InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Savvy ❯ Chapter Twenty-One ( Chapter 21 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

A/N: Tilapia is gooood. I could eat it every day. *random* And omahgaw, did you know Inuyasha's band actually has a name? Yeah, I didn't either. Sorry, I've been up way too long. And I don't own Inuyasha in any way, shape, or form.

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"I Am On Your Side" Hawthorne Heights

"Wasteland" 10 Years

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Inuyasha sat up from his couch the next morning, fumbling for his cell phone with closed eyes. Grasping it, he shut the alarm off, his fingers keying the correct buttons without having to look, and he let out a heavy sigh. He'd known the night before that he was meeting Kaede at noon, but he hadn't been able to sleep at all once he'd finished work. Kagome hadn't spoken a word to him after their kiss in the parking lot, and Kagura had allowed her to clock out at close, leaving Eric to clean while Inuyasha received the bitching of his life in the office. Remembering it well, he scowled.

"Inuyasha, if you EVER pull a stunt like that again, I will make sure you go out of this place on your ass!" Kagura shouted, fingering through her filing cabinet in search of the write up forms. Inuyasha's only consolation was that she was writing Eric up as well for harassing Kagome.

"He fucking deserved it!" Inuyasha cried with a sneer, daring Kagura to deny it with a single, pointed look.

"That is not my point! You might as well have shouted 'I'm a youkai' to the whole damn place! You acted like an animal!"

Inuyasha sulked in his chair, crossing his arms.

Kagura was not finished. "If you want to threaten Eric on your own time, that's none of my concern. But I will not tolerate any territorial pissing contest in my bar; is that understood?"

Inuyasha was literally biting his tongue to keep from replying as he swept his signature across the write up form, worried that anything he was tempted to say would get him fired.

His thoughts were interrupted by a knock on his door, and he looked up to see Kagome enter. She had her coat on, and he saw Kilala peeking out at him from inside of it.

Kagome looked over his undressed form, frowning a bit. "Are we still going to help Kaede?" she asked.

Inuyasha wasn't sure what to say; he was surprised she was speaking to him at all. "Um... yeah."

She nodded, a distant look in her eyes, and he didn't fail to notice that she would barely even glance at him. "You never told me what time, so I went ahead and got ready."

He scratched at his chin as he stood, feeling awkward. "I just... didn't think you'd still come."

She gave him a petulant look, letting Kilala down to roam the living room. "Just because you're a stupid jerk doesn't mean I'm not your friend anymore," she said, crossing his arms.

Inuyasha opened his mouth to reply, but realized nothing he could say would help fix things. He bared his teeth in a grimace, taking the insult. "Fair enough," he told her. "I'll go get dressed."

(*)(*)(*)

The drive to Kikyou's was quiet; Inuyasha constantly switched tracks on his CD player to make up for the uncomfortable silence. Kagome didn't seem bothered by the lack of conversation, however, as she absently stroked Kilala, who sat in her lap. Her eyes were focused outside the passenger window, and Inuyasha wondered what she was thinking. Her eyes seemed so far away.

As Inuyasha pulled into the parking lot of the apartment complex, he saw Kaede standing near a U-Haul, and she waved as they passed to find an empty parking spot.

Leaving the car, Kagome and Inuyasha met Kaede at the entrance, and Inuyasha noticed the curious glance Kaede directed at him for bringing someone along.

"This is Kagome," he explained, and Kaede nodded politely.

"Nice to meet you," she said, seeming a little uncomfortable. Inuyasha knew she didn't like many people knowing about Kikyou's problems.

"You, too," Kagome replied with a warm smile. "What type of nursing do you do?" she asked, looking over the scrubs Kaede wore.

Kaede brightened immediately. "Oh, I'm just an assistant right now, but I'm in school right now to be an RN, and after that, I'm going to take my TNCC."

"Wow, trauma," Kagome replied, her respect evident in her voice. "That's tough."

Inuyasha listened to the girls discuss school on the elevator ride, watching Kagome as she animatedly spoke of attending university in Tokyo. It was obvious that she was passionate about being a doctor. Why did she seem so reluctant to return to school, then? He knew she was scheduled to take her SATs sometime next month, but she hardly ever talked about it, and he knew he wasn't just imagining her avoidance of the subject when he brought it up.

