Okay everyone! After a long Hiatus, I'm back. I think I've lost my touch for this a little, but I think it'll be okay. I've forgotten some of my ideas for the end of the fanfic, but I'm sure they'll come back to me.

Yes, anyway, I don't own Inuyasha, or any of the Inuyasha characters, you know the deal.

I slacked a little before, but those who review will be personally thanked on the next chaper, and please, enjoy...

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

Chapter 16

So basicly, Kagome wasn't happy with Inuyasha.

'That stupid...stupid...jerk! Why couldn't he just tell me? Is that so hard? I think-'

"Hey Kagome!" Inuyasha called and disrupted her thoughts. She sighed. He wasn't about to change. He was the same stuburn, blunt, pigheaded Inuyasha she had always known and had fallen in love with.

Miroku looked at Kagome, wondering silently to himself whether the persistant half demon was going to get sat yet again. He never seemed to understand that when Kagome was mad at him, he was only going to get hurt.

Sango looked on from her spot next to Miroku, who, between glances at Inuyasha and Kagome, was getting close to getting himself in trouble as well. Sango knew her friends wouldn't argue too much longer. Both looked at each other lovingly when they didn't think the other was looking. Sango didn't quite understand why they did that, but they would never get over it.

A lot like Miroku would never get over touching Sango's butt. The temptation had grown to be too much for him, and he lost control of his treacherous hand. He didn't receive a slap, only a half hearted glare. It worried him, but he said, "Sango, I must say I miss getting slapped for this cursed hand."

There was no response, and Miroku frowned, "Sango, is something wrong?"

She sighed, "I've been thinking, and I don't think it's safe for Kagome to come with us."

'Oh, that's what this is about...she's right. Kagome is with child, and it isn't wise to put her in harms way. Inuyasha will agree as well. We would miss her spiritual powers, however,' Miroku thought.

Sango continued at a whisper, "We need Kagome, but we cannot allow her to go into battle knowing she's carrying an innocent child."

Shippo jumped onto her shoulder and nodded. "Sango's right, but how can we beat Naraku then? He's more powerful now than ever. Kagome will never let us leave her behind."

"Your very right, Shippo..." Miroku sighed.

Kohaku listened quietly. He had known these others for a very short time, but they were like his small family. Kagome was like a mother. Always protective, coming to his or Shippo's aid first. He didn't want to see her hurt, or her child.

"I agree with you sister. She's always the first to protect us when we need her, now its our turn to protect her," Kohaku put in.

Kirara meowed her agreement also.

"Who will talk to her about it?" Sango asked.

All looked from one to the other, then the slayer sighed. "I'll do it, after we talk to Inuyasha. He won't argue about it in the least bit."

They were all sad about the decision, but knew it was the right thing to do. It was what they had to do.

"I suppose I'll talk to Inuyasha then..." Miroku murmured somewhat regretfully then turned and said to the half demon, "Inuyasha, can I speak with you somewhere private?"

"What do you want, Miroku? I already heard everything you guys were saying."

Miroku smiled cheesily and scratched his head, "Yes, right. Okay. What do you think?"

Kagome knew her friends were talking about her. Probably plotting how to keep her from going with them since she was pregnant.

'I'm just as much apart of this as they are, and they can't stop me. Yes, I'm pregnant, but that doesn't make me an invalid, and it doesn't mean I'll slow them down.'

"If Kagome will stay behind," Inuyasha replied. Everyone of them knew that wasn't what he wanted to say. If he could, he would lock her away until all the fighting was over.

The problem was that he couldn't, and in allowing her to make the decision, she couldn't get more mad at him han she already was.

She looked at him in astonishment, more so than the rest of them. 'You mean he's giving me a choice?'

"All of you stop looking at me, would ya. I'm just saying, Kagome knows she's pregnant. She's carrying my pup, and I don't want her to go, but no matter what I say, she'll do whatever she wants. So Kagome, its your choice."

Kagome looked at her stomach. She wanted to fight. She wanted to finish what her and her friends had started long ago. They would have no trouble beating Naraku on their own, but she wanted them to need her there to help.

"Inuyasha, we started this together, and I want us to finish it together, by your side."

He nodded, but didn't agree with her. The others shoulders dropped. If Inuyasha wasn't going to push it then no matter how much they wanted to, they weren't going to either.

"I don't like this..." Shippo murmured sadly.

"Nor do we, Shippo, nor do we..." Miroku whispered and walked to where Sango had made her bed.

Sango willingly made room for Miroku. "There's nothing we can do."

"You little runt! Get back here!" Yelled Inuyasha, chasing after Shippo.

The fox demon had whispered something to him about not being man enough to tell Kagome she had to stay behind.

Kagome was sleeping already. She had been doing a lot of that, but Inuyasha wasn't going to complain. She needed plenty of rest to keep herself and the pup healthy. He wished she would change her mind and stay somewhere safe, but he knew they couldn't defeat Naraku without her. He had done nothing but think about any possible way to keep her safe. It seemed impossible. He wouldn't let her die, not again. He had felt that once and there was no way he could take it again.

