InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Torn Apart ❯ Chapter 15

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

By: parsnip

Disclaimer: I do not own any copyrights to the Inuyasha characters and storylines nor any of the plot or elements referred to in this story based on Striking Falcon's, You don't know what you have `til it's gone.

Kokushibyou: Black Death

Ningen: human

Onna: woman

Baka: stupid/idiot

Yakuza: gang

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Chapter 15:

Ayumi stared at the now worn card in her hand. Bringing its white texture close to her nose, she inhaled his exotic, spicy scent. She couldn't figure out for the life of her what cologne he was wearing, but desired to discover the name so she could revel in its scent for days upon days. She had never met a man that smelled as good as Shuukaku nor one who had impressed her as deeply as he had in the club. Few men would have been so sweet and let her make the decision to pursue a relationship after proclaiming his desire to have one. Most would have hounded her until she gave in.

Men had tried to pick her up before, but nothing like what the strange man had done. Most used corny pick up lines and overt propositions. The men on the train were the worst. Why Japan had to be populated by perverted salary men was beyond her. Still, Shuukaku had not even asked her for her name nor touched her with eyes or hands in an offensive or lewd manner.

Shaking her head, Ayumi sighed and fell back on her blue and white comforter. Her head was spinning with pros and cons to calling the all too intriguing man. She had been debating with herself for the better part of two days already. Should she or shouldn't she call the man of her recent dreams? Ayumi knew that Sango and Eri would tell her not to bother, that he was no different from all the other men who had asked her out in the past. After all, it was an all to often occurrence that she had to fend off wandering hands from trying to get underneath her skirt. It didn't matter if she said no or not; they still did it. Frowning, she wondered what it was about her that just screamed, 'Take me! I'm gullible and easy!'

Kagome would most likely cheer her on with a smile and a soft word of warning to be careful. Harumi would beg her to date the man just so she could take a closer look at his wardrobe while Shizuko would look at her with a concerned gaze and not say anything at all. Yuki would merely brush her off and say, “It's your life. You have to learn to make your own decisions that are right for you and stop thinking of what others think.”

But what do you choose when you don't know what you want? What should you do when in your heart you know that what you want to do is different then what you know you should do?

Biting her lips, she looked from the card in her hand to the phone and down to the trash bin. If he was a true businessman, she might be able to leave a message at home while he stayed and worked like all good salary men with unpaid overtime. If nothing else, she could just leave a message saying she had a great time, but she couldn't go out with him. Reaching for the phone, she started to dial the already memorized number and waited for the dial tone to kick in.

Sesshoumaru's Garden

Kagome lifted her gaze from the now pulsating Shikon no Tama up to the patch of air that Sesshoumaru had recently occupied. Gulping, she wondered just what had happened. He had walked out of her life, forever it seemed leaving her with nothing but her duty to a conceited jewel. 'Is he really gone?' she wondered as she brought her hand up to touch the still warm cheek where he had cradled it for a brief moment. 'Surely this isn't it,' she thought as she moved her hand into her line of sight. It looked so strange; almost as though it was disembodied from herself. It was a hand, sure, but was it a hand to hold up the weaknesses of others or merely a memory of what could have been? It felt bereft of the need to hold another in friendship, in love, in good times and bad. Surely it was meant for more in life then menial labor, a hand to write down useless empty words.

Shaking her head against the strange thoughts crowding into her mind, she looked up to stare once again at the emptiness in front of her. It too had once felt the warmth of a living body, occupied with a being of thought and will. Now it was empty, devoid of life. What was life without those closest to her? Sure, she still had other friends that occupied their own unique piece of air, a unique piece of her heart, but no one could fill that particular space in the same way the taiyoukai had. Surely he wasn't gone.

