A/N:  Wow!  Thanks to all of you who reviewed!  So glad you like my story!  So here goes Chapter 11! Enjoy, and remember to read and review!  This is an R rated fic due to Inu Yasha's language and Miroku's thoughts. You have been warned.  Enjoy and please review!  It encourages me to write the next chapter. 

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Inu Yasha characters.  They belong to Rumiko Takahashi!

Recap:

"Hentai!" Sango's scream echoed through out the village.

"Then again…" Kaede chuckled to herself, wondering how the perverted monk had managed to survive the demon exterminator's harsh beatings.  Deciding he must have a thick head, once again she returned to her garden, humming a gentle tune to help pass the time.

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Chapter 11: Maybe Hell Wouldn't Be So Bad

Inu Yasha sat on the floor beside the couch; his head turned to rest on his arm sprawled out over the cushion.  Kagome's small hand was lightly fisted in his silver hair, her fingers absently stroking the soft strands as she slept.  Sighing, the girl rolled over, her face nuzzling against the side of the hanyou's cheek as it rested on his hand.  Again she sighed, releasing a warm puff of breath that tickled the tiny hairs lining his sensitive ears. 

Inu Yasha stirred as his ears began to twitch wildly.  Something was teasing them.  Cracking open an eye, he froze.  Kagome was on her side, her cheek resting casually against his while she slept.  His eyes darted to the miko's slightly parted lips, a difficult feat considering her aquiline nose and fringe of dark lashes obscured most of his view in his current position.  Pulling back, Inu Yasha tried to distance himself from Kagome, only to suddenly be pulled back by her hand gripping his hair tighter.  When had he fallen asleep?  What's more, why didn't he awake when the girl grabbed him sometime during their late afternoon nap?

Kagome was having pleasant dreams.  Again she sighed as she felt the soft feathers of the giant bird she was stroking tickle her fingers.  It was a beautiful bird, all white with satin feathers that glistened like silver in the glinting sunlight.  Large Black eyes reflected her smile as the girl continued to praise the enormous swan on its beauty.  Cooing at the fowl, Kagome reached over and nuzzled her cheek affectionately against the smooth feathered one of her dream's apparition. 

Inu Yasha dared not breathe.  As he sat there staring at the sleeping miko, trying to find a way to dislodge the girl's tight grip from his hair, her nose suddenly began rubbing gently against his cheek.  A crimson flush spread quickly across the hanyou's features as he heard her muffled words of praise coo to him in dreamy sighs.

"So soft…" followed by a deep sigh.  "So beautiful…" another deep sigh.  "You're so beautiful…" and another sigh.

Inu Yasha didn't know what to do.  It was obvious the girl was dreaming, but of what he didn't know.  Was it him?  Slowly releasing his pent up breath before his lungs burst, Inu Yasha once again tried to release himself from Kagome's grip on his hair.

Kagome brushed her nose against the warm flesh of the bird…wait a minute…warm flesh?  She gazed into the luminous black eyes and gasped as they slowly turned to amber gold orbs that bore into her very soul.  Gulping, her hand released its hold on the feathers as they steadily grew and changed from white down to silky strands of long hair.  Her hand drifted up lazily to one of the ears that now lay back in fear on top of her hanyou's head.  Rubbing it gingerly, she smiled at the soft purr emitting from within Inu Yasha's throat. 

Blinking in fear, Inu Yasha swallowed the lump in his throat as his miko released his hair, only to lightly grasp his ear and start massaging it gently.  He couldn't help the soft purr that arose from within his chest, reverberating in his throat.  It felt so good.  He relaxed at her ministrations, allowing Kagome's fingers to magically ease his tension.  Leaning forward into her touch, he subconsciously wrapped his right arm around her waist, his claws drawing feather light patterns on her back. 

