This story was inspired by my gorgeous and lovely roomie, Brittany!

Also, I own none of the characters!

The Return

"Congratulations!" Cheers rang up from the large crowd gathered as graduation caps were flung carelessly into the air. Laugher filled the air as families and recent graduated conversed freely in the warm spring air.

"Kagome!" Three young women shouted out together as they caught glimpse of their friend. It was amazing to all three of them that she even made it through to graduation, after how sick she seemed to be. But three years ago, she almost never got sick again. She had nothing but a simple winter cold from then on out.

"Ah!" Kagome looked up in surprise from her spot beside her family. Her raven hair was now down to her waist and her brown eyes shone with pure delight. I can't believe it. I'm actually graduation high school! I didn't think I'd make it, not after… The miko's smile wavered a bit and she quickly pushed the thought about her past from her mind.

"Good afternoon, ma'am," said Yuka, bowing slightly to Kagome's mother. The older woman smiled warmly.

"Congratulations, graduating," she said as she smiled at each of Kagome's friends in turn. Eri and Ayumi smiled broadly in response.

"You all got into college, didn't you?" Kagome continued smiling when she thought of her future. She didn't even bother applying to any colleges. Something didn't feel right about having a future in this era. She knew where she belonged, and it was 500 years in the past.

"Oh, congratulations!" Mrs. Higuraishi continued to smile brightly. She knew full well why her daughter didn't apply to any colleges along with her friends. Even though they had never talked about it, she always knew what her daughter planned to do after she finished high school. Her heart ached when she remembered the painful look in her daughter's eyes for the month after she had learned that she couldn't return to the past, and more importantly, to a certain hanyou boy.

"I'm going to be an interpretator!" Ayumi exclaimed cheerily.

"I'm going to be an announcer," Yuka added in, smiling proudly.

"Well, you better be 'Miss Campus' first," Eri added with a chuckle. Kagome continued to smile at her friends. It's been three years since then.

Three days after the well on this side disappeared…the well reappeared in a pillar of light, and I returned with Inuyasha.

"Kagome!" "Nee-Chan!" "Kagome!"

My family was there. I was worried I would never see them again. And from the relieved looks on their faces, it was obvious that the well disappearing had them worried too.

"Mama!" I had thrown myself into my mother's arms and couldn't stop that tears that had begun to fall from my eyes.

"Kagome, we were so worried," gramps had said solemnly while Souta just nodded in disbelief.

"Inuyasha saved me. Inuyasha, thank…" The words had caught in my throat as I saw him standing still in the pillar of light that was coming out of the well. The look on his face was one of sadness, yet understanding. I didn't realize it then, but I understood as well.

The well was closing. I wouldn't be able to travel to his era anymore. And I wasn't ready to leave my family behind.

"Inuyasha!" I had yelled his name, running to the lip of the well as it seemed to swallow him up forever. Forever. I couldn't bear to be apart from him forever. "Inuyasha!" I fell to my knees at the side of the well, tears streaming down my face. I could hear mama, Souta, and gramps crying as well. But they were crying out of relief that I was home. I was crying because I would be trapped at home forever.

"Kagome?" Eri repeated her friend's name again. Kagome blinked rapidly to clear her thoughts.

"Mmm, yes?" Kagome forced her thoughts back to the present.

"Would you like to come out with us for some celebratory drinks?" Eri, Yuka, and Ayumi were all staring at her expectantly. Kagome looked between them and her family. Her fate was clear to her. There was no sense in lingering here in this era any longer.

"I'm sorry, but my family and I have plans." She felt bad about lying, but Kagome didn't want to delay the inevitable. Giving each of her friends a tight hug, Kagome said goodbye. Her friends thought it was just for the moment, but the young woman knew that it would be for good. How do I know this? Isn't the well closed for good?

Losing herself once more to her thoughts, Kagome silently followed her family to the car and back to the shrine house.

The reason the well won't connect is probably because of my feelings. Kagome thought as she stood silently by the dark well. She clasped her hands tightly in front of her graduation skirt and stared fearfully into the dark abyss of the well.

When the bone eater's well disappeared and I was plunged into that darkness, I was so scared and sad. Kagome shivered just remembering the all-consuming darkness.

But I didn't know that I had been in the darkness for three days. And that made mama, gramps, and Souta sad as well. I felt terrible and was so happy to return home.

And then the well closed. Kagome rested her fisted hands on the edge of the worn well. It was so familiar to her. She couldn't count the number of times that she had climbed onto this very ledge and leapt into the darkness.

Darkness. Is that what scared her so much? Guilt flooded her when she thought about how she didn't even know for sure if the well was closed or not. She had been too afraid of the dark to even try jumping down it. But it must be sealed. Otherwise Inuyasha would have come for me by now…wouldn't he?

Inuyasha. I've thought about you all the time since then. The reason I went to the feudal era…the reason the sacred jewel disappeared and the reason well stopped working…what I had to do is done. And now I am forever in my…this world. Kagome mentally corrected herself. This wasn't her world. She left her heart behind in the feudal era. With all of her friends. With her hanyou…with Inuyasha.

