InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Welcome to The Age of Un-Innocence ❯ Crash and Burn ( Chapter 14 )

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

A/N: Hi everyone! I'm back again with another update after a fun mini vacation I took.

A big thank you to GinaCat for your review last chapter and I hope you like the new one! :D

Buckle up everyone, with this chapter it's gonna get fun. *grin* And if you have the time drop me a review to let me know what you think, as I'm sure some people are going to have an opinion or two hehe. Ja! Laurell~

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By the time the cab had pulled up alongside Inuyasha's drive way Kagome was seriously regretting how long she had sat out in the rain. Even with his coat she would be lucky not to catch a cold from that marvel decision. With a shaky sigh she watched Inuyasha get out of the cab and had every intention of handing him back his jacket and making a beeline for home. Her eyes still felt sore and she knew they must have been puffy and looking awful.

“Are you coming?” His voice interrupted as he leaned down to look at her huddled up like a soaked kitten. “Come on Kagome, I don't feel like being alone just yet either.” He knew her, could see right through her and as much as that annoyed her she got out of the cab and took the hand he offered.

Her heart hurt and she felt dizzy when he led her up to the house her hand still firmly within his own. What was she to him? `A responsibility; a duty? Even less maybe?' It hurt her head just thinking about all this and she shivered harder huddled up against the door while he opened it trying to scoot herself as far from the rain as she could. A few people scuttled past with umbrellas on the street outside before seeking their own shelter in a house across from them. They walked inside Inuyasha's voice shaking her from the thoughts once again.

“I'll get you some warm clothes to change into; you can come up and wait in my room.” Kagome nodded softly as Inuyasha shot up the stairs disappearing into a room. She walked slowly after him going into his room and hanging up the soaked blazer, and with some curiosity looking through his other clothes in the closet.

Inuyasha was quietly praying that Sesshomaru never found out about this one as he opened up the closet to try and find something of Rin's Kagome could fit into. Taking care of her was his first priority, and a convenient excuse not to talk or think about that phone call that had started all of this. `Damnit Kikyou! Why now of all times?' He swore if he didn't have bad luck he wouldn't have had luck at all. But at least this time he was safe. He managed to find some bright pink sweat pants with PINK written across them at least a dozen times and matching tank tops of sorts.

“Here, they're Rin's but I know she wouldn't mind.” Kagome nodded again still not saying anything when he came inside the room to hand her the dry clothes. Inuyasha left quickly closing the door behind him, it was unnerving to see her so quiet.

Still staying focused on not thinking about how badly he had really fucked up with her he made his way into the kitchen to make them both some hot tea. He could have used with some warmth himself. Rain clinked against the large kitchen windows harder, the shadows and water casting eerie shapes onto the porch. Inuyasha hoped wherever his family was they were indoors too.

He sucked in a breath when the still dazed looking Kagome found him in the kitchen. Even at what she would have called her worst she looked gorgeous to him. She had washed her make up off and had her hair loosely pulled up to get most of it out of her face and even though her brown eyes were reflecting so much more sadness than usual he couldn't help but stare. But the best thing by far was that she had pulled on his black hoodie, the tank top apparently not offering enough coverage she had grabbed it from the closet next to the blazer she had put up. Helping herself to anything that was his, and she looked absolutely adorable cuddled up in it, it being near twice her size.

Sitting down at the table she watched him finish up boiling some water in the kettle and pour them two cups and wrapped her trembling fingers around the warm cup when he sat it down in front of her. She used to always order tea or cocoa in restaurants in the winter, even if she didn't want to drink it just to have the warm mug to hold. Inuyasha sat beside her taking a tentative sip; relieved he hadn't screwed it up too bad since it had probably been a good two years since he made tea at all.

“Thank you for all of this, you didn't have to take me here with you.” Kagome smiled softly and he reached out to brush a strand of hair that had come loose, tucking it behind her ear.

“It's because of me you ran out at all, least I could do was not send you home alone.”

“It wasn't because of you; it was my own decision regardless of what you were doing. So don't blame yourself, I'm old enough to know I shouldn't have stayed out in the cold. It's not a big deal though.” He didn't say anything more and she wanted so badly to ask him who had called, to figure out why he had run. But she couldn't bring herself to pry, she had no place in his life, she knew nothing about where he lived or who he knew. So it didn't matter if he did tell her who it was, the name wouldn't mean any recognition or quiet any of her questions.

