This chapter is written in multiple POVS, primarily Kagome and Inuyasha, with a brief passage from Sango's perspective. Hopefully the change in narration will be enough to indicate these changes, but let me know in a review if they're not so I can add labels to the chapter when the POV changes. Also, there is some bad language used throughout this story starting with this chapter, hence the T rating.

Disclaimer: You know the drill.

"KAAAAAGOOOOOOMEEEEEE!"

"Oof!" Kagome had barely made it through the doorway of Kaede's hut before a furry orange projectile shot at her stomach and knocked the wind out of her. She would have fallen on her butt if Inuyasha hadn't caught her shoulders from behind.

"It's good to see you too, Shippo," she choked out.

Shippo looked up at her with watery eyes. "I missed you so much! It's so annoying watching Inuyasha pace around the well all day. Did you bring me any snacks?" The young fox demon was talking a mile a minute, practically buzzing in Kagome's arms.

"Hmph. I didn't pace all day," Inuyasha grumbled as he released his hold on her.

She chuckled. "I brought snacks and supplies for everyone. But I can't get them unless you let me go."

Shippo beamed and hopped to the ground while Kagome caught her breath and started to rummage through her bag for his favorite treats. She smiled inwardly, appreciating the affection—even if it did leave her gasping for air.

Inuyasha put his hand over the bag to prevent her from opening it. "No time for that. We gotta get to that village and find Kagura." He clenched his fists and growled. "When I find that wench, I'm gonna tear her eyes out."

Kagome nodded. "Right. We should head out." She turned to Shippo. "I'll give them to you when we make camp for the night, okay?" He nodded.

Just then Sango and Miroku entered the hut behind them. "Ah, I see our lovely priestess has returned. It is wonderful to behold your beauty again," Miroku waggled his eyebrows as he approached Kagome. She rolled her eyes and exchanged a knowing look with Sango.

"Thanks—I think. I'm glad you're all here," she said.

Sango embraced her. "It's so good to see you again, Kagome. I hope you got a lot of rest at home." Sango met her eyes, and Kagome knew they would be talking later about the other reason she looked away; she didn't know how to begin to talk about it.

"Are we really leaving now? It's going to be dark soon," Shippo said, climbing up to his typical resting place on Kagome's shoulder. She smiled at the familiar weight. She had almost forgotten how comforting his presence could be.

Inuyasha was already packing all their stuff into the yellow bag. "The village Kagura's in is nearly a three-day journey on Kirara. We can cut that in half if we fly at night, too."

Kagome frowned. "Inuyasha, that's dangerous. Who knows what we'll run into at night? Besides, you have to let us rest at some point."

He growled at her, but didn't stop stuffing the blanket into the overflowing backpack. "Haven't you gotten enough rest for a while? What were you even doing all that time you were gone? It's been days."

She crossed her arms and "hmphed" in indignation. "I was studying for my test, which isn't restful at all. You showed up just when I was finally going to have some time to relax."

"Keh. Serves you right for obsessing over 'tests' when you should be worried about finding Naraku."

Outraged, Kagome opened her mouth to spit out a retort when Miroku walked between them. "Okay then! We still have a couple hours of daylight left, so why don't we head out," he said. "We can discuss how long into the night we'll travel on the way."

Inuyasha slung her bag over his shoulder aggressively. "Fine."

She turned away from the grumbling half-demon. "Fine!"

Miroku shook his head as the fuming pair stormed out of the hut. "Nice to see things are back to normal around here."

Sango didn't reply as she and Kirara moved to follow the others. Miroku was right that Inuyasha and Kagome were being their usual selves, but she worried just how fragile this sense of normality was after the state Kagome had left in. Kagome… Are you really okay?

With everyone feeling well rested, the group had made it through the first night of flying without setting up camp, only taking one meal break before the sun rose. They traveled on through the day as usual, though perhaps a little more sluggishly.

By the second night, Sango, Miroku, and Kagome were complaining about their need for rest. Shippo was fast asleep on Kagome's shoulder.

"Inuyasha, can't we stop for a little while?" Miroku asked irritably.

Sango groaned in agreement. "Just a few hours of sleep. That's all we're asking." Kirara mewed in agreement—though it sounded more like a roar in her large firecat form.

Inuyasha gritted his teeth and snarled at them. "And that's all the time Kagura needs to run off to wherever Naraku is hiding. Ya wanna find him or not?"

Kagome bit her lip to keep from snapping at Inuyasha. After a deep breath, she tried to reason with him. "Inuyasha, if we get to the village without any sleep, she won't have to run. We'll be easy pickings."