Arriving on the tenth floor, Kaede led them into Kikyou's apartment, where Kagome looked around in interest, eager to know more about the woman that had supposedly crushed Inuyasha's self-confidence. There wasn't much to see, however. The walls were devoid of any decoration except for a set of floral prints on the wall, and the coffee table had a single row of candles across its lacquered surface.

"I'll help you move the furniture," Kaede told Inuyasha, who snorted.

"I can get it myself."

Kaede nodded, a wry look on her face. "And I'm sure no one would find it strange to see a man walking downstairs with a couch. By himself."

Inuyasha had to admit the girl had a valid point. "Fine. You can help."

"Is there anything I can do?" Kagome asked, wringing her hands.

"Oh, sure, if you want," Kaede replied, feeling much more at ease around Kagome after their conversation. "I have some boxes and stuff ready in the other rooms, if you wouldn't mind packing. I don't care what goes where, as long as the clothes are separated. I'm going to take those back to the house in case Kikyou shows up."

"Alright," Kagome replied with a nod, leaving them to go into the bathroom. She really wasn't looking forward to going through Kikyou's personal belongings, and the bathroom seemed safer for the moment. She boxed the towels and washcloths first before moving on to the medicine cabinet, being careful to label each box clearly as she taped it shut. She heard Kaede and Inuyasha's voices as they returned for another piece of furniture, but they were soon gone again, and she sighed softly, crossing the hall into Kikyou's bedroom. It was just as bare as the rest of the apartment, with only a framed picture on the nightstand that showed the smiling faces of Kikyou and Kaede, both of them looking a few years younger.

Kagome started in the closet, pulling clothes from their hangers and folding them neatly before she packed them away. Several pairs of shoes were put away next, and Kagome was slightly dumbfounded by how institutionally clean the place was. There was dust, of course, since no one had been around to clean, but there was absolutely none of the clutter that every other home always had, including her own.

Unpleasant thoughts began to sneak past Kagome's defenses as she continued her work, moving on to the chest of drawers at the end of the bed. Emptying the top drawer, which was nothing but pajamas and underwear, Kagome started to feel like an unwanted intruder, and it was almost as if she could feel Kikyou's cold glare on her. Though she tried to shake the feeling off, it persisted, allowing even more unsettling thoughts to creep up on her.

Inuyasha probably has all sorts of memories about this place, she thought, her traitorous eyes looking to the rumpled sheets of the bed before she could force them away. With a determined blink of her eyes, she ordered the upsetting visions away, focusing her attention on filling the boxes as she opened the bottom drawer.

"Oh, so she does own junk," Kagome mumbled, scanning the contents of the drawer, which held quite a collection of miscellaneous items. She stood to find a smaller box before returning to the drawer to sort through the mess, dropping hair ribbons, ticket stubs, and other pointless items into the box she held.

She was nearly finished when her eyes fell on a stack of pictures in the back corner, and she lifted them out of the shadows, her blank expression shifting into one of bemusement as she stared at the topmost photo.

It was Inuyasha.

The next picture showed Inuyasha as well, with Miroku this time, and they both appeared to be laughing hysterically. Kagome recognized Sango and Miroku's couch behind them.

Shifting through the thick stack, Kagome began to feel out of place for the first time since she'd started working at Savvy. Picture upon picture held memories she'd had no part of. Pictures of Kikyou and Inuyasha, both looking happier than she'd ever seen either one of them. Kissing, holding hands, smiling and making faces. She smiled sadly, wondering what exactly had made everyone hate Kikyou so much, because Inuyasha wasn't the only one pictured that seemed happy. Sango, Miroku, Rin, and even other girls from work were present in the snapshots, all smiling with Kikyou from the glossy surfaces as if she were their best friend.

Did they just like me because I wasn't her? Kagome wondered before she could stop herself, and she shook her head, disgusted at herself. Of course not. That's stupid... isn't it?

Shifting through the rest of the pictures, Kagome stopped on one of Kikyou by herself, seated on a couch, and her brow furrowed with confusion. "That's..." Her eyes darted over the details in the background of the picture, and she felt her breath leave her in a trembling whisper. "That's my apartment."

Had Kikyou lived there?

(..."You're just my replacement, you know...")

(..."Let's just say he and Kikyou have a history"...)

(..."Thank God Kagura hired you! Promise you'll never quit!"...)

(..."They broke up just over six months ago, and it was pretty ugly"...)

