ITSUMADEMO

AUTHOR: iBroken

ANIME: InuYasha

RATING: T

PAIRING: InuKag, HojoKag

GENRE: Romance/Hurt/Comfort

SUMMARY: Kagome moved to the United states and nearly begins a new life with her father. However, after her grandfather passes away, Kagome returns, she and Hojo, an old friend, are thrown into her past. Will Kagome return to her past, or find a new future?

LONGER SUMMARY: Kagome ended up moving back to the present, where she went to the United States with her father, when she couldn't bear knowing InuYasha still wanted to go to Kikyou. Kagome begins her life anew, becoming the doctor she's dreamed of, and seven years after leaving, becoming engaged to a man of her choice. But when her grandfather passes away, Kagome has no choice but to go back to Japan, where her past confronts her full-on. A nightmare leads her back to the well, where her forgotten past slowly emerges. Can Kagome escape?

AN: Song used in this chapter, White Wedding pt. 1 © Billy Idol, InuYasha© Rumiko Takahashi, & story©me. Simple as that.

CH. 1: White Wedding

"Congratulations, dear!"

Her father grinned and held up two fancy glasses full of wine, one towards her, the other towards her fiancé, Charlie. While the wedding was in three weeks, and none of them were in a rush, she couldn't help but get a tingly feeling when he wrapped one arm around her, and when he held out his glass of wine for her to sip from instead.

This was the dream most girls had. Finding their prince charming on a white horse, and having him marry them. She found hers, finally, around last year when she began working at the medical center, with her shiny new Phd in medicine. He was a patient who noticed the doctor was too pretty. It was adorable, and they both got along so great, because it turned out he was an orthodontist. They had the pairing all of her associates were flaming jealous of, because they complimented one another and understood each others limitations only too well. He had decided to propose in the middle of her workplace, right in her office, near her desk, with a ring she knew was expensive but didn't mind anyway, because his salary was high, and the two of them were nearly limitless in terms of what they could do together. It would be like living with another doctor, and her already perfect life would grow and continue to become even more perfect with each passing day.

"Thank you so much, father in law," Charlie added with a happy grin, when she took a sip from his glass of wine and smiled herself. This tiny little celebration party was the highlight of her evening. Her family, and her fiancé, were both enjoying all of the food and wine so much. It was becoming late, and of course Charlie had to leave, and she had to, as well, to go back to her apartment where she could begin getting ready for yet another long day of being Doctor Higurashi. A couple hours of sleep, followed by a shower, then work, and then back to waiting for Charlie to finish his work so they could spend the evening eating dinner at her place, because her apartment was where she liked cooking more often than not, and Charlie's was terrible. When she took all of the glasses to the sink, and began washing, she heard lively conversation from her father and her fiancé, bringing a smile to her face, and she ducked her head down so she could relax in the simple nature of this life she was stepping into. This was the kind of life she wanted to live forever, where her father and her future husband could talk like civilized men. Where she could wash dishes without worrying about something going wrong.

Just as the final dish was finished, and placed on a rack to dry—"Kagome honey, it's time to go."—she let herself smile and turned around, calling out that she'd just be a minute before coming.

After a long night of sleep, she managed to get up and take a shower, changing into the most appealing outfit she could find in the huge mess of ones she had, and then her white doctors garb followed overtop of it. With the stethoscope in her bag, and the rest of her belongings following suit, she looked over her reflection in the mirror, and lifted her lips up in a happy smile. "Good morning, doctor. Just two weeks and six days until you're Doctor Kagome Ryans instead," she announced, with a bright grin, one that made the mirror seem bleak in comparison. The name change, everything change, would make her so happy. She could already see her future, with Charlie, and it began to look brighter and brighter by the moment. She had almost no qualms about this marriage and about what would happen if she were to follow through. Twenty two was not a young age, and Charlie was nearly twenty five. They were both excited about the marriage, and that was all that mattered.

Once she looked perfectly dandy, she walked into the kitchen and grabbed a mug of coffee and toast, sitting down infront of the kitchen table to begin eating her breakfast. All was perfectly calm, when she took a long sip of the coffee. The taste was a little bitter, enough that she coughed on the coffee and took a long bite of the toast. She was in a rush to get to work, so there was no point in worrying about a bitter coffee combo with toast. She just had to get there before her boss did, and before they realised one of the doctors working there was late, again. Swallowing the coffee in a rush, she ate the toast quickly and sat up, running towards the table where her car keys were kept. Grabbing the keys, she was about to run for the door when the phone started ringing.

