InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ To Bear Witness ❯ An Enemy or A Friend Part II: It's Been A While ( Chapter 27 )

Disclaimer: I don't own it, so don't sue. I only have {::reaches inside pocket::} one of those crappy Lil' Bratz dolls (how the hell did that get there? -_-' ), some toothpicks and a stick of spearmint gum. You can have it if you want it.

Chapter Twenty-Seven: An Enemy or a Friend Part Two: It's Been A While

Sesshoumaru tensed the instant the words slipped from Kagome's lips, but left explaining for another time as Naraku started to laugh.

"How touching," he mocked, holding his side in a fit of chuckles. "The Lord Sesshoumaru, trying to comfort a mere human wench? I swear, I wouldn't believe it if I hadn't seen it myself!"

"Shut up Naraku," Sesshoumaru growled, his eyes never leaving Kagome's startled orbs. "Kagome! Focus damn it!"

'No way is this real,' Kagome told herself from the safety of her mind. Sesshoumaru finally looked away from her, he and Naraku having a few unheard quips at each other as she watched. 'I'm having a really funky dream, that's all. In a while, I'm going to wake up, and everything is going to be ok.'

Naraku charged forward again, his sword pointed toward Kagome's heart. Sesshoumaru shoved Kagome behind him and withdrew his sword, Naraku gasping in shock as his sword made contact with the silver blade. It sparked under the holy energy, then jerked Naraku back and away.

"So you're prepared in more ways than one," Naraku commented. "No matter. You'll still die." Tentacles streamed from underneath his pelt, Naraku laughing as Sesshoumaru sliced through each one.

Kagome stood by meekly, watching as Sesshoumaru's blade purified the limbs on contact. 'Now why would I dream this? The Western Taiyoukai shouldn't have Sesshoumaru's sword-'

'Stop being so stupid!' a voice in her head shouted. 'And since when did you feel pain in a dream?!'

Kagome stared down at her arm, watching as tiny rivulets of blood dried in the chilly air. 'Yeah, since when…this isn't a dream is it?'

Sesshoumaru growled in frustration, slashing at another tentacle as more took its place. Naraku grinned at him, his glee sending jolts of fury down Sesshoumaru's spine. 'This is taking too long!' Sesshoumaru snarled, slashing at yet another youkai. 'I need something faster than this, but what?' He smiled suddenly, remembering his training session with the sword.

'Let's see what this thing can do.' He surged his ki forward, then slashed in Naraku's direction. He smirked as the blue ki blade separated from the sword and surged forward. The smile on the hanyou's face melted as he ducked as he barely avoided the blast.

"You-" Naraku snarled. Sesshoumaru's smirk widened. "That's correct. Me. Now leave while I feel like sparing you."

"I will have what I came for, one way or another!"

Sesshoumaru jerked when an explosion sounded from beside him, ashes raining down on him before scattering on the wind. He turned to see Kagome poised and collected, with bow and arrow in hand. She glanced at him momentarily, sizing him up before glaring at Naraku.

"So she wants to fight now does she?" Naraku taunted as Kagome aimed. "So brave. I can't wait to have you."

"So sorry to disappoint," Kagome whispered, releasing the arrow. It rushed toward Naraku in a purple comet-like streak. Naraku jumped out of the way, watching as the arrow struck a wall behind him.

"Nice try miko."

"Good to see you with me Kagome," Sesshoumaru whispered, not expecting her to glare at him too. She said nothing, but nocked another arrow and fired a little to his left. Sesshoumaru turned just as a tiger youkai turned to ash.

Ah-Un landed between them and Naraku, gesturing toward the steps. Youkai surged up the steps by the hundreds, each eying the trio eagerly.

"They're hungry," Naraku said as he stood before them, blocking their way up the stairs. "They haven't had such fun in quite a while. I think they deserve the treat." He moved aside, and the youkai knocked him down in their rush to get to Sesshoumaru.

'You know, that would have been funny under different circumstances,' Kagome thought to herself as she nocked another arrow. Sesshoumaru shook his head and gestured toward the window. "Outside, now!" he ordered, pushing Kagome off balance. She landed on Ah-Un's back and together they followed Sesshoumaru out the window and to the garden below.

