"So you've come to your senses?" Sango asked bitterly as I slid onto the bar stool in front of her. I glared at her but kept myself in check. I had come to ask for her help, I wasn't about to offend her into not assisting me to locate Kaede.

"The subject of Kikyo is closed for discussion, but I know a way to help Kagome," I replied. She rose an eyebrow, fist on her hip as she stood sizing me up. I had never had Sango's anger directed at me, and it was not an experience I would like to repeat. Her fury rolled off her in waves, but they were slowly starting to subside the longer I met her gaze.

"I'm listening," she finally replied. I nodded my thanks as she plunked a glass of water in front of me.

"When we were trying to find a way to free her from Naraku before, she had mentioned Kikyo's sister, Kaede, had a potion that might have helped her," Sango nodded as she worried her bottom lip between her teeth, "when Kagome was attacking me, there was a split second when she was in control and she said her name."

"Kagome?"

"No, Kaede," I rolled my eyes at her, "I think she wants me to get that potion."

"Well why are you here and not at Kaede's?" Sango snapped with a huff.

"I don't know where she lives, I was hoping you knew..." my sentence trailed off as she began to shake her head.

"Kagome kept me out of everything Naraku. What you've been present for is the sum of my interaction with that idiot," she grumbled. A second later she brightened up, a hopeful gleam in her eye, "Renkotsu would know."

"I'm not asking that low life for any help," I snarled. Sango sighed as she pulled her cellphone out, "why do you even have his number?"

"Kagome gave it to me, in case of an emergency," she waved a hand at me in a universal signal to 'shush'. "Ren, it's Sango."

I turned around, tuning out the conversation. I didn't want to deal with more of Naraku's minions, especially one who was related to that sleaze bag Bankotsu. I ground my teeth in frustration at the thought of my Kagome at the mercy of him. Had he touched her? He was going to die I find out he laid even a finger on her. I took a deep breath to calm my nerves. There was enough to worry about without me adding tearing out some dead guys throat to my to do list.

"Inuyasha," I turned back around to find a pale Sango gripping her cellphone.

"Are you okay?" I questioned, rethinking my rash decision to strike killing the band of seven from my list.

"I got Kaede's address...it's just..." she gulped and steadied herself on the counter, "Inuyasha, Kagome killed Bankotsu."

"What...how..." I asked in shock. I knew Kagome had roughed up a few people, or demons, in her time, but the image of her killing someone was just to much. The very thought of blood on her hands had my blood boiling. Naraku did this.

"Renkotsu said he saw it with his own eyes, they...she was in the basement at Naraku's receiving her punishment,"

"What punishment?" I snarled, but it had no affect on the partial traumatized Sango.

"He said he had never seen her like that before. She tore down the chains and...she purified him," she wiped away a stray tear, "this is bad Inuyasha. Kagome isn't a murder."

"I know Sango, I know," I clenched my fists in anger. The only thing that kept me from driving out to that bastard's place and breaking down the barriers myself was the fact that Sango had gotten the old hag's address for us. I had to take comfort in that small piece of information, other wise I was going to go insane.

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Kagome screamed out as the shackles bit into her skin, she tried to use the blood coating her hands as lubricant to slip her hands free but it was no use. The cot beneath her groaned in protest as she thrashed about trying to fight off Naraku's power that threatened to suffocate her again. She had to keep his possession at bay, she needed to escape.

She had found herself chained down to the cot after her fight with Inuyasha. It had taken her an hour to break through his hold on her body, but she had done it and was now frantically fighting to keep possession of her own body.

"Fighting is futile, you're efforts are wasted my pet," Naraku crooned from the doorway of the attic.

"I'll kill you, you bastard!" she screamed at him, "I swear if you hurt a hair on his head, I'll purify you even if it takes me with it." venom dripped from every word. Naraku threw his head back and let out a cackle. He was suddenly in front of her, hand clasped around her throat pinning her back on the bed.

