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!)

Sorry. I said that the romance would start, and it didn't. That last chapter was… I stopped working on it because I just got tired of trying to write for the chapter. Hope this one turns out better.

OoOoO

Jammed
Chapter Five: Detour

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The demon lord smiled at how… un-ladylike she was. Most demonesses would have at least attempted to keep their cool while they fed their starving stomachs. This one dove in without a care.

Sesshoumaru let himself grin once more. He turned on his heel and left, leaving a confused Kagome behind.

He had just smiled. Why? How? Kagome had never seen him smile before. The thought of him smiling now was scary. Her naked under the covers did nothing to drive away the thought, though.

Two days. That's how long it took for her body to recover well enough to travel. That's how long it took the massive bruise on her stomach to diminish as much as it would.

"Are you sure that you feel well enough to be leaving?" Sesshoumaru asked. Kagome gave him a curious look. He was displaying his concern. Did he even realize that he was showing emotion, or did he intend to do it? Perhaps he was just trying to confuse her all the time.

"I will be fine. I have my priestess powers. They'll protect me." Kagome reassured the worried demon lord. His shoulders sagged in comfort then he watched her leave. Rin stayed by his side, curious as to why Mistress Kagome was departing like this.

"Lord Sesshoumaru… Why did she go?" Rin asked once Kagome was out of sight.

"Mistress Kagome had enough of her health to return to the village where her humans live. I do not intend to keep her from the other humans." He replied. He squared his shoulders, as if he was supposed to be proving something by his words.

"But, Lord Sesshoumaru. If you love her, won't you have her stay here with you? If you love her, she shouldn't' be leaving here. She should be staying here." Rin chided. Sesshoumaru flinched then looked down at the young girl.

"Who said anything of love?"

"Otakaru was reading me stories of knights on giant white horses that rescue ladies like Mistress Kagome!" Rin said. She waved her arms about, as if it would help the embarrassed demon to understand her better.

"Otakaru has been reading you stories again?" He questioned. Rin nodded her head then looked back to where Kagome had disappeared.

"That can create quite a problem." He mumbled.

Kagome trudged through shrubbery, groaning. Perhaps her bruise wasn't feeling as good as she had hoped. Every time a branch touched her stomach, it took all her energy not to scream out in pain.

How could it still be so tender and weak? Why wasn't she healing? With her priestess powers, she should have recovered much faster. But she was holding onto the bruise like a normal, powerless human would. Was something wrong with her powers that she hadn't noticed?

Of course, it was only natural that she think of the problems once there was no way of going back. She had left for Kaede's village. She couldn't go back to Sesshoumaru even if she wanted to. If she wanted to. She didn't want to.

In fact, Kagome still hated the demon lord. He had tried to kill her on more than one occasion. He was a cold, heartless, human-hating demon lord. She hated him for making Inuyasha's life miserable. She hated him. That was all there was to it.

Another part of Kagome's mind didn't agree. If she hated him, why was she so eager to prove it? She had started listing reasons on why she should hate him and not return. Perhaps she had a feeling for him that she had failed to realize. Kagome quickly scolded those thoughts away as well. She couldn't be having feelings for the brother of the man she let down.

Guilt plagued her heart as she mindlessly walked ahead. She didn't look up. She knew where the village was. As she cried tears in her heart, her defenses fell. A loud and mighty roar snapped her back out of her internal tears.

A bear demon stood in her way. A claw raised, he threatened to wipe her out. Kagome wondered why a bear demon would be after human meant. Bear demons hated human flesh more than any other taste.

There had recently been a lack of animals. Greater demons – like Sesshoumaru – had come in and wiped the land clean of it's natural wildlife. Any normal animals that the bear may have eaten were gone.

And meat, even if it was nasty, was right in front of him. Kagome tried to summon a ball of energy. It didn't work. Nothing came out from her. She had used all her energy in trying to heal from the bruise.

Kagome panicked and turned on her heel to run. Just as she took her first step away, she realized the mistake. No matter how threatening the demon, you never turn you back on them.

Kagome tried to move out of the way as she heard the claws of the bear demon cut through the air. And her flesh. She could feel the blood starting to run down her neck, but she didn't stop.

She ran back to where she had come from. Sesshoumaru's palace was the only safe place she could think of. The reasons that she had mentioned for hating him were worth nothing. Her life was depending on the kindness that he had started to show.

The kindness that she doubted was even real. She assumed it was just a way to show respect in one's home, with a guest. She would now be able to test the cold demon lord's tolerance to the unexpected and troublesome.