Kagome straddled Ah-Un's back, watching as Sesshoumaru shifted to his youkai form in mid air. The giant silver dog landed moments later, Ah-Un landing beside him as Kagome turned to look behind them. Youkai jumped from the window to them, running toward them as soon as they landed. Kagome raised her hand and focused her ki into her hand, waiting until she had a decent amount of energy before releasing it.

The purple ki shot from her hand like a cannon, colliding with the flood of youkai and purifying them on contact. Sesshoumaru woofed in approval, watching along with Ah-Un as Kagome lowered her hand and dismounted the ryuu youkai.

She dusted herself off, and leaned down to look at her injured foot when something struck her from behind. She stumbled and fell, inches from the ground when she was picked up and hurled from the spot. Kagome rolled down the hill, barely aware of Sesshoumaru's outraged snarl as she tumbled. Her gown tangled around legs as she fell, preventing her from standing. She finally rolled into a rose bush, the thorns scratching her skin as she struggled to get up.

"I told you that I would not be as lenient," Naraku hissed from behind her. "I don't tolerate rebelliousness. You must be punished." He picked her up and slammed her into a nearby bush, then tossed her across the pathway and into the small fountain on the other side. Kagome surfaced, sputtering water, then screamed when Naraku jerked her up by her hair.

She fought back, using her bow as a makeshift club. She struck him across the brow, then rammed her elbow into his stomach. He laughed merrily, dropping her back to the earth below her. Kagome gasped, the air leaving her lungs in a mighty woosh.

"You're still fighting me," Naraku said with disappointment. "That's too bad. Now I'm going to have to hurt you."

'Like this doesn't hurt already,' Kagome quipped darkly, wincing when Naraku cold boot pressed into her back.

"Now hold still," he said, leaning more of his weight onto his leg. "I don't want to miss."

Something hot and sharp impaled her shoulder, and Kagome screamed again when Naraku used it to pick her up and over his head. She glanced to the side, vaguely registering the wriggling tentacle as Naraku laughed below her.

"You know," he started, shoving the appendage further into Kagome's shoulder. "I thought to keep you, but now that I think about it; I'd rather kill you." He grinned up at her, watching as horror and naked fear froze on her face.

"It was fun while it lasted."

Kagome's eyes widened as another tentacle shot toward her heart, her entire life flashing before her eyes. 'I can't die now!' she screamed as she began to glow a fierce purple. 'I don't want to!'

"No!" she screamed, her eyes squeezed shut. Purple ki poured from her, covering Naraku and flowing over the ground. "Not yet!"

*

Sesshoumaru stepped forward, intending to catch Kagome when sharp claws dug into his lower back. He turned, his ice-cold gaze freezing the neko youkai in place as he slashed through it with his enhanced claws. He watched a moment as the neko youkai turned to ash, then attempted to mentally tell Ah-Un to try to reach Kagome. He found the ryuu youkai twins engaged in battle with a red, one-headed ryuu youkai that was three sizes larger than it.

Sesshoumaru sniffed the air, cursing the miasma blocking his nose as another inu youkai attempted to strike him in the side. He leaped up, slashing his claws down the inu youkai's back before landing behind him, watching with a satisfied smirk as the youkai burst into dust.

'This purification ability could become rather-' He stopped at Kagome's scream, the sound chilling his blood. She was frightened, and injured if his hearing was correct. Sesshoumaru attempted to reach her again, only to have a set of bear youkai claws slash across his face.

Sesshoumaru snarled viciously, intending on retribution when

"No!"

He froze, as did every youkai in the garden as the air crackled with miko energy.

"Not yet!"

Sesshoumaru glanced behind him as purple ki shot up the field. The power purified any youkai standing in it's way, flowing over the creature like water before it burst into ashes.

'We're dead,' he heard Ah say as the ki made it's way toward them. Sesshoumaru growled softly, awaiting his fate as the ki purified the bear youkai in front of him. Just as the ki reached him it stopped, rebounding off a pink shield that suddenly rose ahead of him. It swirled around him, the purple ki unable to reach him as it continued its warpath.

He glanced to Ah-Un, grateful to find them inside a pink bubble as well. A blue light surrounded them, and in instant later the twins separated, each patting themselves over.

'What is the matter?' Sesshoumaru asked, returning to his humanoid form.

