Summary: Kagome has been hesitating on what to do. Naraku is dead, the jewel is gone, and the well is still open. There are worse problems than just that, though. These new problems about the man that she truely loves. Getting around to realize the emotions is tougher than anything else...

Rating: T (Oh my gosh! My lowest rating ever!)

So, what do you all think so far? I'm hoping that this will be a good story. At least better than my "About to Break" story is (not yet posted). I'm having a lot of problems typing in the second-person. First chapter was good, but I don't know how good this one will be...

OoOoO

Jammed
Chapter Three: Black Out

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Kagome loaded the last thing into her big, yellow backpack. She checked everything on her list then nodded her head in approval. She had brought as much as she possibly could. Even if it took her a lot of effort or help, she would make sure that this stuff got there. She went out to the well house and took a deep breath.

Kagome jumped into the well, closing her eyes to keep out the blue light. She knew that, along with the blue light, memories of the person she cared for would come. She had let him down, and didn't want to be reminded of that anymore than she had to be.

Kagome got out of the well, her backpack in hand, and walked to Kaede's hut. Home. She knew that things would get hectic there, since she would be under training for her priestess powers, but she didn't mind. She didn't want her mind on Inuyasha. It hurt to think of him and to think of how she had let him down.

The three weeks that had passed felt longer. Kagome wasn't having fun, and time wasn't flying.

"Kaede, I'm done with the mixture." Kagome said. She set a bowl down next to the fire and waited for more directions. She was tired, but not due to the training. She had hard times sleeping, since her guilt crept into her dreams. Kagome still had a smile on her face, no matter how tired she was.

"Thank ye, dear." Kaede said regally. "There is a pink-leafed plant on the far mountains. I ask you to find them. Sango knows where they are, but she is with child. So, she has sent Kilala to help you find them." Kagome nodded her head then stood up. Kilala trotted up, mewing happily.

"I think she has missed you." Kaede pointed out. Kagome's smile became more lively as she picked up the fire cat. Kilala mewed several times as Kagome stroked her.

"Now go, child. Bring your arrows so ye can practice on demons who prey ye." Kaede said. Kagome nodded her head then walked out of the hut, her arrows on her back and her bow in her hand.

"Kilala, how's Sango doing?" Kagome asked. Kilala jumped off her shoulder and trotted ahead. Kagome smiled when Kilala mewed up a storm, as if she were actually answering her.

"I take it she's doing good. I'll have to visit her when I get back." She mused. Kilala changed tok her battle form then Kagome got on. Soon, they were flying towards the mountains. Kagome noticed the wolf den nearby and tried to ignore it. Kouga would sense her, she didn't doubt that.

As much as she enjoyed Kouga's company, she didn't want him aruond. If he found out about Inuyasha's death, he would just say that Inuysha was too weak to protect her. He would be insensitive about it, and he would try to win Kagome over with his arrogance. That was the last thing that Kagome was in the mood for.

Kilala landed and Kagome got off. She began to pick the plants, being careful of the thorns that the leaves held. Kilala started growling when a shadow came behind Kagome.

"It's alright, Kilala. Go back to Sango and I'll come later." Kagome said. Kilala looked at her for a while before running off back home. Kagome sighed.

"Hi, Kouga. I thought you'd take longer to find me." Kagome said dully. She stood up and turned around. Kouga was grinning and his fangs were showing. Fangs that reminded her of Inuyasha and all the times these two fought.

"Hi, Kagome. Where's mutt face?" Kouga asked. Kagome felt like screaming sit at him, but she couldn't. She had no power over this demon. Kagome's hand came up to Inuyasha's necklace and she fingered it.

"Inuyasha's not here. I sent him away." She said firmly. She didn't want Kouga picking on Inuyasha when Inuyasha was unable to fight back. She'd take responsibility for what she'd done to him, even in her lies.

"Figures. Mutt-face couldn't protect you properly." Kouga mused. Kagome moved along the mountain, trying to get away from Kouga and get to the plants.

Everything Kouga was saying stung her sharply. She felt horrible for what she'd done to Inuyasha. She'd let him down, and she knew that. The way Kouga put it, it sounded like Inuyasha was weak when he needed protecting. That wasn't the way that Kagome saw it, though. Kagome admired it when Inuyasha asked her for help.

Kouga didn't. That was a sign that they wouldn't be good together. Kagome didn't want to be with him in the first place, but that was just something to back up her decision. Her primary reason had to do with Inuyasha. The two hated each other. She didn't feel right being with Inuyasha's rival after his death. It seemed cold-hearted to do.

"Why are you here, Kouga?" Kagome finally asked. She hadn't even realized that he was in mid-rant when she asked. She didn't care if she interrupted him or not. He just needed to stop talking about Inuyasha.

"I came to make sure that mutt-face wasn't with my woman." Kouga said. Kagome shook her head then began to pick more of the pink-leafed plants. My woman, Kouga put it. Kagome wondered if he even realized that she wasn't his. She wasn't property to anyone, not even Inuyasha, and least of all him.

