A/N Alright everyone, it seems I have forgotten something extremely important and I am truly sorry that it was NOT mentioned before... I DO NOT OWN INUYASHA, THE CHARACTERS, OR WHATEVER I FORGOT TO MENTION. By the way, please remember, reviews are love!

Chapter 3- Love?

Her heart was racing like a humming bird's wings. The envelope in her hands was from the one school she had been aching to get into. Her grades had improved dramatically since middle school. High school was nearly as rough because her heart always longed to be elsewhere, but college was where she seemed to have pulled herself together.

Gone was the gangly girl that seemed to be awkwardly falling over things and saying whatever fool thing entered her head. She had been replaced with a shapely, fit, intelligent young woman of 22 years. Her hair was now evenly trimmed and the waves were much more even. She kept the fluffy bangs because they made her look a bit younger.

Her heart had left behind the memories of the feudal era in favor of Biology, Trigonometry, and Anatomy classes. Studies were in the forefront of her mind. This was the last day semester of her education in the realm of premedical school and she was getting offers for schools to continue her education. She had been aching to become a doctor.

One thing she had brought back with her from the feudal era was a love for nursing people back to health. She wanted to heal the sick and injured and change the world in another way. The world was at her feet, but her fate was in the contents of the envelope her hand gripped with white knuckles.

She passed by her kendo club, giving a wave into the window while the younger kids began warming up for their lesson. She smiled as she recalled wanting to learn because it reminded her so much of Inuyasha. Tears filled her eyes, but she sucked them back and pulled herself up tall. She had not allowed herself to think of him for so long now.

She was quite good and noticed a marked improvement in her spiritual powers. When in private, she would practice creating barriers, expanding them, and shaping them to protect only certain objects. She could throw small orbs of purification which were conjured from her own aura.

It was no difficulty for her to completely pull her powers inside, disguising herself as a normal human being. Since her return to the modern age, she had not sensed even one demon- not until she met her current roommate.

The small woman kept her hair dyed a different color each month claiming that she still could not decide which one look best. She was studying music and planning to become a professional opera star. Her skin was so pale and her eyes seemed like mirrors. They were dark, but seemed to reflect everything. Unfortunately, she would never be taller than about 4 feet. The girl came from a foster home in the United States. Her foster mother and father decided to send her back to her native home to study music in Japanese. Her foster family named her Lynn, but Kagome knew right away, she was a reincarnation of Kanna.

It wasn't long after Lynn arrived at the school that Kagome sensed her demonic aura. The girl was completely open about the little she knew of her natural lineage. She was the daughter of two hanyous that were killed in a battle.

Kagome knew from personal experience not to judge reincarnations based on the people they once were. After all, she was a reincarnation of Kikyo and while they had so much in common, they were completely different people. Aside from that, back in the feudal era, Kanna was just a spawn of Naraku that did his bidding. The evil that came from Naraku wasn't her fault.

Kagome was completely enraptured with the tale Lynn told of her life growing up and when she discovered she was half-demon. She had no idea that demons still existed. In the next couple of years, she had met so many low-level demons that Lynn introduced her to. When she asked about the higher level demons, Kanna claimed to know only one.

It was then that she met the daughter of a high ranking official in the government. She was a bird demon with red eyes and dark wavy hair, but her human form had the dark wavy hair always pulled into a tight bun at the back of her head and brown eyes. At first the reincarnation of Kagura seemed aloof and snobby, but soon she warmed up to the human and began to even hold conversations with her. She had joined their college shortly afterward as a professor in law. She had been practicing law for some time and planned to follow in her father's footsteps to become a politician.

The law professor, now known by her current name, Fuu Oshiro, was very open about herself and also about the amulets the higher ranking demons used. She explained that once the feudal era ended, many demons realized the need to conceal themselves behind these concealment spells and sought the help of a few monks. She had heard rumors of a choice few that knew a priestess that was strong enough to create a spell of concealment that was completely flawless. Kagome wondered at that, but too briefly to consider what her heart was hoping.

Questions of a demon's longevity came next. Kagura laughed and explained that youkai usually lived at least 1,000 years. Many of the greater demons lived longer than 3,000 or 4,000, but hanyous didn't live quite so long.

Kagome sighed. She never really expected Inuyasha would have lived that long. It saddened her briefly, but she had let go of her hopeful thinking long ago.

