It's alright
And I put myself in his hands
But I hold on to your secrets in white houses
Love, or something ignites in my veins
And I pray it never fades in white houses

My first time, hard to explain
Rush of blood, oh, and a little bit of pain
On a cloudy day, it's more common than you think
He's my first mistake

Maybe you were all faster than me
We gave each other up so easily
These silly little wounds will never mend
I feel so far from where I've been
So I go, and I will not be back here again
I'm gone as the day is fading on white houses
I lie, put my injuries all in the dust
In my heart is the five of us
In white houses

-White Houses

Vanessa Carlton

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Chapter 4

Hide And Go EEEK!

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Sango, Miroku and Shippo walked towards Kagome's hut wearily, knowing of the barrier that guarded it. But because of some miracle it allowed all three of them to pass through. Shippo's face grew a huge smile as he ran into the hut. Inside you could hear him colliding with Kagome's stomach and her clear 'oof' of surprise as the wind was knocked out of her lungs. However when Sango and Miroku entered the hut they did not see a disgruntled Miko, but a worried mother checking her son for any injuries.

"I missed you so much Kagome," Shippo cried into Kagome's chest as she held him close.

"I'm right here Shippo," she rocked the kit back and forth in motherly love. Sango smiled and leaned against the doorframe and watched.

"What are you thinking about?" Miroku came to stand by her side.

"Oh, nothing," she smiled at him. Miroku smiled back at her as they both diverted their attention back to Kagome and Shippo. However an offending limb was wandering a little too close to a certain exterminator.

"HENTAI!"

SLAP

CRACK

THUD

Sango couldn't help but cringe, she never meant for his head to collide with the doorframe and she never thought a wood floor could be that hard to land on.

"Some things never changed," Kagome shook her head and laughed. "How 'bout you guys stay here for the night, it has gotten dark out and there is plenty of room."

Sango and Miroku nodded in agreement. "It has gotten dark out," Sango mused out loud.

"I believe that is a excellent idea, Kagome-sama," Miroku smiled lazily as he struggled to get up off the floor.

"Please Miroku, no Sama, you are a friend and so are you Sango. Just Kagome," they both looked at their friend like she had grown a third head and nodded dumbly.

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Inuyasha sat in a small tree that leaned in close to the barrier that guarded Kagome's hut. The sun had set hours ago and most of the villagers had long gone to sleep. He had tried to sleep, but disturbing thoughts kept wandering into his mind. The information he had learned about Kikyo working with Naraku was having a hard time to sink in. He couldn't believe it! He would NOT believe it. Though as much as he would like to say that that was the main reason for his restlessness, he couldn't. The image of the scars on Kagome's once smooth skin kept flashing before his eyes. The guilt that grew in his chest consumed him, making his heart pain.

"I'm sorry Kagome," he breathed into the wind. He looked back at her hut when he heard the reed door rustle. He was surprised to see Kagome walk out in a quite revealing red kimono. He watched her as she walked slowly to her herb garden. Slipping to her knees she began to dig around an herb with shaky hands. Inuyasha watched her with keen interest when he recognized the herb she was digging up a herb used for pain or more precisely, internal bleeding. Shrugging he backed further into the tree, must be for one of her patients.

"If you are going to stand there and watch, you could have the decency to tell me," Kagome growled, though she didn't look away from the herb.

Inuyasha was surprised for a second. What? How? He looked around for a second and stared at her mouth a gap. Though just as he was about to hop out of the tree, a figure appeared from behind a nearby hut. Inuyasha barely held the growl in his throat that threatened to consume.

"Still have not lost your touch I see," Sesshomaru smirked. Inuyasha looked in shock, was that a smirk or a smile?!

"Since you've met me Sesshomaru, have I ever lost my touch?" Kagome laughed as she stood to tug the root out of the ground, though no matter how hard she tried she couldn't get it out.

"Useless Ningen," Sesshomaru growled as he tugged the herb out and handed it to her.

"Thanks," she mumbled taking it and tossing it into a bowl and grinding it with a stone.

"You are not healed yet," he asked as he looked elsewhere.

"Almost," Kagome smiled to him reassuringly. Inuyasha sputtered, what the hell was going on!? Wasn't she scared of Sesshomaru, even the tiniest bit? WAIT! He was in the barrier, how could Sesshomaru get through the barrier when he couldn't.

"Inuyasha is here," his brother said calmly. Well thank-you captain obvious! Inuyasha thought dryly using one of the sayings he had heard Kagome say.

"Yes."

"Did he make it through the barrier?"

"No," Kagome ducked her head sadly. "I didn't allow him to?"

She looked to Sesshomaru and saw his raised eyebrow. "He protected Kikyo after he learnt the truth." She looked to the ground again. Inuyasha felt the guilt tug at his heart again.

Sesshomaru put a hand on Kagome's shoulder, making Inuyasha almost fall out of the tree, but the most surprising thing was that Kagome stood up and buried her face into his chest.

"Why should that upset you?" the taiyoukai asked her.

