Please read!

You see, when I started this chapter, I thought it would turn out differently, but as I wrote, it went somewhere else, and that leaves me to bump the rating up a little. I hope everyone still likes it...

Secondly, I don't own Inuyasha! I just made up the plot!

Thanks to all of those who reviewed

-------------------------------------------------------

Chapter 12

"Inuyasha, its starting to get dark and Kagome has been sleeping all day, you should wake her so she can eat..." Miroku pointed out at the looked the half-demon gave little Shippo when he look as though he was going to wake Kagome to offer her some fish.

"Feh, Fine, " Inuyasha snorted and shook Kagome gently awake, just to have her hold on tighter to his kimono without opening her eyes.

He gave the monk a look that said, 'You see' then unclenched her fist and whispered, "Kagome...hey, wake up, you have to eat."

"Hm..." She mumbld as she opened her tired eyes, and seeing all her friends staring at her, she blushed at being on Inuyasha's lap.

"Kagome!" Shippo yelled and jumped into her lap, which made Inuyasha scowl, because she was on HIS lap.

"Hi Shippo!" Kagome laughed and hugged him.

"We're glad you're alright, Kagome," Miroku told her sincerely with a smile.

Shippo bounced off, hearing Inuyasha's growling and held his fish out to Kagome, "Here, this is for you!"

Looking at the piece of food made Kagome feel sick and say, "Thats ok Shippo...no thanks."

"You don't have a choice, Kagome, you have to eat," Inuyasha ordered and took the fish from Shippo and handed it to her.

"Inuyasha's right Kagome, you should eat so you don't get weak," Sango agreed and Miroku nodded.

"Are you ok Sango?" Kagome asked, it suddenly dawning on her how injured the slayer had been, "Have you had your bandages changed yet?"

Sango grimiced, 'Changing bandages is worse than leaving the same one on, but Kagome's always gentle, so I might as well have them changed.'

"No, we havn't changed it. She's said it hasn't been hurting," Miroku said to Kagome, then said more or less thinking outloud, "...but then again, it is Sango, and she doesn't always like us to know she's in pain."

Sango gave him a small smile, and turned to Kagome, "I suppose it hurts a little, but changing bandages is always painful."

"Maybe..." Kagome reasoned, then continued, "But its better than you getting an infection and dying."

Everyone agreed with that, and Inuyasha nearly shoved the fish on a stick in Kagome's mouth as he said, "You eat your food and then you can change Sango's bandages. She can last that long."

"Inuyasha! I am completely capable of feeding myself!" Kagome screached as she gulped down the chunk of fish, pulling her hand with the fish in it out of HIS hand.

"If everyone is alright, I think I'll go off and scout the next village..." Miroku said seriously as he stood and stretched.

"I'll go with you," Sango responded and started to stand, but Miroku's reply cut her short.

"Sango, you stay here. You're hurt and I refuse to let you endanger yourself more."

'Now he sounds like Inuyasha...' Kagome smiled to herself.

"Whatever, just don't be gone too long. We're leaving tomorrow morning," Inuyasha warned, looking at Kagome with satisfication, who was eating her food with no more arguement.

The monk went off, and like they agreed, Kagome finished her fish then went to change Sango's bloody bandages.

"Lady Kagome, are you feeling alright?" Kohaku asked somewhat shyly, seeming to still be worried about her.

She smiled as she finished wrapping Sango's waist and responded, "I'm fine...actually, I feel better now than I did before I died."

Sango smiled, taking in once again that Kagome hadn't moved from Inuyasha's lap, then noticed a sly look come over Kagome's face.

"Hey Inuyasha...do you want to play a game?" Kagome questioned sweetly, which only managed to make the half-demon look nervous.

With a suspicious look, he asked slowly, "What kind of game?"

"Its called hide and seek...I'll go hide and you count to one-hundred and then you have to come find me...ok?"

Inuyasha looked at her like she was crazy, "I'm not letting you go off alone."

Kagome gave him a smile, "Oh, come on Inuyasha! Please?"

A glare and he gave in, "Feh, whatever. Now what do I do again?"

An even bigger smile played on Kagome's lips as she explained again, "You have to close your eyes, then I go and hide while you count to one-hundred, then you have to come and find me."

"It doesn't sound like fun to me..." Inuyasha complained with a scowl.

Sango saw and altierier motive in her friends eyes, but poor Inuyasha didn't have a clue.

"Go on Inuyasha. Close your eyes. Sango, can you make sure he doesn't cheat?" Kagome turned to the slayer with an innocent look, and Sango had no doubt then that she was up to something.

Inuyasha looked peturbed, but still closed his eyes.

"Ok, now I'm going to hide. Count to ONE-HUNDRED!" Kagome yelled back to him as she ran into the tall trees, and as she went deeper, it got darker.

