Kagome didn't go back to the Feudal Era.

It was after the stupid fight with Inuyasha about Koga, and after she'd caught him embracing Kikyo, telling her he'd protect her. The conclusion she reached, once at home and having thought about if a few days, was that she was better off in the modern era.

Days passed. Ayumi, Yuka and Eri were beginning to grow very preoccupied about her, as were her mother, brother and grandfather. None of them knew the exact problems, but they all knew who'd caused them: Inuyasha.

Kagome went to school. She brought up her grades, she did not miss one day of school and she even went on a date with Hojo. Even her social status started rising bit by bit, making her one of the nicest girls in school.

But when she got home, all Kagome did was stand in front of the Goshinboku, staring right at the place where Inuyasha had been pinned by Kikyo. She'd take turns between watching the Tree of Ages and the other end of the Bone Eater's Well, hoping that by some miracle, Inuyasha would come get her.

It wasn't about pride. If Inuyasha came to get her, Kagome would've gone with him to the Feudal Era and would have never mentioned the quarrel again. But the fact of the matter was that Inuyasha wasn't going to get her. In fact, so far, he still hadn't come.

"We were thinking of going to this concert tonight, Kagome. We thought that you might want to come, you know, have some fun." Eri said hesitantly, watching as the sixteen-year-old dragged her feet beside them. In the year that had passed since Kagome's abrupt departure from the Feudal Era, it seemed almost as though she'd had her switch turned off, and all she did was go through the basic functions. Sure, she laughed, she talked, she cried, she even screamed when she was very annoyed, but there was always something missing, something that her friends noticed the very same day it disappeared.

"Oh? Yeah, that'd be great, you guys!" Kagome grinned widely, hugging them with fake excitement. "Is it alright if I bring Hojo? I promised him that we would hang out today, and I'd hate to cancel on them."

Depressed or not, Kagome still knew how to do a damn puppy-dog face, thought Yuka.

"Fine." The three chorused, almost flinching as soon as they said it. Why had they encouraged the relationship so much? Hojo was like a nightmare, grinning day in and day out. At first it was cute, then it was inspiring, now it was just downright creepy.

The day went by. Kagome paid attention to her classes, sat at the popular table during lunch (along with Yuka, Eri and Ayumi) and excelled in her extracurricular activity, which was archery.

"Mama! Sota! Jii-chan! I'm home!" Kagome called upon arriving at the Higurashi Shrine, as always aware of her mother's concern on her safe arrival. Mama answered with a cheerful hello, Sota with a 'hey, sis!' and Jii-chan with a critique of today's youth lack of interest in praying.

Kagome sighed, going up to her room. She wished she was back with Inuyasha, Sango, Miroku, Shippo and Kirara back in the Sengoku Jidai, scouting Japan for signs of Naraku or the Shikon no Tama.

The jewel shards.

Kagome swung her gaze to the bottle that still sat at her desk. When the time had come for Kagome to gather up the courage to take them back to Inuyasha, she found that she couldn't do it, for she couldn't bare to part with the only link that still bound her to Feudal Japan. And since Inuyasha hadn't yet come to collect, she could only assume that the jewel hadn't been completed or Naraku was still undefeated.

But it was no use to think of this anymore. She probably wouldn't see Inuyasha again and if she did, she doubted that he'd be too pleased with her.

"Kagome! Your friends and Hojo are here!" Mrs. Higurashi called good-naturedly, knowing her daughter was more than likely ready about two hours ago. Punctuality was definitely from her side of the family, smiled to herself the older Higurashi.

Sure enough, Kagome came barreling down the stairs, kissed her mother goodbye and dragged her friends out the door, laughing and saying something about moving it along. They were used to her mood swings nowadays; it had stopped surprising them when she'd suddenly be in the best of moods, despite how sad her eyes still looked.

"Hi Hojo!" Kagome beamed, kissing her boyfriend. He kissed her back, and when they pulled back, Hojo was still smiling.