This was a great dream, Kagome thought as she felt her hanyou drape his arm across her waist.  Her skin shivered as his claws ever so faintly brushed circles on her back.  The delicious sensation was more than her mind could handle and she decided it was time to wake from the incredibly realistic dream.  As she tried to mentally shake herself into wakefulness, Kagome's hand stopped its gentle rubbing of his ear.  As if now only realizing this was not a dream, her fingers pressed, poked, and touched at Inu Yasha's appendage. 

Her eyes snapped open and with a sudden cry of shock and embarrassment, Kagome screamed, jerking her hands away from the hanyou's ear.  His arm stilled in it's retreat from her body and his golden eyes stared into Kagome's hazel ones.  Her shrill cry throbbed in Inu Yasha's ears, and he lay them flat to his skull to save his hearing from further abuse.

"Osuwari!" Kagome shrieked as she simultaneously slapped him away from her. 

"What the fuck?!" Inu Yasha exclaimed as he once again slammed face first into the carpet.  "Stupid wench!  I didn't do anything!  What the hell is wrong with you?" A stream of expletives poured from the infuriated hanyou's mouth.

"Nani?" Kagome blinked before looking down at the dog demon sprawled out on the floor.  "I-Inu Yasha?"  Confusion, embarrassment, guilt, and worry trembled in the depths of her tenuous voice.

"Crazy bitch!" The inu youkai snarled out as he was finally released from the spell of the rosary.  Leaping to his feet, his narrowed gaze fell on her, his golden pools reflecting his seething anger.

"Ano…Inu Yasha…Gomen nasai!  I didn't…I wasn't…I-I'm sorry." She stammered.

"Keh!" he exclaimed as he stormed away from her. 

"Wait!  Where are you going?" Kagome bolted upright fearing her hanyou leaving her alone.

"To get the hell away from you!"  Inu Yasha ground out as he headed for the stairs.  "The others are probably worried about you.  I'm going back to tell them you're gonna be okay."

Before he could leave the room, Kagome's strained voice reached him, "Will you come back?" The soft words trembled as they left her.

'Kuso!' Inu Yasha cursed at himself.  He could smell her fear and it saddened him.  'Does she really think I would leave her completely?'  Without turning to look at her he spoke low, "Aa, Kagome, I will be back." With that he bounded up the stairs to her room where he exited out her window, heading for the Bone-Eater's Well.

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The heat of the late day sun beat ruthlessly down on the two figures by the sacred well.  Shippou eyed the wolf youkai with wariness as he watched the demon pace back and forth.  Occasionally Kouga would sniff the air, trying to catch the scent of his miko and the inu hanyou. 

"Where are they, brat?" Kouga once again demanded of the kitsune child who sat watching him from his perch on the lip of the well.

"I told you they went to Kagome's country." The kit sighed as he rolled his eyes.  Since he had arrived a couple hours ago, the wolf had been asking the same question over and over.  'He's as bright as a moonless night.' Shippou thought to himself.

Shippou twitched as a sudden sound from the well caught his attention.  Glancing down, he recognized the soft blue glow of the well's magic.  Sniffing, the kitsune caught the scent of the hanyou minus Kagome.  Seeing that Kouga had not yet caught the dog demons smell, Shippou racked his brain for a way to get the impatient wolf away from the well.

With precious few seconds before the hanyou fully emerged, the kit suddenly exclaimed, "Kagome!" and bounded off into Inu Yasha's forest, hoping the dense youkai would follow.

"Oi, where do you think you're going, runt?!" Kouga demanded as he raced off after the kit, thinking the little whelp knew something he didn't.

Just as Kouga raced off, Inu Yasha jumped from the well's depths.  He had been there long enough to know that Shippou had diverted the wimpy wolf away from the well.  The hanyou smirked, sometimes the little brat of a fox showed uncanny intelligence for one so young.  Sensing that the two full-blooded youkai were far enough away, Inu Yasha ran full speed to the village.  After being cramped up in Kagome's time for two days, it felt good to finally be able to run and feel the wind against him.  Letting his legs carry him swiftly to Kaede's, he allowed his troubles with his miko to fade as he felt the thrill of his bracing run relieve his tension and dampen his anger.