(..."I don't want to see you get hurt, okay?"...)

All the things said to her in the past months ran like a movie reel through her head, and she grimaced, her brow wrinkling.

Am I really just Kikyou's replacement? she thought, her eyes still focused on the photo of Kikyou in her apartment, on her couch...

How many times did Inuyasha sleep on that couch before I lived there? Or in the bed... if they...

"Hey, Kagome?"

Her head snapped up at the sound of Inuyasha's voice from the living room, and Kagome hurriedly tossed the photos in the box she'd been packing before he peered in from the doorway. "Doing alright?" he asked.

"Uh... yeah. Fine." She managed a weak smile.

"Well, we're almost done with the living room. We'll help you pack up after that."

"Oh, alright."

Smiling, he left, and Kagome sighed, looking once again to the stack of photos in the box as she swallowed the lump building in her throat. She felt suddenly as if she were living a stolen life, one that a certain cold, beautiful woman might love to have back.

(*)(*)(*)

They were carrying Kikyou's computer equipment to the elevator when Kaede surprised Inuyasha. "So, is she your girlfriend?"

Eyes bulging momentarily, Inuyasha almost dropped the CPU he held before recovering from his shock. "Ah... no. She's a friend. Kagura hired her just after Kikyou quit."

"Oh. That's a shame. She's really nice."

"Yeah."

"Pretty, too."

Inuyasha glanced suspiciously at Kikyou's little sister. "Are you going somewhere with this?"

Kaede smiled slightly as the doors of the elevator opened, and they stepped out into the lobby of the building. "I just think it's a little strange that a girl who's only your friend would offer to come help you pack your addict of an ex-girlfriend's apartment."

His brow quirked at Kaede's unusually blunt comment. "Kagome's nice that way."

"I'm sure she is. I'm also sure there's more to it that you're not telling me, Inuyasha."

He gave her a guilty glance as they left the building for the harsh winter light outside. "Who said it was any of your business?" he grumbled as they deposited the computer and cords into the back of the U-Haul.

"No one," she replied simply, leaning against the bumper of the trailer. "Does she know what you are?"

"Well, if she didn't, that crack you made about carrying the couch might have made her a little curious, don't you think?"

Kaede managed to look a little sheepish at that, but her expression quickly turned more serious.
"So, she's obviously attracted to you, she has no problem with your youkai heritage, you very obviously like her as well..."

"What makes you say that?"

Kaede rolled her eyes. "I'm a girl, Inuyasha, not stupid."

"Keh."

"I'm just wondering why it is you're only friends?" she asked, a discerning tone to her voice.

"Kaede, I don't want to talk about this," he told her, leaving the U-Haul and leaving her trotting to catch up with him.

"Why not? Because you don't want to admit that you're scared?"

Inuyasha stopped in mid-step, whipping around to pin her with an angry glare. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?" he demanded.

Kagome calmly returned the eye contact with a raised brow, crossing her arms. "Inuyasha, anyone would be scared after what my sister put you through." She noticed the uncertainty that clouded his eyes for a moment before his expression became carefully blank. "But what happened wasn't your fault. Just because you were happy until she found out you were hanyou doesn't mean you would have stayed happy otherwise. My sister's always been very fickle; you had to have known that."

He nodded slightly, not looking at her, and she didn't miss the guarded look on his face as he turned away from her. "Let's get this shit done," he told her. "I gotta go to work in a few hours."

Kaede sighed, following.

It was just after three when Inuyasha packed the last box down to the truck, and they said their good-byes to Kaede as Kagome gathered Kilala up, and Inuyasha started the car.

"So, what are you going to do tonight?" he asked on the way back home, knowing Kagome didn't have to work.

"Oh, I don't know," she replied listlessly. "Maybe read."

"Sango's off tonight, too; why don't you give her a call?" he suggested.

Kagome shrugged, seeming distracted as she stared through the window, and Inuyasha looked over at her in concern. "Something wrong?"

She started to shake her head, but then her eyes slid over to meet his, and he hoped she wouldn't try lying to him. "...Why didn't you tell me Kikyou used to live in my apartment?"

Inuyasha was caught off guard by the question, not expecting it at all. "Well... It just never came up, I guess," he replied haltingly. "I mean, she didn't live there long. Just while she was in rehab, really. Kagura let her live there for free until she had enough money to get her own place."

"Oh. I was just wondering."