He snorted. "Keh. Maybe you three wimps. I don't need rest to give Kagura what's comin' to her." He cracked his knuckles and grimaced menacingly as he flexed his claws. "Why can't you just sleep up here—OW!"

Sango had roughly flicked Inuyasha's sensitive canine ear. "Because Kirara needs rest too, you jerk!"

Miroku slumped. "Besides, who could sleep with all this wind? Call me whatever you want. I just want to eat and get some sleep—on the ground." He shot Shippo a look of longing and envy. "Look at him. He has no problem sleeping up here. Wish I could sleep like that."

Without giving Inuyasha a chance to argue—or, more likely, curse them out—Sango directed Kirara to land in a clearing in the forest beneath them.

Inuyasha pouted in a tree the entire time they were setting up camp. Kagome shook her head. What a child. She sighed in resignation as she settled in her sleeping bag for the night, deciding that sleep was more important than trying to talk Inuyasha out of his petulant mood.

"As soon as the sun's up, we're leavin' again, you got that?"

The only response she heard before losing consciousness was a muffled snore from Miroku. She let out an exhausted chuckle before drifting into the welcoming blackness of sleep.

"Would ya quit yawnin' in my ear? It's annoying!"

Kagome huffed in annoyance and adjusted her position on Inuyasha's back to lean away from his ears. "Well if you had let us get a full night's sleep, I wouldn't yawn so much," she grumbled.

He growled. "Stop complaining. We'll be at the village soon. You can rest all you want after I beat Naraku's location out of that hag."

"Hmph. Well until then you get to deal with my yawning."

Kirara had refused to transform after the half-demon woke them all at dawn, so now Sango and Miroku were trudging behind them, the small firecat resting peacefully in Sango's arms. After a couple hours of walking with Kagome trailing behind, Inuyasha insisted on carrying her so they could pick up the pace. Though he irritated her, she wasn't complaining about their proximity.

Inuyasha stopped abruptly, jarring her. His ears immediately stood at attention, twitching slightly.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

Instead of responding, he bent down, indicating it was time for her to stand. He sniffed the air, moving to keep her behind him as he tried to identify the scent coming closer.

Suddenly Sango yelled "Get down!" at the same moment Inuyasha drew Tetsusaiga and swung it just in time to block three spikes that would have hit him in the back of the head.

Kagome reached into her quiver and quickly notched an arrow in her bow, aiming in the direction from which the projectiles had come. Sango readied Hiraikotsu and dropped Kirara, who transformed to stand in front of Shippo, while Miroku tightened his grip on his staff.

She heard the guttural laughter of the demons before she saw them emerge from the bushes. Inuyasha moved as far in front of her as he could without blocking her arrow.

These demons were different from any she had ever seen. Their necks and arms were marked with scaly, tribal-looking black stripes in unusual twisting patterns. Though there were more on these demons, they reminded Kagome of the markings on Hoshiyomi, the demon ninja who had been possessed by the Naginata of Kenkon. Their eyes glowed red around slitted pupils, like a cat's eyes. She repressed the urge to shudder when their eerie glow looked in her direction.

Their ring leader looked more human, except for the tail coated in lethal-looking spikes slowly swaying behind him.

"Heh. Not bad—for a half-demon." His voice was gravelly and its low pitch resonated in that way only inhuman voices could.

Inuyasha growled, but didn't get to respond before Miroku stepped forward. "Our quarrel is not with you. We're looking for a wind demoness. Perhaps you've seen her?"

Spiky-Tail chuckled. "We got a problem with anyone who crosses into my territory without askin', like that little bitch we chased out of here last night. We don't like trespassers in our parts," he said in a pointed tone.

Inuyasha snorted. "Keh. Chased her out, huh? I can smell the wounds you're hiding under your shirt. I bet the only one who ran was your spiky ass."

He snarled. "Better watch your mouth, half-demon. Talk like that will get a reject like you killed."

Kagome winced at the low-blow insult. Inuyasha lifted his sword. "Why you—We'll see who's the reject!"

The demon let out a menacing laugh. "Fool! The woman with the fan escaped, but you will not be so lucky!"

Kagome realized Spiky-Tail's lackeys had quietly surrounded her and her friends as they spoke. They were about to be attacked from each side!

"Inuyasha!" she yelled in warning—just as they all lunged.

Inuyasha charged toward the leader, swinging Tetsusaiga over his head in preparation to swipe at the hissing demon.

She fired her arrow at the demon to her right, but he was faster than she expected and it missed him by a hair. The creature hissed and grabbed her arm hard enough to bruise, digging his claws in. He swung her around him and tossed her to the ground, ripping off the sleeve of her uniform shirt in the process.

