InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ The Shadows Within ❯ Confessions ( Chapter 6 )

Disclaimer: I don't own anything from Inuyasha.

A/N It was a long time in coming, but I finally finished this chapter. I hope the length makes up for the wait. Be prepared for numerous point-of-view changes.

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The Shadows Within

Ch. 6

By: Quiet Escapist

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The next day passed by rather uneventfully for Kagome, with most of the day spent it the hotel room she shared with Sango. Not that it was her choice; but she decided it was probably best to go along with Inuyasha's decision. Especially after getting an earful from the hanyou when he found her that morning back in the docking bay, perusing some of the gift shops with Sango. She swore her ears were still ringing after he exploded on her.

And after Inuyasha so thoughtfully escorted Kagome back up to her room - complete with more scolding, and a threat or two - she found herself alone, the mechanic taking the opportunity to help out with repairs on their ship.

She now lay on her oversized bed, staring dully at the tv screen in front of her while flipping the channels, none of the bright images catching her attention. Millions of channels, but still nothing on...

Her old pyjamas lay in a heap beside the bed, discarded that morning after she discovered an entire wardrobe of clothing in the walk-in closet. When she mentioned it to Sango, the other girl simply stated that it was probably Kouga's doing. His personal guests were always well taken care of.

Kagome sighed as she continued to flip the channels, her mind beginning to wander as it had repeatedly for the entire day. Surprisingly she wasn't thinking about the odd situation that she found herself in, or even her family back home. She thought of Inuyasha.

Rude, domineering, foul-mouthed Inuyasha.

Why do I keep thinking about him?! Frustrated with her turn of thoughts she clicked off the tv and threw down the controller, rolling over onto her back to study the stark white ceiling above her. What she should have been thinking about was finding a way to get back home, or unravelling the rest of the mystery surrounding her sudden change of environment yesterday.

Not that anyone seemed keen on talking about it anyway. Only minutes after she regained consciousness, Sango slowly explained a few details, just enough to answer some questions and reassure Kagome that she was safe.

For the time being at least, Kagome thought with a frown.

The mechanic went over the key details concerning energy in her body, including the fact that she had been taken from her home one night, which in turn led to her being taken away on a ship. Conveniently, Sango managed to sidestep a few minor details, such a who had kidnapped her or where she was being taken. And why, for that matter. But Kagome let it drop for the time being; her mind still hazy from the drug induced coma.

Before heading out on their trip to the docking bay earlier that morning, Kagome tried to breach the subject again. Her questions obviously flustered Sango, the girl's face blanching slightly as she stammered that they should be going if they wanted to get downstairs before the crowds. Sango's undeniable sidestepping of her questions made Kagome worry. The other girl didn't seem like the secretive type. Actually, Kagome found her to be rather warm and open, and given different circumstances she would have thought she found a new friend.

She noticed several times that morning that Sango's face would suddenly become solemn, her eyes taking on a distant look. When Kagome asked if something was wrong, the older girl just brushed it off, explaining that she was still tired for the previous day's excitement. This made Kagome worry even more, knowing full well that Sango had a good nine hours of sleep to refresh herself. Of course, her worry was quickly replaced by shock when Inuyasha suddenly appeared in front of her, his form looming over her, making her feel like a little child caught with their hand in the cookie jar.

Arg! I'm doing it again! She violently shook her head, trying to dispel the image of the scowling hanyou from her mind, but it stuck. Huffing out a sigh of resignation, she decided to figure this out. Enough was enough. If she could figure out why she kept thinking about him, then maybe then she could stop...

Is it because he's a hanyou? She couldn't recall ever seeing anyone - demon or human - with such striking features. He wasn't gorgeous by any means; he didn't have the same flawless, handsome features as Miroku. His own features were more angular, giving him a guarded look. His waist length hair was like a silver mane falling down his back, and his eyes of liquid amber were so vibrant, even when he was scowling. And his ears!

She grinned at the image of the fuzzy triangles atop his head. They were probably the most adorable things she had ever seen, and she still desperately wanted to touch them. But she would probably end up with one less limb considering his constantly irritated demeanour.

