Chapter 15

I dont own Inuyasha! A big thank you to those of you who review! And to those that dont, thank you for reading! ;)

Kagome sunk to her knees as she quietly wiggled behind a bush. She had been walking all night, jumping at every sound the forest made around her. Inuyasha was going to kill her when he found out that she had gone to save Koga. There was no way she was going to let that bastard Naraku take her friends and dangle them in her face like meat!

It had taken close to the whole night before she had started to skirt the outside of Naraku's camp. The bushes and trees were drying out and turning brown from the evil that permeated the air. What was left of the grass crunched under her feet, making it hard for her walk silently. It seemed everything tried to die when in Naraku's presence.

Kagome let a small whistle of air escape her throat after one of Naraku's minions tramped by her hiding spot. This one had only one eye, while the other was gauged out showing all the way to his brain. A scowl was smeared across his face as he rubbed his axe shaft and sniffed the air above her head. It was hard not to whimper, but she had to be strong if she was going to stay alive. She wasn't stupid, Naraku would kill she and Koga if she just turned herself in. There had to be a better way to find him.

Carefully she crawled out from behind the brush and slowly started backing away. Dawn was quickly approaching and she couldn't just walk through their camp without being noticed immediately during the day. Kagome would have to find camp away from Naraku's scouts and wait till nightfall before she could make it any further.

Before she could take another step, a hand closed around her mouth and smothered a yelp. Fear swam through her veins as she kicked and frantically tried to pull the hand away from her mouth. "I thought I told you not to leave my side, Kagome."

Kagome tilted her chin towards the voice and slid to the ground in relief with his hand still firmly wrapped around her mouth. Inuyasha's eyes flashed with rage and Kagome could see his chin twitching from him clenching his teeth. His hand tightened around her mouth as another distorted figure carrying a sword stomped by without seeing them in the shadows.

Kagome's cheeks began to ache at the pressure, but she had never seen Inuyasha this angry with her and she didn't want to press her luck. His eyes danced with fire and the muscles in his arms bunched tightly around her form. If she wouldn't have known better she could swear that she was his captive. "Inuyasha…" she mumbled through his hand.

"No! I don't want to hear one word from you until we are safely away from here and make camp somewhere." Inuyasha's voice was a razor to her ears. She had directly gone against his wishes. If only she could make him understand. I'm so stupid sometimes! I hope he forgives me.

Kagome locked her jaw shut and let him carry her a few miles away from Naraku's camp. He was quicker and quieter. She walked like a human he used to say, loud and slow.

She had to admit that her strengths weren't the stealthy kind. She was more of the shoot with magic arrows type and then run away. She was no good as a dead miko.

Kagome sat cross legged in a small cave Inuyasha had found near a tiny water hole. He chose an area that was still alive, which meant they were no where near Naraku's evil. Kagome rested her chin against her fist and starred out into the night. She was a little scared to talk with Inuyasha but she would nervously glance his way when he turned his head away from her.

"Do you want to die?" Inuyasha whispered, his eyes intently searching her face.

Kagome's face went blank as she glanced down at her hands, afraid to make eye contact.

"Answer me, Kagome, do you want to die?" Inuyasha pinched her chin with his thumb and forefinger and forced her gaze to his. "Do you?"

"You know that's not what I came here to do." Kagome said shakily.

"You didn't answer my question."

A ball formed in Kagome's throat, making it hard for her to breath without crying. "No." She choked.

"That's not what it looks like to me. If you want to kill yourself, tell me now so I can turn around and leave this doomed mission." Inuyasha dropped her chin and sat down next to her. "Naraku will kill you and everybody else. You know that. You are not stupid."

Kagome shook her head. Inuyasha, I am. I'm so sorry. She thought.

"What was your plan, Kagome? How were you going to get you and Koga out of here alive?" Inuyasha asked accusingly.

Kagome wanted to melt into the stone wall behind her. Inuyasha made her feel smaller and smaller with every sentence. She hadn't thought that far yet. She was going to decide before sunset.

"What do you want me to say, Inuyasha?" Kagome stammered. "I made a mistake." And she had. She thought that saving Koga would make her feel less selfish. Why should she get to stay safely away while Koga was tortured because of her? But really she was being selfish by going to him by risking her life when so many others depended on her. There was no winning. Damned if she did and damned if she didn't. Kagome sighed and let her shoulders droop. She was feeling miserable. Was there anything she could do right? Almost all of her accomplishments were done by mistake.

