Well, this is it my friends, the last lap. It was nice hearing from yous again, and hopefully, i will again soon! Thanks again for all the great reviews, the reliable comments, and the encouragement most of all. Without you, I couldn't be me, lol, so group hug!! And thanks again, I appreciate you all!!
Deds:
Nimeway - Feed your curiosity! The end is here!! Thanks!!
DemonDog113 - That's right, mush must be dealt with. So deal with this, eh?? Lol, thanks!!
Mystical Hanyou - (gasp) SHARE?? Never!! Hahaha, I'm thoroughly surprised this time, tho you are warm when you suggest Inu and Kags make up, lol, but I believe he doesn't find her till after the fact, haha, but still. You and your guesses! Thanks for much entertainment!!
Author's Note: I just wanna thank everyone again - I'm so grateful to have friends like you guys, always willing to say a kind word, or be wonderfully demanding, and making it seem that you'd die if I dIdn't update (heaven forbid!), but these are all the hallmarks of great friends. I can't thank you enough, so this story goes out to all my fans. Thank you so much, I love you all!!
Question Existing - Conclusion
Sesshoumaru strode through his castle gates, trying to convince himself that he'd done the right thing by letting Kagome go her own way. She was still in his territory, but he tried to forget her presence there; it was easier said than done, though.
His hair was sopping wet, as was everything else, even the two guards on duty were soaked through. They tipped their helmets to him as he passed, his gaze indecipherable.
He stopped at the ornate wood doors to his family home and heaved a great sigh. As much as he hated himself, his honour would not let him abandon her, not after their close encounter. He couldn't deny that he'd felt something for her... and she for him.
Sesshoumaru knew, in the back of his mind, that someday, he'd give in to the impulse to desire human companionship; his ward, Rin, was what he liked to think of as a small concession in that direction, nothing huge, and certainly nothing that might develop into something more later. What he felt for her was something that was almost indescribable; before her, his days had begun to bleed into each other, and nothing of real merit stood out to remember them by. But she found the small things in life to be the most exhilarating, and was almost never without her smile. Before him, her life had been difficult; now, it was remarkably easy, as it should have been, had her family survived the circumstances that had befallen them. As the lone survivor, Rin had been destined to plod away at life alone, a burden to her village, until he came along, that is.
Jaken, too, was company, though his and Sesshoumaru's relationship was strictly professional. He lived in Sesshoumaru's home, and was, in effect, his butler, valet, and representative, yet they shared no companionable warmth between them. At least, not on Sesshoumaru's part anyway.
He realised with alacrity that up until now, despite his various encounters with others of the female persuasion, Kagome had been his first human. And, in sharing himself with her, he'd given her a piece of himself; a piece, now that it was missing, seemed like a gaping hole inside, jagged and torn. It was akin to the feeling he'd fought so hard to hide the day he saw his father for the last time, and before that, while his mother lay on her deathbed, pale as the moon and wasted away to nothing, weighing barely more than Rin did now. The feeling that something that he was powerless to prevent was taking away from him everything he had held dear was haunting him again, only this time, he could change the circumstances, he could go after her, and see where his life went from there.
But could Sesshoumaru willingly give into the impulse he'd fought for so long, the impulse the he only pretended offended him? For so long he'd convinced himself that a human woman had been his father's downfall, that, because of her, he had died. It dawned on him that, even if his father had succumbed to mortality in order to defend his human lover and her child, he had been happy. Sesshoumaru could not remember his father ever having been happier than when he was with Izayoi, and, in a way, deep down inside, Sesshoumaru had envied his father his happiness. He resented Inu Taisho at first, because he felt that by falling in love with someone else, his father was dishonouring his mother's memory, when really, he was not. He had mourned Sesshoumaru's mother for an entire century, abstaining from all temptations and trying to forget the pain her death had left him with. But Sesshoumaru, in his belligerent youth, had conveniently overlooked those facts. He'd believed what he'd wanted to believe, because he had wanted to hurt his father; he'd wanted his father to hurt the way he still did.
Sesshoumaru's mother had been the major stress-reliever in his life. She was not the most beautiful of women, but when she smiled, she could light up an entire room. Other demons flocked to her side, and hung on her every word. Animals, especially birds, were drawn to her calm, serene nature, and she was often to be found in the extensive herb gardens, feeding and singing to the birds that gathered round her. Everyone said he shared a resemblance to his father - he was definitely Inu Taisho's son - but in all truth, he carried the look of his mother. Despite his delicate fingers, silky hair, and fine features, he was as hard and ruthless as his father ever was, and, in more vulnerable, peaceful times, was just as passionate. He may have appeared feminine in his own way, but it was not feminine enough to discourage female attention. He was aware that his looks were exceptional, but they didn't really matter to him. His looks would not win him a battle, nor get him through negotiations for expanding his empire; he was more than his looks, and he prided his intellect much more than his beauty. If he were to be seriously injured, as he had been when Inuyasha had severed his left arm above the elbow, how the wound healed was of no consequence, as long as his arm was functional again after regeneration. Whether or not there were scars meant little. Superficiality didn't matter; reality did.
