Disclaimer: I DO NOT own Inuyasha or any of its characters.

IMPORTANT AUTHOR NOTES PLEASE READ:

****Sorry it took me so long. This chapter was hard to write let alone finding time to complete it. Hope you all like it…but warning major angst. And thank you for all the reviews for the last chapter!

***Ok, you all have to forgive the grammar and spelling. I think I got most of them. If its really bad let me know and I will revise the chapter when I get back to school on the 3rd.

**Um I am really bad about email peeps when they ask me so if you all want when I am online you can just IM me…my thing is Inuprincess17.

*I was watching my favorite Buffy/Angel episode I taped a long time ago and there was a line that was perfect for this story. So I must give credit to the writers of Buffy/Angel stuff to that single line I used. Just wondering could ya'll figure out which line it is? And what episode it came from? Yeah I know that prolly hard..lol…I would not get it…n e wayz…enjoy the story!

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From Friendship to Love

Chapter Sixteen: Broken Hearts

She leaned back against the tall oak tree that stood in the school courtyard and adjusted her backpack to sit upright next to her slumped body. Kagome blinked back a few subtle tears, allowing her head to rest on the rough bark. Inuyasha had been acting strange the last couple of days since the class trip. No, strange was an understatement he had been avoiding her. He had not called, he had made no attempt to see her, and he refused to even look at her let alone speak more than a single word to her.

Kagome stared out into the labyrinth of school buildings, her hands twisted together in her lap. Every time she tried to call him Inuyasha was too busy to talk or there was no answer. Most of the time it was the latter of the two. She would go to see him and there would be some excuse why he did not want visitors of any sort. At first she thought she had done something, maybe she had angered him or annoyed him and he wasn't ready to confront her about it yet. But as the days passed Kagome realized that something else was going on. Especially since Rin had suddenly become very sympathetic, and supportive. It scared her. She wanted to know what the hell was going on, but no body would talk to her. Inuyasha would not acknowledge her existence and when she asked her friend, Rin would get all teary eyed and then walk away.

She licked her dry lips before letting out a heavy but gentle sigh. She missed him, she felt so lost without him. Half of her was missing, nothing was right. Her heart, fragile as it was, had already begun to crack and crumble. Kagome was angry, angry with him for shutting her out, and angry at whatever the reason for him doing so. Her mind ran through a hundred and one possible scenarios for the source behind Inuyasha's behavior. Each one frightened and worried her more than the last.

The bell rang and hordes of students sprung from the rooms darting their way through the crowds in search of friends. She had skipped her last period class, she needed time to think, to get some control over her emotions. The sunbeams shot through the creamy clouds in the distance, catching her sullen orbs. Kikyou and her followers passed in her line of sight, and Kagome groaned inwardly. A chilled breeze passed over her at the same moment in time. Whatever was going on with Inuyasha, Kagome was almost certain it had something to do with Kikyou.

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Inuyasha stared out the main window of the second floor of the science hall. His heated forehead met the cool glass as his eyes noticed the lonely miserable female against the only tree in the courtyard. His heart reached out for her, but would never make it to her, not now. His fingers glided down the window over her small form. He was a coward. He could not face her; he could not tell her. Tell her; that in haste he had signed away any hope of them having a future together. He knew his heart could not survive the mere look on her face when she did find out.

His fingers balled into a fist, pressing against the glass. How could he have been so stupid? He ran through the meeting with his father that morning over and over again. He had not blindly signed his name to a thirty-page contract; he did not lack intelligence quite that much. He may have not have read the entire document but he had skimmed through all the major objectives and compromises while waiting for his father to end his phone call. But as fate would have it, he some how missed that single important paragraph that would bind him to his long time girlfriend until death did they part.

Why had he not read the contract completely and thoroughly? His mind screamed that question at him every single second. And only one answer would ring in his mind. He was undoubtedly an idiot. Sesshoumaru and him had analyzed and broken down every crack and crevice of that contract hopelessly searching for some invalidity, some error in which they could declare it void. Even a simple grammar error would have sufficed. The time it took had been spent in vain. The contract was, for lack of a better word, perfect.

