~*~Chapter 13~*~

For once, I was not disappointed. I thought nothing of the darkness that enfolded me, the way it should when one drifts off to sleep until I opened my eyes several hours later to see that I was alone in the middle of the woods. In the distance, I could hear my companions calling for me so I called out to them and hoped they would find me before someone less friendly did.

It was merely a matter of minutes before Inuyasha led the others right to me, using his famous nose to sniff me out, I guessed. When they all caught sight of me, they stopped and stared. Shippo was the first to speak. "What happened to your hair?" He asked without tact as usual. I reached up to touch it, only to realize once again that I was now bald, or very nearly bald. I couldn't help it, I started to cry again. Inuyasha moved to stand beside me, and noted, "It smells burnt."

"What happened to me?" I said aloud but also asking myself. Sango answered, "Inuyasha escorted the leader's son to the village while we were asleep to make sure it wasn't a trap when he returned he noticed you were gone and we set out to find you." The half demon wrapped one arm protectively around me and asked, "Are you injured?"

"I don't… I don't think so, but I can't remember anything." That wasn't completely true, I could remember that they shaved it in the hospital, but if I was just dreaming then it shouldn't be gone now, should it? I sighed, I needed to tell them all like Sango had suggested. Resigned, I shook my head and admitted to Inuyasha, "I think I need to tell you something."

"Would you like some privacy?" Sango asked. I refused. They had a right to know. I relayed how every time I went to sleep here I woke up in my own era, and when I fell asleep there I woke up here. I described in detail what was going on in my own time. By the time I had finished, the tears were unstoppable. No one said a word, they all just sat and tried to absorb what I had told them. After a moment they started to bombard me with questions I couldn't answer. I think they must have been just as confused as I was. Finally, after a long uncomfortable silence, Inuyasha stood and helped me up onto his back. We would figure this out later, for now, we would do what we did best and save a random village from unknown horrors.

It didn't take long to make it to the village, which was a relief because no one was talking and I was starting to feel like I really was going mad. Sango and Miroku volunteered to go try and get villagers to give as much information as possible about what was plaguing them, leaving me and Inuyasha alone on the fringe of the forest. He set me down and took a seat next to me, not seeming to mind when I leaned into him for support and comfort. "We will get to the bottom of this." He assured me after several long but companionable moments of silence.

Without warning, he pulled out our two shards of the corrupted jewel and handed them to me. "Do you think when we find the rest of it and it is fixed things will go back to normal?" He asked.

"I hope so," I mumbled dejectedly, as I took the shards and put them in the small bottle I collected them in before handing it back to Inuyasha. "Hold onto these for me, I don't know what's wrong with me, but I don't want to risk making things worse by somehow losing them." He nodded and put them back in his pocket.

"Hey, I wanna ask you something." He spoke suddenly, drawing me out of my revere. I nodded for him to continue. "Once everything is back to how it should be if you could choose to stay here, would you?" His eyes smoldered in a way that made me think what he was really asking, is would I stay with him. I couldn't lie, I had considered the thing he was asking quite recently and I thought I knew what the answer was. I wasn't sure the best way to phrase it, however, and stumbled over my words. "Inuyasha, I.."

"I know you would miss your family, but If you left forever we would all miss you. I would miss you." He cut me off, speaking quietly as if he was afraid to be overheard. I had been taken by surprise at the question was all though, so I tried again to answer. "Inuyasha, I…"

He cut me off again, almost sounding grumpy this time. "Forget it, It doesn't really matter anyways, I was just wondering what you were going to do."

I covered his mouth with my hand to make him hush. "Inuyasha, I don't know for sure yet. If I had to choose between my family here and my family there, I think I would stay. However, I can't really know for sure until that time comes. Let it comfort you for now that I'd rather be here with you than anywhere else right now."

His face lit up and the dejected angry posture relaxed into a much happier one. He nodded and let the matter be, wrapping one strong arm around my shoulders and pulling me into him. I hadn't realized how chilly it was until I was snuggled up against his warmth. The realization sent a small shiver up my spine. Without a word, he had his fire rat kimono off and was putting it over my shoulders before pulling me back into his side. I was warm and content, and I was furious with myself for falling asleep but it was too late. I was back in that cursed hospital.

A.N: Once again, I'm sooooo sorry it took so long for me to update, it really was unacceptable of me. As I beg your forgiveness, I give you the gift of three chapters in one day. I think I've realized where this story is going to end up, and I'm sort of saddened by it, but I'll not give the ending away here. If you want to know you'll just have to wait and see. Thank you to everyone who has read and double thanks to those who leave reviews. Let me know what you think guys!