Disclaimer: The characters of Inuyasha are owned by Rumiko Takahashi, but this story belongs to me.

Chapter Five: Fear

Inuyasha held Kagome as she cried into his shoulder. His back was pressed against the cool stones of the wall in the well and his head rested on top of hers. His heart ached, but he let her continue to cry.

"I'm afraid," she whispered into his shirt once she found her voice. "I don't know what's real anymore…" She sniffled. "When I'm there it seems so real…. I just know it is…. When I'm there, everything here seems like it's the dream". She looked up at him with large pleading eyes that broke his heart. "Am I crazy? I'm so confused!" Tears continued to fall.

"Oh Kagome…." He smoothed her hair as he continued to hold her.

She sighed. "You don't understand how real it is." She sniffled a bit more, ending it with a hiccup. "I couldn't even tell this was the real world until I saw you. I thought this was the dream."

"Kagome," he said seriously, "I'm worried about you."

"I know you are." She picked lint off of his shirt, not wanting to meet his gaze. "I'm a little worried myself."

"I think that… maybe you should talk to someone about this."

Surprised, she looked up. "I am. I'm talking to you."

"That wasn't what I meant."

She shook her head. "No. I'm okay. I'm just tired. Stressed."

"These dreams have been going on for years, Kagome. It's not just stress. It's not because you're tired." He rubbed her back as he spoke. "We need to find out what is causing these dreams so we can fix you."

Kagome froze.

"Fix me?" She bit her lip. "Someone else said that they wanted to fix me. I can't remember who it was… but I have this feeling that I should. Everything is so foggy. So mixed up." She sniffled and rubbed her hands over her eyes to wipe them dry. "I wish I knew what was real."

"I'm real," he told her as he held her tight. "You can trust that. And I can prove it." He shifted her in his arms so that he could see her face. "Remember when we were five and thought we could fly if we glued feathers to our arms? When we couldn't get the glue to stick we used duct tape."

Kagome giggled. "I still have that scar on my hip from the landing."

It took biting his tongue to keep from asking, in a joking manner of course, if he could see it. Flirting, even casual joking flirting, would seem like he was taking advantage of her while she was so vulnerable. So instead he continued his walk down memory lane and started to stroke her hair. "Remember when we were six and decided to eat ALL the candy from Halloween in one night? We spent days being sick."

"We couldn't even LOOK at chocolate for a month after that."

They laughed, and Inuyasha tightened his hold just a little.

"Remember when we were in the fourth grade and we found out you were moving? You kissed me."

Cheeks turned pink. "I remember." Shyly she turned her eyes upward so that she could meet his gaze. "I wanted to make sure that you were my first kiss."

Inuyasha smiled. "All those things happened, Kagome. You have a lifetime of memories before those dreams of demons and jewel hunting started. This is real life." He paused, brushing her hair from her face. "I'm real."

Kagome sighed. "You're right. I know you are. It's just that it really does seem real, you know?"

Reluctantly Inuyasha pushed Kagome away and stood up. He pulled her to her feet and gave her a gentle shove towards the rope ladder. Together they climbed out of the well. They missed first period for sure, and likely second period too. If they were lucky, they might just get to school in time for lunch…

"You really gotta quit jumping down here. One of these days you are going to break your fool neck," he scolded gently.

Once in the sunlight again he took another look at his friend and frowned.

"What did you do to your arm?"

Kagome looked down at her arm. The sleeve was bloody. She was frozen in place. When Inuyasha moved forward and began gingerly rolling her sleeve up, she didn't make a move to stop him. She knew what he was going to find. There was a sharp intake of air as he uncovered the skin, and before he could finish what was perhaps the most foul word in his vocabulary, Kagome fainted.

ooOOooOOooOOooOOooOOooOOooOOoo

Inuyasha stared at the claw marks on his friend's arm. After Kagome had revived yesterday, she had told him how she had tricked the hanyou in her dream into clawing her arm, to prove that her trips to feudal Japan were real. It bothered him how much she stressed that it wasn't the dog demon's fault. It bothered him how vehemently she was protecting him.

He would have blamed the deep scratches on the cat if the claw marks were not so large, and deep. He even put his own hand on her arm and was highly disturbed to find that the marks were an exact match for his grip… if he had been born with claws that is.

For the first time, he began wondering if maybe her dreams weren't black and white. Maybe there was something more to it. Maybe there were shades of gray that he had been ignoring. Maybe, just maybe, there was the slightest possibility that this world of hers wasn't exactly a dream.

That means that the other Inuyasha isn't just a dream.

That thought caused him to growl. It was a rather impressive growl considering he wasn't a dog demon. He couldn't remember ever being this angry, or scared.

That means that the other Inuyasha might take his Kagome away from him.

"Inuyasha, you're obsessing," Kagome scolded lightly as she nudged him with her shoulder and tried to regain possession of her arm.

Reluctantly he let her sleeve drop and continued to walk beside her. His mood growing darker with every step he took.

"I was just checking to see if you wrapped it this morning."

"I told you I would."

"Yeah, but you don't exactly have a great track record for doing what you're told."

She laughed, but didn't comment. It would be a lie if she tried to deny it, and one of the many things Inuyasha loved about Kagome was that she didn't lie to him. He stole a glance at her as they walked.

If the other Inuyasha is real, it means that Kagome was actually in love with someone else. Someone he couldn't bully away. Suddenly the whole world seemed to turn gray, and for the first time since Kagome moved back, Inuyasha felt alone… and a little terrified. If Kagome left him this time, she wouldn't be leaving him to go to another city or country, she would be leaving him for a place far out of his reach.

