AN: This was originally written in honor of my poor deceased notebook. It had all of my stories in it and it's been through Hades and back with me. It took being run over about 5 times to finally kill it, but it still held onto most of its papers, even in death. In honor of my faithful friend.
AN2: There's supposed to be little breaks in here between time shifts. For some reason they aren't working. So where the story jumps is where they were supposed to be. Sorry if this throws anyone off.
Disclaimer: Don't own it. If I did, there would be more moments like this in the series.
Inuyasha heard Kagome searching frantically around Kaede's hut. He walked in and was hit by a stray piece of clothing Kagome threw out of her bag. "What are you looking for?" he asked. Kagome looked at him, her eyes wide.
"My journal. I can't find it anywhere!" she answered. He smelled her starting to panic.
"We'll find it. Calm down." He sniffed around the hut for a minute. He caught the awful scent of her "pen". He followed the scent and Kagome followed him, wringing her hands in worry. "Should be in here." Inuyasha barged right into the hut. Two kids looked up at him, guilt written all over their faces. Kagome stopped and stared at the torn and crumpled remnants of her journal. She reached down, picked up the cover, and burst into tears. The two kids hid in the corner while Inuyasha and Kagome picked up all of the papers. "Don't cry, Kagome. It's just a book." Kagome whirled around.
"Just a book? How can you say that?" She snatched the remaining papers from Inuyasha, making a strangled noise when a few of the papers caught on his claws. He followed her to the well, but didn't stop her when she jumped down.
Later, when it was almost night, Inuyasha went down the well. He climbed out the other side and walked up to Kagome's door. He remembered to knock, something that Kagome had told him to do. Mrs. Higurashi answered the door. She smiled when she saw him. "Hello, Inuyasha," she greeted. "Come in." She showed him in and led him into the dining room. "Kagome is upstairs asleep. If you wouldn't mind, I'd appreciate it if you let her stay for a few days. Losing her journal has her really rattled." The papers from Kagome's journal were spread over the table, the pieces put mostly back together, awaiting the tape that Mrs. Higurashi had set out.
"Why?" he asked. "It's just a book. Mrs. Higurashi smiled and invited him to sit.
"To Kagome, it's not just a book. I bet she never showed you this." Mrs. Higurashi grabbed the cover and opened it carefully. She showed Inuyasha the inside of the front cover. "This is a picture of Kagome and her dad, a few weeks before his accident." Kagome was young. She was wearing a pink kimono and a tooth was missing from her wide smile. She was holding her dad's fingers. He was wearing a dark green kimono and smiling at the Kagome. "This is her favorite picture of him. We were at a festival. Souta was just a baby then. The bag in his hand has this very journal in it. She thought it was so pretty. We had told her we weren't going to buy anything while we were there, but she could always get the better of him. He just couldn't resist her big, pleading eyes." Inuyasha pretended not to notice when Mrs. Higurashi wiped a tear from her eye. "Ever since he died, Kagome's been writing in it. All of her memories are in here." Inuyasha looked at the papers placed around the table.
"You're fixing it," he said matter-of-factly. Mrs. Higurashi nodded.
"It'll take awhile, but I hope to get it all taped back together and back in order." Inuyasha blinked and looked up at her.
"Can I help?" She smiled.
"Of course." She found another roll of tape and explained to him how to use it. Together the two of them taped the paper back together. It was late when they finished. "You're welcome to stay here for the night, Inuyasha. I could find you some blankets so you can sleep on the couch." He shook his head and walked outside. He jumped up in the Goshinboku tree for the night.
Inuyasha waited to come down until after Kagome left for school. From the way she looked, he guessed Mrs. Higurashi hadn't told her they were fixing the journal. He knocked on the door again and followed Mrs. Higurashi inside. "Now, I'm going to the store to buy a few things we'll need to finish up. I'd like to make the journal a little more special, with your help." He looked at her suspiciously.