Or is that why I think about him? He's only ever been mean to me. The grin vanished from her face, a frown tugging at her lips as she considered that thought. Sango mentioned earlier that Inuyasha wasn't the friendliest person in the universe, but did that still mean he had to act like an overbearing jerk towards her?

It's not like she did something to him; they had only just met. And the others in the group had at least been civil, so why couldn't he?

She rubbed at her temples soothingly. Not that she had a headache, but the motion calmed some of her thoughts. Leaning up slightly, she stared at the clock on the wall, pleased to see it reading quarter to five, but also dreading the numbers at the same time. It was almost night, so the painfully dull day would come to an end soon, but after that... what happened to her? What would the next day bring?

Sitting up abruptly, wanting to run from her worries, she decided she needed something to occupy her attention. She let her gaze shift around the room anxiously before landing on the door. Cocking her head to the side, she narrowed her eyes on the metal panel, an idea coming to mind.

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Growling to himself, Inuyasha punched in the code on the door of his room, storming past the door that soundlessly slid open for him. He yanked the blue cap off his head, rubbing his sore ears that had spent the day trapped under the hat.

A quick glance to the clock on the wall and he decided to take a shower before he went downstairs for dinner. He slipped off his worn vest and then tugged his shirt over his head, rolling his stiff shoulders as he dropped the shirt on the floor. Yesterday's events were still with him; a dull ache had been pulsing through his body the entire day.

The rest of his clothes made a trail to the bathroom, the soothing heat of a shower calling out to him. Inuyasha stepped inside the small tile covered room, a thin pane of glass closing behind him automatically. He tapped the showerhead twice, and a jet of hot water suddenly rained down on him. A content sigh escaped the hanyou's lips.

Steam from the heated water quickly rose from below his feet, wrapping around his wet limbs and enveloping him in a comfortable haze. The steady pounding of the water against his chest eased the tension from his mind, while the hot steam began to relax the tightness in his worn muscles. Today's problems washed off him and ran down the drain, all except for one.

Kagome.

He cursed under his breath as he began to lather his hair. For the whole day she'd been at the back of his mind; he couldn't shake her image. Or her scent for that matter.

Who knew that once she showered and got rid of that nauseating chemical stench, she actually smelt pretty good?

Her scent was fresh and clean; alive. Something she soon wouldn't be.

His meeting with Kouga last night had helped determine just how much longer she had. The wolf demon rattled off the statistics of his ship, half of which Inuyasha didn't understand; he could fly the thing damn well, but when it came to the logistics, he only knew the basics. What he understood though was that there was a lot of interior damage, but with mechanics working on it around the clock it could be done in three days time.

Three days until they left. Day one was already gone.

Then came the issue of how to transport the girl to the base. It stumped both men; though both could be rough and insensitive at times, they didn't want to be a part of this job. Eventually they did come to the decision that she couldn't be taken there in a conscious state, because if her emotions ran high she'd set off the energy scans. Besides, there was no way she'd go willingly, not even if she didn't know the truth.

Kouga then suggested that she be drugged. A simple potion could be made and then slipped into a drink, and it would probably knock her out until she was dropped off at the Med Base - the researchers there could deal with her afterwards. But the problem with that idea was that it would probably work, there were no guarantees.

After hours of discussion, bickering and threats of bodily harm, they both came to an reluctant agreement. Kagome would be drugged on the morning of the third day, right before they left Titan. The solution would most likely hold for the entire one-day journey to the base.

Inuyasha rinsed the suds out of his hair and then stood under the water, letting it run in rivulets down the front of his face. While he was anxiously awaiting the moment when it was all over, he also dreaded it at the same time. He had no where to go. His brother - his only relative - was gone along with the factory and the docking bay.

Sango would probably take him in and let him live with her and Kohaku, but that couldn't last long. There was no way he could get a regular job; he was a hanyou. He wouldn't allow himself to drag down Sango and her brother; it was already hard enough on them, both their paychecks just enough to pay for rent and food.

