Loud footsteps signaled someone was running quickly up the main staircase. "My Lady! My Lady, you must come out! Someone is here to see you!" Yuri shouted with much excitement. A laugh was heard from the entryway of the manor. A very familiar laugh that Kagome hadn't heard for a long time.

"Yuri, she's probably resting. Don't wake her up for something so trivial." Shippo called as he followed the maid up the stairs. When he finally reached her Yuri had stopped. He smelled salt, and knew he had said the wrong thing. "What is it?" he asked, feigning ignorance. When Yuri turned to look at him his breath hitched. Her lips trembled, and her violet eyes brimmed over in tears.

"How can you say that?" Her voice sounded like it hadn't been used for a long time, contradicting the fact that she had been shouting moments earlier. Her expression then grew angry. The petite demon marched right up to the tall fox. "How can you say that when your mother, who just lost her closest friend, has been moping around for the past week waiting for you?!" She raised her clawed finger and continuously poked him in the chest. "When you've been doing Kami knows what for the past six years?"

"I..." He had never been good with angry women, or crying for that matter. Her exclamation left him speechless.

Suddenly her face crumpled. "Where have you been all this time?" she cried. "Do you know how it feels? Watching your mother's smile disappear entirely, trying your best to bring it back to no avail, only to see reappear fake. She's been waiting for you, from the moment you vanished from the face of the planet." Her hands clung to his shirt, now wrinkling it even more the stress Sesshomaru had already dealt it. "And it takes his death to bring you back?"

The fox's expression softened, and grief clouded his green eyes. He lifted his hand to caress her own clutched to his chest. "I'm sorry, Yuri."

"It's not me you should be apologizing to idiot." she growled.

"It's okay, Yuri." a soft voice heavy with exhaustion seemed to cut through the hallway. Both of the demon's heads shot up to see Kagome standing there next to the door of Inuyasha's old room. She was hunched over, and a shawl wrapped around her shoulders. "I forgive him." the vulnerable woman's voice cracked.

Shippo took a hesitant step towards his mother. "Mom, I-" abruptly he was shoved forward.

"No, My Lady, I don't think you should." Yuri would occasionally get pissed off enough to activate a whole other personality. As Shippo stumbled she kicked him again in the rear end, causing him to fall onto his knees before his mother. "Go on, beg her for the forgiveness you will never deserve. Deserter."

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Kagome watched the activity in the garden outside her window. Birds flitted around, and squirrels bounded throughout the tree branches. If only she could look that happy. Then she heard a knock from the front door. 'Yuri will send them away.' Was all she thought. Without warning she heard Yuri squeal in excitement, only to run up the stairs shouting for her moments later.

She started to stand, when she heard a man chuckle. It was a voice she had longed to hear so much. She rushed to the door of the room when she noticed Yuri was no longer running toward her. She listened as Yuri chewed her son out for not being there earlier. 'She's too protective.' Albeit she wished Shippo had come back to her sooner, she never did like everyone around her thinking she always needed to be protected. 'I think I can handle scolding my own son.'

Kagome heard her son apologize to Yuri, and couldn't help feeling that it was meant for her. She sighed as she reached for the door's handle. It was time to reveal herself. She peered into the hallway to see Yuri clinging to Shippo's shirt. "It's okay, Yuri." she swallowed before continuing, "I forgive him." As Shippo started towards her, the petite maid made a move that reminded Kagome much of her own temper.

Her son fell onto his knees roughly. While the action in itself was quite comical. Shippo took Yuri's order, to both of their surprise, seriously. His eyes watered before he quickly touched his forehead to the floor. "I-I'm sorry mother," the man sounded close to sobbing. "please forgive me." he choked out. Kagome's eyes widened, then softened as she watched her son prostrate before her. Her gaze flickered to Yuri who looked sadistically satisfied.

Only women could ever bring a grown man to tears.

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kami- god

Okay so majority so far is shorter chapters with faster updates. What do you think of this chapter? Do you think I took too much of Shippo's 'manliness' away? I like to think of him as a mama's boy anyways. And as far as the time thing goes I feel like I might be writing different things so far as how long it's been since Inuyasha's death, and how long ago Shippo disappeared, so if you notice that please tell me!

Thanks so much for all of your reviews, follows, and favorites! They make me really happy!

I did get a question on why Shippo was headed to the airport last chapter, so I thought I'd better explain it. He'd gone to live with Sesshomaru to train, and because Sesshomaru owns such a big company I figured he should live somewhere in Europe. I don't really care to specify where, if I were to guess a lot of successful businessman probably live in London, England or something. Anyways, they were at Sesshomaru's country estate when he convinced Shippo to finally go to Kagome. Then Kagome and Inuyasha settled down on the Japanese countryside. So when Shippo goes to the airport, he's catching a flight to Japan from Europe. Does that help?

So yeah, please review and let me know what you think. Thank you so much!