"Ah, Inu Yasha, you have returned.  How is Kagome?" Kaede greeted the dog demon as he skidded to a halt before the elderly miko.

"Keh.  She's fine.  But she won't be coming back for a while.  The doctors in her time said she can't walk for six weeks." He replied as he caught his breath from his brisk run.

"That is not good." The old woman said thoughtfully, worry creasing her aged brow.

"Tell me about it." The hanyou spat, knowing the older woman would not understand the double meaning in his words.

"Well, let's go tell the others.  This news is indeed disturbing, they have need to know." Kaede left her task of tending her herbs and headed for her hut, an irate hanyou following closely behind her.

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Kagome huffed loudly as she sat up, carefully setting her broken leg down on the floor.  Looking up at the clock she sighed, Inu Yasha had been gone an hour and she was very bored.  Grabbing the TV remote, the young miko flipped through the channels.  Finally deciding on an all night Pokemon marathon, she settled her back against the couch, watching the anime with only feigned interest.

The dull throbbing of her leg began to slowly increase, and she bit back the pain.  Staring at the bottle of pain pills beside her, Kagome decided to hold off on taking another one.  The last dose had made her very drowsy and gave her strange dreams.  It baffled the girl how a dream about a bird could suddenly turn into one about Inu Yasha.  She groaned loudly as she thought of their fight. 

"Why did I react like that?" She asked the fat cat gazing up at her from her lap.  Buyo had planted his rump in her lap after Inu Yasha had left.  Stroking the calico's fur, Kagome once again turned her attention to the television set.  She didn't really like Pokemon, but it reminded her of Souta, and how much she missed her little brother.

"I can't take this anymore!" the young miko exclaimed as she gently pushed the oversized cat off her.  "I need a bath."  Determined to do something without assistance, Kagome chewed on her bottom lip, deciding if she should wait for her hanyou to return, or attempt the task herself.  "I can do this." 

Sliding carefully off the couch to the floor, Kagome crawled on hands and knees toward the stairs, determined to do something by herself.  Taking her time and being sure not to bump her injured leg, she began ascending toward the bathroom.

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"Six weeks?"  Sango repeated Inu Yasha's words, her face crest fallen at the news. 

"This is not good.  Time is of the essence, without Kagome-sama, we will have a more difficult time finding Naraku."  Miroku sighed heavily.  Things just did not seem to be going well for the group lately.  With no new shards to be found, Naraku disappeared yet again, and stronger youkai showing up from all over the place, the group of demon hunters needed to stay strong.  Losing one of their most valuable members did not bode well.

"Well, I won't be around much either for a while." Inu Yasha grumbled.

"What do you mean, Inu Yasha?" Kaede looked at him sternly with her one good eye.

"Because Kagome's family is on vacation for three weeks." Snatching up a stick that was only slightly charred, the hanyou poked out his frustrations at the fire burning low. 

"You're gonna stay with Kagome in her country, Inu Yasha?" Shippou squealed in disbelief.  Three whole weeks without Kagome or Inu Yasha would be very boring.  His face fell and tears sprang to his eyes.  He hated being without his surrogate mother, and though the temperamental hanyou was not his favorite person sometimes, the inu youkai did have his good points – like giving him someone to annoy when Kagome was not around.

"Feh!" The hanyou snorted in reply.

A lecherous grin lit up the houshi's face.  "So, Inu Yasha, you will be alone with Kagome-sama for three weeks?  You lucky dog you!"

"Hentai!" Inu Yasha and Sango exclaimed in unison as both their fists came down on the perverted monk's head.

"Itai!" Miroku exclaimed, clasping both hands to the two lumps now gracing each side of his head. 

"She needs someone to take care of her!  And if I didn't do it, then her okasaan was going to make her stay with that Houbo character!" He growled, glaring threateningly at the houshi, though it was the thought of Houjo that elicited the dangerous sound.

Kaede grinned at this information.  Once again the hanyou's jealous nature was coming through.  Perhaps this time alone with Kagome would give the two a chance to express their true feelings for one another.

