Author's note: I know, a sooner update than usual….don't complain. Grab some tissues for this one. It's mostly Inuyasha and Kagome stuff this chapter again, but it's also a Naraku thing. Heehee. I have a new obsession. drum roll The All American Rejects! Ob-ses-sed. Totally. For fans of The Hanyou and the College Girl, chapter won't be up for another week-ish. The Valentine's day dance is tomorrow and I'm going with my boyfriend, so I'll be a bit preoccupied.

I was just wondering if anyone gets picked on at school/work for liking anime or Inuyasha or whatever. My school is incredibly prejudiced and think all anime/manga is Pokemon or Yu-gi-oh!. I ignore most of it though.

Anyways, back on subject. Enjoy!

X

Disclaimer: HA! You think I own him? That's funny.

The Assassins

By: darkangelprincess24

Chapter fourteen

X

"Down there, you go always
See if I care faded
Down, don't you know where I'll be
'Cuz I'm here, on my own
Waiting, when I'm waiting
(don't you know)
I've been here before, and I don't care where I'm going
So I'll be, waiting (waiting)
When I'm waiting (don't you know)
I'll tell you once more
That, as long as you're gone"

-"I'm Waiting" by (guess who?) The All American Rejects

X

Last time:

Her eyes closed also.

"K…Kikyo…." He mumbled against Kagome's skin.

X

She struggled weakly, pushing him away only to be overpowered. "Please…Onigumo…don't…please…STOP!" She screamed as pain ripped through her lower half. Her stepfather just chuckled.

"Shh…just be a good girl and don't scream, Kikyo…don't scream too loud…"

X

"Onigumo's going to be home soon…" She watched as he smiled in a reassuring way. She sat up, her legs still resting on his. She twirled an idle piece of Inuyasha's black hair around her finger.

He brought a hand to her cheek. She looked up and met his eyes. "I'll get you out of this hellhole soon, Kikyo. I promise. The way…the way he beats you, it just…makes me sick."

Kikyo nodded and cast her eyes downward, letting go of his hair. Inuyasha wiped away the single tear that fell with his thumb.

X

Kagome's eyes snapped open. "…And then…she died, didn't she?"

Inuyasha's eyebrows furrowed. "Who? Kikyo? When?"

This time:

The streets were dark and damp, glistening with the aftermath of yet another rainstorm. The hanyou and girl walked past a group of teenagers smoking. Inuyasha shoved his hands into his jean jacket pockets rather violently, and Kagome hugged herself tighter. Their shoes padded softly on the concrete.

Kagome glanced at him through the corner of her eye. He had been ignoring her since Kikyo's memories were revealed to her. 'Since he said he was still in love with her,' She thought bitterly.

It had gone back to how it was before. Inuyasha came downstairs only to get food or perform an assassination. Kagome hadn't even gone out of her room. A bathroom was attached to her room, so she could have stayed there for over a week.

Inuyasha's fingers strained in his jean jacket, longing to reach for Kagome, to touch her, love her. He saw her out of the corner of his eye, frowning at her appearance. She looked thinner than normal. He could almost see her ribs, and he could fit a hand around her arm if he wanted. She had been eating, but only a little. Her voice did not have the sparkle it used to. Not that he noticed it when she was talking to him, because she hadn't said one word to him since he confessed his feelings for Kikyo.

He worried for Kagome. He sniffed and frowned again. There was no scent of food on her lips, which meant she hadn't eaten for at least twenty-four hours. The scent had already worn off. He also noticed the faint scent of tears on her. He felt incredibly guilty, knowing she cried herself to sleep every night because of him.

They passed a lamppost and it flickered slightly before turning off abruptly, leaving the darkened street even darker. It was completely silent on the street. Kagome didn't try to start conversation, and neither did Inuyasha.

Turning into an old, rundown alley, Inuyasha kept walking until he found a door to a seemingly abandoned warehouse. He opened it and stepped inside, letting the door shut behind him and leaving Kagome outside. She took a deep breath to stop the tears and followed him inside.

