That's the Way Love Goes: XIV

A/N: Aaaaaaaand we start with a lemon for 2009. The whole first quarter of the story is lime-y, and I marked the end, so if you're not interested, just skip to the marked break. There's a bit of a comment at the end of the chapter, if you'd like to read it. I just want to let you guys know that I'm having problems with my computer - it's complicated, but basically, it's virtually impossible now to have both Word (my processor) and the internet open at the same time. You can imagine, this creates a problem for one such as myself, especially when some of the places I post at (dA, IYFF, Dokuga) need to be copy-and-pasted. So bear with me. It's not that I didn't want to write, it's that I quite literally could not. Also, for the last time… DO NOT (read: DO NOT) get comfortable with the Inuyasha/Kagome pairing. Please, guys, I'm begging you. I feel bad for the things I have to do in the upcoming chapters but your opinion (though regarded kindly) is not going to change my story. It's been planned this way for some time, and no amount of begging, pleading, bribery, or threats (you know who you are! LOL) can change that. Please, for the love of Mother Nature, DO NOT ask me to change the story. While I respect your feelings, whatever they may be - you love/hate Inu, you love/hate Sessh, Kagome confuses you - and I love all reviews, no matter what you say, don't expect me to change it. This is a SessKag story, and it's an angst story (if you don't know the meaning of the word ANGST, that explains a lot. It's all about emotional strife and turmoil - i.e. someone constantly second guessing themselves, putting themselves down, etc… - and that's the kind of thing I love. Sorry. If it makes you feel any better, I plan on (one day) beginning a series of shorter stories based on some of my favorite movies. More details later.

Kagome's song of the chapter:

“Pain - without love.

Pain - I can't get enough.

Pain - I like it rough;

`Cause I'd rather feel pain than nothing at all…” - Pain, Three Days Grace

That's the Way Love Goes

Chapter XIV

They kissed for some time, each needing the comfort of the other, as it had been a year ago. But through the fog of despair came the winds of arousal, and their sadness was forgotten.

She curled a hand into his now dark hair, enjoying the silky texture. When her nails scraped his scalp - something that he would have barely felt before - he groaned. She smiled against his lips and got onto her knees - one on each side of her `husband' - and crawled up his body, admiring his still unclothed chest. His hands caressed their way from her deliciously curved hips to her small waist. He was delighted to find that it still didn't take much strength to pull her to him; she'd been easy to swing around when he was hanyou, and she was easy to handle now.

She gasped when he tugged her to his chest, and he smirked with pleasure. When she was well placed, their most intimate parts fitting snugly against one another, he began to rise. This was harder than planned, since he now had the strength of a human. Still, she was tiny and weighed less than one hundred pounds, and with some effort, he was able to lift her. She wrapped her legs around his waist and kept her arms around his neck, and all the while, their lips ravaged each other. She kissed his neck, suckling on a particularly sensitive spot, and his knees grew weak. He lost his balance, and they went tumbling to the ground. At first, he was only worried for her, checking to see if she was hurt. But when she looked up at him, she was trying desperately to hold back her laughter.

He grinned then, and she let loose. Her mirth filled the air, and he joined in, although he was still a bit shamed for his failure. When she finally got a hold of herself, she got to her feet, offering him a hand. He took it to her surprise, and they each climbed out of the well. Once exposed to the cool night air, Kagome realized what they must look like. Inuyasha, with only a pair of black slacks on, and she looked like something out of Victoria's Secret. Giggling madly, she grabbed Inuyasha's hand and made a run for the house, ducking as they went. She felt so alive! She knew there was no one around to see, but all the same, it seemed so wrong!

When they were finally inside, laughing until they slipped down the wall of the kitchen to sit, they looked at each other. Kagome was still so shocked that not only was she married - albeit falsely - to Inuyasha, but he was human, and never going to change back to a half-demon. She crawled to him, and he drank in her beauty. The moonlight was drifting inside from that kitchen's window, and it bathed her in an ethereal glow. When she was finally in front of him, she noticed how the darkness made his eyes almost black in color. She kissed him softly, pushing him down. When he was on his back, she lay over him, her slight weight pinning him down. Inuyasha ran his hands up her body, and cupped a breast in his palm.

Encouragingly, she pressed into it, letting him know she needed more pressure, more movement. He lifted his head to kiss her neck, and she moaned when he bit gently. Rubbing against him shamelessly, he bit back a groan of impatience. Tantalizingly, Kagome slowly slipped a hand down his chest until she found his pants, finding it annoying that she had to undo them yet again tonight. As soon as she unbuttoned them, she felt him stiffen in anticipation. As she pulled the zipper down, he began to tremble. And then, without bothering to remove the clothing, she reached in to touch him.

There was something odd about it. She was no stranger to the male body, but with a different partner, there was always some trepidation. What if he doesn't like the way I touch him? What if he doesn't enjoy this? What if…? Of course with Inuyasha, she didn't have anything to worry about. But the feminine indecision and fear of rejection always take hold, and she paused as she wrapped her fingers around him. In that brief moment, Kagome noticed that there wasn't a noise anywhere. It was totally silent. And that's when she realized he was holding his breath, leaving himself totally - and literally - in her hands. She smiled coyly, and all feelings of unease washed away as she stroked down his shaft, making him arch his back with pleasure.