"But Kagome's okay, isn't she Inu Yasha?  Why does she need taking care of if she's okay?" The kit asked, turning his gaze to the dog demon.

"Because she has this thing called a cast on her leg to hold the bones together.  She can't walk.  I told you this already!" Inu Yasha exclaimed in irritation.  Shoving his hands inside the sleeves of his haori as he crossed his arms over his chest.  "She needs someone cook for her and help her get around." 

"It is very good of you, Inu Yasha to help Kagome.  Now if you'll excuse me, there is a sick child I need to check on in the village."  She arose from her seat in front of the fire and left the group alone.

Inu Yasha stood as well, preparing to leave.  "Are you going back to Kagome-chan?" Sango asked.

"Keh!  I'm going to take a run.  She'll be fine without me for a while." Inu Yasha sped out the door before anyone else could detain him.  He wanted to jump through his forest and feel the wind on his face, maybe even do some hunting.  If he were lucky maybe he would come across a youkai and get a chance to kick some ass.  Smiling, he decided that is what he needed, a good old-fashioned fight to ease his troubles.

"I don't think he likes Kagome's time very much."  Shippou commented after the hanyou left.

"Well, three weeks is a long time to be away.  Inu Yasha is a half demon, used to roaming in the forest.  Being cooped up in a place where he has to hide what he is can't be very easy for him."  Sango picked up the kit and cradled him to her.

"Indeed, or perhaps it is more Kagome-sama he needs distance from."  The monk chuckled.  "The two of them alone trying to hide their feelings for one another must be stressful."

Sango too began to laugh, "Maybe when they come back, they will have finally admitted they love each." She glanced at Miroku, wondering if he would ever feel for her the way the inu hanyou felt for Kagome.

"Hai, it would be a nice change." Miroku commented as his hand began to wander toward the taijiya's backside.

"PERVERT!" Sango screamed as she slapped the hentai houshi and stormed from the hut, taking the kit and Kirara with her.

"Perhaps one day, Sango my love, you will see me differently."  Miroku sighed, rubbing his bruised flesh that now sported a bright red handprint on it.  "Perhaps some day."

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Kagome sank down into the tub, her right leg draped over the side to keep her cast dry.  "This feels so good!" She sighed lazily, inhaling the steam that rose up around her.  "And I did it all by myself without needing Inu Yasha!" The idea of accomplishing something without the hanyou did not make her as happy as she thought it would.  Kagome loved it when he cradled him to her and carried her to the bathroom, or cooked for her.  She had to admit, she did love the attention she was getting from him. 

"Why do we always end up fighting?" Her mind flashed back to the morning before the battle with the Kamaitachi.  A warm tingle spread over her skin as she tried to remember the feel of Inu Yasha nuzzling her neck.  Why had he been so nice to her that day?  And now they were back to fighting again.  It broke her heart, especially since she knew she was the cause of their latest episode.  "Mou, Higurashi!  Stop being so moody!" She yelled at herself, slamming her hand down into the bubbly water.  "If only I knew it was me he sees, and not HER, things would be so much easier." Again Kagome sighed, allowing the hot bath to relax her stressed out body and ease her worried mind.

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Inu Yasha slid open the kitchen door open.  He felt much better since his run through forest.  But his fight was not as satisfying as he thought.  Upon his return from the forest, he came across a very pissed off wimpy wolf.  Kouga had demanded to know where Kagome was.  Cracking his knuckles at the full youkai, the hanyou was all too willing to kick some ass.  Unfortunately, it was Kouga who did the ass kicking.

"Damn shards!  If it weren't for them, that wimpy wolf wouldn't of had a chance!"  He smirked when the coward took off after Inu Yasha threatened him with the Tetsusaiga.  "At least the baka knows when to run!" He laughed wickedly, ignoring the pain that shot through his bruised face.  Kouga had gotten a few good punches and kicks in before he took off like a coward.