"I want you to say that you will do what I want. I will not lose you because you aren't thinking!" Inuyasha scolded. "Say it. Say that you will do as I say."

A spark of anger rose from deep inside her and expanded through her body. Who did he think he was? "I will not say that. But I will admit that I was a bit hasty with my decision. It could have been a little more planned out."

Inuyasha clenched his fists and looked away. "You insolent woman!" he growled. "You would have died! Naraku would have ripped you limb from limb and dangled your body parts in your face. Is that what you want? Do you want to die a bloody mess?"

"Inuyasha!" Kagome yelled. "Do not say those things! You are such a pig!" Kagome's voice started to shake as she pictured Naraku tearing off her arm the way he did her wings. It terrified her to think about that day, she still had nightmares. Without realizing, she reached up and ran her fingers over the tattoo beside her eye. She was tired of fighting, tired of all the bad things that continually fall in her lap, tired of being strong, and she was especially tired of crying. A tear rolled down her cheek and dropped into her palm leaving its tracks along her face.

Inuyasha's expression went soft and he crouched down over her. "I'm sorry Kagome. I didn't mean to upset you." Kagome turned her head away to hide her tears.

"Just leave me alone for a minute." She stammered. "I just can't do anything right, Inuyasha. I don't want to fight anymore. I am tired of all the pain."

"It will be done soon and we won't have to fight anymore. We just have to make it through this battle with Naraku and then you and I can start a real life together." Inuyasha carefully turned her chin to him and softly wiped the tears from her cheeks. "We will make it, Kagome. I promise."

"What do you mean a real life, Inuyasha? We have been traveling together for years; that has been our life. It has its up and downs but I thought of it as real." Kagome's nose crinkled as she tried to keep it from running. It never failed to drip when her eyes watered.

"No, Kagome. I want to settle down in one place and stay there as long as it makes us happy." Inuyasha's eyes sparkled and it made Kagome smile. She liked him much better like this than the way he was earlier. "Just you and me, forever." Inuyasha finished with a small smile.

Kagome's tears dried and her heart didn't feel so heavy. She would love to spend her life with Inuyasha but she would also like to find a way home, even if it was just to visit. There was no sense in ruining the moment by throwing that tid-bit in.

"I will stay with you as long as you would like me to. But first, we must survive. So what will we do tomorrow?" Kagome asked faintly while she plucked Inuyasha's hand from his knee and entwined their fingers.

His amber eyes softened as he gazed at their hands. "The others are on their way. I might have had a feeling that you were going to sneak off." Inuyasha raised his eyebrow and smirked. "You actually moved quite a bit faster than I had originally thought. I told the others to move out the second I noticed you were away. It takes much longer for an army to move than a single person."

Kagome nodded. "Okay, then we wait." She scooted close to him and laid her head on his shoulder. She was exhausted from all the walking and a nap sounded nice. Closing her eyes, she drifted into sleep while Inuyasha ran his claws through her hair.

The day passed slowly as Inuyasha and Kagome sat in their cave together. They couldn't roam too far or they would get too close to Naraku's camp, so they had to eat nuts and berries from the surrounding area. Kagome was happy about being near a waterhole; she hadn't had a chance to wash off in days. She turned to Inuyasha and slyly glanced at him.

"Inuyasha, don't you think you should wash off? We haven't been able to in days. Might as well get a small bath in before the others catch up, right?" Kagome asked as she nudged him in the side. "I'll help you wash your hair." Kagome cooed and then felt the bridge of her nose blush when Inuyasha's golden eyes snapped to her gaze.

The corner of his lip twitched into a smirk. "You want to wash my hair?" Inuyasha's smile widened. "Kagome, I have never known you to be so bold. You only let me kiss you in the shadows and it took all of my strength just to get you to sleep beside me in camp."

Kagome huffed and rolled her eyes. "Fine I will not help you wash your hair! You can be such a jerk sometimes." Kagome crossed her arms and stuck her nose the air.

"I didn't say I didn't want you to. Don't get so huffy!" Inuyasha snapped. He slid himself beside her. "I would actually love you to help me. But are you trying to tell me something?" Inuyasha's smile showed sparkling white teeth with two fangs hanging menacingly over his lower lip.

Kagome's eyebrow twitched and her back stiffened. That pervert! He's been around Miroku way too much lately. She wanted to dunk his head in the water over and over until he cried uncle!

