Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha.

The Lonely Bird: May I borrow one of your format ideas? The part where you list the next chapter and state how many reviews you need? Please? –puppy eyes-

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Faith

Chapter 8-Forgiven, but not Forgotten

Kagome awoke feeling warm and not-quite content. She had that feeling where you want to feel content, but there's something bugging you in the back of your mind that won't let you.

She sat up abruptly, realizing just what was bugging her. She looked over her shoulder to the hanyou snoring softly behind her. She shifted and reached out a hand to play with the soft puppy ears adorning his skull.

Rubbing one softly, the other twitched, and Inuyasha let out a low growl sounding similar to a purr. Kagome smiled ruefully. She always loved hearing that sound.

But now, now she felt as though the little things she knew and loved about Inuyasha had been taken away from her. As though they were no longer secret or private, now that someone else had had the chance to see and love them as well.

Kagome felt cheated out of the one thing she had felt was hers and hers alone. She felt as though now, she had nothing that solely belonged to her. As though she had been thrust into a public place completely unclothed. She felt naked, exposed, and empty.

She released his ears and slid out of the bed. She stood there, watching him through sad blue eyes. Kagome wasn't sure how long she stood watching his slumber form, drinking in the beauty and power of him, before someone clearing their throat softly caught her attention.

She turned quickly, blue eyes settling on her daughter. Kimi was leaning on the door frame, casually watching her father sleep, just like Kagome had been doing. She didn't take her eyes off his form as she spoke to her mother.

"She came by, you know." She said softly.

"Who?" Kagome asked, just as softly, after a prolonged pause.

"Kikyou." The word was a whisper, almost lost in the soft chirping of birds filtering in from the window.

Kagome was silent as she returned her gaze to her husband, blissfully unaware of their muted conversation about him. He gave a loud snort, swallowed, smacked his lips a few times, and then resumed his peaceful slumber. Kagome looked at the floor in front of her daughter, tilting her head to the right.

"Oh, don't worry. He didn't go anywhere." Kimi said, lifting an arm up and leaning on it in an extremely male-like pose. "He told her to go find someone else and take away the things they actually love. Then he slammed the door in her face."

Kimi grinned suddenly. "She made an awful racket. I'm surprised you didn't wake up. Then again," she added after a slightly pause. "Being part demon has its disadvantages." She rubbed her ears and grimaced in remembrance of Kikyou's screeching.

Kagome smiled softly at her daughter. She walked over towards her and tweaked one of the black appendages. Kimi pouted cutely and Kagome's smile grew.

They stood there for a moment, wrapped in contentment, just the two of them, before Kagome sighed sadly and looked over at Inuyasha.

"You might not understand until years from now Kimi, and I hope you never DO understand." She paused, searching for the right words. "He's taken so many things from me. At first, they were good things, things I needed taken away. My sorrow, for one. You know the story about Kouga."

Kimi nodded. She always loved the part about how her father had helped her mother to trust again.

"Through that, he also gave me things." She gazed upon her husband, but wasn't really seeing him. Kimi's ears perked up; she was paying rapt attention to her mother. She wanted them back together, no more secrets or betrayals, and had a feeling this would be important.

"He gave me back my trust in people, by earning my trust in him. By cheating on me, he not only broke my trust in him, but took it away from me completely." She whispered, as though afraid he might hear.

"He gave me faith, that not all people were bad. I lost much suspicion that I harbored. I haven't lost that, but I have lost faith in his commitment.

"He's a dog demon; mates are supposed to be important to him. To go around with another woman just for a fuck makes no sense at all, not only to his breed, but to his personality as well.

"He's not a lying man, Kimi. With the exception of keeping from you what he got you for Christmas, he will not lie or keep important secrets. Why now? Why did he start all of a sudden?"

Kagome suddenly focused on Inuyasha, and her eyes became saddened.

"What did I do to drive him into the arms of another woman?" Kagome asked sadly, and turned away from him, a single tear gliding a path down the side of her cheek.

"It wasn't you."

The voice was soft and quiet, but firm. Kimi looked up in surprise. Her father hadn't moved an inch, except to open his eyes. His ears were rapt as always, but they were turned towards their mate, listening to every single sound she made. Kimi decided to leave them be, and after writing a quick note and leaving it on her bed, she slipped out to go see Aloysia.

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"Who was it?" Kagome asked, barely above a shocked whisper. She couldn't believe he had been awake the entire time. She couldn't even look at him; she focused her gaze on the doorway, where she noticed her daughter had disappeared. She faintly heard the sound of one of the outside doors closing, and knew she had gone to a friend's for a bit.

'Smart girl.' They both thought at the same time.

Inuyasha slowly sat up, the white sheet slipping off his toned chest with the movement. He sat cross-legged, facing his broken love, staring down into his lap.

Now that he knew the amount of pain-no-agony he had caused her, he feared looking at her. He knew he would see his betrayal etched in her lovely blue eyes. He knew he wouldn't be able to handle it.

