If you feel a typical storyline coming up, read the A.N at the end of the chapter.

Creeping Willow: Love Forsaken

Thank you Daniella for beta-reading

Pink Carnation

Chapter 3: Creeping Willow

Bright lights blinded her as she tried to make up the scenery in front of her. She could hear many voices, but couldn't understand what they were saying, nor did she recognize them. Kagome tried to lift her hands in an attempt to shield herself from the light, but her arms refused to move.

Panic took hold of her heart, and she felt herself breathing harder by the second.

"Please miss, calm down. Everything is fine now."

Kagome tried to squint her eyes in an effort to have a clearer picture, but it was hopeless. It was then that a sharp pain went through her head and all she could do was wince. Her lips were burning, and her skin was scorched, making it feel as it wasn't hers, but a costume she had on.

She opened her mouth desperately wanting to talk, only to quickly realize it was taking all her energy to do so. "Wa-wwater," she finally managed to say.

Her head dizzy, she still felt it when someone brought a cup to her lips. Gently, she drank it until the person pulled it away. Then, in a last attempt to retrieve some of her vision she closed her eyes forcefully trying to chase away the veil that was blinding her.

When she opened her eyes again, it was a bit better. Lines weren't sharp, but she could distinguish people and objects. She wanted more than anything to ask what happened, especially since she could feel as if she was attached to some sort of tubes.

"W-where?"

"You're in the hospital Miss. You were in a car accident."

Car accident? No, it was impossible! If she had been in an accident she would remember wouldn't she? But. Wait. A hospital? What happened, how did the accident occur? Surely, she had been doing something. For the life of her, she couldn't remember what.

All of the sudden, her eyelids became extremely heavy and Kagome found herself fighting to stay awake. She turned to look at her arm, and saw they were pulling out a needle? Had they injected her with something?

"What's-s this?"

"Don't worry Miss; it's only to help you."

Help? Someone hitting her with a hammer on the head sounded pretty helpful at the moment; why couldn't they do that instead? As the seconds passed, her struggle only increased until she fully closed her eyes, allowing herself to give into the soothing feeling.

There was rain. It was pouring outside, and she was cold.

Her eyes suddenly snapped open, causing her to be even more confused. Had she just fallen in and out of consciousness?

Kagome lifted her arm trying to reach out for the first thing she could, which happened to be someone's arm. "Where is he?"

"Where is who Miss?"

"I was supposed to see him," she said, making less and less sense even to herself.

The nurse turned to another nurse, before gesturing for a needle. "If we can just bring her fever down, she should feel and act much better."

There was no longer anything wrong with her and her life was not in danger, but the pain and fever were making her delirious. A little bit of rest, and she would be better.

Kagome was in and out of consciousness as she felt something cold being put on her head. Then she could hear them leave the room, and her eyes filled with tears. She felt alone and scared, and she wanted him by her side.

The loneliness was bringing fear within her.

Would he come see her?

-P-

Everyone, minus Inuyasha, was gathered in the doctor's office waiting to hear the latest news about Kagome before they were allowed to see her. They had been waiting for over an hour and their stress level was high as they were afraid not everything was well. When the doctor finally walked in with his files under his arm, everyone held their breath for a second.

The doctor took seat before looking at all of them. "Miss Higurashi woke up sooner than we expected, which is a good thing." He didn't want to ease them into the bad revelation just yet, so he began with the good news.

"Her speech was normal, however she did seem a bit confused but it's perfectly normal. We're not sure how her motor skills are yet since she hasn't gotten out of bed. From the look of it though, she should be fine."

There had been a few cases like her, and from the look of things, she would be fine. Most people only suffer mild trauma, and since she was recovering quickly, there was almost nothing to worry about.

Miyu exhaled in relief. "Does that mean everything is okay?"

"Well, you see, she hasn't talked much yet. Perhaps there are a few damages to be discovered. Some can appear in the first weeks. Your daughter received most of the damage to her head, which can leave detrimental scars. It's almost a miracle that she pulled through alive."

A miracle they were all grateful for, but the thought that it had been one in a million for her to survive made them all feel a bit uneasy.

