Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha.

UPDATE: I am going to try to upload at least three chapters each week, possibly five, depending on my schedule. If you guys would like to see that happen, please keep reviewing! And I would like to thank the few of you who review each chapter. I really enjoy reading what you guys have to say, and when your review are indepth, I know it means that you are really enjoying the story. It makes me happy to see those kinds of review! Thank you!

The Beauty Within The Beast

Chapter 3:

A Dog Is A Dog Is A Dog

Sesshomaru carried Kagome out of the river vigilantly. He began sniffing the air, making sure there were no more demons lurking nearby. When he was satisfied that they were alone, he laid her gently onto the riverbank, shifting the wet black hair off of her face. The daiyokai frowned when he noticed that Kagome's face was pale, and her lips were starting to turn blue. 'She's not breathing,'

He wondered what to do. As Lord Sesshomaru pondered, he suddenly recalled observing a young man trying to save a friend who was near death from drowning. The memory was old, and more than a hundred years had past since then, but it was surprisingly still fresh in his mind. The man had placed his body over his friend's, pressing onto his chest as he blew into the unconscious man's mouth. Sesshomaru flinched at the thought of placing his mouth on a human. He considered the action vulgar, but as he glanced down at the ill woman, he knew had no choice but to try and save her life. The demon lord silently vowed to tell no one of his endeavor.

Sesshomaru hastily bent over Kagome and placed his palms on her chest, pressing firmly, then repeated the action. He wrinkled his nose in distaste as he bent forward and brought his lips against hers. Sesshomaru fought diligently to revive Kagome, and when he heard her cough and gasp for air, he pulled his head back swiftly. Staring closely at her, he prayed that she would not remember he had given her mouth to mouth, for if she did, his reputation would be forever tainted.

Kagome rolled over onto her side, spitting up the water that been trapped inside her lungs. She panted and breathed in deeply, unsure of what had just happened. "Uh, my throat," she moaned.

'It is done. She is alive.' Sesshomaru rose promptly to his feet, but as he was about to turn and walk away, Kagome reached out her hand and grabbed at him. He stared impassively at her small hand wrapped around the leg of his hakama.

Kagome was traumatized, and her vision was foggy, so when she saw the silver hair of her savior, she figured it was Inuyasha who had come to her rescue. Smiling up at him, Kagome whispered, "Inuaysha…you came…"

Sesshomaru's brows rose in surprise, and he frowned, not fond of the comparison. After removing her hand from his leg, he sharply replied, "I am not Inuyasha."

'That voice…' Kagome froze, trying to recall whom the voice belonged to. She peered harder at the hazy figure standing before her. 'Silver hair, golden eyes, a white hakama, crescent moon...' and then it dawned on her. Her rescuer was none other than Sesshomaru, Inuayasha's half-brother. "You?" Kagome whispered in disbelief. "Sesshomaru, you…saved me?" She stammered.

Lord Sesshomaru's voice was stern as he replied, "Do not misinterpret my actions. While flying overhead, Rin noticed you drowning. She asked for your rescue. I merely obliged her request."

Kagome nodded, unsure of what to say. 'I'm grateful he saved me, but does he have to be so rude?' After contemplating it, she decided to take the higher road. After all, he had saved her life. Offering Sesshomaru a weak smile, she said, "Well, thanks anyways."

She forgot all about the wound that the eel demon had inflicted on her, and when she struggled to stand, an intense pain ran up her left leg. Kagome fell to the ground, gripping her calf fiercely. "Ah, my leg!" She grimaced and glanced over at the large bite-mark the demon had caused. 'He sure did a number on me,' she thought worriedly.

Sesshomaru eyed her wound and considered informing her of it's true creator. He ultimately decided that she deserved the whole truth. Besides, if their roles were reversed, he knew that he would want to be informed. "The demon that attacked you, was one of Naraku's."

Kagome's eyes grew wide. "How do you know that?"

"There was a barrier surrounding this river when you were attacked, preventing anyone from entrance. " Sesshomaru gazed off, sniffing the air lightly. "Naraku's foul scent still lingers here, and I detected him earlier."

"But how? I don't understand…"

"He must've known the exact moment you separated from your companions, and that is when he set his trap," Sesshomaru told her. Curious, he suddenly asked, "Where is Inuyasha?"

"He's resting on a hill, outside the forest."

The daiyokai stared her down, fully knowing she would never make it to the hill in her condition, and he frowned at the sight of her injury. It had stopped bleeding, but now the edges around the bite marks were turning blue. 'Such weakness,' he thought to himself with disgust. If he had sustained such an injury, it would've healed within seconds. Sesshomaru suddenly realized that he had never really felt pain before; he was too powerful to be affected by any of his foes. Only Naraku had proven to be a worthy opponent in battle.

Finding that his thoughts had distracted him from the task at hand, Sesshomaru gazed back at the young woman once again. "Do you require more assistance?" He asked her impassively.

"Uh…" Kagome frowned and glanced at her wound. She was positive she would not be able to walk, especially all the way to the hill. There were two options to choose from. She could wait for the aid of her friends, (whenever they decided to come looking for her), which would leave her alone and vulnerable in the woods, or, Kagome could ask Sesshomaru for his help. As she stared up into his fierce eyes, she didn't know which option frightened her most.

Biting her bottom lip, Kagome forced herself to ask, "Please?"

