Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha, or any of its characters.

Summary: Sometimes the choices we make lead us down a path we don't expect. She chose to leave his side, and he closed off his heart to the world. Now she is back, and he is the only one that can save her. Can he move past his pain to help her? Or will the consequences of their choices prove to be too much to bear?

Rating: T for language and alcoholism.

*Note, in response to a review: This story was previously posted on Dokuga under the same penname.

The soft, rhythmic beeping of the machines brought a sense of peace to Sesshomaru as he watched over Kagome. They ensured him that she was alright, that she was stable. He leaned back in the chair, his head dropping back to rest on the wall. He had been so scared, so terrified when he had seen her in her apartment. She had looked so frail. Now that she was in the hospital, the memories were haunting him. What if he hadn't answered his phone? What if he had silenced it like he so often did? He could not stop the what-if scenarios from consuming his mind.

"You look so troubled." He sweet voice washed over him, making his heart leap. God he loved this woman. He leaned forward, leaning his arms on his knees as he looked her over.

"How are you feeling?"

"Like a pin cushion." She lifted her arm to the long I.V. currently sticking into her skin.

"A very cute pin cushion." He said gently. She rewarded him was a smile, one that reached her eyes. Her hand lay out, open palm waiting for his. Without a moment of hesitation, he enclosed it in his own.

"You were scared. But I am okay. I have a really good doctor. Maybe you know him?" Sesshomaru scoffed at her jest, a smirk toying at his lips.

"Some doctor he is." She laughed lightly.

"He is an amazing doctor. The best, really. Though I always knew he would be." Her words made him still. That was, after all, why she left him. Despite the strong desire to do so, he resisted the urge to ask her. It was in the past, wasn't it?

"Hn." He looked down at their joint hands. It was so intimate, but felt so normal. He hadn't held hands with anyone else since her. Hadn't dated anyone since her. While he was not exactly abstinent, he offered no form of emotional connection to any of his partners. This simple action felt more fulfilling then any of the nights he spent with another.

"You know, I saw you at my mother's grave." Her looked up sharply, surprised. He had not known she had seen him. As far as he knew, she thought he had not gone to her mother's funeral.

"I had meant to attend,"

"But your flight was delayed. I know. Your father told me. It meant a lot that you were there none the less."

"Why did you not approach me?" Kagome's cheeks turned pink under his gaze.

"It all seems foolish now, but I was embarrassed. I had spent the past week crying non-stop. I looked like hell. I felt even worse. I didn't want you to see me that way, not after it had been so long."

"You…"

"I know," She interrupted quickly, her head bowed. "I know it was silly. I just… I just didn't want to face you. No that's not right. I couldn't face you. I couldn't just show up back in your life. I had spent the better part of four years telling myself that I was holding you back from the man you were meant to be. In my state, I would have been an even bigger burden."

"Don't you see, Kagome?" He spoke so gently, hoping his feelings would reach her. "My profession, my credentials, all of what you envisioned for me, it was never that important." He paused there, his hand squeezing hers. Her eyes lingered on their joint hands before slipping up to meet his. He had not lied to her. Everything he had now, it had not been his desire. The position, the awards, the high standing in the medical world, he had not achieved it because it was what he wanted. He had set out to become the man she wanted him to be, in hopes that she would return to him. To him, there would have been no greater achievement, no better path than to be the man by her side.

Her eyes slid closed, and she leaned her head back against the pillows. She inhaled slowly before exhaling with a sigh. Her eyes slide back open, the watery gaze gone.

"You say that they do not matter, but they do. You used to tell me that you were going to stop the heartache. Make sure no one had to go through what your mom went through. That no one would suffer alone. And I was always so proud of you. I wanted you to achieve that goal, more than anything else. More than my own dreams, really. But you were ready to give it all up. I couldn't, no I wouldn't let you do that."

"You should rest." It came off slightly harder than he meant, but he could not control it. Her words affected him in so many ways. It is true, at one point he had felt that way. But why could she not see that those were lofty goals? They weren't even goals! They were the arrogant proclamations of a boy who understood nothing. He would have given everything up if it meant staying with her. She refused to see that. She refused to see that he was willing to give up just as much as she did.

She pulled the blankets up, burrowing into their warmth. Taking that as a dismissal, he stood and made his way to his office. When he reached the sanctity of his space, he collapsed onto the worn sofa, his arm covering his eyes. Anger, heartbreak, fear, and even love seemed to war within him, each one wishing to claim the forefront of his mood. How he wished they would all disappear. He was not used to feeling so many conflicting things. How did she manage to eradicate all of his barriers, all of his control? "You are such an idiot, Kagome." He whispered, though he couldn't help but bitterly agree that she had beat him to the punch. She gave up everything so he could have what she thought he wanted, and he was prepared to give up all of his goals so she could have what she wanted. What a twisted pair they made.

A completely pathetic, twisted pair.

Love, Caleesci