"Kagome!" Inuyasha leaped to her side and slashed his sword across the demon's chest. He kneeled to help her up. "You okay?"

"I'm fine. Look out!"

Just as more spikes were about to fly into him, Hiraikotsu flew in front of them. "Be careful!" Sango called.

Inuyasha turned to face the spike-covered demon, his expression full of rage. "I don't got time for this." He then leaped into the air and brought his sword down. "Windscar!"

Kagome turned her face away as the Tetsusaiga's brutal attack tore Spiky-Tail and the other demon apart, ending their fight just as abruptly as it had started.

As the wind from Tetsusaiga died down, Kagome, Sango, and Miroku struggled to catch their breath.

Inuyasha cursed as he wiped his sword and returned it to its sheath. "Did you hear what they said? Kagura's already gone. We missed her." He roared and punched a nearby tree.

"How are we gonna find her now?" Shippo asked.

"I don't know," Sango answered breathlessly, sitting down abruptly next to Shippo and Kirara. She and Miroku were pale and sweating, their exhaustion clearly getting the best of them.

"This is all your fault!"

Kagome's head snapped up at Inuyasha's sudden accusation. "What? How is this my fault?"

He stomped in her direction, towering above her from her position kneeling on the ground. "If you hadn't left, we would've been able to go after her as soon as we heard she was here. We could've caught her!"

Kagome could feel her body heating in anger and the blood rushing to her face. Outraged, she stood to defend herself, but she didn't get the chance. She swayed, suddenly light-headed and overcome with dizziness.

"Kagome!" Miroku called.

Shaking, she collapsed just as Shippo reached her. "Kagome! You're bleeding!" The kitsune's face filled with fear as his eyes fell on her arm.

Only then did she notice the pain in her forearm and the blood running steadily from it. The demon's claws must have torn into her as he threw her. She winced.

Inuyasha's angry expression disappeared, quickly replaced by concern. "Kagome! Try not to move."

More demon voices began calling in the distance. "We can't stay here," Miroku said. "We've got to get her somewhere safe."

The last thing she was aware of before losing consciousness was Inuyasha scooping her in his arms and murmuring to her as they jumped onto Kirara's back.

Splashing and muttered cursing were the first sounds Kagome heard as she came to. She groaned as the rest of her senses awakened, making her aware of the throbbing pain in her arm and the piercing headache forming in her skull.

It took her a long time to work up the will to open her eyes; when she finally did, she saw she was lying on a soft patch of soil a short distance from a wide stream, in which Inuyasha was aggressively washing blood from his hands. The familiar sight made her heart squeeze.

But whose…? Her thoughts drifted as she became aware of the clean bandage wrapped around her arm from her wrist to just under her elbow. She jumped in alarm. That demon's claws went right over the veins! If he had cut any deeper, I would have bled out. She shivered at the realization of just how much danger she'd been in. There was a wide ring of pink surrounding Inuyasha, presumably from all the blood that had seeped out of her while he was wrapping her wound. That's a lot of blood…

She summoned all the strength she could to sit up—and immediately wished she hadn't. "Ugh, I'm gonna be sick." She squeezed her eyes shut against the nausea, relaxing only a little when the sensation finally passed.

"You're awake." She looked up to see Sango approaching with supplies for setting up camp. That's when she noticed the time—the sky was quickly darkening to dusk; it would be night soon.

"Where are we? Are we staying here tonight?"

Sango nodded. "We're about halfway back to Kaede's village," she said, settling on the ground to build a fire. "There were more demons, but you lost too much blood for us to stand and fight. We found a hot spring nearby and decided to stop here."

"Hot spring?" If she'd had the energy, Kagome would have cheered. She felt sticky and gross from all the blood and dirt smeared on her skin. A bath was exactly what she needed.

Sango chuckled. "Yes, but we'll have to wait our turn. Miroku and Shippo are using it right now."

She tried not to pout. She glanced over at Inuyasha, who was lying back into the stream with his shirt and jacket carefully laid out on the other side of the stream. Inuyasha… Just then, the fire crackled to life in front of them, pulling her back to the conversation. "What happened after the fight?"

Sango frowned. "We ran to get you to safety when we heard more demons approaching. After we tended your wounds, Miroku, Kirara, and I collapsed from exhaustion. Shippo kept an eye on us while Inuyasha went back to check the village for clues of why Kagura might have been there."

"Did he find anything?"

Sango's grim expression said it all. "No. He came stomping through earlier cursing about losing her trail. He hasn't said much since he changed your bandage. The first one was soaked through and dripping."

Kagome cringed, but the movement only aggravated the raging headache she had woken up to. She applied pressure on her forehead, trying to ease the throbbing.