Stepping out of the shower, the cold air hit him in a rush, goose bumps rising on his wet flesh. Quickly he wrapped a towel around himself and began to dry off. He pushed all of his uncertainties about the future back into the recesses of his mind, like he always did. He saw no use on dwelling on them now. He'd just have to deal with them when the time came. For now, he had to deal with Kagome. And he was just beginning to see how difficult that would be.

Because each minute that passed he found it harder not to think of her as a person, but as just another cargo shipment. Another means to a paycheck.

Each minute that passed, he found it harder not to care.

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Sango made her way through the busy docking bay, slipping through the crowds easily, as if she were invisible. She rubbed her palms against her pants, trying to rid them of the left over grime from working on the ship again. Of course, she didn't have to; Kouga had some very competent mechanics already working on it. But working with the metal eased the lump of guilt forming in her stomach, and with her mind totally focused on her work she wasn't worrying about the next time Kagome started asking questions.

She hated having to hold back some of the truth from Kagome, but she already made a promise to Inuyasha that she wouldn't say anymore. Which is why she had to get away. She already felt a bond forming between them, and the more time she spent with Kagome, the harder it got to keep it all inside.

Pushing though the glass doors, Sango entered the main building, deliberately heading away from the elevator that would take her back up to her room. It would eat up some of her time to just wander around for a while. She couldn't face Kagome just yet.

Sauntering down a wide hallway, she followed the trail of burgundy carpet, wondering to herself how Kohaku was making out today. Last night, as soon as she had a free moment she contacted him, praying that he was alright. When she finally got a hold of him, she could plainly see how distressed he was over the view-phone; his eyes were red and puffy from crying, his brown hair mussed like it hadn't been brushed at all. Sango almost cried when she saw him; Kohaku did. She quickly explained to him what had happened, and mentioned she didn't know when she'd be back. He smiled for her, telling her he'd be fine by himself for a while, but she knew it was forced. In the hours before she had called, he's gone through hell again, thinking he'd lost the last of his family.

She sighed to herself; all she wanted to do was go back home.

The tantalizing smells of gourmet food slowly reached her nose, and her stomach grumbled in response, reminding her that she skipped lunch. Following the aromatic scents, she hurried down a few more hallways before coming upon a restaurant within the building. A large glass panel gave her a clear view from the hallway into the expansive dining room. Hundreds of tables were set up, about half of them full with people enjoying an early dinner. It didn't go unnoticed that the majority of the diners wore more formal attire, like business suits or skirts with blouses.

Looking down to her own outfit, Sango frowned at the image. The light grey pants she got from the stocked closet this morning were now streaked with grime from when she used them as a rag, and the white tee was tainted with various coloured smudges.

Standing outside the window, she debated whether or not to go in, the delicious scents inviting her in but the thought of the other haughty diners scrutinizing her attire kept her outside.

Eventually her hunger won out, so she speedily strode to the main entrance to the restaurant just a little ways down the hall, continuing to glance at the diners every so often, mentally deciding what she would order. She licked her lips in anticipation, silently thanking Kouga for being so generous. All she had to do was mention to her waiter that she was a personal friend of the wolf-demon and anything on the menu would be hers.

She stopped her march abruptly when one of the diners caught her eye, a lone man sitting at a small table near the wall. She squinted her eyes as she watched him; something about him just seemed so familiar. His black hair hung around just above his broad shoulders; the sleeves of his purple shirt were carelessly rolled up to his elbows.

A waitress walked over to his table, datapad in hand, ready to take his order. He turned, giving Sango a perfect view of his profile. A light bulb went off in her head when she recognized the devilish grin he was giving the young girl. The blonde just smiled sweetly and when he beckoned her with a crooked finger, she leaned over to let him whisper something in her ears, inadvertently giving him a nice view down her shirt.

Sango felt her eyebrow twitch involuntarily at the small scene. The waitress stood upright again, blushing and giggling as she walked away to get his order, her hips swaying dramatically knowing that he was watching.

The mechanic's stomach growled again, reminding her of her previous errand. With renewed purpose, she continued on her way to the entrance, quickly deciding that she could easily watch over Miroku while she ate. Without Inuyasha around, someone had to keep him in check so he didn't get himself into trouble before they left.