He turned his back to the window, turned his back to her, the only woman who would ever have claim to his heart. He walked slowly, painfully away. He had to tell her, postponing it would only make it worse, but he needed strength, she was his strength. No, it had to end. Despite how much his heart and soul protested he had to end their relationship on both levels, friendship and love. It would hurt too much to have one without the other.

He could not, would not let her sacrifice her happiness for him. He wanted her to experience all that life had to offer like marriage and children. He did not want her bound to him in a secret relationship, never being free to openly love him. He could offer her nothing but a few stolen minutes or hours here and there. No, No! She needs someone would can give her the universe, protect her, take care of her, love her without constraints. He had to set her free to find someone else.

He hung his head as he walked down the large hall, weaving between the mindless students. He did not notice them; to him they were nothing but objects in his path. It would be the hardest thing he had ever done in his life, to give her up, let her go, to force himself not to love her. His footsteps were short and heavy as he reached the stairs and began the torturous journey down them.

After he managed to escape the confining walls of the school foyer, he raised his head to the scene before him. His eyes squinted from the brightness of the outside world. Inuyasha walked over to a secluded area and scanned the area and found his angel still reclining against the tree. His longing honey eyes lingered on her for a few moments longer before retreating across the yard in search of one of their mutual friends. As he failed to locate anyone, his mind began to zone out, lost in thoughts of what could have been.

"Hey man!" Miroku walked up behind his silver haired friend, grasping him firmly on his shoulder.

Inuyasha seemed unaffected for a short time before his mind was jolted back into reality, "Oh, hey…"

"Haven't talk to you much lately"

"Yeah," Inuyasha responded not really listening.

Miroku corked an eyebrow, "So what's going on?"

"Nothing, I don't know what you are talking about."

"Don't give me that shit, you know what I am talking about, Inuyasha," Miroku's voice was stern.

Inuyasha glared at him not knowing why exactly but did not speak.

"Sango is about to rip you a new asshole for what you are doing to Kagome. I know whatever is going on has to be major for you to willingly hurt her like you are."

Inuyasha cringed at the last comment and found something interesting next to his feet. She was hurting because of him, and the news he had yet to deliver to her was only going to hurt her worse.

"She's upset?" he managed to choke out guiltily.

Miroku look questioningly at his friend for a moment, "Yes, its like the spark that makes her so unique is gone, vanished. And the only things she wants is know what she did to make you mad."

"She didn't do anything…I…I did," Inuyasha stomped away knowing Miroku would follow in curiosity.

He stalked out behind the building he had only previously exited, and found a place completely away from open, ease dropping ears. Just as he had expected Miroku followed on his heels. He folded his arms across his chest and leaned back against the faded brick wall, his chin almost touching the top of his sternum.

"So…what did you do?" Miroku mimicked Inuyasha's actions.

Inuyasha kicked at a pebble, "I am going to marry Kikyou," he stated like it was normal for him to say it.

"YOU'RE WHAT?"

Miroku had not meant to yell, it just sped out of his mouth when Inuyasha's words set in his brain. He stood directly in front of his apparently over medicated friend, staring at him in complete and utter disbelief.

Inuyasha had slammed the back of his head on the brick wall when Miroku lost his normal calm, collective persona. He had expected a reaction but not quite such a loud one. He locked eyes with grape colored pupils. Those eyes searched his own for truth behind what he had said.

"I am going to marry Kikyou." Inuyasha repeated emotionless.

"Why the hell are you going to do that!?" Miroku felt himself reach the verge of panic his voice clearly acknowledging it.

"Because I am sick person and enjoy torturing myself and those I love."

"Why do I not believe that?"

"I signed over my freedom a little less than a week ago and unknowingly agreed to marry my girlfriend."