"Kagome, what's that?"

"Huh?"

Sango leaned forward and pointed to her wrist, which was now exposed from her torn sleeve. "That. What is it?"

Kagome blushed and pulled her hand back to her lap. She had forgotten about Cole and his number written on her wrist. "Oh that. Uh, it's a long story."

Sango raised an eyebrow and scooted closer. "We've got time."

Kagome sighed.

"Ugh, I'm gonna be sick."

"You're awake."

Inuyasha's ears twitched at the sound of Sango's voice. He had been so focused on washing the sickly metallic scent of Kagome's blood from his hands, he hadn't realized she was up until he heard the girls talking.

Finally. He didn't want to admit it, but it worried him how long Kagome had been passed out. He was relieved to hear the strength in her voice—even if she did sound exhausted.

"Hot spring?"

He rolled his eyes at the hushed excitement in her voice. She always got so worked up over taking a bath. He didn't see what the big deal was. She knew they were only going to get dirty the next time they were in a fight—and there was always another fight. Why bother stopping at every hot spring they come across for a stupid bath?

He shrugged to himself and stopped listening. So far, she seemed fine; he would check on her more closely when he finally cleared his senses of the wretched smell that had been haunting him since the attack that morning.

Satisfied that his hands were finally clean, he waved the bloodied water away from him and approached the other side of the stream, away from where the young women were talking. He removed his fire-rat jacket and shirt and laid them on the ground next to the stream before stepping back and lying down in the water.

Holding his breath, he opened his eyes and looked up at the fading light breaking through the surface of the water above his head. Despite the chill of the water, it was almost peaceful lying in the stream. It was the first time all day his head wasn't filled with the smell of her blood and the fear of what it meant. There was so much… She could have died.

He growled and flexed his claws as the image of the claw marks carved down Kagome's arm entered his mind. I can't believe that low-life was able to hurt her when she was right behind me. He could just hear Koga's voice in his mind whining about letting "his woman" get hurt on his watch; he grimaced in disgust.

That mangy wolf. Who does he think he is? Not like he's around protectin' her. And she's not his woman! He sighed mentally. He would have done it physically too if he wasn't underwater.

He'd be right, though. Inuyasha vividly remembered the day Kagome, Sango, and Miroku had stopped breathing after being infected with Mukotsu's poison while he was fighting various members of the Band of Seven. Koga had blamed him then, but not nearly as much as he had blamed himself. He had promised that he would never let anything like that happen to Kagome again.

He tried to console himself as he watched the bubbles from his growls float to the surface and drift away with the flow of the stream around him. At least this time she never stopped breathing. He snorted, creating larger, more chaotic bubbles. It was useless. She was just as pale from this wound as she was from the blood loss when Miyoga sucked the poison out. He had broken his promise.

Inuyasha sat up and burst through the water's surface. He gasped for air, unsure how to process everything he was feeling. He shook his head. Maybe I have gone too long without sleep. As he caught his breath, he noted the scent of Kagome's blood was finally gone. He could breathe through his nose again.

He quickly shook himself and exited the stream next to his clothes. He dressed, letting the girls' chatter in the background soothe his nerves. He didn't know what he was going on about. The important thing was Kagome was alive, and he would be more careful next time.

"This isn't like when she almost died,"he told himself sternly. "I stopped the bleeding. She's fine now."

He lay back on the ground, irritated with being worried about Kagome and blood and promises. He didn't want to think about it anymore, so he gazed at the sky and tuned in to whatever Kagome and Sango were talking about, thankful for his sensitive hearing. He would never say it out loud, but listening to Kagome talk always made him feel better. It assured him she was alive and healthy. It's when she wasn't yelling at him he knew something was really wrong.

"Kagome, what's that?"

"Huh?"

"That. What is it?"

His ears twitched in curiosity, but he resisted the urge to look up and see what Sango was referring to.

"Oh that. Uh, it's a long story."

Kagome sounded almost embarrassed. Now he was really curious. His ears stood at attention and he listened intently.

"We've got time," Sango said in a wry tone.

Kagome sighed. Inuyasha wondered if he shouldn't listen to their "girl talk," as the priestess often referred to their conversations. He was about to get up and go for a walk, when Kagome's next words froze him to the spot.

"Well, uh, it's from this boy."

Boy? What boy? What did he give her?

Trying to be as discrete as possible, Inuyasha lifted his head and looked at Kagome. She wasn't holding anything. What are they talking about?

He saw Sango reach over and pull Kagome's wrist toward her, examining it closely. He squinted, and that's when he noticed some kind of faded writing on Kagome's wrist.

