I don't own Inuyasha or its characters...I want to thank my wonderful editer Azaleea. She edited this fic in record time even though she is swamped. Thank you Azaleea..not just for being a wonderful editer, but for being a great friend!

Birth Rite ...ch6..Stranded

Sesshomaru silently made his way out of the tent; this was something that ought to be handled by the two of them. Inuyasha would eventually seek him out to vent his anger at his being Kagome's accomplice, but he was certain that this conversation was something he needn't be a part of. Kagome could handle herself, particularly with Inuyasha.

Inuyasha stood silent, his eyes fixed upon the dark depths of hers. She stood quiet before him, her body tense.

" You? "Inuyasha growled. " It's been you all this time, and you never saw fit to fill me in?"

" I knew you wouldn't let me ride if I'd talked to you about it, Inuyasha. You told me years ago that I couldn't ride because I was a girl. I wanted to show you that I could. "Kagome answered before walking to stand before him. " I never thought that this would offend you. I didn't want to lie to you, or hide this from you by seeking a new sponsor. I just wanted to prove to you that I am every bit as capable in handling a motorcycle as you are. "

"How long? How long have you been riding?" he hissed.

" Since I left for school- five years. I went to school during the day and raced in the afternoons. I have ridden on the circuit now for the last three years, but since I am finished with school, I thought it
best to come home and ride here. "

"And Sesshomaru? Just how the hell does he fit into all of this?"

"Don't be angry with him, Inu. He only allowed me to do this because it was something that I REALLY wanted . So he arranged the schooling and hired the trainer I've been working with, but once I started racing it was my winnings that continued to pay for my training. Sesshomaru merely picked the school and my trainer. You never inquired what I was going to school for. If you had I would have told you. I don't want to hide things from you Inuyasha. I am sorry for not telling you sooner, but I was afraid you'd make me quit riding. " she whispered. " I never meant to hurt you, Inuyasha."

"I thought you were going to school for archeology- or was that all a lie as well?"

Kagome watched the anger tinting his face. He felt betrayed, and she knew that it was all her doing. His eyes were narrowed as he gazed upon her; their amber depths darkening to a deep gold. She'd never liked his anger, particularly when is was directed toward her. But she deserved this. She was the one who'd decided to keep this silent. She was the one who could have initiated the conversation that would have told him of her training, but she hadn't.

" No, that wasn't a lie. I studied archeology. Everything that you know is true. I was the one who decided not to tell you that I was racing. Until today. "

" And what's so damn special about today? What's so different now?" he snarled.

"Because I want you to know. I want you to be proud. I want to be your partner. "she murmured.

"Partner? You want to be MY partner?"He bared his fangs and took a step closer to her. " Partners don't LIE to each other, Kagome. Partners don't hide things from each other. "

"I'm sorry, Inuyasha. I'm so, so sorry." Her voice broke then, and a single tear fell ever so slowly from her eye cutting a watery trail over her skin.

She turned away from him then, and ran. He watched her skid to a stop beside her bike, her leather-clad leg swinging over the seat. An instant later the machine roared to life before she locked it in gear and sped away, her rear tire sending a shower of rocks and dirt behind her.

He stood there for what felt like an eternity. It wasn't until he heard Miroku's voice behind him that he realized she hadn't ridden toward any of the outlying tents, but made her way out to the highway instead, and disappeared.

" I'll go after her. " Miroku said over his shoulder as he passed by Inuyasha on his way out the door and toward his motorcycle.

Inuyasha said nothing- just turned to grab his truck keys off the table and disappeared out the back of the tent. What he needed was a good long ride to cool his temper.

X

Her eyes stung from the harshness of the wind; its normally gentle caress hissing past her ears as she laid harder into the throttle, her speed increasing. She had no regard for the speed limit, nor for the fact
that she wasn't exactly riding a street-legal machine, but one built for the dirt foundation of a Motocross track. All she wanted was to get home. She just wanted to go home.

City buildings raced past her in a concrete blur before the population began to thin out to be replaced by the steady green blur of the forest, and still she pressed on.. She paid no attention to the cars she passed weaving in and out of them like they were standing still. She ignored the shrill bellow of a truck horn, and instead tightened her grip on the accelerator and increased her speed until there was no more
throttle to be given. The sting of her hair slapping roughly into the bare skin of her neck reminded her that she wasn't wearing her helmet, but even that tid-bit of information slid past her normally rational mind to filter uselessly in with the other bits of logic that she'd already disregarded.

Instead her mind focused on his last words, his anger, and the fact that he'd bared his fangs at her. His words still echoed clearly within her battered mind.

" Partners don't LIE to each other, Kagome. Partners don't hide things from each other. "

He was right. She should have told him.

Late afternoon shied away from the impending darkness.

And to top it all off- the steady stuttering that was now interrupting the normally smooth flow of her motorcycle's horsepower was telling her that not only was it getting dark- not only was her cycle NOT equipped with any sort of lighting- but now she was inarguably out of fuel as it had been nearly depleted on the track, and she was still quite far from her destination.

She had never been alone, never been out without someone by her side. It wasn't safe- Sesshomaru and Inuyasha had spent the last twenty one years drilling that piece of information into her head, and in one
emotionally charged moment she had disregarded their warnings only to find herself stranded on a dark highway several miles from home. But the real kicker to this whole mess was that she'd left her cell phone back at the tent...

Pulling onto the side of the road, Kagome lowered the kickstand and slid off the cycle she loved so much. Sighing into the breeze, she reached to run her fingers through her hair; a useless attempt to untangle its length. The only option she had now was to walk. Someone would be along soon to find her; she just hoped it would be very, very soon. Glancing around her she watched the shadows dance along the length of blacktop. The darkness closed in around her like gnarled fingers desperate to grasp her ankles and drag her into the depths of the forest.