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Miroku leaned back in his chair, idly tracing invisible patterns on the tabletop now that the waitress had disappeared from sight. He thought it was a pity that most restaurants preferred robotic service instead of human; in his books good old-fashioned human interaction always beat out fast, reliable service.

The he smirked to himself, his eyes wandering around the room, landing a few other waitresses just as pretty as the one that just left. He took a sip from the cup in front of him, the sweet sake quenching his thirst and subduing his hunger until his food arrived. What good fortune I've had, stumbling across this place.

But despite it all - the women, the drink, the warm pleasant atmosphere - he felt something tugging at him from the inside, softly though incessant. It made talking to the girls less enjoyable; the cup of sake in his hand less satisfying. If he wanted to he could pinpoint the reason, tracing it back to an event a week ago that included an order from the Senate, but he chose to ignore it instead.

There was no sense in dwelling on it and spoiling his mood.

A moment later a woman stood beside him, her curved frame blocking his view of the right side of the restaurant. Now that's fast service... He looked up to thank the waitress - and possibly give her bedroom eyes - when he noticed that the waitress was actually Sango. Keeping his surprise to himself, he smiled casually to which she smiled back.

"Ah Sango, will you be joining me?"

"Yes I will, if that's alright with you."

"Of course, of course." He motioned to the empty seat across from himself. She took her place, immediately grabbing for the menu and skimming through it. Miroku took her moment of distraction to study her; somehow, she seemed different than how he last saw her. Her eyes were a little duller, her smile a bit forced.

His eyes drifted downward - on their own accord, of course - and he noticed the colourful stains across her ches- erm, shirt.

"I see you've been working today." His voice interrupted her intense focus, her head snapping up at the sound and then she blushed. Miroku couldn't help but smile at the tint across her cheeks.

"Yeah, well...I didn't know what else to do..." Trailing off she returned to her menu, more intent on choosing her dinner than keeping up conversation.

"I understand." A few minutes of silence passed between them before she put the menu down.

"What have you been up to? I haven't seen you all day," she asked, her fingers tracing the edge of the menu.

"I took a walk around the city. I've never been anywhere but Mars, so it was interesting to see how different things are here. I also stopped by a couple shrines on my way back, and ended up having a long talk with a monk I met there."

"Really? I didn't know you were religious."

"The topic never came up," he said with a shrug. She chuckled to herself, and the soft sound made him perk up his head.

"No offence, but I wouldn't take you to be someone that's deeply involved in spirituality." He understood what she meant so he nodded, but his mood became a bit more serious as he took another sip of sake before replying.

"Well, sometimes there's more to a people than you think."

His words had the effect he wanted. The mechanic sat up straighter, her thin eyebrows raised ever so slightly and she locked her eyes with his. All her attention was on him and for a moment it was just the two of them in the restaurant, the sentence he had spoken hovering between them.

"Would you like a refill, sir?" piped a airy voice beside Miroku, startling the two out of their state. Beside him stood the waitress again, a large jug in hand, her hips cocked to the side seductively. Her sudden presence annoyed him, though he couldn't understand why.

"Yes. Of course."

The young girl narrowed her crystalline blue eyes on Sango before turning back to Miroku, a vibrant smile flashed directly at him.

"Here you go, sir," she said as she fluttered her thick eyelashes, and then bent over to fill his glass in front of him. Her low cut shirt shifted, revealing to him the swelling tops of her breasts. His eyes settled there; oddly, she didn't seem as annoying anymore.

"Why thank you. You know, I don't think I've ever had such a excellent service before. Or such a beautiful server," he commented with a wink. The girl giggled at the comment, boosting his ego slightly. Across the table Sango groaned and slumped further into her seat, and Miroku was reminded of his companion. "Miss, if you don't mind, my friend here would also like to order."

"Oh, your friend? Of course," her attitude towards the mechanic changing at his title for her. She took Sango's order, flipping her hair and questioning her side dish of choice with a perky voice. Once everything had been jotted into the datapad, the waitress gave Miroku a last glance and wink before walking away to another table.

