Disclaimer: Still not mine. Still broke.

Short-Lived

It was weird seeing him again after so long, Kagome decided, shifting restlessly on the floor. The man in front of her sat on a plush couch, the muscles in his arms and shoulders visibly lax through the unbuttoned dress shirt he wore. The intensity of the stare he had leveled on her, however, contradicted the calm facade he portrayed. Carlisle's lack of dress didn't even seem to register to the man, Kagome, however, found the sight of pale, muscled flesh hard to ignore, even despite the smokey blemish centered in his chest.

She had quite literally run from this man on more than one occasion and yet she still felt drawn toward him. But now they sat together in a room she had earlier only glimpsed for a brief moment. The entire house was beautiful with high ceilings and tall windows lining nearly every wall. The walls themselves were a soft cream. Dark, plush furniture had been arranged tastefully around a long glass coffee table. It was all beautiful. Kagome couldn't appreciate it, however, while golden eyes continued to bore into her. The close proximity allowed Carlisle's scent to waft toward her in soothing wisps. The intoxicating aroma of eucalyptus and orange peels rolled off of his skin in pleasant waves. The familiar scent caused her muscles to relax and her brain to fog. She found herself fighting to maintain focus. Clenching her hands tight, Kagome allowed the annoying bite of her fingernails in the palms of her hands to settle her sluggish thoughts.

She knew he wasn't a demon, his unique aura revealed that from the moment she'd laid eyes on him, but it was clear he wasn't human either. She had never been able to harm an ordinary human with her power. Kagome silently berated herself when her fingers began to tremble as she inspected the damage she'd caused. The smokey gray hand imprinted in the center of his chest glowed like burnished obsidian in contrast to the rest of his porcelain skin. She bit the inside of her cheek at the sight of it. Sapphire eyes rose and found Carlisle's honey golden eyes trained on her. She swallowed nervously under his soft gaze. Eyes never straying, Kagome felt Carlisle's chilled fingers grab her hand. His thumb caressed soothing circles into her palm where her nails had left shallow indents. Their gazes remained locked as he lowered his head, pale lips ghosting over her knuckles in a gentle sweep that caused chills to race down her spine.

"I'm alright, Kagome." His deep voice brought back memories she'd worked hard to bury long ago. Her heart ached at the tender smile he directed toward her. Kagome forced her eyes away from his face. She didn't like that he was able to read her so easily. Every fiber of her being wanted to believe him. The truth of his words shined through the vibrant golden aura that engulfed his body. However, the fact that the beautiful aura that danced around him was so different from the pale umber it had once been served as a painful reminder. He'd bitten her. He had been lured by the power her blood housed like hundreds before him.

He had used her. Gained her trust - her love - in order to obtain his true desire. Even knowing this, her traitorous heart still yearned for him. Once again, she had foolishly allowed her trusting heart to be captured by a man whose only goal was to fulfill his own selfish desires. She hated that she had allowed herself to be deceived again. Kagome drew in a shaky breath and disentangled her fingers from Carlisle's grip.

She would repair the damage she had caused and then she would disappear once again. With a bit of will, her power flowed to her fingertips in a pale pink ribbon of light. The rising Sun fighting through the towering trees outside cast only meager beams in comparison. The darkness, however failed to extinguish the glow of power flowing from her fingers. Kagome glanced up, hands rising in preparation when she caught sight of Carlisle's face. His eyes remained trained on her glowing digits, a strange expression etched into his face.

Kagome's heart plummeted into her stomach and she berated herself once again. She couldn't understand why she was so disappointed. It had become clear to her the moment she had gained lucidity that night what he had wanted. It was what everyone always wanted. A frown twisted pink lips as she braced her elbows on his knees and stretched her hands toward the grey brand in his chest.

'Get this done and you're gone.' She chanted the words in the back of her mind, focusing on her task with steely intent. Her mantra, however, was interrupted when Carlisle grabbed her fingers once again. The pink glow vanished under the unexpected contract. Her lungs froze in her chest and wide eyes shot toward the pale face that loomed over her. The shadows of the room obscured most of the doctor's features, save for the amber orbs that drilled into her.

"I did this to you." A solemn tenor pierced the stillness. Kagome's eyes snapped toward the vague outline of Carlisle's lips, disbelieving of the words her ears caught.

"I was young and foolish; overconfident in my ability to abstain. You were made to suffer because of my ignorance. I never intended to rob you of your choice."

"My choice?" Kagome breathed. Carlisle's eyes roamed her face, anguish twisting his handsome features.

"To spend eternity as a vampire."

'Vampire?' Her heart nearly stopped at his answer. She knew the word. A being who needed to feed on the blood of others in order to pacify an unquenchable thirst. When she had first heard the legend, she had imagined something far more monstrous and sinister than the man sitting before her. What she knew of the creatures painted a gruesome illustration of their need for blood; either to prevent starvation or to stave off a maddening bloodlust.

Carlisle's eyes moved over her face, remorse swirling in the creamy depths. Kagome's chest ached at the sight. Despite the hurt she felt at the mere sight of him, she couldn't stand the thought of him being in pain. She could see no dark intent, no lust for power hidden beneath a shroud of lies. She'd become well acquainted with deceit and, staring at the beautiful man that hovered above her, she prayed she would be able to recognize such lies if tested again.