She then recalled Sesshomaru and asked, "Who is in charge of the Western lands?"

Professor Ishiro looked briefly to Lynn in silent questioning and then back to Kagome and answered, "Inukimi Nishi still controls the area under the guise of a politician and business owner, but she's thinking of retiring and letting the land go to her only son."

Kagome nodded and thought briefly, "I guess this Inukimi is probably a descendant of Sesshomaru. He was the Lord of the Western lands in the feudal era."

As her mind went over the events she recalled, she didn't see the hand that came up and around her face to cover her eyes. He whispered in her ear as a spark glinted in his eye, "Guess who?"

A smile came to her face as she knew exactly who it was. She could see his neatly cut brown hair and friendly blue eyes. "Hojo?" she guessed.

He laughed as he pulled his hand away and waited for her to turn herself to face him. She was smiling that breath-taking smile. His breath seemed to catch in his chest. She gave him a quick, chaste kiss, causing his heart to flutter.

It took him a moment to regain his composure and presented her with a pair of soft slippers. With a shy smile and blush, he informed, "I thought you would like them. They are supposed to be good for aching feet." At her confused expression he added, "you said your feet hurt from walking between all these classes since your bike got stolen.

"Oh," she responded. The gift was a bit odd, but she knew she should accept a gift from her boyfriend with enthusiasm. She offered her best fake smile and responded, "Thank you, Hojo. You are so thoughtful."

He smiled again and noticed the envelope in her hand. "What is that?" he asked.

She then realized she was still holding the unopened letter in her hand. With a shaky smile she responded, "I'm too nervous to open it."

Hojo took the envelope from her and raised an eyebrow. "May I," he requested.

She nodded nervously as he pulled the blade of his pocketknife through the top of the envelope. As he did, he noticed the return address was from the United States. Both his eyebrows went up as he looked at her in surprise. "Baylor?"

Kagome bit her bottom lip nervously. She had dated Hojo for the past four years and they had planned to both go to school in Tokyo. She never told him that her dream was to study at Baylor- actually, it was John Hopkin's but her family's meager situation could not afford the tuition.

Baylor was the best rated medical school at the lowest tuition rate. She sighed as she put her hand on his shoulder and guided him to the bench nearby. "Hojo," she began, "you know that medical school is my dream. While Tokyo has great schools, I need to study abroad- to get more experience in different places."

"But, dearest, we agreed to go to school here," he argued.

"No." She then looked him in the eyes, "You thought it was best for us. What I keep explaining is that if we truly love each other, we can wait. True love waits, Hojo."

He took in a deep breath and nodded. "That it does, my love." He then brightened, "No sense in arguing over it when we still have no idea whether you got in or not." He opened the envelope and unfolded the letter.

Miss Kagome Higurashi,

We are pleased to inform you that your application has been accepted to Baylor College of Medicine. Orientation begins on August 28th and the dormitory will be available on the 25th.

The rest of the letter was a blur. She had been accepted! She did not notice the way his voice seemed to lose all enthusiasm the more he read on. Finally, he broke her from her trance as he handed her a separate piece of paper.

"It says that you also have received a full scholarship based on your grade point average," he informed in a flat voice.

Finally noticing his sad expression as he rose off the bench and ran a hand through his perfect brown hair, she rose to her feet to face him, eye to eye. "Hojo, I…"

He turned and offered the closest thing he could to a genuine smile, always the optimist, "Congratulations, Higurashi. I know you'll knock 'em dead."

She blinked and responded, "Umm, it's medical school. I'm hoping I don't knock anyone dead."

He took her by the shoulders and smiled, "You know what I mean."

She nodded as he leaned in and gave her a long, lingering kiss.

For him, the kiss was bitter-sweet. She was leaving him behind. He hoped her heart would remain loyal while she was away for the next 4 to 6 years- his had always belonged to her.

To her, the kiss was like a small bubble of colorlessness in a world of Technicolor. It felt dead and cold, like all the other kisses she had shared. As she turned away, she wondered if her heart would ever find someone it desired.

As she wondered through the park, she reread the letters until she heard the rush of water. She recalled sitting in a boat as it floated downstream and Inuyasha stood at the bow. She blinked back tears as she recalled how she felt the night prior when she held his head in her lap and he told her that she smelled good.

She bit her lip and turned her gaze to the skies. In a bitter expression, she wondered, "Will my heart ever forget you, Inuyasha?"

