Hey you guys! Please don't think of me too badly this is my first fic here so I don't know all the rules but please r & r and no flames please…… Okay On with the story!

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha (grumble grumble……) though I do love the show (and not to mention about 10,000 other anime/manga series but that's not the point…..)

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Waiting for you

Chapter 1: The battle and the shard

Whoosh! An arrow found itself suddenly lodged in Naraku's shoulder "Got him!" Kagome cried.

"Good job Kagome!" Sango yelled through the miasma.

"Impudent wench!" Naraku screamed though he was not badly injured. He pulled the arrow out of his armor. In the heat of the battle Naraku didn't notice the tiny shard of the shikon no tama that Kagome had nicked with the arrow fall to the ground, but Kagome did.

Inuyasha sensing Kagome wanted Naraku away from there angled his next wind scar so that Naraku would have to move far from where he was at the moment or take a full blast head on. He wasn't exactly sure why Kagome wanted him away from there but he certainly didn't mind it. Naraku jumped out of the way of the attack, only to hit full force into a large boomerang and brass staff strapped together.

Naraku was easier to beat without his little minions around. Inuyasha and Kagome had come to close to finding Naraku's heart and Kagura and Kanna had been sent to guard it at all costs. Kohaku was off who knows where doing who knows what, so the gang was fighting Naraku only.

Naraku gathered a huge energy ball and flung it at Inuyasha. Kagome knocked another arrow and fired as Inuyasha sent a backlash wave at Naraku (yes it's their combined attack that pwns). Kagome's red and white priestess robes flapped in the wind.

Her uniforms had all eventually gotten too small or worn out and since Naraku seemed to be getting suspicious of the well, she couldn't risk going home to get some other clothes. Kaede had provided her with a whole new feudal style wardrobe for the time being. At least she wouldn't have to worry about Miroku staring at her now ridiculously short skirt because of a recent growth spurt.

The wave of energy hit Naraku head on as the glowing arrow blasted through his neck, totally shredding his body. Realizing he was about to be totally destroyed he began to disappear in a massive ball of flames. Another arrow zoomed at the retreating figure, very nearly hitting the jewel again. "Beware Inuyasha I still have the jewel in my possession. It would be all too easy to get the remaining three shards!" his voice rang out as the dust settled and the miasma disappeared.

"Four shards." Kagome thought as she ran over towards the small fragment.

"Lady Kagome! What in the world are you doing?!" Miroku yelled at her. Kagome just smiled. It was pitch black and very small. Small enough that Naraku might not notice it's absence for a while, but big enough that Kagome could go home for a while and visit her family. Maybe get her friends something too, they needed a pick me up after all these battles.

"What is it Kagome?" a small ball of fur flung itself from the nearby bushes and onto her shoulder.

"Is that what I think it is?" came Inuyasha's still half asleep voice beside her on the ground. Naraku had decided to wake up the gang before dawn by ram-sacking Kaede's whole village. The sun was just barely creeping over the horizon now.

"Yep," she answered. "I managed to hit the shikon no tama with my arrow." She closed her palm around the jewel shard. Using her other hand Kagome pulled out an empty glass bottle from around her neck. Using her teeth to uncork it, she dropped the now pink shard into the bottle she hadn't needed in months. "Now for the hard part," she thought glumly to herself. "Inuyasha," Kagome hesitated but he knew what she was asking immediately.

"Go ahead Kagome you haven't seen your mother in a while." Kagome jumped surprised. If she wasn't already on the ground she would have fallen over from shock. Usually when she asked to go home he would be difficult and they would end up having another one of those massive fights. Was he actually being nice? She would have to get him an extra treat while she was home. Then he straightened himself up from where he was crouching down and said, "Just be back by sunset."

All kind thoughts flew from her head. "Give me three days Inuyasha." she begged.

"Hey I'm actually being nice for once and letting you go without a fight, be happy

with what you get! Sunset!"

"Three days," her voice was now soaked with venom. She hadn't seen her mother in who knows how long and he was being a jerk now.