An involuntary shudder raced down her spine as Carlisle's fingers grazed her scalp, sweeping her bangs from her eyes. His skin was icy, just as she remembered, however, it wasn't the frigid touch but rather the intense emotions that flowed across the golden depths of his eyes that nearly stopped her heart. She couldn't remember the last time she had been looked at with such passion.

She desperately wanted to question him. Did he know of the power that flowed through her blood? Was it truly her that he saw? At the same time however, she was afraid to speak of it. If Carlisle were truly ignorant, would the truth change the way he looked at her? Fearfully, Kagome dipped into the reservoir that resided inside herself. The power leapt to answer her call, flowing to her fingertips, and once again illuminating the room in a faint rosy glow. Anxious sapphire remained fixed onto gold, searching for anything to hint at what was going through his mind.

The only thing she could see was trust and a comforting warmth that she couldn't quite define. Her eyelids fell closed and the brilliant aura that greeted her eased the last of her anxieties. There was no changing what had happened in the past but she wouldn't allow her fears to dictate her life anymore. Raising glowing fingers, Kagome pressed her palm to the burned imprint in his chest. She expected Carlisle to flinch, to slap her away but he remained still, trust radiating from his relaxed form.

Her ki eagerly sank into the pale skin beneath her hand. She bit her lower lip at the sensation that trailed back to her along the link. In the past, whenever she'd used her power to heal, she'd always had to be patient and use a bit of persuasion before the skin, muscles, and tissues were willing to cooperate with her. Carlisle's body, however, accepted her power effortlessly. Carlisle's own aura danced along her fingertips in a tender greeting and, using her power as a bridge, swept inside her, spreading tantalizing warmth as it stretched. She couldn't explain it but, in that moment, she felt complete.

With a gasp, Kagome pulled away, bright eyes blinking rapidly. Glancing up at Carlisle, she saw him inspecting his newly repaired flesh with an expression of wonder.

"Amazing. I've never heard of a vampire with the ability to heal." A warm smile curled his lip.

"Carlisle," Kagome shook her head and pressed her back against the coffee table situated at the center of the room as he moved to join her on the plush carpet. "I'm not a vampire."

Doubt and confusion passed over his eyes for a brief moment before it was quickly replaced with guilt. He gave a heavy sigh. "Kagome, your mortality-"

"No, Carlisle, you don't understand." Kagome interrupted. She closed the distance between them and grabbed hold of his hand. "You never took anything from me. My mortality was gone centuries before we ever met." Kagome chewed on her lip nervously, debating how much he could handle hearing.

'No, not him.' She scolded herself mentally. 'How much can I handle revealing?' It was apparent that this man carried a heavy guilt for something which had never been his fault. It didn't matter if it was hard for her, Kagome decided, he needed the truth, or at least enough for him to understand.

"This power," Kagome spoke carefully. "I've had it for a very long time. There was someone I trusted- no," She shook her head bitterly. "Someone that I loved." She corrected. "He used me for that power. When you bit me, I thought you wanted the same thing." Kagome searched his eyes, pleading for him to understand. Kagome dropped his hand at the small frown that curved his lips. Blue eyes turned toward the window to focus on the sun as it rose in the distance. She could feel the impending rejection and it surprised her at how much it hurt. Anger toward her own foolishness burned behind her eyes.

"I was a coward. I was scared of being used again." She confessed. "I'm sorry." Thin digits fisted into the soft fabric of the peach colored sweats covering her legs and Kagome found herself wondering with some amusement whose clothes she was wearing.

"Kagome," Carlisle's fingers moved tenderly over her cheekbone, drawing her attention. Heat ignited across her face as she met Carlisle's eyes. Tiny flecks of silver she had forgotten existed, danced, nearly indiscernible, in the golden irises. He cupped the back of her neck and pressed a kiss to the crown of her head. The delicate gesture warmed her heart and she allowed her eyelids to fall closed, absorbing the feeling and locking it in her memories.

"I will never hurt you."

The moment was short-lived when the sound of a door opening and shutting reached her ears. Kagome pulled away and turned her eyes toward the stranger standing in the doorway. The man had shining bronze hair, flawless pale skin, and an angular jawline. Familiar amber eyes were locked onto Carlisle. His body was tense, fists clenched tight at his sides and aura fluctuating in a troubled manner.

"Edward?" Carlisle addressed the ill at ease young man.

Edward spoke, voice devoid of the worry he obviously felt.

"The wolves are at the border."

"Wolves?'

A.N. - I'm sure there's a bunch of flaws. I'm just getting this out there cause you guys have been beyond amazing. I'll do some editing when I can stand to read it without feeling the urge to punch my computer. For those concerned about my other stories, have no fear. I have no intention of abandoning any of my projects but the incredible support I've received for this story is not something that could be ignored. I've got finals coming, so I'll power thru those and then focus as much time as possible on these stories. Cause next semester will be HELL (17 credits) and I'm sure I won't have much time. Leave a review. You have no idea how motivating it is.

Special Thanks:

Scarlata: I'm glad you think so! There's a fair amount of pantsing going on here. I seriously need to work on my outlining skills :D

KakashiXangela: Muahaha! Her guardian isn't Sesshomaru! The mystery continues but probably not for long. He'll be reappearing soon enough

KP: Especially special thanks to you. I felt guilty that you've had to reread the few measly chapters that I've been able to post. So I felt compelled to give you some new material. I hope you like it!