Time Floats On by Smortz

All Hope is Gone

A/N

Alrighty, this is another challenge fiction, written for TheLovelyMiko’s Quote Challenge... Now, don’t get too excited, the story will only be posted when the quotes/prompts are posted.

First off, I am SO EXCITED about this chapter! Thanks to CeleesciK, who spent valuable time plotting this chapter with me, I have completed this.

Second, I want to thank TheLovelyMiko for making such great prompts and quotes for me to play with. 

This challenge has become a weekly holiday for me. :)

This chapter was also finished at 3:10AM :), and is dedicated to CeleesciK.(I hope you forgive me for leaving you in chat T_T I got opo-ed) 

Enjoy and review!

~SMO

Disclaimer: I do not know any characters associated with the manga/anime InuYasha. I just like to use them in my stories. >:3

Prompt: Tears

Quote: When I see you smile and know that it is not for me is when I will miss you the most. [I altered the quote a bit. SORRY, and I hope it still works!]

Chapter 3

Kagome dropped the box onto the kitchen table. The black ink clearly marked Kitchen on the side of it. She stood up, reaching behind her and pressing her hands against the arch of her lower back. She stretched backwards, wincing at the soreness that seemed to throb at the movement.

Her thoughts wandered to the past week. She had almost been like a zombie until this day. After the less than nice conversation with Sesshoumaru, she had skipped out on going back to the hotel. Instead, she had jumped on a late-night express train and pounded on her new neighbor's door.

He hadn't been real nice to her at three in the morning, but had taken her in. He had even escorted her back home the next morning and on the drive up today, wanting to support her in anyway he could. After all, it was because of him Kagome had gotten this internship.

“Be careful; you're way too young to be having that pain.” She snorted at the teasing tone of the voice from the bedroom. Kagome turned just in time to see her new neighbor. Thankfully, she'd seen far too many shirtless demons in her lifetime. No flush or embarrassed squeal left her when she saw him standing shirtless. The missing piece of clothing was tucked into his back, jean pocket. The abs were almost perfectly well-toned and the way he flexed them when catching her stare made her laugh.

“Koga, put your shirt on or I'll start thinking you're the same wolf from that damned teenage, vampire movie,” Kagome grumbled, turning around and beginning to leave once more. She tried to ignore the chortle that left the wolf demon behind her. He easily caught up to her when she stopped at the back of the large truck she'd rented to transport her belongings.

“Oh, don't tell me you're one of those girls," he continued to taunt with a devious smirk on his face. His muscular arms flexed as they reached into the truck to pull out her flat-screen, forty-six inch TV. Once more, he caught her staring, casting her a wink before he began to walk back up the stairs to her condo number.

“Don't worry,” Kagome called out from behind him, holding two carefully balanced boxes against her chest. “Those books give me the same thrill as coloring books,” she murmured as she pushed the boxes next to the TV. She then looked to the demon once more, “Did you get the desk in the office setup?” She asked.

Koga gave her a lazy smile, as if the question should have been easy to answer. “'Course I did,” he added. “Now, you start unpacking. I'll get the rest of the boxes,” he called out as he began to leave the condo once more. Kagome watched him leave whilst shaking her head in awe. The demon had the same energy level as a ten year old on crack.

Kagome released a breath that held pent up relief. She closed her eyes and let a smile come over her face. She was in her own place, not some apartment that Daitaro had leased to her. This was hers. The condominium was located just across from the research facility she would me working at. Almost all of the residents were doctors and researchers.

Opening her eyes, Kagome nodded her head in determination as she walked into the bedroom. Koga had already put together her bed frame. The cherry-finish furniture always made her feel as if she were still in the small shrine home she'd been raised in. The dressers in each corner were the same style. She pulled one of the first boxes up onto the mattress.

Her eyes blinked as she pulled out the picture frame. She stared at her mother. On her right side was an eight year old Kagome and the other side was her five year old younger brother, Souta. Kagome let loose a small laugh as she set the picture frame on her dresser. She returned to the box pulling out her alarm clock. She set it on the nightstand and dumped the rest of the contents of the box on the bed. The clothes made one big pile.

“Koga?!” She called out. The demon was probably out pulling more furniture out of the truck. She would have to figure out where her hamper was, and then where the laundromat would be. Her nose scrunched up. She disliked using public laundromats. The last time she'd used one, her white blouse had been turned into a puke green blouse because a mother had forgotten to take out her toddlers blanket.

