What if I didn't have you?
By Minako-chan4 Original story and characters by Rumiko Takahashi.

It took me a while but I finally decided I needed to make some time to update my stories. And because I LOVE Inuyasha I decided I would update this story first. Even if I haven't gotten as many reviews as in my Ranma story . Anyways

Last chapter:

Shippo's questions were founded, Kouga knew. And he too felt curious, more curious he was though of how Inuyasha would behave and approach this new development. "Do you not wonder if it's all a trap? Even if she's her, don't you think it's odd that she disappeared back then and then reappeared again now? There could be a bigger scheme behind this."

Inuyasha kept looking at her. "It doesn't matter… we'll find out sooner or later. I have her back now… and it's all that matters anymore."

Kouga's frown did not go unnoticed by his Lord. But Inuyasha really didn't care for any of it, he had regained her and for now he could just be the hanyou Inuyasha in love with Kagome, not the lonely strong leader of clans that he was now. All he wanted was to enjoy Kagome's presence… Even if just for a little while… before the storm broke.

CHAPTER 4 "Facing the Past Part II"

'Kagome.'

Who was calling her? It was someone near… a familiar voice…

'Kagome, you and I need to meet.'

"What do you want?" She turned in the darkness but there was nothing distinguishable in the shadows.

'You'll see. I will come for you. Now wake up so we can see how the world unravels'

She felt herself wake up and God it felt as if she had been sleeping for days, her body ached all over and her head was fuzzy. Last thing she remembered was getting thrown into the well and coming out to… Oh my god my house! She sat up as quickly as her body allowed her; which actually was too fast because she now felt dizzy.

"Ugh…" Kagome held her head. The light had made her headache worst so she kept her eyes closed. However no sooner had a moan escaped her mouth, someone was by her side.

"Kagome? Are you alright?"

That voice… it had to be him. She could recognize that voice anywhere in the world. "Inuyasha?"

He couldn't stop himself and before he knew it he was hugging her. She was in his arms as he had wanted… "Yes I'm here."

The Miko from the future was even more confused now. Inuyasha hugging me? "Uh…Inuyasha what's going on? You know I had the strangest dream… I was pushed into the well and as I came out in the future my house was gone." So silly she thought, he would probably tell her that 'Silly Kagome, you're so stupid'. But instead of telling her those words he tensed.

Why wasn't he answering? Why had he frozen? She opened her eyes and pushed Inuyasha away so she could see him… he was different… It couldn't be Inuyasha! His hair was shorter… only up to the middle of his back and it was braided. Since when did he braid his hair…? She pushed him away from her, not too sure if what she saw was real.

Oh god this is where she screams at me or something worst… He had never thought of that. Why hadn't he thought of that? "Look Kagome, don't freak…" She stared back at him with weariness, some fear mixed in. Then she turned her gaze towards her surroundings… and out the window. She paled immediately and he was worried that she would faint. None the less she kept her eyes only but a second towards the window and then turned to him again.

Finally a sound crept out. "What the HELL! Get away from me! What did you do to my home? My time? Who are you! That can't be Tokyo! Oh God I must be having another nightmare! Where's my bow?" She tried to stand and look around or leave the room all together, but she quickly feel to the floor. Her legs were not responding correctly, so she tried to scramble away from this strange world and the man that looked like Inuyasha. She couldn't get to the door because he was in the way, but she could crawl to a corner, at least nothing could get her in a corner, right?

He cautiously tried to stay close to her, pure fright reflected in her eyes.
Perhaps it was a trick. A youkai had kidnapped her and had used her memories to create this; it wouldn't be the first time. It was a trick to get her and he was way to close to her liking. "Get away! You're not him! Leave me alone or I'll kill you! Where are my friends!"

Every word, every sniff of her fear was twisting his heart. Of course he hadn't expected her to recognize him. He looked much older, his hair was different; even his ears, they were damaged and bits of them were gone all from previous battles… His face was basically the same though…

He had hoped she wouldn't freak out so much. She was so altered that she had jumped from idea to idea. "Kagome it really is me. Please calm down." He approached her and tried to help her up, but she did it all by herself with that extra boost of adrenaline. She was balancing herself against the wall and got close to the fireplace. She took a block of wood from the fireplace that was lighted.