Kagome put on a seductive face. Pouting round lips erupted from her smooth jaw while her eye lashes fluttered innocently. She dropped a shoulder far enough for her shirt to slip down just enough to expose the top of her breast. Leaning in to Inuyasha, she looked up at him with giant almond eyes begging for him to touch her.

Kagome giggled on the inside when color filled Inuyasha's cheeks and his posture became tense. "You're right, Inuyasha, I am trying to tell you something." Kagome melted over Inuyasha.

Inuyasha gulped and his heart pounded against his rib cage. "Uh-huh" He choked.

"I think you need a bath because you smell like a dog….." Kagome said sweetly while continually fluttering her eyelashes.

Inuyasha fell over with a gasp and Kagome roared with laughter after he grabbed his chest with his hand. The farthest they had come was kissing; it wasn't like she didn't want more, but the time just needed to be perfect. It made her nervous to think that she might die before she truly had the chance to taste him but she didn't want to rush it either. Kagome had waited a long time for him to admit he needed and loved her; the moment had to be right. She did admit to herself that waiting caused a huge build-up of sexual frustration, which Inuyasha would hopefully take care of sooner rather than later.

Kagome bent over his sprawled out form and kissed him on the end of his nose. "That's what you get, Inuyasha." Kagome's smile reflected nothing but innocence. "Would you still like to come with me to wash off? It would be nice to relax. And we can watch the sunset from here somewhat before it passes behind the trees."

Inuyasha's hand still clutched his chest and his eyes slowly slid towards Kagome. "You sure know how to give a man a heart attack." Kagome giggled in the background.

Inuyasha picked himself up off the hard ground and rubbed his shoulder where a rock dug into his skin when he fell over. His eyebrows drew low and his eyes scanned the musty cave they had stayed in. Kagome's idea didn't seem so bad. Inuyasha stopped his gaze on Kagome and a mischievous sparkle lit up his eyes as he stalked towards her form.

"I don't know what you're thinking Inuyasha but I already know my answer!" Kagome squealed as she backed away. "And its no!" That look always made her nervous. It said so many things that were not a good idea.

Inuyasha continued his advance until she was backed against the cold stone wall. Inuyasha's smile turned innocent as he placed his hands against the stone, one on each side of her face, while she squirmed between them. "Two can play this game, Kagome." Inuyasha cooed into her hair.

Goosebumps flowed up her arms and down her legs. She could barely suppress the shiver that threatened to shake her body against Inuyasha. She knew he was just messing with her, but if his goal was to send her heart rate soaring, he was doing a damn good job. Kagome figured Inuyasha could hear her heart beat pounding against her ribs.

"I think taking a bath together is a great idea." Inuyasha whispered as he nibbled on her ear lobe. Kagome gasped and her knees nearly buckled sending her sinking to the ground.

Inuyasha caught her and cradled her in the crook of his arms. He headed straight for the water hole, splashed in a little ways, and then dunked her fully clothed. Kagome tore to the surface spluttering water and yelling obscenities. "Inuyasha!!! Si…………"

"You better not!!" Inuyasha interrupted.

Kagome gained her footing and put her fists on her hips as she raised her eyebrow and smirked. He better not think that she won't 'sit' him until the sun comes up the next day! True, she hadn't used that command on him in a long time but right now seemed like the perfect moment!

She pointed her finger at him and opened her mouth. "Ssssss…………."

Before she could get the rest of the word out, Inuyasha flew across the water and tackled her, dunking her head back under the water. "I told you not to say it!" Inuyasha roared with laughter as Kagome pulled a stick out of her wet matted hair. Her glare turned to ice and she pursed her lips in thought. All of her clothes were soaking and water dripped from the sleeves as she inspected its dampness.

"You said you wanted to take a bath!" Inuyasha looked over himself and suddenly wished he would have at least taken off his haori before jumping in. He scoffed at his dripping sleeves and started backing out of the water. This was enough of a bath for him.

Kagome noticed him quickly escaping and dove head first for his stomach and dunked his head under the cold water's surface. "If I can't tell you to give in, then I will just have to make you!" Kagome gasped as she struggled with keeping his head under the water. Inuyasha flailed and kicked until he tossed Kagome over his shoulder and raised himself halfway out of the water.

"Have you had enough?" She giggled while hanging over his shoulder. Her head face-planting into the back of his soaking wet haori. "Why don't you take this off? I'm sure its heavy, especially being wet and all." Kagome said as she plucked at his bright red cloth. She immediately blushed when Inuyasha looked back at her, shiny white hair plastered in chunks over his face.