He watched as she left, his eyes languidly taking in her form, the soft curves at the base of her neck, her waist and her ass.

"So why do you do it?" Sango asked, breaking him out of his daze.

"Do what?" He rubbed the back of his neck, the ends of his untied hair tickling the back of his hand.

"You know, the flirting, groping, winking, leering, etc."

That`s simple. "Because I'm a guy."

That prompted an eye-roll from the mechanic. "I work with guys all day, everyday, and I've never seen one act quite like you."

"So I'm special?" he asked with a suggestive grin.

"If you mean special as in `needing-some-serious-psychiatric-intervention special', then yes, you are."

"If feels nice to be special," he said, ignoring her sarcasm. She rolled her eyes again and then took to watching the people around her with mild interest. Her brown orbs danced over the tables next to them, sometimes settling one a person for a while and then moving on to the next.

That moment, no more than ten minutes ago, when she looked straight into his eyes, he felt like she was truly looking at him. Or inside him. He couldn't tell which it felt more like; it felt nice all the same. There was a silent voice coming from within him, calling to her, wanting her to look at him again. But she didn't hear it.

The dark haired man looked down into his cup, swirling it so that the amber liquid just barely reached the rim. "I like the attention," he confessed. "I like getting a reaction from people."

Sango blinked, her attention straying from the other diners. "That's it?" He nodded.

"So... you like getting smacked?" she questioned, a hint of teasing in her words.

"I rarely get hit." A sly grin quirked at his lips.

"That's a surprise," she muttered under his breath; he couldn't tell if he was meant to hear that or not. "Well, do you mind backing it off for a while, Romeo?" A seriousness had returned to her voice.

"Jealous?"

She shot him a dead pan look. "Hardly."

"Then why do you care?"

"Because we have a job to do, and you can't get yourself into trouble before we leave," she demanded, and then her features softened when her words hit her. Her gaze fell to her lap, and it was plain to Miroku what she feeling; it was all written in her eyes. Even if he couldn't see the pain there, he'd understand anyway because he felt the exact same way.

"I don't want to do it," she whispered, and her words resounded louder in his ears than any other sound in the noisy restaurant.

It. The Senate's orders. Taking an innocent girl to her death. He didn't want to do it either. He felt as if he was holding a gun directly to her head; taking her to the Med Base was an indirect method, but in the end he still would have taken part in her death.

When he first got his orders, he was disgusted, but he managed to push the churning feeling away. A few days passed and he was boarding Inuyasha's ship, and he still locked away his conscience. Today it weighed down on him though, invading his thoughts at random moments, a fresh wave of guilt washing over him each time. He didn't want to admit it to anyone, but he was scared. There was no way he could live with himself afterwards.

"Neither do I." But we don't have a choice.

A heavy silence fell about the pair, chocking out any words of comfort they wanted to give each other. Miroku watched the emotions swirling behind the mechanic's eyes, her lips drawn down in a frown. He wanted more than ever for her to smile; she was pretty when she smiled.

"May I?" Sango asked quietly, nodding to the untouched glass of water he got when he first sat down. He nodded, pushing it over to her.

An idea came to mind suddenly - a way to make her smile, or laugh - but it was risky. Knowing now that Sango wouldn't hesitate to give him a good whack upside the head, he would be risking getting a bruise or two. Another glance at her lost expression, and something told him it would be worth it.

He grabbed her free hand, the other still holding the glass of water to her lips as she drank. When he slowly rubbed his thumb over the soft skin on the back of her hand, her brows drew together in confusion. He leaned forward a little, his eyes locking with her for a tense moment before he spoke.

"Would you bear my child?"

Sango choked. Yanking her hand out of his grasp, she clamped it to her mouth to prevent the water from spraying out.

He laughed. "I've never had a reaction like that before!" His laughter quickly died off though when he noticed she wasn't smiling...in fact, it was quite the opposite. Her face flushed a tomato red - but he was sure it wasn't just because she had been choking.

"Not. Funny." she finally gritted out between clenched teeth.