Sultry music filled the room, with dancers strutting around with drinks and lying across men's laps, smiling and laughing. Kagome spotted Inuyasha immediately, walking to a table in the back, hidden and free of any dancers.

She took off her trench coat and slid gracefully next to the man Inuyasha sat across from. His head turned slowly and he smiled. Kagome straddled the man.

"What's your name?" She asked seductively. He downed the shot and licked his lips.

"Kogi Sakamaki."

"Ooh. Well, Sakamaki-sama, how 'bout we drink?" Kagome purred, taking two glasses from Inuyasha, with one poisoned and the other regular water. She purposely avoided his face and handed Sakamaki his poisoned drink, smiling.

He took it and drank it in one sip.

Kagome sipped her water carefully and stood. "Bye, Sakamaki-sama." She whispered, grabbing her jacket and heading out the door.

Inuyasha quickly followed.

Once they were outside and in the street, she felt alone again. There was a sad emptiness inside of her that seemed like it could never be filled.

"You….did a good job, I guess." Inuyasha said quietly, crossing his arms over his chest.

Kagome nodded in response.

She heard him sigh. They walked to the Higurashi Shrine silently. Kagome opened the door and stepped inside, throwing her jacket on the couch. Inuyasha followed and put his coat next to hers. She turned away from him and started in the direction of her room. He grabbed her hand and spun her so she was face him. She looked down at his hand before being thrown into another flashback.

"She's losing it!" The doctor screamed. He put the pads over her chest. "Clear!"

Inuyasha watched through the see-through glass with his hands pressed against it. He stared at Kikyo sadly and all the doctors trying to help her. "Kikyo…" He whispered.

He stayed in that same spot staring at Kikyo for an hour before finally walking into the room just in time to hear her doctor.

"Time of death, ten sixteen P.M., December twenty-fourth, two-thousand two."

The doctor wrote it in his notepad and turned, almost running into a fifteen-year old boy. He smiled gently. "Are you related?"

Inuyasha shook his head. "Boyfriend." He said, barely a whisper.

"Oh." The doctor said, shaking his head. He put a hand on Inuyasha's shoulder and looked him straight in the eye. "Did Ms. Kikyo ever inform you of being raped?"

His head snapped quickly to the doctor. "What? Kikyo was never raped!"

"I'm afraid so. By her stepfather. DNA matched." Seeing Inuyasha's face of disbelief, he sighed. "I'll leave you to talk."

As soon as he had gone, Inuyasha sat in the chair on the left side of Kikyo's bed. He took her hand gently and ran the other hand through his hair. He looked down at his dead girlfriend.

"Kikyo, why didn't you tell me?" He whispered, bringing her hand to his face, making it wet with his tears. "I could've done….something." He paused and kissed her hand. "I love you, Kikyo, I always will."

Kagome ripped away from him, tears streaming down her cheeks. "Leave me alone!"

Before he could react, she was already slamming her bedroom door closed. Inuyasha slowly and carefully knocked.

"Go away!" She yelled.

He opened her door and stepped inside, closing it behind him softly. "Kagome, I--"

"Uh-uh!" She yelled, burying her face into her pillow and shaking her head. "Don't even think of trying to say those things when you will always love her! You won't hurt me again!"

"You're right, I won't!" Inuyasha yelled back, now kneeling next to her bed. She took her face out of the pillow and looked at him. "I never have ever tried to hurt you on purpose, Kagome."

"But you di--"

"I know I did. But I never tried to do it."

He watched as Kagome turned her back to him, facing the wall. "Please leave me alone." She whispered. He nodded and forcefully dragged himself to his room, leaving Kagome to cry herself to sleep yet again.

XXXXX

The next day, Kagome pretended like nothing had happened and came downstairs to eat. Sango, Miroku, Koga, and Inuyasha were all sitting at the table eating cereal.

"Kagome!" Sango exclaimed. "You're going to eat?"

She nodded. "Anything new happen?" Kagome asked, sitting down next to Sango.

Koga cleared his voice. "Kagome, my woman, as much as I hate to leave you and your lovely home, Naraku finds it inconvenient to live with you. He bought an apartment for me just a few blacks away. I will be leaving today at noon. I'm sorry."

