Disclaimer: Yeah yeah yeah. Must you rub it in every sticken time? By the way…WHAT IS RENT LINE STEALER?

Chapter 13

Why me?

Inuyasha drove home like a mad man. He had to get there…Inuyasha looked at the clock. 7:30. DANG!

Turning onto Kagome's street he saw flashing lights…his heart stopped. In a blur Inuyasha stopped the car in the middle of the street, jumped out of the car and ran for Kagome's house.

No…no…no…no…NO! Inuyasha pushed past the policemen and pushed past the medics. Inuyasha had only eyes for one person. Kagome…

He ran inside the house and stopped dead. There was so much blood. It stung his eyes and nose. He smelt Kagome's blood. He was too late! Inuyasha crumpled down in the middle of the doorway. He promised Kagome he would come but he failed her. Because of him she was dead.

Inuyasha heard someone screaming from a distance. It was filled with pain and anger. Inuyasha put his hands on his sensitive ears. Why wouldn't the screaming stop?

Sess stared at his brother. Inuyasha was kneeling in the middle of the doorway screaming in agony holding his own ears. Sess gave Kara to Rin and went to help his brother. Sess touched his brother's shoulder. Suddenly the screaming stopped. Inuyasha looked up into his older brothers eyes. Sess could barely stand the look Inuyasha gave him. Inuyasha had tears flowing down his cheeks and in his eyes held pain.

"Sess…I was too late…I couldn't…I should have…" With that Inuyasha began to sob again.

Sess knew that his brother was falling apart. He needed to get Inuyasha mind off of Kagome…if that was even possible. He had to get him thinking and taking charge.

"Inuyasha…Kagome is all right. She is at the hospital." Sess said quietly.

Inuyasha immediately stood up and was about to run for his car. Sess grabbed his arm preventing from going any further.

"Inuyasha…there are other things that need to be taken care of first." Sess said into his brother's ear.

Inuyasha looked at Sess and growled, "Nothing is more important than Kagome!"

"Even your own children?" Sess asked.

Inuyasha flinched. "Dear God, no. Are they all right?"

"Come with me." At least Inuyasha was thinking clearly now.

Inuyasha let Sess lead him to where his kids were. Rin was holding a sobbing Kara, Sango was holding a stunned Nathan, and Miroku stood holding a very, very, pissed off pup.

Rin turned Kara around so Inuyasha could see Kara's face. A large bandage covered the left side of her face. Kara refused to look into Inuyasha's eyes.

As Inuyasha looked at the bandage he felt his heart rip. Inuyasha slowly touched it and when he saw her flinch, he really wanted to hurt something.

"Kara? Sweet heart? Will you come to Daddy?"

Inuyasha went to Kara and held out his arms for her. Kara immediately jumped in his arms without a pause. Inuyasha would have smiled if he hadn't felt like his heart had been shredded. Inuyasha then knelt down and called to Nathan and his pup.

Nathan ran to him without a pause. Shippo on the other hand was glaring a death look at the pavement.

"Shippo…come here." Inuyasha called softly.

Shippo shook his head. " I betrayed you. I betrayed my mother."

"Son…come here and tell me about it." Inuyasha called softly.

"I can't."

"Shippo…I need to hold you to make sure you are all right."

"I'm fine."

"Shippo I need to hold you. I am trying to convince my body that you and everyone else is okay."

Shippo looked up at his father and was astonished. His Father was openly crying. His Father needed HIM. Shippo took a step towards Inuyasha. Inuyasha reached forward and grabbed Shippo and yanked him to his chest. Kara sat upon his leg and he had one arm draped around her. Shippo and Nathan hugged his chest. Inuyasha squeezed them tightly.

"Um…sir? We need to talk to you." A nervous policeman came up interrupting the family.

Inuyasha sighed. He looked down and met three pairs of eyes. Inuyasha smiled. "It's going to be okay. Here…Miroku? Take Nathan. Sess? Would you please take Shippo?"

"Sure…what about Kara?" Sess asked knowing any minute Shippo was going to let out all of his anger on him.

"Sess…I would be more than happy if you would just take all of the kids to your house. I don't ever want them to go back into that house. Rin, would you please take Kara. Sango? Would you please fallow me for a second before I have to go with the policeman?" Inuyasha handed over his kids and gave them all a kiss on the cheek before walking a little distance away.

"Inuyasha what is it?" Sango asked uncertainly.

Inuyasha looked up at her and whispered. "Any minute Shippo is going to leash out all the pain and anger he fells inside. Sess will be the only one to control him. Kara I think will keep crying and Rin can more than handle it. Nathan…he looks too stunned at the moment. I don't know how he is going to lash out. Kagome told him that she wasn't his mother, I think. I am not sure but by the look on his face he figured everything out. I don't think it is wise to separate them yet."