"Actually it-" She kicked him hard under the table. "- you're right. Not funny. Ah look, the food's here. " The waitress had returned, a small robotic cart trailing behind her with their plates of food. As she placed them in front of the pair Miroku didn't bother to make eye contact with the blonde, instead wincing as his rubbed his abused shin under the table.

Sango huffed, a look of pure annoyance on her face. Focusing her attention on the food in front of her, she began to eat, refusing to look in his direction. And though he wasn't meant to see it, the small smile that crept onto her lips for less than a second made Miroku's heart feel a little lighter.

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Kagome held her hand inches from the door, hesitating over her earlier decision. It had seemed like a good idea at the time, when she was lonely and bored out of her mind... but now she wasn't so sure. Did she really want to face Inuyasha's wrath? He had told her to stay in her room and not leave under any circumstances, so it was likely that when he found her at his door, he'd probably haul her off to her room again. But then... maybe he wouldn't. It was hard to predict how he would react; she hadn't been around him very long.

Biting her lip, she made up her mind. Her finger pressed the buzzer twice, and then she waited. She stood motionless for a few moments as she waited, but when she continued to hear nothing but silence she pressed the buzzer again. Another moment later she heard a shuffling on the other side of the door, and then it slid open suddenly.

Inuyasha stood in the doorframe, a crisp white towel draped over his head, covering his ears and most of his damp hair. Immediately Kagome felt sheepish when she realized that she had interrupted his shower, but her eyes unconsciously followed the shiny silver strands that fell down his shoulders, captivated by the way they caught the light and seemed to glow on their own. When her eyes continued their path and she registered his bare chest, her eyes immediately flicked back up his face where she forced them to stay. Furiously she fought the blush rising to her cheeks, hoping he didn't notice where her eyes had strayed. She'd seen a guy's chest before, but never a stranger's...

But at least he was wearing pants and not just boxers...then she'd be really red.

"Hey," she finally managed to say, after getting her embarrassment under control.

His dark brows drew together in the familiar scowl, his eyes piercing her through and through. "What are you doing here?"

"I got bored," she replied, trying to sound casual though his gaze was making her slightly uncomfortable. "It's a little lonely sitting in a room all by myself. I needed some human interaction."

"I'm not human."

"You'll do just fine," she said dryly, ignoring the fact that his statement was obviously meant to make her leave. He crossed his arms over her chest and cocked his head to the side, as if considering what she had just said. The action reminded her off a puppy that she saw at a pet shop back home, but Inuyasha looked nothing like a puppy at the moment... except for his hidden ears.

She smiled genuinely at him, and after a few tense moments later he stepped aside.

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She walked passed him, her head tilting this way and that as she studied her surroundings. Inuyasha's fists clenched unconsciously. The one person I'm trying to forget show up at my door. Just my luck. But then remembering what she had said about being bored and lonely, he tried to let his irritation go. Maybe he'd been a little harsh condemning her to her room all day; but it had been the best idea at the time.

He retrieved his shirt from where he left it on the floor and tugged it over his head, his damp hair clinging to the back of his neck.

"Nice room," she commented lamely, continuing to walk around the spacious interior, her fingers tracing over desk tops and the backs of chairs.

"Yeah."

"It's different than mine."

"Really," he replied, uninterested. Heading back to the bathroom, he grabbed a brush and began to pull it through the tangled strands of hair. Meanwhile, Kagome made herself somewhat comfortable on one of the chairs in the room, leaning back into the seat, her hands folded neatly in her lamp. There were a few minutes of awkward silence before she spoke again.

"You're wearing your old clothes."

"Yeah. So?" Out of the corner of his eye he could see her shrug.

"I dunno. I just thought that maybe you were offered some new clothes too."

He snorted. "I was, but I don't take freebies from the wolf."

"Oh," Kagome muttered, and then fell silent again. The only sound that filled the room was the crackle of the brush every time it hit a knot; it made Inuyasha uncomfortable, not only because the silence was strained, but also because he couldn't find anything to say to fill the void. His experience with friendly conversation to people was, well...limited. Being a hanyou, the less people he came in contact with, the less chance there was of someone finding out his secret.