Turning about with a resolve he almost wished he didn't feel, he left his home, even though he'd just gotten there. The guards flashed each other a curious glance, but at their Master's discretion, refrained from mentioning it. They watched him disappear around the bend, his pace a little faster than normal, before breaking out in curious whispers.
Kagome spent her first night in an inn on the outskirts of the town. Several men came by in the evening to drink and talk, some playing a competitive game of go, but she kept to herself, listening to the idle chatter, for anything that might indicate the whereabouts of the Jewel shard.
She had changed out of her camouflage and into a pair of deep green hakama, similar to her priestess clothes, but less recognizable. She kept her short hair under wraps; she could easily be mistaken as a man should anyone see its length. Kagome knew she could easily track the shard and take it from whoever had it, but she needed to be cautious. Too many times in the past she had rushed into these situations, always assuming the best of people and forever proving herself wrong. She would not be hasty this time, not when she was alone.
A young woman came around to pour drinks, and Kagome waved away her offer of sake; she didn't have enough money to be frittering it away on alcohol. Instead, she smiled lightly and asked quietly, "I'm new here, but I've heard talk that a shard of the Shikon jewel was in this village, and I've always wanted to see one. Have you heard anything about it?"
The serving girl smiled back and replied conversationally, "Oh yeah, I've heard all about it. I even caught a glimpse of it a few days ago. A boy brought it back from a neighbouring village where he said he defeated a demon and found the shard in its ashes. He's very proud of it."
Kagome nodded sagely, her interest piqued. A prize, was it? She was thinking that she might have to fib a bit to get it away from the boy, who, from the girl's description, sounded very supercilious, and unlikely to let her really see it. Hmmm...
She grinned at the girl, and replied, "Then I guess I'll have to ask for a peek."
The girl lifted a brow and gave her a look. "Good luck. Koichi's very possessive of it. I was lucky to get a glimpse, and that was only because he didn't know I was looking over his shoulder."
Kagome rolled her eyes and guffawed. "He's one of those, hmm?"
The girl nodded. "Oh yeah. He's a me-person, alright. Though," she looked Kagome over more closely, "he might let you have a peek, if you go about it the right way."
Kagome laughed, and replied, "Thanks."
The girl nodded, then moved to the next table. Having gleaned most of the information she needed, Kagome got up and left the establishment. Surely an elderly man or woman, whom were most approachable, could enlighten her of the boy's whereabouts.
One deaf old man and three elderly, deaf women later, Kagome was getting frustrated. Finally, she saw another woman her own age, and in a roundabout way, got the girl to give her the info she wanted. Koichi could be found at his father's home, the last hut on the left side of the road on the way out of the village to the east. Perfect.
At first glance, Koichi's hut seemed rather dilapidated. The eaves sagged, various plants were growing in the troughs for rainwater along the edges, and the grass was knee high.
Geez, she thought disdainfully, get a cow.
A commotion could be heard around the back, and she guessed his father was out; no respectable man in this era would overlook his son making such a racket, especially with his friends in his own yard. It just wasn't polite.
And a ruckus was putting it mildly. As Kagome peeked around the corner of the house, she saw several young men joking and laughing together, and what looked like a bottle of sake passing between them, each one taking several swallows when his turn came.
Slow down boys, its not a competition, she thought.
Suddenly a finger poking none-too-gently into her back made her jump, and she turned to face who she assumed was Koichi.
His face, streaked with dirt and grime, was cute, she supposed, if you could force yourself to see past the acne and the constant frown. His voice was deep, but not nearly as resonant as Inuyasha's. When he barked, "Who are you?", she re-focussed her eyes and decided to take the barmaid's advice: she was going to have to play the sophisticated older woman, for she could plainly see he was a few years younger than she.
Smiling, and placing her hand over her heart, which his eyes followed, she noted, she replied, "Oh, you scared me! Are you Koichi, the boy I've been hearing so much about?" Her smile grew. God I hope I'm not pouring it on too thick, she thought quickly.
Koichi seemed to relax after her question, and responded as she'd hoped to her smile. She was sure not many girls paid him much attention.
