Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha or Twilight

Genre

: Romance/Angst/Hurt

Pairing

: Edward/Kagome?

Summary

: They expected Kagome Higurashi to be some decrepit old woman but when she looks no more then seventeen years old, what are the Cullens to think? Horrors of Kagome's past are intricately intertwined with the Volturi and yet she has agreed to help this family due to past relations with Carlisle. Cruelty runs through her veins and she has done great terrors in the name of something good, some even for Carlisle, so what is this family to do when faced with the monster that is Kagome?

Love of the Dead
Chapter Three: Wither [Reconstructed]

"Love me like you love the sun, scorching the blood in my vampire heart." - HIM

x . . . . x

His own self loathing welled within him swiftly.

It made him sick.

A dainty, pale hand soothed away auburn bangs that were fluffy after drying naturally from the sweat that had previously coated the lightly tanned body it accompanied. There was a soft grumble as the head of auburn head pressed itself closer to the hand subconsciously. Kagome looked down at Shippo and shook her slightly damp head. She had taken a shower and had yet to be able to fall asleep. The scent of sex hung heavily in the air and teased her nostrils. Her eyes softened as she looked at the kitsune that had been her confidante, friend, lover, and her once upon a time, her tormentor as well. They had been forced to do awful things to one another in order to prevent worse punishments from happening once in a place far from their home.

No one truly understood how they had to become as they were because they had never really told any one. When they had come out of captivity, she remembered the shocked and almost disgusted looks of her friends the first time they had shared a kiss. Most had assumed she adopted a motherly role for the orphaned kitsune and for the most part she had but it had been beaten out of her in those dark days. She lost the eyes of a mother and had they eyes of whatever they had become now. He had been young, older then her, but young physically. No more then the age of fourteen, they had done things, and had things done to them that to this day made her whimper and curl away in fear.

All because of the damn Volturi.

Her lip curled in distaste as she stood and dressed in a simple red cotton tee shirt and black pin-stripe slacks. They were comfortable and held low on her hips revealing a smooth line of flesh along her stomach. She gave one last look to the kitsune and dispelled the barrier around the room before leaving and once again putting another one up. She moved around the dark home, the rain still falling outside, with a familiarity of one that had been in the home for years. She remembered a happier time where laughter rang through the halls and the scent of food was always in the air.

All that had been destroyed, again, because of the Volturi.

And once again they were invading her life.

She internally cursed Carlisle for darkening her door once again. She cursed his problems. She cursed his family. Most of all she cursed the heart she had wanted to cast away long ago.

She didn't quite understand why things were happening as they were but she knew she couldn't cast him away when he asked for her help. A lot had changed about her over the years but she had retained one habit that she ached to rid of. She couldn't turn away someone that she had once considered her friend. Kagome sighed as she trekked toward the kitchen. She was famished, like she usually was after her 'sessions' with Shippo. He was a kitsune, after all, know for his high sex drive. She entered the kitchen quietly, not making a sound as she went, and was surprised to see one of the vampires cooking in her kitchen.

She arched an ebony brow, her gaze moving over the cotton, dark blue, tight fitting sweater and the black slacks that nipped at the lean waist appreciatively. The male, Edward, hustled and bustled, tossing spices expertly into a pan. The scent of food filled her head and caused her stomach to growl. She somehow managed to not look sheepish as he turned to face her. His gaze was wary as he observed her, taking in her clothing and non threatening stance. She watched his tense form slowly melt away and leave behind the weary form of an almost broken man.

Kagome said nothing. She merely turned toward the refrigerator and began gathering things to make a sandwich for herself and Shippo. They moved around one another in silence, he casting a furtive glance every now and then. Kagome merely rolled her eyes. He acted as though she couldn't see him looking at her. She was tempted to urn to him and go 'boo' to see if he would jump or not but she figured that was rude so instead she just continued her sandwich making.

"I wasn't aware that vampires cooked." Kagome murmured out of the blue and Edward shrugged his shoulders slowly.

"I have a human girlfriend." was his only response. Kagome hummed in agreement and grabbed several soda's from the fridge and placed everything on the table. "Where is your companion, Shippo?"

"Upstairs." she yawned as she set about picking up her mess. "He should be out soon." Though he had been sleeping when she left, she could sense him moving about her room upstairs.

"I wanted to thank y - " Edward was interrupted by Bella entering the room, still upset about the days events. Edward turned to her and gave her his favored 'crooked smile' and began to place her meal on a plate. "Evening, Bella, I made you dinner."

"I'm not hungry." she grouched as she sat at the table. Edward stopped and sighed as he looked at the young woman.

