Disclaimers: I do no own Inu-Yasha.

Chapter Eight: Life Goes On

"Kagome! . . . Kagome!" A frantic voice started to call out.

Kagome tried to shrug off the pushing while desperately wanting to get her dream back. She was closer this time, she could feel it in her bones . . . she almost saw the face of the man who has been haunting her dreams; or rather nightmares. It'd been two weeks since the 'Inu-Yasha's foot insertion into mouth fiasco' as Sango like to describe it. Things had healed greatly, but you could still feel the tension; plus, it didn't help that Kagome had become close friends with Kouga Shikima . . . well in Inu-Yasha's eyes anyways.

Kouga Shikima . . . he was your perfect tall, dark, and handsome male that every girl drooled over. With his model looks blended inwith his wolf demon features, he became tied for hottest guy with Inu-Yasha. Even though every female was after him, Kouga seemed to have taken a special interest in Kagome. Kagome figures it's because she was the first one he met, but Inu-Yasha seems to believe it's for ulterior motives. He wasn't the only one either; Ayame seemed to be suspicious of him also.

"Kagome, wake up you lazy bum!" Sango shouted for the last time before deciding to do some drastic measures. "Stupid girl . . . always having dreams, and waking me up with her moving," Sango complained in a tired tone while walking into the bathroom. "I mean not even Miroku and his squealing like a girl is this annoying."

Just as Sango dragged her feet into the room with a glass of water in hand, she stopped herself a few feet short of Kagome's bed. The cause, simple really . . . Kagome was gone.

"Kagome!" Sango shouted in a frantic tone. "Where are you? . . . Great, I get a new charge and I already lose her, and to top things off I forget the fact that if Kagome was kidnapped, then she wouldn't be able to answer me," Sango groaned, slapping a hand to her face.

'Though, Inu-Yasha will probably be celebrating the fact we failed the elders once again whenhe hears about this.' Sango thought, thinking back to when the elders 'officially' told them they were back on the job. Inu-Yasha being angry with their sudden nice act, immediately told them where they could shove their snobbish attitudes.

"Hey Sango!" A voice called out, followed by banging, completely bringing Sango out of her reverie. She gave the door a sort of dazed look before registering it was someone wanting in.

"What do you want?" Sango snapped, walking towards the door and placing her hand upon it ready to open it . . . until she heard the voice on the other side.

"Hey Sango . . . Sango! Let me in! Come on Sango, your cousin wants to kill me!" Miroku's familiar loud voice came through the weak wood. "Don't ignore me! It's your fault!"

"My fault," Sango whispered incredulously. "How on earth is it my fault?" Her answer was about to come.

"You're the one who told me to ask Inu-Yasha why things seemed so tense between them, meaning Inu-Yasha and Kagome . . . not Inu-Yasha and me . . . if that's what you were thinking!"

"So I did," Sango agreed convinced to save him seeing as she did ask him to do that.

". . . All I did was ask if some hanky panky going on secretly with the two," Miroku continued to blabber, stopping Sango's sympathy and having her resolve to let him be pummeled by the hanyou.

"I can't believe you. You have the gall to come here, evoke pity from me and then tell me it was all your fault to begin with!" Sango yelled through the door. "Tell Inu-Yasha to be sure to leave the castrating to me!"

"But San-" Was all she heard before hearing the very familiar sounds of someone getting beat up. When she heard nothing for quite some time she slowly opened the door to reveal a pissed Ayame and an un-conscious Miroku.

"Hey Sango!" Ayame greeted happily, changing moods suddenly from murderous to extremely happy; not at all fazing Sango who was use to her bipolar attitudes. "Just decided to take care of some of your trash." On the word trash she sent a very disgusted look towards Miroku's limp form.

"Thanks . . ." Sango replied before giving Ayame a weak smile. Feeling some pity towards Miroku, not even wishing upon him the painful fate of Ayame's beatings.

"Where the hell is that coward!" A familiar, anger filled voice boomed throughout the hall.

'Now it's a party, Inu-Yasha's here! . . . This morning just keeps getting better and better.' Sango thought with a roll of the eyes. She peeked into the chaos just in time to see her infuriated cousin stomping down the hall like he was the bloody King of England. It also didn't help that his face held a look that would make a new-born cry.

"Ah, Inu-Yasha, to what do I owe the ungrateful pleasure of seeing you this early in the morning?" Sango questioned when he came into her hearing range.

"Don't screw around, you know exactly why the hell I'm here," Inu-Yasha growled curtly, quickening his pace when he saw a familiar gloved hand.

"You take care of sleeping beauty while I deal with my dear cousin," Sango whispered softly to Ayame.

"No, I think you should take out the trash while I deal with the angry puppy. A youkai should take care of a youkai," Ayame hissed back.

"I think you should both just leave the little scumbag of a friend with me and you little girls go back in the room and do what girls do," Inu-Yasha's voice cut in, stopping both girls in their tracks.

