"ACK!"

Ian gasped as Kagome lunged at him the moment he had locked the door to the boys bathroom, so they could talk in private. She held on fast, her arms crushing his stomach in. He felt for sure that his eyes would explode or that his organs would come flying out of his mouth.

"Kagome!" He managed to squeak. "Ian…can't….breath!"

Kagome blushed and let go, but stared at him, watching him to the point that he was getting a bit self conscious. She smiled as he paced up and down the floor of the bathroom, a very strange twinkle in her eye. She seemed to be enjoying his nervousness a bit too much.

"What is my name?" he finally asked. He had decided to see if she had maybe truly had been nuts.

"Ian, of course." She said calmly, and Ian let out a sigh of relief, glad she wasn't nuts. "But in Feudal Japan, you were Inuyasha."

That made him take pause.

"Uh…mind running this by me again?"

"Inuyasha, son of Inutashio, dog demon lord of the west. Your half brother was the full demon Sesshomaru, Lord of the West…" Kagome paused. "Though.,..maybe someone else is the taiyoukai of the west. I mena, it has been 500 years…"

"Could we get back to the part about you calling me Inuyasha?" Ian asked, again nervous.

"Before I do…why did you chose to wear your old clothing?" Kagome said, watching him,a goofy grin on her face that didn't help settle the 'she's not crazy' debate that was in Ian's head.

He sighed, running his hands though the wig. A good wig too, which managed to stay on as he did this. "Listen…I don't tell anyone…but I do remember what I dream about…my nightmares." Kagome watched him, her smile fading, and making Ian realize that maybe if he kept along this line, she wouldn't go any MORE nuts. Last thing he needed was for people to think he made women crazier. 'And if that is the case?' He thought. "God, I am going to be a virgin forever.'

"What do you dream of Inu…Ian?" She said, catching herself.

Ian let out a sigh, noticing the slip. "That I am like I am right now. And I am always in battle, fighting with these people…but I can't see them. But I am trying to kill whatever creature is in front of me."

Kagome smiled. "that proves it."

"Proves what?"

"That you are Inuyasha…or, I guess his reincarnation." Ian gave her a look that screamed 'What the hell?'. "It's not that bad at all. I mean, I am the reincarnation of this priestess you…"

"Don't 'you' me! I personally think you've lost it Kagome…and I am the CRAZY PERSON! It's not good when a crazy person thinks you're nuts! Just because I am dressed like…"

"Not just dressed!" Kagome said. "You look exactly like him, just in human form!" She sighed, holding her head, berating herself. "Why didn't I see it before…and those battles…your mind must be trying to remind you of your past, Inuyasha!"

"I am not this Inuyasha guy!" Ian shouted, moving to the door. "I am not some strange dude in a funny red sheet. You are not…whoever you are."

"Inuyasha's first love."

"Let me guess, they lived happily ever after?"

Kagome blushed. "Actually…she kinda shot an echanted arrow at him that made him sleep for 50 years, Inuyasha."

Ian looked over at the bow and arrow set on her back. "Okay…I'm just going to go get soemthign to drink…you wiat here…" He slowly made his way to the door.

"I'm not going to shoot you. My past self did." She grabbed his arm and spun him, her body blocking the door.

'I am going to die in the bathroom.' Ian sighed, rubbing his head. "I am going to say this once, Ok? I can handle the stories about time travel. Hell, that's possible! I believe in weird magic stuff, alright? But listen to me…your name is Kagome…Ka-Go-Me! My name isn't Inuyasha, it is Ian! Ia-N!" He shouted, watching Kagome giggle over him using her own response a few months ago against her. "Now, I am going out to the party. When you feel like not being a nut, come and find me…" He darted past her and reached for the door but Kagome stopped him. He could handle some things…but this?

"We need to talk Ian! You don't realize what this means!" She shouted, remembering to use his current name.

"It means you're being an idiot!" Ian snapped.

"Oh, I'm the one that's too big of a baby to accept that he's a reincarnation of my dead boyfriend from 500 years ago!" Kagome shouted

Ian looked at her. "….do you hear how crazy you sound!" He let out a growl. "God woman…"

"Don't 'woman' me Ian!"

"I will say what I want, wench!"

"Half breed!"

"Annoying little bitch!"

"Puppy!"

"That's it!" Ian shouted, to his limit. This damn girl was standing up to him, a lowly human to a powerful half demon! "I'm out of here. Find those damn jewel shards on your own Kagome for all I ca…." Ian's eyes tripled in size as Kagome paused and smiled. He slowly replied his thoughts and conversation, and grew pale. "…no." he managed to mumble. "No, no no no no."

"Yes, yes yes yes yes yes." Kagome said, walking closer, a deranged little smile on her face.

"No no no no no…I am being dragged into your crazy dreams…" he moved to leave, leaping up on the sink counter and sliding away from the nutty girl with the arrows. "Dr. Christan warned us about being sucked into these fantesies…he told me that people that suffer lose will try and substitute others for their friends…I must be sympathetic to your cause, and that's why I am losing my mind alogn with you… I need some air, right now!" He made for the door, threw it open…

"SIT!"