'We're healed, my lord!' Un stated as Ah smiled beside him. Were there was once bruises and cut flesh was now whole, perfect, and unmarred. Sesshoumaru touched his face and found that too to be healed, the slash marks nothing more than a memory.

The purple began to fade, as did the blue as the pink continued to contain them. 'This feels familiar,' Sesshoumaru thought as he reached out to touch the shield. It didn't hurt him as he supposed, but stretched out under his touch. 'But where have I heard of this-'

"The healing part heals the miko and anyone in her good graces. The healing and a part of the human defenses create a shield to protect them, and the purity and the other part of the human defenses destroy any threat in a five mile radius."

"Her Limit Break," Sesshoumaru whispered, awe and amazement laced in his voice. 'So this is how it works. How wondrous…'

The shields began to weaken when the last of the purity faded, Ah and Un's breaking before Sesshoumaru's. They sprinted toward the hill, following the scent of Kagome's blood to a patch of yellow rose bushes further into the garden.

There they found in front of one of the fountains a pile of ash with a wooden doll sitting on top of it. A black strand of hair wound around it, it shimmering in the fading moonlight. Sesshoumaru stepped on it, grinding his heel into the dirt before shaking the splinters away. "Now where is Kagome?"

A soft groan came from his right. Sesshoumaru stepped toward the nearby bush, moving aside a few blooms to see. Kagome lay motionless below the bush, her back to him, as she struggled to breathe. She looked up at him, her steel blue eyes terrified.

"Please don't hurt me," she whispered brokenly, then fainted from loss of blood. Sesshoumaru blinked, shock freezing him in place as her words slammed down on him. He finally picked her up, motioning for the twins to follow him before making his way toward the house.

*11:45 AM, Tuesday*

Sesshoumaru stood in the threshold of her door, watching her as she slept. Her hair pooled on the pillow around her, the tie she used to hold it back lost to the mysteries of time.

Sesshoumaru remembered the blood; he could still smell it; as he carried her inside. Her nightgown was torn to shreds, and a deep hole resided in her shoulder. Naraku managed to miss her heart, lungs, and shoulder bone, but anything else seemed to be fair play for the hanyou.

He doctored her himself once they reached her room, calling for Ah and Un to bring hot water, any medicine in the house, and gauze. He bandaged not only her shoulder but her chest as well, making a makeshift shirt from the gauze.

It was then he noticed her foot, and the blood trail it made down his pajama leg to leave ruby droplet pathway on the floor. Sesshoumaru bandaged this too, but not before picking free every piece of glass that lay embedded in her sole.

****

Silver Fox: Anyone catch that little play on words? {::grins triumphantly::} It was my idea.

****

She cried then, soft tears that rolled off her still face to merge with her hair. He brushed them away, apologizing for them even as she slept unaware.

Sesshoumaru watched her sleep at the foot of her bed, grateful that she lay on her back, hiding the large boot print on her lower back from view. There was nothing that could be done for the purple finger-like bruises on her throat, nor the shallow scratch along her right temple.

'This is my fault,' Sesshoumaru growled. 'How did he get in without my noticing? How did he get past my defenses?' He watched as Kagome's chest rose and fell, each breath like music to his ears. 'How could I have put her in danger like that? I knew of the hanyou threat, so why did I become slack?'

He sat down beside her and traced a finger over her tiny hands as they lay clasped together above the blanket. Sesshoumaru raised his hand to her face, gently brushing aside a stray lock before twirling it around his finger. 'You are only human, in spite of your power. I had forgotten this, and thus you could have been killed because of my neglect. I have broken my promise to you.'

****

Silver Fox: What promise?

SF: For the love of-{::whacks Silver upside the head::} He promised her in an earlier chapter that he would protect her. I can't remember it at the moment, but if anyone else does holler back so I can keep the folks informed. Now stop interrupting and let's get back to the story.

****

He found himself longing for her smile, her laugh, anything but this silence that crept over her. He curled up beside her, wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her closer to him. He paused at her wince, but continued when she settled down. He held her against him, his nose firmly nestled at her throat.

