sesshoumaru's expression did not change. "I believe I have already told you what I think about that matter..." he replied.

"I don't care what you think. I know that she's human, Sesshoumaru. I know that. I understand all that you said. But that doesn't make it any easier to accept. I feel...weak. Kagome seems to have accepted her own fate willingly, but whenever I hear talk of it, I feel as if my blood is going to boil. I can't just sit around and watch her die. She spent so long with you hunting down Naraku, and lost time with us and her family. She's sick. You can tell now. She's getting so thin, she has no energy, and I don't know what to do about it. I don't know how to save her..." he stammered. "I don't know what I am supposed to do."

"Maybe some people aren't meant to be saved, Inuyasha...?" Sesshoumaru suggested. "I know you promised to protect her...I heard it myself...but maybe this time you just can't do it..."

Inuyasha was quiet for a moment, and Sesshoumaru turned around.

"Sesshoumaru?" Inuyasha called, finally jumping down from his perch in the sacred tree.

Sesshoumaru pivoted on his heel. "What is it now?" he asked.

Inuyasha gulped. "What would you do?"

"I've already told you." Sesshoumaru said quickly.

"No. What would you do if it wasn't Kagome? What if it was Rin?" Inuyasha whispered.

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A/N: Yeah, had to leave this one there. Thanks to everyone who has reviewed so far! I really appreciate it! Please keep the reviews coming, and I will try to come up with the next installment soon!