"Stay out of this Hazuki," Ayame growled.

"You stay out of this Miyabi!" Inu-Yasha snarled.

"Who do you think you are Hazuki? I'm a Princess of the Wolf Demon Tribe! Don't you dare think you can talk to me like that!" Ayame commanded, sliding her body easily into a fighting position.

"I'll take care of you first if that's the way you want it," Inu-Yasha spat, moving into his own position, baring his fangs to her.

The two looked ready to go and launch at each other's throats. Sango looked torn between stopping them and just sitting back and watching them. All the while Miroku was still on the floor dead to the world. That's when things went wrong . . . for the two youkais that is.

"What the-" Sango started as she heard the breaking of glass. Every head turned to see a scared looking Kagome whose eyes were moving wildly between the two angry youkais. "Kagome!" Sango shouted, chasing back into the room at Kagome, slamming the room door behind her.

"Dammit!" Inu-Yasha cursed, looking sadly at the door.

"Great, just great! I finally get her to warm up to me and it's ruined," Ayame whined, kicking the nearby wall.

"Ugh . . . what happened," Miroku groaned, moving up the floor into a sitting position.

'Maybe I should've just stayed down.' Miroku thought nervously, first eyeing the angry Wolf Princess and then his short-tempered, ready to blow friend. 'I think I'm going to die.'

"Why hello Miroku," Ayame cooed, leaning on her knees. Miroku grew even more nervous by the sweet tooth grin she was giving him.

"We just want to tell you this before we killed you," Inu-Yasha took over the speaking, grabbing Miroku by the collar; being sure to crack his knuckles right in front of his face.

"It's all your fault!" The two shouted together.

x.x

"Kagome . . . are you still upset?" Sango asked as the two left their English class. Kagome just looked out a nearby window. "Kagome, Inu-Yasha and Ayame weren't really going to rip each other's throats out." Sango reasoned, figuring a little white lie wouldn't hurt anyone.

Kagome just looked blankly ahead, not really hearing Sango's words.

'Dangerous . . . all youkais are dangerous. That's all there is to it.' Kagome thought with a very strong resolution.

"Kagome!" Sango's voice broke through Kagome's thought. Kagome looked up to see Sango's worried eyes. "Listen, I need to go speak with one of my teachers. Are you going to be okay walking to history by yourself?"

Kagome gave her a brief nod, noting that Sango still held worry in her eyes. Kagome gave her a more confident nod and bright smile.

"Well, if you're sure," Sango said in an unsure tone before backing away.

Kagome just gave a weak wave before making her way through the halls again. She tried to ignore the many moving people, and the loud noise. Breathing in fresh air and a breath of relief as she stepped outside.

'No demons out here . . . just me. Wait a minute, I'm all alone.' Kagome thought with a little fright. Looking around to make sure nothing or nobody was around. 'Good, nobody aro—'

"Kagome!" A familiar male voice called out, as a hand clamped down onto her shoulder.

Kagome's gaze searched around until she came upon Kouga's smiling face.

'No, I don't want to see you now.' Kagome thought, while giving him a bright smile.

"I've felt like we haven't talked forever," Kouga said, wrapping a strong arm around Kagome's shoulders and beginning to walk.

'Yeah, because the two hours between first and fourth period was so long.' Kagome thought sarcastically.

"So, Kagome, did you miss me too?" Kouga asked smoothly.

'I missed you as much as I miss my monthly period.' Kagome was thinking while nodding her head a bit.

"I know you did. There's just this special connection between the two of us," Kouga said with a bright smile.

'Oh mighty god, please help me. Make this youkai go away.' Kagome prayed, barely paying any attention to the words Kouga was saying.

"Kagome! Wait up!" Ayame shouted, running into her and Kouga's view. Kouga threw Kagome a slight glance as he felt her tense under his grip. "Sango was a little worried about you so she wanted me to walk you to your next class."

"Hey you," Kouga said in a suave tone, flashing Ayame a pretty boy grin. "Ready to finish the work on the history project?'

"First off, my name isn't 'hey you', it's Ayame Miyabi . . . Miyabi to you," Ayame growled. "Second, I'm not doing the project by myself and lastly, there are two other people in the group."

"You don't have to bite my head off," Kouga retorted, not at all fazed.

"You don't have to disgust me or Kagome with your presence!" Ayame spat back.

". . ." Kagome looked up as she felt some pain in her shoulder. Kouga's face was contorted in barely controlled anger. Kagome's gaze then swung to her shoulder as the pain seemed to increase. Her eyes widened as she saw Kouga's sharp nails dug in her skin, some blood trailing out of the puncture wounds.

"All right bastard, you just made the worst mistake!" Ayame let out a low growl before launching herself at Kouga.