"I am. Have you come to see my shard of the Shikon? Because if you have, you've wasted your time."
Her smile faded. What?! Thinking quick, she looked down, and stuck her lower lip out, pouting. "Why not? I came from a long way away just to see it... I thought maybe I could finally see a shard for the first time in my life. I've always wanted to see one."
He looked at her skeptically. He was obviously bitter, and wary of girls, even at this early point in his life; he was going to be a tough nut to crack. She decided to add a little extra incentive. "I'll do anything to see it..."
His brow lifted then, and she did not like his expression one bit. The wheels were turning, and suddenly she hoped he'd not come up with something too embarrassing or horrible for her to do to earn the privilege of seeing his prize.
Taking in a breath, he slipped his arm through hers, his whole demeanour changing. In the wary, nervous boy's place was that of a boy who knew how to play her game, quite adeptly, no doubt. She hoped she could outwit him.
"I'm sorry I was so suspicious, Miss...?"
She supplied her name. "Kagome."
He smiled. "Miss Kagome. I've just met a few very unscrupulous people in the last few days, and I have to be careful to whom I show my Jewel. There are many who have already tried to take it away from me."
She affected a sympathetic look, once again placing her hand over her heart as if to say, Who would do such a thing? She felt the presence of the shard in his left pocket, just within her reach. Miroku's pick-pocketing lesson from a few years back would come in handy today.
He nodded, leading her toward the tight knot of boys gathered behind the hut. "It's true. In fact, someone tried to steal it just over an hour ago. But I dealt with him quick enough."
Her expression never changed, but Kagome couldn't swallow the huge lump in her throat at that cryptic response. I hope I can do this.
Reaching the others, Koichi called out, "Ahem, men. I have brought a young lady with me. Make her feel welcome, won't you? Her name is Kagome." He began to name his friends as he pointed to them, ten boys in all. She smiled and waved at them, and several eyed her with the look of a collectively hungry cat.
One of the boys, more eager than the rest, said, "Hey, Koichi, let us see the shard. You promised!" There were shouts of agreement, and, smiling, Koichi held up both hands, placating his peers.
"Soon. First, I want to find out more about our new friend." He turned to Kagome, his smile just shy of malicious. His arm had quickly returned to hers, holding her fast. There was no escape.
Swallowing her anxiety, she smiled back, seemingly oblivious to his intent. As he looked at her, forming his thoughts, she pretended to stumble, and quickly slid her hand into his pocket, pressing the shard between two fingers, and letting her hand slide away naturally as he steadied them both.
She gasped, "Oh, Koichi, I'm so sorry!"
He only smiled, brushing her faux pas off easily. "Don't even mention it, Kagome. It's quite alright."
She pocketed the shard while he was occupied with her smile, which she flashed at him brilliantly in gratitude. "Good. I thought maybe I'd hurt you." Her gaze was contrite.
He shook his head. "Not at all. You know, Kagome, the boys and I were just remarking the other day that we never have any girls to hang around with. In fact, none of us has so much as seen a girl smile in our direction." Here his frown returned and he yanked her close, hissing, "I know your game, woman! Why are you here? No girl is interested in us!" Afraid, she yanked her arm away, deciding that now was a good time to depart.
"Well, I never! Excuse me for wanting to simply see a shard, Koichi! You ought to be ashamed of your manners, to treat a lady like this! On second thought, keep your shard. I don't want to see it anyway!" Turning on her heel, she stalked off, and when she had rounded the corner, looked back. He had not followed her. She began to run.
Koichi watched her leave, then snorted, disappointed. She'd seemed genuinely interested, and a few of his friends were glaring at him, blaming him for making the pretty girl leave.
"Damn it Koichi, we coulda had something there!"
"Shut up!" he barked, more angry at himself than her. His overly suspicious nature had turned away more than one girl in the past, but had protected him well enough from the malicious ones, too. "Forget about her. We all know what you really came here to see."
Digging around in his pocket, he frowned. Where was it? Where was his shard of the Jewel?
"Now what's the matter?" someone asked impatiently.
Koichi straightened. "I don't have it."
The other boys looked at him, frowning. "What?!"
Koichi looked at his empty hand, and remembered clearly slipping it in his pocket not five minutes ago. He checked the seams in his pocket for a hole, and, feeling one, groaned inwardly.
"Fan out! Search the grass! And if any of you try to hide my Jewel from me, I'll knock your block off." He glared to reinforce his demand, and, methodically, the boys began their search.