This was the first time she had been alone in years. She had always had a member of her family with her: Sango or Inuyasha, Miroku or Sesshomaru. She didn't like being alone...especially now.

Taking another deep breath she started walking. Her mind busied itself with thoughts of Inuyasha, her silver haired- angry- guardian who always seemed to set her emotions raging and her normally rational behavior flying out the window. Yep, he was angry, just as she feared he would be. Perhaps telling him of her riding career had been a mistake, but there was no going back now. He'd either accept it and forgive her, or he'd hate her for lying to him and she'd be looking for a new sponsor
anyway.

" What a birthday." she growled out loud. Great. Now she was talking to herself. Walking faster, she tried to shake the feeling crawling up her back...it was like someone was watching her- only this wasn't the time or place to have someone eying her up. Telling herself that she was just imagining things, she kept moving. It wouldn't do to have her mind playing tricks on her out here in the middle of nowhere.

Naraku moved silently through the trees- the leaves that littered the forest floor barely stirring beneath him. He'd returned- again- to the last place he'd seen her; the clearing in the forest that now held her gravestone. It was on his way back to the city- and dinner- that he'd seen this new woman. He watched her park the motorcycle; watched her run her fingers through the long raven hair that framed her face- the face of the woman who after more than twenty years still haunted his
memory. This woman looked so much like her: same height, same beauty; though, there were a few differences. This woman wasn't so refined; she was much more assertive in the way she handled herself. She intrigued him.

Red eyes glittered in the darkness, their depths following the woman who was now walking in the center of the highway. She reminded him of Kikyo. Would she taste as sweet?

He followed her, his body still hidden in the shadows. He could hear the quickening of her heartbeat; the steady fall of her footsteps as she
increased her pace. Would she run? Would she excite him beyond his deepening hunger; would her blood taste as intoxicating as her scent had become?

The deep rumble of another motorcycle had him sinking further back into the forest, his lips curled back in a snarl. Perhaps he'd have two humans for his evening meal- the woman being dessert. His eyes found the woman once again. He watched her turn toward the roar of a well tuned engine, her fear being replaced by anticipation, and happiness.

Would THAT emotion ever leave him in peace? It angered him- he who was eternally bound to darkness- forever chained to the emptiness that was his existence. How he wished he could wipe that happiness away- replace it with the fear that had only moments ago spiced her scent so deliciously. He wanted to destroy her- make her cry out in pain; torture her so that she would have a small taste of what this life had forced him to endure; show her the bleak nothingness of death by taking away the life that radiated beneath her skin. He'd show her horrors she'd never known existed and leave her locked within an empty, cold body- unable to feel the warmth of the sunshine upon her skin- incapable of hearing the beat of her own heart while it lay unmoving beneath the cage of her own chest.

He'd welcome her into Hell and make her stay by his side so that he could watch her hopes and dreams die more each day while forcing her to watch those she cared for grow old and die while she stayed the same; young in appearance, yet dead to the world around her. She looked so much like the woman who hadn't left him in peace since the night he'd first seen her- she would erase the memories that haunted him.

Yes. She'd walk beside him, a beast as he was. He'd take her ability to live, just as he'd take her ability to die. Soon she'd be his, very, very soon. Closing his eyes he backed further into the forest savoring her image and scent. He now had something to look forward to in this darkness he'd been living. And it wouldn't be long before that darkness was no longer such a lonesome existence. Now he'd have someone to share it with- willing or not.

Miroku stopped beside Kagome. Lowering the kickstand he moved from his cycle just in time to catch her as she rushed into the warmth of his
embrace. Her slender figure trembled; whether from the chill of the night air or from fright he wasn't certain.

" I'm sorry Miroku, I shouldn't have left like that. " she mumbled, her words nearly lost within the leather collar of his jacket.

"Just don't EVER do it again, okay?" he replied, his arms hugging her closer. He'd been worried. She was like a sister to him-he'd seen her blossom from an infant into a beautiful young woman-and it would've torn him apart if he had found her injured or worse.

" Take me home Miroku. I just want to go home."
" As you wish, my birthday girl, as you wish. "

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Hey all. I am again sorry for the wait. I could've posted it last week, but it would have been really short and you would have been left with another cliffy...I just couldn't do that to you as I left you all with an aweful one the last time I posted. But I do have my wonderful editer back, so I won't have to worry so much on grammer...she is wonderful enough to go through and fix what I have messed up and is a great help to me, as well as a great friend...

I wanted to thank all of you for reviewing. You guys are so awesome..the last chapter did better than I had ever dreamed it would, and it is thanks to you all for that. You all are my motivation...honestly. Without you I wouldn't try so hard to get these chapters out as things around here are so hectic. I am still fighting with my health, and we are in the process of selling our house to move to another town. It really has been hard to find any time at all to write...but I DO make sure to write a least a few paragraphs as often as possible solely for you all. You make the effort to review, letting me know what you all think and telling me how much you like this fic...and because of that I can not simply put this on the back burner. I'd feel like I was letting you all down, and since you all are so wonderful to support, encourage and motivate me- I am going to continue doing my best to update this fic as often as humanly possible. Please forgive the later updates. I promise that I will do my very best to get back to the once a week posting as I usually do, just as soon as things slow down a bit.

Anyway...Thanks again. I wouldn't do this without you all there to read my fics as there really wouldn't be any reason to. Writing is my passion, but without people to read and enjoy it, it just defeats the purpose...

Until next time...

Neisha