Thanks For the Reviews! Keep'em Coming! And Yes, my chapter titles are lyrics from either

Maybe She Wouldn't Be Gone By Blake Shelton

Or

Just A Dream By Carrie Underwood.

Disclaimer: I Don't Own Inuyasha. I DO OWN AMAYA

Chapter 12:

Looking From A Distance

Kagome looked around skeptically. Sango had her Hiraikotsu prepared. Kirara and Amaya were transformed and ready to attack at the command of their mistresses. Kagome heard a twig snap, she prepared an arrow. It was only a bird.

"I think it's clear." Kagome whispered. Sango nodded. Quickly they dropped their weapons, stripped and ran into the hot spring. Once they surfaced they sighed happily. "Wow I didn't know it would be so hard to get a bath." Kagome stated. Sango nodded. "I'm telling you! They're disgusting perverts!" Kagome laughed. "Miroku yes, but I can't see Inuyasha spying on us while bathing." Sango's face fell. "Kagome, don't let his cool demeanor lure you into a false sense of security! That's how he gets you! Hell he's probably in a tree right now staring down at you!"

Kagome blushed and looked at the water. Why her? Sango was much prettier. She had to admit, she really liked Sango. She felt bad for her, after hearing that her brother had died. Sango didn't go into much detail other than Naraku had something to do with it. She looked at Sango who seemed to be staring off into space.

"What was his name?" Sango blinked. "Huh?" Kagome cleared her throat. "Your brothers name, you never told me it." Sango bit her lip nervously. Maybe Kagome never saw him. "Kohaku." Kagome's eyes widened. "Naraku has a human boy at his castle named Kohaku!" Sango winced. So yesterday she told Kagome the story that Inuyasha told her not to tell. He didn't want it to make her think they were trying to push her away from Naraku. They were trying to make things smooth.

Kagome listened, when Sango was done, she was almost in tears. "He's killed so many people. That's why, when I find him, I will take his life. He doesn't remember me. He never will..." Kagome rubbed the girls back. "Sango, that's not true, he remembers you. I mean I didn't realize it was YOU he was talking about until you said his name." Sango looked up. "How...how do you know!?" Sango's heart began to beat rapidly in her chest. She was terrified Kagome was mistaken. How could Kohaku remember and still work for Naraku!?

"Because! When I got Amaya, I was sitting there alone with her, Kagura and Naraku were gone. Amaya had a hurt paw and I had no creams for it. Then Kohaku came over with some herbs. He told me that his sister had a fire cat demon so he knew how to take care of them. I asked him the cats name he said Kirara."

Sango choked back a sob and hugged her friend. "Thank you Kagome. I needed to hear that." Kagome was unsure about the hug, but something inside her told her to hug Sango back. Suddenly there was some rustling in the bushes. Kagome and Sango broke apart and glared. "Come out and I won't kill you." Sango growled. Slowly a monk appeared with his hands in the air. "My ladies! I was only checking on your well being." Sango growled. "STUPID MONK!" She screamed. Suddenly Inuyasha ran to the hot spring, "What's with the Sc..."He saw Kagome standing there. "Ah! Sit boy!" With Inuyasha pressed to the ground and Miroku unconscious, the girls dried off and got dressed.

"I swear, we can never have any privacy." Kagome nodded and the duo headed back to camp. "Fucking monk." Inuyasha growled.

The next day, the group were walking down a dirt path. Sango was burning holes in the back of Miroku's head and Inuyasha was refusing to talk to anyone. "Will you stop being a baby." Kagome's response from him was a very quiet 'feh'. She only rolled her eyes. "I have no idea why you are acting this way." Inuyasha glared at her. "Uh! Hello! You Sat me for nothing!"

"Inuyasha! You saw me naked!" "Well it's not my fault I was trying to protect you and you just happened to be naked! I heard a scream!"Kagome looked back at Sango who gave her a 'I told you so' face. "Ok Inuyasha, I sat you, you saw me naked. We're totally even." Inuyasha dropped his mouth. " That is SOO not even!"

