InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Paradox ❯ Be Careful What You Wish For...(Part 2) ( Chapter 7 )

Author Notes: Hey there, it's me again and sorry for the delay in updating, work and sickness were taking their toll on my free time and creativity, but I hope to start updating more frequently from now on! Thank you so much for reading and I hope you are enjoying the story so far.

As I said before, I'm not going to hold back chapters to gain reviews; but keep your fingers crossed that my ISP doesn't decide to block MediaMiner again which happened a couple of times these last few weeks. (living in the Middle East really bites sometimes *sigh*) They've finally agreed to leave it open for the time being, but no guarantees. If you are really interested in finishing the story, please drop me an email and if they do block it permanently, I'll email each of the remaining chapters when they are available. Hopefully, it won't come to something so drastic, but better to have a contingency plan, just in case.

Also, I sincerely appreciate your feedback (good, bad or indifferent) as it lets me know how I'm doing. Arigato gozaimasu!

Big hugs to my fabulous reviewers:

RedHerring: Hope your face has recovered from the lemon *wide evil grin* and thanks yet again for all of your support. You are quite simply the best!

Amethyst: Nice to see someone new making themselves heard! Thanks so much for your review! Yep, five hundred years and poor Inu-chan finally gets lucky!! Woohoo!

Laura-chan: Lovely to see you back and glad you enjoyed the citrus *wink*. Hope you like what's coming up next!

Inugirl: Another new name! Thanks for the rating and very pleased to hear you like the story!

Van-Stolin: You always do a great job of keeping me grounded and I appreciate it! I guess in reply to your comments, I've taken some liberties with the plot, etc. in order for my story to work. I've seen quite a bit of the anime (yep, Naraku's new body included), the first & second movies and I read a translation of the manga online, so I do realize I am digressing from Takahasi-san's plot in some places, but with good reason.

Airen: WOW! That's one heck of a review and you humble me with your comments! Arigato gozaimasu!!!!! I agree with you wholeheartedly about the spelling issue and often give up on some pieces which are otherwise decent simply because I'm fed up with translating spelling errors. As for the five hundred years, I'm still trying to get that across and hope I'm coming closer to succeeding now. With regards to the (ahem) anal-retentive Mrs. Higurashi, I'm clearing that up as well.

Relix: And another new name!! Delighted that you like the story and thanks for adding me to your list! *smile*

WARNING!!! - Dark LEMONY content appears in this chapter. Please read at your discretion.

Paradox

Chapter 7: Be Careful What You Wish For…(Part 2)

Last Time:

Slowly moving his sated body to lay beside her, Inuyasha drew her limp form against him, burying his face in the crook of her neck as he sighed contentedly. Wrapping his arms about her waist, he inhaled her sweet scent which was now mixed with his own and savored the knowledge that she now belonged to him. Placing a gentle kiss against her temple, he whispered, "I love you, Kagome."

Turning her exhausted body so that she could rest her head against his chest and listen to the sound of his beating heart, Kagome snuggled against him, smiling sleepily as she said, "I love you, too."

++++

`Shit, what did I do to deserve this?'

Shippo slowly closed his cell phone, his heart pounding fiercely in his chest. Kouga had just called to inform him that he was bringing Naraku to Sesshoumaru's place tomorrow morning and to make sure that everyone was prepared in case this turned out to be another one of his traps. Apparently the hanyou had claimed he had some information regarding what was happening, at the same time hinting that he knew the whereabouts of the Shikon no Tama. Shippo was hard pressed to believe that Naraku was going to help them in any way and Kouga had similar suspicions; however, the wolf demon had thought it would be better to find out what Naraku knew, if anything, rather than miss an opportunity to discover who was behind the recent attempts to steal the jewel.

The kitsune now had the unenviable task of informing Sesshoumaru of this recent development and he definitely wasn't looking forward to speaking with the taiyoukai. For some inexplicable reason, whenever Sesshoumaru needed to be told something which would undoubtedly piss him off, Shippo was usually the one who got stuck doing it. He didn't need this ongoing aggravation and one of these days, he was going to put his foot down, honestly, he was. All he had to do was explain to the others that just because he was the youngest, he shouldn't always be expected to do their dirty work. It certainly was a reasonable enough request and they would probably agree if he did ask, but whenever a chance presented itself, he never managed to get the words to come out of his mouth.