"No you're not! Where am I? Where are my friends? Where am I?" He did not back down though… and she was starting to get more worried and tired. The perspiration on her forehead could not be good, it seemed like she had a fever.

"Kagome calm down, you'll only make yourself sicker. It IS me! Take a good look."

With all the screaming going on, of course, soon everyone was in the studio. She looked to them only to feel more scared. They were cornering her? They all looked like the people she knew… they couldn't be that good at shape shifting because the one that looked like Shippo hadn't gotten the age right.

Now what to do? She should have kept her voice low. Now what Kagome? Think quickly! If only she had her bow and arrow…

Shippo was the first to try and get close to her. "Kagome."… bad choice, she pushed herself even more against the wall if that was at all possible and pointed her makeup torch towards him. "Kagome it's me Shippo!"

"No you're not! Shippo is a little boy! Get away from me! Inuyasha will kill you all for kidnapping me once he gets here!"

Heh, at least she still trusted him. The thing was… That with so many people she wouldn't focus on anything. Not even his convincing. "Get out! All of you! Leave us alone!"

Most of them stated at him with questioning glances, the others (like Kouga and Shippo) just stared at him with anger. "Out!" They complied, like always. His attention was one again turned to Kagome. "Kagome please, let me prove that it is me."

She stood her ground and she kept her slightly menacing face. "Fine, try…"

Now he had to think, how could he…? "Umm… You live in the future and only you and I can travel through the well."

She frowned. "You could have figured that out by watching me and my friends! I don't buy it!"

Ok not the best piece of proof… "The first time Tetsusaiga transformed we were inside my father's grave, I promised I'd protect you."

Now she seemed a little bit doubtful, like she was starting to believe him. "You might have been able to discover that from Sesshomaru."

Wait! He turned to his sword and unsheathed it. "Here! Proof enough? Tetsusaiga. Now do you believe me? No youkai can hold it, it doesn't transform for anyone but me, remember?"

She seemed surprised at first with the sword and then turned to stare at him again. She saw his necklace and knew how she could be sure for real. "Osuwari."

He was on the floor face first. Five hundred years and this stupid thing still works? "What the hell did you have to go do that for"
She gave a sigh of relief. It really was him; even his curses were the same. No one could have removed that necklace and no other would respond to her command.

She looked him over. But he's different… older looking… "Inuyasha? What happened to you?" This Inuyasha was not the one she was used to… Aside from his aged physical appearance… he wasn't warring his traditional haori like he used to… he was wearing a white dress shirt and some black dress pants.

She threw the firewood into the fireplace and kneeled next to him.

The subjugation spell finally wore off enough that he could sit on the floor. He watched her stare at him curious, maybe even worried. "Why do you look older?" She remembered the view from the window, of a place that seemed like Tokyo but dark and in ruins… "What happened to my world?"

Many things went through his mind… specially: how would he explain the death of her family? His heart ached, how WAS he going to explain that? Her friends were gone, dead probably. She touched his cheek with her hand and he felt her warmth, it was so relaxing.

Like a puppy he relished the warmth and edged himself towards her. She examined his ears, his hands, his face, his hair and finally his eyes. Yes those were his eyes, the amber orbs that held fire in them. Or at least had held some sort of fire in them, now they almost seemed tortured. "Inuyasha, what happened?"

He slowly met her gaze and started from the only part he could. "You disappeared on us in the past…"

The door bust open quickly interrupting their moment. And the hanyou Lord felt like killing someone. "What!"

Shippo and Kouga stood at the doorway. "Inuyasha you must come with us. It's an emergency."

"Can't it wait?" Kouga's annoyed stare and Shippo's pleading look were his answer. Although he wanted to stay with her and explain… he was needed… and he again wished he had not been named lord or leader… or made that stupid promise to Miroku. "Fine." He saw Sango behind them in the doorway with Rin and Sesshomaru. "Rin, Sango, stay with her, and see to it she gets whatever she needs. The others come with me."

