Chapter 1: Home For Good

Kagome reveled in the feel of InuYasha's body beneath her own. She could feel every muscle on his body move as he ran towards the next village with rumors of Naraku's nefarious schemes. Resting her head on his back, she could almost pretend that it could always be like this. Almost. But alas, she knew that his heart belonged to an already dead priestess that still roamed the Earth mostly due to her own recent actions. Though if she was given the same choice again, she knew she would make the same choice. It was just simply the right thing to do, and she couldn't let the woman InuYasha loved die if she had the power to save her. An audible sigh escaped Kagome's lips as the thoughts played through her mind.

InuYasha's ears twitched at the sound of Kagome's distress. What on Earth could she possibly be upset about now? "Eh, Kagome, you alright?"

Kagome's head perked up slightly, "Yeah, I'm fine, InuYasha. Don't worry about me."

InuYasha could tell by the sound of her voice that she wasn't telling the truth, but it wasn't in his nature to pry. Besides, the village they were headed for had just come into view. InuYasha pushed himself faster. If the rumors were true, then this village had news of Naraku's whereabouts.

It was nearly dark by the time they reached the village. Like always, the villagers regarded them with a mixture of awe and fear. Miroku worked quickly to alleviate those fears and obtain lodging for the evening. "Good sir, I sense I great demonic aura around this village. Please, allow me to exorcise it for you?"

"Demonic aura you say? That's odd since that priestess just came through and slayed the demon plaguing our area."

InuYasha's ears perked up. Kagome's heart sank. "What priestess, old man?" InuYasha asked, harshly.

"Let me see, I think she said her name was... Kikyo. Yes, that's it, Kikyo. She just passed through here yesterday."

InuYasha stepped right in front of the old man. "Which way did she go, old man?"

Kagome watched InuYasha get worked up over possible news of Kikyo. She knew it. She knew he wasn't over her. Even though he didn't go after her that night she saved her, his heart still yearned for her. Tears welled up in her eyes.

The old man pointed towards the north-west, into the darkness of the forest. "She went that way. Strange one, she was. Didn't eat a thing or accept anything for her services. Just wanted to help, she said."

Kagome couldn't bring herself to say what she normally would. She couldn't utter the words and watch InuYasha once again choose Kikyo over her. So instead, she watched as he made the decision himself. Tears were on the brink of falling when InuYasha turned to her.

"Kagome, I..."

"Don't, InuYasha. If you're going then just go." Her voice cracked as she spoke.

His mouth tightened. Without another word, he turned from her and headed in the direction the man had pointed. Kagome, I promise I'll return. I have to see her one last time. I have to tell her to move on. To cross over to the netherworld like she should have 50 years ago. I can't move on with you until Kikyo and I can say goodbye, properly. Don't be too upset with me, Kagome. I promise I'll explain when I get back.

Kagome watched as the red of his fire rat kimono drifted out of sight. Still holding back her tears, she turned to Sango. "Sango, do you think it would be ok if I borrowed Kirara?"

"Kagome, are you going home, again?" Sango asked.

The tears finally poured down her cheeks. "I can't keep doing this to myself, Sango. I don't belong here. I never did. You guys don't need me. I'm more a hindrance than a help most times and honestly it's not like I'm the only person who can see the jewel shards. You'll all be better off without me. I need to go back to where I belong."

Shippo looked up at Kagome with tears in his eyes. "But, what about all of us, Kagome? Won't you miss us?"

Kagome bent down and picked up the child fox demon and held him in her arms. "Oh Shippo, of course I will. I love you guys and I'll always think about you. But you know I can't stay here. Not and keep any of my sanity. Maybe someday I'll come back for a visit. But I just know I can't stay." Kagome looked in the direction her hanyou had ran after another woman. "Not anymore." Kagome stood up and handed the still crying Shippo to Sango.

"Kagome, are you sure about this?" Miroku asked her. "What of InuYasha?"

Kagome's face turned red and her fists clenched at her sides. "He'll have his precious Kikyo. Like I said, he doesn't need me."