`Face it, kit, you're the world's biggest push-over.'

Silently bemoaning his lack of fortitude as he trudged slowly down the hallway, he dead in his tracks when he had a moment of inspiration. Maybe he could get Sango to tell him instead. Of all his companions, she was at least the most approachable, having become something of a surrogate big sister after Kagome had left. Not to mention that she was much better at deflecting any negative reactions from the demon Lord; often smoothing over a situation which might otherwise have turned ugly. Yes, he thought, definitely better to let Sango be the bearer of bad news.

Encouraged by that plan, he changed direction and headed towards hers and Miroku's room. Upon reaching their door, he raised his hand to knock only to pause when his acute sense of hearing picked up some rather unusual sounds from inside accompanied by the occupants' voices.

"Damn it, Miroku…I'm not that flexible…"

"Please, my love…I promise you will enjoy this very much…"

What transpired next was something not even five lifetimes could have prepared him for and the kitsune stood rooted to the spot for several seconds; praying his ears were betraying him. However, there was no mistaking that had indeed been Sango's voice filtering through the door to him. Having heard more than enough to last him another five centuries, Shippo swiftly lowered his upraised hand and beat a hasty retreat down the hall, his face glowing a darker red than his hair. Deciding that it would be less damaging to his mental health to bear Sesshoumaru's wrath than hear any more of that particular dialogue, he made a bee-line for the study.

++++

Briefly acknowledging the minions who had silently entered the room, he focused most of his attention on the laptop open in front of him, decisively tapping out a short email that would be routed through several servers before it reached its final destination. Swiftly keying in the necessary data, he could not help feeling fascinated by this brilliant technology which enabled him to send information anywhere in the world at the press of a few buttons. While that in itself was a marvelous invention, its most remarkable feature was that it afforded him complete anonymity, leaving neither physical nor sensory evidence which would enable his opponents to easily trace his location.

Completing the note with a little flourish, he proceeded to shut down the computer while absently questioning, "What news do you bring?"

Closing the laptop with a tiny snap, he sat back comfortably in the plush, leather chair behind his desk, his crimson eyes flickering in annoyance when the minions were slow to answer. With a negligent wave of his hand, he released a thick cloud of miasma which fiercely burned one of the hapless neko demon's eyes, the creature mewling pitifully as it was instantly blinded by the choking fumes. As the cat crumpled into a blubbering heap, he watched with distaste as two other demons rushed forward to aid it. With fearful looks towards the glowering figure behind the desk, they swiftly removed the unsightly mess.

After they had disappeared through a side door, he returned his gaze to the remaining minion, a cold, cruel smile gracing his features. As if he had not just tortuously maimed the youkai's companion, he solicitously inquired, "And what about you? Is there anything you would like to tell me?"

Not wishing to suffer a fate similar to his comrade's, the terrified demon hurriedly replied, "M-my lord, Naraku has revealed himself and as we speak, he is being taken to the miko."

His unfeeling expression brightening at that news, he smiled broadly, delighted that the hanyou had decided to join the game. Although the hanyou's participation was not wholly unexpected, this added bonus would make his little diversion far more entertaining. The past history surrounding the miko and Naraku would certainly enliven the play as neither was likely to place their trust in a former enemy and their reticence to work together would definitely work to his advantage. The odds against the miko and her companions had now increased exponentially and he was willing to wager that the game was turning decidedly in his favor.

Dismissing the demon with a curt nod, his grin turned malevolent as he began to formulate his next move; his head buzzing with one exciting thought after another. He did so enjoy when more players became involved, particularly one as unpredictable as Naraku. After all, evil knows evil and he knew Naraku far better than the hanyou knew himself.

++++

Feeling decidedly less traumatized than if he had hung around Miroku's and Sango's door a second longer, Shippo was nevertheless reeling from Sesshoumaru's ruthless interrogation. The Lord of the Western Lands had an incredible knack for drawing out the tiniest, seemingly insignificant, details from any conversation and he always felt physically and emotionally drained after such a session. Heaving a sigh of relief when the taiyoukai indicated that he was through questioning him, he sank wearily into one of the armchairs, using the last of his energy to tiredly ask, "Should I tell the others?"

Folding his hands gracefully before him, Sesshoumaru paused to consider this before curtly replying, "No. They will learn of it soon enough."

