The rain seemed as though it would never stop. He cursed it loudly. Not only did it chill him to the bone, but it managed to wash away the last trace of her scent that hung around the well. It was like losing her all over again. Now, there was nothing left of her here in this time. Then again, as he looked around he could see her everywhere. Memories covered the land and his mind.
Nothing could have prepared him for this. He never understood the dept at which he needed her until she was there no longer. He had taken her for granted. All the wasted moments ran through his head. If he had known, he would have taken advantage of every last one of them. He would have fallen right out of that tree and into her arms.
"I am Kagome. Ka-GO-Me."
Now that he thought back to it, she was completely right and he was completely stupid for thinking otherwise. That weak human girl who seemed to know nothing about anything could have purified him on the spot with just a slight flick of her wrist. He knew it, and that's one reason he mistaken her for Kikyo… at first.
She had only attracted danger. She always needed rescuing. She always needed him.
He wondered sometimes if she did it on purpose. Even so, he could not explain the feeling of seeing her face light up when he came in sword swinging.
The rain was starting to become unbearable. He took in one last breath hoping… and got nothing. She was really gone.
The walk back to the village was one he made with no feeling. It was too hard to feel when every step of the way, there was one more memory. Every foot held another feeling. He saw her face even when he shut his eyes, but since her scent was gone it was becoming harder and harder to remember perfectly. He didn't know what he would do once that left him.
Once he got back to the village, it was Sango who met him. She was pregnant. He knew it was with twins. Their tiny heartbeats reached his ears. She smiled. He told her she better be inside. She said she had worried.
He sometimes hated the idea that Sango put into his face everyday. She and Miroku had no worries, they were happy, and they were having children.
Kagome would have wanted children. That thought haunted him.
What would he have done if the well had not taken her? Would they be happy? Would they be together now? Could she have given up everything for him?
At times he knew she would have, which made it that much harder.
The fire in the hut warmed him, and he quickly lost his chill. Emotionally though, he grew colder all the time.
Once Miroku came home, him and Sango sat together and talked of the day, then talked about their children. They had a future. They had a reason to live. He didn't anymore.
Once Sango gave birth, things changed. A small part of him that died started to show itself around the two girl twins that attached themselves to him as soon as they could walk. Their spirit and laughter and love reminded him of her. Ever since she had left he found a new purpose. He was their guardians.
They soon followed him to the well. To pass the time he told them stories.
Sometimes he laughed, and sometimes he cried.
Then one day something happened.
A small white hand reached up, and he was there to grab it.