"Now that you know he's not, are you going to leave?" Kagome asked. She was half surprised at how cold and harsh her voice seemed. But, as always, Kouga didn't take the hint that he wasn't wanted.

"Of course not! I'll help you with the plants. What are you picking them for?" He asked. Kagome watched as he went on the side of the mountain with her and began to pick the plants. He was lucky. Being a demon, he didn't have to worry about the thorns on the side of the plant.

Kagome stared with an open jaw as Kouga took off a piece of his armor. He used the piece, along with cloth from his outfit, and created a decent basket. He gave it to Kagome and took the plants from her hands, then placed then in the basket.

"What'd you do that for?" Kagome found herself asking.

"The thorns hurt a lot, but they're poisonous too. I'd hate for my woman to get poisoned before we had any pups." Kouga said. Kagome blushed then sat down on a rock. She knew that she wasn't his woman, but he didn't know that. He wasn't able to read into her body language and tone of voice.

Kagome didn't want him. Sure, he was kind. She liked his kindness, but that was all. She didn't want to be his wife, like he had hoped she would be. He wanted to start a family, a large family, and she didn't want more than three kids. That was as much as she could imagine herself handling.

"Kagome, is this enough?" Kouga asked. Kagome looked down at the basket that he'd made her then nodded her head.

"That's more than enough." She mumbled. Kagome began to make her way down the mountain, refusing any help from Kouga.

She'd have to tell him that she wasn't interested. Of course, Kouga wouldn't beleive her. He'd think that Inuyasha was forcing her to say it. He wouldn't take the hint. Kagome had to be creative and come up with a really good way to tell him to get lost.

Maybe not to get lost, but to at least display the message that she wasn't interested. She wasn't now, and she couldn't imagine ever being interested in the future. Sure, he didn't eat humans now, but he had. He had done it before he met her, and that scared her. She always imagined one of his pack-mates eating her when they couldn't find any food.

Kagome shivered. She didn't know if it was the thought that caused it, or the snow she had just fallen down in. It was colder in the mountains than her priestess clothes could stand up to. They were identical to the clothes that Kikyou wore. She appreciated Kouga for calling her Kagome, rather than the original priestess who wore the style.

Kagome snapped out of thought when Kouga placed a fur pelt over her. She looked up at him, curious to how he had gotten the fur blanket here without her noticing. Kagome shrugged the thought off and pulled the fur blanket closer.

"Kagome, you'll need to get up if you don't want to be cold." Kouga told her. Kagome silently laughed at his obviousness, but she didn't move. Her legs couldn't move, no matter how hard she tried to force them into it. She didn't mind dying in the cold. That was how Inuyasha had died, after all. She wanted to be in hell, with him.

Kagome closed her eyes as she slowly got her legs to lift her up. She didn't want to stay alive, but she had to. That was her payment to Inuyasha. There was no easy way out for her. She would deal with everything hard that her memories of Inuyasha had brought. She would prove to everyone that she was capable of living with her own guilt.

"Kagome, where are you going? The den is this way." Kouga said. Kagome turned around to look at him then sneezed. Kouga seemed concerned, and she wanted to be sincere.

"Kouga. I can't live with you." She said plainly. Damn, she thought. She had meant for that to come out as more caring, more kind. Instead, she said it as though she would kill him if he refused.

"Why?" He simply asked. Kouga didn't notice her harsh tone of voice. Figured. That was just like him.

"I am living with Kaede. She's helping me train my priestess powers. And... I don't love you." Kagome finally managed to say. Kouga stood there for a while, as if he were debating on the truth of her words. He nodded his head finally then took a step backwards.

"If you change your mind, you know where I am." He muttered. Kagome knew how angry he was. He had spent years trying to persuade her into loving him. She had just told him that she didn't love him, and that she didn't want to be with him. He had every right to be angry.

Still, his anger hurt her. Her heart was already ripped in shreds from Inuyasha's death. He just stepped on the shreds. He hadn't even realized that the words hurt so much. She probably hadn't realized that her words hurt him just as much. Perhaps even more.

Kagome began walking back home as it started snowing. She should have brought something to warm herself. The clothing was only fit to cover her body, not stand up to weather.

Kagome's teeth began to chatter as she trudged back to the hut. She was cold, she was tired, and the snow that was falling didn't help her any. She closed her eyes, but her feet continued to move beneath her. She ran into something. Something hard. Her head started throbbing as she hit the ground from the toughness of the object.

Kagome's eyes opened slightly, just long enough to see a flash of white. Her brain tried to figure out the piece of white, until she was slipped into a black world. Sleep consumed her entire body.

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Next Chapter...
Upon awakening, Kagome is lost. Where is she? And, does she dare ask, why is she naked? She fears the worst as she tries to remember whath appened. During her confusion period, Sesshoumaru comes in. He comes in with an explanation and... What are those?

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I didn't like this chapter too much. I just felt as though I had to get rid of Kouga...

Hey, do you ever wonder why, in alternate universe fanfictions, Kouga is the ex-boyfriend? Either that, or he's the villan... Strange... Makes me want to start reading a Kouga x Kagome fanfiction.

- Lonely Bird