Blinking against the tears of rejection and regret, she started to pace the garden in a tight circle, moving in a spiral around that achingly empty patch of nothing. Whoever knew that nothing could hurt so much? Turning her back to the blatant reminder of Sesshoumaru's words, she wondered what had prompted the action. Sure, Sango had spouted off some nonsense about already having chosen the youkai to fill her life and make it complete, but why assume that was Inuyasha? Did she not have a say in whom she choose and when she should chose someone to spend her life with? Wasn't that the whole reason she was here in the first place?

If he thought he never had a chance against Inuyasha, why did he wait so long for her to reappear? Frowning, Kagome gazed with unseeing eyes at the shrine patiently waiting in front of her. 'Maybe I was just an excuse to never find himself a mate. After all, who would believe that he could care for a ningen onna like myself? I'm a miko, an anomaly that came and went from his life much as all amusements must leave once their value is lost.'

Gritting her teeth, she stomped her foot against the ground. "That arrogant baka!" she cried in frustration as tears overwhelmed her flustered face. "Who does he think he is telling me who I can and cannot love? He's got another thing coming if he thinks that I'm just going to lay back and take his crap again!" Fuming now, she picked up her pacing, nearly running in circles in a frenzy to work off her anger. "I should tell him just what I think of his high and mighty ideas," said Kagome to herself before she came to a stop in front of the shrine again. 'But what do I tell him?' thought Kagome in dejection.

With her shoulders now drooping, she angrily brushed away the tears starting to collect once again in her eyes. Looking for once at what was before her, she saw the white stoned shrine and smiled a sad, forlorn smile. 'Perhaps a little bit of mediation would clear my head and help me figure out what's going on,' she thought as she strode forward into the shrine.

In the light of the setting sun, she was able to see the hanging lantern and matches resting next to it. Reverently, she stroked one match lightly against the rough stone basin of the oil lamp, and lit the wick. Turning to see just what type of shrine she was in, she crept nearer to the prominent stone marker. Letting her eyes adjust to the flickering light of the lamp, she looked at the marker and felt her stomach give out as her knees sank to the floor. This was Rin's grave.

Staring at the prominent Kanji gracing the granite stone, Kagome bowed her head to her already bent knees before the memorial. Face to face with the proof of Rin's demise, her mind felt overwhelmed with the emotional trauma of the past few weeks and most especially of the day.

Flashes of images tumbled through her head creating a maelstrom of turmoil to churn her already upset stomach. Memories of Rin sped through her mind. There she was dancing in the garden or picking flowers in the meadow. She saw again how Rin faced a troll youkai with no thought to her personal safety as she defended her otou-san's honor. Soon other images pushed out those she witnessed to replace them with the memory of Sesshoumaru's and Shippou's voices and the pictures they painted of Seijitsu near death experience, Rin hugging Shippou at the well, her little girl growing into a selfless woman, and her courage when faced with death to give birth to two little kits. More images swept through her head of Sesshoumaru's eyes that echoed a deep sorrow whenever he mentioned Rin's name and his regret that he wasn't able to save her. Swiftly riding on the heels of Sesshoumaru's despair, Shippou's shaking voice echoed in her head as he berated himself for not reaching Roiyaru in time to save him. Accompanying the voice was the dead pan expression he wore when he related how Mottomokicho died. So many sacrifices were made for those who were loved.

"Rin," whispered Kagome as the heavy burden of sorrow settled over her shoulders. "Help me," she softly cried as she stretched out an arm to touch the polished stone. "I don't know what to do. Sango's mad at me for no reason I know of, Shippou's afraid to let his grief go, I'm afraid Inuyasha doesn't want me for any reason other then a friend and a promise he made long ago, and Sesshoumaru doesn't want me anymore."

"Everything's falling apart Rin, and I don't know how to handle it all let alone how to fix it." Kagome squeezed her eyes shut against the rising tide of helplessness. "I could use your bright smile about now Rin. You rarely let anything get to you. You had a glow about you to ease the heart of any man or youkai. You made me remember what it was I was fighting for: your future and the future of my adopted son."