He racked his brain for a subject that didn't sound too random, settling on one that sounded decent enough.

"Tell me about your family," he said, looking over to where she sat. At his words the girl perked up, a small smile lighting up her face and reflecting the happiness in her eyes. He almost breathed an audible sigh of relief when she didn't question his comment.

"Well, I live at home with my mom, my grandpa and my little brother Souta. He can be a bit of a brat sometimes, but he's fun to have around. Sometimes I play VR games with him, but he always kicks my butt; he plays them all the time. Grandpa's getting a little senile in his old age, spouting off tales about legends from thousands of years ago. Once in a while he tells a really interesting one though, and then I have dreams about demon lords and priestesses. And Mom, she has to be one of the most understanding people in the world..." She continued on, and for some reason Inuyasha couldn't tear his gaze away from her.

Something about the cheerful rise and fall of her voice, the way she gestured with her hands, the tiny sparkle behind her eyes... it mesmerized him. He couldn't hear the words passing her lips now, too focused on the warmth she seemed to emit unintentionally. When she giggled at something she recalled Inuyasha almost laughed with her, swept up in the genuine sound of happiness, but stopped himself before the sound left his throat.

What the fuck do you think you're doing?! She's the cargo! You shouldn't even be talking to her right now.

Coming to his senses again, Inuyasha suppressed a growl and turned back to the mirror in front of him, roughly pulling back his hair to tie it back. When he noticed Kagome had stopped talking seconds later, he paused and turned to see why she was silent again. She was staring back at him, her head cocked to the side in a thoughtful manner.

"What?"

"It looks better down," she said simply, pointing to his hand that held an elastic band.

"Keh." He tied his hair back anyway, ignoring her momentary frown.

"Anyways," she started again, her voice becoming a little less vibrant than before. "I miss them all so much."

Her words tugged at something in him, a sort of feeling that he didn't want to let escape where he buried it away. He left the bathroom and headed across the room to near where she sat.

"So... why am I here?"

"I thought Sango already explained that to you." Flopping down on the bed, he stretched and then brought his arms behind his head like a pillow. From where he lay he couldn't see her troubled expression; exactly his reason for laying there.

"Well she did...sorta."

"So then, why are you asking if you know?" He lifted his head to give her a pointed glare but she didn't seem to catch on that he didn't want to talk about it. That he couldn't talk about it.

"I said `sorta'. I don't know everything." She paused, studying his face as if to gauge his possible reaction to her next question. "Where are you taking me?"

"Why do you care?" he snapped gruffly, almost whacking himself upside the head for blurting out such a stupid question, but nothing else seemed to come to him.

Kagome also seemed to think it was a stupid question.

"Because this is my life we're talking about! I think I have a right to know! Besides, I think I've handled everything pretty well so far, considering." She jumped up from her chair, startling Inuyasha into the sitting position. In a few quick steps she stood in front of him, her hands fisted at her side, her lips curling in frustration.

"I've done what you told me to do! I haven't asked questions until now, so why can't you just tell me?" The waves of anger rolled over her and then washed onto him, seeping into his body. The more she yelled, the more irritated he got, and the less patience he had.

"Or is this some sort of sick joke to you?! You kidnap me and then act like it's nothing out of the ordinary, and I'm supposed to go along with it? Is that it?! You're all a bunch of -"

"You want to know where we're taking you? Do you really?!" He stood up now, towering over the angry girl, looking down into her focused brown eyes. Irritation buzzed through his body, snapping the thin threads that held his patience together. "We're taking you to have your memories erased."

His words must have hit her like a ton of bricks because she stumbled backwards. Disbelief marred her features now, her brows quirking together in a confused stare. "And that energy inside you, it's dangerous."

She shook her head; he nodded his. "We're taking you to have your memories erased because you're dangerous. People from the government took you from your home and brought you to my brother because he ran underground shipments. You're a fucking piece of cargo, got that?!"

The words were leaving his mouth now and he knew that he should shut up, that it was wrong to dump it all on her, but he felt powerless to stop it. She backed up a few steps and he followed her, both of them continuing this way until they stood before the door.