Moon beams started peaking through the trees, dancing across Kagome's complexion, making her glow in the new night. A breeze ruffled her raven hair and Inuyasha could feel her shiver against his shoulder. So much for them watching the sunset, he had had fun anyway. He just couldn't stay angry with her, she made his heart soar and there was nothing that could keep him mad with her.

"We need to dry our clothes off or we will freeze tonight. I'll build a fire and we can lie some of our clothes out to dry. I'm sorry we missed the sunset." Inuyasha pulled her close to his body and splashed out of the water.

Kagome sat cross legged beside the warmth of a small fire, gazing at the moon. It seemed bigger than normal, which was captivating. The breeze was a little chilly causing her to shiver every so often. Her pants and shirt were laid out beside the fire; she was too shy to sit with Inuyasha completely naked so she kept her bra and boy short underwear on. Inuyasha sat close to her with a bare chest. His bright red pants were still securely tied in place. His cheeks colored when Kagome mentioned that he should lay them out to dry.

"Can I ask you a question, Inuyasha?" Kagome asked as she leaned towards him. She had learned so many things after being captured by Sanorai, about life and death. It was a slap in the face to find out that everything she learned growing up wasn't exactly true and still kind of bothered her.

"Sure, I don't know what has ever stopped you…" Inuyasha looked at Kagome skeptically, trying not to glance below her chin.

"Have you ever wondered why Hell is below us and Heaven above? It just seems that Hell is so close and Heaven so far….."

Inuyasha cocked and eyebrow and looked at the hard ground. That was something he had thought of once or twice, but his life is naturally much longer than a human so he never dwelled on the after life. In his mind it was a long way off.

Catching her chin with his thumb and forefinger, Inuyasha caught her eyes with a sad gaze of his own. "I believe it's much easier to lie down than to soar."

Kagome's expression became pained as her eyes broke free from Inuyasha's gaze. "Hmmm I suppose that makes sense. Where do you think we will go?" Kagome hoped that she would go to Heaven or choose reincarnation; she surely didn't think her soul was so corrupt as to go to Hell and never have the chance.

"I believe you will go to Heaven and choose whatever you wish. You're a good person, Kagome. A very good person." Inuyasha's voice lowered and he let go of her lovely chin. There was no doubt in his mind where Kagome would end up. She had a heart of gold, sometimes stubborn, but gold none the less.

"Good, but I won't be happy unless you make it there with me." Kagome smiled and leaned against his smooth muscular chest. "So you better straighten up eh?'

"I will never make it to Heaven without you, Kagome. If anything happens to you, the person or peoples responsible will regret ever being born and I doubt I would make it to Heaven after that." Inuyasha said matter-of-factly.

Kagome frowned and nudged him in the ribs causing a small grunt to escape his lips. "You better not or I will haunt you. We will be together always or I will be unhappy. Remember that."

Kagome snuggled against him and grabbed each one of his arms and wrapped them around her waist for warmth. A small gasp escaped Inuyasha at the feel of her soft skin seeming to caress his arms. She leaned her head against his chest and closed her eyes.

A few minutes passed and she was sound asleep against him with Inuyasha holding her tightly to himself almost as if he was scared to lose her. He ran his fingers through her hair and over her lips feeling the skin that he loved to kiss. "I will remember it, Kagome. I love you." Inuyasha pulled her a little closer and held her through the night.

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"Good morning, love birds!!" Miroku smirked as he jabbed his staff into Inuyasha's shoulder. "It seems we have arrived before you two were expecting us."

Kagome shrieked when her eyes popped open and saw all the people surrounding them. Grabbing at her clothes beside the burned out fire, she tugged on her pants and ran for the nearby trees to put on her top and tuck it securely in her pants. She was pretty embarrassed that every one on their side had just seen her in her bra and panties!! How had Inuyasha not woken up when they approached!? That big oaf!

"Miroku! You are such a pervert!" Kagome yelled as she walked up behind him and smacked him on the back of his head. Miroku's face turned innocent and he shrugged his shoulders. That's just like him. Kagome thought.

Kagome's cheeks heated when she noticed Inuyasha talking with Sanorai and a few of the others with his haori still lying on the ground. Sango noticed the color of her cheeks and knuckled her in the side. "No wonder you have a thing for him." Sango giggled while trying to cover her mouth.