"Can we see her?" inquired Sango when nobody else asked.

"Yes, but she might get tired very quickly. You must not exhaust her." Patients that suffered traumas like her could easily go into shock depending on the conditions of the accident, and in her case they were fairly unknown.

"Thank you," said Sango, from behind and she was the first one out of the door.

She didn't want to hear what the specialists had to say. She wanted to see with her own two eyes if Kagome was well or not. Technically, she could have let Miyu go first but in her excitement, Sango almost dashed for Kagome's room. They had all spent the night worried sick, and frankly they were glad it was coming to an end.

Sango made sure to open the door quietly to not frightened Kagome, but before the brunette could full make it into the room, Kagome's voice broke the silence.

"Sango?" asked Kagome, her voice almost a whisper.

At the sound of Kagome's voice her heart dropped to her stomach, and before Sango could stop herself she sprinted in direction of her best friend, before wrapping her arms around her tightly, afraid to release her as if she was going to disappear.

A deep breath rolled off Kagome's lips at the tight embrace, but she smiled. She couldn't help the tears that formed in her eyes at the sight of a familiar face. Even though her vision was a bit blurry and her head pounding with pain, she would always recognize her friend, and she welcomed her presence.

Ever since she had woken up, all she had was strangers explaining to her what happened. On top of that, half the time she had been awake, she hadn't been all there up until an hour ago. It would be nice to ask someone who spoke her language to tell her what really took place. She wanted to remember the incident, but couldn't despite the doctors' assurances it was normal.

It took Sango a few seconds to pull away from Kagome, but when she did, she was grinning through the tears. "You're okay?" asked Sango, her voice cracking.

"I think so," said Kagome a slight blush on her cheeks, not wanting to worry her friend.

She felt terrible inside, as if she was about to puke, but from what she understood, it was a small price to pay to be alive. Except the sickness, she was on too many drugs to feel any kind of pain, meaning she was in her own little piece of heaven. The accident was still a blur in her mind, but the doctors told her it was perfectly normal.

It had probably happened too fast for her to realize what was going on.

The reunion between the two friends was cut short when the door opened, revealing the rest of her family and friends. The smile on Kagome's face only grew bigger as she observed everyone walk in. She actually felt a bit bad that she had worried everyone.

Clearly, she was still very clumsy if she had managed to get herself in a car accident while being on foot.

She tried to make out everyone's face but her vision was still a bit blurry so instead, Kagome smiled at all of them. The thought that everyone was concerned for her well being and had come to see her was filing her heart with joy. She felt Sango gently grab her hand, and she gave a squeeze.

Deep inside, she wondered if he was among the crowd. He had to be, he wouldn't forget about her. He would make time for her no matter what. He always had in the past; he wouldn't fail her this time.

Suddenly, two arms wrapped around her, much like with Sango, and Kagome immediately recognized her mother's perfume. "Mom," she said her heart heavy.

Her mother was already carrying such a burden that Kagome felt extremely guilty to have added an extra load on her shoulders. She held on a bit tighter, the tears threatening to fall even more. To prevent herself from crying, she buried her face in the crook of Miyu's neck, much like she used to do when she was younger.

The whole time Kagome was being reunited with friends and family, his amber eyes never left her. He didn't mind that she hadn't noticed him through the crowd, especially considering what happened to her. Also, he was in no rush to be by her side, only because he knew she needed to divide her time equally.

But his heart was aching for her presence. It was as if he needed to touch her to make sure she was alive and well. Nonetheless, he held himself back making sure he was a bit further from the group.

Even though she had gone through a horrible experience, she was glowing as if nothing had happened. He had to agree with the doctor; she looked like a walking miracle. There were still the bandages on her head, but the tubes connected to her nose were gone and all there were left were the ones on her arms. She nearly looked as good as new.

Kagome felt her heart jump in her chest at every person that came to hug her, waiting for him to be next. She was happy to see everyone, but him, she truly wanted to. The feeling of being in his arms would make her all better, she knew it.

Sesshomaru took a deep breath when he realized it was his turn to hold her. Happiness filled him as he walked towards her, joyful to see that the usual twinkle of life in her grey orbs was still present.