Inuyasha forced himself to focus on the road, but he worried his lip as he drove, wondering why the fact that Kikyou had been in the apartment before her seemed to be upsetting her so much. He knew Kagome didn't care for Kikyou, and he didn't blame her for that. Still, it seemed odd. At least a dozen people had went through that apartment while Inuyasha had lived across the hall, and more than twice that had used the place as a crash pad when it wasn't occupied, his band included. Hell, he'd even slept in the bed once when...

Oh, shit.

Inuyasha nearly stomped the brake, realizing what Kagome might be thinking, but he stopped himself just in time, shifting down instead as he chanced a quick look at her empty expression. She didn't notice, but Kilala blinked docilely at him from her seat in Kagome's lap.

What could he say to her? He couldn't just casually mention that he'd never... done that in the bed she now slept in. He and Kikyou had barely started dating before she moved out of the apartment. Still, he had to say something, and he frantically tried to think of what would be the best way to ease Kagome's mind without having to be blunt and embarrassing them both. "Kagura told her she could stay there once she got done with her program," Inuyasha added, and he saw Kagome turn her head slightly to look at him from the corner of her eye. "The rent was a hell of a lot cheaper, and you saw how small that place of hers was."

"Yeah... Why'd she move, then? I mean, the apartment was nice, but I'd go for cheaper rent any day."

"Well, we started seeing each other right after she left rehab. Neither of us thought it'd be a great idea to live that close. She couldn't stand my music, and I couldn't stand the crap she was always cooking. Smelled like hell."

Kagome smiled a little at that, and Inuyasha allowed himself to breathe an inward sigh of relief. She didn't look happy by any means, but he could tell his words had helped to some degree. He only hoped she might tell him whatever else was bothering her eventually. If not, he was going to have to enlist help, because he certainly wasn't an expert when it came to women, and that was one thing he wasn't afraid to admit.

(*)(*)(*)

Sunday, New Year's Eve...


"So, you'll help me?" Inuyasha asked as he stood in the doorway of Sango and Miroku's bedroom, waiting for her to finish applying her eyeliner in the vanity mirror. He'd followed them home after the band practice at his apartment, and in another hour they were going to watch their friends that were in another local band. It was same one that Daniel, the guy that had hit on Kagome at one of his parties, was the drummer for. Inuyasha didn't care for Daniel, but he got along well with the vocalist, Ethan, even though the guy was so emo it looked like he might just fall to the floor and start crying at any moment. The two of them had collaborated on a few songs, and Inuyasha expected he might end up on stage before the night was over. He wasn't worried about that, however; his focus was on Kagome's sudden depression, and how to fix it.

"Of course I'll help," Sango replied, straightening as she leaned away from the mirror, only to turn and check the reflection of her ass in the jeans she was wearing. Inuyasha sighed, rolling his eyes away from that particular view. "It's not just you she's been avoiding, you know. She's barely said a word to me at work. I'm still just reeling from the shock that you actually asked me, is all."

"Yeah, well, I'm not perfect," he replied dryly.

She smirked. "Oh, believe me, I know. Ready to go get Kagome?" she asked.

He nodded. They'd already dropped Miroku off at the club to help Ethan and the others set up, and Sango was left with the car, which rarely happened since Miroku didn't trust anyone with his "baby." He just hoped Sango could get Kagome to talk about what was bothering her. He'd filled her in on as much as he knew, but that was very little. Since Tuesday, she just hadn't been herself. Though she was still all smiles at work, not a single one of them was sincere like he had become accustomed to seeing, and he missed them. He also missed hanging out with her in general; he'd barely seen her in the past four days. She hadn't crossed the hall to visit him at all, and when he chanced knocking on her door, she'd welcomed him inside, but their conversation had been stilted, and he'd felt uncomfortable trying to fill the silence between them. At least if Sango could get something out of her, he'd have a chance to fix it.

He just hoped it could be fixed.

(*)(*)(*)

Kagome was pulling her hair back when she heard the knock on her door, and jogged out of the bathroom to answer it, letting Inuyasha and Sango inside. "I'm almost done," she told them.

"We've got time," Sango replied with a smile. Kagome returned it briefly before returning to the bathroom to finish her hair.

"I hate that skirt," Inuyasha muttered, glaring toward the bathroom with narrowed eyes.

"Oh, stop it," Sango admonished, slapping his chest lightly. "She looks gorgeous."