Kagome idly shook her head as she flattened the box and moved onto the next one. Picture Albums was listed on the side of the box, and she struggled to lift it up on the bed. “These will go in the bookcase,” she muttered aloud. Koga still had yet to wheel the bookcase in, which would normally sit against the wall adjacent to the bed. One by one, she pulled the albums out, until the box was empty. She grabbed the cardboard flap, but paused when one stray picture rested face down at the bottom. “An escapee,” Kagome whispered. Her eyes narrowing at the fugitive.

She reached in, pulling out the picture before turning it over. Her chest throbbed, heart stopped. As if she were going through a heart attack, she collapsed against the bed, holding her chest. Her fingers shook as they held at the picture. Tears began to gather in her eyes.

A handsome Sesshoumaru stood beside her. It looked to be around Christmas. She was standing in front of the University gates where Sesshoumaru had surprised her by picking her up. She wore a dorky Santa hat with a lovestruck expression on her face. Kagome smiled as she stared at the picture. Her younger self wasn't even paying the camera any mind as she stared at Sesshoumaru. Her brilliant grin directed straight at him.

The picture had been taken two years after they had spent their first night together. The family cottage was only a pleasurable memory. Afterwards, she would sometimes wake up to the knocking on the door. She would open it to find Sesshoumaru there with a treasured smile on his face. Hours later, they would be naked in bed. Kagome wondering if, this one time, it would be different. If he would stay and tell her that she was the one. He never did.

“Is that the guy you were talking about?” Koga asked. Kagome gasped, jumping off the bed and cupping the picture against her breast. The wolf demon stared at her apologetically, but nodded his head to the picture. “When you came a week ago, you were telling me that if he didn't exist your life would be easier,” he added.

Kagome sighed, shaking her head as she slid the picture into one of the albums. Koga disappeared into the bathroom before coming out a moment later, holding a small square of toilet paper. He held it up, and she gave him a confused stare. “You're crying,” Koga mumbled.

Kagome blinked at him, wiping at her cheeks and realizing that tears had been streaming down her face. She rolled her eyes. “Pathetic,” she whispered quietly. “I-Sorry, I didn't realize I was rambling.. You should've stopped me.”

Koga shrugged, “We're all therapists, remember? It's our job to listen.”

Kagome snorted at his lame attempt to make her laugh. She let a small one escape though. “Not to each other,” she grumbled.

Koga reached into the album, pulling the photo out and staring at it. “He's a dog demon,” he said simply, eying the silver hair, which was a dead give away.

“His family helped me control my priestess powers,” Kagome whispered quietly. “I – I got close to both the sons,” she whispered, before giving in. “They both chose a different woman.”

“Then, the rumors are true... Dogs are all bark and no brain,” he twisted the usual phrase around and gave her a reassuring smile. “You're moving on,” he added. The stare he gave her was completely serious, and she realized that he had turned into the therapist.

She remembered first meeting Koga in the children's hospital she previously worked at. While she was new there, he had been the main psychiatrist. Eventually, she had taken over his job so he could begin his internship at this facility. Now, after two years, Kagome had been invited by him to join the research team.

“Y-You want to talk about it? Not as a patient, but as a friend,” he quickly added to the end when he saw her sudden glare. “We could go out to dinner or order something for take out. Your kitchen isn't going to be up and running for another day or so.”

Kagome's mouth twitched as she thought about it. As a psychologist, she knew that it wasn't good to pent up things that were causing you to move across a province. She also knew that talking was a good way to organize thinking. “I-I'll go for some take out,” she allowed slowly, still closely eying the picture in Koga's grasp.

He held it up, waving it only a little to capture her attention. “First, tell me why this picture brought out such an emotional response?” He asked, walking over to the bed to take a seat. The sound of him patting the bare mattress made her release a breath.

Kagome trudged over to it, letting her weight fall until it shifted. “I- I fell in love with Sesshoumaru after his younger brother cheated on me. W-We spent a night in the family cottage and became friends with benefits. He would come to me whenever he needed to, and I would give him it in hopes that he would... stay.” She let her mind wander back to that Christmas. It had been the last time she would hope.

Eri sighed once again, staring at Kagome in awe. “I don't know how you just did that,” she grumbled, still clutching her textbooks against her chest. Her eyes staring at the back of the man Kagome had just turned down. “He is the at the top of all his classes and he asked you out! You're not even in his year!” She whispered harshly, staring at her best friend since high school, Kagome.