He was a coward, and it ate away at him from the inside because he knew it.

He knew what he had done as a teen; he had helped her, dammit, he loved her, and still did. But he had hurt her in the worst way possible. He had thrown her trust against a wall and shattered it.

"I should go."

He knew he wouldn't be able to survive, living with her, always seeing that betrayal behind her eyes. The hurt he had caused, the trust he had broken, and the faith he had snatched away. There was no other way. He had to leave her. As much as he wanted to stay and comfort her and promise he would never do it again-and he wouldn't-, he knew he couldn't. She wouldn't take him back. He had to leave.

And he had to leave forever.

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Kagome looked up, startled, at the first words from his mouth since their daughter had left.

'That's it?' she thought blankly, then decided to voice her thoughts. She had a right to know, after all.

"That's it?" she demanded, hurt. "You just…pack up and leave, is that it? Leave your business without a manager? Leave Kimi here without a father?"

"Kagome…"

"No! You'll just pack up and leave, without an explanation, and leave your business and Kimi behind you. How can you just push them aside like that? How can you just forget about them?"

"I CAN'T!"

Kagome abruptly shut her mouth, stopping herself from going any farther. Inuyasha's fists were clenched, his head bowed, and his ears drooping. She knew that posture. He was containing his anger and sadness at the same time. She stayed quiet.

"I can't just push them aside. Kimi means the world to me! I can't just forget about my own daughter!"

"And me?" she whispered. "You'd leave me behind? Without a husband?" Kagome turned away, her posture slipping.

"Without a love?"

She broke. Kagome fell to her knees, still clutching the sheet to her chest, the rest pooling around her like water. Tears glistened on her pale cheeks as she silently cried. She never heard him get up from the bed. All she knew was that one moment she was on the cold, hard floor, and the next two strong arms were wrapped around her, and she was lifted into her lovers' arms.

"Kagome…" Inuyasha murmured, setting her down on the bed and pulling her too him. She cried into his muscled chest as he stroked her raven locks, loving their softness and wondering how he had ever managed to leave her.

When her cries softened into cute hiccups, he lowered his nose to the crown of her head, inhaling her scent and wondering if he would ever get to again after what he was about to tell her.

"Kagome." He said softly. She hiccupped once and moved so that she could look at his eyes and not his Adam's apple.

He sighed sadly and looked at her, using all of his courage to look at the eyes he loved and wait for them to be closed off to him forever. He nearly choked when he saw the love and trust shining in her eyes. He swallowed and forced himself to keep his eyes on hers.

"I don't know why I did it. I have no reason. To say that I did would be lying to you, and I have done enough damage already."

He stopped, and Kagome realized that that was a very good apology for Inuyasha. She was about to say something, when he put a finger to her rose petal lips.

"I'm not done." He said softly. Kagome nodded, indicating that he could go on without her interrupting.

"Kagome, I'm sorry. I am very sorry for what I have done. I can not express it any other way, and I can only apologize so many times before the words lose their meanings. But I will apologize every day for the rest of my life if it means I will get to stay by your side forever."

Kagome was shocked. Inuyasha truly was sorry for what he had done. Kagome had almost never heard him apologize. She lay there, staring at him like a deer caught in headlights, too shocked to say anything.

When she didn't respond after a few moments, Inuyasha was worried. It took Kagome a few moments to realize he was crying. When she did, she shook herself out of her daze and touched his wet cheek with her palm.

"Inuyasha, I forgive you. I completely and utterly forgive you. You can stay by my side, once you learn how much pain I have gone through."

"How will I learn that?" he asked blankly. He was happy she had forgiven him. He was relieved also, but how was he going to know what she went through, unless…

His eyes widened, but he remained silent. He wanted to scream no and shake her as hard as he could, but he knew he had no right to. She would do it, so that he knew exactly how she had felt. And then she would know that he would never do anything remotely like that again.

"With whom?" he managed to force out, trying to look into both of her eyes at the same time.

"Your brother." She said resolutely.

Inuyasha choked, and immediately growled. The thought of his brother and Kagome…his eyes flashed red, and jagged purple marks appeared on his cheekbones. He snarled and grabbed Kagome's shoulders with strong fingers tipped with long claws. Elongated fangs were barred at her as he demanded in a low, deep voice.

"No."

Kagome struggled to get a hand free, and yanked on one of his puppy ears once she did. He yelped, let go of her, and grabbed the bruised appendage.

"Christ, woman! Those things are attached!"

"You went demon on me, and you now know a taste of what I have gone through."

He looked up at her, his eyes searching hers. He saw the love there, and the slow rebuilding of trust he would have to work at a little. The faith was gone, he knew that it would be while before he got it back, but he was glad that he had been given the chance to prove himself, and give her back the faith he had stolen from her.

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No this is not the end, don't worry. How do you guys like it?

Next Chapter: To Know How I Feel

I have pre-named it because I usually don't come up with the name until the last minute but I already know what the next chapter is going to be about!