One ring.

Followed by a mechanical voice from the phone saying the caller ID name.

"Call from—Higurashi Shrine."

There was one more ring, followed by the same caller ID name played again. Another ring.

All Kagome could feel was the tightening of her chest, and the sudden bad feeling in her stomach. She had not felt like this in years, not since she first came her and missed her family in Japan a lot. Kagome had since then changed, grown, matured into a young woman, an accomplished doctor. So why was her past knocking on her door like this? She walked towards the phone, and with a shaky hand, picked up the phone and lifted it to her ear, not breathing a word of response yet, out of fear that maybe, this was a prank, or maybe it really was her family on the other line-the part of her family she desperately tried forgetting existed after moving to her father's home.

"Is this, Kagome?"

It was her mother's voice on the other line. She recognised it all too well, because her mother still had a mature, adult voice that Kagome couldn't manage to pull off. She wanted to curl up and cry, because this was the first time in seven years that she'd heard her mother's voice—first time in seven years that she had remembered she had a mother in Japan. A family away from her that was part of some bad event she didn't care to remember now. "Y-yes, yes it is," she responded, in a weak voice she never knew she even had. Would her mother recognise her? Would she say things about how different Kagome sounds? Would she even realise it was her, or forget that, too? Kagome had no idea, she didn't really feel like she knew these people right off hand anymore. It was almost like talking to a stranger. Her own mother.

"Kagome-I can't believe, I'm hearing your voice."

Kagome heard the way her mother's voice faltered, and she heard sorrow in her voice, too. Had it really hurt her that much not to hear a word from Kagome until just recently? Kagome didn't know. If anything, she felt like she had just had her heart ripped from her chest, knowing her mother sounded like she couldn't believe Kagome was.. how she is. "I need you to book a flight to Tokyo, Kagome.. father has passed away."

Was it possible for time to still? Kagome wasn't sure. Was it possible for her to feel like suddenly, everything built up and collapsed around her, in a second. Kagome had absolutely no idea. What she did know, was that she felt sick, suddenly. She felt like they had plucked her hair out and left her on end in some sort of frozen oasis. She had no idea what to say to her mother, besides dropping the phone and looking, horror struck, at the wall infront of her. Her ojii-san was dead. Her grandfather had passed away, and she hadn't even been there. Her past was finally catching up-and it began with the biggest loss Kagome had suffered in years. She heard her mother call for her, but she didn't hear anything, at the same time. All she wanted to do was turn away and run. Like she had from something before.

She couldn't run-Doctor Higurashi wouldn't.

But Kagome felt like she had hit a dead end.

The moment she stepped off of the bus, the way the landscape seemed a little, distilling, forced her to stop in her footsteps. So this was where she lived in her childhood. Swallowing her concern, she began walking towards the steps leading towards the shrine. The sidewalk was small, and everything was cleanly. She remembered loving it here. But now, everything seemed so sheltered. Her eyes stayed locked on the ground, and her eyes felt watery. She couldn't stop thinking of her grandfather's death. It sounded terrible.

"No, I'll be back soon. Don't worry."

Her head lifted, dark eyes locking onto a figure in the distance. A man with short brown hair, taller than she expected, with the most strangely blue eyes she had seen in a long time. The tall man looked back at her, and the way his eyebrows scrunched up-and how his eyes narrowed, seemed a little familiar. She had definitely met him before. But there was something else about him that seemed a little mature. Like an adult. Kagome couldn't put a finger on it. Instead, she noticed he looked like he recognised her, after a lot of consideration. The brown haired man finally began walking towards her. Kagome couldn't help but compare him to Charlie. He had an air of maturity that Charlie didn't embody. This man also looked like an accomplished person, which made Kagome weary. Who in all of this area of Tokyo could be so wealthy?

When she walked towards the tall man, she stopped and smiled at him. "I'm sorry, I was looking for the Higurashi Shrine. My name is Kagome. Would you please, point the way?" she asked. The tall man smiled (and she rather liked his smile, but somehow, she knew this sounded like two-timing on Charlie). "Kagome, I never thought I'd see you again! Time really has kept you well," the man answered. It puzzled her. Who was he? If she knew someone this attractive, why hadn't she dated them? "I'm Hojo Takao. From middle school."