Sighing, she raised her head to gaze upon the last physical bit of Rin she had seen in years. "I don't know what's wrong with Sango. I thought she was doing fine. She always seemed so calm and collected. She never wanted to talk about what was going on preferring to ignore me altogether if she could. The only one she hasn't avoided is Inuyasha."

Kagome gasped as a light dawned above her head. 'That's it!' thought Kagome as she sat up straighter. 'She's afraid that if I chose Inuyasha I'll take her lifeline away from her.' Pursing her lips, she wondered if perhaps Inuyasha's special attention to her the other night may have been the last straw to Sango's now apparent fragile state of mental health. Shaking her head in wonder, another intangible thought passed through her head. 'Could Sango maybe like Inuyasha more then she realizes?' Kagome shoved the thought to the back of her mind. It was just too much for her to think about at the moment.

Turning her attention back to the real source of her anger rather then her confusion, she again pondered Sesshoumaru's words. His words had cut her to the quick, voicing a thought she had buried in the back of her mind for the last two years. Gritting her teeth, she forced herself to say the words she had avoided for so long. “It was my choice that brought Sango here to her unhappiness. Me and no one or nothing else made that decision.”

As the words left her mouth, she felt herself go limp as her body fell forward to lean against the cold stone. Despair engulfed her mind as she fought to come to terms with the pervasive feeling of guilt and dread. `How can I face Sango after this?' thought Kagome as she let the tears trickle down her face. `I can't,' she thought as she sunk deeper into self-pity.

Closing her eyes, she saw Sango running away from her and Sesshoumaru's cruel smile as he left her alone. `Who would want a woman who so obviously thought of herself before the well-being of others?'

Feeling her body slide further to lay on the floor of the shrine, Kagome opened her now over-flowing eyes to gaze at the softly lit shadows dancing on the ceiling. Frowning, Kagome wondered why the shadows seemed to pulsate as well as dance. Bringing her hand up to touch the ache in her heart, the vulnerable flesh brushed against a burning sphere. Snatching her hand back, she looked down at her chest as her thoughts focused on the bauble resting there. Blinking away the tears that were still falling gracelessly to the ground, she again brought tentative fingers up to brush against the Shikon once more.

Marveling at how she had forgotten in her anger how it had started to shine again with life, she picked it up and brought it to eye level. The soft pink-glow it gave off soothed her nerves and let her concentrate instead on what she should do. All of a sudden, she clenched the jewel in her hand as she scrambled to her feet. Striding quickly form the shrine, she thought to herself, `That baka-youkai is not going to tell me what to do! I'm going to make my own decisions whether he likes it or not.' Walking purposely into the castle, she little realized that the jewel seemed to shine in laughter before it settled once again into slumber.

—Sango—

Sango stomped through the hallways of the castle trying to find something, anything that looked familiar. All she wanted to do was curl up somewhere and die. She had succeeded in the one thing she was afraid of; she had driven her best friend away from her. Now, there was no one to stave back the sense of loss; no one to remember what role she had played before two years ago came to pass.

Gulping back a fresh wave of tears, she grabbed a fistful of her long, black hair and attempted to pull the strong strands from her head. The intense pain shot through her head allowing her to fight back the flowing liquid and keep herself from collapsing in the endless hallway. Taking in a shuddering breath, Sango pushed herself forward. Choosing a random door, she opened it up to find an empty room. Furniture was covered in white dusty sheets signaling just how long it had been since the estate had been fully used. Stumbling forward, she collapsed onto the covered settee sending a cloud of gray dust into the air. Sneezing, Sango rolled off her chosen perch and moved to an armchair tucked in the corner away from the slowly settling cloud of dust. This time, she carefully pulled off the sheet to reveal a hunter-green velvet, wing-backed armchair with matching bolster.