It took her nearly a minute to find a great hiding spot, and she sat on the far side of a gigantic tree which had its base surrounded by thick bushes. With her back against the tree, she waited, and she smiled, although she lost track of time, looking over her left shoulder for any signs of Inuyasha, audomaticly looking to the side she had come from.

It couldn't have been to long, but Kagome felt herself beginning to get nervous being alone in the darkness, and she causiously checked over her right shoulder, jumping nearly a foot in the air at seeing Inuyasha hunched over there, just staring at her, a confused look on his face.

"Whats the point of this game?" He asked, clearly not getting it, and after getting over her shock, she just had to giggle.

Of course it wouldn't make sence to him. She hadn't really gone that far from camp, and he had probably never lost her scent.

"Come sit by me..." Kagome whispered, and with a suspicious look like the one he had given her before they started their game, he complied, and she immediatly leaned against him, giving him a small kiss, one he didn't deny her, even though they had disscussed it earlier, "Inuyasha, can you tell me how this mating thing works? I've never been told about it."

"Until we actualy mate, no one else will consider us as mates. Thats the way it works with dog-demons. I've claimed you as my mate, but its not acually official," Inuyasha told her bluntly.

Kagome went as red as a tomato, "You mean...we have to...oh."

At first, Inuyasha was afraid she would change her mind, but she moved closer to him with a sigh, then rested her head on his shoulder.

"Hey..." Inuyasha started, squinting down at her, "Why'd you want to do this anyway?"

He made out the signs of a smile on her face as she answered, "I just wanted to be alone with you for a little while, before we start traveling again and things get bad."

"I think things are already past bad, Kagome. Sango was hurt and you got KILLED," Exclaimed Inuyasha, but as Kagome reached up and rubbed his ears, he quieted down.

Kagome didn't know what she was feeling, and she was still thinking about 'mating' with Inuyasha, which brought a fresh blush to her face.

She was eighteen now, an adult, and she was capable of making her own decisions. She loved Inuyasha. She had known it forever, and how she sat with him now, feeling completely protected, was just a sign of that. No one else made her feel so safe.

She stretched up to kiss him, with softness and care to express without words what she wanted, then she stared into his glazed, golden eyes and she felt something inside of herself shift.

"Inuyasha..." Kagome whispered, mouth only inches from his as she spoke.

Inuyasha was trying with all his mind to control himself. He felt out of breath yet energized as he whispered back, "Yeah?"

He was the one that kissed her this time, just as softly, then they pulled apart again, staring at one another, both wanting to make sure the other was as willing as they were.

To Kagome, it was a funny thing. She had never felt this way before, or ever thought it possible she'd be sitting in the dark forest with Inuyasha.

She gave his ear another rub before thir lips met again. They showed their love for eachother without words.

---------------------------------------------------------

Kagome opened her eyes to see Inuyasha's bare chest, and she smiled. His arm held her against him and he was sleeping soundly. She didn't regret her choice. She only loved Inuyasha more, something she hadn't thought possible.

Kagome didn't want to wake him, but Sango would be worried, after all they had been gone for quite a long time. She tried to slip out from under Inuyasha's arm so she could get dressed, but it only tightened around her waist, "Inuyasha...you have to let me go..."

His eyes opened slightly, looking over her face, and he reluctantly released her from his grasp.

Gathering her clothes and putting them on, Kagome looked back at the sleepy eyed dog-demon and gave him a warm smile, "Inuyasha, we have to be going back now, before they come looking for US."

That seemed to get him moving, getting done dressing at the same time she did.

"I like that game..." Inuyasha admitted to Kagome as they walked back to where they were camped in almost total darkness, "That Hide and Seek, or whatever you called it. We should play it more often."

Kagome was happy Inuyasha couldn't see her blush profusly at his comment, but ignored it to inquire, "So we're mates now?"

She couldn't see it in the darkness but he smiled as he told her, "We're mates."

Kagome couldn't help but pick on him just a little bit, "Is that your idea of staying focused?"

Inuyasha gave her an unseen glare. How was he supposed to know that would happen? When he was with her, he never knew what would come up next, what he would say or do. He fully blamed her...well, almost fully...

He just prayed to the Gods that the others wouldn't notice. Most of all the perverted monk who would never let him forget it.

They broke the trees, and came to sit by the warm fire, Sango just barely lifting her eyes to look at them, and she didn't ask any questions.

"Is that monk still not back?" Inuyasha asked, putting on his grouchy mask again, making Kagome sigh.

"No, he's not. I'm getting worried to be honest. Could we go looking for him, Inuyasha?" Sango replied.

"Your hurt..."

Sango cut Inuyasha off, "I don't care. I want to make sure Miroku is alright."

A slight breeze blew and Inuyasha picked up a familiar scent that belonged to the woman he never thought he'd see again.

Inuyasha looked at Kagome and he felt no need to go run after Kikyo, but Miroku's scent was mixed with hers and he was completely confused.

