"InuYasha!! You did it again, didn't you?! You went to go to HER again, didn't you!! Don't lie!! I know you did!! I know you went to Kikyou, InuYasha!!" Kagome screamed, fighting to hold back tears of jealousy, sorrow and anger.


InuYasha looked away in regret, neither confirming nor denying her accusation. Because the fact of the matter was, he had gone to see her again. But it was a one last time thing, he loved Kagome. He had shot his pride to hell the day he admitted it, but he loved her. He was going back tonight for one last goodbye to the woman he once thought he loved.
InuYasha was snapped out of his daze when Kagome slapped his as hard as she could across the face, angry tears of bitterness washing down her cheeks. InuYasha looked at her, hurt, enraged, and surprised. She had never struck him before. She had 'Osuwari'd' him to where he couldn't stand, but she had never hit him. Before InuYasha could think his anger took control. He leaped to his feet and saw the tiniest hint of fear from Kagome. "You stupid bitch, how DARE you hit me?!" he snarled, grabbing her by the shoulders.


Kagome's fear melted away into rage. "You dare to curse at me?! When I'm not the one sneaking off to be with my lover!!!? You run off to Kikyou every time you catch her scent, and yet if Kouga so much as LOOKS at me you tell him to back off!! Why, InuYasha?! If can't I have someone that loves me!?"


Both were shocked at her words, and InuYasha just held her there, looking at her, his golden eyes dancing with hope and fear that she would the the words.


"WHY CAN'T I JUST HAVE YOU?!?!"


The final outburst came from Kagome. She looked horrified at revealing something like that. And InuYasha's heart raced. She had said it. Indirectly, but she said it. She wanted him. But did that mean she loved him? No, she couldn't. He was a dirty hanyou, no one would want him. A depressed look came into his eyes. He looked to the side, averting her gaze, and his hands fell limply to his sides. Kagome noticed the change and wondered what was going on. Why did he get so depressed all of a sudden? Before she had a chance to ask him InuYasha leaned forward and kissed her, wrapping his arms around her, so she couldn't have escaped if she had wanted to. Her eyes widened with surprise, then closed as she sagged limply in his arms, placing her hands on his shoulders.
InuYasha was giddy with happiness. He had expected her to pull away, to slap him, and tell him never to lay his filthy hands on her again. But she didn't, She actually was kissing him back. A fang grazed her lip, and her mouth opened to protest, when InuYasha's tongue dived in, tasting her. Kagome went stiff with surprise, but with a whimper of surrender she submitted to him, releasing a soft mewling sound from her thought, nearly driving InuYasha crazy.


The kiss wasn't rough, just filled with love. They separated for air and went back in again. Each just couldn;t get enough of the other. Desires were high, they wanted to make it go further. Finally InuYasha pulled back, regret and happiness, along with confusion gleaming in Kagome's melting brown eyes.


"I love you," they both said at the same time. Each were taken aback, but then Kagome rushed into InuYasha's arms, hugging him tightly. She tried not to cry, but one lone tear made it's way down her cheek. InuYasha managed a small smile. Now all doubts were flown from the window. They could be together now. Kagome pulled back but before she could say anything InuYasha spoke. "Kagome, I......I need to go to Kikyou." At the anger that flashed through the girl's eyes he quickly added, "I need to tell her I can't go to hell with her. That my rightful place, is here on Earth, with you. I need to tell her goodbye. She deserves that, at least," he said, looking at her, hoping for her approval.


Kagome was suspicious, but she decided to trust him. She decided she would trust him. After all, she loved him. She nodded. InuYasha gave a sheepish grin, the one that had captured her heart so long ago. InuYasha leaned in again and gave her one last small kiss before pulling back regretfully. "I better go now. She's near and I'm going to need time to think of what to say to her. But I promise you I'll come back." He grabbed her hand and placed it over his heart. "Because have this. You have the very heart that beats within me. You stole it so long ago. So as long as you have my heart, I will always come back to you, Kagome. Always."
Her eyes shone with tears of happiness as she barely managed to nod. Her dreams had come true. They embraced one last time and then he started off, walking into the sunset like a prince. The prince in a red kimono that had ridden off with her heart.


