Update Dates: Sundays and Thursdays

Undeniable Love
Chapter 10 - Awake

By: Scaevola
Published 8/25/05
Updated 9/25/05

Mrs. Higurashi was sobbing next to her daughters bed while InuYasha stood behind her, silently taking in the scene.

His instincts were telling him that he should comfort the woman in front of him, but he wasn't sure about how to do it. Instead he decided to go next to her and crouch down. He cocked his head to the side as he watched her, wishing he could do something to comfort her.

Mrs. Higurashi looked up to see InuYasha watching her closely. All her fear from before had evaporated when she realized that InuYasha, even though he was in his demon form, still took care of her daughter.

She turned and hugged the demon next to her, taking him by surprise. His demon side had no idea how to react at first, momentarily shocked by the human woman's actions. His instincts screamed at him to return the embrace, which he did, allowing the woman to sob on his shoulder.

He stayed there, for what seemed like an eternity, before the woman's sobs died down.

Mrs. Higurashi finally gathered herself together. "Thank you for brining her back to me InuYasha."

The demon looked at her but said nothing. His ears gave a small twitch and Mrs. Higurashi couldn't help but smile. She reached up to grab his ears, but he growled and jerked them away before she could get close.

She smiled, still strangely unafraid, and looked at her daughter. "Thanks for taking care of her."

Suddenly, a knock came at the door to Kagome's room.

"Aki, is everything alright? We thought we heard crying." Kagome's grandfather said through the door.

InuYasha started to growl, glaring at the doorway. Mrs. Higurashi put her hand on his arm to try and calm him, and although he didn't stop, his growl become much quieter.

"No, everything is fine, Dad," answered Mrs. Higurashi. "I'm just worried about Kagome."

Hojo spoke up after Mrs. Higurashi mentioned Kagome. "Is she alright?" he asked.

At the sound of Hojo's voice, InuYasha's growling increased. The demon stepped foward, putting him in between the door and Mrs. Higurashi and Kagome.

Sota, realizing that the growling was his hero, shouted: "InuYasha!"

Of course, everyone had to think quickly when Hojo asked, "Whose InuYasha?"

"InuYasha is uh...Kagome's dog." explained Sota. Kagome's mother and Grandpa sighed with relief. They wouldn't have to explain what InuYasha truly was, thankfully.

"I didn't know she had a dog." Hojo stated, somewhat confused.

"Umm...yeah she just got it."

"Oh... okay then." said Hojo, finally convinced. "May we see Kagome, Mrs. Higurashi?"

Now Mrs. Higurashi had to do some quick thinking. Thankfully, InuYasha's growling provided the perfect excuse. "Ahh...InuYasha here obviously doesn't like strangers, so I don't think that's such a good idea right now Hojo. Besides, Kagome is still asleep at the moment."

"Well...why don't we all just wait downstairs then." Kagome's grandpa finally spoke up.

"Oh, well I have to go soon anyway. Mrs. Higurashi, can you tell Kagome that I stopped by?" Hojo spoke through the door again over InuYasha's constant growling

"Of course, Hojo. I'll tell her once she wakes up." Mrs. Higurashi listened to the footsteps slowly die down, and then hear the front door close.

She smiled up at InuYasha, whose growling had ceased with the absence of Hojo. She stood up, and checked Kagome to make sure she wsa alright, before grabbing InuYasha's hand.

"Come on, I'll make you some ramen, InuYasha." She started to walk, but found that InuYasha wouldn't move. Instead, he jerked his hand out of her grip and went to sit down next to Kagome's bed.

Mrs. Higurashi smiled, understanding InuYasha's actions as a refusal to leave Kagome's side. "I'll just bring the food up to you, okay?"

The demon simply glanced at her with red eyes before closing them and resting at Kagome's side.

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Shippo was quietly playing with Kirara as he listened to Sango and Miroku talk in Kaede's hut. Or at least, they tried to talk. But more often than not Miroku's hand would wind up near Sango's rear and he'd end up unconscious.

At the moment, Miroku had just woken up. Sango was off in the corner, making sure that Hiraikotsu was properly polished and cared for.

"Lady Sango, do you have to hit so hard?" he whined.

"If you would stop touching me all the time monk, I wouldn't have to hit you." answered Sango.

