A/N: Sorry this took so long. Chapter 11 is already in the works.
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Chapter 10
"Kagome wake up!"
There was no reaction.
He shook her face, trying desperately to wake her; he could feel her heartbeats becoming weaker. "Please Kagome, don't leave me!"
Laughter echoed around him, ringing into his ears.
Inuyasha gasped, his forehead was covered in sweat. He jerked his body in Kagomes direction, feeling searing pain from his back as his wound re-opened slightly.
She was there, laying beside Sango. Her sleeping face as innocent as a small childs. She wasn't hurt. Nothing had happened to her.
What the hell are these dreams? Inuyasha yelled inside his brain. This was the third time. It was always the same, repeating the images of his memories he wished most not to see, and then an image he never wanted to witness. Kagome... His eyes rested on the girl, watching as she turned over, her face now hidden in a mass of her dark hair, shining as the morning sun began to rise and break it's gleaming lights through the cracks and door of the hut.
Inuyasha looked across the room at his friends. The air smelled of smoke from the night before. Sango and Miroku had returned late that night covered in soot and ash. Kaede, Shippo and Kagome had tended to the wounded. Inuyasha stayed in the hut.
Useless baka.. HEY! I WOULD HAVE HELPED! ...no you wouldn't have. When it comes to humans you know nothing. There part of you yet you can't even...
"Shut up." He whispered to his brain, part of him wishing he wouldn't always feel so guilty about things when it comes to the village. Looking once more over at Kagome; he slowly got to his feet and walked out into the morning air.
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After breakfast that morning, Sango and Kagome decided that smelling like the fireplace was not for them, so they packed up their things and headed for the hotspring. As they walked down the village path Kagome sighed. "Inuyasha took off again today, didn't he." She spoke out loud to Sango before actually meaning to. Sango smiled. "When I awoke this morning he was standing outside with Miroku before he dragged him off with him. I'm sure he wouldn't have gone off too far if Miroku is with him."
Hearing this made Kagome feel a bit releaved. But she was still worried about him. It was obvious that Naraku was planning something; the attack on the village was evidence enough. Yet it seemed like no one was talking about it. Whenever something like this happened the group always sat down to try and wrap their brains around it. Yet so far they did nothing. Does this have something to do with me? She thought, wondering why she was still in the dark when every one else seemed to have at least some idea.
The two girls slipped into the steamy water. Enjoying the feeling of the water as the sun shone down through the thick tree branches above them. Noise could be heard coming from the other side of the village where the battle had taken place the night before.
"Some of the men must be rebuilding homes." Sango sighed, leaning back against a large stone by the edge of the bank. The night before was an assult on Inuyasha. She knew what her brother had done to the half demon must have had some significant purpose. She also knew bringing up the subject with Kagome would also bring unwanted questions that she wasn't aloud to discuss. But for everyones safety including the Hanyou's ... whether he likes it or not... She thought. Kagome-chan has to know something of whats going on, it's not right to keep her in the dark about this.
"Sango?"
Kagome watched her friend as she contemplated something. She knew Sango had to be thinking about what had happened the night before. "Sango, what's going on? Why isn't anyone talking about what happened last night?"
Sango thought about telling her friend everything. About the village where the bones were stolen. The story the village's elder had told them. About who's bone's were taken and Inuyasha's connection to them. To tell her what Myoga had told them about Inuyasha's Mother.
Inuyasha's mother...
Sango thought for a moment. Kagome may be her best friend, but Inuyasha was her friend too (whether or not he would like to admit it). She should respect his wishes.
...For now at least..
Just then Shippo bounded out of the bushes. "Hey guys! Miroku's watching you!"
"HOUSHI-SAMA!" Sango shreaked, as the naked girls ran grabbing their clothes and towels. They heard the Monk clambering down a tree in the forest behind them. Obviously running for dear life. Sango grabbed a stick off the ground; even though she was barely covered. "YOUR NOT GETTING AWAY!" She screamed, beaming the stick in his direction. There was a loud TUNK sound as the stick struck Miroku somewhere in the woods before a THUMP.