"Sunset!" his voice identical.

"Three days Inuyasha," she growled as Shippo flew off her shoulder in fear of falling to her mighty wrath.

"SUNSET!"

"THREE DAYS!" Kagome yelled and sped off towards the well.

"KAGOME GET BACK HERE!" Inuyasha yelled as he ran after her.

Miroku, Sango, Shippo, and Kiara just stood there watching. Miroku sighed, "Three… Two… One…"

"OSWARI!"

BOOM!

"OWW!!! KAGOME!"

"Zero…" he muttered shaking his head as Sango smacked her head against her palm.

"Those two really need to grow up." Shippo sighed.

"Meow," Kiara agreed, back to her smaller form.

"Why was Inuyasha putting up a fight? I thought he wanted her to go home for a

few days anyway so he could get her a, what was it? Bornday present?"

"Birthday I believe Sango," Miroku corrected as they all started heading back to the village. "But it is Inuyasha we're talking about we, he's insanely jealous and protective of lady Kagome."

"True," Sango answered then turned beat red as she felt a hand groping her butt, again. "Monk…." She growled as he backed away terrified.

"Now, now S-Sango. No need to be rash." Miroku stuttered.

"Indeed monk." She growled then bashed him over the head with her boomerang.

"No need to be rash at all."

"Come on you two, Kiara and I are halfway back to Kaede's village." Shippo yelled from about 50 meters ahead. Sango and Miroku had been paying no attention and had stopped without realizing it.

"Come on, let's get back and help Lady Kaede clean up." Miroku said. The gang had been staying at Kaede's for a while until Naraku's attack this morning. They had been able to get Naraku to move out of the village before any real damage had been done. Sango and Miroku caught up with Shippo and the four friends walked home, unaware they were being watched.

"So Inuyasha and Kagome had another fight?" Kaede's wizened old form asked amused while she sat in her small hut that night. Sango, Miroku, and Shippo were all drinking tea with the miko while Kiara was giving herself a good washing on Sango's lap.

"What if we did?!" the hanyou growled from the corner. Inuyasha was laying on his side facing the open door grumbling to himself and every now and then, wincing in pain.

"Inuyasha don't be rash, ye know Kagome has missed her mother terribly." Kaede said calmly.

"Keh, yeah I know," he mumbled a little softer. He started to stretch but a searing pain shot up his spine. Dang it! Kagome had managed to throw out his back with that huge sit command. He knew she didn't mean to but he wasn't sure how much more of those he could take.

"Have ye thought about what you are going to get her?" Kaede's voice interrupted his thoughts.

"Why should I get her anything? She threw out my back with that sit command!"

"Inuyasha," Kaede's voice was scrutinizing.

"So Inuyasha it will be one year ago that you and Lady Kagome met in three days?" Miroku addressed the hanyou.

"Yep. It was her 15th birthday when we first met."

"So she'll be 16?" Sango spoke up. "Maybe we should get her something too."

"I know I'll draw her a picture! She liked my last pictures!" Inuyasha blushed slightly at Shippo's comment remembering all too well the drawings the little kitsune had drawn when they first met that wimpy wolf Koga. He and Kagome couldn't show their faces in town for the next few days after that.

"Good idea Shippo!" Miroku said. "I saw that Lady Kagome's bag was starting to rip a little and she liked that one bag she saw in the market. I'll get her that. What will you get her Sango?"

Sango thought for a moment then her eyes brightened with an idea. "I have some beads that my village used to keep their senses and strength going. It helps channel your energy so you lose as little as possible and combines its energy with your own to help lose even less energy."

"Hey Sango, why don't you wear any then?" Inuyasha asked his interest sparked.

"I do Inuyasha," she answered, "they're hidden. What do you plan on giving her Lady Kaede?"

"I have a new bow for Kagome, her strength is increasing and with those beads, she's bound to break that old one soon. I also have some herbs that could come in handy. Oh, and some enchanted beads too." She grinned glancing at Inuyasha. Inuyasha's eyes widened in horror as he gulped.