"And because of you my brother, and his company, and all the people working in it got blown up! So now all I want to do is drop you off at that fucking base because I don't want to deal with the shit you bring any more."

Her mouth opened and closed like a fish gulping for air, trying to form words to counter him but nothing came. Everything inside him was spilling out; all the events from the past few days, all the emotions he'd locked away so he could get on with what he had to do, all of it was crashing onto the girl. She didn't deserve it, but he couldn't stop.

"They won't kill you, but with your memories gone you'll be as good as dead. To them, you're just another freak to experiment on."

She shook her head, as if trying to rid his words from her memory.

"That's the way it has to be," he finished stoically, betraying his emotions that were tearing him apart inside. He didn't want it to be this way. He didn't want her to be seen the same way he was. It wasn't something he'd wish on anyone.

"I'm not dangerous..." She bowed her head, her neat bangs falling over her eyes; he was grateful he didn't have to see the pain there. Silently she opened the door and walked out, the door sliding shut behind her so that she was no longer visible to him though he could see her clearly in his mind. Her slumped shoulders; her quivering lower lip; her eyes so full of emotions he couldn't even begin to describe.

Inuyasha slumped into a nearby chair with his fists clenched tightly, upset at his own stupidity.

You're dangerous...just like me...

----------------

The door closing silently behind her, Kagome stumbled down the hallway back to her room. The numb ache that had taken over her body suddenly shattered, tears flowing down her cheeks as she upped her pace to an awkward jog. Inuyasha's words echoed in her head; she wanted to reach inside herself and pull out those words from her memory forever. They weren't true. She wasn't dangerous.

Once behind the shelter of her closed door, she mentally cursed herself for being so stupid and persistent, for wanting to know the truth. Because now that she knew, what good did it do her?

She slumped to the floor, leaning against the locked door as she curled up within herself, trying to dispel the stab of betrayal she felt. But who had betrayed her? Sango had been kind, but she never lied about the situation. Miroku hadn't been seen all day, and Inuyasha... she should actually be thanking him for bringing everything to light. For letting her realize how foolish she'd been, how naive. Acting like nothing was wrong, like being kidnapped was an everyday occurrence for her.

The only person who betrayed her was herself.

She whimpered and buried her face in her hands; she'd never felt more hopeless in her whole life. More than ever she just wanted to be home, living her normal life with her family and friends back on Earth. She wanted it all to just be a bad dream.

The curtain on her open window blew violently with a howling wind, instantly sobering the girl.

She lifted her head from her hands, her eyes narrowing in on the billowing folds of the fabric. I don't remember opening that...

Kagome stood upright slowly, wiping her stained cheeks with her sleeve. The tiny hairs on the back of her neck raised as she continued to stare at the fluttering curtain, glimpses of the darkening sky peeking through. Cautiously she took a few steps forward, her heart threatening to pound out of her chest.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a dark figure but was too slow to react. The person grabbed her from behind, tightly wrapping their arms around her chest, almost knocking the wind out of her. Kagome struggled, tried to wrench herself free but the figure's grip held strong. She was half-dragged half-carried closer to the window, and when she tried to scream a damp cloth was shoved in her mouth. Gagging and squirming, silently screaming for someone to save her, she barely noticed the pinprick shot in the side of her neck. Kagome was spun around quickly, her back slamming into the wall before the figure leaned on her, preventing her from moving.

She could feel her grasp on consciousness slipping, darkness appearing at the edge of her vision. The figure in front of her leaned harder, holding the cloth in Kagome's mouth firmly in place. Painted lips smirked as Kagome's struggles became weaker. Her arms and legs tingled, like they had fallen asleep, and soon the odd sensation worked it's way up her spine and into her head.

Her eyesight became dark; the figure in front of her becoming a blur of muted colours. The flapping maroon curtain beside her took the form of a crumpled, bloodied angel's wing, but it wouldn't save her; no one would. Because maybe she was supposed to die anyway.

As Kagome felt herself begin to fall into a realm of pure darkness, the one image that remained engrained in her failing mind, was a pair of blood-red eyes.