Hello, folks! I really appreciate all the reviews and comments provided. It really motivates me to continue, although I intend to finish this baby with or without the comments. I love it so much and I'm happy a lot of you like it too.

I feel really bad about that last chapter. Was dreading it since the beginning of the story. But! Things may turn around. Who knows, you know? (Me lol)

Enjoy!

For two days Kagome remained in bed without giving much of a response to anyone who visited. Inuyasha stood by her side, vigilantly making sure that she remained safe, and more importantly, alive. Her skin had yet to regain its natural hue, maintaining a pale and ashen color which scared him to pieces. A human did not fare well when they looked that way. He had only to remember his mother before she died to know this.

She was deathly quiet, too. He knew each moment that she woke, for her body stiffened into an unapproachable stance. He could see her looking to the ceiling, or the wall, but she never dared to look at him. He wondered if she felt ashamed of anything, but only for a short moment, for other thoughts quickly overwhelmed him; one of them having to do with the guilt which shamed him every second that ticked by.

This was his fault. It could not be denied for it was as sure as the dawn, rising above the soft mound of earth. Had he been a more accommodating and trusting person; had he been conscientious and simply there, this never would have happened. Kagome needed him, now more than ever, and instead of him taking care of that damned man-to hell with Kaede's pride-he let her waste precious energy on that fool.

He cursed himself a thousand times, inwardly so she would not hear nor awaken.

While Kagome remained abed, Kaede catered to her needs, cleaning Kagome whenever it was necessary. She bled for hours at a time, though they came in short bursts. He wished somehow that he could provide some for her, transferring renewed life. His blood would have been able to heal a wound without question. There was something about it that provided longevity and repair.

But she would not let him come near her. This nearly surpassed his guilt, because it hurt him in ways he could not voice. Whenever he went to touch her, to feel her skin, and in turn, her heart beat, she recoiled from him. The action felt to him like a blow, far more damaging than any demon could ever have done.

Kagome. His Kagome, for he could deny this no longer; she did not want his touch. The woman who craved his nearness for so many weeks, now wanted nothing to do with him.

He knelt before her now, watching her. She was awake, but her eyes were closed. Kaede told him that she could speak and seemed to be on the mend, but he had no proof to know if this was true. She didn't respond to him. Not even when he called her name, or spoke to her about the spot where they buried their child while she slept. Like now, she remained in a state of emptiness, as if her spirit had been drained from this ordeal.

God help him if this was so because he had no idea how to bring her back.

Kaede entered the room, following her routine. Other patients needed work, but she had given Rin an opportunity to take care of the few who had simple wounds or ailments. She'd informed Inuyasha that she intended to purpose all of her attention on her dear friend. The woman vowed to help her through this, feeling guilty for never noticing her pregnancy in the first place. That was another thing which made Inuyasha flinch. He never paid attention to Kagome; not as he should have done. He lusted after her incessantly, yet he failed to notice the apparent growth of her breasts. The white cloth she wore was somewhat loose, revealing the soft and delicate curves. He could see clearly that they had enlarged since that wonderful day in the hot spring.

Inuyasha stood up and gave the women some time alone. He went outside of the room, his back against the wall. He could hear Rin speaking to a patient in a soothing tone. He looked across the hall and found a young boy with matted brown hair and large, misty eyes, looking up at Rin with trembling lips. Inuyasha thought he looked insanely adorable and he grimaced, having never thought of such a thing before. But the kid reminded him of the tiny, fragile body he held in the palm of his hand, days before. After Kaede revealed the small bundle to him, she placed it with careful gentleness into his hand. He could hardly feel the beloved burden, as it felt lighter than a feather. Still, a life he instantly came to love lay motionless there. Kaede placed it into the bowl and cleaned it from the blood it once swam in. He was able to smell Kagome, as well as his own scent.

It was a boy. A tiny, precious little boy. He would've grown up to have Kagome's hair, he was sure of it. Maybe her brown eyes too since only a fourth of his blood was demon. He probably would have had his temper though, something he dreaded yet craved at the same time, for anything from this child would have been a blessing.

He could feel tears well in his eyes and he had to wipe them quickly before they fell.

He never thought he would ever be a father. Hell, the notion never came to him since he never expected to marry, let alone conceive. But the reality of it did not repulse him; in fact, it excited him to no end. If he had a child of his own, he or she would have been his blood. His kin. His mother was the only family he ever knew, and Lord knew Sesshomaru reviled the idea of being connected to Inuyasha. This baby would- no, was his family and a daily reminder that it was possible for him to never feel alone again.