"Higurashi. I take it you had a nice afternoon?" he smiled warmly; her friends didn't understand, but Hojo's smile always changed, reflecting his mood. When he was truly happy, Kagome felt it in her heart, when he was trying to be tough it'd be a bit strained, and when he felt like the weight of the world was on his shoulders, his smile wouldn't stretch as wide. He smiled through his pain, his love, his sadness, his troubles and affections. It was more than Kagome could do, and for that, she admired his courage.

"Yes, I did." Kagome smiled back, happy that his smile was the true one.

"Well, we better head off. If not, we won't find a good spot." Interrupted Ayumi, once more weirded out by Hojo's smile. It wasn't natural to smile that much, especially when one's girlfriend lived in and out of depression.

"Right." Nodded the couple, and they walked off together towards the concert.

The place was filled to the brim. It was tough to believe they'd be able to squeeze in, but they managed to get to the middle of the crowd. The concert started, and Kagome smiled. Music made her day better, because it felt as though there was a song for every single mood she'd ever gone through.

"I'm going home, Yuka." Kagome shouted in her friend's ear after having told the same to Hojo. Both tried to get her to stay, or to walk her home, but as always, Kagome answered she wanted to be alone.

It was like she didn't even hear the crowd around her. Walking out, she knew anyone who stared at her for more than a second would see the emptiness in her brown eyes, the lack of shine in her waist-length raven hair and the paleness in her skin. She'd lost weight, and though she didn't look like a skeleton, this wasn't how Kagome wanted to look like.

She wanted to be full of life. She wanted to be full of scrapes and cuts again, she wanted to feel anger, and love, and true joy. But how could she? She'd left behind what mattered most to her: a demon slayer, a perverted monk, a confusing half dog demon, a kitsune, a nekomata, and the adventures that had plagued her since falling through the well.

She wanted Inuyasha to love her.

But that had been too much to ask, it seemed. He was too set on Kikyo, too set on loving the dead woman made of clay.

Stumbling through the crowd, Kagome let a tear slip for her lost love.

She broke free of the crowd. She'd reached outside, and the night was cold, telling her that winter was closer than she thought.

An arm wrapped around her. At first she thought it was Hojo, but when she turned, it wasn't.

She knew those eyes. Those golden, beautiful eyes that she loved so much she still mourned because she couldn't see them. His hair was shorter, cut like most of the boys', and she couldn't see his fuzzy ears atop his head. What had happened to them? Why couldn't she see them?

"Inuyasha!" she hugged him tightly, knowing that it was all a dream. Sometimes, when the grieving hurt too much, her heart made up images of them together.

"Kagome." Even his voice was identical; he was older, for sure, and now he looked like he was twenty-seven or so. So strange, Kagome thought, because when she dreamed of Inuyasha she thought of him as a fifteen-year-old hanyou with long claws, long silver hair and lovely ears. But it didn't matter. He was here for as long as she hallucinated.

"Oh God, Inuyasha, I've missed you so much." She hugged him tighter, almost like she was afraid he'd slip through her fingers if she let go even briefly.

"I've missed you, too, wench." Kagome laughed, because she didn't know she'd miss the nickname so much. But she did. She missed everything about him.

"How… how are you?" Kagome asked, moving her arms to instead clasp them around his shoulders. She leaned back, looking at him, tracing every line in his face with her eyesight. He looked older, but just as handsome as the first time she'd met him.

"Better now that I've found you again, Ka-go-me." he smiled, saying her name just like she had, because the nerve of him to call her Kikyo.

"Tell me. Have 500 years gone by for you?" his eyes were still sad, and when she cupped his cheek with her hand, he leaned into it.

"Yes. And it's been hell every single minute."

Hell. He didn't go to hell with Kikyo? Why not? Kagome asked him, and he appeared surprised.