When she was sure she had his complete attention, she squeezed a little harder as she pumped him slowly. He could only make unintelligible sounds while she worked him. Then she began to slip down, her head coming closer to the hard member she held. Inuyasha, never knowing of carnal pleasures, could feel this was something in the making, although he had no idea what. He watched as her head dipped lower and lower, and when she finally open her mouth, he understood; his heart began a frantic race. She suckled the head gently, and it made Inuyasha jerk so violently she lost her grip on him. He gave her a sheepish grin and she scowled playfully at him. When he had a better grip on himself, she resumed, grasping him once again and guiding him to her mouth. She let her tongue loose, to run up his shaft, and he trembled with pleasure and anticipation. He gasped when suddenly, his cock was inside her warm mouth and it was moving down, sucking on him. And he laid his head back and closed his eyes tightly when she increased the rhythm and pressure. Gods, he was going to explode.

He didn't want to, so he pushed her away, but it was too fast - he learned that night that she would see that as rejection, but he quickly worked to rectify it. Sitting up, he removed his pants and the `boxers' she had gotten him - he was still trying to get used to them - and lay in all his naked glory. Kagome could not help the traitorous part of her mind that compared him to his brother. Of course as a human, he was smaller than Sesshoumaru, although with Inuyasha, his whole body was smaller. Inuyasha stood only six inches taller than her, while Sesshoumaru was almost a foot taller than his little brother. But Inuyasha was different in other ways, too. He was of heavier build; instead of his muscles being long and lean, his were thick and corded. Though both bodies were beautiful, she couldn't help feeling that she preferred the leaner body, although there could be other reasons for that she didn't want to think about right now.

Which was fine, because she would have forgotten anyways, the way he was running his hands along her body, learning her curves. He reached behind her, knowing the clasps were there, but he had never helped her undress before, and he was inexperienced.

“Watch,” she said, getting to her feet. Before long, she had her back to him, her hair tossed over her shoulder.

She started to unhook the bodice, going slowly to tease him. Finally, he got to his feet, impatient. She smirked. He had had enough, and quickly finished for her. When her bare back was revealed, he couldn't help but notice that although to him, she was still the most beautiful woman in the world, she looked… unhealthy. Her shoulder blades stuck out, and he could see each vertebrae of her spine clearly. He was worried, wondering if she had been getting better as he had thought. Perhaps it was only wishful thinking?

But he wasn't able to think clearly much longer, since she had dropped the binding and turned to him. Her heavy mass of waves covered one breast, but the other was exposed to his hungry eyes. Before he could move, she reached down to hook a finger into the edge of her underwear. Fingering the lace, she slowly pulled downwards, baring her creamy skin inch by inch. His stormy gaze couldn't leave her hand if it tried. He watched until she was bare to him, and his eyes were fixed on their prize. He walked to her, but this was uncovered ground for him. He had no experience, and anything he had ever been told - with no males in his life except those that tried to kill him - was by Miroku, who had seemed to fail in his advances except with Sango, or with females that wanted him dead or for dinner.

Kagome seemed to feel his nervousness and reached for his hand. She pulled him close, knowing that when you were inexperienced, the only thing to do was to give in to whatever your feelings told you to. So first, she ran her hands up his chest, feeling each dip and curve of muscle. Looking up into his darkened stare, she kissed him. Gingerly at first, and then, as he grew bolder and more confident, it grew passionately. His hands roamed, one playing tentatively with a nipple and the other sprawled across her lower back. That hand - rougher, thicker than she remembered - found her rounded backside, palming it and squeezing. It came around her hip, still learning this new territory, and then he was seeking her, his fingers dipping into her folds.

She gasped, the feeling so familiar and yet so different. As he experimented with the new feeling, he took notice of her reactions. This, he found, he could do. This was obviously the most sensitive spot on her body, and he barely had to touch her and she would writhe and moan and her body would tremble for more. An added bonus was the lack of claws, which he assumed she would not appreciate.

When he had tested different motions, speeds, and pressures, his instincts took him one step further, seeking the warmth he knew was there. Boldly, he pushed further until he had one finger inside. She squirmed, bucking shamelessly into his hand, wanting and needing more. He smiled with masculine pride, and added another finger, much to her delight. But she wanted more. She grabbed him roughly, kissing him in a harsh, angry motion. He responded, liking the way this was going. He pulled his fingers away, to her chagrin. He laughed at her pouting expression. She tried to glare at him, but he suddenly had a predatory glean in his eyes. She felt a sliver of fear skate up her spine, and it served the purpose of stoking the flames of her desire. He walked towards her, and she stepped back, until she bumped up against the wall that stood between the kitchen and living room. Trapped, she could only watch as he approached.