Her heart skipped a beat when finally the familiar silver hair came in view.

But then suddenly to everyone's surprise, she backed away, as if she had been burned.

Kagome knitted her eyebrows together, clearly confused. It had to be a mistake right? She felt a bit nervous, since she didn't want to insult anyone, but she had to ask. "Who are you? You're not… I mean I thought you were Inuyasha."

At the mention of his name, everyone froze in place, shocked beyond belief. However, nobody took her words as hard as Sesshomaru did. For the next seconds, he appeared to be a statue. He wasn't twitching, moving, or breathing. Sango felt a panic fill her as the situation seemed too insane to be true.

Had she really said Inuyasha?

Sesshomaru felt a new kind of rage fill his blood but still he couldn't react to what had just taken place.

"Kagome, what are you talking about? This is Sesshomaru," said Sango, nearly sliding herself between Sesshomaru and Kagome as if she was afraid a murder would take place.

"You remember Sesshomaru right?" Why wouldn't she know him? They had spent every day of the last year together! He was the one that glued back all the pieces of her broken heart!

Kagome tilted her head back slightly, which caused her to wince in pain, doing her best to remember. Although, she didn't understand why they were so surprised that she didn't know him. She didn't recall seeing him before. Sesshomaru… she had heard that name before. Oh.

"Of course I know Sesshomaru!"

Her words caused Sango to smile, exhaling in relief. For a second, Kagome had scared the life out of her.

"He's Inuyasha's older brother."

And the world ceased to turn once more.

Sesshomaru wanted to move, or even talk to her, heck maybe even scream, but he couldn't. All he could do was hear her words echo in his mind over and over again. Who are you? Inuyasha's brother. Who are you? Inuyasha's brother. Inuyasha's fucking brother!

His eyes were locked on Kagome while flurries of emotions went through his amber eyes. His throat was dry, while there were no words to explain the suffering he was experiencing. Kagome had been happy to see everyone; she didn't seem to have forgotten any of them but him. He was just Inuyasha's brother?

Sango could feel the tension rising in the room as everyone was at loss for words. How could she not know Sesshomaru, when she seemed to recall who everyone was? Deciding to help out a bit, she put her hand on Sesshomaru's arm nearly causing him to jump.

Sesshomaru looked down at her, his eyes pleading for an answer, but since she couldn't provide him with one she glanced away. Gently, she wrapped her fingers around his wrist and began heading out of the room. If they wanted an answer, they wouldn't obtain it there; they needed to speak with someone.

Meanwhile Kagome watched her best friend walk out with a man she barely knew, baffled by what was taken place. Ever since she hadn't recognized Inuyasha's brother, everyone had begun acting very strangely. Could it be there was something she didn't know?

"Ma, what's going on?" inquired Kagome, as she shifted in her bed slightly removing the pressure from her left side which was killing her.

Miyu bit on her bottom lip, before shaking her head a bit. "It's nothing honey."

Truth be told, Miyu was terrified, but her daughter had gone through such so much during the last 24 hours that Mrs. Higurashi didn't feel like adding to her stress level. Until they would hear the words from the doctor's mouth, nothing would be said.

Meanwhile, Sango guided a near zombie like Sesshomaru to a seat near the room. "I'll go get her doctor," she said, before patting him on the back.

When it came to Sesshomaru and emotions, it was always a difficult subject, but now more than ever and frankly she couldn't blame him. Sango didn't know how she would react if Kagome didn't recognize her. After all the devotion he had invested in their relationship, it was almost heart breaking.

She tried to avoid thinking about the worst as she hurried to the doctor's office. In her impatience she banged on the door as soon as she reached it. It took a few seconds for the doctor to open it, and once he came in view, he appeared to be a bit annoyed.

Sango ignored his clear emotions, and pressed her palm against the doorway. "Kagome, she… she forgot someone. I mean she can't remember; she doesn't know she knows him. Someone important."

She was aware that she wasn't making much sense, but she didn't know how else to explain it since Kagome remembered everyone else.