But that child was lost. And now, as he stared at the pale papered door separating him from the only person he truly cared for, it looked as though he had lost Kagome, too.

*Two Weeks Later*

"That's not how you cut the grass. You cut it like this. Not like that."

Inuyasha glared at the orange haired fox demon who was simply asking for a thrashing from him. The runt opted to help Inuyasha with daily tasks since Kagome focused on recuperating in Kaede's home. Inuyasha never had to tidy a home before so he needed all the help he could get. When his mother was alive, they lived rather affluently as she was the daughter of a nobleman. There were servants to clean the house, fetch food, fix the infrastructures, and the like. After she died, he was on his own and worked on feeding himself. There was no need to build a home, for the trees were his bed.

Now he had to clean the house, wash the dishes, cook his own food, empty the fire pit of all soot, wash his and Kagome's clothes- the one's he brought to Kaede day in and out. He worked on these things with an intense fervor, striving to excel in all that he did. He wanted to make sure it was well and prepared for Kagome's arrival. If she ever decided to come back, he thought sullenly. A quiet fury settled over him and he worked to stifle it.

Shippo placed his hands on his hips and scowled. "Inuyasha, are you even listening to me?"

Inuyasha took a deep breath. He was getting too riled up, but he couldn't seem to control himself. He had yet to hear Kagome's voice in more than two weeks and it was killing him.

"Yeah," he murmured.

"What did I say?"

Inuyasha began to shear through some grass that had grown rather unseemly in front of his yard. He followed Shippo's advice, moving through the strands with ease, letting them fall along the pavements in smooth swoops. Shippo nodded, pleased, and he humphed. "Good job."

When they were finished with their task, Inuyasha sat on his door step and placed his hands under his chin. Shippo plopped himself right beside him and sighed, as if he had done all the work and not Inuyasha. Not that he was complaining exactly. The work allowed him to keep his mind busy. Had he been left to his own devices, he probably would have lost his shit and kidnapped Kagome already. She should've been home, damn it.

"It's a beautiful day," Shippo announced.

Inuyasha said nothing. In his fowl mood, he had no desire to converse with anyone.

"It's a great day to go for a swim."

Except for Kagome.

"I think we should go swimming."

She was his friend.

"And then maybe we can fish."

No, she was more than that and he wanted to talk to her. Hear her voice. Know her thoughts. What was she thinking right now? Still, after all this time, she had yet to open up to anyone.

"I'm in the mood for flounder."

Kaede informed him that the bleeding stopped three, maybe four days ago. She was able to stand and her color had even returned. Of course, she told him this outside her room. Kagome refused to see him.

"Inuyasha, are you listening to me?"

"No." He was glowering. The sun was out and he was heated. If anyone thought to stare, they'd see smoke stretching from his head.

Shippo sucked his teeth. "You don't have to be so rude, you know."

No response.

"I'm only trying to help."

Truth. A smidgen of guilt nudged its way into his dark soul, and he gave the kid a side glance. "Sorry."

Shippo sniffed. "It's alright."

"I want to be alone right now."

Shippo cocked his head to one side. "Now why would you want that? Being alone is so boring."

"Ain't your concern, kid."

"I disagree. You're like a brother to me, and I don't think it's right that you stay home all alone."

"Well, it's not like I have a choice," he said through clenched teeth.

"True." Shippo sighed. "This sucks."

He had no idea how true this statement was. Or, perhaps, he did since he cared for Kagome as if she were a sister. It was bad enough that Kagome ignored his very existence, but she managed to build up a wall none could penetrate. Sango, one of her closest friends, could not get through to her, nor could she bring Kagome to speak about what happened. Rin tried to get her out of bed and take her for a swim, but Kagome refused to be moved. Shippo showed her some magic tricks, and not even a twitch of a smile graced her lips. She was cold, practically dead, and no one knew how to bring her back.

The only person she seemed to talk to was Kaede. Jealousy reared its ugly head when Inuyasha found this out, but he was also relieved. If she could talk to Kaede, at least this meant that she wasn't completely gone. Still, she didn't say much to the old woman, only replying to benign questions like:

"What would ye like to eat?"

"How are ye feeling today?"

No response was given when questions delved into deeper, more important subjects.

Kagome spent a considerable amount of time in bed. The old woman mentioned that her behavior was normal for a woman who lost a child. She promised Inuyasha that she would move on from it soon enough, yet he couldn't fathom Kagome letting this hurt go. She was a loving and thoughtful woman, who remained faithful even in the face of disaster. But she lost something precious to her and he didn't know if she would ever be the same because of it.