When he was in front of her, he pulled her head forward roughly, enjoying the new game. She kissed him hungrily, and her eagerness pleased him. But he was ready for her, and he needed to get the point across. He pinched a hardened peak, and she gasped. When he released her mouth to nibble her neck, she groaned, threading her hands in his hair and pulling, as if to keep his head there. But he wasn't satisfied, and ever her fiery nature wouldn't hold him. His head ventured down, and he took the unattended other breast in his hand. Slowly, he reached out with his tongue and grazed it over the perky pink skin.

“Gnnn…” she managed, and now, her hands were insistent on keeping his mouth exactly where it was.

Completely fine with this turn of events, he brought his whole mouth around the tip of her breast, and suckled greedily. Alternating between laving it with his tongue and sucking, Inuyasha kept her squirming like a snake.

“Oh… that's…” She took a moment to pant, interrupting her praise. “Oh,” she repeated, “that's good.”

Pleased, he stopped his ministrations to nip at her with his now less-sharp teeth. She gasped, always being a fan of painful pleasure. He did it again, harder, and she bucked, encountering Inuyasha's eager manhood. An electric jolt shot through his nervous system when their intimate parts rubbed against each other. He noticed the glazed look in Kagome's cerulean eyes and experimented, purposefully rubbing his excited member against her wet heat. They both clenched fists in whatever was available - the wall, hair, flesh - and Kagome decided enough was enough.

“M-more…” she commanded, despite her shaky voice.

Understanding, he pressed up against her, and she clung to him desperately. But she couldn't seem to get close enough. With her arms clamped in a death grip around his neck, she lifted a long leg so that it hung over his muscled hip, bringing them even closer together. He forced her into the wall, and she moaned as the head of his cock twitched impatiently at her opening. He was amazed that she was so wet, so ready.

He reached down to pinch a nipple as he adjusted himself, then slowly, he pushed. She could feel him spreading her, and she hissed in impatience. Savoring the moment, he tortured them both with his slow movements. Pushing in inch by inch, he was surprised by how much his bride was enjoying herself - only to remember that she was not a virgin. Anger and jealousy coursed through his veins, and he took it out on her by forcing himself into her in one quick burst, making him miss that wondrous sensation that is the first thrust. She only laughed devilishly, and he had to keep from laughing. Then she wriggled, and it sent a tingling sensation straight to his toes. He drew back and pushed into her again, drawing a gasp from her as she was forced back into the wall. Slowly but surely, as he gained knowledge and confidence, his thrusts came quicker, stronger. Soon, Kagome placed her other leg around his waist. He kept up his pace until he felt the tingling sensation increase, telling him something was coming, something big. Eager for it, he pumped into her even harder, and she held on for dear life as he thrust up into her. Finally, his orgasm was upon him, and he saw a blinding light as he came undone, and they both panted as he calmed.

Kagome unwound her legs and tried not to feel disappointed. Of course, he was new at this, and probably had no idea women could orgasm too. As she wiped the sweat from her brow, she saw him slink to the ground, the biggest, dopiest grin on his face she'd ever seen. Instantly, he was forgiven. She'd made his millennia, and she'd do it again. Of course, this meant that they were going to have to talk about it, something she was not looking forward to. But if it improved her sex life and their happiness, she would do it.

Feeling him drip out of her, she felt the need to take a shower. She ruffled his hair playfully as she passed by him, retrieving her scattered clothes from the kitchen. Grinning, she walked upstairs purposefully. He watched her, his expression still one of awe. He didn't follow, however, so she didn't stop until she was back in her room. She meant to only throw her undergarments on the bed, but she saw her rumpled wedding dress on the floor.

&&&&& END OF MATURE CONTENT &&&&&&

Unbidden, the memories flooded her. She remembered the reason she had run out into the midnight air to the well house. She remembered that she had married a man she loved, but wasn't in love with. And lastly, she felt the loss from not being able to reach her own climax and remembered a time where her needs were put first, where she was an equal in the carnal arts, and when she lost herself several times a night. But those nights - and memories - were literally in the past, and she could never get them back.