Kagome snuggled deeper into his warm jacket allowing herself this comfort at least against her thoughts and emotions. As much as she wanted to be near him it was hurting her to feel so distant even sitting next to him. She found herself wishing she had stayed in the cab, excused herself, gone home and drawn a bath and forgotten about the last month ever existing. The perfect ring sparkled on her left hand mocking her and she glared at it.

Kikyou's voice, about as soothing as feedback was still ringing through Inuyasha's ears with her bitter but truthful words. She promised him all the things to come with Kagome now that he had left her. Her judgment when she found out what type of person he really was, the betrayal after. She wouldn't stay near someone like him if she actually knew what he was like away from her. He couldn't help it though…he didn't mean to be fake or different around her, but that was how she made him act. Like somehow a girl this pure and innocent could maybe rub off on him, just being near her would sometimes make him feel better about himself. It was so easy to forget…and to pretend this was how his life had always been. But he was living a dangerous lie and he knew Kikyou was right. He only hoped he could keep his secrets with him until the election, and then disappear before she ever knew otherwise.

He had already decided that would be the best decision in the end, had come to that conclusion tonight when he knew he wouldn't be able to run from his past much longer. He wouldn't allow what he loved most about Kagome, her innocence, to be ruined by the likes of him.

“Listen, thanks again but I should probably be getting home.” Kagome said quietly. Sango was one speed dial button away once she was safely tucked inside a cab and then she could cry her eyes out without a care. Inuyasha sighed, he didn't want her to go but he had no reason to tell her to stay.

“Sure, go ahead and call a cab, I don't want you waiting outside.” He nodded to a phone hanging on the wall and then gruffly pushed back his chair standing up. “I'm going out on the porch.” He offered no other explanation pulling open the doors and leaning against the wet wall to look out at his mother's gardens. Rummaging in one pocket he pulled out his cigarettes getting one out of the crinkled container to rest on his bottom lip while he dug for his lighter.

Kagome stared bleakly at the phone her indecision getting the best of her again. She had to go home, she wasn't ever meant to be here. It would be better for her to deal with this problem on her own and stop this aching attachment that was growing to Inuyasha right now. But she couldn't, she felt herself being pulled towards him, like someone had ensnared them and now all the wires were being pulled taunt and she had no control over how she clung to and needed him. But her judgment knew better. Of course she had a choice, she may have not had one about the engagement but how she handled it was entirely up to her. `But what do I even want…?'

She sighed standing up to call for that cab and hope tomorrow's morning would bring some clarity when she smelled something odd.

“What are you doing?” Kagome's voice held no accusation only confusion and the bewildered look in her eyes was priceless. Inuyasha had to stop himself from laughing or he would have choked on the smoke he slowly exhaled. He didn't feel like apologizing for himself any more tonight, and this was on habit she could just deal with it. He had much worse things to hide. So he shrugged nonchalantly and looked back out to the rain that was continuing to soak everything around them. It's chilly wind blowing against his cheeks in sharp contrast to the flaring heat at the end of his cigarette, the only piercing light against the dark yard.

Kagome stared; bristling from the brush off she had just received and heavily debating how she should lecture him on this one. “Don't bother,” he muttered reading her mind and exhaled the curling smoke back out to fade into the air again. A stream of it rose up out of his hand before tapering into the dark. “Many before you have tried, and you won't be the last either. Let me have this one guilty pleasure in a place that allows me none.” She didn't quite understand what he meant by it but closed her mouth, her anger subsiding for the moment.

“But why would you choose to do such a thing to yourself?” He shrugged again.

“It's something you couldn't understand.”

“What's that supposed to mean?” Kagome quipped crossly. He waved her off again, ignoring her angry glare. With one furious swipe she plucked the cigarette from between his lips and pressed it to her own sucking in and ignoring his yelp of protest.

Kagome then completely lost any effect she was going for when she bent over in a fit of coughs, gasping until they subsided to get her breath back. Meanwhile the cigarette had fell to the damp ground and quickly extinguished at their feet. She peeked back up through her bangs to see Inuyasha glaring at her with a rather annoyed look and sigh.