"Ah, but Lady Sango, you are - "

"Save it, monk." cut in Sango.

There was a moment of silence before either spoke again.

"So, any leads on Naraku?" asked Miroku.

"I've been stuck in the hut all day watching you as your unconscious monk. I haven't had the time to find anything out about Naraku."

"You were watching me sleep Sango? And here I thought I was the pervert." Miroku teased.

Sango blushed at his words. "It wasn't anything like that Monk! You were unconscious!"

"Oh so you DO care, dear Sango." Miroku smirked.

Sango raised her hand above her head, a vein threatening to burst in her forehead, before bringing her hand down at Miroku as hard as she could.

SMACK

The loud sound echoed through the hut, past the village and into the forest. Birds flew off the trees, startled by the loud sudden noise. Several demons lifted their heads up in fright, that sounded painful! The humans of the village, used to the sound by now, only shook their heads and continued with their daily activities.

Miroku's head hit the ground with a loud thump. Unfortunately, he wasn't unconscious like Sango hoped. Apparently his body had built up a heavy resistance to blows to the head over time.

Sango screamed at the monk, angered by Miroku's constant teasing and perverted attitude. Unfortunately, Miroku's ears were ringing from the blow, so he didn't really hear any of it, nor did he hear what Sango planned to do next if he kept it up.

Finally Shippo decided to change the subject as Miroku got up and opened his mouth to tease Sango some more. He didn't want Sango to carry out her threat any more than Miroku would if he knew what the threat was! No man would ever want to lose the ability to have kids!

"I wonder when Kagome is getting back." he spoke quickly, hoping that Miroku would shut up.

Sango looked at him with sympathy. Shippo was always sad when Kagome wasn't there. Not nearly as miserable as InuYasha would get, but still miserable nonetheless.

"I'm sure she's fine," she said. "InuYasha is taking care of her, and her time is able to take care of people much better."

"I'm worried about Kagome with InuYasha. He's full demon remember." said Shippo. Even though he had seen InuYasha take care of Kagome in his full demon form, he still didn't trust him.

"Shippo, have you ever seen InuYasha hurt Kagome?" asked Miroku. "He would never hurt her intentionally."

Shippo ignored the question and asked one of his own. "When do you think InuYasha will change back to his hanyou form?"

Sango answered as she went back to inspect her Hiraikotsu. "Well I know he'll turn back when Kagome is healed, but I think he may also turn back if he had the Tetsusaiga with him."

"Speaking of which, where do you think the Tetsusaiga is?" Miroku had been thinking about this for awhile. "I know it wasn't in Koga's den, so Koga couldn't have taken it. Do you think it's still near where InuYasha changed full demon?"

A voice answered from the doorway of the hut. "No, I have it."

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Everyone in the hut turned to see the new speaker.

"Sesshomaru!" gasped Sango.

Shippo got up with an "Eep!" and went to hide behind Sango. Miroku's hands drifted to his wind tunnel, while Sango's hands tightened on her Hiraikotsu.

The tall demon turned to regard her. He stared at her for some time before finally saying. "I have come to see my brother."

"What for?" asked Miroku, not wanting to explain InuYasha's absence.

Sesshomaru turned to the monk. He hated explaining himself to humans, but for now he'd deal with it. He'd have to remember to kill these humans later.

"I found the Tetsusaiga at the bottom of a cliff. I was wondering why my shameful brother did not have it."

Miroku and Sango glanced at each other, wondering if they should tell the demon lord what had happened. Unfortunately, they didn't have much of a choice. Besides, Sesshomaru could never reach InuYasha at the moment, so they knew that he was safe for now.

They then began to tell what they knew, how they had heard Kagome's scream and followed, eventually seeing InuYasha being attacked by many wolf demons at the top of a cliff. They mentioned how when they got there, InuYasha was near death, and he did not have Tetsusaiga.

Sesshomaru listened closely to their story; how InuYasha's demon side had taken over and he saved the miko, and how he cared for her closely afterwards. 'So InuYasha has found his mate.' he thought. 'Even if it is with a human. At least it is with that miko.' Sesshomaru never admitted it, but he silently respected Kagome. She had not been afraid of him, and had stood up to him for InuYasha's sake. She was, in a way, comparable to Rin.