When Shippo's brows shot up in surprise, the demon Lord fixed him with a level glare that indicated he wasn't pleased by this reaction. The kitsune had the grace to blush in embarrassment, but his natural curiosity quickly overran his better judgment and he couldn't help inquiring, "Any particular reason why you don't want to tell them?"

The scowl that formed on Sesshoumaru's face was enough to confirm he didn't like his decisions being questioned; however, he was feeling uncharacteristically generous and decided to humor the fox demon with a brief explanation. "Aside from keeping my brother from rushing out of here in a fit of passion to kill the bastard hanyou, this should throw Naraku off guard. He will expect us to be ready for his arrival and by mixing in the element of surprise for both parties; he will not know which questions we will ask him first. Therefore, we should be able to get answers which are closer to the truth rather than some pat response he has concocted."

Undeniably impressed by such simple logic, Shippo hadn't really expected anything less from the taiyoukai. Age hadn't been the only deciding factor which lead them to appoint Sesshoumaru as their unofficial leader all those years ago, despite Inuyasha's vehement protests otherwise - he begrudgingly agreed to it in the end. Thanks to the demon Lord's clearheaded thinking and intelligent decision making, the six of them had survived many hardships that might otherwise have torn them apart. While there had been times when he doubted the wisdom of taking a particular course of action, he nevertheless had learned to trust Sesshoumaru's judgment and the demon Lord had yet to be proven wrong.

One corner of his mouth quirking upwards in a sardonic grin at the near hero-worship he afforded the older demon, Shippo lifted himself out of the armchair, intent on finding his bed. He was halfway across the room when Sesshoumaru's smooth voice stopped him. "Send the Higurashi boy here. I need to speak with him."

Somewhat surprised by that request, the fox demon did his best to conceal his reaction. Slowly nodding his head in agreement, he quickly crossed the room and exited through the door, pulling it shut behind him with a soft click. Once outside, he leaned back against the wall to catch his breath, wondering why Sesshoumaru wanted to speak to Kagome's brother. With Kagome now awake, the taiyoukai could put whatever questions he wanted answered to her rather than trying to drag second-hand knowledge from Souta. Unless that was precisely the reason why, perhaps he was planning to send the boy home.

His face fell slightly as he realized this was probably what was going to happen. Despite being initially irritated with the kid for putting him in such a tight spot when they first met, he had grown quite fond of Souta these last couple of days. Strangely enough, he could see a little bit of his younger self in Kagome's brother, especially in how he desperately wanted to help her; risking both Inuyasha's and Sesshoumaru's anger by defying their orders. The boy didn't know how reckless such actions were nor did he understand how lucky he had been to come out of those confrontations relatively unscathed.

Of course, he wasn't really one to talk about taking stupid risks. How many times while they were fighting Naraku had he charged forward in an attempt to save Kagome, only to later realize how much danger he had been in? He had nearly gotten himself killed on more occasions than he cared to admit; yet, that hadn't stopped him from risking his life each time without fail. Not matter what happened to him, he had done what he could to protect Kagome and that feeling remained just as strong now, if not stronger, than what it had been five hundred years ago.

Seeing a similar determination in Souta's brown eyes, Shippo had to admire the boy's resilience in spite of the overwhelming odds he was facing. Unfortunately, strength of heart wasn't enough to protect him, especially now that Naraku had stepped forward and their lives had become infinitely more dangerous. Yes, it would be better if he returned to the shrine where hopefully he would be safe.

Pushing himself decisively away from the wall, he strode determinedly towards Souta's room; once again becoming the bearer of bad news.

++++

As soon as the door closed behind the kitsune, Sesshoumaru unfolded his hands from in front of his face and reached for the telephone on the left side of his desk. He had been putting off this inevitable phone call for as long as he dared, waiting until he reached the point where he had no other options left. Lifting the receiver, he instinctively dialed the number which had changed only once in the last sixty years. Rhythmically tapping the fingers of his free hand against the edge of his desk, he waited patiently for the person on the other end to answer.

"Hello." The trembling voice which filtered through the line was dry and scratchy, age making it sound hoarse and uneven.

His tone modulated into a near murmur, Sesshoumaru replied, "I believe you are aware of recent events."