Grateful for his dulled senses, Kagome dragged herself into the bathroom and turned the water on hot, letting the steam and spray drown out her tears.

~~~~~%~~@

It was merrier than normal at breakfast, everyone laughing and sharing stories and memories from the night before. She really didn't feel the joy they all radiated, but she laughed and smiled anyways.

Inuyasha had come upstairs after she was in bed, and he had sat on her windowsill, still naked, into the wee hours. She had fallen asleep, and he slipped into bed, putting an arm around her, and falling asleep as well. She had risen first, dressing and going downstairs to inspect the damage. It looked the same, except that Inuyasha's clothes were still strewn about. She had brought her things upstairs last night, why couldn't he do the same? Annoyed, she picked up his things, glad that her family hadn't returned. When she arrived back in her room, she found that Inuyasha was in the shower. She cleaned her room and before she was done, Inuyasha emerged from the bathroom, his shaggy, black hair dripping wet, and his toned body wrapped only in a small towel.

A small trickle of desire twirled into her stomach, but she knew her family would be back soon. She settled for running a hand over his taut stomach and giving him a sultry kiss. He grabbed at her, trying to make her stay, but she pulled away.

“I can't,” she told him, smiling gently. “They'll be home any minute.”

He sighed. “Yeah, I guess we'll have to keep it under wraps until they move out, huh?”

She cringed. Inuyasha was known for his rudeness and insensitivity, but this was too much. The tears sprang, and she left him and the room to wait for her family.

Inuyasha frowned as he watched her depart. “Wha'd I say?” Knowing there was no one to set him straight or tell him how to make things right, he sighed, resigning himself to getting dressed.

Now, as Kagome collected plates, her mother suggested an outing. “Why don't you two go to the movies or something?”

To be honest, she really didn't want to be with him right now. She'd rather spend her time with her family, who - as she was rudely reminded earlier - were leaving soon. It was only three weeks until Souta's Middle School days were over, and a few days after that, they were going to his new High School, to settle him. Then Kagome's mother and grandfather would go to Shimane, to live in a country home that their family apparently owned.

It was enough to send her into a rage, but she would hold it in, for everyone's sake. Her brother was leaving either way, and it would only hurt her mother to see her in pain now. It would be easier if mama were not around to see her like this.

~~~~~%~~@

A week later, an elderly woman came to the shrine to pray for her health. She had a gash that would not heal, and doctors had put her on all kinds of medication to staunch blood flow, kill infection, heal skin… Kagome frowned at the woman. Did she ever eat? Or was her only nutrition of medicinal value?

“Takahashi-sama, you need to cleanse yourself of these medicines,” she told the elderly lady.

The older woman nodded sagely, as if to convey that this was what she had come for. It was the first time Kagome's other training would have come in handy. By now, she had perfected her healing powers, although it drained her horribly, especially now that she was so unhealthy herself. She wondered if she were even capable of calling her healing powers forward.

“Please, stay still,” Kagome instructed as she placed her hands on the frail woman's arm.

The woman nodded again. “Hai, miko-sama.”

Relaxing and letting her body feel its' way into the woman, her hands began their usual, pink glow. As the woman gasped, she felt the warmth of the light sooth her, and she closed her eyes. In a few minutes, Kagome could do no more. She slumped over to the side, and Inuyasha caught her, smoothing her hair away from her face.

She looked at her arm, amazed. “It's… It's gone! The cut is gone, and I feel great!” She looked to the barely conscious miko. “Young lady, I didn't believe there were any left from the `old times', but it seems you are quite different. I thank you.”

Inuyasha nodded, knowing Kagome wasn't exactly up to a conversation right now. He pulled her into his arms, letting his body support her slight weight. “Hey, don't tell too may people, okay? See how she gets?” He gestured to the limp woman in his arms.

“It's okay, Inuyasha,” Kagome said softly.

“I see,” Mrs. Takahashi said, nodding. “The girl is special, but it mustn't be wasted on the foolish. Don't worry, boy!” She patted him heartily. And with a few energetic steps, she was gone.

Inuyasha sighed. These modern people were so much crazier than the time he was born in. “Let's get you inside,” he said.

Once she was situated inside, a cup of tea in her hand and her cheeks regaining color, he finally left to find Souta. Kagome's mother stayed with her, worry etched into her face.

“Mom, I feel fine, really.”

“I know, dear, it's just that…” What could she say? She couldn't tell the truth, but the warning to be careful with her powers went beyond a few gossipy old ladies.

Her eyes shifted tellingly, and Kagome grew suspicious. “What?”

“Oh, nothing,” she said, smiling. “I just don't want you to wear yourself out, that's all. And I don't want little old women crowding you when I'm gone. You have to restrain your powers.”

What was this all about? Her mother had no problems when she tended to people with bandages, and she surely didn't mind the extra traffic flow after one of Kagome's deeds went noticed. Why was she so worried now that she had used her powers? After all, she had actually helped the old woman. She found her mother looking cautiously towards the door, as if she expected someone to suddenly barge in. Odd. What was this really about?

~~~~~%~~@

Once Kagome had gone upstairs to rest, Inuyasha trailing behind as usual, there was a slight knock on the sliding wooden door. It was half-expected, although it wasn't something she was looking forward to.

“Yes?” she said, attempting to be civil.

He looked into the darkened house, hoping to catch a glimpse of her, although he knew she was upstairs. Her power still lingered with him, snaking over his skin, calling to his youki. He turned back to the mother of the woman he had spent the past few centuries mourning over.

“Is she well?”

“She's fine,” came the answer, almost in a sigh. “She gets… worn out easily nowadays.” She sent him a pointed stare, and he understood.

“She still is not healthy.”

Mrs. Higurashi looked at the floor. “No.”

“But… she has married my brother?”

In a sense, yes. Although it wasn't legal. But did he need to know that? “Yes. One week ago.”

He nodded, as if knowing the exact date. “And he is now human?” Of course, otherwise he would have sensed him and ran down the stairs, brandishing Tessaiga and cutting through walls to get to him.

The woman nodded. There was a brief silence, and she became pensive. “Why don't you leave them alone?” she asked, no malice in her voice. “She… has Inuyasha. You can't fix this. You once told me you were too late, and it's true.”

She watched as she saw his eyes show all his pain, his torment, his years of waiting.

“I felt her power. I merely wished to ascertain if there was danger,” he said before disappearing into the night.

With a sigh, Kagome's mother slid the door back into place and went to pour herself a cup of tea.