He missed her. God, he missed her so much he dreamt of her every night. Though he decided long ago that he would not have sex with her till he knew her well, he lost himself in the hours of darkness. He let his dreams travel into realms he once fought. He could not tame his hunger for Kagome, and he didn't want to, not anymore. Just last night he dreamt that Kagome came back home and surprised him by visiting his room while he slept. In the dream, he awoke to find her on his lap doing something he really, really wanted her to do some time in the future. It involved her tongue and his manhood, and it made him go insane.

"Kaede says she's doing better."

Inuyasha sharply met the fox's gaze. "Tell me something I don't know."

"She can walk again without any trouble."

He arched a brow. "Really now?" If she could do this, then she could walk her ass back home. She had no reason to remain there.

"Yeah. I saw her yesterday. Sango and Rin were helping her stand and she managed to walk on her own without getting tired. They think she's ready to come home."

"So why hasn't she?"

Silence was his reply. No one knew why Kagome was acting so cold, especially toward Inuyasha. He thought she was mad at him for abandoning her, but Miroku insisted that Kagome could never be so unrelenting, for she had forgiven him of far worst. What that meant, Inuyasha hadn't a clue. They chose not to inform him of any wrong-doings of his past, and he was thankful for it. He didn't need any more guilt on his plate.

"What do you plan to do?" Shippo asked him.

"Why the hell would I tell you anything?"

"I can probably help."

If Inuyasha's mood had been any lighter, he would have laughed. Instead, he raised his gaze to the sky, hoping that a rock from heaven would smite him.

"I don't know if anyone told you this, but I'm a bit of a psychic," the fox continued.

"Then why'd you ask what I'm going to do?"

He shrugged. "Wanted to hear it in your own words."

This was perhaps the most asinine conversation he ever had the displeasure of sharing. Still, he humored the brat, using him as nothing more than a distraction. "What do you see for my future?"

The fox demon then closed his eyes and began to scrunch his nose, ticking his neck a few times. "I'm seeing... I'm seeing..."

Inuyasha stared at him. Was this shit for real?

"I'm seeing failure."

Just when Inuyasha was ready to reign a bevy of blows, Miroku approached. The man was holding a bag of rice and he walked alone. His kids were usually close by, but Inuyasha figured the monk tried to give him a break from seeing them since even he could see that Inuyasha was suffering. In the past, his pride would have revolted at the idea of someone seeing his pain, but he didn't have the strength to give two shits, because he really was suffering. It was good that they knew. Maybe they'd tell Kagome.

Of course, he could simply do that, but she didn't let him inside the room anymore for some god-awful reason.

Inuyasha glared Miroku's way. He should just ram through the door and force her to listen. He would gently grab her head and make her look at him. She was the only person who truly saw him and made him feel whole. He would be damned if he let her take that feeling away.

"Now, why are you looking at me so thunderously?" Miroku quipped.

"He's thinking too much," Shippo said. "He's in a mood."

Humor swam in his gaze. "When is he not?"

Inuyasha scowled. To hell with these two. He jumped up and spun into his home, but the bastards simply followed him inside, with Miroku placing the bag at the hall. Instead of walking to his room, he threw himself into Kagome's. Of course, it was his room also, but he connected it with her more than himself. The place smelled entirely of her, every wonderful, yet terrible nook of it. Wonderful, for he could not get enough of its aroma, and terrible because it reminded him of her biting rejection. He fumed. These thoughts were essentially adding fuel to his flame. He crossed his arms to his chest and gritted his teeth when Shippo and Miroku approached the door frame, uncertainty in their gazes.

"You're just gonna stand there?" he barked.

More than accustomed to his scathing tone, neither of them so much as blinked. "Uh. It isn't right for us to come in here," Shippo said.

"Truth," Miroku rejoined. "This room belongs to Kagome and you. We shouldn't defile this holy place with our presence."

Inuyasha snorted. "'Defiled.' What a fine word. As if it isn't already defiled by my presence."

Miroku narrowed his eyes. The stare irked him. "Pity does not become you."

"I think I've got a few things to feel upset about."

"Even so," he conceded, "It will not aide you in your cause."

"What cause?"

"Why, in getting Kagome back, of course."

A cold sensation settled over Inuyasha, finally quenching the fire which burned through him. "What do you mean?" he bit out slowly.

Miroku shrugged. "I thought to visit Kagome with Sango today, but Kaede mentioned that she decided to take a short walk home. Yet she is not here." His eyes bore into Inuyasha's, making the hairs rise along his spine. With a tilt to his head, he continued.

"I wonder... What could she possibly have meant by that?"