“Now WHY would you do a stupid thing like that?” He demanded irately. She huffed straightening back up and rushed through the door with as much pride as she could muster and called herself a cab.

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When Inuyasha trudged back upstairs after a terse goodbye with Kagome, seeing that she got in the cab safely with the umbrella he lent her. There were three missed calls on his phone, and he had a pretty good idea where they were from. Scrolling through he recognized one call from Miroku and two from what he assumed was a hotel room. Miroku had left a message of stunned gibberish where he did say how he saw Kikyou but conveniently didn't mention telling her his cell phone number. The other as figured was from the wicked bitch of Los Angeles threatening him with various blunt objects if he didn't call her back after hanging up on her earlier. Somebody was conspiring against him, just had to be, he thought with a deep sigh.

Throwing his still damp clothes into a pile he frowned at the empty hanger his jacket should have been on. Rin was going to kill him if he didn't get those pants back probably too, and Sesshomaru when he found out he went snooping in his room. Not that he was without honorable intentions anyways.

With another drawn out sigh he laid back on his bed refusing to call back his past life until it would be necessary. Kikyou could make all the idol threats she wanted, Kouga couldn't stand her and probably wouldn't even talk to her. At least that's what he was hoping. Kouga looking for him was a bit unusual, he didn't normally advertise his relations with anyone but maybe he was just checking on where he was. But there was something about all this that was making Inuyasha chew the inside of his cheek nervously. Everyone was acting just too odd.

Downstairs the front door opened and he heard the rest of his family rush inside. Walking out into the hallway he looked down the railing of the stairs catching sight of Rin and his mother laughing and struggling to pat their hair dry and shed their layers. His father and Sesshomaru as usual were looking indifferent and talking between themselves in a low tone. The four of them like that, they seemed so happy and content that way. He didn't fit in with this life anymore than he did back in New York now either, and the sooner he finished this mess and left the better.

Inside his room his phone went off again, Kouga's number this time. New York was calling.

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14 hours away Kouga slammed his phone down against the table rattling his cold cup of coffee. Miroku winced slightly moving to stand instead.

“Why isn't he answering?” He demanded spinning on him. Miroku's mouth hung open but no words of explanation came out.

“You know how he is, hell we don't even know what time it is there.” He choked out shrugging and trying to stay relaxed.

“You did tell him he needs to get back here, yes?” He demanded furiously.

“I told him you were looking for him, but this was the first time I could even come by here with the bullshit the cops were putting on me.” Kouga's hands clenched curling around the sides of his table. His entire apartment was decorated in modern geometric shapes most low and made of sharp angles. Glass and chrome made up the table he was now looking tempted to smash and Miroku didn't honestly think it would be out of his abilities.

“Just relax, he'll call you back.” Miroku offered after an elongated tense silence.

“Don't tell me to relax; it's not your ass on the line to find him. What do you think Kikyou's sniffing around for? She's crazy yea, but not without a motive. Someone's doing that bitch's thinking for her like usual, not that it makes her any less dangerous.”

“Why can't you just tell me what's going on? I'm getting wound up in this too, I deserve to know who's looking and why.”

“No, no you don't. That's where you are very incorrect. You don't deserve to know shit, and if you can't help me anymore then get out and stay out. I don't need whoever's been following you showing up to give me more to deal with.”

“Fine.” Miroku said tersely grabbing his jacket and slamming the door closed behind him. He'd never seen Kouga act like that, and he was right. Someone was pulling the strings for all of this, but for the life of him he didn't know who or why. In the grand scheme of it all he and Inuyasha were still so low on the food chain for the New York underworld. Not at the bottom, but never deserving this much attention. `Who would need to find a party boy dealer like Inuyasha so badly?' he mused.

Pulling his collar up around his neck he walked out of the lobby of Kouga's high rise apartments and into the drizzle that was circling the city that day. There was one more ace he had up his sleeve which he wasn't revealing to anyone in the midst of all this bull shit. He didn't know who he was supposed to trust anymore, but it sure as hell wasn't Kikyou or Kouga.

Pulling through the crowd he stepped into a phone booth securely closing the door after and got out his cell phone to look up the number he needed.

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Kagome was feeling guilty, really guilty actually. For storming out on Inuyasha when he hadn't done anything to deserve it. Sure he smoked, but why couldn't he? `What do I care?' She asked herself. But she did care, a lot, too much.

