Chapter 118
Veritas vos liberabit
"Truth will liberate you all"

"I don't care about the truth. I want some happiness."
—The Beautiful and the Damned

Kagome looked ready to bolt at any moment. It had been part of the reason he'd slipped his hand into hers. Not that he wanted or needed a reason to hold her hand. He just liked making sure that she was here and safe with him.

And if that made Kagome feel better then that was okay too.

Kagome tightened her grip on his hand, and he turned to look at her as she curled up against him as Miroku started talking a bit about Kikyo. He didn't quite understand her nervousness. It wasn't like Kaede was going to be upset with her. If anything, Kaede was going to be pissed about what Kikyo had been doing to her.

"You see, Lady Kaede, it would appear as though Kikyo has been the reason behind some of our struggles lately, specifically those concerning Lady Kagome."

"I see," Kaede said, shooting a look towards Kagome, who was actively not looking at anyone in particular. "It would seem as though my dear sister has been quite busy these past few months."

Inuyasha met Kaede's gaze, and she merely raised an eyebrow at him as Kagome pressed her face into his shoulder actively trying to not look at anyone.

Kaede gave a long sigh.

"Please, continue on," Kaede said, motioning for Miroku to continue.

Kagome's bowl of food remained in her lap, only partially eaten, and by partially, she'd only taken three bites.

"You gotta eat," Inuyasha whispered with a nudge of his shoulder, but she didn't budge. If anything her grip tightened on his arm as she pressed her face into his shoulder even harder.

Inuyasha nudged her again, but she just minutely shook her head.

"You hate cold stew," he told her, but again, she avoided the comment and the conversation.

"It would appear that Lady Kikyo had been corrupted by an unknown force," Miroku stated, flashing a look over at Inuyasha. "And it was Kikyo who cursed Kagome."

"My sister?" Kaede looked somewhere mixed between appalled and shocked. "My sister cast such a dark curse?"

"Yes, and it would seem that Kagome knew it was Kikyo," Miroku said with a firm nod towards the two of them, and Kagome's grip on his arm tightened to the point that her fingers were going to wind up cramping if she kept it up..

"Why did ye not say so from the start?" Kaede asked her, but Kagome refused to answer or even look at her. "Kagome," Kaede called, her tone firm but not angry, and Inuyasha felt Kagome flinch beside him.

He sighed, setting her bowl to the side, and then pulling her into his lap, although he turned her so that she was facing everyone else. She seemed momentarily surprised by this, looking up at everyone, as he handed her bowl back to her.

"Eat and pay attention," he ordered, and she could only stare at him.

"Kagome," Kaede said, and Kagome flinched again like a dog expecting to be hit. "Why didn't ye say anything?"

At this, Kagome stared, wide-eyed, and again looked ready to throw the bowl to the side and just run full tilt towards somewhere.

"Surely ye know by now that I would not be angry at ye for the actions of my sister."

Kaede had hit the nail on the head, because that's exactly what Kagome had told him. It was bad enough that she thought that he didn't want her, but thinking that she was somehow responsible for what Kikyo did or didn't do?

Yeah, maybe he had fucked up pretty good at the beginning with the whole Kikyo-Kagome comparisons, but those were definitely some uncharted waters, and he doubted that anyone knew how to handle being pinned to a tree, having a woman he thought he loved resurrected, and then just everything else on top of that. It was a lot, and Inuyasha didn't cope well with a lot.

"Yeah," Kagome stammered out. "I know that."

"And yet, ye said nothing?"

Kagome flinched, and Inuyasha rubbed his thumb along her arm in an attempt to reassure her—to comfort her when she needed him—it.

"I just—I thought—I didn't—" Kagome made a noise, and Inuyasha shifted his grip a little so that he held onto her.

Just in case.

"Kagome," Kaede said softly. "Ye can't keep these things a secret. The being resurrected wears my sister's face, but she is not my sister."

Kagome said nothing, but nodded. Kaede sighed through her nose before turning back to the others.

"I assume that there is more to this story."

"Quite a bit, I'm afraid," Miroku said.

"How did Kagome injure her ankle?"

"Well, that leads us into the next part of the story."

"Kouga," answered Sango between bites.

"Yeah, he kidnapped Kagome, and Inuyasha became a full demon and ran off and we had to look for them all day!"

"What's this 'we,' Shippo?" Inuyasha asked.

"How would you know? You just ran off without saying anything to anyone!"

"Yeah, well," Inuyasha crinkled his nose because he barely remembered Kouga attacking them, and then the next thing he knew was being with Kagome afterwards. "Ain't like you did the looking!"