500 years into the past.

He shook his head violently to get rid of these thoughts. He must be spending too much time with the overly imaginative girl. Surely this couldn't really be real. It defied all logic! It just wasn't possible.

But what about those marks on her arm?

Inuyasha felt rather like a stalker for the rest of the day. There was no where Kagome could go that she was out of his eyesight. Well… not counting the bathroom or the girls' locker room during gym. He wasn't Miroku after all. He did, however, talk Sango into taking over the stalking duties her during those times. She had looked at him funny, but Sango didn't ask for explanations.

He wasn't sure what he afraid of if he took his eyes off of Kagome. But he didn't want to find out either.

If she wasn't crazy… if the well really did work… if she really could go to the feudal era to hunt demons… DEMONS! ...would she be forced to choose one time over another? What happens if she doesn't choose this time? What if she chooses the dog demon? The one who alternates between making her angry, making her go all mushy and soft, and breaking her heart….

Inuyasha sighed. There was also the very real possibility that Kagome wasn't going to feudal Japan. Maybe she was hurting herself, unconsciously in her sleep. Maybe she had a split personality. Maybe she was psychotically delusional.

He wasn't too sure which option he preferred. A Kagome who was fighting demons and falling love with some half demon or a Kagome who was off her rocker and hurting herself unintentionally. None of those were very good options. They all ended up hurting her in one way or another. And each way threatened to take his precious friend away from him.

As Kagome bent her head over her notebook and worked on the math problems on the board, Inuyasha began making a list.

My world is real, the other one isn't:

1. I know it is real. I have the memories to prove it.

2. People who exist in both worlds: Inuyasha, Miroku, Sango, Shippo, Kaede, Kikyo, Sesshomaru, Hojo, Souta. (All existed in MY world before Kagome began dreaming them).

3. People who only exist in the other world: Naraku, Kanna, Kagura, Kouga, Kirara, Rin, Jaken.

4. Demons: no such thing.

5. Magic: ha!

6. Time travel: scientifically impossible.

7. Kagome's mother LETTING her time travel with a male half dog demon: less likely than the possibility of magic existing.

The other world is real:

1. Claw marks on arm, size of my hand (Kagome's is too small to make those marks).

2. Kagome is so sure it's real.

Even though the first list was much longer, and should have made him feel better. The short list was just too compelling. He couldn't get those claw marks out of his head. If this Inuyasha character really did exist, then he was too dangerous for Kagome to be with. Too dangerous for her mental health, and far too dangerous for her physical health.

He had to keep her from going down the well again. It wasn't safe and it had to stop. But how? Board it up? Tear it down?

"Is my class cutting into your study of Ms. Higurashi?"

Inuyasha cringed. He hadn't noticed the teacher walking over and standing at his desk. That super demon dog hearing sure would have come in handy right about now. The smart remark on his lips died when he saw Kagome's worried expression. He took a deep breath and reined in his temper.

"Sorry." The teacher raised one infuriating eyebrow. Inuyasha clenched his jaw and ground his teeth before speaking again. "Sorry. Sir."

"As fascinating as Ms. Higurashi is," the teacher said as he ambled slowly back up the aisle amid the snickering students, "Let us try to take a moment and focus on math. Ms. Higurashi, perhaps you can find the time in your very busy schedule to come up to the board and show the class how this problem is solved."

Inuyasha cringed and slunk down in his seat. He watched as Kagome walked to the front of the class as if she were walking to the front of a firing squad. Math wasn't her best subject. Inuyasha knew that. The teacher knew that. Heck, everyone knew that. At that moment, Inuyasha couldn't think of a single person he hated more than that teacher. Kagome was being punished for something that he did. It wasn't fair. Halfway up to the board she turned her head back to search him out. He tried to look as apologetic as possible. She gave him a small smile in return.

She stood in front of the board and stared at it. Inuyasha willed her to get the answer right, or at least get most of the sections of it right. At least enough so that no one would tease her. She made her first mark and paused.

"Quickly, please," sniped the teacher. After another moment of Kagome studying the problem, the teacher huffed out a puff of air. "Less time socializing and more time paying attention in class and perhaps you would be able to solve the problem. Take your seat and give someone else a chance."

"No," she whispered. "I can do this."

Inuyasha blinked. She can?

He watched as slowly she began to figure out the long complex problem. She was doing it. She was solving it! When she turned to face the class after correctly solving the equation, Inuyasha actually stood up and whooped out a cheer. The irate teacher gave them both detention for being disruptive, but it was worth it.

A new problem was put on the board, and this time Inuyasha went to write it down in his notebook. He touched the page to turn it and saw his list again.

Kagome solved an intricate mathematical equation. With no erasing. No mistakes.

The pencil in Inuyasha's hand snapped from the pressure. With what was left of the portion of the pencil, he added one more line to his list.

3. Kagome solves math problem.

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Author's Notes:

Just got the chapter back from Shoomy2003 who looked it over for mistakes. Thanks!

And thanks to the reviewers who let me know that in Chapter One I mentioned something about AU. I read it again just to make sure I didn't goof. It mentions AU, but not necessarily that the story was AU, just if you don't like AU give this story a chance. I don't want to give anything away one way or another, so let's just say it could be either.

Confusion shall be clearing up verrrry soon though.

Maybe...