"Are you sure? I made your favorite - "

"Edward, I'm not hungry!" she snapped. Kagome looked at the almost crestfallen expression on the vampire's face before he hid it behind an easy mask of silence.

"Shippo and I will eat it." Kagome piped as she went to the stove and began to fill two plates.

"Eat what?" Shippo asked as he entered the room shirtless, toweling his hair.

"The dinner Edward made for Bella and she doesn't want!" Kagome chirped. Bella scowled in her direction and opened her mouth to say something snide but the look Kagome shot her quickly had her rethink that decision. Bella was still angry and upset with the words that were said before. Her world was crumbling and she was completely and utterly bitter. How could Edward expect to her just sit around and eat? She turned toward the kitsune and her mouth went dry at the smooth expanse of muscle that was revealed to her gaze.

Shippo took a seat across from Bella and began to dry his fur and Kagome shook her head in disgust, "Must you do that at the table? You get fur everywhere!" she frowned but the kitsune merely shrugged his shoulders and she sighed heavily. The miko placed a sandwich and soda before her lover and then went to the oven where she saw pork chops set on a plate with Alfredo pasta on the side along with broccoli and cheese. She licked her lips and began to fill two plates of food for her and Shippo before taking a seat beside him.

The two dug in with gusto and Kagome quickly shared her delight, "This is delicious!" she murmured between bites as Shippo nodded his head in agreement. Bella merely watched as they ate her dinner prepared by her boyfriend. It didn't matter that she had said 'no' to the food! It was the principal of the matter! It didn't take long for all the food to disappear off their plates and Kagome and Shippo sighed in bliss. "You, vampire, are not as bad as I thought you'd be." Kagome murmured as she rubbed her stomach. Shippo did the same, clawed fingers rubbing slowly along the well defined abdominals.

Bella found her eyes drawn to the sight and Kagome arched an ebony brow. "Nice bit of eye candy, isn't he?" Kagome asked casually and Bella could only nod her head mutely before shaking her head and giving the woman a scowl. Edward had noticed the look as well and merely set about cleaning the kitchen, saying nothing and Kagome vaguely wondered what that was about. Her thoughts were interrupted by Carlisle coming into the kitchen and sitting beside Bella, giving the human girl a smile before turning to Kagome.

"I have a few questions." he murmured softly and Kagome nodded her head for him to continue. "Do you have a plan?" he asked slowly.

"Vaguely." she muttered. "Said plan requires alot of fire power though."

"Oh, it sounds like fun." Shippo chirped happily.

"You have no idea. We'd be killing two birds with one stone." Kagome sighed as she buried her head in her hands.

"What's the matter?" Carlisle asked.

"You ask alot of me, friend." she murmured, not looking up. "I cannot bargain for her safety or yours for that matter." she said, referring to both Bella and his family. "There are no real options."

"There are always options." the vampire answered gently and Kagome looked at him with cool eyes.

"Carlisle, you are a pacifist at heart and once so was I but there are no options for that nature of yours." she reached a pale hand out to caress his cheek. "If you hadn't suppressed your real nature for so long then you'd be able to see what I see. You would not have had to come to me."

"What do you mean?" Bella asked, almost snapping.

"Carlisle and his family refuse to let loose completely and because of that, they have become weak... compliant." Shippo answered. "The nature of the beast is something that needs to be embraced, not cast to the side like an unwanted bastard. I would know because as a youkai I have my own beastly tendencies that need to be released every now and then." He answered with a smirk that seemed almost feral and Bella shuddered.

"Had Carlisle not suppressed his nature then he would have realized long ago the only way to keep him and his own safe was to destroy the threat that surrounded them." Edward hissed as he stopped his cleaning and looked at the Japanese female that was far too bold for comfort.

"Destroy the Volturi? Are you mad?" he growled. "They are the very foundation that keeps the vampire world hidden!"

"They are tyrants!" Kagome growled back.

"They keep us safe!"

"They also want to kill you and your girlfriend if you don't do what they ask!" she huffed as she turned her back to him.

"They - "

"They are murderers, Edward." Kagome ended with a broken whisper that carried above his yelling. "If you can provide me another option then I will listen."

It was silent as the wheels within his head turned and turned but finally he turned his back to her, form once again tense.

The ringing of a phone broke through the silence and Kagome dug into her pocket for her cell. Her eyes narrowed at the caller ID before her finger lightly moved across the screen of her illustrious 'smart phone'. She brought the phone to her lips and grumbled out a quick 'hello'.

All immortals perked their ears that the masculine voice on the other end and Kagome walked outside, Shippo hot on her heals, well - attempting but she shot him a look that clearly screamed don't move. He pouted and returned to his seat at the table and began to clean off the dishes and put them in the dish washer. "Is she serious?" Carlisle finally asked, interrupting the silence.

