Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Kagome and Sango were almost home, newly mended Hiraikotsu gleaming. Kagome was in front for once atop Kirara, feeling the cool wind soothe her swollen face. She was dreading seeing Inuyasha. He's going to go absolutely nuts. I'm beginning to regret not purifying Sesshoumaru! She touched her cheek gingerly.

Behind her, Sango let out a groan. "What?" said Kagome, craning her neck around.

"My skirt just ripped again!" shouted Sango, holding the parted seams of her olive green skirt up for inspection. "This is the third time in a moon that it's done this!"

"That's annoying," Kagome commiserated, pushing her bangs off her face. She brightened as a thought struck her. "Hey! I was planning on heading home either tonight or tomorrow for a few days. If you'd like, I could pick you up some of the clothing from my time, it'll probably last longer."

Sango grinned, pulling off stray threads from her garment. "All right, thank you. Gods know what I'm wearing now is old enough. Oh, there's the hut! I wonder what the men did while we were away?"

Kagome snorted. "Probably soaked in the hot springs until they were wrinkled up like lettuces!" The demon-slayer giggled as Kirara circled once, then touched down gently. The two slid off, grabbing their things as the nekomata quickly shrank and headed off for a nap.

"Miroku?" Sango called out. "We're back."

The monk stuck his head out of the hut at her voice, beaming delightedly. "Sango, dearest! I've missed you." He came over and gave her a hug, secretly congratulating himself on hiding the sutras where she'd never find them. "Did you repair the- Kagome!"

Kagome immediately whirled around, dragging her hair over half her face. "What?" she squeaked.

Miroku gaped at her. "What under the heavens happened to your face, Kagome? Were you struck?"

She sighed, giving up and brushing her black hair back to reveal a splendidly rainbow bruise, complete with slightly swollen eye. "We ran into Sesshoumaru, Rin was- ah- sick, and he wanted help. Listen, I don't want to tell Inuyasha, okay? He'll probably-"

"Don't wanna tell me what?" said Inuyasha, having just arrived from a hike through the forest, arms loaded down with mushrooms and other forage. He dumped his load inside the hut and came back outside, dusting off his sleeves, ears perked up at Kagome's return- only to be presented with her back. He frowned, trying to walk around her, but she only continued turning away, face bright red.

"What the hell, Kagome!" Inuyasha finally shouted, annoyed. He grabbed her shoulder and pulled her around. When his eyes hit the mark of Sesshoumaru's palm, they widened. His lips cut back from his fangs in an unconscious grimace and his ears were laid back tightly. His eyes flared red before he laid a hand on the hilt of Tetsusaiga. "Who hit you?" he roared, frightening even Kagome.

Kagome clutched his arm. "It's nothing, don't worry about it," she said frantically. "Sesshoumaru's ward was sick and he needed our help, so-"

Inuyasha jumped. "Sesshoumaru did this to you?" His voice was even louder than before, laced with an ominous rumble. "I'll kill the bastard! I'll slice his other arm off and both his legs and leave him like that! I'm gonna cut the self-righteous demon outta him!"

Kagome sighed, giving up on the maybe-he'll-listen-to-reason theory. "Sit, boy," she said resignedly. Oh, I knew he wouldn't let me explain. I can't have him chasing off after Sesshoumaru and starting another fight on my account. Inuyasha promptly hit the ground, face ground into the dirt. He laid there for a moment, feeling the familiar full-body stinging hit him, then sat up carefully, looking at Kagome with narrowed eyes.

He crossed his arms, a clump of grass roots dangling off his chin. "Sorry. But what do you expect! Stupid girl!" Miroku and Sango exchanged glances, then headed off to make some dinner, leaving the other two to their latest argument.

Kagome knelt beside him, flicking off the roots. "Don't yell at me! Look, Rin had a- she had a female- something happened to her for the first time, normal, but it's scary if you don't know, and Sesshoumaru was really worried- I've never seen him so upset- so he came to us for help. And I laughed at him and he hit me. He was just scared for her! It'll be fine, though, it'll be gone in a week or two."

Inuyasha was still growling absently. "He still hit you though, Kagome! Why the hell would you help him, anyways?"

She sat back on her heels. "I wasn't helping him. I was helping Rin," she said simply.

The hanyou looked at her for a long moment, then reached out unexpectedly and cupped her face in his palm. She froze, not knowing what to make of this new development. What's he doing? Inuyasha gently ran a thumb over her cheekbone, frowning, then took his hand away abruptly. Kagome didn't say anything as he got up, feeling shivers run down her spine.