Sango sighed. Once again, InuYasha's stupidity would cause them to lose more time tracking Naraku because he would have to go apologize to Kagome. Though Sango worried a simple apology wouldn't be enough this time. She nodded at Kirara who transformed into her larger demon cat form. If Kagome wanted to go home, they weren't going to stop her. Best she had Kirara with her for protection.

Kagome wrapped her arms around both Sango and Miroku. "I hope you guys find happiness. Don't be like us, ok?" Sango blushed and looked away from Kagome. With those last few words, Kagome climbed atop Kirara and was off back to the bone eater's well that would take her back to her own time.

InuYasha had finally picked up her scent. It was faint but it made him pick up his pace. The sooner he found Kikyo, the sooner he could return to Kagome and get her tirade of sit commands over with and explain what he was doing. Before long, he spotted a few of her soul collectors and followed them right to her, the woman he had loved so long ago.

Kikyo was sprawled out in a tree awaiting the souls her collectors dropped into her. Her eyes opened at hearing his approach. "Ah, InuYasha. It seems you have found me." She slowly arose and slipped down from the tree to stand in front of him. "Tell me, why do you visit me this time?"

"Ki-Kikyo." InuYasha couldn't help but pull her into his arms, one last time. "I thought Naraku had killed you." He breathed into her hair. "But Kagome saved you. Kagome kept you alive."

"Yes, that foolish girl. She poured all of her spiritual power into saving this body. For what reason, I cannot fathom."

InuYasha pulled back from her. "For what reason? Because that's just who she is. She's a kindhearted, loyal, pure soul who puts her own safety and happiness in danger constantly."

"Humph. Is that so, InuYasha? Then what are you doing here, with me, if that's all true?"

He looked deep into her cold, dead eyes. The eyes that held nothing of the woman he once loved, he realized that now. This body he held was merely a shell full of the bitterness and anger Naraku had created all that time ago. "To say goodbye."

Kikyo's eyes widened. "Wh-what?"

"Kikyo, I'll always have a place for the woman you once were in my heart. But that woman died over 50 years ago at the hands of Naraku. I'll avenge you, don't worry. But the Kikyo I loved is no longer alive. I've come to ask you to move on. Go to the netherworld and find peace."

Kikyo laughed. "Move on, you say? Impossible. The only way for me to 'move on' is by this body's complete death or the reunion of the soul I share with that girl, Kagome. I don't think either of those things is happening anytime soon, InuYasha."

InuYasha nodded and dropped his hands to his sides. "I thought you might say something like that. Go, go now, Kikyo. The next time I see you, I will ensure your soul finds its way either to the netherworld or back with Kagome. Either way, you will cease to exist. This is your one warning. I can't keep doing this to Kagome. I... I love her, Kikyo. I want to be with her. And having you around makes that impossible." With those words, InuYasha turned to leave her.

"InuYasha..." He stopped but did not face her. "You mean that, don't you? That you would kill me?"

"You're already dead, Kikyo. I would just make it permanent." He turned his head back to her. "Goodbye, Kikyo."

The miko watched in awe as the hanyou she had once loved ran from her, forever. "Goodbye, InuYasha," she whispered after him.

"Ah, Sango, isn't it nice to be alone for once?" Miroku questioned playfully as he reached out to stroke her bottom. Shippo watched as Sango's face turned atleast five different shades of red and her hand came up and slapped his face with such force that it left a deep red mark.

"Why you, you, you PERVERT!" She screamed at him. "First of all, we're NOT alone." Her finger pointed straight at Shippo.

Miroku's eyes follwed Sango's finger. "Who, Shippo? Why the boy has to learn sometime, doesn't he?" A smile played at the corners of his mouth as he looked back at her.

"Miroku, this is so NOT the time. What with InuYasha run off after Kikyo for the millionth time and Kagome gone and run home again..."

It was just then that InuYasha shoved open the sliding doors and looked at Sango accusingly. "What do you mean Kagome ran home?"

Miroku stood and faced the angry half demon. "She said she didn't belong here anymore, Inuyasha. She was deeply upset after you ran off to find Kikyo. I'm afraid she may not return this time."

"Damnit it all, that stupid wench!" He turned and ran south, the direction of Kaede's village and the bone eater's well that would take Kagome home.