"About destroying the Volturi?" Shippo reiterated. Carlisle nodded his head and Shippo's eyes hardened briefly before settling under a mask of good cheer. "You have no idea just how serious Kagome is."

"But they are the Voilturi!" he murmured as though that made sense and Shippo shook his head.

"And I am youkai and Kagome is miko." he shrugged his shoulders as though to say, 'what more is there?'

"You don't understand - " Shippo shook his head and gave the vampire a solemn smile before interrupting him.

"No, doctor, you don't understand. You brought your troubles to her and your problems. You interrupted our peace and quiet. You ask for her help and yet you do not like her resolutions. She is doing for you what she can so you can go home and be happy. Is there something wrong in that?" he asked softly as he finished loading the dishwasher. "Leave if they make you uncomfortable. Leave and take your issues with you but don't bother us again."

With that said, the kitsune grabbed a hoodie from the clothes closet and pulled it over his head and headed out the front door in a light jog.

He didn't return until morning and Kagome stayed on the patio until the sun broke over the horizon.

.

Cerulean orbs looked tiredly at the sun light steaming over the tops of the trees and she blinked her eyes slowly at the brightness.

Her stomach was in knots currently and though she had her plan. She was unsure of how to go about executing her course of action. She needed help and some of her friends she wasn't willing to involve in a war that was meaningless to them and that was what it would be.

War.

She had always known it would eventually come down to that in the end.

The Volturi were cocky and they were cruel.

Not to mention she hated them with a passion after what they had done to her and those she cared for.

She had just never had a true excuse to knock on their door. Now she did.

Kagome brought her fingers to rub her temples slowly and a soft sigh slid pass her lips. "I'm too old - too tired for this." she murmured softly as closed her eyes against the sunlight. There was peace in the silence for just a bare moment. The birds chirped and sang softly, the grass was dewed over gently, and the breeze was slow and cool. She breathed in the many scents of the earth and let out the air in a whoosh. Kagome bathed in the solace and said not a word. She just felt and what she felt was comfort.

Her calm was interrupted when she heard several sticks cracking not too far from her position. She opened her eyes and something glittered in the light. For moment she couldn't quite comprehend what was happening and then she realized that one of the vampires was standing out in the sun. As her eyes adjusted to the sparkling, she pinned the figure as Edward. For a few minutes, she merely watched as he looked at the sun rising over the horizon with an almost solemn expression on his too lovely face.

His eyes closed for a moment before opening and then he cast their obsidian color at her.

She was blinded by the array of color he created as his pale skin glittered like diamond and created small rainbows of light. Her breath caught and she wondered what he was doing out and about so early in the morning.

Then he was gone, just like that.

And she was able to breathe again.

.

Kagome allowed the vampires several days of peace in her home, knowing that up to this point, they had always been on guard. They were always waiting, always watching, for the big bad Volturi to come in and take away everything and a piece of her understood how depressing an existence like that was. The Cullen family was walking on egg shells around their pet human, Bella, and Kagome found it almost humorous. Every little thing pissed Bella off and she had no patience for any of them, even her dear beloved Edward and his 'sister' Alice.

Kagome did research on Italy.

Shippo usually was curled up beside her.

Each wondered what the nature of their relationship was but none was brave enough ask because even though she seemed tame and docile, they knew she was anything but.

No one really wanted to bother the miko with a sardonic smile curling her lips every time she looked at one of them, nor did they want to deal with over protective kitsune that glared when they intruded too close. So, they were content to leave her alone though they were wary. The only one that didn't really seem to mind was Jasper. In fact, he had several times approached the girl with her youkai guard. It set Alice on edge because Jasper never made conversation unless it was required of him. Yet, he calmly strolled toward the girl when ever he had a free moment and they spoke in soft tones.

Most of the time, none of the vampires could hear what was said and when Alice asked Edward to listen in via mind, he calmly shrugged his shoulders and informed her that he couldn't.

If Kagome was aware of the tension she sure as hell didn't pay any attention to it.

Both Edward and Alice would be lying to themselves if they said they didn't wonder what they spoke about.

Bella would be lying to herself if she said she wasn't jealous of attentionpaid to the girl by her boyfriend.

It was a wonderful thing they were all efficient liars then because it did bother Alice that Jasper spoke to such an exotic and lovely girl. It did bother Edward he didn't know what was being said because he was damned nosy and wary of the miko. It did bother Bella that her boyfriend had such a keen interest in another woman.

Kagome, thankfully, remained blissfully unaware.

.

"How do you stand it?" Jasper asked on their fourth day within the Miko's home. She stopped mid click of the website she was searching and frowned. She turned to the male that interrupted her silence and her solitude and her work and arched an ebony brow at him.