"Miroku and I are sleeping over at Rin and Sess' house anyway. I need to stay by the kids and help remind myself that Kagome is going to be okay." Sango's eyes were red and weary. As soon as she got the call she cried all the way here until she saw the children. All of this was a bloody nightmare. It had to be.

"Good. Look…I want to thank you guys for coming. How did you find out?" Inuyasha asked looking exhausted.

Sango sighed. "Kagome didn't want the kids to be hurt so while she fought Ho-I mean HIM, she sent the kids out to go get help. They went over to their neighbors and called Sess' cell phone. Sess immediately hopped on a jet and came as quickly as possible. On his way over he called Miroku and sent us over here to wait for them. They arrived an half an hour before you did."

"I am going to have to thank that neighbor. I am going to go talk to the policeman. I don't know when I will be home. Tell Sess not to wait up for me. I might just decide to stay by Kagome." As soon as he said her name tears again blurred his vision.

Sango scanned his face. She sighed and said, "Inuyasha? Look, I know that this is probably not what you want to hear but…slow down. Kagome is all right, the kids are safe and we are here. There was nothing more you could have done to prevent this. Nothing. "

"Yes there is. If I hadn't had left before He came…if I only had taken an earlier flight." Inuyasha looked down at the ground as tears trickled down his face.

Sango put a hand on his shoulder. "I think you are missing one very important fact. All that matters now is Kagome loves you."

"How could she? I betrayed her. I didn't keep my promise. She doesn't love me and she never will."

Sango growled and slapped him nice and hard. "You know what, Inuyasha? You are worthless, whimpering Half-breed. If you can't even face up to the fact Kagome loves you more than anything else you are the craziest, insensitive jerk that ever walked on the whole Earth! Not to mention you are the more lecherous than Miroku was during his college years!"

"HEY! I wasn't THAT bad!" Miroku yelled from where he was standing.

Inuyasha rubbed his cheek. That hurt. Sure, there was a perfect handprint from Sango's hand but her words were what hurt the most.

Sango, with one hand on her hip and the other she pointed at the policeman, she yelled, "You are going to march right over there and listen to their report. Then you are going to go to the hospital and stay there until Kagome wakes up. You go that? Then in the morning I will bring you two breakfasts! After this is all over you are gong to marry Kagome and TAKE HER BACK TO YOUR HOME! Do you understand?"

Inuyasha stared at Sango. She looked as if she was going to beat him black blue. "Yes ma'am."

Sango took three deep breaths before snapping, "Good." With that Sango marched away back toward the kids.

Inuyasha blinked twice before a small smile crept across his mouth. Then he turned and went to hear what they said.

When he met the officers, one policeman put his hand out. "I am Private Henderson. Can you tell me what your relationship is with Kagome Higurashi?"

Inuyasha took it and said in a quiet voice. "She is going to be my wife."

"And your relationship with each kid?" Private Henderson asked as he wrote down Inuyasha's answers.

"Shippo is my son, and Nathan and Kara will be my step-children." Inuyasha wanted to hurry this along. He needed to get to Kagome.

Mr. Henderson watched the nervous half-breed. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I just wanted to get this all over. I need to go see Kagome. Tell me did you see her? Is she okay?" Inuyasha asked in a rush.

"I did. She looked bad but the point is that she is alive and will recover. We will try to hurry this along. Just one more question. Where were you earlier today?"

"I have been on an airplane for the last 12 hours. I got in…about an hour ago." Inuyasha said looking at his watch.

Mr. Henderson smiled. "Can you tell me-" Before he could finish Inuyasha put his ticket in his hand.

"Now that I answered yours…tell me what happened. I need to know everything." Inuyasha said cutting him off.

Mr. Henderson sighed. He was supposed to be in charge. Not the civilian. No…survivor. Oh well…the man did look bad. Oh what the hll "This is what happened from what we gather. Hojo did not enter through the front door. Shippo testified that he unlocked it so there was no forced entry. Kagome forgot to lock the windows. Hojo entered through the south window in the living room.

" He left muddy footprints all across the carpet and up the stairs. He caught Kagome off guard and it looks like he threw her into thee coffee table shattering the glass top. Then he walked over and threatened the kids. Shippo jumped in front protecting Kara and Nathan and Shippo attacked Hojo. Then Kagome threw herself on Hojo's back. She then told the kids to go away and get help.

