A Lifetime

Summary: It was 5 years before the well opened again. Something goes wrong.

Chapter 2:

The universe could be cruel. She tried to go back. Truly. The well closed for a second time except she was on the wrong end, in the wrong time, many years too late.

One hundred years to be exact. Well, Sesshomaru never said how long it had been, only that his brother had died. Truthfully, it didn't matter how long it had been. She was too late.

If only the well would let her back, she could try again. Couldn't she? There was a possibility that the well had simply messed up, and she could go back and fix what had broken, keep Inuyasha from dying, protect him somehow.

No.

As Kagome sat at the bottom of the old well, impossibly stuck and hurt more than ever, she cried bitterly. Angry and sad and scared. Angry at him for dying and for the well not working right. Sad because she would never see him again. Scared because
she was alone in a world she knew nothing about with nothing but the clothes on her back.

Sad because one hundred years didn't just mean Inuyasha, but Sango and Miroku too.

She cried in the well for hours.

When crying by herself in an old well no longer seemed pivotal to her current survival, Kagome gingerly pulled herself out and onto her feet. Her legs ached with bruises and soreness she knew would be worse in the morning.

Nothing. Nothing to protect her. Not a bow or a knife. No food, no drink, nothing to help her survive. She needed to find people and fast.

Kagome wondered the forest for two nights, sleeping where she could, praying the right people would come along. People were still people, weren't they? She supposed that she could try to use her miko powers if it came to that, but she prayed it
would not.

For two days she walked and walked and walked with no village to be had, no people to be seen. Not even fresh water. Until in the middle of a field, far off she saw... someone.

After nearly two days without food or water, she was weak and at the end of her strength. She was filthy and sweaty and tired and dirty. How much longer could she keep going?

The person far off stopped to peer at her, almost as if to take a second glance and then began running towards her. Her breath left her in a rush of panic but she was so exhausted.

As the person rushed toward her, she wavered and collapsed.

Please let them be kind, she thought.Let it be a mother or a child.

The last thing she heard before exhaustion swallowed her was a familiar voice ask, "Sister?"

"Can you believe we found her?"

"He'll be so happy. Don'cha think?"

"But isn't she human?"

"Yeah, so?"

"It's been so long. She looks exactly the same!"

Heaven was loud.

"Mm stop talking so loud," she murmured.

"Little Sister!" one shouted even louder. The voice she remembered. The one she heard before she fainted.

She heard a faint smack. A hand slapping. Something.

"Dammit, I'm sorry."

"Boss sure will be happy, though."

"Then again he might die of shock."

Kagome opened her eyes, squinting in the dimly lit room. And then she opened her eyes fully. Nope. Not a room, definitely a cave. A den.Where in kami's name was she and who brought her here?!

She was laying down. In a den. A den she'd seen before. Slightly different but then very much the same.

Surrounded by men, by wolves.

Hakkaku and Ginta.

"Little Sister, you're up!" Hakkaku exclaimed with joy. "We thought you might be a goner out there when you collapsed, but—"

It was like being doused in freezing cold water. As she rose into a sitting position, air rushing into her lungs, and threw her arms around the wolf demon. "Hakkaku! You're alive!"

She looked to the side. "And Ginta!"

She could feel Hakkaku's reluctance to return the embrace. Touch and scent were important to wolf demons. She knew that. Honestly, she was just happy to see a face of someone who wouldn't try to eat her.

Ginta smiled at her sheepishly. "Hey, Sis!"

Kagome released Hakkaku and sat back taking it all in.

Her eyes searched the wolf demon's. "How did you find me?"

Hakkaku's blush faded and he sat up. "Well I didn't mean too exactly. Just luck."

"And you brought me back here?"

His eyes looked apologetic and his shoulders heaved. "Are you upset that I did that?"

Kagome thought absently and shook her head. "N-no. I don't suppose I am. I'm very happy to see you both!"

She tried to smile, but it hurt and it felt forced. It was.

Hakakku relaxed visibly. Ginta stood. Kagome was entranced by the wolf demon. Both looked just as she had last seen them. They were demons, yes, but it made it no less unnerving.

"Can I get you something to eat?"

Kagome nodded. She was starved.

"Please."

Ginta disappeared and came back with fruit. She gladly partook and ate quickly.

The two wolf demon sat before her, waiting for her to finish.

"Sister?"

Her eyes looked up at them. "Yes?"

Hakkaku's looked like he was struggling with himself. "You haven't aged. Much."

"Oh." That wasn't what she expected them to ask. Of course she should have aged. She was human. They were demons. Even if it had been one hundred years, it made sense they would look almost exactly as she had left them.

For a moment, she remembered the look of both fury and loss on Sesshomaru's face. If he was telling the truth about time and it had been nearly a century, she should have aged. More so, she should not be here. She should be dead.

"How?"

Kagome blinked in confusion. "I'm sorry?"

Ginta and Hakakku waited, sitting on their heels. They looked at each other and then back at her. Ginta rubbed the back of his head nervously. "You, uh, you aren't old. How is that?"

They waited. She bit her lip, looking up at them shyly. "It's a really long story?" She meant it to be a statement.

She sighed, feeling full for the first time in days.It's not like I have anything to do any time soon.

Hakkaku and Ginta sat in perfect, patient silence as she recanted the story of the well, how it came to be, and how she got here. When Kagome finished telling her tale, they sat before her, their mouths agape.

She blew air out of her lips, placing her hands on her lap. She should have known it was too much for them. It was such a fairytale, it had to sound fabricated.

If they didn't understand or didn't believe her, they didn't let on. Ginta smiled brightly at her and laughed.

"Boss sure is gonna be happy to see ya!"

Boss?

"Where is he?"

They looked at each other and then back at her.

"Where is Kouga?"

She peered around the den but he was nowhere to be found. She wasn't sure how she hadn't noticed it before.

"Is he out?"

Her heart began to beat quickly. She hadn't seen the wolf prince in five years. For him it was much longer. The guilt made her heart twist painfully. She never meant for things to happen like this.

Hakkaku looked around. "I wouldn't worry, Sis. He should be back soon."

"Is something the matter? Will he be upset that I'm here?"

Ginta bit down on his lip, and Kagome wasn't sure if he was trying not to laugh or not. He gestured down to her clothing.

"What is it?"

"Please don't be mad."

As she looked down, she saw that she was dressed in a skirt made of white furs, chest armor that covered her upper body, and a vest made of white furs. Someone had changed her.

Slowly she looked up. Both wolf demon looked apologetically at her.

"We didn't..."

"The women..."

"We asked them to..."

"Your clothes were ruined..."

She laughed nervously, waving them off. Women had seen her naked, not Kouga's men, and honestly that was enough. "It's fine, really!"

She was only stuck in a time she was never meant to return to with none of her things. She was dressed in how the other women of the wolf tribe dressed. This was normal.

"Where is Kouga?"

The two wolves looked at each other, like neither wanted to tell her.

"He's out."

"He should be back."

Something was wrong. And they were hiding it from her. Badly.

"Does he know I'm here?"

Hakkaku shrugged. "If he doesn't know ya're here yet, he will."

Ginta tried to smile warmly at her. "Kagome, it's night. You should sleep."