Hey! I'm glad I'm picking this story back up, because there's so much potential for it. I'm also having dreams about the ending, and they're really vivid and detailed dreams, so I predict by the end of the year this baby's gonna be wrapped up! Enjoy!

Dark shapes passed in and out of shadow, gliding past her, unperturbed by her desperate cries to them. She lay, unable to move, to breathe, to even see clearly. Her body was slashed and maimed, blood flowing so freely from so many wounds. She was weak, hanging on by a thread. No one listened to her pleas of help.

She was about to give up, to let herself go, when the sound of soft rustling came upon her ears. It was soothing, really, to hear it so close to her, so comforting… And then, the pain lifted from her body. She felt relaxed, calm, at ease. There was nothing else to it. She let herself fall into robes of red which cradled her gently and made her drift away into nothingness. It was… it was pure bliss.

She opened her eyes and saw nothing but red; red and a soothing face. Ripples of silky fabric swirled round and round, and his face was filled with concern and worry… and love…

Kagome awoke from her dream-like state with a moan. The pain had returned to her almost instantly, but it was a dull pain that encompassed her entire body. She tried to push herself into an upright position when a hand pushed her back down and she screamed lightly.

"Hey! It's just me! You shouldn't be getting up, Kagome, you need your rest!" His familiar voice echoed lightly in the room and Kagome sighed; it was InuYasha, but she couldn't see him very well. It was way too dark in this… where were they?

"Where… What… How did I--?"

Thinking hurt way too much as well, as if the dull aching reached her brain muscles too. She stopped talking and closed her eyes, letting the cool darkness envelop her weary mind. InuYasha's hand was still on her shoulder, in case she started to get back up and try to move again. It was comforting, actually, for him to be so concerned with her; he usually sulked in the corner.

"InuYasha?"

He grunted, signaling that he was listening.

"I was scared when… when he took me… I thought that…" Tears started forming in the corners of her eyes and her head began to hurt again, but she couldn't stop the flow of warm salty drops that slid down her cheeks to the ground. InuYasha sensed it too, and grabbed her hand.

"Don't worry, Kagome, I'll never leave you again," he spoke softly as he held her hand within his and massaged it. "We'll talk when you're better, okay?"

Kagome looked up through her tear-filled eyes and saw his amber eyes glisten in the darkness. She hiccoughed several times, trying to control her shaking and trembling.

"InuYasha? Will you stay with me tonight? I- I don't think I'll be able to sleep well…"

He laid his body down next to hers and wrapped his arms around her body, one cradling her waist, the other around her head. He ran his fingers through her silky smooth hair and she sidled her head to rest on his upper arm. She nuzzled her head into his robes and closed her eyes, drifting away into something between reality and dreams.

"Kagome? I'm--"

He glanced down at her after five minutes or so, but saw that she was sound asleep in his arms. He pulled her closer to his body and cuddled down into a more comfortable position.

"I'm glad to have you back…" InuYasha rested his head right above her own, letting her long hair become his pillow. Her breathing was light and shallow, and he could hear her heart beat slowly throughout her body. As he drifted to sleep as well, he lightly whispered to her.

"I love you…"

And with that, he drifted into his own dreamland.

Please review! I really appreciate it!

Kim