The only good news was the entire embarrassing incident had left her unable to cry in the cab ride home, the bath, or when her father got home yelling obscenities through the locked bathroom door; which she completely ignored. So now that the banging had finally stopped she was left to her silence and bubbles contemplating how she could make it up to Inuyasha, or even show her face around him after doing such a stupid thing. When she got home she had brushed her teeth twice the taste was so foul. Just remembering made her shiver and dunk her head underwater.

Towel drying her hair she peeked out to check that the hallway was clear and shot across to her bedroom closing and locking that door as well. Sitting down on her bed she reached over and picked up the hoodie she had discarded next to her and fingered the soft and well worn fabric. Holding it close she breathed in his smell, something entirely him she never could quite identify. But it made her feel warm all over and her heart ache and miss him just from catching this scent.

“Oh god, I'm smelling his jacket. I've officially lost it.” She laughed setting it aside on her desk and shaking her head at how stupid she could be. Her planner informed her she had a breakfast meeting with Inuyasha tomorrow and the morning off of her acting lessons with the disgruntled Mr. Chiba. This alone made her perk up a little and she decided to deal with all of this then and finally tucked herself into bed after a very long day.

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“Inuyasha….Inuyasha….” A voice was coaxing him out of his sleep which apparently could never go uninterrupted in this house. He groggily opened one eye to see a smiling Rin hovering above him. He closed his eyes again.

“Inuyasha!” She yelled giving him a good push and he yelped nearly falling out of bed. “Phone call for you.” She said shortly dropping the cordless phone onto his bed and walking out of his room. Squinting he glanced at the clock groaning to see it was only eight.

“Hello?” He muttered irritably falling back into bed and resting the phone on his pillow.

“Inuyasha it's me.”

“Miroku! I swear to god I am going to-”

“Shut up and listen, I went through quite a bit to get the home number of the Chief of Police okay?” Inuyasha paused, why was he calling his house? “Everyone is freaking out over here Inu.”

“What are you talking about?” He groaned wanting to sag back to sleep. “Is that cop still hanging around you?”

“No, it's not that. I lost him but Kikyou showed up the other night like I said if you heard my message-”

“YEA about that! Thanks a fucking lot for giving her my unlisted cell phone number, that was just grand of you asshole.”

“I didn't! I didn't tell her a damn thing other than what she knew, you were in Tokyo and I hadn't heard from you. And it was basically true. How she got your cell is beyond me, I told her to go else where for her information.” Inuyasha sat up and held onto the phone tighter.

“Who else even has that number to give out?”

“I don't know! That's what I'm trying to tell you. Someone important is looking for you, and they're damn determined to find you. They've even got Kouga under their thumb and freaking out. I was visiting his place this morning after Kikyou paid me that lovely surprise visit and he was spouting off how you had to get back to New York ASAP. Now he's trying to enlist me to help find you and quite frankly I want to know who the fuck did you piss off Inuyasha?!” Inuyasha's face screwed up as he tried to process all this as fast as it was coming in.

“No one….I seriously I haven't done anything in the last few months to really make enemies for myself. It's got to be Kikyou pulling strings with someone we don't know.”

“But for her to have access to who is giving Kouga orders…” Miroku trailed off letting the dark thought hang mid sentence.

“Yeah…I don't know who she's hanging around with now. But she left a bunch of messages pissed off about the engagement. She's just on another bitch fest probably. Stay away from Kouga, but I am not flying all the way back to New York just to have her slap me.”

“Are you sure that's it? This seems extreme even for her...I've got a bad feeling.”

“Then you don't know her too well.” Inuyasha muttered rubbing his eyes, he just woke up and it felt like he was already getting a headache from all of this. “I'm not coming back to New York so just stay out of it Miroku, and don't call me at my house number again.”

“I'm going out of my way to warn you of this shit and that's all I get?! Even after this disappearing act you've played on me and everyone else!” Miroku shouted angrily.

Inuyasha sighed. “Look, I have my reasons I didn't tell you. But I can't tell you them now, just know I'm working everything out and I'll be home in about a month I'm guessing.”

“What home? At this rate you're not going to have anything to come back to.” Inuyasha held his tongue tempted to scream something at him but knowing he really was in the wrong, not that he could even tell him everything if he wanted.

