Inu-yasha headed for the village, already expecting Yura's puppets to be waiting, but his mind wasn't focused on what laid ahead, but of what was behind him. His mind was focused more on Kagome.

'Kagome . . .'

His feet touched the village ground, and all was quiet. Too quiet. He panicked. 'Kaede!' Inu-yasha knew something was wrong. The village was deserted, no one was in sight. He searched frantically around the deserted village, and finally managed to catch Kaede's blood scent. Following it, he found her on the ground in her own pool of blood. He reached her, and found her conscious, clutching her bleeding arm. Inu-yasha sighed in relief. 'Good. At least whatever's happening, Kaede's still alive.'

"Inu-yasha . . . ." Kaede weakly called out. He almost forgot to put up a front.

"What happened to you, Kaede?" he retorted coldly, "Your drenched in blood."

"Ngh . . . now is not the time, boy! You must flee!"

"Why?"

"It is a trap!"

Before Inu-yasha could react, villagers in hiding flew up and surrounded the two. What Inu-yasha noticed, however, was that it wasn't just the village women, it was the men as well. His opponent was the whole town. 'But how?'

"Inu-yasha . . . you must leave! Run!"

"Why should I?"

"I could have been killed whence they attacked me, but I was a lure to begin with! I was used as the bait!"

"Bait?"

Kaede suddenly gasped. "Where is Kagome?"

"Feh. Who cares? I can take care if this on my own." He cracked his knuckles.

"No! You cannot on your own. For this situation . . . we need her!"

Before he could reply, the puppets charged. Thinking fast, Inu-yasha grabbed Kaede and jumped away from the mob, landing on a roof. But before he could relax, more came from behind, and more and more after every rooftop he jumped to. 'What the hell is going on here! I wasn't surrounded before. So why . . .'

"Leap to the right!" Kaede cried from behind. He did so, skidding to the ground and catching his breath. "Be careful. The villagers are possessed by the hair!"

"What hair? I don't see any!" he was glad to not have run into any of Yura's webs, or he wouldn't able to protect Kaede for long. Seing no point into staying and fight, he had to escape with her. "Aw, screw this! We're outta here!"

Once he was sure that Kaede was safely hidden (he had to add the 'I'll come back if I remember' joke just for the laugh of it), Inu-yasha began leaping towards the well, but still using his noes, just in case it was moved or something. Anything was possible at this point. He hoped that Kagome had reached to her time safely, but his nose said otherwise.

"Kagome's blood!" He ran as fast as his feet could carry him. He reached the well, and stopped cold.

Surrounding the area was Kagome's blood, her uniform that she left behind were covered in it, and there no sign of her anywhere. 'It . . . no. Its not . . . but why didn't I smell her blood before? Why did . .' he shook his head, and pratically punched himself to snap out of it. She was alive, she had to be. But it was clear that something was wrong. And it had something to do with Yura. 'But what?' He had no time to think that now.

Inu-yasha sniffed about to where Kagome's blood lead, and it reached to the bottom of the well. But there was no sign of her body. Still panicked, he leaped in without a thought but of her hoping to be well.

'Please . . .'

He reached the other side.

'PLEASE . . .'

Her scent mixed with blood came from the house.

'Tell me she's alright!'

He went in, following her scent to a closed room. He slammed it open.

'PLEASE!'

(A/N: I could end it there, but I won't. you people would kill me!)

And there she was. At the dinner table with her family around her, bandages around them, and Kagome, staring up at him, looking as if she could break at any moment.

"Inu-yasha . . ."

He fell to his knees, and she ran into his open arms. "INU-YASHA!" she cried, tears falling as she cried on his shoulder, Inu-yasha holding her for dear life, burying himself in her hair. He didn't care if he was seen, not even Kagome's family. All he cared about was the girl currently shaking in his arms.

"Inu-yasha . . ."she sniffed, "Oh, God, I thought you . . .!"

He held her tighter. "You're here . . . . your safe! Kagome, you . . . . there was so much blood, I . . . thought you were . . ."

"Its Ok. I'm still here . . . and so are you, you're here!"

"Kagome." Inu-yasha pulled away to see her face, stained with tears both new and old. He wiped away what he could with his thumb, and leaned his forehead against hers. He stared into her eyes, both pairs sad and relieved for the other. "Yeah . . ." he held her to him, "I'm here. And I'm not going anywhere."

Kagome continued to cry, and Inu-yasha continued to hold her.

Neither of the two seemed to pay attention to the audience watching them until the old man cleared his throat. But that caught only Inu-yasha's attention. "Forgive me for disturbing you, but who are you? And what are you to my granddaughter?"

Before Inu-yasha could answer, Kagome did so first. "Its ok, grandpa. He was the one protecting me all this time."

"You mean to say that this is the boy who rescued you from the demon?" her mother cried.

"I told you she was kidnapped!" Souta called.

Kagome pulled away from Inu-yasha and gave him a smile. "Yeah."

Inu-yasha couldn't help but smile back, and wiped the remaining tears from her cheeks, making her giggle. His smile widened.

She sighed, then her expression saddened. "Inu-yasha, there's something you gotta know."

" . . . You mean Yura?"

"So you figured it out?"

"Yeah, a bit. But how could she be behind all of this if she was dead to begin with? It doesn't make any sense!"

"That's because she wasn't the one who sent us here."

"What?"

"Someone told her."

And there u all have it! sory if its short, but its late and i wanted to update as soon as i could. now, its 2 in the morning .. . and i am tired and going to bed. goodnight ppl! and review for a sooner chappy! the more the marrier!