"You are in no position to threaten me, and you will find yourself with no control shortly," a slow grin spread across his face as he watched her fight for air, "besides you will be killing your mate, not I."

The world blinked out of existence as he tightened his grip on her throat. He shoved away from her with a huff. Digging into his coat pocket he pulled out a small round gel capsule and threw it at her. It instantly grew in size as it came in contact with her, quickly enclosing her in its purple goo.

"Rest now my pet, everything will be fine once you awaken,"

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Renkotsu stood in the shadows, eyes trained on Kagome's suspended figure. He had waited patiently, suppressing his anger as he watched her fight against Naraku's hold. As a reflex he had originally wanted to rip Kagome's heart out for killing his brother, but as he watched Naraku dominate her body the reality of the situation dawned on him.

Naraku was behind everything. He was the reason he and his brothers even walked the earth instead of resting in peace. If Naraku had not resurrected them, he would not have had to watch his brother be purified into a heap of ash. The half-demon had used his powers to pollute young Kagome's soul, making her body more susceptible to possession. Naraku had finally reached a point he could successfully possess Kagome and he had used Bankotsu as a test of his hold on her.

But Kagome was a fighter, a fact Naraku had over looked. Her disgust for his brother had fueled the flame of Naraku's possession but her connection to the mutt had been to strong, she had broken through his control.

"And now here you lay," he whispered stepping out of the door way and closer to Kagome's enclosed form. He slipped a crescent shaped dagger from its hidden holster. Waving a hand he disabled the barrier that Naraku had put into place to keep her inside the attic.

His eyes closed before he sliced through the purple cocoon Kagome slept in. A rush of jelly like substance soaked through the cot and spilled onto the floor. She gasped for air, frantically trying to wipe away the goop from her eyes.

"Stop, stop, you can't reach," he shoved her hands away and wiped at her eye for her. She blinked a few times to clear her vision before glaring at him.

"What are you doing here?" she hissed, jerking at the chains that held her down.

"I'm trying to help you," his eyes flickered back to the door, straining to hear if Naraku had returned, "I can't free you, you're still under his control and he'd only come after you again." Kagome stayed silent as her eyes roamed his face. A look of regret washed away her anger.

"Bankotsu-"

"Is dead, I know. I don't blame you. You can make it up to me by trusting me and making my disobedience worth it," she nodded and allowed him to continue, "the chamber he had you in was meant to infuse his raw power into you, it would have ruptured once it's job was done. You must stop fighting him."

"What?" Kagome yelped, once again yanking at the chains.

"Listen to me Kagome!" he yelled, "If you allow him to control your body it will be easier to eradicate his essence from your soul. If he suspects that someone interrupted the infusion he will only perform it again to force his will onto you, and your mate will have no chance against you."

Kagome's eyes searched his, questioning him. Why was he helping her? She hoped if she chose to trust him that it wouldn't prove to be a fatal mistake. But what other options do I have? She mused before nodding her agreement.

"I need you to let go," he whispered, gently pushing against her shoulder. She relaxed against the bed, taking a few deep breaths. "You have to give in, ignore your own feelings, only allow Naraku's power to consume you."

"I can't," she whispered as she tensed up, "it feels...horrible. Like I'm being coated in oil."

"You have to Kagome," Renkotsu squeezed her hand, "just take a few deep breaths." She nodded and focused on breathing.

She could feel Naraku's power pushing against her will, bits of it slipped through. She could taste it on the back of her tongue. It reminded her of the foul and bitter medicine her grandpa used to force on her when she would get sick. The only way she would ever get the medicine down was to gulp it down as quickly as possible and pray it didn't make a second appearance. Using the same method she used then, she tipped her will, allowing his power to pour over the edge and fill her mouth. Taking a mental swallow she felt her senses go fuzzy. They continued the path to becoming numb with each gulp she took until she was finally confined to her mental prison once again.