"What do I have to do?" Mrs. Higurashi launched into explaining her plan.
At the store, Mrs. Higurashi bought a three ring binder and some scrap booking material. When she got home, she found Inuyasha waiting for her outside. He took her bags and waited for her to let him in. "Did you get what I asked for?" He nodded and she smiled. "Good. I'll get that taken care of after I show you what to do next." She grabbed the hole punched and showed him how to use it.
"Every paper has to be done?" he asked.
"Yes, but you can do more than one paper at once." He sat down and pulled the stack of papers over. "Just be careful not to make the hole too close to the edge, or the paper will rip out." Inuyasha shook his head and pulled a sutra out of his shirt.
"I got this from Miroku and Kaede. It'll keep it from getting taken or ripped again." Mrs. Higurashi smoothed back his bangs affectionately.
"That was very sweet of you to get that. Thank you." He blushed and let out a soft 'feh'. "I'll be back soon. Kagome won't be home for another couple of hours, so don't worry about that." He nodded and got to work.
Inuyasha waited for Kagome at the top of the steps. She gave him a small smile. "Inuyasha, I'm sorry about yesterday," she started, but he cut her off.
"I've got something for you," he said. She cocked her head to the side and gave him a confused look. He pulled the notebook out from behind him, where he had been hiding it. Kagome sighed in awe. On the cover, protected by plastic and surrounded by a scrap book frame, was the picture of Kagome and her dad. She sat on the steps and opened it. Inuyasha sat beside her. Tears formed in her eyes as she flipped through page after page. When she got close to the end, she found the surprise that Mrs. Higurashi had Inuyasha get.
There was a picture of her bike and her backpack propped against the well. Right after the picture was the start of her entries about the feudal era. There was a picture of Kaede in her herb garden. The next picture was taken from a distance with the zoom, but Kagome could still feel Sesshoumaru's chilling gaze. Rin was beside him, holding his hand. Kagome laughed. "I'm surprised he didn't attack you."
"I think he would've if it weren't for that girl." Kagome smiled and kept turning. There was a picture of Shippou licking a cherry lollipop. Kagome's eyes widened at the picture after that.
"How did you?" A grumpy human Inuyasha looked back at her.
"Kaede changed the spell on the beads for a minute and it made me look human." Kagome smiled and turned the page. Miroku was the next picture. He stood with a big smile on his face, the one that meant he was up to something. Sango and Kirara were next, one with them in there normal outfit and form, and another with them ready to fight. Kouga, Ginta, Hakakku, and Ayame were the next picture. Inuyasha smirked as she turned to the next picture. "The flash scared them." Kouga stood protectively in front of Ayame, glaring at the camera. Ginta and Hakakku had jumped backwards. Kagome giggled.
"Look at Ayame. She looks happy to be protected."
"Don't know why. Not like that wimpy wolf could protect her from much." Kagome chose not to comment. The very last picture made her stop and stare. Inuyasha was leaning against the Goshinboku tree, right where he had been pinned by Kikyo's arrow. He had a devil-may-care grin on his face. Inuyasha turned the last page when she didn't and tapped the sutra. "That's to protect it. Miroku and Kaede spelled it. It'll stop it from getting stolen or ripped again." Kagome gently set it aside and gave Inuyasha a big hug.
"Thank you so much!" Inuyasha smelled her tears.
"Feh, it was your mother's idea." Kagome sat back and wiped at her eyes.
"But what made you decide to help? I thought it was 'just a book' to you." Inuyasha pulled a ball out of his shirt and handed it to her. "A ball?" He nodded.
"It was the last thing my mother ever gave me and it's the only thing I have left that reminds me of her. Your mother told me about the picture of you and your father. I didn't want you to lose what reminded you of him." Kagome gently handed him back the ball, ignoring the tears that fell again. She wrapped her arms around him and leaned on his shoulder. He tentatively put his arms around her.
"Thank you, very much, Inuyasha."
"Your welcome."