"WHY?"

"Is that the only word you know?! WHY! You want to know why? Because my brain malfunctions from time to time resulting in the destruction of any piece of happiness I might attain!"

"Inuyasha," Miroku's voice was calmer seeing the pain and burning in Inuyasha's eyes.

"No! I signed a damn contract that had printed, in what had to be invisible ink, that I will marry Kikyou upon the merger of my father's company and Naraku's company. Now I have to figure some way to tell Kagome that all her hopes and dreams for our future are worth nothing more than tiny grain of sand!" Inuyasha let all his frustrations out.

"Is that why you've been avoiding her?"

"Yes damn it! Isn't that what I have been trying to tell you." He felt his strength quickly fleeing from him.

"Calm down, is there anything that can counteract the contract." Miroku leaned back against the wall.

"No," defeat dripped from the word.

Miroku released a deep, heavy breathe, "When do you plan on telling her?"

Inuyasha stood on his feet and took a few steps forward, his arms still folded across his chest, "I was looking for someone to tell her that I wanted to speak with her tonight, right before you came over."

"Don't do it tonight. Sango and Destiny are taking her out somewhere to get her mind off you, though I doubt it will do any good. Besides I think you need a little more time to figure out how to tell her. You can't tell her the same you told me."

"Yeah, thanks. I need to go home and just clear my mind a bit," Inuyasha started to walk back out into the open yard.

Miroku followed suit but stopped after a few steps his heart cried for his friends, " It will crush her just like it has crushed you."

"I know," Inuyasha softly, sadly answered not stopping nor looking back.

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Kikyou stepped into her father's office with a clear look of smugness. Without a word she glided over to the chair across from Naraku and took a seat, flipping her hair with her hand. The room was dark, the blinds for the window behind him, were open just enough to emit an eerie glow of the daylight. The slim, dark man ignored his daughter and continued to read through the daily report of his company.

Kikyou cleared her throat to obtain his attention, "Ahem."

Naraku looked up from his paper and stared at her.

"You wanted to see me when I got home from school," Kikyou reached into her purse retrieving a pale pink lipstick and a compact mirror and began to repaint her lips.

"Yes, it seems that Inuyasha is yours."

Kikyou snapped the mirror shut and looked at her father; she smirked, her eyes blazed with victory.

"He signed the agreement, and you shall marry him when all the legalities of the merger are approved."

"Perfect," her voice was cold.

"Are you sure he wants you?" Naraku opened a small drawer of his desk.

"I don't care if he does or doesn't. Every important magazine, social club, and person knows that the Tama Brothers are the most eligible, the most powerful, the most wealthiest bachelors in the world."

Naraku pulled a slender cigarette and a solid gold lighter from the drawer. He stuck the white stick in the side of his lip and flicked the roller on the lighter, "Why not Sesshoumaru, the first born?;" he asked placing the small flame to the end of the cigarette.

Kikyou crossed her legs, her arms rested on each side of the leather chair, "The elder brother although very desirable physically, his personality lacks greatly beside the fact that he is a diamond wall, indestructible. Inuyasha however, is very passionate a weakness his brother does not have."

"Weakness?" Naraku took a let out a puff of smoke, amused at his daughter's ambition.

"Inuyasha is mine now, I will break him, and he will submit to me. I will marry him and with what money I have and what power and additional money I will gain when we marry, there will be no one to stop me from getting what I want."

"And what exactly do you want, my dear?"

"The world," Kikyou paused to stand, placing both hands securely on the front of the desk and leaning across it closer to her father, "and Inuyasha to suffer in hell."

Naraku knew he had taught his daughter well, "Is that so?"

Kikyou's eyes grew dark with hatred; "He betrayed my trust, telling me he loves me when its quite obvious he does not. His heart lies with another; I can see it in his eyes. Why else would he deny me time and time again? He will pay for his betrayal, one agonizing year at a time. If I found out who she is then along with losing him forever she will pay a far greater price than Inuyasha."