"You're right, Kagome is defiantly cutting herself short. I would get sat a thousand times to see her nake-" Miroku, meet Sango's Hiraikotsu. "Stupid Lecher." She growled.

"Very amusing..." The group stopped as they heard someone else speak. Inuyasha inwardly cursed. How did he miss her scent. "Kikyo." He muttered. Kagome looked at him, "Who?" She didn't get and answer from him. Kikyo walked out and looked at the group. Kagome saw her and she felt a sharp pain in her heart. She whimpered and glared at the pale priestess. "You, I remember you! You were with Kagura!"

Kikyo nodded and raised a brow at the girl. She smirked. "No wonder Naraku is so angry, those jewel shards are among the purest I've ever felt." The group gasped. "What do you want Kikyo." Inuyasha growled. Kikyo smiled softly and walked up to Kagome. "I wanted to see you. I've missed you Inuyasha." Her eyes never left Kagome's. She saw no hurt in her eyes when she said those words, only confusion. Inuyasha growled, "Leave Kagome alone." Kikyo laughed and walked over to Inuyasha. "How about I just talk to you then." Kikyo was so close to Inuyasha. His heart began to race. A blush crept onto his cheeks. That's when Kikyo inwardly smirked. Kagomes aura altered. Kikyo could feel the anger. She grabbed Inuyasha's hand and pulled him towards the woods. "Inuyasha." Kagome said. Inuyasha turned around and looked at her. "I'll be back." He said. And then walked into the woods with Kikyo.

Sango was currently being held back by Miroku. Once they disappeared, he let her go. "Stupid cow." She growled. Kagome looked at her. "Who was that Kikyo woman? Why was she so close to Inuyasha?" Miroku and Sango said nothing, but leave it to the, until now, very quiet Shippo, to explain things. "Kikyo is Inuyasha's old love. Over 50 years ago she bound him to a tree. She died and was resurrected, now Inuyasha still has feelings for her and wants to be with her every time she comes around." Kagome's eyes softened. She rang her hands together nervously. "Oh I see. I was wondering if Inuyasha had a love." Shippo sighed.

"Yeah usually you get really upset, because Inuyasha always would go between you and her. I wish he'd just pick you so Kikyo would leave." Kagome's heart began to race. She smiled at Shippo. "Why would he want to pick me. Even If he did like Kagome. She's not me. I'm her body, but her mind and spirit are locked away." Shippo looked sad. "I miss her." Kagome could only pat him on the head.

Sango looked at her friend. Kagome's eyes looked sad, alone, and scared. 'She has never been away from Inuyasha since she came to our group again. She must be scared.'

About an hour later, Inuyasha resurfaced. The group saw the look in his eyes, the same looked he always got when he had been with Kikyo. He looked around and noticed the were short two members. "Where are Kagome and Amaya?" Shippo huffed. "Wouldn't you like to know." Inuyasha grabbed him by the tail. "Yes I would now tell me." Shippo kept quiet. "No! You hurt kagome's feelings again! We finally have her back! She was KILLED! And you didn't even care! You just left with Kikyo." "Why you."

"Shippo's right." Miroku voiced, right before Inuyasha was about to pummel the kitsune. Inuyasha looked at him. Miroku continued. "It wasn't even three months ago that we found Kagome laying in a river of her own blood because you went off to see Kikyo. Now, by a sheer gift from the gods, Kagome is back in our lives, and what do you do? The same thing that caused her to run away last time. And after what you told me had happened between you and Kikyo last time."

Inuyasha looked down, ashamed. Images of Kagome laying there, dead, came back into his mind. He had almost been playing it off like a bad dream. But it wasn't a dream. She had died. And in all honesty, who knew how much longer she had. Once those shards were gone, she was gone as well. Inuyasha dropped Shippo and ran off. They all shook their heads. They of course knew where Kagome was. They weren't stupid enough to let her go far alone.

Kagome sat on the river bank. Her knees curled up to her chest and her head resting on them. Amaya, fully transformed, sat next to her, licking her paws. Kagome sighed. 'Stupid Inuyasha. Why is it okay for him to go off with whatever woman he wants, but it's not okay to let Koga touch my stomach.'