“I gotta go Miroku…I'll call you later.” Turning the phone off he ran his hands through his bangs again lightly scratching and trying not to think about Miroku, Kikyou or anything outside of Tokyo if possible. Looking back to his pillows he debated momentarily but remembered he did have breakfast plans with Kagome. `At least I get to see Kagome, something normal in my life.' He thought with a slight smile, and jumped out of bed to get ready.

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Kagome grinned running out of her bathroom to pick up her cell recognizing Inuyasha's ring tone. Picking up the phone she ran downstairs snagging her purse and waving to Souta as she walked out the front door grinning to see Inuyasha waiting in her driveway in one of his family's cars.

“Good morning!” She chirped getting into the car.

“Morning beautiful.” Leaning over he gave her a quick kiss on the cheek making Kagome blush lightly. “I'm sorry about anything that happened last night.” She waved her hand laughing.

“No me too, don't worry about it. So where did you have in mind for breakfast?”

“I was thinking somewhere quiet…” Kagome smiled nodding and watched the early morning streets of Tokyo begin to roll past the window.

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Mr. Higurashi was sitting happily and enjoying his breakfast when he heard his eldest daughter rush out. He only spared an irritable glance towards the door; he was determined to stay in a good mood. It was a good day after all; his public voting estimate had increased another 5% after the latest events, pulling him far ahead from the pack leading the race, and his stock company was doing better than ever with Souta falling perfectly in his footsteps.

“Turn on the TV Souta, let's check the market prices.” His son nodded standing up to turn on the TV and took his seat beside him again picking up his newspaper, but it never made it up past his eyes. On the screen was a beautiful model, a super model actually who was born and raised in Japan, making her quite a favorite and celebrity in Tokyo. But it was what she was saying…that caused Candidate Higurashi and Souta's eyes widen in disbelief.

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Kagome smiled absently twirling a piece of her hair around one manicured nail. Inuyasha was actually up and out of bed before noon and had found a great little café to have breakfast at that morning. It was small and tucked away and thankfully just about empty and paparazzi free. So far they hadn't been awful but every so often did get too pushy if the two of them were out in a popular district. But today the reporters did seem closer than usual especially for such a quiet area.

“Inuyasha…” Kagome started taking a sip of her coffee as if it might give her courage.

“Hm?” He glanced up at her with those golden eyes she adored so much.

“I was thinking…we don't have any functions for the rest of the week, and I wanted to get away for awhile and go to the coast while I was home. My family owns a great little beach cottage nearby, do you think….that is um, would you like to go there with me?” She blushed a little looking down knowing just what she was asking. And even though it sounded worse than what she was probably thinking, two days uninterrupted with Inuyasha sounded amazing. Time away from their families and the public, to finally talk and she could only hope; get some things out in the open.

“You sure you wouldn't want to be alone?” Kagome shook her head.

“No I'd like to get to know you a little better without the cameras around for once.” Inuyasha smiled and reached across the table to take her hand. He stroked the back of it fondly.

“Yea, that sounds like a great idea.” Kagome smiled brightly and tried to linger in the moment but found herself distracted by the sudden chaos happening outside the café. The street had become full with cars and vans that had pulled up with people and camera crews rolling out.

“Inuyasha…what's going on outside?” She asked pointing to the just shy of a mob group of paparazzi flooding into the street.

Kagome's eyes widened when they all bolted right for the café. Fearfully she looked to Inuyasha finding him looking just as confused. He squeezed her hand tighter. The group charged in past the fellow customers and the waitress's shouting for them to stop and surged up surrounding their table. Kagome gasped from the flashes shooting to her feet to try and evade them. Inuyasha jumped up to pull her by his side protectively hiding her partly behind him.

“What the hell are you all doing?!” He cried uselessly as microphones were shoved in their faces and questions started rapid fire from every person there.

“Inuyasha what is your response to the drug connections you have been accused of in New York and what is your relationship with Miss Kikyou Kotara?” A buzz of noise was all Kagome could make out through her shock and confusion, with key words sometimes making it through. A new group of microphones were thrust at her with another round of the questions that just weren't making sense.

“Did you know Inuyasha has been dating the super model Kikyou Kotara?” “Are you his other woman on the side?” “What does your father think about Inuyasha's drug use and dealing?”