Kouga let go of Kagome and braced himself for an impact. Ayame gladly gave it to him as she threw a punch at Kouga's neck; who deftly blocked it. Ayame tried again by sweeping her leg under Kouga's. Kouga braced for the fall and turned the tables by rolling over so that Ayame was pinned below him after she fell with him.

"I think it was you who made the mistake," Kouga hissed, his face inches from Ayame's.

"Oh really," Ayame cooed, her bright green eyes meeting with Kouga's ocean blue ones. "I think you're wrong," she reiterated, emphasizing the point by kneeing him in the groin.

"Ofh!" Kouga moaned in pain.

Ayame took this opportunity to push Kouga's weight off her. She jumped to her feet, and then gave Kouga a swift kick in the ribs for good measure.

"Okay Kagome, now we can . . ." Ayame's voice trailed off as she looked around to find no Kagome. "Kagome? Come on Kagome, this isn't funny . . . KAGOME!"

x.x

"Mommy, did you always want to be a mommy?" A little five-year-old girl questioned. An innocent glow seeming to just surround her.

"Well Kagome, truthfully . . . the answer is no. In fact, I wanted to take a job in which I wouldn't be allowed to have children." Haruka suppressed her laughter as she heard a gasp of disbelief pass through her daughter's lips.

"You didn't want to have kids?"

"No, I felt helping people would be more fulfilling," Haruka explained in an amused tone.

"But mommy," Kagome crinkled her nose in confusion as she began to talk, "doctors can have kids too! Yuka's mommy is a doctor."

"But, I wanted to help people in a different way. I wanted to be a priestess."

x.x

"Kagome?" Haruka's soft tone flooded Kagome's ears.

"Mama?" A little Kagome questioned, looking up from her place underneath her favorite tree.

"Kagome!" Haruka exclaimed in a more relieved tone. " . . .Kagome?" Her next word caused Kagome to look up, her eyes widening at the sight before her.

"Mama!" Kagome shouted, spitting a bitter taste out of her mouth, soon coming to the harsh realization that it was blood. " . . . Mama . . ." Kagome whispered asshe stared unbelieving at thehand which was protruding from her mother's chest.

x.x

Kagome snapped up in the bed she was laying in. Cold sweat running down her face.

'It's just a dream. Only a dream Kagome.' Kagome repeated in her mind to calm herself down. 'Just a big bad dream . . . where am I?'

Kagome started having that sick feeling rise up with panic. She looked quickly around her surroundings, peace coming to her as she began to recognize objects. The burn in the carpet, the smell of wilderness and sweat, the messy clothes scattered everywhere . . . not to mention Miroku's staff.

'But . . . how did I get in here? I don't remember . . . oh.' Kagome's mouth dropped slightly as the realization of the situation hit her. 'Ayame and Kouga . . . I got scared and ran away . . . I remember it now! I ran here thinking no one would ever be able to find me! . . . Well, at least not those two scary wolf youkais at any rate.'

'I wonder how long I've been asleep though. Sango must be worried.' Kagome wondered, sending a glance out the window, as if it would give her the answer. 'Doesn't matter, either way I better find the others.' Kagome thought, not paying attention to where she was going, effectively knocking over Miroku's staff. As Newton's Law of Physics states, for every action there is an equal or greater reaction. Boy, was there a reaction.

First with the initial fall, the staff flipped up a spoon, which was already dangerously close to the edge of the table, then the contents splattered against Kagome's cheek-who just stood unfazed as she watched the spoon somehow activate the tiny switch on Miroku's favorite race car. The car pummeled forward, effectively running over Kagome's feet and driving under the bed.

'I swear . . . if I didn't know any better, I'd say this was a practical joke set . . . Never-mind.' Kagome ended her train of thought as she noticed the black tapemarking 'X' which she stood upon.

'Where'd the car go though?' Kagome questioned, getting on her knees before the bed. She pushed her hand under reaching blindly around. She swore she swept her hand back and forth at least three times getting nothing but airbefore she decided to reach farther in. 'Got it!' She cheered in her mind as she felt something.

She wrapped her hand around the object before pulling it forward. Out came a brown shoe box, which seemed to rattle as the box moved. As the saying goes, curiosity killed the cat and Kagome decided to be the cat. She carefully lifted the lid off to find a single picture inside.

'What the . . .' Kagome thought with confusion as she looked at the picture while lifting it up. In it was a picture of Inu-Yasha and a girl. 'Why does she look familiar?'

Kagome traced the figures lightly. Feeling something inside her as she looked at a smiling Inu-Yasha . . . one she never saw and it was because of the other girl.

'Wait! She looks like me!' Kagome gasped at the realization.

"What the hell are you doing?"

The sound of glass breaking echoed through the room as Kagome's eyes looked into those of the devil himself.

A/N: There's the chapter. Thank you reviewers, I really appreciate them, and also know that I will never stop writing this story . . . until after the last chapter! I just had a writer's block. Until the next chapter, and keep on reading!