Kagome shrugged her shoulders. “I have plans,” she added. Sesshoumaru had invited her to come over to his place for dinner. It was the first time she'd ever been invited to his place. Usually, they met at Daitaro's for dinners. Otherwise, he would come to her small apartment.

“Are you sure, Kagome?” Eri asked quietly, pulling her black hair back behind her headband. “I mean, I don't want to anger you, but all he does is use you. He comes to your place, you give him whatever he wants, and then he leaves.”

Kagome flinched at the wording of it. It didn't matter that she was right. “You don't understand, Eri,” Kagome whispered quietly. “Sometimes we go to lunch, and I help him with business decisions. Usually though, he's a very closed off person. He hardly ever talks to anyone! I think he's just shy,” Kagome tried to explain.

Sesshoumaru wasn't using her. If he was using her, then he'd be going to other women. Kagome had never seen him with another woman, and usually they were close. “In fact, he's picking me up from class,” Kagome chimed in excitedly. She had just gotten the surprise text on her cellphone a few classes ago.

“I have it all planned out!” Kagome exclaimed, barely containing her excitement. Tonight was the night, after all. Sesshoumaru was finally going to say he wanted a commitment. After tonight, she would be his official girlfriend! “He's going to take me out to walk around the giant Christmas tree in the town square! Then, we're going to go back to his place, where we're going to have a candlelight dinner on the balcony!”

Eri snorted, covering her mouth to laugh as Kagome opened the door to the shoe locker room. “Kagome, I can see the hearts in your eyes,” she got out around her laughs.

Kagome sighed, shaking her head. That was how it would go. She knew deep down inside that Sesshoumaru cared for her. “I'm completely serious, Eri!” She declared, pulling the Santa hat on her head and then slipping her tennis shoes onto her feet.

They both left for the gates, and Kagome instantly saw the ebony strands of hair blowing in the wind. He had his concealment on. Kagome knew that much. She grinned upon seeing them, even as he turned around to greet her. “Oh!” Eri shouted, seeing this as the perfect opportunity. “Let me get a picture of you two. It's Christmas!” She added

Kagome flushed, inwardly wanting to hug and kiss Eri for such a brilliant ploy. This would be a photo to capture the day she would be his girlfriend. “Get together,” Eri added, pulling the point and shoot camera out of her purse and bringing it up to her eyes.

“1...” She began, even as Sesshoumaru and Kagome looked awkwardly at each other. “2...” She added. Sesshoumaru wrapped his arm around Kagome, pulling her against him. For a moment, she looked at him in shock, before letting a grin slide in place as she looked into his golden eyes. They were staring at the camera. “3!” Eri ended.

Kagome blinked, turning to stare at her friend. “Wait! I wasn't even looking!” Kagome pouted sulkily. Eri gave her a wink, pulling the camera away from Kagome when she tried to grab at it to see the digital screen. “Trust me,” she whispered, not thinking Sesshoumaru would hear it, “you'll like how it came out.”

Kagome blushed cherry red. She was staring at Sesshoumaru! “I-,” she gave up though. Casting a goodbye glance to Eri, she bowed, “Merry Christmas!” She cheered, before turning and entwining her arm with Sesshoumaru. “Where are we going? To the big tree in town square?” She hinted.

Sesshoumaru's golden eyes penetrated her easily. “The train station,” he answered simply. Then, he gave her a soft smile, one that she cherished. It was her smile. He never gave it to someone else. Another sure sign that he was bound to show her some sort of commitment tonight. “Is that where girls go for Christmas now?” He teased quietly.

Kagome flushed, watching as he pulled the sleeve of his jacket back to check his watch. “D-Do you have plans?” She asked, trying to sound casual about it. “Reservations, or something?” Kagome muttered. She looked down at herself. The denim jeans and purple, long-sleeve shirt weren't suitable for a restaurant. “Now, that I think about it, I'm not dressed for dinner at all,” Kagome muttered.

Sesshoumaru's soft laughter was her reward, and she instantly forgot that she had even started to worry. “We will go look at the tree, for only a moment though,” Sesshoumaru added quietly. “I do have dinner all planned out. I have something to tell you, as well,” Sesshoumaru added the last part under his breath.

Kagome's heart sped up. That was it! That was the clue! Tonight, at the candlelight dinner, she would become Sesshoumaru's. Was she ready for this? What would they do from now on? How would Inuyasha handle it? The questions disappeared as quick as they came until the train arrived and they boarded it.