Kikyou turned from her father and grabbed her purse, she began heading for the door when his low, sinister voice stabbed the dead air in the room.

"Vengeance can be a dangerous thing."

Her back faced the desk, and turned her head slightly towards it before responding, "So is deceiving me. If I can not have his love and adoration, then she will not have him at all."

"Very well," he spoke again, his daughter started for the exit again, he pressed his cigarette into the ashtray, "and Kikyou you know nothing about the marriage." He watched her head nod in response before disappearing into the dark hall.

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Inuyasha sat slouched in a maroon chair in his father's library. All four walls in the room were covered from top to bottom with books. Every piece of wood stained a dark cherry color, the lights that shone from the chandlers above gave the room an orange-ish glow. Rin sat across from Inuyasha reading a thick old book. He stared blankly at the floor just before her feet, his mind void of any thoughts or a single function.

Silence hung heavy in the air. Sesshoumaru sat at a small table a few yards away from his fiancée and his brother, carefully rereading the contract that demanded his signature. After a complete review of the document, he placed the pamphlet on the table and flipped to the page he needed to sign. He could not stall a day longer, his father, Naraku and the many lawyers and businessman participating in the fusion insisted. He stared at the blank line; and placed the point of the pen on the paper. With a heavy heart, he scribbled Sesshoumaru Tama.

Quick, sharp footsteps from the hall broke the quietness of the room. As the steps grew louder indicating a person approaching, Rin and Sesshoumaru looked up towards the entrance. It was only a matter of seconds before Mrs. Tama barged into the library.

"I want to know what the hell is going on?" her voice was full of emotion.

Rin closed her book and looked across at Inuyasha who averted his gaze towards his mother. Sesshoumaru was the first to speak, "What do you mean, mother?"

"Kagome just called a few minutes ago asking to speak with Inuyasha, and when I asked the servant to get my son for me, Hache told me Inuyasha did not wish to speak to her and had not for quite sometime!" Mrs. Tama was annoyed; she heard the depression in Kagome's voice.

"You do not need to worry yourself, it will be taken care of tomorrow," Inuyasha said, his voice was as distance as his eyes.

Mrs. Tama observed her youngest, answers would not come easily from him, so redirected her attention to the oldest, "What will be taken care of tomorrow?"

Sesshoumaru matched his mother's stare, "You should be resting."

"I am not as weak as you boys seem to think I am. Now tell me what is going on." She retorted in a tone only mothers could achieve. She walked over to stand in front of her son.

Sesshoumaru reached for the phone on the table when it began to ring but his mother's small, pale hand stopped him, "Let it ring, and stop avoiding my question."

Sesshoumaru raised an eyebrow; his mind analyzed how to get out of the current situation without hurting his mother. He gripped the pen still in his hand. She would not leave the subject alone until she got the answers she desired; and answered to her satisfaction. The phone continued to ring, until the answering machine pick up. Her eyes fell on the phone when her husband's voice emerged from the speaker.

"Honey, I am afraid I won't be home this evening. I have a meeting with the advertising committee in about five minutes and it will probably run late. I am sorry for missing dinner again tonight; I'll make it up to you soon. Goodbye, dear."

Mrs. Tama huffed and muttered loud enough for all present to hear, "He is probably fucking one of his secretaries tonight, not like it will be the first time."

The air in the room died leaving a crisp, dry atmosphere. Sesshoumaru dropped the pen in his hand; however, his fingers remained in the same place, his facial expression remained stoic. He could not believe what he had just heard. She had known? She had known their father was screwing around on her the whole time? Meaning Kagome and Inuyasha sacrifice would have been spared. Irony was an evil concept. Now it was too late, Inuyasha would marry Kikyou in a matter of months.