Settling down, she curled up sideways in the chair as she let the tears burst out from her over-used tear ducts. She had thought that she had it all under control. She had never once imagined that she would lose everything so completely in front of Kagome. She couldn't even remember what had set her off in the first place. All she knew was that what she had said was unacceptable. Kagome had done everything she could to make her feel welcome in the new era. Her mother had accepted her into her home and even adopted her into the family. And how did she repay them? By yelling and screaming. It was all for naught.

Sango sniffled as she hugged the bolster to her stomach and snuggled deeper into the comfortable arm chair. She should have just stayed at home. At least there she could pretend that Buyo was Kirara and curl up with the cat when she was feeling down. Things were just changing to fast for her to take in. She knew that Miroku and everyone else she had grown to care for were stuck in the past, but she had held out hope that Kagome would be able to find a way to bring the Shikon and subsequently the well back to life. Two years wasn't all that much time. It would have given Miroku the time he needed to settle down. He would have been ready for her as she had been ready for him. But no, Inuyasha and Shippou and Sesshoumaru had to come back and destroy those dreams and tell her that he found another woman.

Tears soaked the velvet bolster. Sinking her teeth into the cording, she fought back a sob as she let out all the pent-up frustration. She had not realized just how tightly coiled her misery had become. She thought that her late night cry after the dinner party a little over a week ago had been enough to clear her system. She thought that the training would discipline her mind and body to keep it from breaking. But it hadn't.

It had taken one innocent question; one tiny insignificant pronoun to cause her downfall. She had lied earlier, thinking she could deny what happened. But it wouldn't leave her. The word just kept echoing in her head. Unable to deny the sob, her whole body shook.

They waited to find us.

But they hadn't. Shippou was there merely as a mediator, concerned with Kagome's well-being and not her own. When he wasn't with Kagome, he was off who knows where living a life he had made without them. He had the audacity to grow up and leave her wallowing behind. He was no longer the mischievous little kitsune who used to snuggle up with Kirara.

Sesshoumaru, she still could barely believe, had feelings for Kagome. The simple fact he made a public spectacle of himself outside of their school proved that although he still maintained his indifferent mask. But he was here for Kagome and only Kagome. He didn't even perceive her as a plaything anymore, opening up his estate to her…Well to Kagome at least. Where had the good old days gone when he would at least glare at her in warning to not interfere during his fights with Inuyasha?

Those days were gone.

Sniffing, she wiped off her eyes with a sopping wet sleeve. And then there was Inuyasha. He had made an effort to spend time with her, cheer her up, give her the outlet she had so long needed. That she could at last fight without holding back had been a relief. Inuyasha would heal. He was a half demon after all. Sure, she still had to avoid the fatal blows, but she at least could use all her strength.

A watery smile graced her lips fleetingly as she remembered that first day at the dojo. It had been glorious to take Hiraikotsu out of retirement. Her blood had been singing with joy as she swung the mighty boomerang around the room. She had barely been able to hold herself together as she felt the tension ebb away. At least until Inuyasha had started yelling at her for kicking him to hard. He hadn't noticed the tear that trickled down her face as he inspected his bottom for bruises.

But Kouga had. As he escorted her off the mat, he had given her a pat on the back and word of encouragement. He had told her mutt-face just hadn't had a good challenge in far too long. That was it. Just a “Don't worry, he'll get over it.”

She hadn't seen him since.

Still, Inuyasha had been there. The conversations they shared after their training sessions had been filled with memories and comments about the present. Just small things. Little things. Something she grew to treasure over such a short time. She admitted to being selfish. She had made sure to go to the dojo when she knew Kagome had other appointments with friends, Shippou, or even a nap. There had only been one day when she could not avoid having Kagome intrude on her sanctuary, and it had killed her seeing how Inuyasha's attention focused on Kagome instead of her. Didn't he realize how much she needed his friendship?

And then there was the clubbing. He had totally ignored her the entire night! She had been right to invite the others to the club otherwise she would have fled long before the night was over to run home. Ice cream with the girls had been even worse though then seeing them crawl all over each other. Talk had been filled with how different Inuyasha seemed from when Kagome `dated' him the first time, and how cute he was. No one noticed her soul breaking with every mention of Inuyasha's and Kagome's names together.