Before he left he turned towards Kagome. He might get a sitting later on for this… but he just had to do it. "I'll be back Kagome, stay out of trouble." He pulled her towards him and gave her a kiss. He looked once more into her eyes and smiled, then left with the men following him, a slight blush on his cheeks.

Kouga and Sesshomaru were smirking, Shippo though was frowning. "Why'd you do that?" The kitsune asked.

His heart was still beating fast from the kiss, her scent, the smoothness of her skin. It was pure bliss.

"I SAID why'd you do that! Are you deaf?"

This time he did answer. "None of your business kit." A smile played on his lips. And the other two men smiled also. Well at least Inuyasha was back to his relentless self. Yet they were also worried…

When Inuyasha and Kagome had been together in the past, he had been reckless and impulsive. Would he revert to his old self that much? Would he loose his cool demeanor that allowed him to think things analytically…? It was yet to be seen.

Back in the studio Kagome sat frozen on the spot just staring at the door, her hand reached her lips and lingered. To say she was surprised was short to how she felt. Inuyasha kissed me… That look he had given her… how he had acted, it couldn't be… He loved Kikyo, right?

Sango stood in front of her and waved her hand. "Hellooo? Is anyone in there?"

The other woman giggled by her side. "Forget it Sango, she's walking on clouds right now."

"Yes well I hope she comes back down to earth to join us…" She looked Kagome over. It was exactly the same girl she had last seen. Now it all seemed right somehow. It was better this way… "Oh come on Kagome! It was just a little kiss! Snap out of it!"

That brought her back. And the young girl stared at the two women that were with her. Inuyasha had said it was Sango and Rin… Sango she could recognize easily, she was basically the same, except a couple years older and the clothes. She seemed to be close to her 30s. It was amazing how twenty-first century clothes really did suit her; she would have never imagined they would look so right on her either. Black leather pants, high heel knee length black boots and a burgundy red long sleeve cashmere blouse.

"So what?" The exterminator twirled around. "Do you approve? Or were the leather pants too much?" She giggled. And Kagome smiled. "No, you look absolutely excellent in them."

Sango smiled, sat in front of Kagome and hugged her. This was her friend… the girl she had come to consider her sister. The girl she had lost about 500 years ago, and who was finally standing there in flesh and bones in front of her. "Oh Kagome, we missed you so much." Tears welled up in her eyes, and she wasn't able to stifle a sniff or two.

Kagome pushed her back and took the handkerchief she had in her pocket to dry the older woman's tears. "Sango… I don't understand… How are you here? And Kouga, Shippo, and Sesshomaru and Rin… if it really is them…."

Rin got closer. "Oh it is us Kagome… Just older of course…"

"But it doesn't quite make sense… Only Inuyasha could come through the well… But it was sealed… I tried to go back in when I came out… so that would mean that you all would have had to survive… and you two are… should be…"

"Dead?" Now it was her friend the exterminator that answered. "It's a long story Kagome. And somewhat complicated."

"Tell me what happened. I want to know…"

Sango gave a sigh and stared at her own hands as if trying to read the story off them. "Look why don't we leave this for when Inuyasha comes back? In the mean time we could show you around the palace. Do you feel up for it?"

"Sure."

Somewhere else in Tokyo

Inuyasha ran in front of them. "I thought I told that girl to move closer to our lair!"

"Yeah well you know Shiroi she has never listened. Said she got the stubborn attitude from a hero she met as a child. She got it in her head she should never give in."

Inuyasha frowned, stupid Wolf and stupid girl. Hero, feh! He was no hero; yes he'd helped, always had. That didn't make him any more of a person than it would anyone else. They'd all helped… Kagome had helped. Well she kind of had, always did get into more trouble than he'd liked but she did lend a helping hand.

"There they are!

He suddenly became aware of the fight going on in front of him. Various youkai and humans lay on the ground dead. Many others were still fighting and it was obvious to anyone that it was a loosing battle for those fighting the evil youkai that kept pouring into the clearing.

He unshed Tetsusaiga ready to kill all demons that hurt those under his protection. A certain foul smell reached his nose and he knew just who it was, well more likely what it was.

He stopped and turned fast. "Inuyasha wait for us!" Kouga yelled behind him and all followed him.