Silence suddenly fell over her, and she couldn't believe it. This was Hojo. He had changed so much since they were younger. But she hadn't paid attention to him even then. He seemed like such a great person. She didn't even see a marriage ring on him. "Oh, Hojo-kun! I didn't even know you were here. I'm kind of surprised to see you." It felt like talking to an ex-boyfriend. But she knew he meant well. "I need to go, to the Shrine, though.. I hope we can talk sometime." She smiled again, and he smiled back. "I'm looking forward to it. I'll come see you sooner or later." Hojo answered, and he turned to walk away. Kagome stood there for a few moments, until the reality of it struck her.

Her world had moved on while she was gone.

The moment she was at the doorsteps of the shrine, dressed in a solemn black dress, and black tights, and a black cap, she kept her hair tied back in a low ponytail, and her eyes locked onto the mahogany door of the main home of the shrine. Things had changed remarkably. There seemed to be an uprooted tree hole left—there were empty spaces Kagome couldn't quite fill. The landscape looked just about ready to be sold. Kagome had no idea what was going on, but she prayed the family was here. If she was too late, she would regret it forever-just one chance to see her grandfather, her home, her past—it felt like a dream. She felt like she was in some sort of nightmare where everything is wrong. Kagome just couldn't express how badly she wished she had been here to talk to him, to see him, to say something. She heard footsteps, and the door slid open, revealing a young man clad in a formal school uniform—with a green vest, one Kagome recognised in an instance, along with a young girl beside him. She had short hair, and another uniform on, but the bulge in her stomach, was what really shocked Kagome. The young man was.. she almost couldn't believe it.

"Are you here to pray? Because if you are, the Shrine is shut down. But the Kururugi Shrine should be open not far from here, right Kaname?" Souta asked her. He had his arm around the girl's waist, and he was looking at Kagome like a stranger. Because that was what Kagome really was. A stranger. She didn't even think he remembered her name. It wasn't until she took off the hat and tried to speak, that he suddenly looked shocked, his eyes widening and his hold on the girl releasing until his hands were at his side. There was no way to explain Souta's expression. Kagome had the same one when she first heard her mother's voice on the phone. It was like a ghost had come back, to show them that there were still people there. People they had forgotten, or just never reached out to. Here on her home, the place she had left, Kagome found her brother, staring at her like a long lost relative.

"K-Kagome.. it's.. it's really you.."

She didn't get a moment to wait, as he immediately wrapped both arms around her and crushed her in a tight hug. Souta was taller than Kagome at this point, and he had a much more mature expressive, face too. What really changed, was the tears she felt from his eyes-falling onto her shoulder. This was her brother, the person she hadn't seen in seven years. Now a young man, with a pregnant girlfriend-he didn't have anything left but to cry on his sister's shoulder. Sota was an adult. But he was still her baby brother. She let her arm, only one, wrap around him hesitantly, as he sobbed into her shoulder, letting the situation finally sink into her mind. Things had finally reached the point of no return. Kagome was here, about to face her family—the one she had almost forgotten, for years on end.

Once Sota stepped away and lead both her and Kaname, his girlfriend, into the house, Kagome looked at her mother, who was dressed in black, sitting at the table, with a plate of omelette, pickled rice, and other assortments of lunch. But she didn't seem interested in eating. What really made her mother lift her gaze, to smile at Kagome, was Kagome's horror struck look. The house had barely changed, but everyone had. She had been gone long enough for the warm, welcoming feeling to disappear. She was finally a guest, in her home, looking for a place to fit in. She had no business here. That hurt. "Welcome home, dear," her mother spoke. The age in her voice was clearer in person. "You look tired, go get refreshed, then we can come back and talk about the funeral arrangements."

She came back down after a shower, and a quick peek around the house. What caught her attention, though, was the large tree spurting from the back of her room. It was huge. She remembered it had a significance to her, but couldn't particularly put a finger on why, or how. If anything, all she knew was that it.. gave her the chills. She hadn't spent too long in her room, she felt like she'd be interrupting something. Interrupting herself, maybe. Her past. The one she felt like stayed, and grew here, when she'd separated herself.