"It wasn't that it upset me, it just hurt, it hurt like when Naraku drove the dagger into my heart. After all I've done for him, he would still choose her!" Kagome looked up at Sesshomaru and smiled, no tears in her eyes. Her cheeks flushed slightly as she pushed away from him. "Umm, thanks Sesshomaru."

He nodded to her and tossed her a katana, she tossed it back.

"Not tonight Sesshomaru," she bowed slightly and left for her hut, however she stopped when there was a yell from the front gate.

"YOUKAI!!" Someone yelled to alert the village of an attack.

Kagome turned around and ran as fast as she could, Sesshomaru following behind. Inuyasha decided that he might as well go see what the fuss was about.

He watched from a distance as Kagome ran up the stairs to the top of the fortress walls.

"Go alert the rest of the village," she told a guard urgently. "GO!"

She turned to the forest. "Come and face me!" she yelled, startling Inuyasha by her bravery.

"You should be careful girl," he heard someone snicker from the shadows. Then there was a flash or more of a reflection of light on a silver blade. "Naraku wanted me to give you something." Out of the woods stepped what Inuyasha presumed was a Youkai because of its red eyes and long fangs that probed out of its mouth. But besides that it looked presumably human.

"And what would that be?" she couldn't help but smirk.

"This," the Youkai growled and tossed a dagger that imbedded itself into the wooden walls. Kagome looked at the protruding object before looking at the Youkai.

"Hmmm... I see. Well do me a favor," she looked at the Youkai and smirked bringing her bow out in front of her and notched an arrow. "Give this to Naraku for me!" she screamed as she let the arrow fly, glowing with purifying magic.

"Stupid girl," the Youkai yelled before the arrow disintegrated his body.

There was a clatter of a bow, as Kagome leaned against the wooden wall for support. Her breaths came out short and raspy, her face contorted in pain as a fresh trail of blood ran out of the corner of her mouth and dropped innocently on the wooden floor. Before she collapsed on the floor.

"Kagome!" the yell of the small kitsune rang through the village as he ran to his mother figure, who sat up slowly wiping away the blood that dripped out of the corner of her mouth only to be replaced by more.

"Shippo," she coughed into her hand harshly hiding the blood that spurted from her lungs. "I need you to go to my hut and grab a bowl of herbs that are in a bowl in my garden." She forced through pants for air. Shippo nodded and ran off.

Inuyasha stepped up next to her and placed a hand on her shoulder only to have shrugged it off.

"Sesshomaru, the blade that is... that is in the wall, hand in to me, I'm going to need some help," Kagome visibly gulped down the blood that was seeping from her insides. Shippo ran up to her with the bowl of herbs she had smashed up earlier in his small hands, just as Sesshomaru came up to her with the dagger. Shippo turned on him defensively.

"GET AWAY FROM HER!" he yelled and was about to jump at him, when Kagome gently put a hand on his shoulder.

"Don't Shippo, he's going to help." Shippo reluctantly stepped back. Sesshomaru kneeled next to Kagome and held out the dagger, which she took from his hand and took the limb in her other hand. She looked to him and he nodded to her, understanding what she was going to do. Slowly she slid the knife across his hand and watched as his demonic blood dripped into the bowl. Though as quickly as she had cut his hand it healed.

"Here." She whispered as she handed him the dagger. Grabbing a hold of her kimono she slid it down to reveal her scar. She pulled her hair back and nodded to the taiyoukai. Sesshomaru understood her and dragged the knife down the scar splitting it open. Kagome bit her lip to keep herself from crying out in pain. Sesshomaru moved quickly as he dabbed the blood and herbs on her wound.

Everyone who had awaken in the village – which was half of the villagers, many coming clothed and geared for a fight- watched the exchange between the Miko and Taiyoukai in amazement. Many had their mouths agape while others had their hands on their weapons, preparing to fight.

Sesshomaru stood from his kneeling position on the ground next to Kagome. He bowed his head slightly in her direction and Kagome copied his motion. The taiyoukai turned around and jumped down off the wooden walls to disappear into the night.

"Kagome?" Sango and Miroku walked up the stairs and stood next to her.

"Can you help me to my hut please?" Kagome asked as she went to stand.

Inuyasha stood forward from his post in the shadows holding his hand out to Kagome. She looked up into his eyes for a moment before taking it in her small hand tightly. "Let me help you," he whispered to her quietly. Kagome nodded and used the half-human for support as he escorted her down the steps towards her hut, where he stopped outside of the barrier.

"What's wrong?" Kagome asked quietly. By now her red kimono had become heavier and was a darker shade of red.

"I can't go through," Inuyasha looked at her, his eyes slightly pained.

"Oh! Sorry I forgot about that," she looked up at him and smiled at him and moved to stand on her own. "Thank-you Inuyasha." Before she turned away from her she placed her hands on the rosary on his neck.

"Please Kagome..." he looked to her, his eyes pleading her to leave the enchanted necklace. She merely shook her head and rolled it over his head.

"I have no need to control your actions, Inuyasha. But please don't make me have to," Kagome turned and disappeared into her hut. Leaving a shocked Inuyasha in her path...