She could only feel herself floating in the empty abyss of her mind. Her frustration rose at the inability to open her eyes, she was blind until Naraku awoke her body again. There was no way to see if Renkotsu was still by her side or if he had left her to her own accord. After an immeasurable amount of time she heard foot falls leading away from her bed.

I guess he finally left. She thought as she closed her eyes, trying to hear what little she could in her damp little attic.

She had to admit, she appreciated being kept up here instead of the basement. To many memories haunted that basement, one too many people injured or killed down there. Her attempts at pushing away the memories of her last moments with Bankotsu had failed.

They rushed her, crashing upon her like a tidal wave. The feel of his breath on her neck, the pain that seared across her back as he roughly pulled her against his body. She felt a dizziness over come her, she imagined that was her minds version of nausea. She could feel his skin against her mind's hands, the glowing warmth that enveloped them as her spiritual power was pulled from her body by Naraku to end Bankotsu's life.

"She's completely under my control now," Kagome wanted to snarl at the sound of Naraku's voice. Anxiety took over at the thought of Renkotsu's plan failing. Would he realize the infusion of his power hadn't taken? Could he feel the difference of having her completely under his control or not?

"Then what are the cuffs for? And the barrier?" she frowned at the second persons voice. It was familiar but she couldn't exactly place it.

"I let her out a little to soon and she regained some control, that issue has been dealt with though," she could sense Naraku was closer to her now. The dizziness returned full force, she would have fallen to her knees if she had been in control of her body and standing.

"What is it about this tramp that has every man falling at her feet?" Kikyo, she hissed. How had she not recognized her voice before? The anger that had been simmering in her blossomed into rage, drowning out the rest of their conversation. Kikyo had set this up, she had a hand in helping Naraku, but why?

Was this all because of her being Inuyasha's mate? Was Kikyo so jealous she would rather see Inuyasha dead then be with someone else? How could the higher powers that be grant her spiritual powers when she was so obviously tainted. Kagome mentally cringed at that last thought.

Aren't I just as tainted? She asked herself, though not willing to answer her own question.

"Do you care about her?" Kikyo's question penetrated her cocoon of anger.

"Do you wish for me not to care for her?" Yuck, I would love it if you didn't care, she thought with disgust. How had she ever let such a vile creature into her life? Memories of flames and blood flashed through her mind but she shoved them into the deepest, unreachable recesses of her mind. She knew exactly how she had let him in.

"The idea does not sit well with me," Kikyo's answer caught her attention like a slap in the face. Does she have feelings for him? Had she done all of this because of Inuyasha's rejection, only to run into Naraku's arms?

The silence that followed her question had Kagome's imagination reeling with images of the two embracing one another, causing shudders of disgust to ripple through her. How could someone willingly touch him in such a way?

"You, you killed me. I won't let you defile me. You don't deserve to even touch me! I'm only working with you to kill that stupid bitch and make Inuyasha realize his mistake in letting me go."

So she had been right about their embrace, but wrong about who Kikyo had planned on killing. Was Naraku using Kikyo, just as much as he had used her? She has to know he is going to have me kill Inuyasha, she thought in confusion as she heard Kikyo retreat from the attic. A rush of power brushed against her, the familiar hum of a barrier being erected .

"You are proving to be more useful then I intended."Bastard, she wanted to spit at him.

They would see just how useful she was once she was given the opportunity to regain control over her own body. She would protect Inuyasha at all costs, even if it meant destroying herself to destroy Naraku.

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"Are you planning to return to school?" Rin questioned me as she unloaded a bag of groceries onto my counter. I imagined that was her way of apologizing and letting me know things were fine between us now. I hadn't had any desire to eat since moving out, so my cupboards had remained bare. Only a few bottles of water and untouched six pack of beer were in my fridge, which Rin clucked in disapproval over.

"Yes, it just seems wrong to go about normal life when Kagome is who knows where being brainwashed," I replied, absently picking at the tear in my jeans again. I really should buy some different jeans, I thought.

"Have you at least been keeping up on school work? I'm sure you have at least one friend in each class that gave give you the assignments," she scolded as she went around putting the groceries away.