"Inuyasha..." Kagome whispered in a pained voice.

He leapt from his tree and landed beside her in a second, but she was still asleep.

"Inuyasha...please don't leave me..." Her whispering continued.

The half-demon was startled and grabbed her hand, "Hey, Kagome, wake up. I'm not leaving you, I swear!"

Kagome's eyes darted open and she lunged into his arms. Her breathing was rapid and uneven but slowed to normal the longer she sat wrapped in Inuyasha's arms.

The dream had faded away the second Kagome had been woken. She couldn't remember even the smallest detail, just known that Inuyasha was there when she had regained her senses.

"I'm sorry." Was all she could come up with, and that gained her a unhappy look from her mate.

"Don't tell me your sorry. What just happened? You don't talk in your sleep..." Inuyasha paused as he remembered a few instances, "Except for that time with the math test, and that time you sat me in your sleep."

Kagome smiled, "Can I sit with you in the tree?"

"If your going to, then come on, we've go to break camp tomorrow and you'll need more sleep," Inuyasha barked then lifted her in the air and up into the tree with him.

"Oh, please, all I've done these last few days is sleep!"

Inuyasha shrugged, "Don't care. If you want to keep going with us, your going to get all the sleep you can."

Kagome gave in with a sigh. He wouldn't let up on her, so she figured it was best to just let him think he got his way. "Alright, whatever you say, Inuyasha."

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

"Naraku, they are coming," Kagura spoke with disdain in her voice, "Two more days until they finally make it here, maybe less. These games will be over soon, and you'll rule everything. You'll no longer need Kanna and my services."

"When I no longer need you, Kagura, I will dispose of you," Naraku laughed.

She glared until the dead priestess entered through the straw mat at the west side of the room. "If it isn't the undead priestess who is serving the very demon who killed her and took everything away in the first place."

Kikyo didn't bother to reply. She had one reason, and one reason only in being back in the same place as the foul smelling Naraku, and that was revenge.

'Very soon, I'll have rid this world of two half-demons its better off without. I will have fulfilled my promise to myself and I can continue walking this earth in peace.'

"I have something for you, Naraku," Kikyo said with no tone.

She smiled inside. This was her second to last task.

It was simple, so very simple.

"Do you wish to kill Inuyasha as quickly as possible?" The un-dead priestess held out her empty hand.

"Get to your point, Kikyo. Your game is waisting my time."

She drew her bow and the arrow she had just acquired from Akakios. "You will not be missed, Naraku."

She shot and the arrow pierced his barrier, imbedding itself in Naraku's chest. He simply mocked her, "You're a fool. You think an arrow can kill me?"

It was Kikyo's turn to smile. "Soon you will see, Naraku, things are not always as they seem."

Just like that, she was gone.

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

The sun hadn't rose when Inuyasha woke Kagome up. It had been a hard thing for him to do, because a sleeping Kagome was a lot less likely to sit him. She hadn't been doing it much though.

He had spent all night thinking whether he had made the right choice in letting his mate choose to come along.

She would be in the middle of the fighting yet again with yet another chance of getting killed, all because Inuyasha wanted her there with him, and she wanted him to be there with her.

"Miroku, get up. You too, Shippo. Up, Kohaku. Its time to go."

The slayer was already up and helping Kagome put everything away.

"Kagome, let me do that." The half-demon blurted and took her sleeping bag from her.

"Hey, what's the idea, Inuyasha?" Kagome squealed as she stood up, "You never help put things away."

"I-" Inuyasha began, then hmphed and said, "You're moving too slow."

Kagome gave a frightening glare but refrained from sitting him. She had told herself she was going to stop using the command against him, but sometimes, he just made her so mad.

Kagome yanked the sleeping bag away from him. "I can do it just fine!"

Inuyasha stole it back. "I said I'll do it. Go...make sure you have all your things in your bag."

"Inuyasha!" The priestesses tone was extremely threatening.

His ears went down, but he defiantly folded the sleeping bag as quickly as he could.

"What exactly are they bickering about?" Miroku asked in a whisper.

Sango through water over the fire. "Apparently, over who gets to roll up the sleeping bag."

"Ah. Okay." Miroku pretended to know what was going on, but he still didn't understand.

Kagome's hands were balled tightly at her sides. 'Sit' was on the very tip of her tongue, but she was controlling herself.

"Inuyasha, sit!"

Well, almost.

Inuyasha got a mouthful of dirt and while indisposed, Kagome refolded her sleeping bag the way she liked it and shoved it into her pack. "It serves you right for calling me slow. Come on, Inuyasha, aren't you ready?"

He murmured something into the dirt then jumped up. "Yeah, lets go."

'No yelling or throwing a fit? What has gotten into him?' Kagome thought as she climbed onto his back.

'Maybe I should have made up a better excuse, or maybe told her the truth. No, they'd never let me forget it.'

Nothing else was said as they headed on their way.

When lunchtime came around, they all stopped, but only because Inuyasha said Kagome had to eat.