Kagome took out the shard from her back pocket and inspected it closely. It was rather large, and shimmered with the pink tones of the others she had squirreled away in her bag. Smiling, pleased with her feminine wiles, even though she hadn't really used them (Koichi had kind of stepped on her opportunity), she put her newest shard with the others, and left the village, deciding to head back home to her friends.
Inuyasha, at a loss after the rain had stopped, looked at Sango and Miroku helplessly. Kagome's trail was long gone, and he didn't know which way to go.
Sango, having put a lot of thought into her next comment, braced herself for Inuyasha's reaction. "Inuyasha, maybe we should head back. I'm sure she's fine, we'd have heard something by now if she weren't. She can't travel forever. She'll likely come back soon."
Inuyasha looked at her with eyes so shiny with self-loathing that she knew her suggestion would go unheeded, even though Miroku agreed, "She's right. We're getting nowhere, Inuyasha."
Inuyasha shook his head, angry that they would give up on her. "Then you two go back. I'm going to keep looking." And he took off into the air.
Sango sighed.
Miroku asked, "What aren't you telling me, Sango?"
She turned to face Miroku and with a an impish smile and a gaze that couldn't quite hold his own, she confessed, "Kagome's coming back when she finds a shard. She's just trying to prove a point, and I think it worked."
Miroku raised a brow. "You knew this all along?"
Sango made a moue with her mouth and dug the toe of her sandal into the dirt. "Maybe."
He sighed. All this way for nothing. Oh well. At least he had her all to himself on the way home. His fingers twitched in anticipation.
"Shall we go, then?"
In response, she took off, leading the way at a fast trot. Shippo, who'd been unusually silent lately, looked at him from his shoulder and shrugged. Sighing again, he followed her.
Sesshoumaru heard his brother before any of his other senses registered him. He made a face and stopped in his path, silent, waiting.
Inuyasha landed before him, panting hard, and, none-too-subtly, sniffed his brother.
Inwardly, Sesshoumaru smirked. Won't do you any good now, Inuyasha.
Keeping his frown constant, Inuyasha asked, "Have you seen Kagome?"
Sesshoumaru contemplated the question. Should he keep his mouth shut about his tryst with Kagome? If she decided not to tell him, he could avoid a lot of aggravation from Inuyasha. However, he could torment his little brother with the knowledge that his woman had been unfaithful to him... but that would only lead to his weakness coming out, and he knew Inuyasha would never let him hear the end of it. In the end he decided to be mum on the subject, even though he was searching for the same woman as his brother, but Inuyasha didn't need to know that.
"I have not seen your woman, Inuyasha. Is she missing?"
Exasperated that it had taken Sesshoumaru so long to even deign to answer him, Inuyasha took off, his brother's usefulness spent. He obviously didn't know anything, so sticking around was largely pointless.
Inuyasha continued on, trying in vain to catch a whiff of Kagome.
Sesshoumaru also walked on, listening to the distant heartbeat of the woman he couldn't seem to forget. Deep down he knew it was for the best that they remain apart, but he just couldn't leave her without knowing she was alright, and felt awful about the way he'd treated her. He needed to apologise, but if she still felt the same, he would leave her alone. Permanently.
Unaware, Inuyasha was heading in the wrong direction, away from Kagome, who was leisurely making her way home. She had fused her new-found shard with the others, and kept it safely around her neck, attached to a long gold chain.
When she felt the demonic presence, she readied her bow and pointed her arrow into the forest, stopping her trek to concentrate on the signature. It was familiar, and she could guess who it was, despite how much she didn't want to see him.
Sesshoumaru strode around the bend in the road to see her arrow aimed directly at his heart, and she wasn't lowering the bow. He decided he'd better make this quick.
Kagome couldn't stop the memory of their time together from flashing through her mind, and a tear eked out of her eye as she called, "What do you want, Sesshoumaru?" She had not forgotten his treatment of her, as unintentional as her reaction to him above her like that had been.
He stopped before her, his face no longer unreadable. In fact, he almost seemed... sad.
Which was a new one on her. She lowered the bow, slowly.
For what seemed like a long time they stood there just staring at each other. Finally, he said, "Kagome..."
Her knees turned to jelly. Her heart sped up, and the dulcet tone of his voice sifted over her like velvet. She tried to keep her jaw from trembling. "I'm sorry too, Sesshoumaru."
He blinked, and she smiled a little. He slowly returned it.
Putting her arrow away, she hooked her bow back over her shoulder, unsure of what to say now. He just stared at her, surprised at her concession. He supposed they had both grown up a little over the past week, though to him, their time together had not lasted nearly long enough.