Walking into the living room, Inu Yasha froze.  Kagome was not on the couch where he had left her.  Fear welled up inside of him.  Had something come and taken her while he was gone?  Sniffing at the air, he followed her sent up the stairs, stopping at the closed bathroom door.  'What the hell!' An angry scowl marred his face as he listened to sounds of someone moving about it water.  'The bitch took a bath.  Is she crazy?  How the fuck did she get up the stairs?' The questions bombarded his mind as his anger grew.

"Kagome!" He growled threateningly through the door.

"Kyaaaa!" Kagome shrieked, startled by Inu Yasha's sudden yell. 

His ears instantly lay flat at her shrill shriek.  "What the hell do you think you're doing?!" He demanded as he barged into the bathroom.  In his infuriated mood, he forgot that the girl would be naked.

"INU YASHA!  Osuwari!" Again the miko shrieked as her hanyou stormed into the room, narrowed gaze on her.  "What the hell does it look like I'm doing?!  Get OUT!  GET OUT! GET OUT!!!"

"I can't!  I'm still under that damn spell!" He ground out from his position on the floor.

"You don't just barge in on someone taking a bath!  Osuwari!  I can't believe you, Inu Yasha!  Osuwari!  You baka!  Insensitive jerk!  Osuwari!" She grabbed for the towel laying by the tub to cover herself.  Not that much was showing due to the mound of bubbles that nearly came up to her chin in the water.

Pain wracked Inu Yasha as the spell yanked and held him down again and again to the ceramic tiled floor.  A loud pop and snap, the distinct sound of cracking and popping bones, was heard, and he whimpered.  He was sure his back was out, if not broken from the force of the girl's "sits."

Kagome continued to rant and rave on how rude the dog demon was, minus the subduing spell word, as she tried to get out of the tub.  Water sloshed on the floor, spreading to soak into the incapacitated hanyou's fire rat clothing.  Just as she found her footing, and stood outside the tub, Kagome slipped on the wet floor.

A loud "Oof" followed by a pained "Itai!" escaped her as she fell on top of the still subdued Inu Yasha.  "Kagome!" He exclaimed, trying to rise up and catch her.

"Ano… Inu Yasha, I need help. I can't get up.  The floor is too wet and I can't get my cast wet."  She mumbled as a bright blush flushed across her cheeks.

"You should have thought about THAT before you broke my damn back, wench!" He snarled at the girl, who now lay across his back, her pained leg leaning against the side of the tub most uncomfortably.

Finally feeling the spell lift, Inu Yasha gritted against his protesting bones and muscles to slowly pull himself out from under the girl.  When he was free of her weight, he turned to her, once again berating himself for getting into this most embarrassing situation.  Kagome lay on the floor, wet towel clinging like second skin to her form, eyes tearing from both anger and humiliation. 

Ignoring her half naked condition, Inu Yasha grabbed her, pulling her up against his chest.  Arms sliding around her waist, the hanyou whispered softly in her ear, "I'm sorry, Kagome.  Please don't cry.  I didn't mean to make you cry."  Guilt once again ate at him as he realized he had made her cry.  Gods, how he hated her tears, even more when he knew he was the cause of them.

Wiping away the offending salty droplets, Kagome clung to Inu Yasha.  Not because she wanted to be close to him at that moment, but out of fear her towel falling.  "I-Inu Yasha, can you please just take me to my room?" She sniffed.

"Hai." Inu Yasha stood, lifting her to him as he did so.  With both arms tight about her waist, he carried the miko to her room and sat her down on her bed.  "I'll be downstairs if you n…want anything."  Closing the door, he left the girl alone.

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Inu Yasha lay on the couch in misery.  It was now past midnight, and Kagome had never called for him, not even for dinner.  He had made ramen, of course, and brought it up to her, knocking at her door to give her the food.  Silence was all he got.  Straining his ears, he knew she was awake, he could hear her occasional mumbled threats to his personage.  That had been several hours ago.

Snorting quietly to himself, he stormed up the stairs again to check on Kagome.  He was tired, agitated and had just spent the last three hours watching something called Pokemon because he couldn't' find the remote thingy and didn't know how to change the channels without it. 