“Are you okay? You look like you have a fever?” Sesshoumaru asked after a few moments. It snapped Kagome out of her thoughts instantly.

“No,” she answered quickly. She took a deep breath and released it, letting all of her worries out. “I'm fine, Sesshoumaru. I'm really happy that you invited me to your home. I've never been there.”

He chuckled, shaking his head. Kagome flushed in embarrassment. He probably thought that she was a child now. Being excited about something so small as his apartment. “It is just a loft apartment,” he answered as he looked out the window. The snow was beginning to fall and Kagome was glad she had her jacket cradled on her arm.

“Still,” Kagome whispered. “Y-You always come to my place.” It was the first time she had ever brought up his visits in public. Usually, she was too scared to bring them up. She didn't want to press Sesshoumaru or ask him, scared that he would push her away or lose interest.

The train beeped and they stood up, knowing this was their stop. The town square was bustling and she saw Sesshoumaru hesitate to leave the train car. His ears and nose were too sensitive for this. She knew that he didn't like crowded areas. Without thinking, she turned around, bumping into his chest. They both got caught up in the swarm of people getting onto the train at her reluctance. Quickly, the stampede of people pushed them back into the car.

“What are you doing?” Sesshoumaru asked with one raised eyebrow. “Did you not want to see the tree?” He inquired, trying to get comfortable even though there wasn't even an inch to spare with so many people in the car now.

Kagome gave him a comforting smile. “I-I saw you. You looked hurt, and I realized that it was too crowded,” she explained, trying to keep her voice low.

Sesshoumaru chuckled, shaking his head at her. “It was not that bad,” he added. Kagome saw him glimpse at his watch. He released a breath, as if he were running late. “I guess it is good. I-I am expecting something at my apartment. It is supposed to be a surprise,” he added.

Kagome's heart sped up again as she tried to figure out the surprise. Maybe, it was their own personal chef or musician. A violinist next to a candlelight dinner would be so romantic. Kagome shook her head to clear her thoughts. She didn't want to set her standards too high. As long as the night ended with Sesshoumaru's arms tightly wrapped around her, it would be perfect.

The robotic voice came over the intercom once more. Sesshoumaru grabbed onto Kagome's wrist, clearing his throat loudly and shoving through the other people on the train. Kagome gasped, holding onto her messenger bag and jacket as she was dragged behind him. “I swear, trains in Japan are the worst,” she grumbled as they finally made it out. “It's like a package of sardines,” she added, following Sesshoumaru into the parking lot.

“You have a car?” Kagome asked. Now that she thought about it, he would need to have a car to visit her so late at night. Only a few trains operated during the night, but none of them were convenient enough to run through her station.

“Of course, I do,” Sesshoumaru answered, as if the question she'd just ask was stupid. “You do not?” He wondered.

“No, I only go between the university and the hospital. Plus, your father found me that apartment and it's perfectly located next to the stores and the train station,” Kagome explained, watching as Sesshoumaru stepped next to a sleek, black European car. He opened the passenger door for her, and she set her bags on the floor and hurried to sit in the leather seats. “This is really nice,” she commented.

Sesshoumaru sank into the driver's seat. Kagome watched, intrigued by the way he seemed to fit in the car. It was almost as if he'd been born to be in a luxury car. The way his hands wrapped around the shift knob between them, and a comfortable, relaxed smile came over his lips, made her think that he really enjoyed driving. “A-Are the windows tinted?” She asked quietly, nervous over what she was about to do.

“Yes,” Sesshoumaru answered as he pulled out of the parking lot and turned onto the main street. Kagome bit her lip, letting her priestess powers come to the surface. In one, quick burst, the concealment over Sesshoumaru broke. She watched in awe as the ebony strands faded to silver. The dull, honey colored eyes turned into two fiery suns. The pointy ears grew. The things she loved the most though came to the surface in the form of two magenta stripes on each cheek and a crescent moon on his forehead. “You have always done that,” Sesshoumaru mumbled.

They both knew what he was talking about. When Daitaro had Kagome transferred to the same high school, Kagome had always broken the concealment as soon as they had gotten home on both him and Inuyasha. “I believe you shouldn't have to hide who you really are,” she would say every time.