Shippo looked horrified. He scampered off into the woods.
Kagome was furious, but had a hard time keeping back the laughter at Sango's face. The demon-slayer always got so angry whenever Miroku acted like a pervert. But you could always see a slight blush apear ontop of her scowl.
"Sango!" Shippo called out to her from wherever he was in the trees. "You knocked him out cold!"
"Hmpff! Serves him right!" She said; tramping her way through the woods in their direction.
Kagome decided she really didn't want to know what Sango was going to do to Miroku, so she decided to head off in the direction of where the battle had been the night before. Curious of how the building was holding up.
There was a slight cool breeze, blowing on her wet hair back as she walked towards the sound of voices and hammers.
As she came from behind one of the huts she heard a familiar voice. Inuyasha? She thought, Whats he doing here? She crept behind the hut to investigate. She hoped the half demon wasn't being a jerk to the people working.
He was walking down the village street carrying a large tree towards three men. "Here's another one." He said throwing down the heavy load. The three men began to saw the tree into peices. "When I started work today I figured it would take a few weeks to gather enough wood for rebuilding my fathers hut." One man said, sawing branches off the tree. "Your a great help."
"Keh, whatever." Inuyasha turned away to hide from the men the small grin that appeared after receiving that compliment.
"Hey your awful strong!"
The mans young son gleamed at Inuyasha, an expression Kagome had seen often on her younger brother Souta. Inuyasha has another admirer I see. She smiled as Inuyasha acted as though he didn't care.
"How do you cut down the trees anyway?" The young boy asked curiously.
Inuyasha smiled at the prospect of showing off his strength and skill to the young boy. "Like this!"
The half-demon walked toward a half burned tree standing beside the remains of a hut. Flexing his claws he leapt forward yelling "Sankontessou!" With the strike of his claws the tree crashed to the ground.
"Wow!" The boy was floored by Inuyasha's power and begged him to teach him.
"You there! Begone!" An old man came from down the path, using a stick to walk. He pointed a long crooked finger towards Inuyasha. "Get away from MY Grandson!"
"Father!" One of the men sawing the tree came over to see what all the fuss was about. "He's been helping us rebuild your hut!"
The old man grew furious; some people came out to see who was making a scene. He flailed his arms about screaming how his son had gone and sold his soul to evil by allowing his child to be near a demon and then letting a demon help build his home.
Kagome watched as Inuyasha turned away from the villagers and started to walk up the path towards her direction. She saw his ears drop slightly and his eyes fall towards the ground.
"Damn Hanyou's are good for nothing!" The old man called out. "They can't be trusted!"
Inuyasha whipped around and started back in the old mans direction. Kagome knew that he was mad. She took off from her hiding place; running up behind him.
Inuyasha caught her scent. He wanted nothing more then to pound the old man into the dirt, but he couldn't risk it without getting "sat" about a hundred times. But he still wouldn't stand for someone badmouthing him like that. Espeacially in front of Kagome. "Who the hell do you think you are!" Inuyasha stamped forward, smelling the sudden fear rise up in the villagers in the surrounding area.
"I know who I am! And I deffinately know who you are! Some may not have a problem with you prancing around like you belong here but I do! I haven't forgotten what you did to Priestess Kikyo!" the old man spat.
Growling Inuyasha lunged forward.
"Sit!"
WHAM! The half-demon was thrust hard into the ground.
"How dare you say that!" Kagome stepped over Inuyasha. "How dare you!" Tears of rage were filling her eyes. "If it wasn't for Inuyasha and my friends half of the people here would have been killed last night! And it wasn't Inuyasha who killed Kikyo! IT WAS NARAKU! THE DEMON WE ARE FIGHTING TO DESTROY SO PEOPLE LIKE YOU CAN LIVE SAFE!"
Kagome was furious. She wasn't sure why, but she felt she had to say all this. She wanted them to know that she trusted Inuyasha.
"Keh!" Inuyasha pushed himself to his feet. "Quit wasting your time Kagome."
She turned to watch as Inuyasha walked off back down the road; his arms folded and ears laid flat.
