Unexpected Love: Chapter One; Goodbye Happiness.

Kagome sat against the Tree of Ages, tears fell silently down her face as the rain fell mercilessly around her. She had seen too much, heard too much, and endured too much to last five life times. Her heart was broken into shards, just like the jewel she sought after. Her eyes were red from the unnumbered tears; Kagome didn't want to cry as much as she was. She didn't want her heart to be broken time and time again. She didn't want the one she loved to leave her time and time again for a dead miko made of grave yard soil, clay, and cremated remains.

Kagome covered her eyes with her hands and tried to sweep away the tears, but more replaced the ones she swept away. She had tried to hold her breath, hoping it would stop the tears, but she nearly made herself suffocate. Taking a deep breath Kagome pulled her long soaked hair over her left shoulder, Kagome tried to wringed her hair out, the water dripping down her arm, traveling down her shirt to her creamy skin beneath her blouse. Shivering from the sudden cold, Kagome wrapped her arms around her body. She hadn't realized she was so cold, the pain from her heart was covering her body's needs and demands.

I guess I should go back and changed my clothes…but…he'll be there…and I'll be crying again… Her heart skipped a beat at the thought of seeing him again. Tears swelled up again, she held them back until she couldn't see anymore. A soft sob escaped from her lips as she drew in a breath. Biting her nails into her soggy palms Kagome tried to hold back her pain. She knew she needed a new change of clothes and needed warmth. Hypothermia would set in soon and if that happened she'd be in real trouble; she'd need to go to a hospital, and that would mean being in his arms again. She'd feel safe and wanted; she'd feel the nights she'd spent with him and the love that she held so much for him. Oh, it's not going to stop…I need to go to Kaede. She'll care for me, good old Grandma Kaede. Kagome thought with a small smile. She stood up, her legs nearly rubber as she tried. Pushing against the Tree of Ages Kagome steadied herself enough to walk down the beaten path Kaede had created for her; a nice short cut that went directly to Kaede's hut near the base of the shrine stairs. Pushing against different trees Kagome made her way to Kaede's hut, one step at a time.

When Kagome came to Kaede's hut she fell against the side near the entrance, her strength was nearly depleted. She needed rest and food and warmth. Inside she could hear that she startled Kaede and two other people within the hut. Kagome smiled when Kaede came outside the door.

"Grandma Kaede…" Kagome managed to say loud enough for Kaede to notice her against the wall.

"Kagome! Where have you been? Miroku, Sango start the water!" Kaede ordered as she grabbed Kagome by the arm and pulled her up. "Kagome, come on, try to get up." Kaede said softly to the weary Kagome.

"Kaede, I'm sorry to show up like this." Kagome whispered pushing herself from the ground when she didn't even know she had dropped to, she just wanted sleep her pain away.

"Don't speak dear; ye need to be taken care of. Now hush and allow this old lady to take care of ye." Kaede said as she nearly dragged Kagome inside to the worried looking Miroku and Sango.

"Kagome!!" Both Miroku and Sango shouted, both grabbing Kagome from Kaede and wrapping her up in the blankets Kagome kept with them. Kagome smiled at them, she'd forgotten that they'd be worried about her.

"Hold on Kagome, we'll take care of you ok?" Sango said teary eyed. The round tears falling against Kagome's face. Kagome smiled at her crying best friend.

"Sango, Hoshi-sama, gomen. I made you worry about me, and then I show up like this. I'm sorry. Maybe I should have stayed out there…" Kagome said weakly, her body struggling to stay conscience enough to speak.

"Kagome, don't say that, we would have been even more worried if you hadn't shown up at all." Sango sobbed wildly at the sight of her ill friend. She knew Kagome would have stayed away for a while, but she didn't think Kagome would nearly kill herself over that stupid hanyou. Kagome smiled as she closed her eyes, she was losing an already lost battle against her body. "Kagome?" Sango called shaking Kagome's hand.

"I'm tired Sango…" Kagome whispered the ghost of a smile on her lips. "Hoshi-sama, Sango, Kaede, I'm sorry." Kagome whispered as her head rolled towards Sango's lap, her breath shallow but there. Sango pulled Kagome into her lap and leaned against the wall, tears streaming down her face as she closed her eyes and tilted her head to the ceiling. Miroku and Kaede exchanged looks, they knew Kagome was a gentle spirit and as such, if the only thing of her total affection tosses her away like unwanted trash she would crumble and brake into small pieces. Bowing his head, Miroku made a silent prayer to Buddha for Kagome's safe recovery. When he reopened his eyes Miroku saw Sango staring at him, fury fire burning in her brown eyes.