“You look strange to me when you're human. I like the stripes,” Kagome muttered. A blush rose to her cheeks when she remembered the location of the other stripes. On several occasions, she had spent a good amount of time tracing the stripes on his hips. Then, she had found the secret location of two other stripes. She had been shocked when she'd first performed oral sex with him. She had been traveling south on his body when two, magenta stripes grew on each side of his penis.

“You are getting aroused,” Sesshoumaru's simple statement caused Kagome to gasp. She scoffed at him, turning away to look out the window.

“I hate when you do that,” Kagome pouted. “You should just let a girl dream,” she informed him. When she turned back to look at him, he was giving her that same smirk she had seen so many times before. It was a smirk that told her that Sesshoumaru was mentally undressing her as he looked over her body. “You should also keep your eyes on the road,” Kagome added.

His laugh echoed in the car as they pulled into a valet parking area. One of the employees opened her door and helped her out, handing her bags to her before the same employee took the keys from Sesshoumaru. “Good evening, Mr. Taisho. Everything has been set up in your room,” he added, while bowing.

Sesshoumaru only returned with a nod, giving the man a generous tip. He took Kagome's arm and walked her into the marble floored lobby. “This is where you live?!” Kagome whispered harshly, afraid that if she spoke too loud some sort of alarm would sound and she would be escorted off the premises.

Kagome didn't get an answer though. Sesshoumaru merely led her to the elevators and pressed the up arrow. Within a few moments, the elevator beeped and the doors opened. Kagome snorted, her complex was only two stories high, and she still didn't have an elevator. She watched in horror as he hit the top floor. Trying to bottle her excitement, she released a slow breath. Although, it was a bit shaky.

It would be the longest elevator ride in her life. Her whole body was beginning to warm up. She could feel small tremors course through her as each floor was announced by a machine. The echo of her heartbeat sounded through her head, maybe even the entire elevator. Kagome could hear her blood running through her veins, and when the elevator came to a stop, she felt frozen stiff.

The doors crawled open, and she was shocked when, instead of a hallway, she saw his living room. That wasn't the only thing that shocked her though. The entire place was crowded, crawling with demons. For a moment, she struggled to keep her priestess powers in check. Sesshoumaru gave her a worried glance. “I should have warned you about the demons,” he added as they emptied the elevator.

Kagome could only find herself to give a small nod. “I-I thought it was going to be a private dinner,” she chuckled out, almost feeling childish for thinking such a thing. Still, Sesshoumaru had said he wanted to tell her something. Maybe, there was still hope.

“Daitaro,” Kagome released in relief. If his father was here, she had another ally. Demons still weren't too friendly with priestesses. They could still kill them, and police nowadays still couldn't figure out how to solve those rare cases.

Sesshoumaru's father came over and pulled her into a hug. She instantly felt at home in his embrace. “Merry Christmas,” Daitaro whispered in her ears. There was something in the way he had said it. The tone had been slightly filled with warning, maybe even a bit of worry and concern. Kagome had easily shaken it off when she pulled back and saw him grinning. He grasped the white ball at the end of her hat and yanked on it playfully, “Cute.”

Kagome flushed. A small giggle flew past her lips. “It is Christmas,” she reasoned, wanting to stick her tongue out at him. Daitaro had always been one to worry over appearances, even though he didn't care what people thought of him. It was the people around him that he worried the most about. Kagome shook her head. The Great Dog Demon General was the most confusing of them all, and that was really saying something.

“Stay here,” Sesshoumaru whispered in her ear, cupping her shoulders as he bent down to its level. Kagome could barely give a nod before he was gone, leaving her in the demons' nest. They all glimpsed at her worriedly, but knew to trust their host. Kagome quickly found the champagne tray. Was he going to announce it to everyone?

“Do you know what the surprise is, Daitaro?” She asked, following Sesshoumaru's father into the crowd like a lost puppy. “He said he wanted to tell me something...” She trailed off. She came to a quick stop when he did, ducking and dodging his outspread arm when he turned around.

“He didn't tell you?” His father had asked. His golden eyes were wide, his lips slightly parted. “Sesshoumaru didn't say anything?”

“He just said he had something to tell me,” Kagome added with a nod. “I mean, I thought it was a dinner for the two of us,” Kagome mumbled, slightly disappointed that, so far, her plans were not working. “Did he tell you something?" She inquired with a raised eyebrow.

The way his nose twitched, and his eyes quickly ran from hers, told her the answer. “What is it!?” She gasped, wanting to know if her entire plans were naive.