She'd walked downstairs and sat down at the front table, where Sota and her mother sat. Kaname seemed to be cooking in the kitchen. "Father said he wanted his remains thrown in the well—but he asked that you do it, Kagome," her mother spoke up, at last. Her words made Kagome's stomach hurt. Her grandfather, had been a strange man. She knew all too clearly that he was obsessed with the past, with spiritual things. But what really hurt her, was that he had been, somehow, lending himself to hoping she'd be here, to see his ending. He had wanted her here, but she hadn't been here. She felt disappointed in herself. I'm a horrible granddaughter, daughter, and sister. She finally took notice of Sota standing up, and nodding once, enabling that he accepted it too. "But, enough about that, what have you been up to, Kagome?" her mother asked.

She wanted to launch into a conversation about the medical part of her life. About her fiancé. About how father was so happy, but somehow, that all seemed, disconnected. She didn't think she should say it here. She felt like she was still too out of place.

"I've just.. been growing up, you know," she offered, with a smile. But she didn't think it satisfied her mother or Sota. "I.. did father tell you?" she asked, quietly. And when they didn't know what she was talking about, Kagome was one hundred percent certain her mother had no idea she was engaged to the man of her dreams. Or that she was a doctor. She was still a stranger to them. "I have, my PhD now," she spoke up, hesitantly. Her mother smiled kindly, and Sota seemed equally as proud. But that didn't make it easier to get to the meat of her 'life'. She didn't want to mention Charlie, for some reason. She didn't want to taint him with her life here.

The conversation was so awkward, her mother interjected that they should begin dinner, and probably prepare for tomorrow.

Souta put the first flame in the body, currently covered in wood.

It was painful for her, because she could see her grandfather's face in the wood. His old, kindly face, being covered in flames and burned to crisp. She stood still, even then, and tried not to cry too much. She couldn't resist the tears that streamed down her face, or the way emotion suddenly overcame her. She had held onto her mother, tightly, and cried into her black shirt. She had no other way to express how much she missed her ojii-san, and how she regretted not being here to say goodbye. Or maybe even to save him. What good was being Dr. Higurashi if she couldn't even save her grandfather? The emotion was the first time she'd shown a bit of humility here, letting go of herself to be just Kagome. Her mother had comforted her, and she'd watched the body in the wood burn away, Sota standing bravely in the midst of it, watching his grandfather pass on with tears too.

This was a family affair that completely tore her walls down.

She could still remember him giving her antiques. Or remember him telling her stories. She missed those days, and she knew they were gone forever now. She had nothing left to remember her grandfather by, save the times they had at some point, and the way they had once been so happy together. Kagome was sure he'd never come back, now. He was gone. By the time the ashes were all that was left, and the fire was putting itself out from the lack of wood, a giant cloud of smoke travelled to the sky—a beacon of death to tell the world the old Shrine Priest was gone. He wouldn't be giving strange advice at the Higurashi shrine anymore. So who would?

Kagome had collected the ashes in a dish, a special one, Sota explained, that held purity. He knew a lot about the shrine. Would Sota take over? She had walked the few feet to the barred up well door, stopping when Sota had to pull out an axe that would break open the barred up door. The Well, he explained, had been closed down right after Kagome had gone to the United States. Grandfather insisted on it. Sota couldn't remember why, and Kagome didn't want to. She just had a bad feeling about it. He'd axed the door open, kicking it to swing open when finally it could. The dust that Kagome could smell from the inside, and the lack of illumination made her feel queasy. She didn't want to put a foot in there. All she knew was that if she went, she'd be forever stricken with some sort of illness.

"C'mon, just go. It's nothing scary," Sota encouraged, with a hand on her shoulder. He didn't go in with her. Kagome didn't want to go alone. She hated the smell. It smelled like death in there. Why would her grandfather want his ashes dumped in a place like that? She put one foot in, and the shivers that cascaded up her spine were all but expected. She didn't think she could go in, immerse herself entirely in the unknown dark. She couldn't go alone, even knowing Sota was just outside. She just didn't feel like she'd come back out the same. Another foot, and she swore she heard a sound—a sneer. Her breath tightened, and she summoned her courage—the courage that she knew a doctor must have, because she just didn't believe in ghosts and demons. Shrine nonsense. But the moment she heard something—a sound of the floorboards moving, she wanted to run. The other way.