She felt the warmth of lips pressing against hers. Her eyes opened wide as she noticed the closed lids of her boyfriend framed by brown hair. His hands cupped her face as he pressed his tongue against her closed lips, begging for entrance.

She allowed him to kiss her with passion, but still felt nothing. Tears rolled down her cheeks as she continued to explore his mouth as he explored hers.

After a time they had to come up for air. His thumbs brushed the tears away and he raised a brow in confusion. "What is it, Kagome?"

"I'll miss you," she lied as she offered a watery smile.

"We will still write to each other," he reassured. "About three letters a week seems reasonable."

She smiled in response, but said nothing. He was always so precise- so organized... and so completely different than...

She suddenly remembered that she had so much she needed to do. "Hojo, sorry, but I have to get a work/study visa and pack and tell my roommate and the girls." She kissed him quickly and hurried away while calling out, "I still have to call my mom and Souta."

He smiled as he stood at the water's edge and looked at his reflection. Beautiful lotus flowers floated in the shallows as he looked around him. Such a romantic place should only exist in books, but somehow, Kagome never seems to notice.

It doesn't matter whether it's a beautiful flower or a lovely dress, she always seems to have her mind miles away from there. Kagome seemed like an unattainable goddess to him. They had dated since high school ended and yet she still felt like she was far too good for him. He tried, kami knows he tried, but nothing changed.

He sighed, "One day, Kagome. One day I will make you see how good we are together."

Kagome slowed her pace as she moved behind a tree, far from the park. Tears filled her eyes as she wondered, "What is wrong with me? I have a good man that loves me. How can it feel so wrong when it is so right?"

She was so angry at herself, but she couldn't seem to reason her way out of this. She simply told herself, "You love Hojo. He's good to you, has a future, is handsome, understanding, loving, kind…"

She continued on as she made her way back to the dormitory and her room. She had work tonight and still had so much to do. She had one more final exam tomorrow and needed to find some time to study.

~0~

The outfit was a bit short… and black, but the tips were good and she needed the money. She would have to find a job in the states as soon as she got there, but would work through the summer while she was here.

As she wiped down the tables, she thought of all the things she had yet to do. Her mother and Souta were so proud of her and her friends were thrilled as they had heard American men were sooo HOT! They wanted her to send them back "a few good specimens."

As she continued to wipe sown table four, a man came with his wife and a couple of kids. They seemed so familiar. The husband had his hair cropped short. The straight, black hair framed a familiar face. His eyes were an unusual shade of blue. His wife looked like she might be half-European. Her hair was brilliant red and hung loosely on her shoulders. Her eyes sparkled like two emeralds and both appeared to be very fit.

The children were adorable mixtures of the couple. Their oldest appeared to have a baby with her. Kagome frowned- they were too young to have grandchildren.

One of the other waitresses came to the table to take their order as Kagome finished the last of her tables. She kept feeling eyes boring holes in her. Whoever the couple was, they were not demons.

Through meeting Kagura and Kanna, she had learned how to detect the concealment spells created by demons. This family had no spells she could detect around them.

As she turned her gaze to the clock behind the customers, she noticed the man was staring at her and nudged his wife to get her attention. The red-head turned and offered a glare.

Kagome smirked internally as she turned her head away, "Don't worry, I'm not interested."

8 pm, her shift was over. She breezed past the couple on her way to the time clock. As she rushed by, she heard the woman tell her husband, "Will you stop staring at the waitresses? Aren't I enough for you?"

Kagome smirked as she punched out, but didn't hear the rest of the conversation.

"Ayame, don't you think she looked a lot like…" he began only to be whacked in the head.

"Who cares who she looked like? I think you're just making excuses. Now let's eat in peace," she commanded as Kouga simply nodded. She was in a bad mood today and he was not in the mood to fight with her. After all, the girl didn't look that much like Kagome.

~0~

"I don't see why I have to go back to Japan," Inuyasha murmured as he passed another box to Shippo. "It's my royal pain in the ass brother that is finally getting his title. All I get is some apartment and a bunch of bullshit memories."

The fox demon rolled his green eyes and took the box from the grumpy Inuyahsa.

"I know you guys don't get along," Shiori said as she finished wiping down the floor in the living room, "but the least you could do is be there for support."

Inuyasha raised an irritated eyebrow and argued, "No, the least I could do is stay the hell out of the way. That means staying here."