A weary sigh, like the sound of dry leaves blowing in the wind, prefaced the accompanying response, "Hai. I had hoped that it might hold for a few more weeks, but I suppose time has a way of altering even the best laid plans. I'll keep everything ready and you can begin anytime tomorrow."

Satisfied that, despite being slightly ahead of schedule, everything was in order, the taiyoukai queried, "Has the other matter been settled as well?"

Wheezing laughter followed, lasting for nearly a minute, before a breathless reply, dripping with sarcasm, sounded through the phone, "Hai, hai. Although she pitched quite a fit when I explained to her just how long I've known about this."

A small smile lifted the corners of Sesshoumaru's mouth as he imagined the ensuing row. However, neither of them had been at liberty to discuss their plan with outsiders despite the person in question's or anyone else's objections otherwise. By keeping their closely guarded secret, they had been able to buy nearly three years and while it wasn't enough time to bring their preparations completely to fruition, they had managed to keep Kagome safe much longer than expected. The niggling self-doubt which had plagued him these past few months eased somewhat when he reminded himself of this important detail.

Cradling the phone to his ear, he quietly confirmed, "We'll begin around midday. I will call you again in a couple of days to verify whether or not we were successful."

The voice from the other end took on a stern air as the man tersely interjected, "You had better, Sesshoumaru-sama. I'm counting on you to look after Kagome and Souta for me."

At the commanding tone the old man affected, Sesshoumaru couldn't suppress the wry grin which spread across his face. Silently laughing at how impudent this human could be when addressing someone more than five centuries his senior, he softly agreed, "Hai, Higurashi-san. I will take very good care of your grandchildren."

++++

Wringing his hands together as he stood outside Sesshoumaru's study, Souta ran through every possible excuse he could think of to not knock on the door.

He could honestly say that he wasn't looking forward to another audience with the taiyoukai. It was all well and good when Kagome was still unconscious and he could bluff about withholding information until she woke up, but he no longer had that trump card to play. As soon as he had seen Kagome this afternoon, he had begun to dread the moment when Sesshoumaru would lay his cards on the table and expect him to either call or fold. It seemed that decisive moment was finally upon him and Shippo's troubled expression when he came to get him hadn't bolstered his confidence any.

Swallowing the knot of fear which was hardening in his throat and threatening to choke him, Souta warily lifted his hand and before his courage could desert him, lightly rapped twice on the door. His knuckles barely connected with the wood, but it was enough to be heard by the demon Lord inside who brusquely bade him enter.

Swinging the heavy oak panel inwards, he peeked around the edge to be met by Sesshoumaru's calm, amber gaze. Pushing the door the rest of the way open, he shuffled through into the study, his eyes downcast, and let the door click shut behind him. Standing uncertainly just a few feet inside the room, he kept his eyes trained on the carpet in front of his bare feet as he tensely waited to hear whatever the taiyoukai had to tell him.

Mentally sighing as the boy's fear laden scent drifted across the distance between them, Sesshoumaru resisted the urge to rub his temples in frustration. Granted he had been somewhat callous in his dealings with the miko's younger sibling, he had never, in his inimitable knowledge, given the boy any real reason to fear him. In fact, if he wanted, he could lash out at the boy and give him absolute hell for being so damned stubborned; but he didn't see any need to reprimand him for wanting to protect his sister. Nevertheless, the boy's irrational fear was only going to make him weaker and feeling charitable enough to point that out, he quietly suggested, "You should sit down before you faint."

While the suggestion had seemed perfectly logical to Sesshoumaru when he made it, Souta took affront at the demon Lord's insinuation that he was on the verge of passing out. While he was afraid of what was going to happen, he certainly wasn't scared enough to do something so unmanly. Annoyed that the taiyoukai assumed he was so weak spirited, he used that growing resentment to put on a false front of bravado. A tight frown drawing his chocolate colored brows together, he slunk the remaining five steps to the armchair directly opposite the desk and apathetically flopped into it, silently telling himself all the while that he didn't care one wit if he was being disrespectful or not.

His petulant behavior earned him a dark scowl from Sesshoumaru which was quickly smoothed away when the demon Lord reminded himself the purpose of this discussion. Leaning forward so that his elbows rested on the desk and his chin was supported atop the back of his hands, he began in a measured tone, "I trust that you will be more cooperative now that your sister is awake."