~~~~~%~~@

Kagome went through the motions of being the main proprietor of the Shrine; her grandfather did minimal work now as he prepared for retirement. Inuyasha began to learn to do handiwork, now that he wouldn't be destroying things with a single touch. He couldn't do everything right away, and he was still, for the most part, ignorant. During the quiet nights in her room - where he could stay, undisturbed now, since they were married - he opened up to her, and Kagome embraced every secret he told. He didn't have many left, however, and so mostly, he spoke of his childhood.

She hadn't known the extent of his teachings before. But he told her now, unashamed, how his mother had only the chance to teach him basic reading and writing. And he hadn't used those skills in so long that he was rusty. Among the stories he told were of how his mother had to move constantly from village to village - always avoiding the west - as the people would grow more and more weary of housing a hanyou. So after she died, he went off on his own, to live in the wilderness. He learned to hunt, he learned to use his powers, and he learned to avoid humans. These were all things he hadn't needed to do with his mother around.

One night, he finally told Kagome of the constant shunning he had to endure, in each of the villages. Children wouldn't play with him, women wouldn't look at him, and men would try to harm him. Of course this brought Kagome to tears, and he had to abandon his storytelling to console her. But she was more angry than sad; how could anyone treat a child in such a way? He continued, telling her how only the promise of the Shikon no Tama brought him around humans again. He was wild; feral. But it brought him to Kikyou, and she pitied him, guessing his harsh upbringing. He was confused by her unwillingness to harm him - until then, no human, save his mother, had shown him mercy. Little by little, she taught him tolerance. But he had so long to go, yet, and their distrust for the other's heritage brought them to ruin.

Kagome thought she should feel jealous, or some modicum of envy, but she didn't. She was awed to hear the same story anew, straight from his memory. She knew, in that instant, that she was right not to hate Kikyou. And it seemed that now, Inuyasha held no longing for the dead priestess.

“And then you came along,” he smirked. “Wakin' me up and fuckin' up my whole world.”

She smiled. “Are you complaining? Goshinboku is right outside. I could always-”

“Keh, you don't have the balls.” He could see she was about to protest, so he interrupted. “Besides, I don't think you can seal human.”

Kagome thought about this for a minute. He was probably right. Kaede had taught her many things, but anything her power worked with - except healing, which worked on both - was of youkai origin. So she would just be wasting her time. “All right, you win,” she told him.

Smug, Inuyasha grinned. “'Course I do. So anyways, that's it.”

Kagome was staring out the window now, pensive. How things could change. Three-and-a-half years ago, she would have sworn that she would still be chasing after Inuyasha, forever shadowed in the eclipse that was Kikyou. She was desperately in love, and there wasn't even a doubt that that could change. Three years ago, she saw herself finally marrying Inuyasha, and then having children, and flipping back and forth between the two eras she spent her time in. Of course, this was silly, since had they had children, the risk of demons coming after the jewel would have been too great, and both she and Inuyasha would have had to stay in her time anyways.

But that didn't happen. Apparently, because Inuyasha wanted her to finish school, so that she never felt unfulfilled. Silly hanyou, he could have told her that. If he had, they could have still built somewhat of a life together while waiting for her to be done with school.

And a year ago, she would not even have bet one hundred million yen on a guess that she would become attached to Sesshoumaru, and they would fall in love. Her world had been turned inside out, ripped to shreds and resewn so that the pieces didn't match. With all of that knowledge, she then would not have bet her life that after that, the Taiyoukai would then regain his memories - and hatred for humans - and throw both herself and Rin to the sharks.

She wasn't sure which journey had been more perilous: the search for the jewel shards and Naraku, or falling deeply in love and being tossed away by the brother of the man she once loved.

It was strange how she could never rid herself of the past. Why couldn't there be one day when she didn't think of Naraku, Kikyou, or her friends, who were now unreachable, almost five hundred years in the past? And now, she was supposed to be happy, married to the boy she had been through so much with, the one she had saved and was saved by. But there was always the trickle of remembrance. She didn't want to remember. She wanted to forget him. She wanted to never think of anything that brought forth the crippling memories.

She had to admit that she was much more comfortable with Inuyasha now that he was human. She didn't worry about whose golden eyes she was staring into, whose white hair she was running her fingers through. There were no claws, no fangs. And yet… A part of her missed all those things. She told herself it was because she had loved the half-demon Inuyasha. A tiny part of her brain thought there was another reason, but she wouldn't even entertain the thought.