Instead, she heard Sota tell her to just go. Put the ashes in the well.

She couldn't. Not when she heard the floorboards creek again.

With a shake of her head, she turned around, and careful not to spill the ashes, bounded away from the entrance to the old well house. Souta noticed, and shook his head once in disappointment. Kagome felt like she was younger than him, but.. but she just didn't feel right, going in there. Something about the well, made her feel sick.

Sota eventually closed, and locked the front door of the well, telling Kagome it would be okay for her to try tomorrow if she felt nervous during the evening. He attributed it to the sadness Kagome was likely experiencing. Kagome wouldn't dare utter that she thought something was inside of the well house. It was impossible. It had been barred for over seven years.

But she didn't think she'd been imagining those sounds, either..

The well..

Go to the well..

.. His final wish..

Don't fail him..

.. Kagome..

The whispers in her ear were what woke her up. And when she did, she didn't make a sound. She knew why she'd heard the voices. It was her conscience telling her she let down her grandfather. He had wanted to be buried there. She felt horrible for not even being able to do that for him. Kagome knew she was a coward. So when she slipped on a coat, because she felt a little chilly, and managed to tie her hair in a loose bun, she didn't wait at all to begin walking down the stairs, to the room where they kept his ashes in a jar. She took the little jar, very carefully, and began to walk out of the room. She wasn't sure why she decided to do it alone, but it was 11:40, and she wanted to do it before the day was one. She didn't want to let down her Ojii-san's final wish. It was the least she could do before going to the United States and marrying. She wanted to do one thing for him, just one.

She could tell how dark it was by the way the full moon hung over her. And by the way the large tree just seemed ominous in the moonlight. She didn't care, all she wanted to do was finish this quickly and leave. Although it was a stupid idea to go alone. Why hadn't she woken Sota up?

That's right.. I'm a stranger. He'd tell me to sleep instead of worrying. She felt sad thinking it. She hugged the jar closer when she noticed the steps leading up to the well-house. She stopped there, considering whether to turn back or not. Why was she so afraid? The door had clearly been jarred shut all of these years. No one could get in. And no one could get out, either, she thought with a frown. This was stupid. She knew better than to let small things stipulate her. She walked over to the door, and opened the lock hinge, sliding it aside so she could open the door with her free hand. The creaking sound made her jump. What was wrong with her?

The dust smell came first, then the smell of dying things. Just, decay, a lot of it. She would have attributed it to dying wood—the well was made of wood, likely. But it smelled, different. Her gut told her different. She put one foot in. The foot was hesitant. The second one brought her further into the well house. She could tell this would be a quick trip. She didn't want to stay in there. It was pitch black inside, and she couldn't see anything. No flashlight. Just the moonlight to guide her way, and it didn't even reach inside of the well. She took yet another step inside, two more—until she heard another creak. Not one from her own feet. Her heartbeat quickened, and she walked a few steps, expecting to hit the well, or something. That would be the worst case scenario. Instead, what she did feel, was something grab her leg.

She screamed, loudly—incredibly loud. But she didn't let go of the urn.

A deep chuckle emitted, and like magic, the door to the wellhouse shut.

This.. this can't be happening to me. This just can't, she mumbled, turning around to stare at where the door had once been open. There was something in here. With a shaky voice, she called out, "S-Sota, is this a joke? Let me out. This isn't funny." But she got no answer. All she felt was something grab her shoulder. She stood deathly still.

"I've finally found you.. you wretched human girl.."

She would have screamed, but a slimy hand clasped over her mouth, and she was trapped. She finally saw something sldie infront of her, with blood red eyes, and a mouth that was too big to be human. Kagome was confounded beyond her understanding. She was in a situation she didn't even think was real. This had to be a dream. Why did she decide to go to the well, alone, at night? "She managed to tear herself away, and the thing stepped closer. She didn't even know when It grabbed her by both shoulders, and stared at her with an ominous grin. She could see it was not human by now. "Now you can die!" it shouted, and she felt it push her over the edge of the well.

She fell backwards, through the well, immediately feeling herself lose consciousness. But she still had the urn clutched tightly—she would never let go of it.

TBC.