Shrugging indifferently, Souta made no further effort to respond, his gaze fixed on a point above and behind Sesshoumaru's head. Had he spared a glance at the taiyoukai's face, he would have seen a far different expression from the one he had been presented these past few days. However, he was too intent on keeping his own features hardened against betraying his turbulent emotions although inside his stomach clenched painfully in apprehension.

Drawing on the wealth of patience he had built up over the centuries from dealing with his hot-headed, younger brother, Sesshoumaru refused to rise to the boy's baiting. He was certainly much smarter than the taiyoukai had initially given him credit and his unswerving loyalty to Kagome was something Sesshoumaru rarely saw in humans in this day and age. Truth be told, he actually liked the boy, though he did need to learn proper respect for his elders. Letting rare warmth infuse his golden gaze, he softly inquired, "Do you think I should send you home?"

Too late, Souta realized that being allowed to stay here rested solely on the demon Lords tolerance of his presence. Sesshoumaru had the unmitigated authority to send him back to the shrine and his heart leapt into his throat at the possibility that the he might be planning to do just that. Sitting up straight, his mulish expression swiftly changing to one which was suitably contrite, he warily asked, "Are you going to?"

Pleased to see that the boy appeared properly chastised, Sesshoumaru replied with a negative shake of his head, "No."

Immensely relieved to hear that he wasn't going to have to start packing, Souta's warm elation abruptly turned to a shiver of uneasiness when the taiyoukai elaborated with a enigmatic smile, "I have something else in mind for you."

++++

Luxurious warmth surrounded her, a sense of peace settling over her soul as she fell deeper into her dream.

Fluffy, white clouds rolled across the azure blue sky, brilliantly lit by a glowing summer sun. A dazzling palette of brightly hued wildflowers scented the air with their heady perfume, lending a surreal beauty to the quiet, grassy clearing surrounded by a sun dappled forest, smelling of rich earth and peat moss after a recent rainstorm. Located at the center of this scene was an old wooden well, the thick planks forming the base cracked and weathered by the slow passage time. Seated on one of those graying beams was a young woman with raven colored hair and mysterious blue-gray eyes.

A faint breeze drifted between branches laden with lush green leaves, their soft rustling like the whispers of voices long forgotten. Tilting her head as if listening to their words, she slipped from her perch to slowly make her way across the clearing towards where an ancient tree rose loftily above its peers. It stretched so high above the rest of the forest that she bemusedly wondered if it might truly be connected to the gods.

As she drew nearer to its expansive girth, her eyes adjusted to the dimly lit forest interior. Pushing aside the dense foliage which sought to impede her passage, she paid little heed to the branches which pulled at her hair and snagged her clothing. The brush parted reluctantly, seeming intent on preventing her from reaching her destination. When only a thickly woven tangle of young saplings stood between her and her goal, she broke through the entwined undergrowth to step into another, smaller clearing which housed the enormous Goshinboku.

There pinned to the wide trunk exactly as she remembered was the inert form of an inu hanyou, his silver hair swaying slightly as a gentle breeze plucked several shining strands aloft. Stepping carefully onto the twisting roots which had grown upwards to embrace him, she reached out her hand to gently stroke a soft, triangular ear. Imagining a rumbling purr coming from his throat due to her ministrations, she giggled at such a whimsical notion before recalling her purpose for being here.

Dropping her hand down reluctantly, she let her fingers hover uncertainly over the arrow which protruded from the left side of his chest. A pale pink aura began to form around the arrow shaft, growing brighter as she brought her hand closer until her fingers were loosely encircling it. The moment her hand closed around the smooth wood, the arrow dissolved in a glittering spark of energy that quickly faded. Completely silence permeated the air, not even a locust hummed, before a rhythmic pulse signaled the hanyou had awoken. Lifting her gaze as a soft sigh escaped his lips, she waited with baited breath for him to open his eyes.

It was then that everything went horribly wrong.

The half demon's eyes snapped open to reveal deep crimson rather than the expected amber. His hair darkened, the bright, silvery color changing to inky black as the locks writhed about him, seemingly possessing a life of their own. An evil smirk transformed the inu hanyou's familiar features into those of another hanyou that she had never wished to see again. Her eyes rounding in terror, she screamed as he glared menacingly at her.