"He's going to pay for this." Sango vowed softly, she wanted to make Inuyasha pay very painfully. Miroku sighed and laid his hand over Kagome's, his heart nearly broken at her current state. To him, Kagome was the kid sister he loved dearly, one he would do anything to protect. Standing up when he felt as if he would cry, Miroku began to help Kaede make a stew to give Kagome when she woke up. Miroku knew Shippo was a sleep with Kirara in the corner of the hut; he didn't want to wake Shippo up to this sight.

"Kaede, will she be ok?" Miroku asked in a low voice, he didn't want to disturb Kagome's rest or Sango. Kaede regarded him with a small smile.

"Yes, she has a strong will to survive and that will be the ultimate decider in her recovery. We must keep Inuyasha away from her while she recovers lest she fall back into this state again." Kaede said stirring the water idly. Her eyes watching the flames lick the bottom of the pot. She felt as if she was going to be sick, she'd always loved Inuyasha, he was her protector; a savior when the village or her sister was in trouble. She'd seen how much Kagome was in love with him and how much he cared for Kagome.

Kaede had even tried to convince Inuyasha that Kagome was a better fit for him, unlike Kikyo, Kagome was alive. But now, Kaede feared that Kagome would be too broken to live again, her heart shattered and seemingly unable to be fixed; at least not easily. Glancing to the door of her hut Kaede gave a soft sigh and stood up. "We must change her clothing lest she fall ill even more." Kaede said more to Miroku than Sango. Miroku nodded and went behind a thin paper wall and sat down, his back to the paper wall, he'd never peek on a sick girl, especially Kagome.

"Sango lift her up a little, I'll put her in a kimono for now, but when she wakes I'll put her in an old miko attire of mine." Kaede said taking Kagome's wet clothing off her cold body, replacing it with a thick kimono. Sango nodded and dried Kagome's long, thick black hair with a towel from a stack Kaede received from Kagome long ago.

"Kagome, get better soon, I know you'll get better, you're strong." Sango began to chant to Kagome as she slept soundly in her arms. Sango softly stroked Kagome hair in a set pattern; she found that it calmed her evil thoughts and the uneasy felling in her stomach. Before she knew it she had fallen asleep. Miroku smiled when he saw Sango mothering Kagome until she fell asleep as well.

"Kaede, is there anymore we can do for her?" Miroku asked sitting down next to the elderly lady.

"Ne, Kagome must come through this alone. But Monk, if you bring those who love and cherish her to her side, she may be able to break through this quiet well." Kaede suggested, her good eye watching Kagome as she sleep soundly in Sango's care. With a soft sigh Kaede looked to Miroku and said, "Treat her with care, make her feel normal, she would do well to have a normal setting and do not allow Inuyasha to be around until she asks for him."

"Kaede are you leaving?" Miroku asked.

"Aalst, I must leave for three days, a nearby village needs a priestess to perform an exorcist." Kaede looked to Miroku once more. "Take care of her; she is like a grandchild to me. Don't let her be broken again." Miroku nodded, he understood the underlying message Kaede was sending him.

"Kaede, she'll be well cared for. Sango will keep Inuyasha at bay as will I. We'll call down Kouga. He loves Kagome very much; the only problem is that Inuyasha hates Kouga for loving Kagome." Miroku said with a heavy sigh. "But we don't know where he is at this time. We have no way of getting to him; even with Kirara it'll be hard."

"I see: if I come by a wolf demon I shall request Kouga to come to my village to meet with Kagome." Kaede said pushing herself from the floor. Walking to a small cubby, Kaede grabbed her small bag and tired it around her shoulder. "I must leave you now, it is a long journey and the two villager escorts are to be here soon to take me to the neighboring village to the south. Make sure that she is happy while I am gone; watch her carefully." Kaede walked to the door as a young gentleman poked his head in and smiled at Kaede.

"Ready Priestess Kaede?" The young man asked.

"Aye, let us leave before it gets too dark." Kaede said bowing to Miroku and looked at Kagome and Sango with a gentle gaze. Turing on her heel Kaede walked out the door with the young man and was gone into the evening night. Miroku sighed before he made sure the fire had a few logs on the fire before allowing himself the fall into a soft slumber, his senses still on alert for any kind of danger, especially if Inuyasha walked in the door.

The next morning Kagome woke up with a ray of sunlight beaming into her eyes. Her blue gray eyes closed half way as she blocked the sun from her sensitive eyes, she didn't know how long she'd been asleep for, but she knew she was hungry. The growling from her stomach told her that. Sitting up Kagome took in her surroundings. Kaede! I'm at Kaede's hut!! Kagome realized, feeling as if a weight of worry was taken off her chest. Kagome smiled lightly before her body stiffened at the sound of footsteps outside the hut door. She couldn't tell who it was, and it sounded too heavy to be Kaede.