Kagome stood and walked to Koga, hugging him. "I'll miss you, Koga. Things will be…different without you here."

She pulled away and made her breakfast before sitting down again. About an hour later, Koga was packed and out the door. Kagome waved and smiled before shutting the door. She turned to find Inuyasha.

"Move." She said.

"Please, maybe?" He teased. She frowned at him.

"No. Move."

"Kagome." he said in a suddenly serious tone. She stopped and looked up at him. "I need to tell you something."

She gulped. "Okay."

He took a deep breath before starting. "I want you to know that I will always love Kikyo," She winced, "and she has a special place in my heart as the first woman I loved. Even though I still love her, and probably always will, even just a little--"

Kagome didn't wait for him to finish. She pushed past him angrily and up to her room, not bothering to shut the door as she rummaged through her closet for her duffel bag. Inuyasha appeared in her doorway to see her stuffing clothes into her bag.

"Kagome, where--?"

"Go away. This is none of your business." She said, not even bothering to look up at him.

"It is my business when it concerns you, Kagome!" Inuyasha exclaimed loudly. "First, you're almost to the point of anorexia, and now you're packing clothes- your clothes- into a duffel bag. What's making you do this? Was it something I di--"

"It's everything you did, Inuyasha!" She exploded. "Every time you said my name or Kikyo's name, every kiss you ever gave me, every sweet word, every time you've ever been a self-centered, arrogant jerk to me, you've made me fall more and more in love with you, and you just can't see it! You never say anything to ever give me a hint about anything, yet you expect me to know everything going on in your stupid, ignorant, idiotic mind!

"Do you know what it's like to want something, but can never EVER get it? Do you know what it's like, day after day, seeing you and knowing you love her and always will? How you're so cold to me in public but a halfway decent guy to me in private? Do you know what it's like to be compared to someone every single moment I'm in your presence? Do you know? Do you!" She shrieked. By now, she was standing in front of him, screaming in his ear while all he did was listen.

She seemed to cool down after a few moments and turned back to her bag, stuffing some necessities into the front pocket. "I…I'm leaving."

"what?" Inuyasha breathed.

"I'm--"

"I heard you, but why? Where will you stay? This is your house!"

"You. I can't stay near you. You can't protect me. I guess I'll stay with Koga."

"NO!" Inuyasha yelled, grabbing her wrists and holding them tightly. He stared into her blue eyes. "What happened to staying with me? Forever and ever, Kagome!"

She shook her head as tears started to gather in her eyes. "That was different then."

"How?" He yelled.

"I thought you loved me then!"

Silence.

Absolute silence.

Kagome sniffed and zipped up her bag. She grabbed her bag and swung it over her shoulder. She stopped in front of Inuyasha. A mixture of emotions were passing through both of them, and they needed to sort them out. Their eyes met; Inuyasha cupped her face with his hand, his thumb stroking her cheek gently.

"Don't go." He said quietly.

Kagome bit her lip and rested her hand over his. "Why? Why shouldn't I leave, Inuyasha, after all you've done to me? I don't think I'm strong enough to handle living with you if you see Kikyo when you look at me." His hand dropped from her face. "Why shouldn't I leave?"

His bangs clouded his eyes. "I don't want you to go, Kagome."

"But why? How do I know you won't change at all if I stay?"

Suddenly, Inuyasha realized something incredibly important. When he pictured Kikyo in his mind, he remembered many good things, but also a betrayal of sorts; she never told him she had been raped. True, she was beautiful, but when he pictured Kagome. When he saw her, felt her….These were the emotions rumbling about in his veins. These were the feelings he felt when he looked at Kagome. 'How…didn't I realize this before?'

"I don't want you to go because," He lifted his head and met her eyes. "Kagome, I don't want you to leave because I'm in love with you, not Kikyo."

XXXX

Author's note: CLIFFY! And before you say ANYTHING, this wasn't a filler chapter! I'll get into detail more later. Also, for those who would be confused:

Inuyasha said in the first chapter, "He knew she wasn't coming back, but a part of him still believed she would. He drove her away." he was talking about Kikyo. Keep that in mind, okay?