"Why would a boy write on you? Is this normal in your time?" He couldn't care less about customs from the future, but he wondered the same thing about boys writing on Kagome.

She was blushing so hard he could see it from across the stream. He wasn't sure why that bothered him. It was still irritating, though, even if he didn't know why.

"It's not exactly normal, but it's not weird. I guess you could say it's a form of flirting to write your number on someone."

Flirting?

"Number? Why would anyone want a number on them?" Sango asked.

"In my time, we have these machines called phones. Each phone has its own set of numbers that we use to call each other from long distances. That's the number he wrote on my wrist."

"So, this boy wants you to call him?"

"Exactly," Kagome said.

Hmph. What makes this guy think he's got the right to flirt with Kagome, huh? He must be strong to be so cocky. Just what I need, another guy like Koga distracting her from our mission. Inuyasha hadn't realized he was digging his claws into the grass beside him until he angrily pulled up a clump of dirt. He quickly put it back, hoping the girls didn't notice his eavesdropping.

They didn't seem to notice as they continued on. "So, who is this boy that wants you to call him?"

Now we're gettin' to the good stuff.

Kagome cleared her throat. "Well, he's a new boy at school. We're partners in one of my classes. He's smart, and weird—uh, good weird—and direct. He kind of reminds me of Inuyasha in some ways."

Inuyasha felt himself blush at that last part. Get a hold of yourself. It's just stupid future girly stuff. The guy goes to her school, so he's obviously just a human.

"And?" Sango pressed.

"And he wants to go out on a date. A few dates actually. That's why he gave me his number."

Sango tilted her head. "Date?"

He remembered what a "date" was from when Kagome kept saying she had to be home one Saturday a long time ago to go on a "date" with some guy named Hojo. He repressed the urge to growl.

"It's when two people spend time together to get to know each other better and see if they're compatible as a couple," Kagome explained.

"I see. Do you want to find out if you're compatible with him?" Sango asked quietly.

Inuyasha strained to hear Kagome's answer. "I don't know. Maybe. I don't think so…"

Well, which one is it? He hadn't realized he was holding his breath, and he huffed in annoyance at her answer.

She sighed. "I-I'm not sure. It's just—"

Sango put her hand on Kagome's and cut in. "I know."

What? It's just what? What the hell is she talkin' about?

Inuyasha was considering demanding the answer from her when Kagome shook her head, stood up and changed the subject. He cringed as she wobbled unsteadily after standing. He would have gone to her, but Sango beat him to it, putting Kagome's arm around her shoulder.

"Look, here come Shippo and Miroku. Now we can use the hot spring!"

"You sure you're okay enough for a bath? You still need to rest."

Kagome shook her off. "I'll be fine. A bath will help me feel better."

As she reached for one of the towels she kept in her yellow bag, Inuyasha realized he wouldn't get the chance to check on her before it got dark if he didn't do it now. He quickly waded across the stream to catch up with her as she walked in the direction from which Miroku and Shippo were approaching in the distance.

"Kagome," he said, placing his hand on her shoulder to stop her. She jumped, then winced. His ears flattened at her hiss of pain.

"Inuyasha! You startled me. What is it?"

He gulped, flustered from all his thoughts in the stream and his reactions to Kagome talking about her new friend. "I, ah, well—sorry."

Out of the corner of his eye he saw Sango shoot him a strange look. "Uh, I'm going to take my bath now," she said to the priestess. "Join me when you're ready." With that, she walked away and left the two of them alone.

He didn't know whether to be grateful or upset about that.

Kagome tilted her head inquisitively and leaned closer. "Are you all right?"

Now that he was up close, he took in her appearance. She was still unhealthily pale—even past the blushing she'd been doing moments before—and she was subtly shaking. Her shirt was torn and she was covered in crusted blood and dirt. Ugly purple bruises dotted one of her thighs from landing when the demon threw her to the ground. Yet, her expression was merely concerned, which he didn't understand when it was clear she was in a lot of pain.

He leaned forward and gently put his hands on her shoulders, bending so his eyes were level with hers. "I should be asking you that. You lost a lot of blood."

She blinked, surprised at the sudden contact. "I—I'm okay. I feel a lot better now that I've gotten some sleep. I'm going to get more rest after my bath."

He shook his head. "That's not good enough. You know how vulnerable blood loss can make you. You should drink some of Miyoga's potion. Ya know, the one he gave you after he sucked the poison out of you guys."

He felt her shudder beneath his hands. "No way. Never again," she said, her voice full of quiet horror.

Relieved that she seemed more like herself, he let out a half-hearted chuckle. "Maybe it's for the best. It would take too long to go get it for you anyway."