"Fine, lets go after him, BEFORE he gets himself into too much trouble," Growled Inuyasha before turning to Kagome and asking softly, "Are you coming Kagome?"

"Of course..." Was her answer as she helped Sango onto his back, her walking beside the both of them.

Inuyasha gave a nod, then ordered, "Shippo, Kirara, Kohaku, all of you stay here and guard the camp. We'll be back soon WITH the monk."

Inuyasha followed Miroku's scent, but as he followed his, Kikyo's too got stronger, and he couldn't understand it.

"Inuyasha, whats bothering you?" Kagome asked at the look she saw on his face.

"I smell Kikyo...she's with Miroku..."

Kagome didn't believe her ears and said, "What?"

Inuyasha gave her an impatient look, "I said Kikyo's with Miroku. Their scents are mixed. I don't understand why they'd be talking, unless Kikyo's in trouble."

Kagome looked at his face for a flicker of anger at the thought, but there was none.

"Kagome, get on..." The half demon demanded as he stopped, shifting Sango so both women would be comfortable, "We can move faster when I'm running."

Inuyasha began to run as soon as Kagome was settled, but denial was in his mind. Had Kagome really agreed to mate with him, or had he just been dreaming?

It was nice having her body so close to him, and he told himself, 'It wasn't a dream you idiot...exspecialy from the look Shippo gave you...he had to of smelled you on her.'

"We're really close..." Inuyasha told the women, then came to an ubrupt stop at the next clearing, nearly throwing Sango and Kagome off.

"Geez, go gentle, Inuyasha!" Kagome screeched as she clung to him, but everything was fogotten as she looked ahead.

There was Miroku and Kikyo, standing, staring eachother in the eyes, Kikyo smiling just faintly, and then, the two kissed.

Inuyasha's body went furiously tense, and both Kagome and Sango stepped down off of him.

Kagome blushed at the sight, but inside, she was furious with Miroku, 'How could he do that to Sango? That lecher! And with Kikyo too! Even MIROKU wouldn't be stupid enough to do something like that!'

Sango didn't even look angry, just terribly upset.

"Miroku!" Sango yelled with a suddenly frightening glare, and the monk flinched as if he had just woke up.

"You!" Inuyasha yelled, and started to walk toward him, the look on his face saying he planned to kill him once he got there.

"Inuyasha! Wait!"

Kagome didn't feel right. It didn't make any sence. This was KIKYO they were talking about, and she had never even kissed Inuyasha like that, or at least from what she had seen...

The emotionless face of Kikyo looked the three of them over, stopping longest at Kagome with almost a surprised look before simply walking away.

Miroku was shaking his head as if he was trying to get something out of his ear.

"I'm gonna kill him...I'm gonna rip him limb from limb, all while he's alive..." Inuyasha growled, making moves toward the monk again, but Kagome grabbed his arm.

"Stop it Inuyasha...look at him...he hasn't even realized we're here yet...he's not himself..." Kagome whispered, moving to hold Sango back too.

Realizing Inuyasha wasn't pulling against her anymore, she let him go and he said, "Your right...that smell...Its Akakios...he had him under mind control, but he tried to hide his aura from us. That bastard...I'll rip his throat out...Why can't he just come out and fight us instead of playing these stupid games?"

Kagome's face scrunched up as she stated her theory that was playing out in her mind as she said it, "I think Akakios is worried we're too strong as a group, so he tried to split us up. He thought I was dead, so maybe he decided it would be easier to turn the rest of you against eachother."

"I think Kagome's right..." Sango whispered, still looking gravely upset, "If she hadn't been here Inuyasha, with your quick temper, you would have already killed him, and I probably would have helped. We wouldn't have noticed Miroku wasn't acting like himself."

Inuyasha scowled at the slayer and said, "I DO NOT have a quick temper."

"What was that about you tearing Miroku limb from limb while he was still alive?" Sango asked with a raised eyebrow and Inuyasha's scowl only deepened.

"Oh, you guys! Why is Inuyasha going to inflict me with bodily harm?"

The slayer sent him a glare, "Because your a lecher."

Kagome whispered in Sango's ear quietly, "Sango, he wasn't doing it of his free will."

A sigh and Sango walked up to Miroku, "You're not hurt are you?"

"No...why?"

Two seconds later, there was a loud slap and a red mark on the side of the monks face, and Sango declared, "There, now you are."

Miroku twitched on the ground, "What...was that for!"

Inuyasha was smiling, seeming to be happy with what the monk got, and Kagome simply shook her head.

"That was to make me feel better!" Sango yelled back as she walked into the darkness of the woods, heading back to camp.

-------------------------------------

There it is...so, now is the time to review and tell me if I should keep this chapter like it is! I hope you liked it!

Also, this time I'm serious. Please review!

-Destined