Ian flinched, and looked at the beads. 'Why didn't they work. There should be a giant Inuyasha shaped hole in the floor right….what…holy shit.'

He turned and looked at Kagome, shaking slightly. She walked over to him and gently stroked his side. "You want a moment to yourself?" Ian nodded softly, fear in his eyes. "Ok…I'll be near the punch bowl."

Ian stood in the bathroom for 2 minutes, not thinking, not moving. He felt as if his heart was about to explode. And yet…he wanted to run to Kagome and hold her and ask her more. But he couldn't. He couldn't just…just…

He moved to the sink, looking at himself. Ian stared right back at him…yet it was also…someone else. A different version of him…the person form his nightmares. But..why were they nightmares.

'Because…because…it's not because of what I was fighting. And it's not because of what I was doing…'

Suddenly, an image burst into his head. He was as he was dressed now, sitting in a tree, watching faceless people down below. He had seen this dream before…it was one of the very few that didn't involve battle that made him still scream.

But now…one wasn't faceless. It was a girl, about 15…with dark hair…in a school uniform…

"Kagome." He whispered to himself. He began to go through every nightmare, the secret dreams everyone believed he had forgotten…and saw her. One of the faceless figures, that he had always wondered about, the woman that sometimes made him go flying to the ground when she screamed…he guessed from his reaction before that it was the word sit…was Kagome.

He didn't notice the image of himself in the mirror smirk, ears twitching.

&&&

Kagome stood by the punch bowl, trying to stay calm. After she had left the bathroom, she had suddenly felt like the biggest jerk in the world. Hadn't she spent almost all their journeys together saying she was Kikyo's reincarnation. And now, she was doing the same thing to Inu…Ian. He had even repeated her 'favorite line'.

'His name is Ian, damn it! You would hate it if he kept going, "Kik…Kagome." You think it's ok for you to do it to him. Besides…this isn't even the Feudal age, where they believed in such things! ' She wanted to run out of the room now, and try and see if Ian would forgive her. She had been foolish, and clingy…and as Inuyasha would have said, a giant bitch. And he would have been right. 'And I was so damn sure he was Inuyasha…but how do I know it wasn't blind…'

"Dance with me."

Kagome blinked up at the stone faced teen before her, just nodding as Ian grabbed her hand and pulled her onto the dance floor, a slow song beginning to play. He gently held her and she tried not to grip him to tightly as they began to move with the music.

"I don't remember my name." He said gently, at last. "My…other name." Kagome looked at him, surprised. "I don't remember my birthplace…my parents…anything." He let out a sigh. "I don't even know why right now, I want to call you.."

"Kikyo."

Ian gave her a look, and smiled. "ya…but I remember you Kagome. I remember your face…I remember you touch…hell, for some odd reason I remember that you smell ok, though I guess I thought you reeked at one point?"

Kagome giggled. "Long story."

Ian nodded and they continued to move to the beat, resting their heads on the other's shoulder. Kagome gripped Ian tight, taking in the slight differences. Ian was less built then Inuyasha…but was more open. He was a bit more shy, but also seemed smarter then the hanyou…

"Kagome?"

"Yes Ian?"

Ian paused. "If I weren't this guy you think I am…would you still…" he blushed slightly. He needed to know, just as she had, if this was not one clinging to a memory, but loving that person because of who they were now.

Kagome gently stroked his cheek and looked into his eyes, focusing only on him. "I would love you even if Inuyasha's ghost came up and began screaming at me for doing it."

"I would be startled if he could…" He leaned in to her ear "Considering he's holding you right now.." Kagome's eyes sparkled as he held her closer.

"What made you accept it?"

"When I realized why the nightmares scared me so." Ian whispered. "It wasn't because of battle…or being whatever I once was…it's because I was leaving you. It's because I couldn't stay…that I had to go. That's why I screamed…I didn't want to wake up and be alone…again."

"Then don't be Ian."

He gently grabbed her hand. "Did I ever tell you that I hate the name Ian?" He smiled. "Inuyasha is such a tougher name."

"I can still call you Ian, right?" He nodded, and Kagome looked at him again and pulled herself closer, savoring this moment. 'He came back! He….he's here. And now…I don't have to leave him every 3 days to go down a well! Or be afraid that he'll die! He's here…by the gods he is here, and I love him and he loves me and…why is he laughing?'

Kagome blinked and looked at Ian. "Ian..what is it?"

"We just became the center of attention."

Kagome looked around and saw that the song had stopped several minutes ago, and that everyone was circled around them, watching them dance. She felt the heat rising into her cheeks and gripped Ian a bit harder.

"What would I have done in the past?"

"You'd have killed them all" Kagome said quietly.

"I prefer doing things the Ian way." And with that, he kissed her, not giving a damn if everyone saw. Kagome could care less either as she pressed harder into him,holding him close.