Miroku and Sango exchanged knowing looks. Those two would never make it if neither of them would admit their feelings to the other. They sighed and returned to their dinner. Best to learn what they could here before making their own way back to the village.

It had been a few hours since she had returned to her own time. Her family wasn't home, so for the first time in ages, she enjoyed a solitary dinner followed by a nice long, hot bath. It was the weekend, so she atleast had a couple days before she had to return to school and her normal life. She sat on her bed, wrapped in a towel, brushing out her hair. Stupid InuYasha. Why couldn't he understand what he did to her? Feeling herself on the brink of more tears, she decided sleep would be best. Too tired to put on her pajamas, she simply threw the towel in the direction of her hamper and pulled the covers up over herself. Sleep found her quickly, and before she knew it her breathing had slowed and her eyelids moved in time with her dreams.

The moon was high in the sky before InuYasha made his own way through the well after Kagome. Even at his top speed, it had taken him hours to travel so far. Why had she gone back so suddenly? Why hadn't she waited for him to return and explain everything to her? Quietly, he opened her window and climbed through. He looked at where she lay sprawled in her bed. Her covers had become tangled up, so much of her body was visible to him. One pert little nipple was peeking up over the top of her blanket and her creamy thigh was completely visible to him.

Seeing her like this brought his body so much agony. It was already hard enough being close to her everyday and never touching her. But this, this was too much for him. His entire body hardened at the sight of her naked body, so ripe and ready.

Unable to move for fear of what he might do, InuYasha stood there and watched her sleep. He studied her face. The tear tracks on her cheeks would've been obvious to anyone, but he could smell the salt of her tears on her skin. He sighed. He hadn't meant to upset her. Everything in him wanted to reach out and hold her. But something held him back.

Suddenly, she stirred and began rubbing her eyes. He watched in both awe and horror as she turned and focused on him. As sleep left her mind, she sat up quickly, forgetting her naked state. The covers fell down to her waist, fully exposing her breasts to him.

"Inu-InuYasha? What are you doing here?"

Turning away from the sight of her before he took her in his arms he replied, "I came to get you. Wha'dya think?"

The sudden chill she got from the open window made her aware of her nakedness. She quickly pulled the covers up over herself. "I'm not going back, InuYasha."

His face turned back to her, angry. "What do you mean not going back?!" he yelled.

Her own face twisted in anger and she yelled back, "I'm done! I'm not going to be your human jewel shard detector anymore! Besides, it's not like I'm the only one who can see them..."

"Kagome..."

"Save it, InuYasha. I'm not going to keep doing this to myself. This is where I belong. Here, in the present. With school, and friends, and tests. No jewel shards, or Naraku, or demons." Or Kikyo.

"But, Kagome, I... I need you." His face looked so sincere. She wanted to believe him. But she knew what he meant. He needed her ability to detect to jewel.

"Humph. No, you don't." Her eyes glared at him. "Why don't you get your precious Kikyo to help you from now on?"

His eyes widened. Was that why she was so upset? Because he had went after Kikyo? But it wasn't what she thought! Why hadn't she just let him explain before running home like this? How could he make her understand that he truly needed her at his side? Slowly, he took a couple steps towards her. "Kagome, I swear to you, it's... it's not like that."

Before she knew what was happening, she was on her feet, holding up the blanket with one hand and the other on her hip. "Oh yeah? Then just how is it, InuYasha? Because from over here it sure looks like you're constantly chasing after a dead woman and leaving me behind." Tears began to well up in her eyes again. Damnit, InuYasha, why'd you have to come here?

God, now she was crying. He hated making her cry. He had to find a way to make her believe him. "Kagome, I only went to say goodbye." Her eyes narrowed at him. "I told her that if I ever see her again I'll make sure she finds peace."

"Finds peace?" Kagome asked.

"Yeah, either by replacing her soul within you or by... by ending her current existance."

Kagome took a moment to understand his words. "Wait, you told Kikyo you'd... kill her?" He nodded. "But...why?"

He took another step bringing him so close to her she could feel his breath on her face. Their eyes locked and he spoke, barely in a whisper, "Because I love you, Kagome."