~if only I could…I would~

~intro~

The night was filled with the bright lights from kikyo's souls, her soul collectors floated eerily though the night. Kagome looked up and sighed, but she swore herself that she would not get angry or upset, she promised him that she would stay. She knew he needed her to find the shards …even though Naraku had most of them already. She sat by the camp fire and decided to hum a little and forced her mind to go blank…something she practiced for when she didn't want to be in anymore pain then she already was.

~InuYasha POV~

InuYasha looked at Kikyo and felt a wave of guilt wash over him. Her death was a sad and tragic thing and here she was living a half-life full of dark thoughts of revenge. The least he could do is keep his promise of staying with her.

"InuYasha, your mind is somewhere else" said Kikyo with no real emotion in her voice

"We haven't had any luck finding Naraku and his powers are only getting stronger..Kikyo promise me that you are willing to let me help her" he's had this conversation with her time and time again. "Naruku separated us once and stole your life, please let me protect you this time around"

Kikyo smirked "Protecting me isn't going to give me my life back!" she yelled then turned to gaze up "Will you still keep your promise and follow me to Hell InuYasha?" she asked softly.

InuYasha signed, If Kagome heard that question she would lose it, but he replied reluctantly

"yes"

~Back at Camp-InuYasha POV~

InuYasha perched on the branch above Kagome and looked down at her. His Kagome. Every time he gazed on her he wanted to smile, he wanted to hold her hand and wanted to keep her by his side forever. But his life already belonged to Kikyo and he was a man of his word. He looked down at Kagome only to lock on to her bright blue eyes.

"Kagome" did he wake her? She gave him a little smile and sat up.

"How are you doing?" she asked in a little voice.

He wanted to laugh at her question…he could tell that she was in pain but she always fussed over other people first.

"I'm okay…Kikyo left…again" he said. He saw her nod but didn't say anything.

"InuYasha…I think I need to go home for a bit" she said "I feel a little worn out looking for Naraku and fighting demons…you don't mind right?" she said.

He felt his chest constrict…she wanted to go home to her time. He didn't like her leaving but was too embarrassed to say it out loud.

"Keh…sure go ahead…looks like we are no closer to finding Naraku anyways" he said in a very blasé voice, fooling her that her leaving didn't affect him.

She didn't say anything just nodded and went back to sleep.

He didn't know what scared him more…the fact that she didn't get angry and made him 'SIT' or the fact that there was a strange light in her eyes that made him cringe. He shook his head clearing it….'no, it's nothing..just my imagination' he thought as he looked down at her. He didn't know why but this inner demon was trying to warn him of something.

"Don't worry! I will be back as soon as I get some studying done" said Kagome in a cheerful voice to Sango and Shippo the next morning. She was standing by the Bone Eaters Well with her trusty yellow back in tow, she had been needing to back to the comfort of her time. I time where there wasn't any demons, where she could hope to recover from some of her raw wounds that she was carrying emotionally. InuYasha had his back to her once again as if telling her that she was taking up his time.

"Ahw Kagome, do you really have to go?" ask a disappointed Shippo as he grabbed a hold of her leg.

" Yes Shippo, besides, InuYasha can always come and get me if I am needed" she said not really beliving her self.

"Will you InuYasha?" asked Shippo.

"Ah..sure" he said shrugging his shoulders still not looking at her.

"Okay then…See you guys later!" she said as she disappeared into the Well.

"hummm…" pondered Mioku looking at the spot where Kagome once was.

"What is it" asked Sango looking at him with a worried expression.

"It could be just my imagination but…did something seem a bit odd about Kagome's behavior?" the monk asked seriously.

"Nothing is wrong with her!" yelled InuYasha "She is just being the same bratty girl. Let her go home…it won't take her long to come back anyways" he said as leap up and started towards the village.

"I don't know…I think your right Miroku" said Shippo "But what could it be?"

~Kagome POV~

Kagome sat on her bed and thought of InuYasha. In all honestly she knew he would really care if she left and never came, he was close to doing that at one point, but she reminded herself that it was her decision to stay with him. She signed as she fell down on her bed, calling herself a fool. If she had any self-worth she would learn to love what is good for her and not go back, but if she did…what would happen to her friends? Shippo, Sango and Miroku..would she be able to leave and never see them again? And InuYasha, could she stop herself from going after him like the love sick fool she was? She cried her eyes out that night forcing her heart to rip him from her soul.