Rin gasped as her hand flew up over her mouth. Tears flowed uncontrollably from her eyes. She glanced over at Inuyasha; he looked like a cement truck had just run over a small, defenseless kitten. If he appeared bad before, his appearance now could not come close to compare. Without a word he stood, walked over to small bar in the far corner of the room, and retrieved a large bottle of liquid.

Ignoring his mother's warning about the alcohol, he stormed out of the room fully intended on drinking his misery into oblivion. He never drank, but at the moment it seemed like the best time to start. A short time later Rin, Sesshoumaru and Mrs. Tama were greeted with the echoing slam of Inuyasha's bedroom door.

Mrs. Tama's eyes narrowed, taking one glimpse of Rin and Inuyasha's previous display she would not leave until Sesshoumaru told her everything, "I am not going to ask you again."

Sesshoumaru mentally sighed and leaned back in his chair, "Well mother do you want me to start at the beginning or the current problem at hand?"

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Kagome shut her locker door with shaking hands. Yet another day of school had gone by and she regretted skipping class the day before. The work she had to make up was atrocious. The only thing she wanted to do was sleep. Sleep was an escape from the trials of her life. No. She was strong; she would stand tall and survive. If her fears proved positive, then she would have to be for the sake of herself and the baby. She kept reminding herself not to panic, she was only three days late and it would not be the first time, her period has been irregular. Nothing was final yet. She planned to wait for her monthly cycle for a few more days before she started to go to pieces. Then, if it did not come, the only choice left would be to buy a home pregnancy test to confirm it.

She slowly moved down the hall of the main building towards the school's office. She needed to turn in her teacher recommendation so she could graduate Summa Cum Laude in two weeks. She had come to the awful conclusion that Inuyasha did want her any more, whatever the reasons may be. It tore her to shreds. He wouldn't talk to her, so she had decided to wait until he decided to respect her feelings and confront her. She ignored the shortening of her patience; she had her own problem to deal with. She wondered what would he say or do if she was with child. Would he even care?

She entered the office and was greeted by a cheery receptionist. Kagome silently scowled at the female's good mood but offered a weak smile in return. She walked up to the metal desk and handed the paper to the red-haired woman.

"Ah, yes. Mrs. Higurashi please wait here. I'll turn this in and bring you out your gold cords in representation of graduating as one of the top in the class." The woman bounced happily down the small, narrow hall.

Kagome waited in silence, staring down at a stapler next to a stack of papers. She heard the entrance door open behind her, and familiar giggles emerging from the two students who had entered.

She did not look back, not wanting to acknowledge their presence or start anything that will get her suspended. Her current state of mood would cause her to kick Kikyou's ass into the next millennium. So she remained silent.

Kikyou and Sakura stood behind her waiting in line, and talking about graduation. Kagome rolled her eyes when Kikyou lowered the volume of her voice down to a whisper. What was the point she could still hear the stupid, bitch.

"I forgot to tell you, Sakura."

"What?" the absent-minded girl whispered back.

"We are engaged! He signed the agreement."

Kagome's heart stopped and the oxygen vanished from her lungs.

"Oh my god, Kikyou congratulations! When?!" Sakura raised her voice a bit.

"Shhh, I am not supposed to know yet. After graduation" Kikyou words were laced with triumph.

Suddenly it all made sense to Kagome as she forced herself to stay put and not go bolting out of the office in tears. Her fist clenched at her sides. She was quickly losing the battle. Her mind refused to believe what she had heard, but everything added up, Inuyasha refusing to face her and Rin's sympathy. The once beating heart in her chest cried out in pain, wanting, needing an escape.

The secretary returned with the cords, and Kagome swiftly snatched them, before flee from the lobby. She fought back the orbs of water that begun to build behind her eyes. Adjusting her backpack a bit, she walked as fast as she could to the student parking lot. She had to get leave, get away from everybody. She needed desperately to be alone and regain what little control she had remaining.

Kagome caught a glimpse of Rin standing just ahead of her in the breezeway. Anger emerged from her pain and heartache. When Rin grabbed her arm to find out what was wrong, Kagome jerked her arm abruptly away.

