Author Note: Please don't hate me for starting a new story. I have old chapters that I was working on before my laptop charger broke so I've been without it for a while and it's been killing me. Also, the tip should be coming in 5-8 days so I'll be back soon.

Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha and I did not come up with this idea. This story is a 'sort of' spin off of the story The Next Thing on My List by Jill Smolinski. It's a great book and I wanted to change it and put in it an InuYasha story so here's my take. Warning is that it won't really be anything like the book, only have the main idea.

Completing Kagome's List

Chapter One

Kagome was always so bright and happy when I had first met her, that's why it not only shocked me but everybody around when she slipped into depression. She always had so much to give life, so many things she was going to do. Then, one day, everything fell flat. She managed to become a drug addict, cocaine to be exact, and nobody could stop her. We all tried like hell but it was too late. InuYasha ended up divorcing her, at the ripe age of her being twenty-one, and got full custody of the child. Even addicted and going to relapses from trying to quit, the child was the most heartbreaking for her.

I stood at the funeral with tears welling in my large turquoise eyes. I couldn't believe that this was happening, not here and not now. I couldn't find her mom at the moment, and it wouldn't have surprised me to find that she mourned to death. Kagome was the pride and joy of her life, especially since her son was never around. I saw InuYasha, crying and looking drained. I walked over to him, since we had gotten close ever since he and Kagome started dating back in freshman year of high school.

"You must hate me, Ayame." He sighed and ran a hand through his hair, which was now cut semi-short and pitch black. Back in high school – and even through college – InuYasha had this habit of dying his hair silver and wearing amber contacts. The child, I think, forced him to grow up. Although, he had died his hair before the wedding, ready to grow up and start a new life.

"I don't hate you at all; it's not your fault. I think it was that girl she started to hang out with, Kikyo. She pulled away from everybody when she did." I pointed out logically, knowing that InuYasha was probably blaming himself just as much as I was for not stopping her somehow. Kagome had been my best friend since pre-school and we shared everything together. Until, that is, she met the most popular girl at the college… Kikyo. I tightened my jaw wishing I could have stopped her from even discussing an issue with the tramp.

"No Ayame, you don't understand. It is my fault because of Kikyo. I realized why she was taking a big notice to Kagome but I never told anybody. I couldn't bring myself to do it. Kikyo, she wanted me. I have no clue why, since I was this weird punk kid running around, but she wouldn't leave me alone. She kept after me and kept pressuring me, trying to make me leave Kagome and, when I didn't, I guess she took it into her hands to rip us apart." InuYasha blurted as tears spilled out. I had never seen him cry before.

I wrapped him in a hug, playing the strong one out of the two of us. InuYasha was just a stubborn as me; it was hard to accept all of this. It was no used trying to hide my tears, we both started bawling our eyes out and holding each other tight. He had always been a brother to me and protected me, now he needed me. But I couldn't be as strong as he was for me all those times, yet I had a feeling it was okay. Because I was still there, nonetheless.

A few minutes had passed before I felt somebody tap my shoulder. We had both calmed down by this time, so I pulled slightly away from InuYasha, who wiped his eyes and stood up straight and firm. I furiously wiped at my eyes before spinning around to see who InuYasha was looking at and my face went at neck height. In frustration at feeling so small, I looked up to see your typical guy: tall, dark, handsome. I raised an eyebrow; was this guy seriously going funeral crashing. I was about to give him a piece of my mind when his sexy voice spoke up, asking if I was Ayame. I nodded and he handed me a folded piece of paper.

Seeing my curious expression, he went on to explain. "Kagome wrote this and she wanted me to give it to you because, well, you inspired her. When I found it, she had a little note attached. She hadn't gotten anything completed, but she wanted you to know what she really wanted to do, since you two were so close." I stared at him blankly, feeling numb.

"Who are you and why were you going through her things to begin with?" I asked quickly, positive that I had never seen the guy yet knowing I knew him. His jet black hair reminded me of somebody in a way… hell, it reminded me of Kagome. He smirked lightly at my confused and accusing state. Then my face dropped. I'd know that wolfish smirk anywhere… those intense big blue eyes that cut right through your soul like ice. "Koga."