In a flash, she was in his arms again, and Kagome blushed. Never in her life would she have imagined Sesshomaru carrying her. She was about to ask him if he felt as awkward as she did, holding her this way, but she realized who she was dealing with and kept quiet. The demon lord was not one for small talk. Sesshomaru darted through the forest in a matter of seconds, passing the clearing swiftly before finally rushing up the hill. When he appeared before Kagome's comrades, carrying her in his arms, the group reacted impolitely.

"Kagome?" Sango frowned at the sight of Kagome cradled in Sesshomaru's arms. It was a very unusual sight. She rushed towards her friend asking, "Are you okay? Did he hurt you?"

Kagome grimaced from the pain. "No, I'm fine. It's just my leg…I think I'm going to need stitches."

Sesshomaru placed Kagome gently onto the grass, stepping back as Sango and Shippou fawned over her. Both the demon slayer and the kitsune glared up at him with the assumption that the daiyokai had injured their friend. Lord Sesshomaru's expression never faltered at the sight of their glares, for he cared little if they were angry with him.

Inuyasha eye's widened after noticing the huge gash on Kagome's leg. He glared at his brother, lunging for him. "What the hell do you think you're doing, Sesshomaru? What happened to Kagome?"

Sesshomaru's tone was firm as he replied, "Your human was in danger."

"What?" Inuyasha asked in disbelief. "What do you mean, in danger?"

"Naraku set up a barrier near the river, Inuyasha!" Kagome cried out. "He unleashed a demon that tried to drown me!"

Inuyasha's golden eyes flashed with anger. "Naraku! That bastard!" Inuyasha spoke his enemy's name out of blind hatred. "How dare he try to hurt you!" Running over to her, Inuyasha crouched down and said, "Kagome, I'm so sorry I made you go get that stupid water. If only I had went instead…this would've never happened!"

Kagome smiled at him, taking his hand in hers. "It's not your fault, Inuyasha. I was just so scared!" She wrapped her arms around him, and Inuyasha was slightly shocked by her boldness, but he cheerfully returned the embrace nonetheless.

Sesshomaru raised a brow in curiosity at the sight of them, and the demon lord wondered why Inuyasha would allow to be held such a way by a human. But Sesshomaru remembered that his brother was half human, and so he possessed the same weak desire for affection. He watched as the group focused solely on Kagome, and he recognized it as his cue to exit. Lord Sesshomaru then turned and began to wander towards the clearing, eager to return to Rin and to continue on his journey.

Kagome, who was relieved to be back with her friends again, glanced over at Sesshomaru, shocked to find him retreating. "Sesshomaru, wait!"

The daiyokai paused and glanced back at her. "What do you want?"

His stiffness did not unnerve her. "I just wanted to say thank you, for all that you did. Give Rin my thanks as well."

Inuyasha frowned, confused by her appreciation. "What are you thanking him for?"

"Why do you think? He saved my life, Inuyasha. If Sesshomaru hadn't shown up like he did, I would've been a goner."

Inuyasha turned towards his brother to ask, "Is that true, Sesshomaru?"

The demon lord stood rigid. "I did as Rin asked, that is all."

"You don't have to such a jerk, Sesshomaru. It's fine if you saved Kagome," Inuyasha replied with a smirk. "We won't think any less, or more of you. Besides, you'll always be a cold blooded monster in my eyes anyways, no matter what you do."

"Inuyasha!" Kagome glared up at him. "Don't say that!"

"I can say whatever I want, Kagome!" Inuyasha shot back.

She shook her head, disappointed with him. "You should me thanking your brother for saving my life! Try to show a little gratitude! Jeeze!" She spat, gazing down at her injured calf. "Just think, if Sesshomaru hadn't come when he did, that demon would have…" Kagome's voice trailed off as she found it hard to believe that she would have died. Gazing over at the reserved demon lord, she silently thanked him with a smile.

"Yeah, whatever. His intervening makes no difference to me. I would have rescued you, Kagome, if only Kagura hadn't distracted me."

"You're forgetting the barrier, little brother. You had no idea that Kagome-san was in trouble, therefore, she would have died had I not come along."

Inuyasha scowled and crossed his arms. "I would've noticed sooner or later, Sesshomaru!"

Lifting his head up arrogantly, Sesshomaru replied, "If it had been any later, she would have drowned."

Growling, Inuyasha barked, "If you're looking for gratitude from me, just forget about it!"

Sesshomaru's lips formed a slight smile at his brother's outburst. "Your rude manner doesn't surprise me in the least, but, lucky for you, I do not require your appreciation."

"Good! Cause you're never going to get it!"

"Inuyasha, stop this!" Kagome shouted at him fearfully. She eyed Sesshomaru uneasily, praying that he would ignore Inuyasha's insults. 'Just leave him alone, Inuyasha. Please.'

"Such insolence." Turning sharply around to face his half brother, Sesshomaru stared daggers at him and said, "You are your own worst enemy, Inuyasha."

"Excuse me?" Inuyasha replied angrily. "What did you just say to me?"

Sesshomaru ignored his question and added, "I intended on leaving empty handed, as I refuse to accept gifts or favors for my seldom acts of generosity." Sesshomaru shook his head suddenly and frowned. "You should've kept your mouth shut, Inuyasha. That would have been wise. For now, I desire payment for my aid in helping your human cheat death."

Inuyasha crossed his arms condescendingly, a grin displayed on his face. "Oh really? And what is it that you want from me?"

Sesshomaru golden eyes flickered towards Kagome, and he coldly replied, "Her."

Thank you for reading! If you enjoyed this chapter, please review! Your reviews motivate me to write new chapters!