Kagome heard Inuyasha's comment as she stood before her mirror, trying to get her ponytail straight, and she sighed, childishly sticking her tongue out in his direction, knowing he couldn't see her. She felt guilty for it immediately; she just couldn't help the conflicting emotions Inuyasha caused her to feel. She'd done nothing since Tuesday but try to make a decision on what she should do about their tentative "relationship," for want of a better word, and she was stressed beyond her limits. She knew it was foolish to feel betrayed that all of her friends had once belonged to Kikyou, as had her apartment, and her job...

Stop it, she ordered herself, tugging a little harder than necessary on her hair to tighten the elastic that held it back. You're going to go out, and you're going to enjoy the last night of the year if it kills you.

She thought it just might.

(*)(*)(*)

Kagome was surprised to see that their destination was the same small club where she'd first seen Inuyasha's band play, and as she waited in line with her friends to pay the cover charge, she could already tell it was going to be a crowded show. Well, it is New Year's, she told herself, glancing behind her at the steadily growing line.

She was rifling through her purse to find her wallet when she saw Inuyasha hand the doorman a twenty, telling him to keep the rest. Sango thanked him, and Kagome smiled wanly as she followed them inside.

"Damn, this place is packed," Sango commented as she looked at Inuyasha. "Maybe you guys should have agreed to play tonight."

He shrugged. "We've got a gig in a couple of weeks." He scanned the club, his lips pursed. "I guess we're gonna have to stand by the stage," he said, seeing no empty seats for them. "You guys go on ahead; I'll meet you there."

"Alright," Sango replied, taking Kagome's hand and leading her through the crowd down toward the stage, where they found room to stand next to a stack of speakers. "This ought to be interesting," she said.

"What do you mean?" Kagome asked, her brow furrowed.

"Well, these guys have a pretty... violent following. We should be alright this close to the stage, though." Kagome only gave one of the tremulous smiles she'd been perfecting over the past few days, and Sango sighed heavily.

"Kagome, what's the matter?" she asked pleadingly.

Seeing the dismayed look on Sango's face, Kagome desperately sought for a way to assure her nothing was wrong. "I'm fine," she replied, trying for a better smile and not quite pulling it off.

Sango's lips disappeared into a thin line as she frowned at Kagome. "Did I do something to make you mad?" she asked.

"What? Of course not!" Kagome cried. "Why would you think that?"

"Why wouldn't I? You've barely said two words to me since Christmas."

"I..." Kagome looked to the floor, feeling absolutely awful. She felt Sango's hand on her arm, and looking up to see her friend's hesitant expression, she felt the sting of tears in her eyes. "I'm sorry. I've just... had so much on my mind."

"Don't be sorry," Sango told her, rubbing her arm comfortingly. Glancing over towards the bar, she saw Inuyasha coming toward them slowly, trying to get through the crowd without spilling the drinks he carried. She knew Kagome wouldn't say anything with him around. "Look, you wanna run to the restroom for a minute? It'll be quieter in there, and the show shouldn't start for a little bit longer."

Kagome agreed, following Sango down the dimly lit hall that led to the ladies' room, which was cramped with only two stall and a sink that had seen better days, but it was empty for the moment except for the two of them. "So, you wanna tell me what's wrong now?"

Kagome sniffled, her eyes fixed on the floor as she leaned back on the cinderblock wall. "It's stupid," she mumbled.

"It can't be that stupid if it's bothering you so much."

Kagome looked up through the fringe of her bangs, her eyes glassy with unshed tears. "I'm just being dumb, is all," she replied softly. "But it's like I can't stop thinking about it."

"Thinking about what?"

Kagome sighed, crossing her arms. "It's just... when we went to Kikyou's the other day, I saw a picture of her in my apartment. I didn't know she'd lived there, and I guess it isn't a big deal, but... there was all these other pictures."

"Of Inuyasha and her?" Sango asked sympathetically.

"Yeah, but not just those. Pictures of everyone, with Kikyou. I guess I just thought no one ever liked her at all, and seeing that I was wrong..." She looked to Sango as the tears finally spilled out of her eyes, leaving small trails of mascara down her face. "It made me remember what Kikyou told me when I met her; that I was just her replacement. She was just talking about my job, but I started thinking-- what if she came back, you know?" A choked little sob escaped Kagome's throat. "I have her job, and her old apartment, and all her friends... And she hates me. What would I have if she came back?"