"Inuyasha," Kaede warned with a glare in her eye. "I thought Kouga was an ally?"

"He was," Sango answered. "Something was corrupting his jewel shards."

"And he hurt ye's ankle?"

"No, I did that myself," Kagome mumbled, barely able to look at anyone other than the bowl of stew in front of her.

"He hurt her plenty. Knocked her out and tried to maul her before she fried his ass."

It still pissed him off because he knew what the wolf was trying to do. And he was going to do it by force. Which made Inuyasha want to go find his crispy ass and tear him to pieces, and then fry the pieces and feed it to those damn chickens they'd run off from his den.

Kagome flinched again, and she started to move away from him, but he stopped that, using his arm to keep her against him.

Kaede raised an eyebrow at that, he shot her a glare to mind her own business.

"Kagome feels guilty about hurting Kouga," Sango pointed out as she took another bite of food.

"Ah, but ye did it in ye's own defense, correct?" At that question, Kagome gave a small nod. "Then there is little to feel guilty about."

"I hurt him really badly," Kagome said. "I didn't have any control, and he was burned all over. It was so bad, Kaede."

"Ye are very strong, and most do not realize how much power there is in ye until the time comes, but please, child, do not blame ye's self for this. It was in ye's own defense." Kagome said nothing, and Kaede cleared her throat. "So that is how ye hurt ye's ankle?"

"No, she fell down a hill and twisted it while fighting an oni."

"No, I twisted it before the oni."

"Where did the oni come from?"

"After Kouga, I ran away and slipped down a hill, and there was an oni there. Inuyasha showed up and saved me."

"And we found each other shortly thereafter," Sango answered. "And that's when we wandered into the village."

Inuyasha growled a bit at the memory of that place.

"Assholes," he muttered.

"I assume that this place was not pleasant."

"For multiple reasons," Sango answered. "The healer there refused to help Inuyasha for any reason."

"How injured were ye that Kagome couldn't help?"

"Kagome was injured as well, perhaps more severely than Inuyasha?"

"An attack by Naraku?"

"No, Kikyo," Inuyasha answered, and Kaede looked taken aback.

"What did my sister do?"

"She poisoned Inuyasha and then tried to kill Kagome, a couple times from what I understood. She'd put up a barrier to keep everyone else out," Sango answered.

"She also trapped several youkai and disguised them into trees, so when Kagome got the barrier to fall, all the ofuda holding them in place were released as well," Miroku continued. "It was thoroughly planned."

Kaede sighed.

"I am terribly sorry for the trouble that my sister has caused all of ye," she answered. "This is not the work of my sister, Kikyo."

"We know, Kaede," Inuyasha pointed out. "Kagome said that she was using a shard that was corrupting her, but a he managed to purify Kikyo entirely the next time we saw her."

"There was another time?"

"It's been a busy month," Miroku stated with a sigh. "But the Kikyo that we saw last is probably the closest Kikyo has been to herself the entire time she's been resurrected."

"How can ye be so certain?"

"She apologized," Inuyasha answered quietly. Miroku hadn't known the living Kikyo, but he'd heard all the stories from the villagers who remembered her and from Kaede. It was a fair guess, and a right one. "She apologized for what she'd done, and how she'd treated Kagome and me, and told us everything she knew about the shards and who might be behind it. And then she left."

Kaede sat in silence, and then turned to Kagome who had completely frozen in place.

"Thank ye, for doing that for my sister. I am sure she appreciates more than ye realize."

Kagome just stayed stock still against him, and Inuyasha let his thumb trace an invisible arc across her side.

"It didn't feel like I was doing anything kind," Kagome answered.

"Ye did what was necessary," Kaede told her. "Sometimes what is necessary is not always kind."

Kagome said nothing in return, and Inuyasha tugged her in against him a bit more.

She started to place her bowl on the ground, and he grabbed it.

"Nope, you finish that."

"But I'm full!"

"Bullshit!" He said, holding up the bowl for her to see. "You're finishing it or else I'm shoveling it down your throat."

Kagome whined, but took another small bite.

Kaede flashed a look at the others, like he didn't fucking notice.

"What?" He snarled.

"Nothing an old woman hasn't seen before," Kaede said with a slight grin.

He flashed his fangs at her, even though it would do no good. Kaede gave two shits about being afraid of him.

Which was really fucking annoying at the moment.

Kagome continued eating small bites of food, and he looked back up to the group.

"It would seem as though all of ye have had a rough time since ye left the village. I think it would be wise to rest for a few days." Kaede looked at Inuyasha, who sneered in what he hoped would tell the hag to go put her input elsewhere. He didn't need to hear any teasing right now, and he doubted that Kagome was in any position to handle anything that came out of the hag's mouth this evening—regardless if it was teasing or reassuring.