Sango was right though, Inuyasha was nice to look at. His abs flexed as he moved and his back made Kagome want to run her hands down and over it to relieve some of his tension. Kagome felt the heat spread further across her face while Sango laughed louder at her reaction.

Kagome quickly picked up Inuyasha's haori and draped it over his shoulders and then quickly trotted back to Sango before Inuyasha had a chance to question her. She was still battling the heat that burned her cheeks. It would just give him a big head anyway if he knew Kagome thought he was incredibly sexy.

"I'm glad we found you, Kagome, before you did something stupid, I don't know, like give yourself to Naraku." Sango squared her shoulders in front of Kagome and placed her fists on her hips. She reminded Kagome of Superman but with a scowl.

"Well, I'm glad you all made it here in one piece as well." Kagome tilted her head to glance over Sango's shoulder at a young man heading in their direction. Kagome thought for a second about his name…………Shinoba……

Sango glanced over her shoulder and sighed. "Please excuse me for interrupting you both." Shinoba said as he bowed to Kagome and Sango in turn. Focusing on Sango, Shinoba lightly touched her arm above the elbow while he addressed her. "Sango, I have a few matters to discuss with you. Could you spare a few moments while I went over some things?"

Kagome's eyebrow twitched and wondered why he was touching her so fondly. Searching for Miroku, Kagome found him glaring over his staff at the pair standing before her. I wonder what has happened in my absence. Surely Sango hasn't given up on Miroku for Shinoba…. He just didn't seem her type.

Sango shot Kagome an uncertain look and bowed her head slightly to Shinoba. "I will be with you as soon as I finish here with Kagome."

They both watched as he bowed and walked towards the troops. "Hmmmm…" Kagmoe mumbled. "That was kind of awkward, especially with your monk glaring at you two…."

"I know, I know!" Sango switched feet back and forth nervously, an attribute Kagome had never seen before now. "It's not like that, I promise. I'm just caught in between those two idiots! One is a pervert, that I don't think knows what he wants, the other has nothing but good intentions, but I would walk all over him."

"That's not what I just saw." Kagome crossed her arms over her chest. "You definitely just gave into him. Do you truly like him more than Miroku? You and Miroku have been through so much together. He loves you Sango."

"I'm not so sure anymore, Kagome. I thought I could tame him. But who can tame a wild heart?" Sango shrugged her shoulders and looked at Kagome impishly. It was hard for her to admit such things. To love and not be love in return was heart breaking and she was tired of getting her heart broken. "I must see to what needs to be done. We should eat together tonight?"

Kagome gravely nodded her head and watched as Sango headed for Shinoba. It seemed so wrong. Maybe this was something that could be corrected! Kagome thought hopefully.

Miroku held his head in his hands as he massaged his temples. He had found a secluded spot underneath a tree that's leaves fell to the ground around him. His staff lay across his lap and kimono lay rumpled around his knees.

"She thinks she cannot tame my heart……" Miroku whispered to the trees. "But it has been tamed, I swear it."

Miroku grabbed his chest above his heart and concentrated on breathing. "She wants to leave me for that boy…." She just can't. She wouldn't. "Stupid monk, she would." He mumbled to himself. The truth in that thought burned a hole through his soul. He thought she knew how he felt. Well, he was obviously wrong.

It was luck that he had heard what she said, or bad luck, he hadn't decided yet. If he hadn't heard, his heart wouldn't hurt this much. But then again he wouldn't know how much her heart hurt.

"If you love someone, you let them go right?" Miroku asked the shrub bush beside him.

"I didn't know you were a coward. I guess I'm not surprised. You are a human." A voice startled Miroku and jumped where he was sitting.

He caught Seshoumaru's cold stare as he looked down his nose at Miroku. "You are pathetic."Miroku's eyes widened with surprise. "I don't remember asking…" he stammered.

"If you want something, you take it. Unless you are a coward and you watch someone else take what belongs to you." Seshoumaru's voice was laced with ice and his face stayed stone.

Miroku's jaw dropped as Seshoumaru shrugged his shoulders and walked away as if nothing had been said between the two. Miroku let out his breath and sagged against the tree. That was one scary youkai lord. His hands clasped for his staff and he shakily pulled himself to his feet. He needed to speak with Kagome, she would know what he should do.

I hope you liked! The action is soon to come! Hope nobody has a weak stomach! Yall come back now ya hear! lol ;) oh yea, and review. pretty please....