"Stand it? Stand what?" she asked, a soft snarl curling her lips.

He spoke lowly, so low, that she knew it was a decibel even vampires could barely hear unless they were as close as the pair was now, "The guilt."

Kagome looked at him, a soft sort of stunned expression in her eyes. For a moment they softened before quickly flowing back into an aloof mask she so readily put on. "I don't stand it." she murmured as she went back to clicking on her lap top. "I can barely live with it but at least I live."

"I don't." he whispered solemnly, his voice a smooth southern drawl.

"You don't?" she inquired, dark humor filling her voice and swallowing her eyes. "Then what do you do?"

"I exist."

She outright laughed at him.

"You vampires are damn laughable, you know that right?" she said between feminine chuckles. His eyes flashed with anger and she watched as his gaze darkened before she answered him. "You exist, yes, true. What makes you think you don't live?"

"I was meant to die but was brought back as an ungodlycreature." Kagome shook her head at him.

"We are all God's creatures, Jasper, because if we weren't then we would be dead." she offered him a chilling smile that caused him to rethink his thoughts of his idea. "Do you think you are a child of the devil because you were once dead?"

"I have done things that forever scar my mind." he murmured. "Things that make me thankful I cannot I sleep for if I did, sleep would be plagued with nightmares."

"As have I." she responded just as soft. "Yet, my miko powers work and one must be pure of heart for that happen so I guess that means I am not as damned as I thought, ne?" Their eyes connected and for a moment he was able to see the broken woman that lay within before it vanished like a scent on the wind. "I have done many things that aren't pleasant, Jasper, but I live and do not merely exist. God has not forsaken me for my sins and I have been around longer then you so I doubt he's forsaken you either."

That said, she turned back to her lap top and continued browsing.

As Jasper stood and began to walk away, her voice stopped him.

"Come back later and we'll chat more." Kagome said as her eyes darted across the screen.

So Jasper and Kagome found comfort in knowing someone out there had sins that outweighed their own.

.

"Stop it, Edward!" Bella hissed as she nursed a shallow paper cut. "I am mortal but I am not going to fall apart because of a paper cut!"

"I just want to make sure that you're fine." he said as he worried over her.

"I'm fine." she snapped impatiently.

"Are you sure?" he asked as he took a look at the cut. She pulled her hand from his and glared at him.

"Positive."

"Why are you so grumpy?" he inquired as he ran a hand through his short locks. Bella's eyes flashed as she stood and poked him directly in the chest.

"Grumpy?" she repeated angrily. "Grumpy? I am pissed, Edward! You rather let me die then let me live with you forever!"

Golden eyes widened with surprise and shock and he looked at the young woman, "No, Bella, you don't understand. I value your humanity." he murmured.

"You rather me rot in a grave." she hissed.

"Bella..." he began solemnly.

"This wouldn't have happened if I were with Jacob." he said lowly, tears in her eyes, and something within Edward hardened.

"No, you'd be dead already with that mongrel." he responded coolly and the headed out of the room.

.

Kagome looked down at her cell phone and shook her head. Her fingers moved silently across the screen and she made a call she wish she didn't have to make but knew that if she didn't update him on what was happening, he'd have her ass and roast her over a fire. The phone rang once and then she heard a measured, cool voice on the other line.

"You hung up on me several days ago."

"Sesshoumaru... " Kagome began softly. "I'm sorry but you were telling me how foolish it was to try and help the vampires as though I don't already know."

"Hn." was the only response. "Why do you call now, miko?"

"I have a plan now."

"One that does not involve mass suicide?" he inquired, humor lacing his voice. Kagome's lips twitched upward before she shook her head.

"Sort of - well no. I would like to full on attack the Volturi."

"Hmm and you realize that this is a foolhardy plan?"

"I do."

"They hurt you."

"I know."

"He is there, still soaking up their influence."

"... I know."

"It will hurt you to return."

"Please stop. I don't want to he - "

"I will not let anyone live. Do you understand?"

"... I do." she murmured.

"They all die for their crimes against you and yours, no exceptions."

"Alright."

"I want no heroics from you."

"Fine."

"I want your word, miko."

"I promise." she murmured and her fingers were crossed behind her back as she swore.

.

.

.

'Gome Yuki:: Sorry about the long wait! I've been working on 'A Demon Lord's Cry' Sesshoumaru x Kagome I'm satisfied with this chapter! :3 Bella and Edward's relationship is falling apart. Alice is wary of Kagome. Jasper finds comfort in the knowledge someone else knows the feelings he has. Next chapter we delve a little into Kagome's past! YAY! :D I like reviews :3 Leave me them! I like 20-30 please!