"Too long…" she muttered, her eyes taking on a thoughtful look. Suddenly her expression became angry and she shoved his arms off of her. He sputtered, bewildered at her change in demeanor.

"That reminds me! You said that whole fight this morning was my fault!"

He huffed. "No, I said us losing Kagura was your fault."

Judging from Kagome's furious expression, that was the wrong thing to say. He quickly tried to amend it. "No! What I mean is—I did say that, but now I'm not mad anymore—and it's not really—"

Her angry groan cut him off. "Inuyasha, you jerk! It was not my fault, and the only reason you're 'not mad' anymore is because I got hurt. If I hadn't almost bled to death, you would still be blaming this whole thing on me!"

Inuyasha didn't want to dwell too much on the "almost bled to death" part. He growled in frustration; he just didn't know what to say to make her calm down. "Well yeah you gettin' hurt changed my mind. When I saw all that blood—"

She interrupted, still angry. "Inuyasha, it shouldn't take a serious wound for you see that this isn't my fault! I'm tired of you blaming me every time things don't go perfectly the way you want them."

"Huh?" He didn't get how it went from what happened this morning to every time something goes wrong. "No, it's not like that." He made a frustrated sound at his loss for words. "Argh. What I'm trying to say is I hate seeing you hurt."

That got her attention. She stopped stomping around and stood face to face with him. He let out a breath, not sure where to go from here. "I was just mad. It's… not your fault," he grumbled. Admitting he was wrong left a bitter taste, but he knew Kagome would storm off and refuse to talk to him if he didn't offer some form of apology. That or she would sit him. He grimaced at the thought.

She crossed her arms. "Is that supposed to be an apology?"

He crossed his arms and turned away. "When I changed your bandages, I realized even if you'd been with us when we heard about Kagura, we still would've missed her." He clenched his fists, angry they weren't any closer to finding Naraku.

"So then why didn't you just apologize? It wouldn't kill you, you know."

He sighed and turned back to her. "Because I wasn't thinking about it anymore when I saw you covered in blood. You worried me." He looked away, uncomfortable with being so open.

"Inuyasha…" Her expression softened, her eyes seeming to sparkle just slightly as her arms drifted back to her sides.

He wasn't sure if the soft smile she was giving him made him happy or uncomfortable. Either way, he couldn't deny that it drew him in. Without consciously realizing it, he was standing closer to her.

"Kagome. I can't…" His words drifted before he could finish the thought. When she looked at him like that, he had a hard time finding the words to tell her what he meant. What she meant. He couldn't bear it if he couldn't protect her.

I can't lose you.

He was trying to work up the courage to tell her that when it hit him.

The scent of graveyard soil, clay, and the distinct odor of a soul collector.

Kikyo.

"I can't…"

Kagome was caught up in the moment, fighting the urge to take Inuyasha's hands as he tried to open up to her. She was spellbound by his eyes, so it took her a moment to register the change in his demeanor as he lifted his face and sniffed the air.

She blinked, disappointed he wasn't going to finish whatever he'd started to say. "Inuyasha?"

He stepped away from her. The next moment, a soul collector passed between them, stopping to rub affectionately against Inuyasha's leg before floating off in the opposite direction.

No, no, no, no, no. Not now! Kagome choked back a frustrated yell as she felt the moment shatter.

Inuyasha took a step toward the delicate demon. "It wants me to follow it. She's close by."

"Now?" She tried to keep the hurt out of her voice, she really did. Inuyasha didn't seem to notice, so she must have done a better job than she thought.

Inuyasha was already looking intently through the trees. "I'm gonna go find her. Go take your bath, Kagome." With that, he dashed away and left her alone.

For a few moments, she couldn't react. All she could do was stare in the direction he had disappeared and wonder why the trees were all blurring together.

And then she realized it's because she was crying. The realization that Inuyasha had chosen Kikyo over her again made her fall to her knees. She didn't care about the pain that went shooting through her bruised leg. She didn't care that the jarring sensation of the fall made her arm throb. She was accustomed to physical pain.

It was the pain she felt inside every time he went to her that she couldn't seem to get used to.

She snorted angrily at herself. It's not like this was new. She knew she would never compare to Kikyo in his eyes. Sure, Inuyasha cared about her. He was her best friend, and she was pretty sure she was his, too. But she had told herself a long time ago there was no room in his heart for her as long as he still had Kikyo.

So why does it still hurt so much?

She wrapped her arms around herself and looked at the ground. Because when he looks at me like that, it makes me think there's a chance after all. She watched a few teardrops plummet to the dirt beneath her. Do you see her when you look at me that way, Inuyasha?