"Then what we gather was at some point He struck her, stabbed her leg, and tried to strangle her. Kagome stabbed him in the chest and knocked him off the balcony. As he was falling…it looks like he took her with him. Then we arrived and found them on the floor where they had fallen. Kagome had landed on top of Hojo dragging her knife in him deeper killing him instantly. His body is being tested. Kagome was breathing but bleeding heavily."

Inuyasha's hands were fists and they were shaking with anger. "So he is dead."

"Yes."

"Dang." Inuyasha said wishing he could have killed him.

Mr. Henderson backed up. "Why would that be a bad thing?"

"I wanted to kill him. God, it should have been me." Inuyasha said ready to punch something.

"No. The person who should have killed him should have been me." Kikyo said walking up with her huge belly clearing the way. Naruku was half holding her up. "He hurt my family for the 3rd time. That is not mentioning all the emotion hurt he placed but I am giving him the benefit of the doubt…which is really too generous for me. I should have revenge for my family. I should have been the one to squeeze the last drop of life he held in his body. Kagome is going to get a tongue lashing."

Mr. Henderson's eyes widened at the sight of Kikyo. Inuyasha on the other hand smiled. "It is nice to see you."

"Inuyasha, where is my sister?" Kikyo asked coldly.

"In the hospital."

"So why are you here?" Kikyo asked before turning her attention on the police. "Now, you tell me EXACTLY what happened."

Inuyasha touched her arm and whispered a thank you. Inuyasha nodded to Naruku and ran to his car. He rolled down his window and yelled good-bye to his kids then slammed on the gas.

Inuyasha smiled faded. Kagome…was really going to be able to put this behind her? Inuyasha still didn't know exactly what happened but the really worry that he had was if she was ever going to recover? Inuyasha felt like sobbing all over again. What was going through her mind when that…jerk did those things to her?

Half an hour later Inuyasha got out of his car and rushed in the hospital with a need to see her. He only took two seconds to ask where she was then took off.

Right before he got to the door he saw her. The doctors were rolling her into her room. Inuyasha groaned. It must have been loud because the doctors turned and stared at him. He didn't care. He only had eyes for Kagome. Inuyasha stumbled toward her bed. The gently he touched her bruised check. On the right side of her cheek laid a huge bandage. Inuyasha cupped both sides of her face and he gently kissed it.

"Kagome…I tried…please…please be all right. Come back to me." Inuyasha then broke down. He brought her head forward and he touched it with his own. He didn't care who saw it. He was with Kagome. That is all that mattered.

"I love you. I love you. You…you can't leave me…Kagome…please…I lost my other 2 wives. I can't…I won't lose you. Come back to me baby. Shippo, Nathan, and Kara are all depending on you. Come back. I love you." Inuyasha almost yelled as he held her.

The nurse and all the doctors shifted nervously. They needed to roll her into her room, but they didn't want to break up the moment. Only when the man stopped his tears and let her lay back down, did the nurse touch his arm. The look on his face stunned her. He looked like a wounded animal beyond anything she had ever seen.

"Sir, we have to roll her into her room and hook her up to the machines." The nurse explained.

Inuyasha nodded and stood still holding onto her hand. He fallowed them in the room holding and stoking her hand the whole time. After they were done the Nurse left the paperwork on the table. Inuyasha sat down next to the bed and just held her hand.

"I am here babe. I am not going anywhere. I'm home." Inuyasha whispered as he looked up into her face. She had an IV in her left arm and a breathing hose hooked up to her mouth. Inuyasha moved her hair out of her face and he gently kissed her lips. Then he sat back and began to tell her one story after another. The stories were about them. And the ending was always the same. They were married with 6 children and had a huge beautiful white house with a gorgeous view of the mountains. In the back of the house was a huge pool and a huge garden. In the garden was a beautiful swing in which, he told her, he would wrap her up in his arms and he would whisper how much he loved her.

11111

Kagome groaned as she opened her eyes. She had the most awful nightmare. Hojo had been there and he tried to hurt her kids and her. But then it suddenly turned to the most perfect dream. Inuyasha was rocking her in a wooden swing among a garden filled with flowers. He whispered to her how much he loved her. Kagome began to raise her arms as if to stretch. But then stopped. Something hurt. What was it?

"That won't do babe. You are going to pull the I.V. out."

For some reason Kagome's eyes wouldn't focus. "Inuyasha? Where am I? I can't seem to…focus."

She felt her bed shift as Inuyasha sat on the bed. Inuyasha held her face with both hands and steadied her. In a moment her eyes focused on his smiling face. "You are in the East Point Hospital in the recovery room. How do you feel?"

"What? How did I get here?" Kagome asked confused.

Inuyasha's were filled with fear. "Can you remember anything?"