Sesshoumaru could smell her power, it healing her like nothing any modern technology could. It teased his nose, reminding him of arsenic and alerting the primal instinct in him of the threat she may cause now that she knew who, and what, he was. 'But my Kagome would never hurt me,' he concluded as he kicked off his shoes and slid under the covers beside her. 'She knows I would never hurt her. I couldn't hurt her.' He turned to her then, cradling her against him as tenderly as one would hold their true love.

"When did you become so important to me, little miko?" he whispered aloud, allowing his eyelids to droop. He settled his head onto a nearby pillow, placing Kagome's head close enough for their breath to mingle on the sheets below them. He slipped into slumber slowly, her natural scent and the scent of her healing relaxing his frayed nerves. 'and what does that mean for me…'

*8:23 AM, Saturday, Sesshoumaru's Study*

Sesshoumaru rubbed his temples, willing away the ache in the back of his eyes as he closed them. His tail trailed along the floor behind him, it thumping irritably as Sesshoumaru began to type again.

'Reports, inventory, all of this is unimportant,' Sesshoumaru thought, then reached for the power switch and shut off the computer. 'None of this is relevant. Why hasn't she awakened yet? It's been at least five days.'

"Sesshoumaru-sama?"

Sesshoumaru turned to the door, finding Ah standing in the threshold with a tray in his hands. "Yes?"

"I'm taking Lady Kagome something to eat. Do you think it is wise?"

Sesshoumaru shrugged. "What is it?"

"It's French toast, her favorite."

'Now why didn't I know that?' Sesshoumaru asked himself as he stood up. He removed the tray from Ah's hands and proceeded down the hallway with the ryuu youkai trailing behind him.

"I can handle it, my lord."

"I'm sure of that," Sesshoumaru answered as he ascended the stairs. "But this is something I want to do."

"Alright then," Ah replied as he backed away, watching Sesshoumaru pass the now boarded up window before calling Un.

'Un, Sesshoumaru-sama is taking Kagome-sama her breakfast.'

'I do not believe that's such a good idea,' Un replied. Ah nodded in agreement. 'Me either, but he insisted. After all, we're just another pair of youkai to her, but Lord Sesshoumaru is another matter entirely.'

'Perhaps nothing will go wrong.'

'I certainly hope not,' Ah replied as he turned toward the kitchen.

*

Sesshoumaru paused at the door, taking a moment to balance the tray on the tip of his tail before opening it. He settled into his sealing spell before entering the room, never seeing the small pink line on the threshold as he crossed over it.

He glanced at Kagome, surprised to find her lying on her left side. 'She must have rolled over in her sleep,' he determined as he sat on the other side of the bed. He smiled at her face, her eyes closed with her hands tucked under her chin, before turning to set the tray on the other side of him.

He turned back around, reaching to wake her when the air snapped around him. Sesshoumaru turned back to her, finding Kagome intently staring at him. Golden met frightened steel blue suddenly, and Sesshoumaru watched as purple bled into the whites of her eyes, her irises turning to starlight slants.

"Kagome?"

She was up and away from him in an instant, wincing as she backed across the queen sized bed on all fours.

"Kagome?" Sesshoumaru reached to touch her, only to have her freeze him in place with the promise of a quick death in her eyes. "Kagome, stay still. You're hurt."

She slid back when he tried to grab her, whimpering as she slithered over the other side of the bed. Sesshoumaru stood up and backed away, his back pressing against the wall as the air around him surged with miko energy.

'What is happening?' he wondered as she peered over the side of the bed at him, her eyes glowing a fearful lilac. He could hear her small whimpers and sudden gasps, and attempted to probed her mind. He registered only one thing before she shoved him out, and it confused him to no end.

'She's in pain, but it's completely due to her injuries. She thinks she's on fire…but why?' He rounded the bedpost to her side of the bed as Ah and Un came into the room.

"My lord is everything-holy crap" Ah gasped, he and Un taking in the sight before them. Kagome glared at them, then at Sesshoumaru before backing away from them. She winced every moment or so, but other than that remained silent.

'Fire…fire,' Sesshoumaru pondered as he stood beside Ah and Un. 'Why would she be on fire…unless…' Sesshoumaru was beginning to regret not bathing her before bandaging her wounds, for now he had a sneaking suspicion of the cause of her distress.