"Memory loss…" said the doctor, as he led the way back to Kagome's room.

Sango felt her heart skip a jump; she didn't like the permanent fate of his words. Could it be that Kagome would never remember Sesshomaru? For both their sakes, she hoped it was not the case.

-P-

Sango, Miroku, Sota, and Sesshomaru were all sitting in the waiting room waiting for either Miyu, or Kagome to emerge. The doctor had decided to run a few test on Kagome, and her mother had decided to accompany her to provide some support. Meanwhile, everyone else was left waiting, much like they had been doing all day.

Of course, the wait was worse for Sesshomaru.

Ever since Kagome had failed to recognize him, he had been soulless. For the last forty-five minutes he had been sitting in the same spot, same position, not saying one word. His eyes were fixed on a vending machine, never flickering or anything. To be honest, his attitude was scaring Sango.

"I'm sure it's just a temporary side effect," she said, trying to get a reaction out of him.

Sango wanted to believe her own words, but she wasn't sure it was a possibility. What kind of side effect would make Kagome forget about one person only? The whole thing simply didn't make sense. At least, it was a good thing Inuyasha wasn't around, or the situation would have gone from bad to worse.

Sesshomaru gave her the slightest nod, but he was barely paying attention. He couldn't forget the look on her face when she had realized he was himself instead of Inuyasha; it would forever be burned in his mind. She had been so disappointed, and it ripped his heart out of his chest.

For a year, he had wanted nothing more but to break that useless bastard's neck and now she was friends with him? Had she forgotten all about what he had done to her? Her wound was so deep! There was no way she couldn't recall what occurred!

Footsteps coming down the hall attracted everyone's attention, forcing Sesshomaru to pull himself away from his thoughts.

Stress and relief took hold of everyone as Miyu approached. She was glancing down at the floor, tears filled her brown eyes. Sango closed her eyes, fearing for the worst as she moved out of the way so Miyu could sit and explain things to them.

Mrs. Higurashi felt like she had a lump caught in her throat as she sat down. Out of all the possible outcomes, this one was a horrible one. She was well aware that everyone expected an explanation, but she could hardly find her voice, so she remained silent.

Sango grabbed Mrs. Higurashi's hand in hers, and held on tightly.

Fortunately for everyone's curious and worried mind, the doctor was also making his way towards them. He appeared to be a bit stressed as he massaged the sides of his head with his thumb and index.

"I'm afraid Miss Higurashi is suffering from a serious head trauma." This was the kind of information he didn't like to give since it came with so many uncertainties. "Sometimes during an accident, the brain can be damaged or it can try to protect itself from experiencing pain. Miss Higurashi might have been so scared that her brain tried to block the events concerning her accident."

He sighed heavily, before re-adjusting his glasses. "However, it appears that it went a bit further than that. Miss Higurashi is one year behind. She has forgotten all about the recent year, and is not aware that it has passed."

His words dropped like a bombshell on everyone.

"At the moment, it's difficult to say if she will ever recover that year. Some patients remember within the first few weeks, while other's take more time. There's also some who never do."

Kagome had forgotten all about the hardships she had experienced, all the pain and suffering Inuyasha had put her through? She had forgotten him, all the time, and countless hours they had shared together? The part of her life, which he had been in, had been completely erased?

"Now, there will be some precautions to take. Since she is suffering from a trauma, you have to be careful. There is certain information you can tell her, but some you cannot. The point is to avoid anything that could shock her, or cause a panic. If such a thing was to happen, her condition might get worse. She could even forget everything."

She could not be reminded of the life she had, instead they had to feed her the cobwebs of lies she was in back then?

"You will have to tell her a year passed by, since it's better she find out from friends and family then having the shock on her own. For the rest, I will leave in your judgment as to what she can handle."

The doctor gave them a nod, before leaving them alone, and speechless.

To say that the situation was delicate was one way of putting it. Many important things had happened to Kagome during the last year, Inuyasha being the biggest one. He was also going to be the most difficult subject to deal with.

"We can't tell her about Inuyasha," said Miroku being mindful of his words in presence of Mrs. Higurashi. "It'll break her heart to know they are not together."