"Rin, I think it's time you had kids," I smiled at the blush that burst to life across her cheeks. She turned around to give me a half hearted glare.

"I'm not trying to mother you Inuyasha, it's just that school is important," I nodded my understanding but couldn't bring myself to care. I could always take this semester off completely and re-enroll in my classes for next semester, what was a 6month delay?

"How's life going for you?" I asked to change the subject. She hummed a bit as she plunked down a half gallon of milk into my fridge.

"Fine, Sesshoumaru has been busy with work and Kikyo has been keeping to herself as of late," she shot me a meaningful glance but said nothing else on that subject, "Work has been slow so I've had a lot of time on my hands."

"Like I said, time for kids," she threw an empty paper bag at my head and I just laughed it off, "would you like to come with me today? I'm going to see Kikyo's sister, Kaede."

"Why don't you ask Kikyo to go with you," she replied but then pursed her lips, "it has to do with what's happening with Kagome doesn't it?"

"Yes and I don't think Kikyo would enjoy coming along for that," I shrugged, "besides I'm not good with old people, you could be really helpful."

"Old people?" she arched an eyebrow in question.

"Kagome told me she is under an aging spell, she's really Kikyo's younger sister," I answered as I stood up to collect the empty grocery bags. I had intended to go alone to Kaede's, but Rin seemed so sad now that she was rattling around that big mansion practically by herself. The company wouldn't be unwelcome though, I always enjoyed spending time with her.

"I guess I could come along," Rin shrugged as she took the bags from my hands and stashed them below the sink. I grabbed my keys from the counter and waited for her at the elevator. She turned to me with a serious expression on her face as the doors slid closed. "What are you going to do with all that space? It will get so lonely here by yourself."

"Right now it's exactly what I need," I replied after a brief moment of silence, "if I survive this thing with Naraku, I suppose Kagome..." I couldn't finish my sentence.

Was that what I had been thinking when I agreed to take such a big place? That Kagome would move in with me and eventually we would have pups that would make the stoic penthouse into a home? I didn't want to think about what would happen if Kagome did not survive this...this what? Battle? Fight? War? All those things sounded so monumental, so much more grand that what was going on. But calling it a situation was not giving it enough merit.

"I never really picture you as the family guy," Rin nudged me with her shoulder, which only reached my elbow. A smile tugged at the corners of my mouth, but the thought that I may never get the chance to have a family kept it from becoming a full blown smile.

"Honestly, I didn't either," I replied, "but I had to grow up some time right?" We exited the elevator and headed for the underground parking where I kept my car parked.

I had already memorized Kaede's address. I had spent all day staring at it once Sango handed it over to me. It would only take twenty minutes to get there from my house, but I knew it would seem like eternity instead.

The old hag has to help us, I thought as worry wiggled it's way into my brain. She was under a spell that Naraku placed on her and I hoped that her fear of him wouldn't prohibit her from handing over the potion she once offered Kagome.

Every time I thought of the potion I couldn't keep the idea of everything backfiring from coming to mind. Kagome hadn't trusted the potion enough to take it before, but she was desperate now. Hell, I was desperate. Not only did my demon need her back, but so did I. Sango had given me a few shirts that Kagome had left behind, but the scent was fading fast. I needed the real deal. I needed her safe.

"Why are we going to Kikyo's sister?" Rin interrupted my thoughts as we emerged from the parking garage.

"Kagome had spoken with her before. There is a potion she has that we think will help her," I didn't want to go into details about why I thought the potion would help. I knew the subject of Kikyo was still a sore one, and I didn't want to explain how I knew about Kagome's possession.

"What does it do?" I glanced sideways at Rin, debating if I should answer that question or not. She's going to find out anyway, I thought.

"Cleanses the soul," I saw her turn to me with questioning eyes, "Naraku has brainwashed, or possessed Kagome. Kaede had suggested the potion once before when we were trying to figure out a safe way to become mates."