~*~


InuYasha waled through the woods, knowing exactly where to find Kikyou. He waited at the God Tree. He hadn't been there for five minutes when she showed up, her sould collectors hovering inthe air above her, reminding him that this was not the Kikyou he once knew. This was not the Kikyou he once thought he loved. This was an imitation, made by the witch Urasue, she was nothing more than graveyard soil and clay. "I love Kagome and I want her to be my mate. I'm sorry Kikyou but I love her and I choose her as my mate. I came to say goodbye," he said in a rush. He figured that was the best way to get it out.


Kikyou looked at him. She was half expecting him to fall for her reincarnation. Still, it hurt to actually hear him say it. Oh well. There was nothing she could do about it now. She just nodded. "But InuYasha.....I only ask for one more embrace, before I leave," she said softly.
InuYasha nodded. He stepped forward and gathered her in his arms, inhaling her scent.


Little did he know, all Kagome saw was him embracing her.


~*~


InuYasha sensed Kagome nearby and stiffened with fear, and at the scent of tears of pure anguish. He pulled back and looked at Kikyou regretfully, and at her nod he dashed off into the forest. He had to find her before she did something stupid. He couldn't explain it but he had sensed something in her soul break. His heart crumbled in fear at the thought of what she could do to him.........or worse..............to herself.


He raced through the forest, running so fast that even Sesshomaru wouldn't be able to beat him. He stopped suddenly and his ears drooped. Kagome's scent dissapeared, meaning she had used her sacred arrow in the ground to cover up her scent. His suspiscions were confirmed when he saw an arrow buried in the dirt and when he approached he expected to sense anger, and hatred, but all he could find was betrayal, anguish, pain, and uttermost sorrow. 'Damnit Kagome. What are you going to do? Why do I sense deep regret etching the scent of your arrow? What are you planning to do?!' "Damnit Kagome I just found you, I've lost you once, and I'll be damned to hell before I lose you again! Not after what we just admitted!!" He tried to think of where she could be. She couldn't go home, she wouldn't be able to face her family. She couldn't tell Sango or Miroku because InuYasha knew Kagome wouldn't want to bother them, they were almost in a relationship now. Shippou.......he was too young, and Kirara, she wouldn't be able to talk back. The preistess Kaede was off delivering a child in the village, so she wasn't an option. Then he remember something, a night that seemed to have happened to long ago.........


~FLASHBACK~ (Kind of long)


"Hey Kagome!! Where're you off to?" InuYasha asked Kagome one night after supper. He noticed she had been feeling a little down, her lively brown eyes were dull and she sighed a lot.


Kagome looked at InuYasha, with those deep, now depressed brown eyes and he almost felt his heart break. "I'm going somewhere InuYasha. And don't follow me. I need to be alone," she said, her voice not holding and tone at all, just flat. InuYasha gave a half nod and Kagome walked off, but not efore InuYasha could catch the scent of a tear.


Kagome looked up as she walked through the forest and looked up at the stars. She sighed. 'No one remembers, do they? This is.........exactly two years ago today.........this is my birthday. The day I met InuYasha.' "It figures," she said aloud, walking to her favorite spot. It was a huge flat rock that judded out from the middle of a clearing, where glowing butterflies roamed and a rabbit would nest. If you layed down upon the highest part of the rock at night, you would get a perfect view of the stars.
She climbed up the rock, making sure no one could see her. She gased her leg on a sharp peice of rock and whimpered, blood pouring down her leg. She ignored the pain and climbed up. She layed down and sighed again, the cool rock soothing her skin. She was unaware how badly her leg was bleeding until right before she passed out.


~*~


InuYasha was in the middle of a haze, right before you fall asleep, and he rather liked it. Then he smelt blood, but not just any blood. It was Kagome's blood. He jumped down into the tree and ran, following the scent. He made it to the clearing and found her. Kagome was sitting on the rock limpy, blood flowing from her leg. He rushed to her and tore off his red haori, wrapping it around her leg. After he was satisfied with his handiwork he looked around at the clearing. It was a nice place, he remember playing here as a young child, and coming here when he wanted to be alone. It was very far away from the village. He hopped off of the rock and headed to a place in the clearing, keeping his nose perked so that any change in Kagome's scent would notfy him.