Her mother had taken to Inuyasha instantly, complimenting his now-dark hair and mysterious eyes. Kagome missed the ears, and she was sure her mother did too, though she would never say it. And some things were easier now: he was able to play with Souta without ruining controllers or soccer balls; he could assist her grandfather and wouldn't pass out from the incense; and he enjoyed the cooking more, something that had always irked her before. She chalked it up to doggie taste buds, and how dogs liked the simplest things you gave them.

She was brought out of her musings when there was a knock at the door. Inuyasha told them to come in, and it turned out to be her mother.

“Kagome, dear, there's another woman here asking for help with her health,” her mother told her, worry lines prominent in her face.

This bothered Kagome, but she would ask later. “Are you sure it's not the same one?”

“No. This one is… different.” She looked away at the last word, and Kagome knew something was wrong.

Inuyasha, oblivious, nodded. “Let's go,” he said, grabbing Kagome's wrist.

Together, the three of them walked down the stairs and outside. Kagome immediately noticed the biggest difference. She was facing away, but this person was in a wheelchair. Humorously, the first thing that Kagome thought was, `how did she get up the shrine steps?!' But she pushed the question away and came around to the front of the sickly person. Immediately, she was stunned. This woman wasn't very old, like the other. She was young, perhaps younger than her own mother!

As usual, and with just as much tact, Inuyasha was the first to voice his concerns. “What the hell happened to you?”

Kagome and her mother both glared at him, but he was oblivious. His eyes were trained on the tubes that ran from her arm to a little bag that was posted atop a stand. He had never seen anything like it. It reminded him of the tentacles Naraku often shot his way, and he was wary.

The woman turned big, hopeless, dead brown eyes up to him, and he shivered. They took in her lack of hair, her frail body - she was even thinner than Kagome had been at her worst - and her sallow, fragile skin. But the biggest difference was her lack of life; it was as though she had already given up.

“Forgive me,” a man said from behind them. They were amazed that he looked barely better than she, although he was standing, and had a full head of black hair. “My grandmother was here the other day…” Oh. That explained a lot. “… and she said that you have a healer. She said that the miko cured her with a simple touch. We had to try - I carried my wife and the chair all the way up here, although I should have called first. Is the priestess around?”

He looked so desperate, as if this was the last string of hope that he held, and that she had already lost her grip on it. Kagome had recovered from the previous healing and had been trying to eat a little better, in case something else came along. But she still emptied her stomach every now and then, but not on her own will. So she was still far from optimal health.

“Is it… cancer?” she asked tentatively.

The woman in the chair finally moved. Slowly, as if she were afraid her own head would roll off lest she move wrong, she nodded.

The Higurashi women gasped. They had never had to deal with cancer up close, and it frightened them now, to see the plague that so many suffered from.

“You poor thing,” Kagome heard her mother say as her own eyes filled with tears.

Kagome took another step towards the woman and prepared to bend down to her level, but felt an arm restraining her. She looked up to find Inuyasha holding her back. She frowned.

“Kagome, you're not ready for this. She looks really sick,” he said softly.

She found no malice in his expression, but she was angry. “That's exactly why I have to do this,” she told him, flicking her arm out of his grip.

Kagome's mother, having been recovered from the shock, agreed. “Kagome, last time, you almost passed out, and that was just a little cut.”

Kagome wheeled on her mother, think that of anyone she would understand. “It was not just a little cut. Her blood was tainted with infection, which was why the cut wouldn't heal. And it wasn't little, either. It was through the muscle.” She didn't want to defend herself against her entire family, but she wasn't going to be moved by this. She was going to try, with their support or without.

“Priestess-”

“Please, call me Kagome,” she said, smiling gently towards the man.

“Hai,” he said, bowing. “Kagome-sama, we do not have any money to pay you with, because of all the expensive medicines, but-”

Kagome rose her hard to stop him, her blue eyes hard as steel. “Nonsense. I don't need any money from you. I only want to see her better,” she said, gesturing towards the sick woman.

“Kagome,” Inuyasha said, a warning in his voice.

If she had fangs, she would have bared her teeth at him, but otherwise, she would look silly, so she settled for a glare. He shrunk back, knowing the look all too well. He may not have a subjugation spell to curb his behavior, but he was stuck with the woman, and in her time, no less. So he was going to have to see how far this could go.

Kagome knelt next to the woman and noticed her eyes following her. She read the trepidation in the woman's dull eyes. “From what I've heard, it doesn't hurt at all. And once…” she thought back to a conversation she had with Sesshoumaru, tried to disconnect from it, but it was too late. She remembered him telling her that he had been filled with happy warmth when she had healed him. “Once, I was told it was quite pleasant.” She spoke softly, and Inuyasha wondered what she was thinking of.

Barely noticeable, the woman nodded, giving her permission. “What's her name?” Kagome asked the man.

“Kayo,” her husband answered.

“Okay, Kayo-sama,” she said, taking the woman's frail hand. “Here we go.”