Her body jerked as another sob was wrenched from her body. She knew it was irrational of her to think that Kagome was taking him away. After all, Kagome was the most selfless person she knew. That she was being selfish now was unintentional. She had no right to demand that she chose Sesshoumaru. It wouldn't be fair to Inuyasha now that they finally seemed to understand one another. But she couldn't help it. She couldn't turn to Kagome because she didn't know how to. Inuyasha had just always been there for her. Him and Miroku, but Miroku was gone. It was Inuyasha who had carried her, literally, after she found Kohaku's body. It was Inuyasha who buried Kohaku when she could not, and it was Inuyasha who seemed to know when she needed to forget.

Feeling exhaustion oozing from every pore in her body, she welcomed the oblivion of sleep as it descended on her. Anything to forget, anything to leave the past behind. It mattered not if it was only an hour ago or ten years. At least in sleep she could imagine herself as happy and not weighed down with a lifetime of guilt. She would give anything to forget the bad, and remember the little good; anything to go back to the way it was, before Inuyasha, before Kagome, before even the death of her mother. Just…anything.

—The Study—

Kagome stalked through the hallway heading towards the one room Sesshoumaru was most likely to be ensconced in: the study. She had a bone to pick with him, and there was no way she was going to wait for him to leave his little hideaway. She'd be left waiting `til next Tuesday if she did that. Marching up to the wood door, she twisted the handle angrily and tugged on it, sending it flying into the stone wall. Blinking, she stood in the doorway, waiting for her eyes to adjust to the dark interior.

“Must you always make an entrance?”

Kagome blinked again as her eyes finally focused on Sesshoumaru's back. He had hidden himself in the shadows to the right of an open window, still standing there gazing at whatever view it had to offer. Striding into the room, Kagome grabbed the nearest book and threw it at him.

“I wouldn't have to make an entrance if I could keep your attention for more then two minutes!”

Sesshoumaru felt the sharp sting of the book as the corner thudded into his back. Turning slowly, he turned his glare unto the unaccommodating woman. “It would be best to remember not to do that again,” he said coldly as he took a menacing step forward.

Kagome disregarded the blatant threat and kept marching up to him. Now face to face with the insufferable taiyoukai, she brandished a single finger and began poking him. “I think you should remember that you were the one who decided he wanted me for a mate.”

Poke.

“You were the one who decided to wait five hundred years for me.”

Poke.

“You were the one who made a spectacle of himself outside my school.”

Poke, poke.

“You were the one who decided to renew this messed-up relationship.”

Poke.

“You were the one who decided to invite me into your home, and you were the one who decided what was best for me by telling me who I loved and who I should marry!”

Seething now, Kagome looked around herself for something long, thin, and pointy that she could use to poke the hard-muscled Sesshoumaru. Her finger was tired and aching from the pressure of pressing it into his stomach, and she wasn't done yet!

Sesshoumaru noticed her wild-eyed gaze around the room and grabbed her arm before she could run off. “Are you done?”

Kagome stomped her foot into the ground since she couldn't poke him anymore. “Of course I'm not! You're a conceited, arrogant, good for nothing, mass murdering, jerk! Why should I be done!”

Sesshoumaru sighed inside. He had hoped to just end things tonight using the opportunity presented by the taijiya. But once again, he forgot to factor into the equation just how stubborn Kagome could be. That she refused to back down was an irritant he couldn't and almost didn't wish to get rid of. It had been to long since someone other then his brother or Shippou had stood up to him, and it was as though a breath of fresh air had swept through his life. But he couldn't give in to the temptation to keep her. There were to many dangers lurking around, and the sooner she disassociated herself from him, the more likely she would be to survive to old age.