Easily smashing through the roots clinging to him, his hand snaked out to latch painfully tight around her throat, effectively cutting off her startled scream. Clicking his tongue in admonishment, he leered at her as his other arm wrapped firmly about her waist drawing her firmly against him. Smiling with dark malevolence, he pressed his face close to hers and softly inquired, "Did you miss me?"

Unable to speak with his fingers crushing her windpipe, she vehemently shook her head as much as she was able, panicking further when he nuzzled her cheek with his own. His voice laced with sarcastic regret, he sighed, "Ah, but I missed you, my love."

Lowering his head, he licked the side of her face in a languid manner, chuckling as he felt her shudder in revulsion. Repeating the caress with greater relish, he nibbled delicately along her jaw savoring the shivers wracking her slender frame. The hand on her neck slid around to wind painfully tight in her hair as he yanked her head back to expose her throat to his exploring mouth. When she drew a sharp breath to protest, his teeth scraping threateningly along her jugular, one fang pricking the skin and drawing a bead of blood which he greedily lapped up, murmuring huskily, "So sweet. I can taste your fear.

Holding herself rigidly, she tried to force aside the sickening feeling of his slimy mouth moving slowly over her skin. Believing he wanted her to fight and scream, she kept absolutely still and silent; her only sign of resistance the fiercely burning hatred in her eyes. However, her defiant gaze only served to fuel his lust. Keeping her arms pinned at her sides, he rolled his hips suggestively against her; eliciting a nervous whimper when the hard evidence of his arousal poked her stomach. Placing his lips close to her ear, he whispered seductively, "To long we have been apart, but soon we shall be together again."

Moving his head again so that his breath puffed hotly against her cheek, he told her, "They are all going to die you know and there is nothing you can do to stop it. Time will reclaim what belongs to it and so shall I reclaim what belongs to me."

When he finished speaking, his mouth closed over hers in a punishing kiss that had her gasping in horror. Repulsed by the oily feel of his tongue sliding against hers, she managed to get one hand free; pushing ineffectively against his chest in an effort to free herself from his steel-like embrace. His lips firmly sealed over hers, she felt a strange drawing sensation that stole the breath from her lungs and left black spots dancing before her eyes. Afraid of losing consciousness, she tried to scratch his face with her free hand then immediately regretted the action when as punishment the hand that had been at her waist cruelly squeezed her breast, bringing tears to her eyes.

Not willing to give up easily, she desperately tried to twist away from him. She could hear his voice taunting her in her head, telling her there was no escaping destiny. His laughter at her useless struggling hollowly echoed through her as he proceed to suck the very soul from her. Feeling her body grow weaker with each passing moment, her last thought before she fell into the rapidly expanding void was that she knew he was right.

++++

Jerking awake with a choked gasp, Kagome tried to sit up, but was prevented from doing so by a pair of strong arms encircling her waist. With the remnants of her dream still clouding her mind, she began to writhe wildly in a desperate attempt to free herself. She redoubled her efforts when the arms drew her closer to a solid wall of flesh; her terror intensifying until a welcome sound penetrated her frightened senses. "Kagome, what's wrong?"

Hearing Inuyasha's deep voice she instantly calmed; her rigidly tense form suddenly falling slack against him as her panic fled and was replaced by overwhelming relief that it had only been a dream. Nestling her head in the crook of his neck, she trembled uncontrollably as tears began to burn against the backs of her eyes. Sniffling, she pressed closer to him as she began to cry in earnest.

Cradling the back of her head with his hand, Inuyasha felt completely helpless as the woman he loved sobbed against his shoulder. He had woken the moment she started to thrash about, the scent of her fear thick and tangy in the air, and had instinctively tightened his grip on her, silently willing her to stop struggling. His keen senses had been unable to detect any signs of danger in the room or indeed within quite a distance from the house so he could only surmise that she must have had a nightmare. Rubbing soothing circles over her back, he resigned himself to wait until her tears subsided before he asked her about it.

He had turned slightly so that he was facing towards the windows and could see that it was already morning, the heavy curtains shutting out all but a thin band of light where the thick material didn't quite reach the floor. Tuning his ears so that he could that he could hear if anyone had roused themselves from their beds, he detected that the only other person awake was his brother who was currently training in the dojo. Since Sesshoumaru's daily routine rarely changed from one day to the next, he guessed that it was sometime around six in the morning.