"Jeez Kaede, are you trying to get her to kill me?" he managed to choke out.

Kaede chuckled. "They're not like yours Inuyasha, and besides, they aren't for ye."

Five pairs of eyes turned to Inuyasha. "So Inuyasha what are you going to get Kagome?" Sango tried again slowly.

"I told you already! Why should I get her anything?!"

Shippo spoke up "I thought that was why you were going to let Kagome leave for a while!" Inuyasha cringed. Dang he should have just kept his mouth shut; he knew he was going to regret telling them about Kagome's birthday.

"We'll see," he grumbled. Something kept nagging at the back of his mind. He was almost sure he could sense something like a demon nearby all day, and when Kagome jumped through the well he was pretty sure he had seen something. Now he had the same feeling, but as soon as he noticed it, it was gone. Had he just imagined it?

"Inuyasha is your back any better?" the tired little kitsune's voice came from behind him. The rest of the group was still talking with Kaede and Shippo had wandered over to his more or less, father figure.

"A little Shippo," he admitted. "So what do you plan on drawing for Kagome?"

"Us," he yawned. "So she'll still have something of us when she leaves. Inuyasha, do you miss Kagome whenever she goes home?"

Inuyasha didn't answer but picked the little fox up and set him on his lap. Usually it was Kagome who did this but, seeing as she wasn't here, Inuyasha would do. Inuyasha just stared out the door as the little fox fell asleep. He really did think of Shippo like a son sometimes. The floor creaked as he shifted position to make them both a little more comfortable. He continued to gaze at the stars after the others fell asleep wondering if Kagome was doing the same thing. He used his free arm to pull something out of his shirt. He looked at it and smiled, yes Kagome would like it. The small sleeping form on his right arm turned over and continued dreaming. He put the object back, no need to tell them he had already gotten Kagome's present. He pulled out the locket Kagome had given him a while ago. He remembered that kiss she had given him to save him from becoming a slave to Kaguya. Was it really only a year ago that they had met? So much had changed in that short period of time. It seemed like he had known her longer. Yawning he closed his eyes as long awaited sleep finally took over him.

A dart of silver sped through the night in search of its master. It had news that needed to be told right away. Though the dragon-like creature could not speak in the normal way, it's master would still be able to understand it. A glowing orb was held between its feet, the same color as it's skin. It had to find Kikyo as soon as possible.

Sessomaru lay on the ground, his back against an old tree. Rin and Jaken were sound asleep by the campfire. He could tell Naraku was close, but badly wounded. He had seen the battle going on earlier from a distance but had no motivation to join the fight. And during dinner he had seen Kagura's feather rushing towards the north with a girl in all white clutching something in her arms onboard too. The wind picked up and a sent wafted through the trees. A woman dressed in red and white priestess robes, like Kagome's stepped through the bushes. "Hello Sessomaru," Kikyo said without emotion.

"Kikyo," he answered equally emotionless. "What do you want?"

"I was just passing through, I didn't mean to disturb you." She said as she

continued to walk away, but then she stopped. "Have you heard any news of Naraku lately?" she asked.

"Inuyasha was battling him this morning and badly injured him. I saw Kagura and somebody else fly north today too," he said.

"A girl dressed in all white with a baby?" Kikyo asked.

"Yes I saw the girl. I wasn't sure if it was a baby was though."

"Thank you," Kikyo said as she turned slightly north and disappeared from the dog demons sight. She walked into a clearing where her soul stealer that she had sent to spy on Inuyasha was waiting for her. She reached out with her hand and touched its head. After a few minutes, her eyes widened in surprise. "So," she started. "Kagome has broken off a fourth shard."

There you go, a nice long first chapter, but I kind of leave off on a cliffy…(hehehehe)

I'll get the next chapter up soon if you guys r&r. By the way there might be a little sessxkag somewhere in here so we'll see…

Okay bye!