She slipped off Inuyasha's back just before he tensed.

The clearing before them was completely silent. The wind didn't blow and the birds didn't sing. There was a chill of coming death in the air.

Inuyasha drew Tetsuisaiga and jumped in front of Kagome. Suddenly, he wished he had made her stay behind, wished he had found a way to make her.

Sesshomaru had been right. He had put his mate in danger again. 'I shouldn' t have been concerned about her being mad at me, I should have been concerned about her getting killed again, thats all that's important. They'll all forgive me for what I know I have to do.'

"Inuyasha, is it Hikari and Amaya?" Miroku asked.

He nodded. "Kagome, I want you to get away from here."

Kagome sensed something different in the way he spoke. He was almost pleading, and the normal ordering tone had nearly vanished.

'Is he afraid?' Kagome asked herself, 'Is he afraid I'll get killed again?'

She wanted to fight, but the look on Inuyasha's face made her falter. "Alright...but you have to promise to come back for me."

Inuyasha was glad he didn't have time to make that promise.

"There's no need, because he won't be coming back after I'm finished with him," Hissed Hikari as she become visable just ten feet in front of them.

Amaya was nowhere to be seen and that made the gang immediately alert.

"Where's your evil twin, Hikari?" Inuyasha growled, still firmly in front of Kagome.

The question provoked an angry look from the full-demon." Your damn brother killed her. Now my father will kill him and has ordered me to take care of you little pests."

"At least now you know what it feels like to lose someone you love."

Everyone in the vicinity knew what he meant and they heard many uncommon emotions in his voice.

"My sister was weak. The weak get killed. That's the way it works. Your mate is weak. You are weak, and now that I have absorbed Amaya's powers, you couldn't possibly beat me."

"Blah, blah, blah. More talk. Is that all you can do?"

Kagome put her hand on Inuyasha's arm and whispered, "Please be careful, Inuyasha. I can't raise our baby on my own."

He nodded, his face set in determination.

"This is my fight. All of you get out of here. I have to do this on my own."

"But Inuyasha-" Miroku began.

Sango grabbed his robes. "Let's go Miroku."

The monk sighed in defeat. "Be careful. She's just as strong as Akakios now."

"I know all that, now get going."

Kagome and Inuyasha exchanged a look that the others couldn't miss.

The simple look contained all the love in the world, and its meaning couldn't be any stronger. Kagome's told him not to get killed, and Inuyasha's told her that he wouldn't die on her.

"We'll be back at the last camp when your done here," Sango murmured, "Be careful. We need you. Kagome needs you."

Kagome retreated into the trees with a look over her shoulder at the love of her life and a prayer as Hikari drew her sword.

The monk, the twin-tail, the slayer, the fox-demon, and Kohaku followed the priestess, each fighting the urge to run back and help.

They all understood and that was the only thing that kept them moving in the other direction.

"Ready to die, half-demon?" Hikari asked.

Inuyasha smiled, "Don't hold your breath. I've got a score to settle."

"You cannot beat me."

Inuyasha prepared to charge her. "We'll have to see about that."

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

"If Inuyasha doesn't get back soon, I'm going back," Kagome said with only a hint of worry, but the others bet she was a lot more worried than she was letting on.

She was worried. The gang had been waiting for two hours, but the half-demon had yet to return.

"Inuyasha will be fine, Kagome," Sango said with a hand on Kagome's shoulder.

kagome pulled her knees to her chest. 'I'm pregnant with your child, Inuyasha, and I'll live just as long as you. You can't die on me. I cannot raise our baby on my own.'

She couldn't believe how stupid she had been. Leaving him to fight such a powerful enemy on his own? He was so careless and didn't think before possibly getting himself killed.

All the sudden Kagome started bawling. She hadn't meant to, tears just started streaming out.

Miroku jumped in bewilderment, but Kirara rubbed her head against Kagome's arm, Shippo sat on her lap, and Kohaku sat on her left.

"He had to fight her on his own, kagome," Miroku stated, "When you died, we wasn't Inuyasha anymore. Your death had taken away his life. I think he blamed himself, for not being able to protect you. He can't forgive himself for you being killed until he kills her on his own."

"Give him some time. He'll be back. All you have to do is wait." Sango said in attempt to sooth her friends nerves.

They waited there in silence for another two hours, then Sango and Miroku ordered Kagome to eat. She wasn't the least bit hungry, but she was supporting a new life now and didn't have a choice.

The others laid down to sleep, but Kagome couldn't, not when she had the horrible feeling she did. So she stayed up and hour by hour passed. She was still awake when the sun rose in the morning.

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

Uh-oh...

Okay, I spent the majority of my time out of town with my headphones on, writing this.

I know how the stories going to end, and there's probably only two chapters remaining.

I've started on the next chap already, so hopefully it will be up in a few days, but I'm leaving town tomorrow, so I won't get much done.

Please review though! I'd like reviews before I update again. I will thank everyone who does with their name on the next chapter.

I have NOT written past this, so in order for an update, please review.

Signing out,

Destined