FicWad

Disclaimer: I am obviously not cool or smart enough to own such brilliant characters such as these. They are the property of Rumiko Takahashi and the companies that she works with.

Authors note: A million thanks to Silver Wolf Pups for the beta and kind encouraging words.

"Dead?"

Miroku shook his head slowly, tears streaming down his face. Shippo sobbed loudly in the corner and Sango put her arms around him, trying to comfort the young demon through her own grief.

Inuyasha sat perfectly still, clutching Kagome's hand in his, trying to find some way around the facts. "No, she can't be dead. She has to take care of Shippo and find the damn shards that she broke and bring us ramen. Kaede, maybe she's just...sicker than she was before? You can do something right?" he pleaded with the old priestess.

"I am sorry Inuyasha. The child is gone. I did all I could but it was too late. Kagome kept moaning your name and it looked as though she were fighting to stay alive. Miroku tried to find ye before she passed. He thought you would want to be with her and perhaps ye might have been able to calm her down." Kaede's weathered face was full of emotion. She wondered what this would do to the already volatile half demon.

The sad golden eyes stared in disbelief at his dead friend. "Kagome..." He wrapped his arms around her shoulders gently and pulled her limp form to his chest. He stroked her soft raven hair and held onto her as tightly as he could. "Kagome, I'm sorry. I couldn't protect you and I left you when you needed me the most. I'm so sorry you were scared Kagome. It's my fault!"

Miroku knelt at Inuyasha's side. I told you before, you are not to blame. Don't make this harder on yourself Inuyasha."

"Who the hell cares about me? Kagome's dead and I killed..." his voice dropped to a panicked whisper. "Oh god. I killed her. Kagome's really dead and it's all my fault!"

He looked down at Kagome's gray face. I thought you'd be here forever Kagome. I was an idiot. Why did I let myself get close to you, huh? Why'd you have to go and do something so stupid and brave? I told you to stay out of the way! He buried his face into her hair and inhaled her scent. He was dismayed to discover that her clean, fresh flower scent was gone. Gone was Kagome. In her place was a corpse who smelled of blood, decay, and death. Inuyasha felt something wet roll down his cheek. Crying? But I haven't cried since...since the last time Kagome almost died. When she was poisoned. He brusquely tried to wipe away the tears before the others could see but they just kept streaming down his face.

"Inuyasha." It was the first time Sango had spoken since Inuyasha had entered the hut. He was amazed to hear her normally strong voice sound watery and choked. "Your loss is great. Do not be embarrassed to cry."

Inuyasha looked at her, Kaede, Shippo and Miroku. They all had experienced an overwhelming pain with the loss of Kagome. Sango had lost her best friend; Miroku a companion; Shippo, a mother figure. Inuyasha had lost...a friend? Something more?

In his heart he knew he trusted Kagome more than anyone. For the first time in his life someone had accepted him for who he was-a half demon. She didn't fear him, even when he transformed into a full demon. She never tried to get him to use the Shikon Jewel to become human as Kikyo had. She had loved him as he was.

And it was then, while cradling Kagome in his arms, that he realized that despite their differences, despite his choice to follow Kikyo to death, despite the fact that she was human and from another time...he loved her. And like Kikyo had said, he hadn't allowed himself to love her while she was alive.

So it is only in death that I can be honest with myself/, he thought bitterly. /I am so stupid Kagome. And then Inuyasha finally allowed himself to cry, without regard for the others. His embarrassment didn't matter. All that did was that the woman he loved, his Kagome, was dead.
---
A figure standing in the shadows of the woods watched as the half demon wrapped himself around the dead girl and sobbed into her hair. A small smile appeared on their face and they muttered, "An interesting development. Perhaps I could use this to my advantage."

The person walked peacefully to the hut and stepped inside quietly so that even the half demon, in his sorrow, didn't notice the newcomer. "How pathetic you are Inuyasha, crying over a dead mortal like that."

Silver hair flew as Inuyasha quickly turned his head. What he saw made him clutch Kagome even tighter in his arms. He bared his fangs and growled, "Sesshomaru."

Inuyasha's half brother inclined his head slightly and smiled. "What would father think of you now, you pathetic half demon?"