A world without Inuyasha. Inuyasha…I want to be with you. Kagome gasped suddenly as a strange feeling flooded her. It was coming from within the well! Her brown eyes opened suddenly as the strange feeling turned into a familiar one. A tingling sensation rippled through her. She shivered slightly.

"Kagome? What's wrong? " Her mother was standing at the top of the stairs, looking down at her daughter. Her one and only daughter that had been dealt a very strange hand of fate indeed. Kagome's mother knew what was coming. She could see the haunted look in her daughter's eye, the look that spoke volumes. The well was open once more.

"Mama.." Kagome continued to stare deep into the well. Without saying a word, Kagome's mother joined her daughter before the well. They held each other silently. This was the way it had always been. They knew what was going on without speaking. Kagome's mother put on a brave face, even though she knew.

She knew that she was about to never see her daughter again.

"Mama, I'm…" Kagome struggled with the right words to say. Her mother simply held her tighter. Tears once more fell down the miko's face.

"Kagome…" Mrs. Higuraishi refused to let the tears that she felt building in the back of her eyes fall. It would make things even harder for her daughter. She knew that Kagome hadn't been herself since Inuyasha had disappeared down the well and it had closed off. As much as she loved her daughter and wanted to be able to stay, she knew that it wasn't possible.

Kagome knew. She knew that the well was open once more, just by the sheer feeling that she was getting. Did it even ever close off in the first place? Or was I just too afraid to try. I didn't want to leave my family…

The young adult found herself smiling. She was ready now. Kagome was ready to take that leap. It was time to leave the future and head into the past; the past was where her real future belonged. Inuyasha, I'm coming home.

Pulling herself out of her mother's embrace, Kagome looked into the older woman's eyes. Her mother met her face with a smile.

"Well, dear, did you want to say goodbye to Grandpa and Souta, or would that be too painful for you?" Kagome's smile shined as tears continued to pour down her face. She was saying hello to a new part of her life, but it meant saying goodbye to everyone that she held dear in this time era. I know that once I go through, the well will never work again. She didn't know exactly how she knew that was true; she just did.

"I think it would just be easier if I left…right away," Kagome finally decided. Saying goodbye to everybody would only make things harder in the end. Her mother nodded, as one tear escaped her and rolled down her face. Kagome frowned and her resolve wavered. Will I be able to handle never seeing my family again?

"Don't worry about us, dear. We will miss you, that is for sure, but I will be happier knowing that you are happy. Tell Inuyasha that he has our full blessings," Mrs. Higuraishi said as she gripped her daughter's shoulders in comfort. Seeing the unsure look on her daughter's face, she continued. "We all want nothing but your happiness, Kagome. Now, go. Go and be with the one you love."

Kagome nodded solidly, the resolution in her heart was unbreakable now. She turned from her mother and looked down into the well once more. It's so dark…Fear flooded her once more as she gripped the worn wood on the lip of the well and gazed down into the dark abyss. She jumped slightly when she felt her mother's hands on her shoulders once more.

"You can do it, Kagome. Remember that I love you always," she whispered to her one and only daughter. Kagome nodded once before climbing onto the lip of the well. It seemed so familiar that she almost forgot that three years had passed since she had done this. Three long years…what if he has forgotten me? What if he has moved on? Doubt crept into her heart, clinging lightly like long-forgotten spider webs. Kagome sat on the lip of the well, her feet dangling over the darkness. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

"I love you, mom. Tell Gramps and Souta that I love them too. I'll miss you all!" It was now or never. Without turning around and sparing a second glance, Kagome took a deep breath. And then she pushed with her arms, propelling herself into the well.

The familiar blue light swam around her and Kagome let out the breath that she had been holding. It worked! The miko let out a triumphant cheer as she made her way back to the past. She was on her way home. She quelled the doubts that Inuyasha had moved on or, worse, had found someone else to love. It seemed to be forever until her feet finally touched down on the floor of the well. The well that was located in the past.

Kagome's heart beat painfully in her chest as the rich smells of the forest filtered into her nose. She quickly whipped the tears off of her face. I don't want him to see my like this. Not when I haven't seen him in three years.

Her mind floated back to the past three years. They were so unbelievable lonely. Some nights she didn't think that she would make it. She spent every moment of her time studying and immersing herself in finishing high school. It helped her slightly by keeping her mind busy so that she couldn't think of the past. The only thing that kept her going was her hope and faith that the well would open for her again…if it had even closed in the first place.