"Good guess." He smirked bigger.

"It's no guess; it just took a second to realize which evil person was standing before me. I didn't expect to see Satan himself." I growled angrily. Koga had been the guy who was constantly a jerk to me and Kagome as children yet, other than that, it's impossible to recall much of anything. He had been sent to boot camp since he was sixteen, when Kagome and I were fourteen. "We're like brother and sister so, before we start fighting, care to point me in the direction of your mother?"

"Don't ever compare us as siblings again, please? Ever." Koga questioned in a rather demanding voice to make sure I knew that it wasn't really a question. He didn't want to make it seem like we were related. Ha-ha, funny guy. "As for mom, she's that-a-way." I followed to where his finger was pointed. Sucking in a deep breath I approached the women that I hadn't seen in almost a year now. Why did it have to be on his occasion?

-0-0-0-

Once I was back in my apartment I folded the list of things that Kagome had taken the liberty to write down. The list seemed hellish enough, I was sure even somebody who wasn't a drug addict couldn't complete it.

Things to Do Before I'm 24

1. Redo my wardrobe with nothing but sexy and slutty

2. Go on a blind date

3. Go to the beach… in the smallest bikini I have

4. Perform karaoke

5. Go skydiving

6. Write a book

7. Find a man for Ayame

8. Go braless… for a week

9. Try a modeling career

10. Help out Koga

11. Get a puppy

12. Make a difference

13. Get a job I love

14. Make a new outfit

15. Learn to play guitar

16. Get a makeover

17. Play teenage games

18. Go to a party

19. Embrace photography

20. Take Koga on vacation

21. Buy a new car

22. Stop the addiction

23. Apologize to my baby

Oh, dammit. Why me of all people? Kagome stopped being friends with me about a year ago; her best friend was Kikyo, so why give me this list? How did she expect herself to do all of this? It would have been impossible. The different ink colors and handwriting told me that the list had been created over a span of time. I held the piece of paper in my hand as it dawned on me: this used to be my best friend, the one I spent every waking moment with for almost twenty-one years before she started drugs. How horrible was it, to die at twenty-two (granted, next week she'd be twenty-three, but it was still young)?

I put the paper aside without a second glance as I walked to the refrigerator to get a water bottle. I walked towards my bedroom and turned off the living room light but stopped, leaning against the doorway with my back towards the living room. Guilt was brewing inside my stomach as I glanced back towards where the paper was. This was the moment when I realized how truly cruel God was. He was giving me tasks to complete, that I didn't want to.

Curling up on the couch with my knees tucked in I dialed the only person I knew to call right now, Sango. She was a girl who had filled in the empty spot of a best friend when Kagome ditched me. Kagome was irreplaceable but Sango did a great job, better than anybody else could have. "Ayame… it's pretty late… don't tell me you actually decided to go to a party or a bar or something? I've been waiting for this for forever; I knew it was going to happen."

"No, I'm not drunk Sango." I replied calmly and I heard her take a dramatic sigh about my cautious ways. "I just got back from Kagome's funeral, since I stayed to talk with her mom and grandma, and Kagome had written this list that she wanted to go to me when she died. On it is a bunch of stuff that she wanted to do but never got around to. I… I'm going to complete it but I'm going to need all the best friend aid I can get. You, my friend, need to keep me motivated."

"I always get the hard job." Sango replied sarcastically on the other end. "Honestly, Ayame, you have more determination than anybody I ever met. I don't think that finishing one little list is going to have you all hung up. You were the top person graduating from college in the English department and Business, thanks to your double major. Besides, you also have a minor in psychology, which you were the highest grade in. I got average grades in English and I minored in psychology, also with average grades, and you think I'll be your determination?"

"Of course I do because I know how much you love me and would want to pick me up if I started to fall. I need somebody that I can trust if I'm going to grin and bear all of these tasks. You don't understand, Sango, these are all things I would never, ever, dream of doing. I mean, one thing on this list is to go braless for a week!" I complained.

"That's great Ayame!" Sango seemed enthusiastic about the idea. "You have amazing boobs and you need to show them off. They're huge but shaped really nice; this is your chance to flaunt that shit all around. Hell, if I were you I'd never wear a bra again in my life. Yours are so big yet perky that it almost seems impossible. Your chest defies gravity."

"Well, it's nice to know what you're looking at when you tell me I look adorable." I joked and we both laughed lightly at my smartass remark. "I just can't see any of this stuff really happening. I mean, this is me, not Kagome. She was always way more daring than me." I said quietly, yet thought how her daring habits had ended up being the death of her. "But I need to do this, I know I need to, I'm just afraid."

"Ayame Wind, afraid?" Sango gasped dramatically. "Is this the day we find out you have emotions and weren't a robot the whole time, like the entire human population had inquired? Ayame actually has… feelings?"

"It surprised me, too. I always hoped I was a robot but I guess this is the breaking point where I realize that dreams don't always come true. I must say, your gusto amazes me and it brings me to the conclusion that you should have went to a performing arts school, somewhere with theatre available." I rolled my eyes but loved her anyway. "Oh, there's another problem…"

"Lay it on me." Sango asked.

My eyes skimmed over the list, to a name that appeared twice on the list, as much as I hated to see it there. "I have to do two things with her brother: take him on vacation and help him out. The problem is that I hate Koga and he hates me. We have never been able to withstand each other. He's like that older brother that keeps nagging you and making your life hell."

"Except he wasn't your older brother…" Sango pointed out.

"Exactly." I nodded, even though she couldn't see.

"And you happened to have a crush on him?" She guessed. Ooh, she was good.

"Bingo." I sighed and collapsed my head into my hands. How could I ever deny the childish romance that had bloomed inside my forsaken soul? Would there always be that same attraction for somebody that possessed the qualities of hatred: handsome, sexy voice, muscular, tall, a complete and utter jackass, etc.? "And there's one more thing about Koga. I just ran into him today at the funeral and, well, I don't know how to say this…"

"You think he's sexy and you want his bodyyy." Sango answered for me in this sing-song voice that made me shoot her a cold glare, as if she was in the room with me and had taken the form of the telephone in my hand. Yet, to my avail, she was right again. What was I going to do about this whole situation? Sango had named it in a matter of seconds, who else would find out that easily?

"Bull's-eye." I muttered, suddenly feeling very grumpy and exhausted. "This has, officially, been the absolute worst day of my life so far. A girl that I've known and been attached to since pre-school has died and left me with a list to deal with all the issues she had never lived to complete. And there's something about Kagome's death that just doesn't feel right. She was trying to get clean, why the hell would she overdose?"

"Addicts do crazy things, Ayame." Sango replied.

"But not Kagome. She wanted that child, Sango, and she was willing to do anything to get back in his little life. The day I saw her she looked like she was almost completely swiped clean with the whole drugs issue. And, sure, she had drug relapse problems before, but never an overdose. I don't know, maybe I'm just having a hard time accepting the truth. This is hard information to take, and I don't think I'm that strong." I sighed.

"Well that's depressing, because you're the strongest person I know." Sango replied, from the other end of the telephone. Her voice wasn't sarcastic or joking, it was genuine and sincere. "Everything will work out, Ayame, it's just that God has a funny way or doing things sometimes and you just need to be patient until his entire plan unfolds. Just trust your heart and you'll be okay."

"I will," I smiled from the other end of her voice, "and thank you Sango, you really are an amazing friend. I honestly don't know what I'd do without you. I think I'm going to get to bed though but we need to hang out tomorrow and start working on this list and picking it apart. How about we meet for an iced coffee at Bruno's, if six sounds alright to you?"

"Six sharp it is! Goodnight, love bug." Sango cooed with a giggle.

"Night, cupcake." I answered back before hanging up. I set the home phone back on the receiver and glared at the list on the coffee stand next to the couch I was on. In the sourest voice I could manage, I spat. "Damn you."

Then I made my way to bed and suffocated myself in the pitch black air, which suddenly seemed so heavy and ominous. Kagome was dead, and she was still young. She had a baby and a loving man who was waiting for her to shape up, and a loving family. She had it all, and she gave it away. With drugs.