He realized that the monk and demon slayer had finished their story, andwere now watching him closely.

"Rin." he called the girl, who came into the hut quickly, wearing a large smile.

"Yes, Sesshomaru-sama?" she asked.

"Bring the Tetsusaiga here to me."

"Hai." Rin smiled and quickly skipped out of the hut, returning a moment later with the large sword in her two arms.

"Give the demon slayer the sword, Rin. She will return it to InuYasha." He then turned to leave but was stopped by the monks sudden question.

"Why?" he asked. "Why are you giving the sword back? Is it not what you have been fighting with InuYasha for?"

Sesshomaru turned back to the monk. "I will take the sword from my brother after I kill him. I will not take it like a thief." He then stepped out of the hut, quickly followed by Rin.

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When Mrs. Higurashi descended the stairs and went into the kitchen to make some Ramen for InuYasha, she was immediately bombarded with questions.

"Is Kagome okay?"

"How long are they going to be here this time?"

"I just thought of a good illness for Kagome too!"

"Is InuYasha staying?"

"What's that foul demon doing in our house again anyway? I thought Kagome made him go away."

Mrs. Higurashi shot her father a glare at his last question. She knew that he didn't like InuYasha, but he had no right to talk about the boy in such a way.

"InuYasha has saved Kagome's life many times before, and I won't have to talk about him like that!" she yelled at her father.

"He wouldn't have to save her if he didn't put her in such dangerous situations! Besides, the only reason he hasn't kill Kagome himself is because she has that rosary around his neck!"

Mrs. Higurashi had never seen her father be so angry, but she argued back nonetheless. "If that's so, then why did he bring Kagome back after getting hurt! She's unconscious, if he wanted to kill her he could have done it already easily! But he hasn't!"

Her father paled at her words. "She's unconscious with him? Oh no!" He then raced up the stairs, pulling his ofuda out.

Mrs. Higurashi nearly smacked herself. Why did she say that? Now her father was scared InuYasha would kill Kagome in her sleep.

She raced after her father, only to see him throw the ofuda at InuYasha as he went into Kagome's room.

The site of the old man barging into Kagome's room and throwing things made InuYasha snap. His demon side barely noticed that they were only pieces of paper the old man was throwing, but InuYasha reacted as if the old man were throwing rocks at Kagome and him.

Mrs. Higurashi watched as the demon InuYasha snarled and leapt at her father, catching him by the throat and pinning him to the wall behind him, holding him up by his neck.

She wanted to shout out, to tell InuYasha to not harm him, but her voice just wouldn't work. InuYasha's hands tightened around her father, who cough and spluttered, trying to keep the demon from choking him. InuYasha lifted his claws up with his other hand, preparing to deliver the fatal blow, when a voice spoke from behind all of them.

"InuYasha..."

All movement ceased in the room. Mrs. Higurashi saw as InuYasha's eyes slowly faded back to their normal amber. Back to his old self, InuYasha leapt away from the old man, immediately releasing his neck.

Grandpa coughed and spluttered while he tried to catch his breath. Mrs. Higurashi hurried over to him to help him, while InuYasha turned to Kagome, who was laying on her bed, her eyes open.

"Kagome...You're awake!" he slowly knelt at her bed. "Are you alright?"

"Yes, I- I'm fine InuYasha." She yawned. "Just tired."

"How can you be tired? You've been sleeping for weeks!" exclaimed InuYasha.

"Huh? Weeks?" asked Kagome, Her eyes widening she took in her surroundings. "I'm home?"

InuYasha laughed at Kagome's confusion. "Yeah...you're home." He took Kagome's hand in his own and gently squeezed.

Mrs. Higurashi quietly took Grandpa out of the room, shutting the door behind her, letting Kagome and InuYasha have some time to themselves.

"I'm glad you're okay Kagome." whisper InuYasha.

"Yeah." Kagome yawned. "Me too." Kagome fell asleep just after she said this, and InuYasha smiled at the site.

"Sleep well, Kagome."

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Weeee! So how was that chapter? Good? Bad? Review and tell me what you think:D

Also, incase you didn't catch it, InuYasha "remembers" some of the past week or so while he was demon. He doesn't remember all of it, but some of the more important parts.

And also, for those of you who have been waiting for it - fluff is gona start soon! Maybe a chapter or two.