Kagome realised that they couldn't have a future, even after the time they had shared. It had been good, and she would never forget it, but she had friends waiting for her, and a hanyou whose apology she was anxious to hear. As much as she regretted it, she knew they were fated never to be together.
Sesshoumaru did not stop her when she passed him, saying simply as she did, "See you."
He let her go. She had made her decision, and he would respect it, even though they were apart of each other's lives now. She held a piece of him, and he treasured the memory she had given him. He would look out for her, for as long as she lived. It was the least he could do.
Kagome hung her head to hide the tears that threatened to escape. She had just passed up what was probably a wonderful opportunity; Sesshoumaru really was a very sweet man, once one got to know him, and peeled away the cold exterior. But she had prior loyalties, and she owed those loyalties to Inuyasha. No matter what, he came first, even when he was acting like a child.
Resolutely, she walked on, heading back to Musashi.
Sango and Miroku were on hand to greet Kagome when she returned. By tacit agreement, Sango and Miroku decided not to tell her that they'd followed her. She had proven herself by showing them the large shard she'd brought back, now fused to the others she had, to make one large piece.
Kaede had welcomed her back warmly, and asked after her adventure, but Kagome didn't say much. She kept from them what had really happened on her Journey, and told them only that her trip went mostly unhindered, and only got rocky when she'd picked the youth's pocket in the Western village so far away.
Miroku had beamed at her proudly, while Sango's scowl had melted into a smile, just happy that she was back safely.
When Kagome asked where Inuyasha was, Sango and Miroku exchanged a glance, then smiled at her. "He's out looking for you."
She widened her eyes. "Yeah? I never saw him. Where is he looking?!"
Miroku chuckled. "He lost your trail the day it rained. He's been trying to pick up your scent ever since."
She smiled to herself. He did care. She'd known he did all along, she just forgot, he'd made her so angry. It made her feel good to know that he was sorry, even though he had not yet said so. They all knew that was why he searched so hard for her, or at least part of the reason.
Kagome picked up her bag and regarded her friends, chucking Shippo playfully under the chin as he smiled at her from Miroku's shoulder. "Will you tell him I went home to change? I'm sure he'll waste no time coming after me," she said, winking. They all smiled back, nodding.
She waved her goodbyes, Miroku escorting her to the Well to see her off.
"Kagome..."
She paused to look at him before jumping in. "What is it, Miroku?"
Something about her was different, and, though it was barely there, he discerned a change in her aura. It was... fuller, somehow. More content than he could remember. Had she, while she was gone...? He blinked. No. She wouldn't do that.
He smiled back at her, shaking off his thoughts. "Have a good night."
The sun was setting, and she grinned, taking back the hand he'd unconsciously reached out for. "Thank you. See you soon."
"Yes, see you soon." He watched her go, then headed back. He would ask Sango if she had detected the change, too. If not, he would dismiss it as an over-active imagination.
Inuyasha returned, finally picking up her scent halfway home. He rushed in, asking, "Where is she?"
Sango moved the stew pot off the fire and replied calmly, "Good evening to you too, Inuyasha. Kagome is at home, showering I imagine."
He was gone in a flash. Miroku stifled a snort.
Kagome towelled her hair dry, then opened the medicine cabinet, looking for her spray-in conditioner. While she rummaged around for it, something fell into the sink.
Giving up on the conditioner, thinking that Souta had probably used it up on her (though of course he would never admit to committing such a crime, it being girly to even use conditioner, ha!), she replaced everything in the cabinet, then spotted the item that had fallen into the basin of the sink. Picking it up, she turned it over. It was an old pregnancy test of her mother's; it looked like it was from the late seventies, or early eighties.
Probably mouldy or something by now, she thought, putting it away. Then, on an impulse, she took it out again.
What the hell? She thought, and tried it. She waited, then dropped the test in the sink again when the door banged open, and Inuyasha was standing there, heaving.
Kagome was only in a towel, and she yelled, "Inuyasha! Get out!"
He shook his head, panting, "No, Kagome, not yet. I have to... tell you... I'm... sorry."
She smiled at him. "Thank you, Inuyasha. That really means a lot to me."
He reached out, and enfolded her in a hug. She revelled in his warm embrace.
"Kagome?"
She looked up at him. "Yeah?"
He smiled down at her. "I like your new haircut."
She smiled. "Thanks."
"Kagome?"
She creased her brow, laughing. "Yes, Inuyasha?"
He pointed down into the sink, an odd expression on his face. "That thing says you're pregnant."
Kagome's eyes widened, and she stiffened. Oh, shit...
Well, that's it. I hope you enjoyed, and I'll see you's at my next story!! Hugs and Kisses!! xoxoxox