Shippo walked out the door and mumbled, "Don't bother arguing with him, Shiori, he just gets angrier." He then added with a mischievous glint in his eye, "Besides, when Sesshomaru gets here and finds out he's unwilling to go, he'll just stuff him in a suitcase and…"

With that they were off. Shippo was racing, full speed down the stairs with Inuyasha hot on his tail. The fox demon had released the spell and Inuyasha couldn't catch him.

The hanyou finally pulled off the necklace of concealment and was nearly flying. Shippo looked back to see the tell-tale silver locks and golden eyes bearing down on him and screamed in terror as tears came to his eyes. He scrambled along, but it was no use. The silver haired pursuer was already standing over him, holding him up by the collar.

"Stuff me in a suitcase, huh?" Inuyasha growled and whacked him in the head. "I'll stuff you in a suitcase and there'd still be room enough for a nightlight you little fox."

Shippo released his top on Inuyahsa's head only for it to be swiped away by his claws. With a huff, Shippo regrouped and shouted, "Fox fire!" With a blast of blue flame, Inuyasha was now engulfed. The little fox demon's powers had grown over the centuries.

By the time Inuyasha overcame the blue flames Shippo had made it to the base of the stairs and placed his concealment pendant back around his neck. His face was flushed from the exertion. He was hunched over with his hands on his knees, panting.

He looked up to see a tall man in a silver Italian suit in expensive loafers. His black hair was waist-length, pulled into a ponytail at the nape of his neck. His amber eyes sparkled with impatience as he looked at his watch.

"Fighting in the stairwell again?" he asked.

"S-sorry," Shippo stammered as he straightened himself.

Inuyasha made his appearance just as the concealment spell returned. His black, unkempt hair hung loosely around his shoulders. He was sporting a pair of torn jeans and a faded red t-shirt, both fitting his body closely. "You stupid fox! I'm gonna get you!" he shouted, not noticing his brother standing in front of them. He proceeded to grab the fox by the top of the head.

"Put him down, Inuyasha," Sesshomaru commanded. "We need to leave- now." The tall figure turned on his heels and climbed into the back of the waiting limo.

Inuyasha came to the back window and asked, "Where's your stuff? Don't tell me it's back there with you."

The driver's side window rolled down, revealing a dark skinned, dark-eyed man who squawked, "You idiot! Lord Sesshomaru's possessions are already in Japan at the western mansion. I had them delivered personally."

"Excuse me," Inuyasha commented sarcastically, sending the driver into a fit of rage.

"Jaken," Sesshomaru commanded, bringing the imp back to his senses, "drive."

"Yes, my lord," he answered as he rolled up the window.

Inuyasha and Shippo stood in the walkway and watched the limo continue on toward the airport. Shippo jumped up and whacked Inuyasha in the head. "Come on, we gotta get to the airport!"

Inuyasha grumbled as they placed the last box in the van and returned upstairs. He took a breath and shook his head. Today he was saying goodbye to New York and the life he had built there. Soon he would be in Japan, watching his older brother officially become a demon lord. "What's the big deal?" he wondered aloud. "He's been calling himself the lord of the western lands for centuries now."

Shippo finished loading the boxes as Shiori jumped into the van. His phone buzzed, causing him to jump slightly. When he saw who was calling, he looked around to make certain Inuyasha didn't hear. "Kouga?" he asked.

"Still no luck, Shippo," the wolf demon responded. "Is dog-breath around you?"

"Kinda late to ask you dummy," Shippo responded.

"Be careful," Kouga warned. "I may race to the airport just to beat you senseless the moment you arrive."

Shippo sighed, "Yeah yeah… whatever."

"I dunno. I thought I saw her the other day at a restaurant, but she didn't look right."

"How do you mean."

"She was older and her hair was different."

"You IDIOT!" Shippo shouted into the phone. "Don't you get it? It's been 7 years that have passed in this time since you saw her. SHE WILL LOOK OLDER!"

"Alright. Calm down," he reassured. "No worries, I'll go back during the week and get her info from the manager."

"Yeah?" the fox demon asked. "This time, don't screw up. Sesshomaru has promised if you screw up again, he will personally see to your slow, painful death."

Kouga gulped. It took him a moment before he added, "Just why is it Sesshomaru wants the priestess?"

"I don't know," Shippo answered honestly. "I think it has to do with something he promised Rin on her deathbed."