~*~


Kagome binked her eyes open and yawned, then felt a stab of pain go down through her leg. She looked down to see that InuYasha stitched it up, not perfectly but ok, and had wrapped his red haori around it. She sat up, feeling dizzy. "InuYasha?" she called in a hoarse voice.
InuYasha appeared behind her, his breathing heavy from running. She looked down at him as he hopped up onto the rock next to her, hiding something behind his back. He had a slight blush on his face, but she just thought it was from running. "Hey InuYasha....thanks for helping out my leg. I really appreciate it."she smiled at him. He shrugged. He then took his arm from behind his back and shoved his arm out to her, holding a bouqet (can't spell it) of beautiful white roses, the sharp edges broken off. This time Kagome really blushed, and she took the flowers. "Happy Birthday, Kagome," InuYasha muttered, his face flaming. He looked down.
Kagome beamed. She reached her hand out and he took it hesitantly. She pulled him forward and hugged him tightly. "Thank you, thank you so much. I thought you had forgotten." InuYasha blushed hard but he hugged her back, grinning. "I didn't forget you stupid girl."
Kagome pulled back and looked up at the stars, clinging to his hand. Both held on tight.
~END FLASHBACK~


~*~


InuYasha's eyes widened. 'Kagome......' "Please tell me you didn't........"


~*~


Kagome ran into the village her chest heaving with sobs and a need for air. How could he?! He had just told her he loved her!! He had kissed her, for gods sake!!! How could he turn around and go to HER?! How could he go back to Kikyou?! Those thoughts ran through her head and she gathered up some dignity. She had had it. It was over. Her life was over. As soon as she had sen InuYasha and Kikyou together.....AGAIN......she broke. Her heart had broken for the last time, as did her soul. She walked into the village when a sparkle caught her eye. She walked to the source and found that it was Tetsusaiga. She got an idea. Both pieces of her heart shattered again at the idea, but she knew it had to be done. She had to say goodbye though. She walked down to the village to where her friends were and walked into the hut. Miroku, Sango, Shippou and Kirara were all having fun together. They all stopped when they saw Kagome.
"Kagome, what's the matter, are you alright?" Sango asked, concern in her eyes.


Kagome smiled. "No....I just came to say goodbye. I'm, uh.....leaving to go home, and I won't be back for quite a while. InuYasha went to Kikyou, tell him I'll......tell him I'll be at my special place. He'll know where to go." Kagome's voice almost cracked.


Sango and Miroku exchanged glances. This wasn't like Kagome, but they figured they should just leave it alone. Kagome walked forward and hugged Shippou, whispering something in his ear, and then Kirara jumped into her arms, wanting a hug as well. Sango and Miroku stood up, about to ask what was wrong. But all Kagome said was "Something important happened at home and I won't be coming back for a very long time. I just want to say goodbye."


With that Kagome stepped forward and embraced Sango. "Thank you fo being a sister to me," Kagome whispered, then stepped back, hugging Miroku as well. Miroku hugged her back, his hand making it's usual way down, but when Kagome pulled back she laughed, kissing him on the cheek. "I always liked that about you, Miroku, never stop at anything." Her voice cracked again and she ran off, leaving the group to stand in wonder at what had just happened.


~*~


Kagome ran with Tetsusaiga to the clearing, her feet carrying her, her breaths coming in sobs. Finally she made it. It was nightfall by now, and the moonlight cast an eerie glow to the stone rock, making it look like a grave.......which was what it was going to be. She climbed up to the top and pulled Tetsusaiaga out of it's sheath. Her vision was so blurred by tears that she could hardly see. It half transformed, Kagome using her power to force it. It was heavy, but she could manage. She layed down on the rock, the exact place she had layed on her birthday, and she drew the Tetsusaiaga up.


"Goodbye, InuYasha."


And she thrust the Tetsusaga into her heart.