"Don't touch me," Kagome's voice was low and lifeless.

"Kagome, what's…" Rin could not finish.

"YOU KNEW! DIDN'T YOU?"

Kagome did not care how many people were staring at her at the moment.

Rin bit her bottom lip and looked at the tile floor, "Yes," she said barely above a whisper.

"AND YOU COULDN'T HAVE TOLD ME?!," the tears were unstoppable now.

"Kagome it wasn't my place," Rin guiltily responded.

"Just leave me alone," she retorted in a dead calm voice as she walked away.

Rin stared after her friend, tears apparent in her eyes. Suddenly a thought struck her hard. Yes, Inuyasha was planning on telling Kagome today. But she knew he would not have done it at school. Which meant Kagome had not found out from him.

"Oh God…" Rin whispered to herself before spiriting down the walkway in search of Inuyasha.

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Inuyasha sat with Miroku on the truck on of his friend's car. They watched the cars pile out of the school parking lot. The wind blew his silver hair wildly behind him. He looked up and noticed the dark, gloomy clouds covering the sky. It matched what he was feeling perfectly.

"Inuyasha, I will not take your place. The speech is reserved for the senior class president, not the vice president." Miroku continued with their conversation.

"Miroku…" Inuyasha started.

"No. I will help you and take on the responsibilities of the president until graduation. But you have been our class president for four years; everybody will be expecting you to speak. And I will not do it."

"I don't think I can, Miroku, that is why I asked that you do it for me."

"You can do it, and you will. I have never seen you fail at anything." Miroku smirked proud at his come back.

"I failed Kagome."

Miroku lost his grin. And sighed in defeat.

Inuyasha spoke before he could, "Alright I'll do it, but you will take care of everything else for me?"

"Yes."

"Thanks."

Both pair of eyes fell upon Kagome as she walked hastily to her car, unlocked the doors, threw her book bag inside. She looked Inuyasha straight in the eyes before enter the car and speeding out of the parking lot. Inuyasha's spine shivered from her glare. Seeing her reminded him that he needed stop by her house on his way home. Dread crept from his toes to the ends of his hair.

It was only a minute after Kagome left; Rin came running up to Inuyasha, completely out of breath. She stood there before him, trying to catch it enough to speak.

After a few moments Rin spoke, "She knows," her cinnamon eyes full of fear.

"WHAT? Who told her?" Inuyasha panicked.

"I don't know! I tried to find out what was wrong with her and she screamed at me asking why had I not told her."

"FUCK!" Inuyasha yelled while he darted off Miroku's car and jumping into his own in the parking space next to Miroku and Rin.

He backed up and sped towards her house. He could only imagine what was running through her head at the moment.

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Inuyasha walked away of Kagome's house. He began searching the grounds for her. Souta had opened the door for him, and said he had not seen his sister. Inuyasha knew she was somewhere nearby; her car was parked at the foot of the hill. He stopped in front of the old well house when soft, muffled sobs emitted from the wood's cracks.

He cautiously slid open the decaying door and stepped inside, sliding it closed behind him. When his eyes adjusted to the darkness, he found Kagome nowhere in sight. But he could still hear her sobs. His eyes fell upon the well. Taking a few short strides, he peered over the lip of the vertical tunnel. She sat at the bottom, her knees drawn up to her chest, her head buried in her arms.

"Kagome," he called to her.

Kagome didn't look up, only whispered, "Just leave me alone."

"No, we need to talk. Please come up here."

Inuyasha turned a bit and lean against the well waiting for her. She did not stir for some minutes. He heard shuffling from the bottom of the well and turned back so he could face her when she came up. She struggled to get out, her eyes avoided contact with his. Inuyasha made a motion to help her but she waved him away. Seconds later she stood before him, her head bowed. He wanted to tell her he was sorry - anything, but no words would form in his dry mouth.

