:-:-:-:-:-:CHAPTER FIFTEEN-:-:-:-:-:-

"Yes, it is." He said unexpectedly.

Kagome blinked and stared, then looked a little apprehensive.

"Um…I'm okay being around you now, right? Akina told me that heat thing was over." Kagome said, fearful that he might do something to her that he would regret later, Kagome certainly couldn't hold him off, and he acting strange. She glanced, without thinking to his loin area, for a way to confirm her thoughts. Then caught herself and quickly looked back to his face.

"The kimono. It is beautiful—the finest in Japan." He stated, still watching the sunrise. "And yes, your heat has gone away." He added.

"Er, Sesshoumaru? Why did you get me such wonderful kimonos anyway?" Kagome asked, looking up at him.

"If you do not like them, I'd gladly take them back. I think they are just Akina's size…" He said, still gazing at the sunrise.

"N-no! I didn't say that! I love them!" she said, waving her hands. Sesshoumaru laughed lightly and his molten gold eyed shone in the rays of the risen sun. They stood in silence for a while, both deep in their own thoughts.

"Sesshoumaru?" Kagome said looking at the taiyoukai as if she was going to say something. He turned his head, looking down at her. The rays of the morning sun shone behind him, with his silver hair, fair skin and white clothes, he looked unmistakably like an angel.

'Yeah, an angel of death… Remember, Kagome, he's killed countless demons and humans, he's a heartless demon and a killer. He could never like you, even if he is…gorgeous.'

Kagome realized she was staring up at Sesshoumaru, her lips slightly opened and her eyes unfocused.

"What?" Sesshoumaru demanded, irritably.

"Huh? Uh…oh, er, nothing." Kagome stammered; she had forgotten what she was going to say.

Lately Kagome had been getting a little creeping feeling of depression seeping into her mood. She missed her family and she missed Kirara, and more than ever, she missed Shippou. He was her foster son; Shippou started calling her his mother a few months back and she loved the fox kit dearly... She would spend hours just aimlessly wandering about on the stone-paved paths that snaked through out the garden, thinking. Rin noticed and of course, Sesshoumaru did too. He knew about her kitsune cub and how much she loved him: just as much he loved Rin.

oOo

"Sango…I don't know…I really feel bad about this." Inuyasha said, he was sitting up against the wall of the hut. Sango was sitting on the small cot of a bed, across the room, with her chin in her hands. After a few seconds she lifted it slightly.

"Is it Kagome?" She asked gently. He nodded.

"How could she just leave like that? Without hearing our part?" He asked, a tinge of anger rising in his voice. He knew Sango didn't know so he wasn't asking anyone in particular. Inuyasha stood up abruptly, he violently ran his fingers through his silver hair and growled. He headed toward the door.

"Where are you going?" Sango asked, still in a gentle voice, her eyes holding the unmistakable emotion of worry.

"I…I don't know," he said quietly and pushed aside the bamboo-flap door and walked out side, his head down.

Sango got up after he left and pushed the brown, make-shift door out of the way, following him. She saw him leaning against Goshinboku, looking downward, his hair covering his face and casting it in a lonesome shadow even with the morning sun's rays. She walked over to him and put her arms around his shoulders and drew him into a tight hug. His shoulders began shaking, and soft sobs reached Sango's ears. She rubbed and patted the prideful hanyou on his back, whispering endearments to him in a soft hushed voice. He wept on her shoulder for little while longer, and then he finally held his head up from the crook of Sango's neck.

"Shhhhh." Sango cooed, feeling a bit uncomfortable with the hanyou crying on her shoulder.

"I-I didn't mean to. I'm sorry I made her leave, I'm sorry I made Miroku leave, I'm sorry…I made Shippou leave." He said quietly, bowing his head, his eyes lost in shadow again.

"Shippou? I thought he was still here! God, Inuyasha, he's just a child, what did you do? Where did he go?" Sango said, suddenly overcome by worry. She lifted Inuyasha's chin so he looked at her.

"Inuyasha?"

"I don't know. I was mad after Kagome left without telling anyone. I yelled at Miroku, then later…outside I yelled at Shippou, he ran off crying." Inuyasha said, roughly wiping away the long, wet tear trails that were left behind on his young face.

"We have to find him!" her eyes growing wider with concern, "Kagome…would never forgive me." Sango said, still hopefully clinging to the thought that Kagome would come back and someday forgive her, Sango knew Kagome loved Inuyasha, but if only she knew. This rift in their relationship, however, was most likely never going to heal.

"Where's Kirara?" She asked, anxiously looking around for her fire-cat companion, not seeing her anywhere in view.

"…She went with Shippou…" Inuyasha confessed, it donned on him that he suddenly pretty much almost his whole life, all of his friends hated him except for one, he had no one besides Sango.

"Inuyasha…" Sango began in a tone the hanyou didn't feel too good about at all, but Inuyasha cut her off.

"Get on my back." He said quickly, turning around and crouching low so that she could get on.

"Inuyasha...What-" Sango tried to say something else, but Inuyasha cut her yet off again.

"We're going to find Kagome, Miroku, Shippou and Kirara." He said decisively.

With out another word Sango climbed onto his back, ready to find her best friends and try to explain the situation. After about ten minutes of Inuyasha running, the small conversation between the two had ceased, leaving them both deep in thought about what they would do when they found their friends, well hopefully they were still friends…

'If only Kagome knew what really happened…' Sango thought, leaning her head against Inuyasha's warm back and closing her eyes.

-:-:-:-:-:FLASH BACK-:-:-:-:-:

Sango awoke one night by the sounds of rustling clothes and the creaking of the floor boards caused by someone's movement. Her eyes flew open and she grabbed her hiraikotsu ready to strike the intruder in necessary. Once her eyes focused in the darkness pressing on her eyes, she saw Inuyasha pacing back and forth across the small hut, then watched as he walked out the door. Sango stared after him, the bamboo flap, fluttering with the forceful shove aside the hanyou had given it. She sat up quietly and stood, following the half inu youkai outside…

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A/N: Thanks for reading!

JA NE!