'Could some youkai blood have tainted her system?' He thought back, remembering the faint traces of other youkai blood on her body that he washed away when he cleaned her wounds. 'That would explain her reaction right now. If there is youkai blood in her system, then the burning must be her miko energy trying to purify it. She's experiencing what it feels to be purified and she's going into the defensive.'

Kagome inhaled sharply when her back brushed against the wall behind her, glancing over her shoulder at it before glaring at the youkai in front of her. She growled, a completely unexpected and animal sound that confirmed Sesshoumaru's diagnosis of her condition. She sat on her haunches, her nails forming little claws as her eyes continued to glow.

'She's going to hurt herself this way,' Sesshoumaru thought as Ah and Un attempted to talk to her. 'She must settle down, but how to get her to do-' All thoughts stopped at the smell of blood. Sesshoumaru glanced ahead of him, not entirely surprised to find that the bandage on Kagome's shoulder was rapidly turning a bright crimson. The right hip of her pink cotton pants was darkening as well, revealing an injury Sesshoumaru obviously missed.

Sesshoumaru stepped forward, his need to calm her down outweighing the threat she possessed as he reached out for her. "Kagome, we will not harm you," he told her. "But you are hurt. You must be still."

She made no move to acknowledge him, but a gentle lavender glow surrounded her being, a sure sign that she was readying an offensive.

"Is there no way to stop her?" Un asked, fearful of the girl for the first time since their meeting.

"I don't like seeing her like this," Ah muttered, watching as the last of the white on the bandage on her shoulder was slowly taken over by the red. "She's hurting, and we can't make it stop."

Sesshoumaru shared Ah's sentiments, and in his rush to help her touched her shoulder. Kagome howled in agony, recoiling from him like an injured deer. Sesshoumaru jerked his hand back, staring at the appendage as if it belonged to another as tears streamed down Kagome's face. Her growl intensified, vibrating the air around them as her tears dripped off her chin.

Her jerking did nothing for her injuries, for the one at her hip began to bleed in earnest, soaking the right side of her pants and sprinkling drops of blood on the floor around her.

'Enough. She'll bleed to death if we just stand here.' Sesshoumaru reached forth and grabbed her waist, wrapping his tail around her to restrain her as he jerked her forward. Kagome howled instantly from his touch, her back straightening painfully as she struggled to get free. Sesshoumaru wrapped his arms around her, as did Ah and Un as she kicked, punched and bit in her struggle to escape the pain.

All four sank to the floor, Kagome's struggles becoming weaker the longer they held her. Finally she stopped, panting heavily, glaring at each of them through purple-clouded eyes. Tears melded with the blood on her face but she still refused to relent.

'We cannot do this again,' Sesshoumaru concluded as Ah and Un released their hold on her. 'Another attack like this, and she could seriously hurt herself, or another. I have no choice.' He tilted her head to the side, exposing her jugular vein, before glancing in her direction.

"Forgive me Kagome, but it's necessary."

He sank his fangs into her neck, wincing as an ear-splitting scream escaped her lips. He held her in place, disregarding the claws that shredded the back of his shirt. He ignored her blood, searching for the youkai that infected her like a virus. What he found of it he drank, using his youki to separate her blood from the foreign.

Her kicks and scratches became less frequent, until they stopped all together. She went slack in his grasp, slumping forward as he eyes shut and she fainted once again. Sesshoumaru released his mouth's hold on her as Ah scrambled to Kagome's bathroom.

"Will she be alright my lord?" Un asked as the sound of running water filtered from the bathroom. Sesshoumaru nodded, cupping the base of Kagome's skull in the palm of his hand and pulling her into his lap. "She will live."

"But how did she-"

"I'm not entirely sure," Sesshoumaru answered honestly, anticipating Un's question. " I believe her miko abilities were having trouble with the youkai blood that seeped inside her. As far as I can tell, she's back to normal."

He sniffed her gingerly, relieved to find that; although the blood smell still lingered; her natural scent was untainted and pure. Ah returned seconds later, his hands shaking slightly as he gestured toward the bathroom.

"A bath is ready for her, Sesshoumaru-sama."

Sesshoumaru nodded, picked her up and carried Kagome to the bathroom. He sat on the edge of the tub, using his claws to remove the bloody gauze and assessed the new damage. The hole in her shoulder was bleeding sluggishly, but the hole was smaller than the last time he saw it. What was the size of an average golf ball was now a little smaller than a quarter, and seemed to be closing under his study.