"Kagome..." Sango trailed off, regret in her voice that Kagome had been thinking such things. She moved to embrace her friend, and the gesture broke the dam of Kagome's tears, causing her to whimper helplessly against Sango's shoulder. "You're not anyone's replacement," Sango assured her. "And I'm sure that's just the reason Kikyou doesn't like you. You're living the life she couldn't. That doesn't make you a stand-in for her. What you saw in those pictures, Kagome... was just that. Pictures. People smiling for a camera. I'm not going to lie and say we all hated Kikyou from the start, because we didn't. She and Inuyasha really were happy, until he told her what he really was. And maybe you do have the job she had, and you do live where she once lived, but so have a dozen other girls before you. I know if makes it feel more personal because of Inuyasha, and I know he's made mistakes, but I also know he doesn't want you to be like Kikyou. None of us do." She chuckled, hugging Kagome tightly. "He'd probably kill me for telling you this, but he actually asked me if I'd talk to you. He's been worrying himself sick."

Kagome pulled away, looking at Sango questioningly. "He... has?"

She nodded. "I was going to try to talk to you tomorrow at work, but I knew he had to be desperate to let me know it was bothering him. He's not exactly the type to ask for help."

"No..." Her expression was pitiful as she looked to the floor. "I feel so horrible for all of this."

"Don't," Sango told her. "Everyone gets paranoid sometimes, and it's not like Inuyasha hasn't given you enough to worry about."

Kagome laughed weakly. "Yeah... I guess I was just so upset already after he kissed me that seeing those pictures made it worse."

Sango went still after Kagome's words, her eyebrows steadily creeping upwards. "...Wait a second. When did he kiss you?"

Kagome eye's widened as she regarded Sango; she'd never told her! "Oh... Well, it was after he blew up on Eric, on Christmas. He followed me outside, and I was so-- angry at him..."

Kagome went on to explain exactly what had happened that night, growing more wary with every word; Sango looked as if she might begin to growl at any moment, her eyes narrowing as Kagome finished.

"I didn't really give him a chance to say anything," she concluded, walking to the mirror to look at her tear-stained face. "I guess I just didn't want to hear him apologize."

With a grim look, Sango reached into her purse, offering Kagome her make-up pouch. "Well, let's get you cleaned up. And if something's wrong, tell me next time, okay?"

Kagome laughed. "Okay." As she unzipped the bag, removing a compact, she glanced at Sango's reflection behind her. "Um, Sango?"

"Yeah?"

"You're not... mad at Inuyasha, are you?"

Sango smiled, shaking her head. "No, Kagome," she replied pleasantly. "Mad isn't even the word for it."

Oh, boy.

Inuyasha was still holding the drinks he'd purchased for himself and the girls when he saw Kagome and Sango leaving the hall they'd disappeared into. Seeing Kagome's reddened, puffy eyes made his heart sink, but she smiled shyly at him as she approached, and took the drink from him with a soft thanks. Sango's took hers as well, but the experssion on her face reminded him eerily of his brother as she stepped back from him.

"Inuyasha?" Kagome spoke, and he looked down to see her place the drink he'd bought for her on the stage.

"Yeah?" He looked down into her eyes, waiting tentatively for whatever she might say, and hoping with all his might that he wasn't out of chances.

"I'm sorry," she said, causing the hesitant look on Inuyasha's to change into one of confusion. He didn't have time to question her apology before she was wrapping her arms around him, resting her cheek against his chest.

"Kagome..." His voice was soft as he embraced her tightly, and as Sango reached to take the bottle from his hand, allowing him to better comfort the girl in his arms, the look he gave her was a mixture of confusion, worry, and gratitude.

Sango returned it with a malicious glare, and Inuyasha's eyes widened drastically as she silently mouthed two words to him from over Kagome's shoulder:

"You're. Dead."

*******

OMG, guys, thanks SO much for the great reviews! I should torture you people more often! Just kidding. I want them together, too. I'm just trying to make it as horribly realistic as possible. But you guys make me feel so loved. *huggles you all* Oh, and if I don't update for a week or so after this, it's because I went to the doctor yesterday for another stupid liquid nitrogen treatment. I should be fine, but my fingers are covered in bandaids, which is making it hard to write. I already have quite a few pages of the next chapter written, though, so it shouldn't take too long!