"You're way too nice sometimes, Kagome," he said, giving her a hand up. She laughed a little breathlessly. As they walked back to the hut, Inuyasha's nostrils flared, catching an unusual scent from Kagome. What the heck is that smell- ohhh…

Miroku looked up as they entered, adding mushrooms to the freshly boiling soup. "Why are you so red, Inuyasha?"

The next morning dawned misty and cold. Kagome was wearing her favorite sweater- deep blue, with embroidered X's along the collar and sleeves in silvery thread that reminded her of Inuyasha's hair. The group was gathered outside the well.

Kagome grinned at them all, waving. "I'll be back in three days, max. Behave while I'm gone!" This last was directed at a sheepish Shippou, who was currently in the doghouse for having used a stick of charcoal to draw all over the walls in the hut. Kagome glanced at Inuyasha for one last moment and met his eyes, knowing how much she'd miss him, then toppled backwards into the well.

The blast of warm air that accompanied the well's swirling ocean colors was welcome. She shut her eyes in bliss, feeling like she was drifting in front of the world's biggest blowdryer, before landing on dirt. Kagome sat there for a minute, refusing to open her eyes. Back in my own time again. At least I've got some really good news! And I can't wait to see Mom, she thought, forcing herself to cheer up. She adored her mom. No tests either, as far as I know- mid-year finals aren't for another three months. Maybe this'll be a fun trip home.

Emerging from the well, she shivered in the cool air. It was dawning winter on her side of time too, and she decided that she'd get Sango a good jacket as well. She practically ran to her house, throwing open the kitchen door dramatically. "I'm hooo-oome!" she yelled.

Her mother looked up from the sink, startled. "Kagome?" she gasped happily, running forward to embrace her daughter with soapy hands. Kagome smiled, hugging her mother back just as tightly, letting her near-empty backpack drop to the ground.

Her mom finally let go. "Oh, I'm so glad you're back! You- your face! What happened?!" Kagome winced at the concern in her mom's eyes, deciding, as she'd done more than one time in the past, that a little white lie never hurt anyone.

"Oh, I was running after Kirara and I tripped and hit a rock, like a dummy," she said lightly. Her mom deliberated for a second, then decided to accept it. She knew that her daughter tried to keep the more dangerous aspects of her travels from her, though she guessed more than Kagome knew, with a mother's instincts.

"It looks like it hurts," she said sympathetically. "So, you were gone for quite a while. How is everyone?"

Kagome plopped down at a kitchen chair, not noticing the crumbs of soil falling from her jeans. She was used to dirt. "Good, everybody's good. Great, actually. We finally got Naraku!"

Her mother's eyebrows shot up. "The one you've been chasing this whole time? That's fantastic! Oh, honey, this is great!"

"I know, right?" said Kagome proudly. Her mother had insisted on being updated with every detail each time her daughter came home, and Kagome actually enjoyed the retellings, though, as her mother suspected, she did change a few things here and there. Having someone back home who knew where she was and what she did made her feel safer, somehow, and more connected to home. She grew more serious as a thought struck her. "But we lost Kikyo. And Sango's little brother."

Mrs. Higurashi tapped her chin with one finger. "Who- oh, the priestess. And poor Sango- Oh, I'm so sorry, darling. Is Inuyasha all right?" She'd been informed of their history along with all the other happenings, though in a much edited way.

Her daughter was pale as she spoke, she noticed. "Yeah, he's doing all right, I think. I've got a lot to tell you, but first I'd kind of like a bath and a nap. I'll come down for dinner, 'kay?" Her mother nodded.

As she watched the tub fill up, Kagome's mind was still racing. I've got to go so school tomorrow early and get the assignments for my classes, that's Friday. Then go do my shopping- hmm, what should I get Sango? Probably a pair of jeans and a good sweatshirt. She wears her catsuit all the time, I'm sure she'll have no problem with pants- and oh god, we need massive amounts of toothpaste and toilet paper too. Not to mention I need some clothes for myself! She clutched her head as she stripped and slid into the hot water, adding vanilla bubble bath. This isn't going to be the relaxing vacation I was hoping for, is it? I wonder what awful diseases Grandfather's cooked up for me…

Souta pounded on the door. "Sis! You're home!" Kagome sat upright with a slosh.

"Yep! I missed you! I'll tell you everything at dinner, okay?"

"Kay! Can't wait!" Souta's thumping footsteps rushed off down the hall again. Kagome sculpted the sweet-scented bubbles into mountains, wriggling her toes as still more thoughts bounced around her skull. Inuyasha still hasn't said anything about the shard. He's just- oh! My birthday's this Monday! The soap squirted out of her palms and across the bathroom floor with a wet squeak, coming to rest in the dark under the sink.