The gash at her hip, however, wasn't as promising. What he thought was just a scratch had become deeper during her fit, blood flowing freely from the wound. Sesshoumaru traced glowing golden fingers along the edges of the cut, waiting as the blood flow slowed to a stop.

'What am I going to do with you?' he wondered to himself as he slid Kagome underneath the water's surface. She grimaced, but otherwise didn't move.

Ah and Un stood at the doorway, Ah with a towel in his hands as Un held a medicine kit from the main hallway. "My lord," Un said, clearing his throat when Sesshoumaru flickered his golden gaze toward him. "What are we going to do with her?"

'I just asked that question,' Sesshoumaru quipped sarcastically as he swept the poof over Kagome's uninjured shoulder. He watched as the water around her turned a feint pink, giving an inaudible sigh as Ah continued.

"She may hurt herself the next time she awakes, especially if she moves around like she just did."

Sesshoumaru nodded, pausing in his work to consider what to do. 'There really is one thing to do.'

"Ah, hand Un the towel and go downstairs. There should be some rope in the garage."

*12:00 Noon Wednesday, Kagome's Room*

Kagome awoke slowly, grimacing as a slight buzzing rang in her ears. Her entire body ached something awful, and she felt as if someone replaced her brain with homegrown South Carolina cotton. 'Oh man,' she groaned as she opened her eyes. 'Did anyone catch the number on that bus?' She glanced down at herself, wondering when she managed to change out of what was so obviously a ruined gown.

The black satin gown flowed prettily around her, with the helm of the skirt stopping mere inches from her bound ankles.

Wait a minute…

Bound!!!!!

"What the hell?" Kagome tried to kick her legs, but found that they were tied to the foot of her bed. She jerked her arms, finding her left arm tied to her side with her right tied to the headboard. "What the hell is this?! Ah!!!!!"

Ah bounded through the door moments later, panting slightly as Kagome glared at him. "Yes my lady?"

"Why am I tied up?" She frowned at his pause, her eyes narrowing as she jerked on the rope. "Answer me! Why am I restrained?"

"It's for your own good, I assure you," Sesshoumaru said as he rounded the corner. He dismissed Ah with a glance, then walked to sit on Kagome's bed. She shied away from him instantly, glaring at him as he watched her. "You don't have to be afraid of me."

"Who says I'm afraid?" she quipped back angrily. "After all, why would I be afraid of a lying bastard like you?"

Sesshoumaru growled, his eyes flickering golden as he pinned her with his gaze. "Watch your mouth."

"Of course my lord!" she replied, sarcasm dripping from her tone. "Forgive this lowly human for speaking so rudely of your person."

"Kagome, please-"

"After all, I'm sure you're not a bastard. Just an asshole, right Great Western Taiyoukai?" She glared at him when he quieted, her eyes dark and accusing as he voice began to rise. "Well? Are you going to answer me?!"

"Kagome, I-"

"And just when were you going to tell me?" she screamed, effectively cutting him off. "When I turned 65 and you still looked not a day over 30?"

"Kagome, if you'd let me explain-"

"Explain then. I'm dying to hear this."

Sesshoumaru glanced at her, searching for any sign of her interrupting again before speaking. "Kagome, what would you have said if I had told you? Would you have believed me?"

"No."

"Exactly my point," Sesshoumaru replied. "So why tell you when you wouldn't believe me? After all, I wanted you to love me for who I am, not what I am."

"That's your excuse," Kagome huffed. She rolled her eyes and looked away, shaking her head as Sesshoumaru nodded.

"It's no excuse Kagome. It's the truth."

"Are you sure you know what the truth is?"

Sesshoumaru's youki crackled in the air, Kagome's ki answering the threat as they glared at each other. "You have no right to speak to me like that!"

"I don't!" she countered. "Are you sure? Because I think I do! After all, you have lied to me since the beginning of this assignment."

"How?"

"For one, you lied about you and Inuyasha living in different cities. You lied about being human. Maybe your being in love with me is a lie too."

The wind left Sesshoumaru's sails instantly as he watched his plans unravel around him. "Kagome," he whispered softly. "Don't say that. This is exactly why I didn't tell you."