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"No, I'm sure he didn't mean to, he just doesn't know his own strength. How dare he even suggest that!"
A young Inuyasha watched as a guard told his mother that the castle lord was very displeased.
"Tell my father it will never happen again."
She slid the door shut and turned away. A silver tear glistening in her eye.
Inuyasha remebered that day, he was playing with some children from the castle when he tripped and accidently clawed a young girl. He remember the look on her face as the blood began to pour down her arm.
The girls father came running and threw a rock at him, calling out those same words "Damn Hanyou's are good for nothing!" Inuyasha caught the rock and angry that the man had thrown something at him over an accident such as that. He threw it back, knocking the man out cold.
My mother had to always find excuses for me so I could remain with people. He thought; sitting on his favorite branch in the Sacred tree. Now Kagome has to..
"Inuyasha"
Kagome had come out of the woods and into the clearing. Inuyasha didn't look at her. He was a little angry she stopped him earlier, and his pride was a little damaged that she felt the need to stand up for him.
"Inuyasha I'm sorry." She called up to him as she came to the bottom of the tree. Seeing that he was still ignoring her she decided to climb up to him. She jumped and caught a branch; struggling to pull herself up. "I didn't mean to make you angry. I was just... mad."
He tweaked an ear to listen, still not looking at her.
"I'm sorry... that guy was out of line." She said pulling herself onto another branch and then proceeding to the next one. "I mean, you were helping him out! What a baka!" She looked up to see Inuyasha looking down at her. His amber eyes watching as she pulled herself onto the branch directly below his. She thought about what he was like when she met him long ago. He hated everything about associating with humans. Now he was helping rebuild their homes.
"You have a good heart Inuyasha." She smiled.
Inuyasha wasn't sure what to say. He had assumed she came to yell at him for almost abusing the old fart. Not to tell him that!
A blush glowed across his face. "What's that suppose to mean?"
"It means what it means." Kagome grinned again as she pulled herself onto his branch. He watched her climb up onto the tree; leaves falling all around her in the light of the afternoon sun. Her soft features making him forget that he was angry.
They watched as a mother bird flew away from her nest. Leaving her young chirping for her to return. "Mothers are wonderful aren't they. They will do anything they can to keep their children safe and happy."
"Does your mother worry about you?" Inuyasha asked absent-mindedly.
"Of course she does. But she knows I will always be safe. Do you know why?" Kagome asked, looking towards Inuyasha.
"...why?"
"Well, a while ago I came home with bruises all up one side of me after a battle. Grandpa was upset that I had gotten hurt; he didn't want me to return. All Mama asked was if I was feeling well. I told her yes. I asked her if she didn't want me to return. But she told me that if I wanted to, I could. I think Grandpa got over it too, after all it gave him another excuse for my school to say that I fell down the stairs or something."
"So?" Inuyasha wasn't sure that he was getting whatever it was she was trying to say. The thought of Kagome covered with bruises gave him a twinge of guilt for not protecting her as well as he could have. Not to mention bringing back thoughts about that recurring nightmare he kept having.
"Anyway... Mama told me that she knew you would take care of me. Don't you see Inuyasha? She trusts you and knows you will keep me safe. I think she likes you!" she laughed.
Inuyasha blushed a little before turning away and letting escape a snort as if the idea of anyones mother liking him was ridiculas.
She continued to watch him. His silvery hair gleaming in the afternoon sun. You may not care for me like you do Kikyou, but Inuyasha, I know you care about me in your own way. Even if it's not the same way I care about you, I know you would always protect me.
The Hanyou turned and looked a little weirded out as to why she was staring at him like that. Her dark brown eyes all misty and deep in thought.
Kagome smiled as Inuyasha blushed a little again. He looked away, watching the small birds chirping in their nest.
I think my mother would have liked you too... he thought. Here, in his time he may not always be accepted. But at least in hers he knew he was trusted. Kagome...
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A/N: Awwwww. Wouldn't it be cute if Inu's Mama could meet Kagome? Maybe she could pop down the well to visit Mrs. Higurashi for tea. (Don't ask just some random thought I had.)
Anyway thanks for reading. Reviews?