"Kagome." She didn't budge. She knew he was coming, it was almost like she could sense him. Inuyasha sighed and walked over and sat down next to her. "What are you doing down here." Kagome looked angrily at the river. "Trying to get some alone time." Inuyasha knew what she was saying, but ignored it. "You shouldn't be alone, you could get hurt." Kagome rolled her eyes. "You're the one who left me alone."

Inuyasha felt a pain in his chest. He knew she was talking about right now. But he felt like it was Kagome, scolding him for letting her go for a walk those months ago.

"I left you with Miroku and Sango." Kagome raised a brow. "And I'm here now with Amaya." Inuyasha sighed. "Look Kikyo is," "I know who she is, Shippo told be all about her. All about you, and all about my feelings when she's around."

"Great." He muttered. He looked at her sad demeanor. "Kagome, what do you want me to say." Kagome laughed. "Inuyasha, I don't want you to say anything. I'm going for a walk, don't follow me." Kagome got up to leave but Inuyasha got up and grabbed her wrist. Kagome whipped around, ready to yell at him, but the look on his face made her stop. "Please Kagome, don't. Don't leave. I promise, I won't talk to her again. Please." Kagome blinked in confusion. Inuyasha hugged Kagome tightly. "Inu...yasha?"

"I'm sorry if I hurt you. It was wrong of me to have left you alone. But please Kagome, I don't think I can take it if I let you go for a walk and I have to find you again. Please." Kagome then remembered him telling her about her going for a walk while they were sitting on the boulder after Koga visited. She went for a walk the day she was killed.

Kagome sighed and buried herself into Inuyasha's chest and took a deep breath. He smelled so good. She suddenly blink, she felt like she was trying to remember something.

"I was afraid."

"What are you doing?"

"I thought I was going to lose you. I was terrified."

Kagome pushed Inuyasha's chest and took a step back. "That was odd." She rubbed her head. Inuyasha looked at her oddly. She shook it off. 'Probably nothing.' She looked at him. His eyes held so much guilt. "It's ok." Inuyasha looked at her and raised a brow. "Huh." Was his intelligent answer. "I said, it's ok. I don't remember anything. But by the sounds of it, you and Kikyo have a strong bond. One that I shouldn't be angry over. And, I'm not, I think I was more so irritated due to the fact that you left with her, but you got mad about Koga."

Inuyasha never thought of it that way. Nor did he want to. The thought of Kagome having feelings for Koga pissed him off deeply. Kagome heard a small growl escape Inuyasha.

She smiled. "I'm not going to ask you to choose between staying with me or Kikyo. Because I shouldn't have a say in it. After all, I'm not really your friend Kagome. Like I told Shippo. I'm her body. Kagome died. Her mind and spirit are locked away somewhere. Maybe someday they'll return. Maybe not."

Inuyasha looked crushed at that statement. He looked away, ashamed at himself. Kagome bit her lip nervously. Did she say the wrong thing? "Sorry." She whispered. Inuyasha gave a small "heh" And looked at her. "Kagome, I had already chosen between you and Kikyo, before you died." Kagome looked up and him and smiled. "Ok, but maybe I shouldn't hear the decision just yet." She patted his chest and was about to walk away. Inuyasha grabbed her hand and pulled her close to him. Kagome's cheeks started to become red.

He leaned down and got mere inches away from her lips. He looked for any sign of her old eyes. He saw none, he gave a small grunt and stood back up.

Kagome saw his motion. She knew that he hated her eyes. She wanted to be the old Kagome. She wanted to remember so badly, what it was that her heart was making her forget. She smiled and looked up at him. Should she? What could it hurt? She stood on her tip toes and gave Inuyasha a peck on the lips. She giggled at his stunned, extremely red face. "Come on! We got to head out!" She called back as she was running back to the group.

Inuyasha stood there in shock a moment longer....did she just? Did that mean... "I'll never understand her." He sighed as he ran off after her. Still, his heart was pounding in his chest.

R&R