Silence passed between them before Kagome's head popped up and gloomy amber eyes met stormy gray eyes. A sharp pain seared through his cheek as Kagome's hand made contact with it. Inuyasha closed his eyes. He deserved that and anything else she did. He waited for her to start yelling, wanting her to get all her frustrations out before he attempted to speak. But no sound came, his eyes darted open when he felt her arms wrapped around his neck, her face nuzzled in his neck. He could feel her hot tears run down his flesh.

He hesitated for an instant before wrapping his own arms around her waist, pulling her as close to him as physically possible. She tightened her hold on him and he wondered how he was ever going to live without her. Kagome was the first to move from the embrace. Her tear-stricken face lifted from his shoulder.

"Please tell me its not true," her voice hung to a false hope.

Inuyasha slowly blinked, "I can't," his heart shattered watching her chin begin to quiver, "I signed the merger contract without reading all of it. And part of the agreement was for me to marry Ki…her."

"There is nothing you can do?" the hope still lingered.

"No" his eyes fell to the dirt ground.

Her hand came up to cover her mouth as a new wave of tears streamed from her eyes. Her worse nightmare had come true. Everything was lost.

"I couldn't tell you, I'm sorry." His voice was shaky but he did not cry.

She closed her eyes as she took a big gulp of air. While her heart lay in tiny pieces on the bottom of her stomach, her brain concentrated on keeping her body's functions normal under the stress temporarily forgetting about the possibility of her pregnancy and the addition problems that would result.

"I have to say goodbye, Kagome. Its better to end everything now, it will only be worse when I do marry her."

Kagome wanted to curl up and die. She couldn't protest, her mind wanted to be angry with him, wanted to hate him for making her love him so much. But that was the problem. She loved him.

"So, this is it?"

Inuyasha nodded, his heart thumped painfully in his chest.

"What are we then?" she whispered starting down at her clasped hands.

"We are what most of the world thinks we are, enemies," he fought the urge to pull her back in his arms and never let her go.

"So…"her sobs heightened keeping her from speaking properly, "not only do I," she paused again, "I lose the love of my life, I lose…my best friend too?"

Inuyasha could not answer her. It hurt too much to agree. But that was how it had to be, they had to break everything off and cut off their own life support.

"Tell me," she said locking eyes with him, "How am I suppose to go on knowing what we had…what we could've had?"

"Forget, Kagome. Forget about us…about me. There is no other option."

"What if I can't?"

"You can, and you will."

He turned his back to her, and walked out of the well shed. He wanted to turn around, wanted to go back to give her one last kiss goodbye and tell her he'd love her till the end of time. But if he did it would only hurt her more in the long run. He needed to be an example that he could forget, and then maybe it would be easier for her. He walked away while two once beating and thriving hearts, withered and died from grief.

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Sesshoumaru stood staring out into the horizon from the bay window in the family room. His mother stood next to him but facing in towards the house, her arms folded across her chest. In his hand he held a picture of Naraku's eldest daughter. His eyes examined the photo; her dark hair, and bright dynamic eyes told him that he had seen her many times before. How could he have not noticed the resemblance?

"It will work, Sesshoumaru." His mother flatly stated.

She had come up with a plausible plan to announce the engagement void. But the plan depended upon a single undetermined factor for it to work.

His gaze returned to the pink, orange, and yellow sky, his deep emotionless voice responded, "We can only hope it does."

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That is it for now! Hope you enjoyed. Only two more chappies to go. Yeah I decided to extend it one more chapter because if I put it all together the last chapter would be way to long.

Chapter 17 à all time up till graduation

Chapter 18 à Strictly graduation…possibly and epilogue and definitely a preview for the sequel…I even thought of a name for it too!

PLEASE REVIEW!!!!!!!

Oh yeah some of ya think you figured out a particular part of my story…um all I have to say in response is that sometimes things are not always what they seem, but again I could be wrong…hehe!

Until Next Time….REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW!