Watching the rain drops slid down her windowpane and turn into little streams as she sat there in her crusty, falling apart apartment she sighed thinking of yester years of when she used to travel with a certain little group in the Feudal Era Japan. A dripping of water was hitting half full buckets of water that was collected from a leak in the roof was the only sound that echoed through the apartment. Kagome didn't mind living the way she was, because from her computer analysis job that she had received from her college degree was paying her very well, and she wanted to save all that she could in case she decided that she wanted a family in the future. This little ratty apartment that she had stumbled upon was rent free though she had to pay for the water and electricity, which she didn't use very much these days because she preferred to sit in the dark. She had left her little group five years ago, and she left without collecting all the jewel shards. Her raven hair was messy and she hadn't tended to it in a few days because a great tragedy had a occurred in her life, she had just lost her mother and her little brother due to a car wreck. Being twenty-five years old now she was still the same girl, just filled out a bit more in the right places, though now she wondered if she had done something wrong by leaving her group with just a goodbye letter, she knew Sango wouldn't let her go and Shippo would grab her leg and make her take him with her.

~I miss you guys terribly, but it was the only way I could get away from him, he would have never let me go.~ Kagome thought to herself, she drank her Vodka, and pondered on reality at hand. Her mother had life insurance on herself and on Sota, she had gotten it right after they had lost grandpa, just in case Kagome was ever stuck with burying her from an accident. She stared into the streets,

~I guess I am lucky that mom got that life insurance, or else I wouldn't be able to afford a proper burial for them.~ Kagome sighed, she was a mess, she didn't know how she was going to be able to go to their funeral, grandpa's was hard enough. There was a reflection in the street lamp off of something silver, she narrowed her eyes and looked closely,

"Sesshomaru?" Kagome hopeful, she opened the window,

"Sesshomaru!" Kagome screamed out, nothing but a roll of thunder answered her.

~Who am I kidding, Lord Sesshomaru wouldn't be standing in the rain outside my window, it is above him.~ Kagome slowly closed the window back and started packing her clothes, she had to move back to the shrine to keep it in the family and to throw a wake fore her mother and Sota.

~I have too much on my hands, I cant bury them, my mother and little Sota, I am all alone now, there is no one left.~ Kagome trying not to think about it, she just packed her bags and left them by the door. She already had the power and the water turned off, and had set the bills over at the shrine in her name, she crawled into bed. Slowly Kagome fell asleep crying because she thought she had no one now, everyone was indeed gone from her family, but she did have her coworkers, Kagome had took the week off so she could tend to the funeral and the wake preparations. Most of everything was already done, she had contacted her mother's friends first and then Sota's college that he was attending, and surprisingly her mother's friends all explained that they would bring a dish or two for the wake and for the dinner after the funeral, and the life insurance was taken care of. All Kagome had left to do was to go to the shrine and clean the house up and arrange the house for the gathering. Kagome had more than enough money with the life insurance to give her mother and little brother the burial they deserved.

Morning Comes

Kagome growled when the alarm went off on her wind up clock. Slowly she drug herself out of bed and threw on some clean clothes and grabbed her bags and her bicycle and went downstairs and hailed a taxi. When she arrived at her destination she sighed as she looked at the million of stairs that laid before her. She had missed her childhood home and all the life that it used to hold inside but she hated those damn stairs. Mumbling to herself she started to pay for the ride,

"Kagome its on the house, and I'll be over for the wake to help you out," a familiar voice coming from the driver's seat,

"Hojo!" Kagome had been thinking to herself the whole time and hadn't noticed who the driver was.

"Um, yeah, I know its not much of a job but its only till I get out of college," Hojo getting out and helping her out of the cab. Kagome hugged him, he was confused but hugged her back, she never had really any interest in him before, but at least he was a friend to her and he had came in her life when she needed someone.

"I don't have any family left," Kagome mumbled,

"Kagome, its going to be alright, everything is going to be okay," Hojo calmly as he rubbed her back.

"You can always call me if you get lonely, we could hang out sometime, you just don't need to sit and think about it, you'll go crazy, after the funeral and everything you need to go out with your friends and do something fun or go back to work, just keep living, you are bound for great things, that I learned from listening to your grandpa all the time, and if you have no one else to help you through these hard times, you have me, day or night just call, when I come over tonight I'll bring some stuff to help you relax and get a good night's sleep," Hojo pulling away.

"Hojo, can you stay with me tonight, I don't want to stay all alone in my old house, without mom or Sota or even grandpa," Kagome fidgeting with her hands.

"Kagome, I will stay as long as you need me to stay," Hojo strongly as he gave her a kind smile.

"Thank you Hojo," Kagome trying to smile,

"Okay, grab your bags, I'll get your bike and help you get these to the house," Hojo explained. Kagome watched him grab the bike and she slipped him two $20s in his tip jar when he wasn't looking knowing if he had seen her do it he would give it right back to her and she wanted to help him out, knowing he had took the job part time to live on while he was in college. Kagome grabbed her bags and caught up with him. She started a conversation, asking him about how college was going,

"I have an apartment right by school but its steep and I'm running out of funds to keep going to college, that's why I picked this job up, but it still seems as though I'll still have to quit school or lose my place because I'm not able to pay or both," Hojo halfway up the stairs, Kagome thought for a second.

"Well, why don't you move in here, I have the space and since I don't feel comfortable staying here alone, its perfect," Kagome happily. Hojo stopped walking,

"Are you crazy? You want me to move in here, with you, I couldn't," Hojo stuttering,

"Of course you can, you can still keep your job and pay for school and get that medicine degree you wanted, just as long as you mention me in your interviews of who helped you along the way," Kagome smirked.

"Sure, but I'm not staying here without a price, at least let me pay some bills," Hojo seriously.

"You can pay for the food and if you don't think that's enough you can always clean the house for me," Kagome shrugged,

"Deal," Hojo nodding and smiled,

"Good so this weekend I'll help you move your stuff in," Kagome finally reaching the door and unlocking it.

"Home," Kagome closed her eyes as her mother's scent flowed up her nose, slowly she opened her eyes that rained down tears, she turned her head to the kitchen,

"Mom," Kagome mumbled, she slowly sat her bags down.

"Where does the bike go?" Hojo asked,

"Just put it beside the house Hojo," Kagome softly, Hojo followed her instructions, Kagome started arranging furniture and getting some things set up.

"Hojo, I need a ride to the store, I have to pick up drinks and some ice," Kagome explained as she quickly wiped her eyes.

"Of course," Hojo kissing her forehead and leading her down the flight of stairs again,

"Is there anything I need to bring for the wake?" Hojo asked.

"Um, I already have supper trays coming from mom's friends so maybe some dessert?" Kagome suggested, Hojo nodded,

"Well, lets go to town, we'll get the stuff and I'll take you back home then I need to be back on the clock," Hojo turning off his sign and opening the front passenger's door and letting Kagome slide in. Walking around to the other side he got in and drove to town.

In town

Kagome and Hojo parked in the parking lot and walked through a couple of stores to get some floral arrangements, Kagome felt like she was being watched. Cautiously she looked around and saw a glimpse of some silver hair,

"Sesshomaru?" Kagome confused, Hojo was standing there beside her,

"Who is Sesshomaru?" Hojo confused.

"Oh, he was a friend I had growing up, I thought I saw him last night too but there's no way he would or could be here," Kagome mumbled.

"Well maybe he heard about your mom and brother getting killed and wanted to come pay his respects," Hojo explained. Kagome laughed,

"No, he never really liked me too much, he lives in a different time era then I do," Kagome seriously.

~Why would Sesshomaru be here, did he really make it to this era, why does he not come face to face with me instead of sneaking around.~ Kagome finally snapping out of her thoughts,

"Come on, lets just go get the things we need, you got to get back to work sometime, besides it was lifetimes ago," Kagome trying to smile, Hojo walked her to the store to buy the supplies they needed, and then they went back to the house.

At the house

Kagome and Hojo walked up the zillion stairs and into the house, she put the food and everything away,

"Well, I'll see you tonight, I'll bring some of my clothes with me tonight, I have class in the morning," Hojo explained.

"Alright, goodbye Hojo," Kagome hugging him for a few minutes, she finally let go and went back to doing the dishes, Hojo watched her for a few minutes, she looked as if she were trying to already take over her mother's household chores, he shook his head and locked the door behind him, he went back to work, he had still not noticed the large tip Kagome had left. Kagome worked a couple of hours getting everything spotless, she didn't dare go into her mother's room or Sota's for that matter, she sat down sighing, just staring out in space.

"Why would the Great Lord Sesshomaru be here trying to find me, what does he want, to finish me off, to kill me? Might as well, don't got anything else to lose, nothing seems to matter anymore, not even settling down and having kids, they wouldn't have a grandmother or a grandfather on my side of the family anyway," Kagome shrugged, she never dreamed of trying to hurt herself but now she begged for death to take her. She slowly got up and grabbed a clean knife from the kitchen, she sat down in the kitchen floor and leaned against the cabinets, she sliced her arm open, though she cringed in pain, oddly enough she liked the feeling but the pain didn't last long enough.

"No!!!" Kagome growled, her wound she had created was healing, she cried,

"Please, just let me die, I cant do this anymore, I cant put my mom and Sota in the ground, I cant," Kagome dropping the knife and crying into her hands.

~Do you ever think all this happened because you didn't finish your journey so long ago?~ her consciousness playing with her,

~No, it cant be the cause of my mistakes in the Feudal Era.~ Kagome running to the well, she was willing to do anything to get what little of a family she once had back. Kagome jumped in the well but she just hit the dried up bottom like a rock.

"No, I cant get back," Kagome cried, slowly she picked herself up and crawled out of the well and spent some time in the woods. Sesshomaru wasn't too far behind, he needed her for something, something important, that would save her world from destruction, but he would wait until she took care of her affairs there in the future era first.

~Is she going to survive this?~ Sesshomaru asked himself as she fell apart,

~She is a strong miko, she heals subconsciously, just look at you arm she healed, maybe you should go to her, after all she did give you a new limb, you could be there for her, she has no one left, she is alone just like you, are you not tired of being alone all these years?~ Sesshomaru's beast having a say,

~Sesshomaru is not lonely, if he wanted to mate he would have done so, this Sesshomaru does not wish to get any nearer to this miko with all these distasteful emotions flaring out.~ Sesshomaru growling and cringing in the scent of her tears.

~Well this beast wants a mate and wants to comfort this miko.~ Sesshomaru jumping down and walking towards the miko, Kagome know he was there, she could feel his presences.

"Miko," Sesshomaru growled,

"Come to settle ancient scores I see, go ahead, do your worst to me," Kagome almost in a weird eerie calmness.

~She begs for this Sesshomaru to end her life.~ Sesshomaru looking down up the weak human in front of him.

~She has lost everyone that ever mattered to her in her life, even her companions in the Feudal Era, do you blame her?~ his beast informing him.

"Miko, stop this emotion immediately," Sesshomaru demanded,

"I'm human Lord Sesshomaru, you of all demons know humans are weak, I cant stop, they were my family, if it bothers you so much why don't you just kill me already," Kagome full of pain and anger.

~She used my title, she shows this Sesshomaru respect.~ Sesshomaru growling at the scent of her salty tears.

"Do you even know why I left the Feudal Era without completing the jewel, oh, that's right The Lord Sesshomaru could care less about humans and their nature for doing stupid things, either go away or kill me," Kagome growled. Sesshomaru had an evil smirk on his face when she growled,

"This Sesshomaru does need your explanation for doing the deed you did," Sesshomaru strongly.

"It was because this human could not take anymore abuse from the half-breed, that's why, because she cared for him and everyday he would run off to that bitch, that dead whore clay pot, I wanted someone to care for me like I cared for him, so that's why I did it, because he abused me with his words and actions, he even started hitting this miko when he came back to the group with that bitch, so I left," Kagome shaking.

~That half-breed hurt Kagome, she had a perfectly good reason to leave.~ Sesshomaru's beast explained to him as he made Sesshomaru bend down and scoop Kagome up in his arms,

"What are you doing, don't you know this miko is useless?" Kagome strongly.

"No, this miko is going to back to finish the job, this Sesshomaru will travel with your group, and the half-breed will not lay another finger on this miko while Lord Sesshomaru is around," Sesshomaru taking her back to her house.

"You pity this miko, that's why you do this," Kagome still shaking with hate and anger.

"No, this Sesshomaru has been alone for years, he knows what it is like to lose someone," Sesshomaru stoically, Kagome thought for a few moments to what he could be referring to.

"Rin, this miko's actions caused Rin to die?" Kagome softly stated,

"She was killed in Sesshomaru's castle when Naraku attacked," Sesshomaru growled.

"I'm sorry, if this miko wasn't so stupid and hadn't ran away, Rin wouldn't have died," Kagome closing her eyes,

"This miko should have come to this Sesshomaru, he would have fixed the problem, though when we return, everything will be as the way you left, Rin will be alive, we will fight this battle to the end, then you will be free from the half-breed," Sesshomaru opening the door to the house and walking in.

"I have to bury my family before I leave, in case I do not survive the battle with Naraku at least they will have the proper burial," Kagome still shaking.

"This Sesshomaru will allow you to bury your loved ones, he just came to be a support," Sesshomaru going to the upstairs bathroom and drawing a bath for her,

"You came to care for me in my weakened state?" Kagome shocked,

"Hn, this Sesshomaru's beast forced this Sesshomaru to," Sesshomaru replied in his stoic manner.

"But you could have declined, why didn't you?" Kagome confused,

"This miko gave him his arm back, though it would have grown back by itself over time," Sesshomaru taking her clothes off,

"So, you do this because you owed me, Lord Sesshomaru, you do not owe me anything," Kagome strongly.

"This Sesshomaru has explained his actions to this miko, he simply does what he sees fit," Sesshomaru sternly, Kagome watched him grab a cloth from the shelf as if he knew exactly where everything was in her house. Kagome stayed quiet,

"Lord Sesshomaru, the well does not work anymore, I've tried it," Kagome softly,

"It is because this Sesshomaru and this miko have to return together," Sesshomaru placing Kagome in the bath and washing her, Kagome just sat there and stared at the wall of the tub.

"This miko is the weakest miko of all, she is not useful in the battle against Naraku, all she has is her arrows," Kagome explained.

"No, this miko can unleash all her power onto Naraku, you can purify him but you have to unleash everything, you close your eyes and think of all the things he has done and will do, and focus on protecting the family you still have in the Feudal Era and it will come," Sesshomaru coldly.

"Thank you Sesshomaru, for being here when I needed someone the most," Kagome's eyes connecting in a gaze with his.

"It was my beast, he did not want to be alone anymore, this miko is the only one he knows here," Sesshomaru admitting as he glanced at washing her. Finally Sesshomaru helped her out and dried her off, he picked her up and took her to her room, he allowed her to put her pajama's on by herself.

"You should rest before tonight, this Sesshomaru will stay be your side if you wish for him to do so," Sesshomaru strongly and sternly,

"This miko would love it if you did, she does not know if she is strong enough to handle doing this kind of thing alone," Kagome crawling under the covers as she talked about the wake.

"This miko is strong, she can do anything, and she is very wise too," Sesshomaru's beast explained, she hugged her knees,

"I don't want my mother and my brother in the ground, they shouldn't have died," Kagome letting hot salty tears run down her face. Sesshomaru gently wiped it away with his knuckle,

"You shall have your own family one day, and this house will stand to have your pack live under its roof, and you shall have the bedtime stories to your adventures with the well and your other family in the Feudal Era to share with your pups," Sesshomaru's beast explained as he laid her back and tucked the blankets around her.

"Stay while I nap," Kagome softly, Sesshomaru placed himself in a chair and folded his arms and closed his eyes.