~*~

InuYasha stepped into the clearing just as he saw the Tetsusaiaga slip out of Kagome's grip and fall to the ground, it's bloody tip embedding itself into the Earth. InuYasha jumped to Kagome, her front soaked with blood. Her own blood. The blood that he had caused to flow from her chest. He picked her up in his arms, lightly shaking her. "Kagome? Kagome? Kagome, wake up. Kagome please, you have to get up." he whimpered, a lump forming in this throat. His eyes filled with tears, and in the first time in his life, he llet them fall. He sobbed, clutching her cold form, but then he thought he heard a heartbeat. He looked up to see Kagome blink her eyes open. "InuYasha...." she whispered hoarsly, and her eyes filled with tears and she coughed out blood. "You're here."


InuYasha sobbed harder. "Kagome, please don't go. I need you here. Kikyou's gone now. Nothing can get inbetween us. Don't leave me. Don't leave me, please," he pleaded, his heart cracking.


Kagome let out something between a sob and a cough.


"Don't talk, Kagome. Please, just get better." He lowered his head to hers and kissed her, his tears mixing with her own. When he pulled back Kagome was crying even more.


"InuYasha.........."

"What, Kagome?"


"I love you."


"I'm so sorry, it's all my fault."


"And all I ever wanted was your love in return."


Her heart stopped as the last life in her faded away.


InuYasha clung to her and sobbed. She was gone now. Everything.............the girl that had freed him from the God Tree, the girl that had accepted him even with his half demon blood. The girl that had stayed by him all the times, even though he had left and broken her heart. He had hurt the girl he loved.

And what hurt most of all.....................was he had hurt the girl that had died because of her love.....for him. He held her close, rocking back and forth in agony, thinking there was no way he could live without her. Kikyou.........he had never loved Kikyou, ever. He had been infatuated with her, but they were too tense to love. Love.......Love had been Kagome. Love had been the times she had laughed with him, the time she had held his hand, taken care of his wounds, stayed by his side no matter what. Love....was what lay in his arms. His love was dead. He picked her up in his arms, and lifelessly jumped down from the rock. The others had to know that Kagome was gone. He walked slowly, her arm dangling and her head hanging off of his left arm. He carried her the way he would have carried her if she had become his bride, his mate. Her shier, and his, were soaked with her blood, as were his hands. His left cheek had a bloodstain on it. Tears were leaking out of his eyes. And he wasn't afraid to show them. Nothing mattered anymore. Everything was gone. His life would soon be, too. There was no way that he could live without her.

He finally made his way to the village, at around midnight. Everyone was still awake. He walked into the hut and at once all eyes turned toward him and the dead girl he carried in his arms. All reactions were different. Shippou started cying, but tried to hold it in. Sango burst into tears and leaned aagainst Miroku, while he just looked away and clenched his fist, biting his lip. Kirara let out a sad meow and went to Shippou. Kaede wasn't back yet. "Someone........tell Kaede when she gets back. Bye everyone." InuYasha said in a hoarse, lifeless voice. With those words, he left. Sango began to stand up and go after him, but Miroku held her back and shook his head. "He doesn;t need us right now. Let him be alone. He loved her, we all know that. He needs to be alone with her." he explained, and Sango nodded burying her head into his shoulder at the loss of the girl she called a sister. Now she knew why she had been so down earlier. She hadn't even gotten to say goodbye.

~*~

InuYasha walked back to the clearing and made his way up back to the rock, tears still making their way down his cheeks. He layed Kagome down on the same place she had died, and fetched the Tetsusaiga, and transformed it into it original form, it's tip crimson with Kagome's blood. He grabbed Kagome's right hand with his left, and leaned down, and pressed his lips to her cold ones, trembling. He pulled back ever so slightly and whispered, "I'll be with you soon, my love. I'm coming."

He pressed the Tetsusaiga to his heart, and rew a bit of blood. He gripped Kagome's hand more tightly. "All I ever need is to be with you Kagome."

The Tetsusaiga fell to the ground as InuYasha collapsed on Kagome, he gripped her tight to him, their blood mingling to form one. He felt his life beginning to slip away. He gripped her other hand with his, burying his head in her neck, inhaling her rainy scent. Another tear made it's way down his cheek, and throughout the woods, you could hear him whisper:

"I...........love you......Kagome........."