“I-I don't think I should tell you,” Daitaro whispered quietly. Kagome was scared of the sympathetic look in his eyes. “Sesshoumaru was with you last night, wasn't he?” He whispered lowly. Once Kagome blushed, he knew the answer and he sighed once more. “That idiot!” He cursed. “I-I knew he was going over there. I told him that you deserved more respect then that.”

Kagome could only offer a measly excuse of a laugh. “D-Daitaro, tell me what's going on,” she pleaded. “This isn't funny,” she whispered, feeling her heart begin to speed up until it was too fast. She was sure it was going to pop right out of her chest.

Sesshoumaru entered the room just then. His eyes quickly sought at hers and she flushed, getting ready to move forward and meet him. She was always with him. A tight grasp on her wrist had her looking at Daitaro again. She paused as Sesshoumaru began to speak. “I have an announcement to make,” he called out. “I would like everyone to meet my intended mate.”

Kagome's breath came to a stop. Her knees began to shake when another woman came out from the hallway Sesshoumaru had come from. Her black hair was like neatly brushed silk. Her crimson eyes glowed with royalty. The kimono she wore was classic and elegant, made with purple designs that showed nobility. The feathers in her hair was an easy symbol of the element she wielded.

That wasn't what made her freeze. That wasn't the thing that made her blood run cold. She watched as Sesshoumaru cast her a brilliant grin. His golden eyes looked to her as if she were the one. This woman that kissed him on the cheek in greeting, was causing him to give such a loving and caring expression.

The smirk, the smile, and the looks that Sesshoumaru had given Kagome – her, hadn't been out of love. They had been out of lust. “Kagome,” Daitaro whispered, catching the scent of salt in the air quickly. Urgently, he pulled her in the direction of the elevator, repeatedly pushing the down arrow until the doors open.

It was too late though. The first sob had wracked its way out of her body. Her shoulders shook with the same magnitude of an earthquake and, as she hid herself in the chest of Daitaro, she still couldn't get rid of that disgusting image. The loving Sesshoumaru staring at his intended, Kagura.

“You stayed by his side though,” Koga's voice pulled her from the memories as he handed her another square of toilet paper. She hadn't even remembered when Koga had gotten up to fetch the whole toilet paper roll from the bathroom. She had been so taken by telling the story.

“I did, but I am not anymore,” Kagome whispered. “I kept clutching onto hope. Maybe, he would remember me. Maybe, he would come back to me.”

Koga gave her a comforting smile. “... Then you realized...?” He trailed off, doing what every good therapist did. He was letting her figure it out, letting her complete the organization of her thoughts.

“Then I realized he was never mine.” The words shredded all hope that was left in Kagome's system. They separated her from Sesshoumaru more than physical distance ever could. It didn't matter that she was in the Northern province and he was in the Southern. She wasn't his.

“You still miss him though,” Koga whispered quietly, gesturing to the numerous, wadded up pieces of toilet paper now littering the ground. Kagome couldn't bring herself to feel embarrassed over causing such a mess as she thought about his statement.

“I-I don't think so,” Kagome suddenly said, her eyes widening as she realized exactly what she missed. She gave a watery laugh, shaking her head in awe. “I miss the smile. When I saw him smile, and knew that it was not for me, is when I will miss him the most.”

Koga gave her a strange look. It held a worried expression, maybe even a look of confusion. “Why would you say that?” He asked, shaking his head at her.

Kagome shrugged his shoulders. “I-I think back on it. I realized that the smile I had treasured for long wasn't love, it was lust. But, when I saw the smile he gave Kagura that night, I realized... That's the Sesshoumaru I want, that's the Sesshoumaru I'll hold onto and hope for.”

They sat in silence for a few moments. Koga taking in all of her words and coming to the conclusion that Kagome was a woman who had been severely mistreated, but a woman still very much in love. Kagome, however, came to a quite opposite conclusion. She felt alive for releasing so much information. It had been so long since she'd vented her relationship with Sesshoumaru to someone else. She would move on.

Koga released a breath. Using his hands, he pressed them on his knees and pushed himself up. Kagome watched as he stood, giving him a watery smile. “Is our time up? How much do you charge for a session?”

Koga snorted, reaching for the cellphone in his back pocket and beginning to dial a number. “Don't be stupid. Although, I'm shocked you released so much information to me. I feel very accomplished as a therapist right now,” he teased her.

Kagome could hear the beginning of a ring tone on the line, but couldn't help adding. “It's because you don't have a shirt on. I'm a sucker for canines.”