Listening at the door, he sighed, the sounds of her deep, even breathing like a balm to his nerves.  Slowly opening the, Inu Yasha couldn't help but smile at the site before him.  A now fully clothed Kagome lay curled into a ball above her bedcovers.  One hand fisted against her cheek, the other resting across her abdomen.  Gods, she was beautiful.  With unnatural stealth, the inu youkai walked across the room and sat down on the floor.  Inhaling her sweet scent, he lay down and allowed her comforting aroma to lull him into a light sleep.

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"What the fuck are you?" The hanyou questioned the little yellow creature in front of him.

"Pika…" It said, its voice raised in anger.

"Nani?  You gonna kick my ass?" A howl of laughter emitted from Inu Yasha as he looked down at strange little monster.

"Pika-Pika!" The chibi sized monster exclaimed, sparks of electricity flickering dangerously from the whisker like appendages on its face.

Again the hanyou roared with laughter, clutching his sides as he hit his knees to the ground.  He tried to stop, but the angry scowl on the things face was just too funny, that and the fact that the little runt thought he could take down the mighty Inu Yasha!

"Pikachu, Thunderbolt, now!" Inu Yasha's laughter ended abruptly at the sound of a young boy's voice yelling from a distance.

His eyes grew large as Pikachu's entire body suddenly sparked with a bluish white glow before bursting forth.  As the surging energy flew with intense speed toward him, Inu Yasha screamed, his entire body ringing in pain from the electric shock.

"KYAAAAAA!" He bolted upright from the floor, gasping for breath. 

"I-Inu Yasha?" A sleepy voice called out to him.  "Daijoubu?" Kagome looked at him, concern deep in her hazel eyes.

"D-daijoubu, Kagome."  The hanyou sweat dropped as the miko continued to stare at him, curiosity now filling her gaze.  "Did you have a bad dream?"

"Iie!  I just…I-I'm fine, woman!  Go back to sleep!"  He snapped at her lowly, trying to push the embarrassing dream to the far reaches of his mind. 

"Well, okay, if you say you're fine.  Goodnight." She yawned.  "Ano…Inu Yasha?"

"Yeah?" His golden cat like eyes watched her guardedly.

"You really shouldn't watch too much TV before bed, it can give you bad dreams." She stifled the giggle that bubbled up inside her, satisfied as his eyes grew to the size of saucers, a pink tint shading his normally light tan features.  Who'd have thought the infamous Inu Yasha talked in his sleep?

Inu Yasha froze, glaring at the once again sleeping girl.  'Maybe hell would be better than this!' he grumbled as he laid down, turning his back to the irritating girl.  A small smile curved his lips before sleep claimed him, thoughts of his future miko erasing the Pokemon nightmare from his dreams.

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A/N:  YAY!!! I finally got this finished!!! Sorry it took so long.  I have been very busy.  But it is finally here!!!  I have an announcement to make, but it is more directed at a certain person whom I am very pissed off at.  I hope they are reading this, or at least someone knows who they are and can relate the message!

To Xing-chan's Helper:  For your information, jackass, Path of the Tiger is no longer a lemon!!!! I changed it a week ago, just forgot to remove the lemon warning from the summary!!! Before you threaten to have my stories removed, why don't you get a clue and read them first!!!!  There is NO sexually explicit material in the fic – AT ALL!!!!  The prolog is suggestive, mildly suggestive!  So FUCK OFF!!!  I had my fic checked out by several strict friends, and there is nothing against the FF.net no NC-17 rating rules in it!!!   If you harass me again, I will demand FF.net take action against you!  See how you like getting banned!!! As Inu puts it:  BAAAAKAAAAA  BAAAKAAA BAAAKAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!!  In case you are as stupid about Nihongo as you are about knowing how to read, that means MORON!

Okay, I'm done.  For my loyal and faithful fans, I hope the ending was funny.  No cliffie this time!  As always, READ AND REVIEW!!! It really does help with the next chapter!