And Kagome closed her eyes and concentrated, pouring her very soul into the woman. Her bright light filled the evening air with a luminescence that they had to shield their eyes from. Kagome grunted with the strain - there was so much sickness! - but she pushed forward, wanting so desperately to give the woman a new lease on life. It didn't take long before she felt the drain, the pull on her consciousness. She began to see pinpoints of light in her vision, and then it flickered. With a few more flashes, her world turned black, and she knew nothing else.

~~~~~%~~@

The light, golden in color, was coming in through her window at an angle, and it didn't seem right. Hadn't it been twilight just a few minutes ago? Sitting up, Kagome was hit with a wave of vertigo, and she held a hand to her head.

“Hey, easy there.”

She looked up to find Inuyasha, a soft smile on his face and his eyes shining brightly, despite their dark color. She tried to smile at him, but was distracted by an angry growl from her stomach. She giggled.

“Yeah, it's been a while since you ate last,” he said knowingly. “Do you wanna go downstairs to eat?”

Not trusting her legs yet, she shook her head.

Inuyasha laughed heartily. “Okay, princess. I'll bring ya something.”

With that, he left the room. Kagome smiled. He was so sweet sometimes, when he wanted to be. She tried to think back to what had happened, but she couldn't remember. They had had dinner as a family, and then she and Inuyasha had come upstairs. They talked a little, and her mother had come inside to tell her that was a visitor…

“Kayo-chan!” She stood, swaying and holding her head before falling back onto her bed.

Ugh. Her head felt like a horse youkai had trampled across it. Luckily, Inuyasha chose that moment to return. He carried a tray with a bowl of rice and some udon, her favorite. She sighed in happiness, the fragrant soup wafting her way.

“You okay?” he asked, worried.

“I'm fine, I just tried to stand up too quickly,” she explained.

He chuckled. “Good thing I brought this up then,” he told her, handing her a cup of tea. She drank greedily, and then started on the rice.

“Whaf happn'd to Kayo-fan?” she said, her mouth filled with little white grains that also stuck to her face.

Inuyasha looked at her, worried. He knew she would be pleased, but he was concerned for what it would mean in the future. After all, she always loved to heal people, and knowing she actually could help to this degree… there would be no living with her from now on.

His face sent a wrong message, though, and she felt a wave of nausea creep across her. She wiped her mouth and put the bowl down.

Damn! She had been eating and he made her stop. Angry with himself, Inuyasha forced himself to smile. “She's fine, Kagome.”

Her head shot up, azure eyes wide and her mouth in an `o' shape. “What…” She had to swallow, not believing, but wanting to believe. “What?”

He grinned now, not being able to hide the pride he felt from her. “You did great, Kagome. She's… well, she looks better. You shoulda seen her. Her skin looked pink, her eyes were all sparkly, and she even smiled. If that wasn't enough, she had this little fuzz on her head that wasn't there before.”

“Hair? I… I made her hair grow?” she asked incredulously.

“I guess with all that shit in her blood, her hair couldn't grow. But you purified it right away, so yeah, her hair grew.” He laughed boisterously.

She gave it a minute to sink in, but it was just so… unbelievable! It was completely unfathomable that she - a young woman that had been mediocre at best fighting demons - was able to cure an incurable disease. But then…

Frowning, she addressed her husband. “Why did you look so worried just now?”

Now he looked sheepish. “It's not what you think. I just… I'm worried about what this means. It'll kill you if people are here everyday asking you to heal them.”

She understood his point. Not only could it quite literally kill her, but emotionally, to have lines of people, asking her to help them… The voices came to her, so familiar: Help me, Kagome-sama; save my daughter, Kagome-sama; heal my illness, Kagome-sama…


“I mean, it's bad enough that after that, you were out for almost two days, but then on top of that…”

“Wait, what?” she asked, her eyes snapping to his.

“What?” he asked, confused.

“What do you mean, `out for two days'?”

“Kagome, it was Tuesday when you healed Kayo. It's Thursday afternoon.”

She looked out the window, remembering that the daylight was off. Indeed, the sun was low in the sky, about two hours away from dusk, which was the time that she had met with the sick woman. No wonder she was so damned hungry. Well, there was nothing left to do but accept it. Turning back to her food, she momentarily forgot her rice in favor of the noodles. She ate, amazed that she found that it made her happy to do so - there was no queasiness, no dry heaves. She finally had an appetite!

Inuyasha was pleased to see her eating, and left her alone to join his mother-in-law. On the way down the stairs, he thought about the couple that had arrived here two days ago, miserable and defeated. But they had left happy and humble.

~~~~~%~~@

She had collapsed, and Inuyasha had caught her before she slumped over.

“Kagome?” he said, panic rising in his voice.

Her mother joined him, tapping her daughter's face lightly. “Kagome, dear?”

They both hurried inside, and went about the preparations. Inuyasha carried her upstairs, and her mother wet a rag for her head. After half an hour with no sign of her regaining consciousness, they returned downstairs, only to find Kayo and her husband sitting in her kitchen with her father-in-law. Inuyasha offered them a stern gaze.