"You know, I keep forgetting she's your mate," Rin replied quietly, "I think that's why I get so upset when you push Kikyo away. I know you guys can't be together, but sometimes I just forget how powerful the pull of a mate can be." I nodded, not sure how to reply to that.

Shouldn't she always be aware of how strong a mates connection is? She is mated to Sesshoumaru after all.

"We're here," I said as we pulled up to a run down looking ranch style home. The paint had begun to peel off the walls, the siding looking worn and in need of replacing. Rin stepped out of the car before me, giving me an odd look.

"Are you sure?" she eyed the sagging porch with skepticism. I nodded and headed up towards the door. I knocked and stepped back to wait. Butterflies had taken up residence in my stomach as time stretched. Finally I heard the locks click open and the door creaked as an old women came into view.

"I don't want any," she began to shut the door but my hand shot out and kept it from closing.

"Are you Kaede?" she looked at me with her one good eye, sizing me up.

"Who's asking?" she finally replied as she opened the door a little more.

"My name is Rin, this is my brother in-law Inuyasha," Rin replied sweetly. A look of recognition flitted across her face before she nodded and stepped aside to let them in.

We entered the living room and I couldn't help but sneeze. The scent of herbs was overwhelming as we were led deeper into the house. She took us back into what I suppose was once a kitchen, but made up into a work room now. Jars of herbs sat along the counters, pendents hung from the ceilings and wards piled high on the table.

"So he's finally done it," Kaede said without looking back at them. She began rummaging through some drawers.

"Done what?" Rin questioned giving me wide eyes.

"That Naraku has possessed Kagome," she turned towards us, regret bleeding into her eye.

"How do you know that?" I growled. Had this hag known what Naraku was doing all along and hadn't warned Kagome?

"It has been his plan all along, to get her jewel," she turned back to rummage through drawers again, "I tried to help her before it was to late, but she didn't listen."

"The potion you mean?" I questioned her. I was beginning to second guess trusting the old hag. She wasn't making much sense to me.

"No, well yes. That's what you'll need now, that's why you came isn't it? She was able to ask for it? That Kagome was always a strong one, but no I told her mating you would fix her problem,"

"What?" I couldn't keep the disbelief out of my voice. Kagome knew all she had to do was mate me and that would release Naraku's hold on her?

"Well I didn't tell her in so many words," she pulled out a rusted tube as she turned back to us, "I just told her 'This finding a mate is a good thing my dear...I cannot explain much more then that but believe me, embrace this, it could save you,' but I guess she's not as bright as I thought she was, she didn't figure it out in time."

"I wouldn't even be able to figure that out! You told her nothing!" I shouted as my patience snapped, "listen you crazy witch, just give us that damn potion so I can save her!" She clucked at me, sounding very much like Rin had earlier.

"It would have been a direct violation of Naraku's authority had I told her straight out all she had to do was physically become your mate, I was literally unable to say it," she replied as she uncapped the tube and poured out a small blue gel capsule, "this is the potion I was speaking of. I took the liberty of putting it into pill form when she didn't come back. Have her take this, then once she's cleansed claim her immediately."

"Excuse me?" I blanched at her instructions. I didn't think I would be able to find a nice cozy spot to confront a possessed Kagome and claim her.

"Not in the sexual act, pervert," she muttered, "bite her. Your bond as mates will be to great for Naraku to penetrate, she'll be safe from his possession then, but not from Naraku himself."

"What does that mean?" Rin asked quietly. Kaede gave us a sad look as she dropped the gel capsule back into the tube.

"Naraku will kill her once he realizes his power no longer taints her soul."

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Author's Notes:

Another chapter done! I enjoyed writing this one =) Sorry if the time line got a little confusing during the Kagome chained up scene.

Once again thank you to my reviewers from the last chapter! Peaceful Dragon Rose and Awesumlishus! I do enjoy reading your reviews, gives me the warm fuzzies.

Until next time =)