In fact, everyone just needed to leave them alone for tonight.

Kagome felt like a deer that was ready to bolt the moment that there was an opening. He'd had have to keep one hand on her at all times just to make sure she didn't sit him and then try to run off.

Why was she so thick headed and refused to listen to reason?

Leave it to him to pick the most stubborn woman out there.

He let his fingers carefully draw patterns over her hip as she sat in his lap.

"We were thinking the same," Miroku said, "if it's not too much hassle."

"Of course not. So long as some of my more difficult chores get done, but that may depend on if some idle hands can depart themselves from their current obsession."

Inuyasha shot Kaede another glare.

"Did my sister mayhaps tell ye who might be behind the corruption of the shards?"

"She didn't know," Sango said. "And she didn't have the ability to find out."

Kagome shrunk back a little at that, and Inuyasha nudged her with his nose a little. Just to reassure her that he was here, and he was on her side, if anything.

She was his.

She just didn't know that yet.

Kagome set her mostly empty bowl down, glancing up at him before looking at Kaede.

He let it slide in an attempt to avoid a fight.

She'd eaten most of it, and that was enough to do more than sustain her.

Kagome leaned against him, holding onto his sleeve.

"That would be too easy, and I'm afraid that luck has never been that kind to anyone," Kaede said with a sigh. "But it was a question worth asking."

Kaede glanced at him, but again said nothing, but let out a small sigh.

"Well I'm glad that ye are not harmed further, Kagome," Kaede said. "And I am deeply sorry for how my sister has treated ye all this time."

"It's okay," Kagome said, her voice soft.

"It is not okay," Kaede stated, firm and turning towards her as Kagome tried to back away, but Inuyasha held her firmly in place. "It's abominable what she has done. That body is not my sister. Kikyo was kind and gentle. She would be appalled at what crimes she has committed."

It was the most heated that he'd seen Kaede get about Kikyo ever, and it was a little surprising to Inuyasha at how angry she was getting.

"It's okay, really. It's not her fault," Kagome said, and Kaede let out a long sigh.

"Ye are too kind for ye's own good," she said, setting her empty bowl down in front of her. "But ye have always been that way. It is one of the things I admire most about you. Not many would have put up with as much as ye have."

"Uh, thanks?" She said with a shrug, looking up at Inuyasha for some guidance, but he had absolutely no clue where Kaede was going with this just that she was going somewhere.

"Now, Kagome," she said turning towards her. "I would highly suggest staying off that ankle for the next day. Let the dog take ye where ye want to go. He seems quite able and willing to help ye."

"But—!"

"Inuyasha," Kaede continued, ignoring Kagome's outburst entirely. "A good soak in the hot spring would not be remiss."

Oh, Kaede was shoveling it on thick, wasn't she? She thought that she had everything just figured out, didn't she?

But before he could retort with anything, the old bat continued onward.

"And don't think I was talking merely about Kagome, ye are quite ripe too. I have expect rice to sprout from behind ye's ears at this point."

"Hey!"

"Kirara and I can take Kagome to the hot spring. That sounds wonderful."

"Who said you were taking her anywhere?" Inuyasha curled his arms around Kagome to prevent anyone from taking her from him. He was not about to let go for any reason. "If I'm not going, she's not going."

"It's really okay, Inuyasha. You don't have to—"

"Woman, did I say I didn't want to go?" He turned towards her, and he watched the flush start on her cheeks and spread, considering they were barely more than a few scant inches apart. It would take very little to just—lean forward and let gravity handle the rest.

Sometimes his head was heavy. Sometimes it needed to drift—you know—downwards.

"Yeah," she managed to stutter out, "but—"

"So then keep quiet and let me take you to the hot springs tomorrow."

Kaede watched them for a moment as a wide smile spread out over her face.

"What're you giggling at you old crone?"

"Ah, an old crone am I?" She asked still grinning. "Perhaps ye should sleep on the roof tonight as Kagome will be sleeping in my storage room."

"I'm—I've—" He stumbled over words, because he'd almost given away the whole damn goose at that moment. He wasn't ready to announce that they were together. Well, maybe he was. Kagome though? Kagome was a different story entirely.

She was still stiff against him, and she looked like she was struggling to deal with everything that had happened in the last few hours—not to mention weeks.

She also looked tired, and that was an easy problem for him to fix. But not until she wanted to. Not until she said she wanted to go to sleep. Then he would happily make sure that she got some good rest.

He was going to take such good care of her, and she didn't even know it.