He glanced at Sesshomaru who knew out of all of them, exactly how Kagome could break down. Unfortunately, Sesshomaru wasn't looking at him, instead his eyes were fixed on his hands as if he was currently avoiding any part of reality, and Miroku couldn't blame him.

"Well, first of all, I think someone should tell her about her memory loss. But it wouldn't be too good if it was crowded." Sango turned her body to the side slightly so she was facing Miyu. "I think it would be better for Kagome if you told her."

Technically, anyone could tell her and the shock would be the same, but Sango was trying to get Mrs. Higurashi out of hearing range so they could discuss the Inuyasha dilemma. It would be the most difficult subject, and they had to make sure whatever they chose to do, would be flawless.

Miyu slowly nodded before rising to her feet, her face flustered from the rush of emotions. She was a bit afraid to tell Kagome what had happened, afraid she would fall into a state of shock, and that they might lose her for good. Nonetheless, she desperately tried to hold on to positive thoughts.

By then time Miyu arrived in Kagome's room, she was still returning to her previous position. They had just brought her back from the test room, and all those movements and questions had made her brain throb with pain. Not only that, but she was also extremely worried; she hadn't missed the concerned looks on their faces.

When she heard the floor cracking, she turned her head, only to see her mother come her way. Her chocolate eyes were nearly overflowing with tears, and Kagome was almost ready to accept the worst. Slowly she sat down comfortable in the bed, waiting for her mother to break the news.

Miyu pulled a chair near the bed before sitting down. She then reached out for her daughter's hand, enveloping it with her own. There was no perfect way to announce it, but she had to jump and do it.

"Kagome, promise me you'll remain calm. It's very important."

Kagome nodded, more confused than ever.

Her mother sighed before peering away. "There is a temporary side effect to your accident Kagome. You forgot the last year of your life."

Miyu felt her daughter's grip increase, as tears flowed in her eyes. You forgot the last year of your life. Was that the reason why they had run so many tests? Why everyone looked surprised by every little thing she did? No, it couldn't be! Someone didn't just forget a whole year!

Her stomach began to twist in horror, as she violently shook her head. "No. No." She refused to accept the fact that she had forgotten.

She could remember yesterday couldn't she? Yes. She had been out with Inuyasha, at her house, watching movies. He had finished work early, and had dropped at her house with movies, and takeout food. If she remembered that, it meant she hadn't forgotten right?

But then, slowly throughout Kagome's panic, the links of reasons were made.

If she was with Inuyasha… how did she get hit by a car?

It felt as if her heart had ceased to pump as she swallowed hard. Yesterday, she hadn't come out of the house at all. If she hadn't it meant… no they couldn't be right. Kagome released her mother's hand before wrapping her arms around her legs, burying her face in her knees. It wasn't possible! She refused to forget!

Kagome found herself banging her head on her knees as hard as she could as a hopeless attempt to retrieve her memory. Noticing her destructive behavior, Miyu rushed into the bed, and grabbed her daughter's head in her hand, preventing her from inflicting herself further harm.

"Kagome, please, you have to calm down," Miyu nearly begged with a broken heart.

Before Kagome knew it, she was releasing her legs before wrapping her arms around her mother's neck. She was scared, terrified, of her own self. She was trying so hard to force her brain to remember, but it was failing. Why had she forgotten? The accident was a terrible accident, but why would she want to erase it from her memory so badly taking a year of her life with it?

Miyu gently caressed Kagome's hair, trying to ease the pain. If she could, she would take the suffering in her place but she couldn't. "It'll be okay, Kagome. I promise."

Kagome was softly sobbing, her face buried in the crook of her mother's neck. "Mom, I'm missing a – a year!"

Her mother shook her head, tightening her hold. "It's not permanent." The doctor had voiced the possibility of it being everlasting, but Miyu knew her daughter was strong. She had never failed in front of hardships, and she believed in her capacity of recovering.

"Over time, it'll slowly come back to you."

Kagome clenched to her mother's shirt, wanting nothing more than to believe her words. Oh how badly did she want to know what happened to her. She wanted to stop the tears, but they were overflowing and out of control. Her heart needed the tears to help her feel better.