Kagome stared at them all appalled and trying to figure out what language they were speaking because it wasn't sounding like Japanese anymore at all. `Kikyou….drug dealing…?' All she wanted was to wake up from this nightmare but it wasn't happening. She stifled a cry when the group pushed the table they had been so nicely eating at only moments before aside roughly, and from somewhere the manager of the restaurant was frantically calling the police.

“What are you talking about?!” Inuyasha shouted at the group of them trying to push them back but only ending up shoved closer to the wall. “I'm not dating Kikyou! She's a friend nothing more, and I'm not a drug dealer!”

“That's not what her press statement released this morning said.” One of them shouted while more questions were screamed at them.

“Her interview is being nationally aired with all of her reports of your affair on her! What is your reaction to this Miss Higurashi??”

“Inuyasha?” Kagome looked up at him her eyes wide with fright and confusion. “What are they talking about?”

“I don't know!” He insisted trying to reassure her somehow from how terrified she looked.

“He does know! He's been in a relationship with Miss Kotara for the last three years; it was confirmed by her and her publicist this morning!”

“She's lying!” He snarled. “Get back all of you!” He shoved through the crowd keeping a strong hold on Kagome and tugging her behind him but he felt her hand slip and looked back to find her staring at the TV in the corner, along with the rest of the restaurant.

The reporters faded into nothing as Kagome listened and inspected the TV closely, her face distressed and brows knitted in confusion.

“Our top story today which is causing quite a stir, Chief of Police Inu Taisho's son has just been linked to both heavy drug use and dealing where he's been living in New York for the past three years. Inuyasha Taisho has also just recently returned to Japan to announce his engagement to Candidate Higurashi's eldest daughter Kagome Higurashi.”

“Now this is really an interesting story because not only is this the chief of police's son but rumors are being spread that Candidate Higurashi in fact knew of his illegal activities and the engagement was arranged for this reason. The information came directly from super model Kikyou Kotara whose birth place was Japan but had been living in the states between Los Angeles and New York and claims to have been dating Inuyasha for the last three years.”

“Apparently she had no idea he had left or that he is engaged now, which she addressed in her press release early this morning. Her statement included the lines. `I knew Inuyasha had been going deeper into heavy drug abuse but I didn't know until recently how bad he had become and he had started dealing in such mass quantities. He needs professional help, and running away to Tokyo isn't going to do that for him.'”

“Now on the current status of their relationship she said was officially over due to his cheating, his out of control drug use, the engagement and his lies, but a beauty like that we're sure won't have trouble finding anyone else. So now the real questions on everyone's mind are, why would Candidate Higurashi actually give his only daughter to a man like this? And can we really put our trust in a chief of police that can't even keep illegal activities out of his own family? We can only hope the Higurashi family rethinks some of their decisions and the best of luck for the Taisho family during this troubling time.”

Inuyasha helplessly drank in Kagome's expression just as intensely as the first time he ever laid eyes on her. Her lip was quivering and she looked to be trembling all over as if her legs were threatening to give out on her any time now. But her eyes said everything; they screamed at him and tore at him. The pain, betrayal, his mouth fell open from the uncontrolled hatred that was rolling off her stance.

The reporters were still circling like a group of sharks that could smell the blood in the water now but they were lost to him. All that mattered was Kagome, but the floor had fallen out from under him and he was grabbing for anything to hang on to.

“Kagome!” He insisted reaching for her. “It's not true!” She snapped her hand back the moment he touched her, just as sharp as if he had burned her. “Please Kagome listen to me, you know I wouldn't lie to you about her, I'm not dating her!” His eyes darted to the cameras making him unable to say the things he needed to. “Kagome…” He chanted her name taking another step towards her. But her incredulous gaze never wavered, the terrible look of offense being his only warning to what she screamed next.

“Don't come near me Inuyasha! Get away!” She shrieked pushing him back with all her might, then fleeing through the crowd and running out of the restaurant.

“Kagome!” He yelled attempting to follow her before the swarm closed him off. “Get back!!” He screamed shoving past them. But when he reached the street he was already too late. It was filled with the wide eyes of people staring, but empty of Kagome.

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A/N: Hang on everybody; we will be experiencing some turbulence. :)

Disclaimer: Inuyasha owns me.