"I didn't love her that way anymore. Your departure made it clear for me in a way that it had never been before. I couldn't spend eternity with her; not when I could spend eternity with you." She gasped, her heart pounded, her vision blurred.

"So after you defeated Naraku…" her voice was almost carried away by the wind, but Inuyasha could still hear her perfectly despite his hidden ears.

"I waited for you."

The dream ended, and Kagome was back in her room after the concert, crying her heart out. A part of her knew it was a lot more than a simple dream.

A few days had gone by. Kagome paced, cried, worried and laughed alone. She would look into the old well house, heart thumping, wondering if she should go back to Inuyasha. Did he really miss her? Did he really wait for her after defeating Naraku? Did he really not go to hell with Kikyo?

Did he love her?

All these questions plagued her. She knew that she had to have an answer.

She had to go through the well.

Kagome prepared herself. She packed all the necessities she'd probably ever need if she did stay in the Feudal Era, and she prepared herself for leaving. She had the jewel shards in hand, she had everything she could ever want.

Kagome went to say goodbye to her family.

"I'm going back to the Sengoku Era, Mama, Sota and Jii-chan. I need to see Inuyasha again." She announced during dinner that evening, and everyone stopped what they were doing to stare at her.

It was Mama who answered.

"Then what are you waiting for, Kagome? I'm sure your friends are waiting for you." She picked up some rice and ate it delicately.

"I don't know if I'll come back."

"Kagome, dear. Listen to me." Mrs. Higurashi set down the bowl of rice to lean on the table, grabbing her hand. "I'd rather you were happy away from us than unhappy with us. From what you've told me, you have some unfinished business in Inuyasha's time."

Kagome smiled, laughed, and hugged one by one her family members.

"If I don't come back, Mama, can you tell my friends and Hojo that I'm alright and that I love them?"

"Of course, dear."

"And, also, could you tell Hojo to stop smiling so much? It's unhealthy." They all laughed, relieved at seeing Kagome happy for the first time in a year. They walked her to the well house, they gave her a hug, they gave her a gift.

Mama gave her ramen, Sota ninja food, and Jii-chan some spells to ward off evil.

They all cried. They were sad to see her go, but knew, somehow, that they'd see her again some day.

Breathe Kagome, you can do this. Just think of what's waiting for you in the other side. Kagome, perched on the side of the well, felt someone push her in. It must've been her mother, as always the one to give her the final push.

Inuyasha's nose twitched. He'd know that scent anywhere, know the owner of it. He ran as fast as he could, as hard as his body allowed him to. He had to see if his nose was playing tricks on him; he was a few miles from the well house, but the scent was so strong and had been committed to mind so well…

Inuyasha extended a hand. He waited for someone to grasp it, for a dainty hand to slip in, and he was not let down.

Kagome didn't even have time to breath before she was crushed to Inuyasha's chest. But she clung to him just as hard, cried even harder and felt her heart mend itself with an ease unimaginable a mere minute ago.

No words were spoken. When Inuyasha ran to the far end of the forest, they didn't speak. When they hugged each other with love, no words were spoken. When they pulled back to look into each other's eyes, no words were spoken. Even when they kissed, afterwards, not a sound was made. Their eyes said it all, their eyes gave permission and their eyes showed all the love necessary for them to not utter even each other's names.

Hours later, when they were rejoicing in the arms of each other, they finally talked.

Naraku had been defeated. The jewel remained incomplete. Kikyo had gone to hell. Kagome wanted to stay here, with Inuyasha, forever.

"I love you."

"I love you too, Inuyasha."

"Kaede-baabaa? Do you know where Inuyasha is? I haven't seen him in a few days." Shippo asked the elderly woman.

Said woman's smile stretched to resemble a cat's cunning face, and she pat the young kitsune on the head.

"I assume he and Kagome are having some alone-time."

"Kagome? She's back?" asked Shippo excitedly. Kaede nodded, her smile stretching.

"Yes, she is. After the dream I sent her, it was impossible for her to stay away much longer."