She closed her eyes, listening to the gentle words her mother was whispering in her ear, and it reminded her of her childhood. Kagome allowed her exhausted self to relax in her mother's arms, her heart wounded by the things that were past recalling.

Even if it was not true, she would hold on to her mother's world, and believe she would remember even if it seemed impossible.

-P-

"We're going to need to inspect every corner of her life, to make sure nothing is left out," said Sango, before leaning into her chair. "We'll even have to go through her apartment, and remove anything that might cause her to panic because she can't remember."

"The doctor said she'd be out by next week," said Miroku, pitching in. "It gives us that short amount of time to make sure everything is okay."

Although Sango couldn't say it out loud, it also meant removing any trace of Sesshomaru from her life. The stories with Inuyasha and Sesshomaru were very linked together, and one couldn't be explained without the other. Unfortunately, that meant for Sesshomaru that he couldn't be with Kagome the way he used to, especially since in her mind she was… still dating Inuyasha.

"Inuyasha is going to be a big problem," Sango pointed out before sighing. "We can't tell her they broke ups because that would be the worst mistake considering her current state."

"That would mean Inuyasha needs to date her?" asked Miroku, almost disgusted. The last thing he wanted was Inuyasha anywhere near Kagome.

"Maybe not.. What if we tell her he's on some business trip?" Anything to avoid involving Inuyasha into this. Having him date Kagome was worse than actually telling her the truth.

"She'll wonder why he didn't call, why he's not worried about her. Who knows how long this is going to take, we might not be able to keep up the charade."

Sango chewed on her bottom, desperate to find an answer to their current problem. Anything seemed better than allowing Kagome to fall into Inuyasha's paws once more. She took that silent moment to glance at Sesshomaru. His eyes were bloodshot red but for the first time he had shifted his gaze. He was looking at Kagome's room, his eyes longing.

Not only had she forgotten their time together, but she thought she loved Inuyasha. It was as if the fucking bastard was getting a chance to start anew, without being held responsible for the previous stupidities he had done. It wasn't fucking fair; why did he always get a get out of jail free card?

He shouldn't be allowed around Kagome, he didn't deserve her. He had broken her, toyed with her, and it was enough. Who knew what he might do to her this time around if they gave him a chance? For a year he had devoted himself to Kagome, and he didn't want to lose her, not even her friendship.

He didn't need her to be in love with him, he just required for her to be in his life.

How could he go back to the empty shell he was before, when he had a taste of completion?

"I think our best option is to start with cleaning her apartment. We don't have to tell Inuyasha just yet, so when the time comes, we'll figure out something," Sango said finally breaking the silence.

"I don't think it's fair to leave me out, ya know?"

Sango nearly jumped out of her skin when she heard Inuyasha's voice coming from behind her. Quickly, she turned around only to see him leaning against the wall, a smirk on his face. Immediately she could tell he had heard too much of their conversation. She closed her eyes, cursing at herself; this was not good.

"I mean, Kagome loves me. It wouldn't be fair for her to think I don't want to see her right?"

Miss Higurashi had called him in the middle of the night but he had been so passed out, that he hadn't heard the phone. It was only a couple of hours later, when he had woken up to go to work that he had seen he had a message on his answering machine. Obviously, he had called in sick at work and had rushed to the hospital.

Boy was he glad he arrived when he did.

Those bastards were going to try to keep him from Kagome. However, now that he knew there was nothing they could do to stop him. Kagome thought she was with him; she wanted him by her side. His luck couldn't have been better! She had forgotten all about the misunderstanding, and now, they could pick up where they had left off.

Once again, Kagome was his.

"You know she'll remember."

Inuyasha tilted his head to the side a bit. "I dunno. She must have been pretty sad during the last year. I'm sure if I make her happy enough, she won't want to recall the past year."

His words stung like knives but there might be some truth to them. Inuyasha being involved with this was the worst thing that could happen. They despised him, and they all knew he was bound to hurt her again. Kagome couldn't go through another experience like that!