She stood abruptly, angrily swiping at her tears. Not for the first time, she wished she didn't look so much like Kikyo.

Frustrated and hurt, she began frantically packing her bag. She didn't want to stick around for the look of longing in Inuyasha's face when he returned from seeing Kikyo. Tonight she just didn't have the strength to see his drooping ears and the way he hung his head, or deal with the way he stood as far away from her as possible and avoided looking in her direction.

Not after this. I just need to get away. I need to go home.

At the thought of home, she froze. She was still covered in dirt and blood. Her bandages were still clean, but they would no doubt get soaked again if she overexerted herself before her arm had a chance to heal.

"If I go home like this, Mom will never let me through the well again," she said to herself. With a choked sob, she pulled the towel back out of the bag and walked in the direction Sango had gone.

She ignored the concerned looks Miroku and Shippo gave her as she trudged past them and pretended they probably didn't see the tears streaming down her face.

"Kagome! What's wrong? What happened?"

Kagome tried to hold back from crying any more as she slid into the water across from Sango.

"Nothing. Like always."

She knew the demon hunter didn't miss the bitterness in her tone. "What did that idiot do?"

She shook her head. "It doesn't matter. It's nothing I shouldn't expect. She's in this too."

That was all she needed to say; they both knew to whom "she" was referring. Sango's face fell. "I'm sorry, Kagome."

She sunk beneath the surface, letting the hot water soak her hair and shake the first layer of dirt off. When she came back up, she finally felt steady enough to meet her friend's gaze. "Can I borrow Kirara for the night? I'm going home when we're finished here."

She could see Sango debating with herself over how to respond. She gave her a look. "Please, don't. I can't be here right now."

Sango let out a breath. "If Kirara is willing to take you, I won't stop you. She's had some rest today, but I don't know if she'll feel up to it."

She nodded, anticipating Kirara's possible response. If the firecat wouldn't take her, she'd walk the entire day back to the well. Anything to get away from the pain that was waiting for her in the gold eyes that were only for Kikyo.

"Thanks, Kirara. I'll be sure to stay gone for a while so you can get a break."

Kagome jumped from Kirara's back, feeling exhausted despite the refreshing bath she'd taken a few hours before. The firecat gave her an affectionate nuzzle before taking off to return to their friends.

She was now clean and dressed, with fresh bandages coating her forearm. The fresh uniform she'd changed into concealed any hint of injury on her upper body, though she couldn't do much about the bruises running along the side of her thigh. Still, some bruises from a fall were sure to concern her mother far less than deep claw marks down the length of her forearm. Now she'd only get some concerned questions instead of being banned from the Feudal Era all together.

Kagome sat on the edge of the Bone Eater's Well and swung her legs over. Before she jumped in, she took a long look at the greenery around her. The forest was still beneath the light of the moon. She was almost jealous of the serenity that seemed to surround the trees; she wished she could feel as calm as the leaves hanging lazily from the branches around her.

Now I'm jealous of trees? Ugh, I'm a mess.

Shaking her head, she pushed off into the well.

She gritted her teeth at the pain shooting through her arm as she climbed out into the well house. I'm definitely going to need some ice after this.

As she walked toward her home, she stopped by the Sacred Tree. She stared at the scar she had spent so much time looking at while thinking about Inuyasha. This time was no exception.

The last time I was here, I was worried about having to say goodbye to Inuyasha and the others. But now, I want to say goodbye to him, in a way.

She would never actually want Inuyasha out of her life. She just wanted to stop feeling this way.

"I wish I didn't love him," she whispered. She immediately regretted her words. No. I don't wish that. I just wish it didn't hurt so much.

If she was being honest with herself, there was a tiny voice in the back of her mind that whispered what she really wanted. I just wish he loved me, too.

Defeated and tired of wasting her time with pointless wishes, Kagome turned her back on the Sacred Tree and entered her house.

"I'm home," she called softly, afraid of disturbing anyone who was sleeping. Then she saw the clock said it was 10:30 p.m., and she marveled at just how exhausted she was. She would have thought it was well past midnight with how tired she felt.

"Hey Kagome. You're back soon. You mad at Inuyasha again?" Souta said as he passed her holding Buyo in his arms awkwardly. Buyo "mrrowed" in greeting.

She shot him a look of mild annoyance. "No. I just needed a break. Where's mom?"

"She's in the kitchen doing dishes. You missed dinner. Are you hungry?"

"No. Will you tell her I'm home? I'm so tired, I just want to go to bed."

Her brother gave her a concerned frown. "Okay, sis. Just make sure you talk to her before you leave again. I don't want to hurt her feelings because I got to see you and she didn't."