"Kagome-Chan, are you awake?" Miroku's voice came from the door way. Kagome looked to him and smiled, the fear that it would be Inuyasha flowed away as tears sprang like a geyser from her eyes. "Kagome, don't cry I'm sorry!" Miroku said as she fumbled over random things on the floor to get to her. "Kagome did I do something?" Miroku asked kneeling in front of Kagome, lines of worry and apology etched into his handsome face. Kagome smiled before she began to laugh even as the tears fell from her eyes.

"Miroku you're fine, I'm not mad, sad, or anything but happy that it's you and not…" Kagome's smile died as quickly as it had come, and Miroku felt the pain in her small fragile form. He couldn't help the natural reaction that he had suppressed so many times before; wrapping his arms tightly around Kagome he held her close.

"If Sango has her way, he'll be dead by sun set." Miroku said as a light joke. Kagome took it, needing the security that they would be normal, even if she couldn't right now, or ever could be normal again. "Sango is trying to find…Him and tell him that he is not to come around for a while until you're ready, Kaede had to leave last night but she made us promise to go at your pace and to keep you safe and warm and showered with love." Miroku said softly, pulling Kagome into his lap. Kagome was shocked by his sudden actions, and at the fact that he hadn't taken advantage of her in her current state, but then again Miroku wouldn't purposely cause her any more pain than she was already in. Even though she was surprised she needed to comfort and the knowledge that he wasn't taking advantage of her made her happy he was there.

"When will Sango-chan be back?" Kagome asked.

"Soon, Shippo went down to the river to get fresh water, are you hungry Kagome?" Miroku asked setting Kagome back on the floor and stood up, he was returning back to his regular self. Kagome nodded and scooted to the fire, she hadn't noticed that she was in a kimono until she began to move more.

"Who changed me?" Kagome asked a faint red tint on her face.

"Sango and Kaede had done that last night."Miroku smiled. "Don't worry I didn't look." Kagome blushed and nodded as he handed her a bowl of the stew made the night before. Kagome thanked him and began to eat slowly, she wanted Sango there with her, and she needed to get the heavy feeling in her heart to go away. "Is it good?" Miroku asked.

"Yes, thank you Miroku, for looking after me." Kagome said with a soft fake smile. Miroku nodded and stood back up. Walking to the door he peered out and shouted hello to someone. Kagome looked up as Sango, Shippo, and Kirara came in the door. Kagome's face brightened up at the site of all three.

"Welcome back!" Kagome said happily. Shippo called her name as he raced to her, burying his face in her neck as he cried. "Shippo-chan." Kagome said softly as she hugged the small kitsune. "I'm ok, I'm ok. Sango-chan, Kirara-chan, welcome home." Kagome repeated when Sango and Kirara sat down next to her and Miroku across the fire.

"How are you feeling Kagome?" Sango asked, her eyes were worried and unsettled.

"I'm feeling better, Miroku has been being a good boy, he hasn't tried anything and he's been taking good care of me." Kagome said brightly to Sango. Sango nodded and smiled back.

"Would you like to go take a bath Kagome? It's just the afternoon but a nice bath is good for a person's health." Sango said. Kagome smiled and knew exactly what Sango meant when she said healthy for a person. Kagome nodded and stood up, her knees giving way slightly as she did. Sango and Miroku, not to mention Kirara and Shippo were there for her in an instant. Kagome felt tears prickling in her eyes again, she knew they cared so much for her and loved her so much that it hurt and made her happy at the same time. "Thank you everyone!" Kagome whispered as her tears fell to the floor.

"Kagome-chan!" "Kagome, are you hurt?" "Does it hurt anywhere?" "Mew!" Everyone was making a fuss, it seemed so ridiculous but so necessary to Kagome that she began to laugh uncontrollably as her tears fell. "Kagome (chan)…" Everyone exchanged looks.

"I'm sorry, this is no time to laugh, but I'm so happy that you all care so much!" Kagome said in between laughs and sobs. Sango and Miroku exchanged looks and laughed with Kagome, it felt right to laugh with Kagome right then.

After the laughing laps Sango and Kagome went down to the village hot springs and began to talk, Sango wanted to know exactly what had happened between Kagome and Inuyasha; what had happened to ruin Kagome so completely. However, Sango waited until they were settled nicely into the natural hot springs near the village and well protected from Peeping Toms and tyrants alike. Sango eyed Kagome's weary composure as she sat down on the flat surfaced rocks placed in the springs for its users to rest on.

"Kagome, how does the water feel?" Sango asked cheerfully, her soft features passive and non-judgmental. Kagome regarded her with a small nod. Sango had hoped for a verbal response but was pleased with the small nod from her hurting friend. "Kagome, if it's not too painful, what happened?" Sango asked keeping her expression soft and kind. She watched Kagome's eyes dull around the edges as she receded into her mind. Sango wished she could take back the question but she needed Kagome to tell her how angry she should be at the cur Inuyasha.