Sesshomaru was silent, hearing the conversation without being fully there. His half-brother was correct; a part of the previous year had been hard on Kagome. Although she had happy moments, she had been haunted by what Inuyasha did to her. What if it was why her brain decided to take it out?

After all, Kagome would be happier now than she had been in a long time.

All those months, he wished nothing more than to see a true smile adorn her face, and it was going to happen. The fact though that Inuyasha would be the reason for it, left a bittersweet taste in his mouth. It would fill her with joy to have Inuyasha by her side but, at the same time, he was the man Sesshomaru had promised he'd keep away from Kagome.

"Look Inuyasha, this isn't about you, it's about Kagome."

"Yeah, and I'm gonna do what's good for her," said Inuyasha, as he walked past all of them, aiming for Kagome's room.

He knew they were hopeless, that they couldn't do anything to stop him. How would they explain to Kagome why they were kicking him out without telling her the full story? Whatever they did, he would always have the upper hand. A smile was on his face, as he opened the door, only to reveal Miyu and Kagome in an embrace.

As soon as Kagome heard the door open, she pulled away from her mother a bit. When she noticed the familiar features, her heart began to throb in her chest; would it be the right person this time? And then, he fully came in view, and her heart stopped beating.

Kagome released her mother before jumping out of bed a bit too quickly, almost slipping, as she threw herself in Inuyasha's arms. Tightly, she wrapped her arms around his neck while hiding her face in his chest. When they told her she had forgotten the last year she was afraid she would have lost her memories of him as well.

But she remembered everything; his smell, his face, his warmth.

Tears of happiness poured out of her eyes, as she held him even tighter. Inuyasha, still grinning, brought her body closer to his, nearly crushing her. He had remembered the way her fragile body felt in his arms. It was a gift to be able to hold her once more. No more bad fights hanging over them, just him and Kagome.

He gently kissed the top of her head before running his fingers through her hair. "It's okay Kagome, I'm here. Everything will be fine now."

And she believed him.

Meanwhile Sango was standing in front of the door panicking. If she had to, she would tied up Inuyasha and leave him for dead in a dumpster; anything so he couldn't have Kagome again. Her rage was flaring, and her judgment was clouded. She turned to glance at Sesshomaru, her eyes piercing through his soul.

"Are you going to let him do this to her? I know you're hurt, but you've been sitting here like a ghost! Kagome needs you."

Kagome used to need him, but apparently, she had taken care of her pain all on her own. She had found a way to put a halt to the suffering and now she would be happy again. She might have required his help in the past, but it was no longer true.

Without saying a word, Sesshomaru grabbed his jacket from the chair and stood up. Sango was waiting for him to barge into Kagome's room to go see her, talk to her, even if she didn't remember, but the look in his eyes told her he wouldn't. Was he running away?

He threw his jacket over his shoulder, before slowly walking past everyone.

Sango's mouth hung open a bit, as she began to breathe heavily. "You're just going to walk out of her life, because she forgot about you?" she nearly screamed her tone clearly accusing him of being a coward.

Sesshomaru stopped in his tracks, but he never turned around. "I'm merely respecting the decision that was made. The part of her life where I was in was erased. Clearly the last year was nothing but a waste of time, and a bad memory."

Once he was done speaking, he resumed his walking and all Sango could do was watch him. It was obvious by his words that he was hurt. Unfortunately, without him they wouldn't recover the new Kagome, nor would they be able to free her from Inuyasha's grip.

If only he could believe a little longer. Sango knew it wasn't him she was trying to forget about.

But Sesshomaru never came back. He couldn't because in his heart, he felt betrayed. They were about to remove him from her life, as if he hadn't existed. He wouldn't talk to her again, or see her smile in the morning.

From this day on, they were nothing but strangers to each other.

They meant nothing, they were nothing.

He finally understood the price of allowing others near your heart.

Pain and suffering.

-P-

A/N 2: This won't be a "Kagome Forgets Sesshomaru – Gets with Inuyasha – Remembers – Gets with Sesshomaru" storyline. BUT It doesn't mean it's not Sess/Kag. It just means they get together some other way.