For some reason, she suddenly knew. She knew that he would be waiting for her. Smiling once more, the young miko grabbed onto vines that had long over grown the inside of the well. It was an easy climb. Kagome felt time start to move more slowly as she got closer and closer to the top of the well. It was an easy climb. She kept grabbing vines, moving herself up slowly, hand over hand, and then…

Her heart stopped in her throat. The last three years she had spent waiting for this one moment. Her faith had wavered every once and a while, on those cold, lonely nights that she spent crying in her bed, but she had never doubted that she would see him once more. And there, right in front of her face was a clawed hand clad in a red robe. It was within grabbing distance. Kagome felt the life rush back into her soul. Smiling the biggest smile that she had in three long years, Kagome grasped the hand tightly. The next moment seemed like a blur as she felt herself being hauled upward, much faster than she could have ever climbed herself.

In what seemed like a lifetime, Kagome was finally pulled over the side of the well. The strength with which he pulled her was so strong that she found herself standing above him, perched on the ledge of the well. She had finally come out on the right side of the well. Finally, after three long years, she found herself face to face with the man that had stolen her heart.

She could feel tears starting to build in her eyes, but she did not let them fall. She knew how much he hated to see her cry. Her voice caught in her throat as she took in his face. His bright golden eyes met her deep brown ones. They studied each other for a moment more before Kagome finally broke the silence.

"Inuyasha, I'm sorry. Were you waiting?" Her voice sounded shaky, as the first tear broke free from her hold. She continued to smile as she looked nowhere except for into his eyes. Those eyes. I've missed them so much.

"Kagome." She had dreamed of him saying her name almost every night since she had seen him last. Her name sounded so sweet on his lips. She gasped as, out of nowhere, he grabbed her and pulled her tightly to himself. She continued to smile as her eyes slid shut peacefully and she wrapped her fingers into the front of his haori.

"You idiot. What have you been up to?" She was back. Kagome was finally back in his arms. It was right where she knew she wanted to be for the rest of her life. She laughed lightly at his first words to her. Oh, Inuyasha. I wouldn't have wanted to hear anything else.

Before he could kiss her or tell her his feelings or even do anything, Miroku and Sango came upon the well with their children. Shippo trailed by their side. They were all curious about Inuyasha's behavior and why he had suddenly taken off towards the well.

"Ka…" Shippo's voice locked in his throat at the sight of the girl that he had thought he would never see again, standing right before him. She held tightly to Inuyasha's arms, but turned her body towards the group approaching her. More tears fell down her face at the sight of the friends that she had missed more than she thought possible. Shippo froze in sight of the girl…no, woman that stood before him. He was afraid that if he finished her name or moved that it would all disappear and he would wake up.

"Kagome!" Sango recovered from the shock first. She screamed her best friend's name and quickly ran to the well. Her newly born son bounced slightly in the wrapping that was around her back. She stopped in front of Kagome, tears already falling down her face. Kagome smiled brightly at her friend, before noticing the small bundle on Sango's back and the two dark-haired girls in Miroku's arms.

"You had children," Kagome exclaimed excitedly. Sango just blushed and nodded. With the tension broken, Shippo quickly bound into Kagome's arms. Sango followed suit and wrapped her arms tightly around her long-lost friend. Her twin girls watched with curiosity from their father's arms.

The monk stared at the return of the girl from the future. He rubbed his eyes once just to make sure that this was really happening. A grin broke out on his face, as his eyes grew teary as well. Kagome, Sango, and Shippo continued to cry and cling to each other, smiles on their faces. Kagome briefly wondered how she could be smiling and crying at the same time.

The group chatted for a bit before Miroku interrupted Shippo's billionth question to the miko.

"Come on Shippo. Let us all head back to the village and give Kagome and Inuyasha some time." For what, he didn't say, but he knew that Inuyasha had missed Kagome more than any of them. And for that, he deserved some time with her. The small family dragged Shippo away from the well. He yelled in protest that he wanted to spend more time with Kagome, but Miroku and Sango simply ignored him and dragged him back to the village with them.

Inuyasha turned from looking at the retreating group and back at the woman that he held in his arms. He hadn't let her go, even when the others had shown up. He kept a tight grip on her arms. Kagome was fine with this; she never wanted to let of him either. She was afraid that if she stopped holding on to him, or stopped staring into those bright golden eyes, that he would disappear again. She glanced behind her at the well, afraid that it would swallow one of them up again.

Her mind went over everything that she had thought of to say to Inuyasha while she spent the three long years away from his side. But all of her thoughts turned to mush now that she was back with him. She wanted nothing more than to just stare at his face and feel his warm embrace around her. So, she waited for Inuyasha to say something to her. Anything would do, any words to just let her know that she was still welcome to stay here, with him. Any words that…

Kagome froze in place as she Inuyasha pressed his lips gingerly against hers. He pulled her closer to himself, pushing more aggressively against her now. In response, she parted her lips and kissed him back, as the heat from his body intermingled with her own and sparks seemed to shoot down her spine. Time seemed to stand still as Kagome laced her arms around the hanyou's neck and gently rubbed one ear with her fingertips, just like she had always imagined that she would. Inuyasha's only response was a light growl of pleasure as he pulled her even closer into himself. The miko had only one thought as she swirled around in the bliss that was brought on by her very first real kiss with Inuyasha.

Finally…