She ruffled Souta's hair. "I will. See you tomorrow."

With that, she hurried up the stairs and to her room. She tossed her bag away and slumped with her back against the door, pulling her knees to her chest.

Just like when she'd come home a week ago, she didn't feel like herself. She'd never been such a mopey person before.

I've also never been in love before. She shook her head. If this is what love feels like, I don't get what the big deal is.

Part of her knew it wasn't like this for everyone. Only she had the misfortune of falling for a hanyou from 500 years in the past who was in love with someone else.

That thought stirred her anger again. She knew Inuyasha had a history with Kikyo, but she just couldn't understand how he could hold on to his love for someone who wanted to kill him.

If she really loves him, shouldn't she want him to live? But that was just it. Kikyo didn't really love him anymore. The part of her that loved him died the day Naraku killed her. The Kikyo Kagome knew was merely a remnant of the beloved priestess, poisoned by the hatred Naraku filled her with while disguised as Inuyasha.

Couldn't he see that? Maybe he knows, but he's still willing to die for her, because that's what she wants. Because he still held love for the Kikyo he knew 50 years before Kagome found him pinned to the Sacred Tree.

I want him to live, but I could never compete with the love he's ready to die for. She refused to let the tears threatening to fill her eyes fall. She had cried enough for one night.

She got up and threw herself on the bed, staring at the ceiling as she continued trying to sort through the emotions battling within her. She was ashamed of the jealousy and anger threatening to overwhelm her sympathy for the resurrected priestess. She didn't have any ill will toward Kikyo, really. She felt sorry for all the young woman had been through. Kagome couldn't imagine how hard her life was with the burden of the jewel, only to have it end with what she thought was a betrayal caused by that same burden.

Even more confusing was the chaotic mass of emotions she felt for Inuyasha. She knew there was more to her feelings for him than the hurt and resentment that filled her now, but it was hard to think past them. She was just so tired of being second best to Kikyo; she was the better archer, the better priestess, the better healer, the better fighter. The better girl, to Inuyasha.

She never brought it up anymore, but it hurt her to think about all the times Inuyasha compared her to Kikyo when they first met and were forced to work together to find the jewel shards. He'd always say Kagome was never as pretty or strong as her. He never said those words anymore, but she couldn't help but wonder if he still thought them.

Frustrated, she threw her pillow at the wall. She was about to grab her blanket and throw it too, until she noticed the writing on her wrist. She froze, eyes fixed on the ink. It was faded and illegible after her bath, but it did remind her that she had Cole's number written in a notepad on her desk.

Maybe it really is time for me to move on. She knew that she would probably always love Inuyasha, but that didn't mean she couldn't try to find love in someone who could love her back.

Cole's voice ran through her mind. "You've warned me of what I'm getting myself into. All I'm asking for is a chance."

"A chance," she thought aloud. "Maybe that's all I need—a chance to move on."

Through the sadness, pain, and anger that had been consuming her all night, she felt an impulsive surge of desperate hope. She knew it wasn't rational, and she knew she didn't really want anyone but Inuyasha.

But after the night she'd had, she was willing to try anything.

Before she could talk herself out of it, she stalked to her desk and found the phone number. She pulled her scarcely-used cell phone from the desk drawer and dialed before she could think too hard about it.

She fidgeted as it rang, realizing that it was nearly 11 o' clock on a Sunday night and he might be asleep. Feeling ridiculous, she was just about to hang up when Cole's cheery voicemail played.

"Hey, you've reached Cole." The recording was in English. "Leave a message and I'll call you back when I can. Have a great day!"

Gathering her courage, she spoke quickly before she could lose her nerve.

"Hey Cole. It's Kagome. You said to call if I wanted to give this dating thing a try, so…" She closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

"Let's do it."

Ugh this chapter feels so forced for the first half of it. I am so sorry it's been months since the last update! Projects and finals got so overwhelming, I lost all my motivation. But I pushed through and did my best to put this out as fast as I could. I had a hard time forcing myself to get this part of the story out, but I'm feeling pretty inspired for the next few chapters, so I think it'll go better over these next few weeks I have left of my summer break! I hope this suuuuper long (19 pages!) chapter helps make it worth the wait.

Thank you guys so much for waiting patiently and for all of the lovely reviews I got! I promise to try harder to update more regularly! I'm starting my senior year of college soon, so there may be some long breaks in between, but hopefully I can find time to work on this regularly.

Leave me a review! I hope you guys are enjoying watching the formulation of a real love triangle for Kagome. I have a lot more in store for Inuyasha, Kagome, and Cole, so keep reviewing, following, and liking this story if you want to see where it's headed! See you next time!