Kagome looked up at him and answered slowly. "I remember talking to you. Then…I remember…a couple dreams that I had. One was were Hojo came and attacked me and the kids…the other one was of you holding me on a swing telling me how much you loved me."

Inuyasha smiled a sad smile. "The one where…that…jerk…attacked you, wasn't a dream."

"But…how can…what about the other one?" Kagome asked trying to understand.

"After I arrived at the hospital…I spoke to you and told everything what we were going to do once you got out of here."

"So…Hojo really did those things?" Kagome asked shaking.

"The police said that at one point the glass on the-"

Kagome interrupted having it all dawn on her. " Coffee table shattered. He stabbed me then I stabbed him. Him going over the banister…taking me down…Oh my gosh." Kagome hid her face in her hands and she cried.

Inuyasha wrapped his arms around her.

Kagome mumbled something.

"What baby? I can't hear you?"

Kagome backed up and said loudly, "Get the Fck away from me."

Inuyasha jumped back as if she burnt him. He knew it. He betrayed her and she couldn't accept him. "Kagome…I'm sorry…"

"Why the Hell are you sorry for? I'm the one who is Gd Dmned sorry!" Kagome growled as she clenched her fists.

Inuyasha stared at her dumbly. "What?"

"You heard me! This is all my fault. I couldn't lock a stupid door properly!" Kagome turned away from him (well as best she could without pulling out anything).

Inuyasha shook his head. "Kagome, last night was not your fault."

"Oh, really? Because my children had to witness that. My CHILDREN. I was going to lie to Nathan and tell him how good his daddy was. Now, he will forever think bad about his father. I know that Hojo was a syco maniac, I mean last night proved that, but he still wanted Nathan. That is more than he wanted with Kara. Then there is poor Shippo who didn't need any more drama in his life. The poor dear. I am never going to be able to whip away those memories. I did that to my children.

"How can you stand there and even look at me, or even touch me? Go away Inuyasha. Leave me to wallow in my misery. Please…"

"If I ever hear bull Sht like that again I swear I am going to find the deepest, darkest dungeon and put you in it until you recover your senses!"

Now it was Kagome's turn to gape. Inuyasha stood to the side of her bed. His hands were in fists and his whole body was shaking.

"Last night was not your fault! It was HOJO's fault. Yeah that's right. Hojo's fault! I didn't see you breaking into a locked house, almost killing three children and their mother. I didn't see you on drugs, ethier. OUR children didn't see you go crazy. It was Hojo's fault and no one else's!

"Now you listen to me Kagome Higurashi! In 3 weeks or less you will be allowed to leave the hospital. During that period, I am going to pack your whole house left and ship everything to my home in the U.S. Right after you get out of the hospital I am going to marry you. The dress, cake, the whole nine yards! After that I am going to adopt Kara and Nathan as you will adopt Shippo. Then I am going to spend the rest of my life making you absolutely happy! And no one is going to endanger that! Not again. You better get used to it to Kagome Higurashi. Because I am never letting you out of my life. Never."

With that Inuyasha leaned down and kissed her wet cheeks and then her wet lips. Kagome couldn't breathe. Not only because Inuyasha was kissing her, but because her throat tightened up with her mixed emotions.

Someone coughed behind them and Inuyasha eased off of her lips. He was going to marry and the rest of world could go to hll if they didn't like it.

Inuyasha turned to see Sango, Miroku, and Rin with three adorable kids in their arms.

"I thought I told you to take them home." Inuyasha said smiling as soon as he saw them.

Sango rolled her eyes. "Well, I just didn't know how stubborn two miniature Inuyashas and a miniature Kagome could be!"

Inuyasha studied all three of his children. Kara was shaky but she looked like she was finally getting over it. Shippo still looked pissed but at the same time he was trying to put on his nice for his mom. Nathan still wasn't showing any emotion.

"Come here. Come to mommy." Kagome said smiling. Kagome held out her arms.

Shippo and Kara immediately began squirming from the perches so that they could get down and run to mommy. Nathan stayed where he was. Inuyasha was astonished that Nathan smelt strongly of fear.

Inuyasha took a step forward and reached out for Nathan. It was a relief to see Nathan not hesitate when he went into Inuyasha's arms.

Meanwhile Kara and Shippo had climbed up on Kagome's bed. Kagome grabbed both and had them lay down on with her. She hugged them tightly. "I missed you guys." Then She kissed Shippo and Kara on the heads. "But where is my Nathan?"

"Here." Inuyasha said putting Nathan on top of Kagome's bed.

"Come here, baby. I missed you, too." Nathan went to Kagome numbly. Kagome pulled him on top of her chest. "I love my children." Kagome sighed and breathed in deeply.

"I'm not your child."

OH NO! She just woke up! Who would have thunk?