Turning a deaf ear to her screeching insults, he let his mind wander to the letter he had received earlier that afternoon. It was…unsettling, how easily the yakuza leader got in contact with him. That he knew of Kagome's and Sango's relocation to his estate was to be expected; anyone could have seen them driving there. It was how efficiently the letter got deposited on his desk in the middle of the work day that was disturbing. There were clearance checks by machine, human, and youkai to pass before admittance into his firm. Cameras were everywhere taking pictures of each entrant followed by a personal background check. Anyone suspicious or not previously cleared was checked and double-checked, but no one out of the ordinary had come into the office all day long. No one had even entered his personal office that morning since he was concentrating on putting together a new case. So how the letter had magically appeared on his desk, he hadn't a clue. Not even a scent was left on the letter and envelope. It was always thus.

It was a two-edged sword that she was now on his estate. She was now an even greater target to the whims of the Kokushibyou gang and their mysterious leader, but security on the estate was better then that surrounding her home. That she was closer to himself was a relief, but it did not mean that she would be safer in the long run to stay with him over Inuyasha. At least with Inuyasha, she could leave the country, go to America.

“You're not even listening to me are you!” cried Kagome, finally noticing his unfocused gaze and the fact that in the last fifteen minutes he hadn't moved an inch in the face of her anger.

Sesshoumaru's eyes snapped to glare again at the woman standing before him with arms perched on her hips and her foot tapping in impatience. “I have said all I needed to say earlier.” Brushing her aside, he strode quickly towards the still open door. Half-way across the room, he paused and looked over his shoulder. “I would suggest you start wearing the dagger I gave you again. If you do not have it with you, arrangements can be made to pick it up for you.” Turning his head to face the doorway again, he resumed his solitary trek out of the study.

Kagome, fuming at the audacity of the taiyoukai, took off sprinting after his form. “I'll wear the damn dagger! I'll wear it and sick the damn dog spirit after you for telling me how to run my life!” Pushing herself off the finely woven rug underneath her feet, she flew towards Sesshoumaru's back in a flying leap. Wrapping her arms his neck around in preparation for a tumble to the ground, she closed her eyes.

After several moments, she opened one eye and then the other and raised her head from off the shoulder she had pressed it against. Immediately, her eyes connected with the golden-hued ones of Sesshoumaru. Sheepishly, she unwound her legs from around his waist, although she knew not how they got there, and untangled her arms from his now disarrayed silver hair. Sliding to the floor, she lowered her head in defeat as she peered up at him from the cover of her black tresses. Silently, he turned away from her and walked out of the study.

Sighing in defeat, she drifted back to the window he had recently been so enthralled with. Looking outside, she noticed that the study had a fantastic view of the gardens and Rin's shrine. A blush flooded her face as she remembered how silly she had looked walking around in circles after he walked away the first time. Turning her gaze away from the humiliating view, she looked down at the windowsill. Resting there, half obscured by the curtain, was a plain wood box worn from heavy use. A slight indentation rested on the lid where a hand had rested on it. Placing her hand in the slight hollow, she used her thumb to pull back the lid to reveal dried sakura petals resting inside. Bringing it up to her nose, she inhaled the nearly dissipated fragrance, and wondered what in the world Sesshoumaru was doing with a box of petals.

—Another Office—

Chuckling to himself, Shuukaku watched the feed from the hidden camera he had placed in Sesshoumaru's office. He had to be careful just how much he used it since periodic sweeps of the estate was done to prevent such espionage, but this was just to good to miss. Seeing Kagome hop onto the taiyoukai's back was just too comical. That it hadn't phased the youkai was even better.

Turning off the tiny picture, he turned to face the documents on his desk. Yes, things were going well indeed. Whatever tiff the woman and the taiyoukai had, it would only help him. That his anonymous letter had been well received by Sesshoumaru as well perked up his already elated spirits. If things kept up as they were, Sesshoumaru would not dare to be seen with the woman, leaving her in the hands of the hanyou and kitsune. Just where he wanted them. After all, what good was a plan of destruction when you couldn't even get the two people he wished to destroy together and alone? It had frustrated him that the kitsune and the female Kagome had always congregated in public venues. He wanted them to know the reason why they were being singled out, and to do that, he wanted to tell them so to their faces. But with the taiyoukai pushing her away, and the looming threat of the yakuza in front of him, he would get his chance.