Kagome pounded on the door as hard as she could. The bear was getting closer to her, and no noise was coming from the other side of the door. The bear's roaring suddenly came to a halt. She turned around, expecting to see the bear dead.

A pack of bears, all hungry, stared at Kagome. Kagome hit her face and groaned. She could have had a better trip to Kaede's. She could have not gotten eaten by bears, and she would be much more content.

Kagome closed her eyes to avoid seeing the death that was coming on her. After a few more moments of silence, she opened her eyes.

In front of her, the few bear demons were dead. Cut in half, no less. Kagome's stomach turned as she looked towards the person in front of her. Her vision blurred, and she was unable to identify her savior.

Kagome's body went limp. She tried to regain control of all her senses, but she was unable to. After a few more moments of trying to keep awake, the darkness took over. She fought it off until she didn't know where her body was.

"Kagome… Why didn't you bring me back to life?" Inuyasha asked. Kagome took a step towards him, but he took two steps back.

"Why won't you let me get closer?" Kagome complained.

"Answer me and I'll answer you." He reasoned.

"Fine. I… I thought that you still loved Kikyou. I know that, even though you said that you cared for me, that you would forever love her. It's impossible to ignore a first love. Since you two were in the afterlife together, I assumed…" Kagome trailed off as tears filled her eyes.

"What? What did you assume, Kagome?" Inuyasha demanded.

"I assumed that you wanted to stay in the afterworld with her. I didn't want to bring you back and have you upset at me."

"Why would I have been upset with you?" He questioned.

"Because… I didn't protect you when I could have. I also knew how you felt for Kikyou, so I didn't want to be the one separating you from her. After what you two have been through, I thought you deserved to be in hell together." Kagome muttered.

Everything in her dream fell silent. Inuyasha wouldn't speak, she didn't know how to speak anymore. A light suddenly came from behind Inuyasha's eyes. Something clicked in his mind.

"You… You hated Kikyou. You were jealous of her. I remember that you told me that. But, you wanted me to be happy so bad that you sacrificed your own happiness for it?" He asked. Kagome nodded her head.

Inuyasha took a few steps forward and embraced Kagome tightly.

"It's too late for me. I made too many mistakes and we couldn't be together. That's my fault. But you have something in you. Something that… As much as I hate to admit it, my brother sees in you." Inuyasha said.

"I'm a worthless human in his eyes." Kagome retorted.

"I wouldn't say that." Inuyasha fingered the beads that he had once worn. The beads that forced him to eat dirt on so many occasions. The beads that, somehow, managed to save his life.

"Why do you keep wearing these?"

"I didn't want to forget you…"

"My brother has my sword?"

"Yes… I didn't know who else to give it to."

"Good. After all the fights we have had, I think he deserves it."

"Are you really visiting me from the afterlife or am I insane?"

"This is me, Kagome. I… I see how you act. You can't do well with anything because you're hung up over my death. Do you want to feel guilty?"

"I have no choice…" Kagome whined.

"You do!" Inuyasha grasped her shoulders tightly, trying to get Kagome's attention. "Tell me, Kagome, do you want to feel guilty forever?" He asked.

"No."

"Then smile when you wake up."

Kagome's eyes opened slowly. She had seen Inuyasha. She had deamt of him coming back to help her. She touched the necklace he had once wore and smiled.

Suddenly, as if a tidal wave had come over her, the pain of Inuyasha's death washed away. The guilt vanished. As she looked down at the beads, she made a silent thank you to him.

"You're so kind, Inuyasha. You never liked to show it, but you always were." She managed to whisper. She smiled then looked up at the ceiling. She had a bad habit of passing out in the presence of Sesshoumaru.

Perhaps that's what Inuyasha had spoken of when he said that there was something between them. The notion of being with the demon lord made her cheeks heat up. Why was she so embarrassed about the idea?

XxXxX

Next Chapter...
Kagome knows that she may be intruding, and that he has a good reason to be upset. But, rather than punish her like the demon lord usually does, he does something else. Kagome is sent to entertain Rin, and she learns some interesting things about the demon lord during this time…

XxXxX

You know what? I'm really upset. You know why? I have written so many stories (fanfiction and not) about happily-ever-after's. Love stories that warm your heart. I am suffering so badly right now. But, for some fucked up reason, no one notices.

I'm dying on the inside. I have spent so much time covering it up that I don't know how to make it obvious to the ones who can actually help me. I've really screwed myself, huh?

- Lonely Bird