meesa so sorry! i got frounded for...well it doesnt matter, i dont remember anyway. but i really didnt mean to!

this chapter is dedicated to sesshyfanchick 'cause she helped me through a sticky spot with it, so thats why. and if anyone gives a suggestion and i use it they get a chapter dedicated to 'em! idn't dat fun? ond i do try really hard to use them.

disclaimer: how many times do i have to say it for you people? I DON'T OWN ANY OF THE INUYASHA CHARACTERS! there, happy? wait a minute! just to set the record strait: YUKANA IS MINE! at least i can take solace in that...

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Show me what its like,

(to be the last one standing)

And teach me wrong from right.

(and I'll show you what I can be)

And say it for me,

Say it to me.

(and I'll leave this life behind me)

Say it if its worth savin' me.

(Nickleback: Savin' Me)

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Don't Fall Away

Chapter Four: Night Falls

"Yukana, you're going to scare Rin." Kagome said, squeezing the water out of her hair and clothing.

"Rin won't get scared." Rin declared proudly. "Rin is brave. And Sesshomaru-sama will protect Rin if anything happens."

"And so will I, Rin." Kagome promised. "But don't worry; there's nothing in here. Well, except maybe a bug or two. Yukana was just joking."

"Perhaps I was, but it wouldn't hurt you to play along for a little while." Yukana pouted.

"Oh, please. If I didn't ruin your silly little game, Sesshomaru deffinately would have." Kagome pointed out. "Besides, he wouldn't have taken Rin in here if he knew that there was already something living in this place."

"Stop talking about my lord as if he isn't here!" Jaken yelled.

"But he isn't here." Rin pointed out. Kagome looked up from her bag and looked around the cave.

"He is really good at that." Kagome said, taking her pajamas out of her bag. "Maybe he's a little too good. Even InuYasha can't do that."

"Rin is cold." Rin whined. Kagome started digging in her bag and threw a t-shirt at her.

"You can use that." Kagome said. "Don't worry, its dry. My bag is waterproof."

"What's waterspoof?" Rin asked innocently. Kagome giggled and shook her head.

"That's waterproof, Rin." Kagome corrected. "Waterproof is when water or any other liquid can't get in or out of something. I guess you could kinda say its 'ahead of this time.' "pun intended Rin nodded and went further back into the cave to change.

"Eep! Kagome-chan, how does this thing work!" Rin exclaimed. Yukana snorted. Kagome glared at her playfully and went to go help Rin figure out the t-shirt. Kagome and Rin could be heard struggling with the shirt and every few seconds Kagome would say things like 'Rin, stay still!' or 'Rin, that's the wrong hole!'.

"I've never put on one of those things, but it sounds a little dangerous to me." Yukana called out. "I think that maybe she would be better off wrapped in a blanket or something."

"No, this is fine." Kagome said. "We finally got it."

"That sounded difficult." Yukana stated. "Aren't you going to change, too, Kagome?"

"Yeah, but I had to come back and get my stuff."

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Sesshomaru showed up again around an hour later. By then everyone except Kagome had fallen asleep. It was still pouring outside of the cave, so Kagome could find no real reason for him to be out there. As he walked in, Kagome looked up from her sketch pad. Sesshomaru slowly scanned the room, making sure that everyone was asleep. He stopped when he came to Kagome.

"Miko, why aren't you asleep yet?"

"Do you want the truth or a lie?" Kagome asked with a hint of sarcasm.

"I wouldn't expect an honest answer from a human." Sesshomaru stated calmly. Kagome frowned.

"No, I suppose you wouldn't." Kagome sighed. "Rin seemed like such an honest girl to me, but, since she is human, I must have made a mistake."

Sesshomaru had had enough. He grabbed Kagome by the collar of her pajamas and pinned her to the wall of the cave.

"Listen closely, miko. You should be thankful that I let you accompany me back to my home and that I didn't decide to kill you on sight." Sesshomaru snapped.

"Like I said before, Sesshomaru, I never asked you to let me come along." Kagome spat. "Rin suggested it and you gave in. That was your fault."

Yukana awoke at that point and looked across the cave. Her jaw dropped when she saw that Sesshomaru had Kagome by her collar and against the wall.

"Sesshomaru!" she exclaimed. "Put her down!" Yukana ran over and threw all of her weight onto Sesshomaru's arm. Rin and Jaken woke up as well and just stared at what was happening in front of them.

"Yukana," Kagome muttered. Yukana looked up at her.

"Back up."

Kagome closed her eyes and released a wave of pure energy that threw Sesshomaru across the cave. Yukana gasped. Jaken picked up his staff and ran at Kagome. She turned and glared at the small impish creature.

"If you take one more step you can forget about seeing the light of day ever again." Kagome threatened. She turned on her heel, picked up her bag, and stormed out of the small cave.

Yukana looked around at everyone. Rin looked terrified and Jaken had rushed to stand next to Sesshomaru, who appeared to be unconscious. Rin stood up and went to stand with Jaken.

Yukana sighed and rushed after Kagome.

"What happened back there, Kagome?" Yukana cried. "What did you do?"

"I never put up with that shit from InuYasha and I sure as hell won't put up with it from him." Kagome explained angrily. "I'm out of here. Neither of us are dead and I'm sick of his arrogant attitude. I'll see you around, Yukana."

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Sango, Miroku, Kirara, and Shippo walked into Kaede's hut at around sundown.

"Did ye find her?" Kaede asked. Sango sighed and sat next to the fire.