Luxuriating in his fantasy of pain and death, he nearly missed the quiet ringing of his cell phone. Flipping it open, he smiled in pleasure as he heard the embarrassed shriek of the girl on the other line.

”Shuukaku here.” he said knowing who the woman was already.

“Um…Ayumi here,” came the breathless voice.

“Ayumi! It's so good to hear from you again,” replied his smooth tones.

Distinct gulping could be heard on the other line. “I, uh, was just calling to see if you, uh, if you might—Well, if you might want to, you know…”

Chuckling, he flipped open his appointment book. Scanning through the dates, he talked soothingly into the phone held loosely to his ear. “I would love to see you again. How about tomorrow night? Dinner at seven? Maybe a movie?”

Smiling tones of relief flowed through the phone to his ears. “That sounds great. Where would you like to meet?”

“Why don't we try Kanada's Sushi bar? I've heard its good.”

“Sounds great. I'll see you tomorrow then!”

Flipping the cell phone closed, he leaned back on his chair and scratched at the leaf tattoo imprinted on his back shoulder. A slow grin covered his face as he imagined how good it would be to finally be free of the spell. Yes, it was turning out to be a fantastic day indeed. He would use Ayumi to draw Kagome away to a place of his choosing, and hopefully she would bring the kitsune with her.

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A/N:

I just wanted to take a moment and point out that no one should feel afraid to voice constructive criticism. As things stand, most of this story is completely me. Striking Falcon has done a fantastic job in keeping me true to her original story, but the rest is all me: the plot, grammar, spelling, everything. So, I sometimes forget that you, the reader are not omniscient like I pretend to be. So, if there's something that is confusing or beaten with a now worn stick, it's good to know. Every review with such constructive criticism has helped me out tremendously. So please, do not hesitate to continue doing so. I may protest a little to begin with, but that's human nature. Please do not be afraid to point things out to me. You really are a great help.

Also, sorry for all the angst, but the chapter just seemed to call for it. If you're wondering what dagger I'm talking about, look at Chapter 10-12 of You Don't Know What You Have `Til It's Gone. As for updates, since summer break is here, I'm hoping to get a new update out every week. No guarantees, but I'd like to give it a shot!

Parsnip

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Review comments:

Bubbletea_swethart: Sorry for stressing you out, and of course Sesshoumaru and Kagome are going to get together!!! They just had to actually talk to each other. Alright, so they haven't talked yet. But they will! And then things will start to get cleared up. Hope things are at least a little clearer now as to what was going with that last line in Chapter 14.

Jackialioncourt: Thanks for the review! Sorry for the heavy amounts of angst in the last few chapters. I'm trying to build it back up to the fluff, but school gets me a little down and one of my best friends just went through a horrible break-up with her bf. So…some of that's coming out in the fic. But, I am planning on having the fluff! The scene I have in mind just seems to keep getting pushed back into the next chapter over and over again. Sigh…As for Sesshou, I”ll pass the request on to him ^_~

Me: You had me cracking up actually with the No's. Loved how you did that. And yes, Sesshou is being stupid for misinterpreting Sango, but he has his own reasons for doing that. As for hints of IS, there's definitely some on Sango's part. We'll just to wait and see how Inuyasha decides he wants to be written. And no, it's not just you. I've had several people mention it as well! Thanks!

I think I've already replied to everyone now, and if I didn't, I'm so sorry!! Special thanks go to Spdsgirl, AMI MIZUNO1, kjinuyasha, Sesshomaru's Lover, Mirei Nochi, the hitokiri battousai himura, Michelle and her muse (I still have horrible images of a fat Kikyo running through my head ^_^) for reviewing as well.

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