Dragging in a breath, he huffed it out in annoyance.

"What seems to be the matter, Inuyasha? Such a thing has never tongue-tied you before. You appear to have quite the struggle with speaking your mind."

He growled at her, flashing fangs, which Kaede gave two fucks about, like she always had.

"Whatever," Inuyasha stated, still lightly rubbing Kagome's side and back with wide strokes of his thumb.

He wasn't angry, but he wasn't ready to spill his guts and neither was Kagome, judging from the way she kept sitting stiff against him like a tree, and he couldn't get her to just relax.

At least she'd eaten something, even though she'd fought him on it. She was so stubborn when it came to people taking care of her, especially in the last few days. But maybe now that she knew what she meant to him, maybe she'd be better.

Kaede still looked smug, but there wasn't anything that he could do about that. The old woman knew too much for her own good.

"Oh, Kaede, you need to look at Kagome's back," Sango said, and Inuyasha minutely tightened his grip on her. How was it when he finally got to sit there and hold Kagome that everyone wanted to take her away?

"What is the matter with Kagome's back?"

"She pulled a few stitches, and I don't know if it needs to be restitched. I meant to tell you about it earlier."

"Ah, Inuyasha, bring the girl here," Kaede said, and he reluctantly stood with her, carrying her over to where Kaede wanted to look at her near the fire.

"You can go," he told Miroku, who sighed heavily, but rose to his feet without further argument.

"Ye can leave as well," Kaed told him waving him off. "Ye need not see anything here."

Inuyasha opened his mouth to say that he'd helped before, but that was a different matter and door that he did not want to open with the hag sitting right there, so he looked up at Kagome.

"Call if you need me," he said to Kagome specifically, squeezing her hands gently before rising to his feet and walking out of the hut to see Miroku standing just outside the door.

"I thought you might want to stay close," he said.

"You can go fuck yourself."

"So," Miroku drawled out, and Inuyasha's ears reflexively flattened to his head at that tone of voice. It meant that Miroku had suspicions, and Inuyasha was about to fuck up and confirm them.

Because that was the way that things went around here.

And it wasn't like Inuyasha could tease Miroku back, because he wasn't fucking ashamed of anything that he did. Sango was the weak one between the two of them. She was easy to embarrass, and he rarely even had to try.

"Shut your mouth, monk." Inuyasha stated, as he glared at Miroku.

"I haven't even said a word!"

"You've said enough for a lifetime."

"You wound me, my dear friend."

"Not enough because you're still talking."

Miroku let out a sharp laugh, grinning at Inuyasha.

"I must say, you and Kagome looked like you were both in better spirits. Did something happen in the forest that might have been the cause?"

Inuyasha was deeply glad that the night was able to hide the sudden flush of heat in his face from human eyes. Miroku seemed none the wiser, as Inuyasha looked away and crossed his arms, purposefully ignoring the monk.

"It would appear as though the wound is healing. I do not think that stitches would benefit ye," Kaede stated. "However, I would like to cleanse the wound before it is bandaged again."

There was some shuffling around the room as Kaede and Sango took care of Kagome.

"I assume that you're listening in?" Miroku said.

"Like you can't hear them," Inuyasha scoffed, and Miroku just leaned on his staff with a sigh.

"You're really no fun."

Again, Inuyasha just glared at him.

"Inuyasha," Kaede called, and he was already shoving the mat aside and letting it fall in the monk's face as he walked in and took his seat next to Kagome.

"You good?" He asked, leaning over a bit to look Kagome in the face.

"Yeah, everything's fine," she said with a smile, but it trembled just a bit as she tried to look convincing and failed.

It was hard enough to watch her attempt to hide something from him, so he let it slide instead of calling her out on it. That was a later problem that they could deal with.

She looked away from him, and he reached out to grab her hand, to reassure her that he was there, and that nothing would happen as long as he was stayed near her.

And to remind her that she was strong and capable and fucking fierce as hell, even if she didn't believe it herself.

But her entire frame froze up as she stared over his shoulder at something. He spun, already on his feet as he saw the glowing serpentine bodies float by the window.

A/N: So yeah, I knew that it was Thursday. Saw the date on the board. Went "yep, Thursday!"

And then just did nothing.

Sorry for the super late posting, but hey! Something to read on Friday amirite?

Anyway, to sum up my life: Kittens are adorable, brain is still not braining properly, my car decided to have an *episode* that ran me $1200, and my aunt had a brain tumor removed today. It's been a *ride* and I have not been here for it. So I'm sorry about the delay in posting, it's not intentional, and it's more of me just attempting to cope with a new job, accident injuries, and just *everything else*.