"Yes, we did, but she didn't want to come back." Sango said sadly. "She ran away when we got there. I told you there was something wrong, Miroku!"

"Sango, calm down. Kagome will come back when she is ready." Miroku said reassuringly. "She must have had a good reason to leave."

"What do you mean 'Kagome left'?" InuYasha asked angrily as he walked into the hut.

"Calm down InuYasha." Miroku sighed. "Kagome is fine. When we saw her earlier she was not alone. She will be perfectly fine."

"Who was she with?" InuYasha asked. Sango and Miroku glanced at each other, but didn't answer.

"Who was it?" he asked again. Sango nodded.

"The last time we saw her she was with Sesshomaru." Miroku said, preparing for an explosion.

"SHE WAS WHERE!"

"Remember, InuYasha, anger won't solve anything." Miroku advised.

"Put a sock in it, monk. Come on, we're going after Kagome." InuYasha ordered.

"What happened to 'if she wanted to come back she would have done it by now', InuYasha?"

InuYasha glared at Miroku and walked back out of the hut, followed by Sango, Miroku, Shippo, and Kirara. Sango and Miroku exhanged a few uncertain glances while Shippo sat on Sango's shoulder.

'Kagome, what are you doing with Sesshomaru?' InuYasha thought. 'If he hurt her, I'll kill that bastard.'

"InuYasha seems to be taking the news better than I thought he would." Sango whispered to Miroku. "I would have thought that he would've took taken off and not even bothered to wait for us."

"I agree." Miroku said. "He seems quite calm considering the situation. Maybe Kagome's absence is getting to him."

"I miss Kagome!" Shippo whined.

"Don't worry, Shippo." Miroku said reassuringly. "We're going to find her."

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"Kagome, please don't leave!" Yukana pleaded. "Sesshomaru didn't mean to do it! He has a short temper!"

"Yukana, listen. I know Sesshomaru has a short fuse, but I've put up with this kind of stuff from InuYasha for way too long, and I don't plan on doing it with him, too." Kagome explained. "Although, InuYasha never tried to choke me."

"Sesshomaru wasn't trying to choke you." Yukana said. "If he were trying to do that he would have done it. Trust me, I know this stuff. He has a lot of self-control even when he is angry. So, come back in and we can settle this when Sesshomaru wakes up."

Kagome frowned and thought for a minute. 'I don't know...I don't think I really have a choice. If I go back to InuYasha and the others they'll be in danger. But if I stay here, so will Yukana and Rin. I'll stay for now and leave before things get out of hand.'

"Okay, fine." Kagome agreed. "But only for a few days."

"Why?"

"I'll tell you, but you have to keep it a secret, ok?" Yukana nodded. "I have a feeling something bad is going to happen, but I don't know what yet. If things start getting out of hand I'm leaving. I don't want to put you and Rin in danger."

Yukana nodded, but she seemed skeptical. Kagome was just glad that she didn't press for any details. Of corse Kagome know what was going to happen, but she just really didn't feel like explaining anything.

She followed Yukana back into the cave and sat at the opposite end.

"What is she doing back?" Jaken exclaimed.

"Shut it, toad." Kagome snapped. Jaken glared at her, but he shut up all the same.

"When is Sesshomaru-sama going to wake up?" Rin asked.

"Don't worry, Rin. He'll wake up...eventually." Kagome said. 'I know he's not dead, but he should have ben consciouse by now.' Kagome thought. 'But, then again, I hit him harder than I wanted to.' Kagome looked around the cave. Rin and jaken were beginning to doze off again while Yukana was keeping a close eye on Kagome, much to Kagome's dismay. She sighed and looked outside. Dawn was still a few hours away, but she was not really tired. There was no way that Kagome would be able to get to sleep after what had happend to Sesshomaru, seeing as that it had been something that she had done.

'Yeah, well, he deserved it.'

'I knocked him out. That doesn't seem like a fair trade.'

'It's revenge for all the other times he tried to kill you.'

'He only tried to kill me once. All of the other times he was trying to kill InuYasha.'

'That's twice if you count just a few minutes ago.'

'That time he wasn't trying to kill me. Something just tells me that it was an accident, but I don't know why.'

'Oh, sure, stick up for him just 'cause he's good looking.'

'Who said anything about that? Are you nuts? He's like my enemy!'

'Actually, he's more like InuYasha's enemy. The only reason that you've ever been in danger was bacause you got in the way.'

'That may be true, but it still happened.'

'Shut up! Did he ever come after you with the intent to hurt 'ya at a time when you weren't getting in the way? Every time that he almost got you he stopped.'

'Just go away, would 'ya? I'm getting a headache.'

'Fine.'

Kagome glanced at Yukana, who had also begun to doze off. It was quiet in the cave, which was making Kagome uneasy. She then shifted her focus to Sesshomaru. He looked so peaceful to her. It was almost impossible for her to imagine just how dangerous he could really be. Kagome averted her gaze when he began to stir.

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Sesshomaru slowly opened his eyes around an hour after the incident with the miko that was sitting directly across from him. She appeared to be staring outside, but he knew that she was watching him out of the corner of her eye.

"So, you're awake now." Kagome observed, still staring outside.

"Hn."

"Umm...do you feel okay? Like, no broken bones, bruised ego?"

"No."

"Oh. Okay. No hard feelings then?" Kagome turned her head and looked at him. He didn't answer. "Rin was worried about you." Sesshomaru nodded. Kagome frowned and turned her gaze back outside.

'This is going to be hard.'