"You listened," Kagome said softly, tears pooling in her eyes. "As I told you everything about me. I kept nothing from you. Not being a miko, not what happened to my mother, not even my childhood fear of you. You listened and laughed at me, knowing that you sat right there and I didn't know it.

"You pretended to care so much when I told you the dream, all the while laughing at me!" She sniffed, the first tear rolling from her eyes as she looked at him. "I bet you'll laughing now, thinking of how much of a twit I am, aren't you?"

"I would never laugh at you," Sesshoumaru told her, reaching out to dry her face. She turned away from him, staring at the bathroom door behind her.

"How much of a twit I am for trusting you, for thinking that you'd ever love me. I'm so stupid."

"Kagome-"

"I hate you Sesshoumaru," she whispered, her blue eyes glaring fiercely into his. "And I'll never trust you again."

Sesshoumaru blinked, not entirely sure he heard her. "What…"

"Get out," she whispered, turning away from him again. She sighed when Sesshoumaru made no move to leave. "Just get out. Leave me alone. You've done enough."

Sesshoumaru stood mechanically, turning on his heel and walking toward the door leading to his room. He finally stopped when the door closed behind him, leaning against it with his forehead pressed against the hard wood.

"I hate you Sesshoumaru."

'She can't mean that..'

'And I'll never trust you again.'

'Can she…'

----

Silver Fox: Now why this song SF?

SF: This song pertains to Sesshoumaru. He realizes that perhaps it might not have been the best idea to keep his identity a secret, especially with Naraku's threat posing around him. He's let his guard down, and not only did she suffer physically but now she's suffering mentally with the consequences of his lack of foresight. He realizes that he's screwed up, not only with protecting her but with his surfacing feelings for her.

Silver Fox: It's confusing for him right, because he's never been in love before?

SF: {::Nods::} Right, so he doesn't know how to react necessarily. He's still telling himself that that's not what he's feeling, but he can't deny that what Kagome just said hurt him on some level.

Silver Fox: And one should never hide from their feelings.

SF: Exactly. Kagome's nightgown (the black one at the end) is at Victoria's Secret. Holler if you want the link. Inuyasha makes an appearance in the next chapter, so everyone look out. The next chapter for 'To Bear Witness':

Chapter Twenty-Eight: In Sesshoumaru We Trust (Thankies to MC for the title inspiration. Read her story, it's great!)

Inuyasha unwillingly comes to the rescue, Kagome thinks on reason, and Sesshoumaru contemplates his actions.

Kagome: P.S., there are only 11 chapters left to this story, and they promise to be looonnngg. See you next week!

SF: P.P.S., in this story, when Sesshoumaru bit Kagome he didn't mate her. My mating will be different, and will hurt like hell. Muhahahahahaha-{::cough-cough::} I don't know why I can't do that… Anyway, the responses (I finally got them!!!) are at the bottom!

Responses:

The Black Kat: Next update's coming soon! Thanks for the love!

Lease: Thanks for the love! I'm coming with more soon! Check my bio page for my schedule!

Kikitravel: I know, cliffhangers are evil. They are necessary however, just to make the story more enjoyable. Silver Fox: That's a load of crock and you know it. You just like to do them because you're evil. SF: Mayyyybe. Who knows? Anyway, thanks for the love and I'm coming with more soon.

Ice Princess 1185: Thanks so much! I'm coming with more as soon as possible. Check my bio page if you're ever unsure of my schedule.

Lady Sesshoumaru: Hey, don't shake me. I have a weak constitution. Inu-chan: What does that mean? Silver Fox: That means she gets motion sick real easy. Have you ever tried to get that girl on a plane? It's like pulling ryuu teeth. SF: ANYWAY, thanks for the review. I'm glad to see you're still with me.\

Fireash: What's the name of your story again? Sorry for the lack of memory. I blame it on him. {::points to Silver Fox::}

Lil Sesshi: I know, I'm so evil. I really need to work on that. Thanks for the love and another chapter's coming soon.

Heninu: Thanks for the love. I'll try really hard not to do another cliffy. Silver Fox: Yeah right, when pigs fly…

VampireMiyu: Yeah, he was supposed to ask, but he's been sidetracked as you can see. Don't worry though, because he'll get around to it sooner or later. Then again, he just might figure it out for himself.