Kayo's husband bowed his head. “We wished to thank you,” he said.

“Yes, please send my express gratitude to Kagome-chan,” Kayo said in a beautiful voice.

It shocked Inuyasha and his mother-in-law to hear her speak, and that's when they actually looked at her. The transformation was amazing! Her skin had a healthy glow, and her once-dull eyes were now a honeyed brown, shining with joy. She even had a small amount of hair, something akin to a buzz cut.

Kagome's mother gasped. Inuyasha gawked like a fish out of water.

“Don't mind them,” grandpa said in his shrill, aged voice. “They have no manners. Of course, we will tell my granddaughter you said `thank you'.” He placed his hands together and bowed his head. When he was upright again, he asked, “So, what did she do for you?”

They all wanted to fall out of their chairs and to the floor.

~~~~~%~~@

It had gone on for so long, she had come to expect it. His devotion, if anything, was unwavering.

“You didn't have to come,” she said, not meeting his golden gaze. It was strange. Now that Inuyasha's eyes were dark, she felt uncomfortable looking at him. He was so… alien.

“I felt the strength of her powers. She was over-exerting herself. And then it was gone. I could not even feel her aura.”

Kagome's mother sighed. “No offense, but it isn't your business anymore.”

He looked torn; he knew she was right, but he needed to know she was safe, even though he could feel her upstairs somewhere, alive, but not awake. He began to turn away, but she stopped him with a small hand on his shirt sleeve. He fought to not rip his arm away from her, to not melt her hand. He also kept himself from growling, settling for a shade of his usual stoic fade. Unlike his old masks of bored uninterest, his eyes betrayed him, something that he hadn't been able to hide since the day he had learned he was too late.

“I'm sorry,” she said, and she seemed to mean it. “I know you cared about-” he glared at her, making her correct her usage, “I know you care for her. It's just that… if Inuyasha ever found out… And Kagome. Do you know what it would do to her?” She saw the naked concern in his eyes and knew he understood. He would leave if she explained, so she told him what had happened the day before. “There was a sick woman here. Kagome expelled all her energy healing the woman, and she's been sleeping since.”

He was satisfied with this and began to turn away.

“I don't think you should come here anymore.”

He frowned as he walked away. He didn't need to impress the woman, he was impressive enough. If he felt something was wrong, he would come back. And nothing she could say would stop him.

~~~~~%~~@

“She's got an appetite now,” he told Kagome's mother happily.

“Really?” She looked surprised.

“Yeah, she seemed real happy to see the udon,” he chuckled.

She laughed with him. “Yes, she has always liked udon. Do you think I should make her something else?”

Inuyasha twisted his mouth in thought. “Let's not jinx it just yet. If she wants something, then we'll worry. If we start shoveling food her way, you know how she'll get,” he said, his brow creasing.

“Mmm,” was all she responded with. They all knew her famous temper, and if she thought they were trying to make her eat, she would throw a fit and stubbornly refuse to eat anything.

They chatted for a moment about the miraculous recovery of the cancer stricken woman and then they heard Kagome coming downstairs, the items on her tray tinkling against each other. Inuyasha jumped up to help her. She looked capable, though, and he refrained, lest he invoke her wrath. She emptied her things into the sink and began washing. Her mother watched warily, also afraid to help. A few minutes later, Kagome was finished and sat with them.

They wondered if this was the calm before the storm, or if she really was going to be better from now on. Inuyasha looked at his mother-in-law, and she returned his concerned stare. They were brought out of their silent conversation by Kagome's voice, bright and cheery.

“So, what's for dinner?”

Oh, she was going to be fine.

----------END CHAPTER---------

Sorry this was shorter than usual, it was just a good place to stop. Thanks to everyone who is still reading!

I want to take the time to address a review on Dokuga: Someone wrote that although they had enjoyed the story up until now, they felt that Kagome's depression and anorexia was not `in character' enough, that it wasn't believable for Kagome. My answer? In the manga, Kagome never suffered such loss. She was never parted from Inuyasha until the very end, and even then, we didn't see how she was for the three years she was gone. When we did finally see her, she was sad. She may not have looked depressed, but we have no idea what it was really like for her. Also, this story is different. She loved and lost, and then loved, had sex, and lost again. Sex, when you're in love, can alter your way of thinking. While not everyone is as chemically unbalanced as myself, I used my own experiences to try to get you to really feel Kagome's point-of-view. This included not being able to eat without feeling sick and major depression (which I have experienced both due to the loss of someone I loved). Not everyone would act this way, but I feel that after building an even stronger bond with Sesshoumaru, she was completely devastated when she had to leave him. And it wasn't that she was anorexic - when it happened to me, I wasn't withholding nutrients from myself on purpose, in order to lose weight. I literally couldn't eat. If I tried, my stomach would turn. I probably consumed less than 600 calories per day, for about five months. I looked like crap, I felt like crap, and everyone worried and tried to help, but help only comes to those that want it, and Kagome didn't want help. She's finally at the point where she wants to get better, and so endeth the controversy about Kagome's depression.