A watery hiccup brought his attention back to Kagome, who was rubbing her cheeks with the heel of her hand in an effort to erase the evidence of her weeping. Using his thumb, he aided her by gently wiping beneath both of her eyes before playfully tapping the end of her nose with his index finger. Tenderly brushing her bangs back from her forehead, he inquired, "Feeling better now?"

"Umm." She gave him a weak smile in return, sniffing a little but definitely more in control than she had been a moment ago.

Tucking a stray lock of hair behind her ear, he asked, "Did you have a bad dream?"

Even though the room was deeply shadowed, it had lightened enough that she could make out Inuyasha's concerned features clearly. Still somewhat shaken by her nightmare, she felt guilty making him worry so much. She knew that he would do everything in his power to protect her, but she didn't want every little concern she had to become a constant burden to him. Her life was pretty screwed up at the moment and while she knew he loved her, she thought it unfair to expect him to shoulder what she considered her responsibilities.

The missing Shikon no Tama. The strange side effects from her wish which had brought her friends through five hundred years relatively unchanged, with the notable exception of Shippo of course. Naraku's sudden reappearance along with his cryptic riddles which were mind boggling in themselves. Not to mention an unexplained memory lapse of nearly three years, her mother and grandfather completely different people from how she remembered them and a suddenly teenage brother who knew more about what was happening than she did.

Furthermore, she hated feeling so incapable when everyone around her was suffering just as much if not more than she was. She couldn't even begin to fathom how difficult it must have been for her friends to live through five centuries with only each other for company. Heck, Souta and her couldn't even go five days without their tempers flaring; yet, her friends had stayed together for five hundred years and they'd had no choice in the matter thanks to her wish. How lonely and frustrating their lives must have been; forced to suffer through more than five lifetimes with only a vague hope that at some point in the future they would find the solution to their problem.

When compared to that, her situation didn't appear anywhere near as awful and yet all she seemed able to do was cry about it. In fact, she seemed to be doing nothing but cry lately. Constantly shedding tears solved nothing and was getting her nowhere, but try as she might, once they started, she had a hard time making them stop. As if to prove that point, the telltale moisture again began to well up in her eyes. Ducking her head to hide their reappearance, she resolved then and there to stop being such a crybaby and take charge of the situation. Recalling that Inuyasha was waiting for an answer, she noncommittally replied, "Yeah, I guess, but I don't really remember it."

Something about the way she said that made Inuyasha instantly suspicious; her behavior reminiscent of the other times she had kept something from him. The way she averted her gaze and how her voice would become all soft and hesitant as if she didn't trust herself enough to speak above a whisper. She usually only did this when she thought that he might be hurt by whatever was troubling her and apparently her dream had disturbed her greatly. He didn't doubt for one instant that she remembered every minute detail vividly, but she clearly had no intention of telling him about it. Nodding to say that he accepted her answer, he let her snuggle up beside him and drift back to sleep while he contemplated the situation.

If he decided to press the matter, he could easily force her to tell him about her dream, but he would rather she trusted him enough to confide in him of her own accord. Besides, forcing her would only make her resent his showing concern for her. He wanted her to feel like she could come to him for aid whenever she faced an obstacle she wasn't able to overcome on her own, while at the same time not feel like she was being a burden to him. Accordingly, he would respect her desire to solve problems on her own so long as she understood that there was nothing wrong with asking for or receiving help.

It was the same lesson she had sought to impart to him all those years ago while they were hunting for the Shikon no Kakera, battling Naraku and trying to put his past to rest. The same lesson he had been forced to learn and relearn numerous times over the last five hundred years, his brother being the one who had painfully instilled that knowledge in him on each occasion. Funny how, if asked, he would be the last person to admit it; yet, he couldn't deny that none of them would be here today if it hadn't been for Sesshoumaru. Oh sure, he might loudly bemoan the fact that he had such an egotistical, aristocratic snob for a brother; but deep down, he was secretly and eternally grateful for everything the taiyoukai had taught him.

Now it was his turn to pass on that knowledge to someone else and much like his brother had done, he would have to be patient until Kagome realized that she didn't have to face her fears alone.

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Coming Soon: Chapter 8: Be Careful What You Wish For…(Part 3)