One of Naraku's puppets was here and if he was right he had a hostage, typical. That would end soon. This red flash passed all opponents with single strikes, he didn't even need to use his sword, his claws were enough. Finally he reached him.

"Like always. You send your minions to do the dirty work don't you?" A low growl came from the back of his throat. He held Shiroi by her neck on one arm.

"Shiroi!"

Shippou would lunge if he did not stop him. "Hold your ground kitsune!" Shippo's worry was evident; after all he had grown to care for this girl as a younger sister.

"Inuyasha. You have a visitor in your castle… have you not?" A wide grin adorned he puppet's face. Inuyasha knew very well of whom he spoke and it did not make him happy. He unshed his sword.

"So?"

"I was hoping she had come with you also. It would have been more pleasing to have her blood in my hands than this youkai's blood." Just as he was going to pierce the girl's abdomen with one of his slimy limbs Inuyasha stopped him with a swing of his sword. And the puppet was no more.

Shippou caught the girl before she touched the floor. "Hey are you alright"
"My head is killing me… Thanks Shippo-kun…"

"She inhaled some of Naraku's miasma, take her to the palace. Rin will take care of it." Sesshomaru spoke, meanwhile Inuyasha stared at the battle field, Naraku's youkai were fleeing taking to the skies.

Sesshomaru swung tokijin and all monsters were gone in mere seconds. The Lord of the Western Lands stared at his brother's stiff back. "He is just trying to get to you Inuyasha."

The hanyou's growl was much louder now. And he snapped. "He wants her! I will not let him lay a finger on her! Not one! You hear me?" He turned and left the battle field storming. "Take care of this wolf! I have other things to do!"

All stared after his retreating form. The youkai that knew him for longer knew what he was talking about, but the others were surprised of his attitude. They all wondered who "she" was and why it affected the hanyou lord so much.

Kouga and Sesshomaru stood close to each other. The wolf youkai did not like this at all; Inuyasha was displaying too many emotions. It wasn't good for his image and it wasn't good for Kagome. "We have to speak to him about this."

"Indeed we do."

Both turned to get back to their original task, to help the youkai and humans who had been attacked. Inuyasha would pipe down eventually and then they would speak to him.

All three women were back in the studio when Shippou and Inuyasha came back. Kagome stared at the girl in Shippou's arms and knew she had met her before somewhere, but could not recall.

Rin stood up quickly. "Shippou! What happened?"

"She took in some of Naraku's miasma and fainted, I think she's alright but could use your help Rin." They both took off to another room so Rin could tend to the girl. Inuyasha, Kagome and Sango were left in the room.

"That was fast. It usually takes you a couple more minutes to return." Sango could tell he was not really paying attention to her; his eyes were fixated on Kagome. And they seemed somewhat troubled. She got close to him before she asked in a whisper "Should I call everyone else so we can all explain what's happened?"

Inuyasha turned his head towards Sango and gave her a small forced smile. He wasn't sure he could tell her everything himself. "Yes"
"I'll give you two a little while alone while I gather everyone else"
He heard the door close behind him and started to go through what he should or wanted to say to his love before everyone else came. Did he want to say anything? Should he say anything?

The miko from the future now looked at Inuyasha; he was restless and looked tired. She could see some smudges of blood on his clothes and suddenly got worried. She went to him "Inuyasha! Are you hurt!"

Her genuine concern brought a more genuine smile to his face. He had missed how she fussed around him. "Not really, maybe a little scratch here and there but that's mostly blood from other individuals"
She started taking of his shirt with care and he just let her. In the past he would have made her stop, saying that she was worrying too much. "Where did you go"
"We had to take care of some youkai. It ended fast"
"Ah." As she finished removing his shirt, Kagome could see that he had actually told the truth. There were nothing but little scratches, and only a few. The huge blood stains were not his. "You might have to throw away this shirt… Blood is hard to get out."

They were very close to each other, the Hanyou lord was enveloped in her scent quite quickly. His body moved off its own accord and they were soon face to face. Then he hugged her. "Kagome…" His head rested near her neck and he was obviously taking in her scent.

"Inuyasha?" Was he really hugging her freely? It was so unlike the hanyou she knew that tried to keep a rough and strong exterior. But his arms were very inviting and comfy that she didn't think twice before she leaned into his hug.

Their intimate moment was cut short when the door opened. Everyone that stood there looked on with mirth and interest at the couple in front of them.
"Making your move so soon mutt"
The blushing miko wanted to do nothing more but disappear when she heard the door open and the amused chuckles from the people at the entrance.
Inuyasha only let go with one arm and kept the other on her waist. He turned with a smirk on his face "Yeah so"
"Brother I would recommend that when you want to do such things, you take it privately"
Was Sesshomaru seriously smiling bemusedly to Inuyasha? Or was it her imagination, she turned from one to the other, with her blush still adorning her face and could do nothing more than leave her hanyou's embrace.
"Heh seems like she doesn't quite want you pops." Shippo teased and sat on one of the couches.
"Shut up Kit or I'll pummel you like I used to when you were a kid"
It was Sango and Rin that really didn't mock Kagome, they both went to her and asked her if she would sit down. "Don't listen to these idiots Kagome, they have nothing but rotting compost for brains"
As the males quieted down and sat, silence grew. None really knew how to start. A five-hundred-year story could be ridiculously long if they gave all the details. Besides it was not always easy for each member of this group to recall a painful moment.
The silence was unnerving and Kagome really wanted to know what was going on. It was confusing enough to see her friends (some who by all means should be dead) aged in front of her, in a world which should be as she remembered but was not. "So, is anyone going to explain what happened"
Everyone in the room turned to Inuyasha. And he felt totally uncomfortable with the idea of trying to explain, but as it turned out now, more often than not, being the leader everyone was used to having him give the first word.
"Kagome… There really is no easy way to explain what happened…" Inuyasha stood and went to the window. He had to attempt to organize his thoughts before he said anything that might upset her.

"You saw out the window earlier… It's not the future you and I knew… It's not the same Tokyo you lived in."

Everyone remained quiet as none really knew what the other future most have looked like. Only Kagome and Inuyasha knew, so it wasn't strange that it was only Kagome who spoke "I saw what looked like ruins… Is… is that Tokyo? Are we really 500 years from your time?"

The hanyou's facial features were serious; almost as unfeeling as his brother's used to be, but they were very sympathetic towards her. "Come here." He got to where she sat and extended her his hand.

The raven-haired girl took his hand but was not sure whether or not she really wanted to take a good look to the outside. As she approached the window she closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

As she opened them she could clearly see what were the ruins of hospitals, houses, buildings and the Tokyo tower. The day was gloomy, the clouds loomed over and moved in an unnatural way, shifting because of the wind that howled loudly as it went through the buildings.
"It's been like this for about 17 years." A sigh escaped his lips as he saw his love's surprise and anguish, surely she was wondering what had happened to the city and the people in it.

"And… m-my family? Friends?" Her voice was no more than a whisper, she remembered when she got out of the well house her house was nothing more than some columns and rubble.

"I don't know about your friends… I don't even know if they were born."

"And my family?" Her eyes searched his trying to see some kind of hope that they had actually survived this… had they even existed? How much had history changed with her leaving her friends…?

He turned away, she looked to the others and could more or less get an idea of what she was about to find out. Most of them couldn't even stare her in the eye.

Kouga stood and approached both, he could see Inuyasha couldn't really tell her. It had hurt him when he had been unable to protect them, to admit it to Kagome herself, would deeply embed a dagger that was already in his heart "They… you, your parents and grandfather were killed in a fire about 17 years ago."

She could feel her knees buckle, her loving hanyou however caught her. "I don't…" her voice crackled, her eyes watered, she wasn't sure she was comprehending all that was happening. She wasn't even sure how to feel… she had died too?

The hanyou lord saw her confusion. It pained him to relieve the past.

Sango took the moment to speak, it was really up to all of them to try and explain, each one gave each other strength and they would have to give it to her shocked friend too. "Kagome, youkai, hanyou, all the creatures that you would call mythical, were either exterminated or used magical concealment spells to blend with humans. You could say that most creatures got tired of fighting. And those that didn't got killed."

"It was only about eighteen years ago that our group started to hear rumors of powerful youkai that were thinking of reemerging and taking over the world." Sesshomaru continued, his face impassive. "In the past we fought Naraku and thought we had defeated him; he hid, and reemerged just around the time you were born."

Rin held her husbands hand and turned to Kagome. "We think Naraku also thought you had died and that you had taken the shards with you to the future. So in hopes of regaining them and perhaps worried that you might be a threat to him, he disappeared and then came back to go after you." Her gaze was still somewhere off in space, glazed over as if she was listening methodically and was shutting out her feelings so she could hear the whole story before she broke down. "There was little any of us could do, everything was still very peaceful. There was no indication that Naraku was behind any of it back then. One night Inuyasha went to your house to check up on your family… and"
They all turned to their hanyou lord and saw the same guilt and pain they had seen that night when Inuyasha returned from having gone to the Higurashi Shrine grounds. "When I arrived…" He took a deep breath to calm himself. "Your house was on flames, the second floor had already collapsed onto the first… There were firemen there, but they said they had not been able to get anyone out of the house… They knew people were in there because when they arrived they heard screams from within the burning structure"
Inuyasha's claws dug into his palm as he felt the frustration of not having been able to protect her… He felt so guilty that he could not look at Kagome in the eye, she would hate him. He had not been able to protect her, her family and her world… and although she was back, now she would suffer for his failure.

His voice got caught up in his throat as he felt on the verge of tears. But he steadied himself and cleared his throat so he could continue explaining. "That's when everything changed."

"Kagome-chan, after he killed you and your family Naraku reappeared full force, with an army of youkai allied to him, ready to destroy everything." Sango approached Kagome who seemed more than ready to faint and held her hand.

"No one was prepared for their attack. All around the world youkai attacked humans and other youkai. They destroyed everything they could with every modern and old weapon they could get their hands on."

She couldn't hear it anymore. It could not be that this had happened. In the past Naraku had been a hazard to just one area in Japan. Now the whole world? It was impossible for her to conceive he could do that damage…
Her emotions were too much and she started to feel the tears come, she couldn't control the sobs that were assaulting her and all she could do was to clamp her hands over her skirt with all her might to try to stop herself from crying.

It wasn't fair, they all knew… to have this much information dumped on you in one day… It was amazing that Kagome was trying to hold it together and was sort of managing to do it.

Inuyasha held her tight to him and allowed her to let herself go. He motioned the others to leave and they all understood. It was enough for one day and she needed time to sort out her thoughts and emotions. So they left the two of them in the room alone.

As soon as they were all gone, the raven-haired girl let go completely, she cried with such despair that it would have brought tears to the bravest man alive. Inuyasha would have cried if he did not know he had to be there for the woman he loved.

So they sat in the couch in front of the fire till late, that was until the young miko finally cried herself to sleep. Tear stains ran down her cheeks and her nose and eyes were puffy.

It seemed so unfair that such an innocent girl had bear so much, but as Inuyasha knew, life was seldom fair. So he stayed by her side all night in hopes that his presence would at least make her feel somewhat better. If he could he would have moved heaven and earth for her… He looked at her angelic face and kissed her forehead. "I guess that's just what I'll have to do Kagome. I promise to do my best to make everything right."

End of Chapter 4

Heh you know guys it was hard for me to write that whole part about Naraku gathering youkai around the world and attacking. Mainly because it seems like too much u lol maybe a bit too much drama. But I thought about it, and I came to the conclusion that if Naraku had survived through out the ages, had seen humans develop, had seen the weapons we've made, his evil character would have made him attempt to take over the entire world. I truly think Naraku is THAT evil.

Still, hope that you guys don't feel like it was tooooo much. Heh and if you do u just imagine that it's only happening in Japan XD. The location of the story is and has been always in Japan in my mind. That being said I don't promise that my crazy imagination will not take our characters somewhere else in the world (depends really on how the story evolves and on how long I'm willing to make it XD).

Alright people, hope you enjoyed! And stay tuned for the next chapter . Which I think I'll make more comedic and less long, why? Because it's late at night, I'm still inspired, but I do want to sleep XD. So I'll just write what I have on my mind. I'll post it a couple of days apart so I can answer to the reviews though at the end of the next chapter ;P.