Here's a sappy one for you guys.

Grandparents' Day

After much scolding from her mother, Kagome came over to the shrine to spend time cleaning with her grandfather and Souta, the latter with much reluctance.

Her grandfather had the same spunk as always but he was moving much slower these days. She had felt bad for leaving the shrine when she saw the state of the shrine and the storage room. Kagome opened the door to the storage room so that it could air out the mildew smell from the summer heat and rain. Souta began taking the boxes of shrine decorations and old toys outside.

"I haven't seen this in ages," Souta beamed as he waded through one of the boxes.

Kagome peaked over his shoulder and saw one of his old toys that he never wanted to give up.

"Jii-chan, why do you keep all this stuff here?" she asked, "Wouldn't it be easier to donate?"

Jii-chan rubbed his chin considering, "I'm leaving it to my wonderful grandchildren to take care of."

Kagome and Souta rolled their eyes. Kagome opened one of the boxes and found one of her old shrine maiden outfits she wore for Shogatsu and other important shrine holidays. She pulled it out of the box half way and noticed that it was very similar to the one Kikyo wore. Each stitch and fold similar to her's.

"Gonna put it on for the new year?" Souta asked, as he closed up the boxes he was looking through.

"Nah," she said, "I think I'm over that."

"What do you mean?" Jii-chan croaked mid sweep with the broom, a look of shock and disappointment on his face, "You are our shrine maiden, you can't just opt out."

Kagome sighed, "Jii-chan, I'm too old to be a shrine maiden."

"You are not too old. Until you marry, you are the Higurashi shrine maiden."

Souta snickered in the corner. Kagome threw a vicious glare at him before responding.

"If that's the case, then I'm gonna be a shrine maiden forever." It was a can of worms Kagome wanted to avoid opening but it never failed.

"Marriage is not a death sentence Kagome. When I married your grandmother, we were Souta's age. It was hard but we loved each other."

Yeah and you didn't save the world and have your heart broken.

"That's great and all, Jii-chan, but times are different now. I wouldn't be surprised if I never got married."

He grumbled and went back to sweeping. Souta frowned at her but didn't say anything as the trio continued to dust and organize the boxes for the new year's decorations. Kagome's mother called Jii-chan to the house, leaving Kagome and Souta alone to sift through which decorations they were gonna use this year.

"You really think you're not gonna get married?" He finally asked.

Kagome took a deep breath and spoke more frankly than she had with any one for a long while, "Traveling back and forth through the well was the best thing in my life and then, it was ripped away from me without any choice on my part. The whole thing with InuYasha made me realize that love is more complicated than it's worth."

"I never knew the specifics of what happened but when you came home that day for the last time you looked…..broken. Your uniform was torn, you had blood and dirt all over you. You looked exhausted, more so than anyone ever should be at that age."

Kagome nodded, "The final battle was hard. We almost lost people….friends. Then, without warning the jewel trapped me back here."

"Is that how you really feel?" he asked, "Trapped?"

"I didn't mean it that way," she assured. She hadn't meant to make her brother feel like she didn't want to be here in this time. "It's just…what could compare to that?"

"I wanna get married," he said, "I want a kid and a wife and a home."

"That's great, Souta. And you deserve that."

"So do you," he said softly. He placed his hand on her and looked at her sadly. She hadn't realized how perceptive and grown her brother had become. It made her long for the past even more. Kagome caressed the trinket in her hand. It was a small porcelain box with a bird perched on a tree branch painted on it. The surface was smooth and cool, the total opposite of how she felt on the inside at the moment. Her heart was jagged and in no shape to love anyone the way they would deserve.

"Thank you." Kagome's voice was small and low.

Jii-chan came into the storage room with a bucket and mop.

"Souta, your mother wants help in the kitchen."

Souta left Kagome with her grandfather, who seemed to have a sad look on his face.

"Kagome, I know this life, this shrine is what you've been trying to get away from."

"I haven't.."

He stopped her, "You went through something most teenage girls do not even go through until they are much older."

Kagome realized he was talking about her infamous love triangle with InuYasha and Kikyo.

"Shippo told me that they lost him some time ago. I'm sorry you couldn't see him again."

"It's fine. He's resting peacefully now."

"Maybe you should go to see him."

Kagome shook her head, "I do not know where he is. Sesshomaru never told me."

Jii-chan smiled, "Follow me."

Kagome followed him to outside to the main shrine area and towards the Goshinboku. The tree's limbs sway gently in the soft autumn breeze as if waiting for them. Jii-chan stood next the tree and turned to Kagome.

"Shippo might have mentioned that InuYasha was buried here by my grandfather."

Kagome looked between her grandfather and the tree. The tear shaped scar in the tree hadn't changed since she saw it last year. With the family house being closer to the front of the property she didn't have many opportunities to examine it up close.

"Why would they do that?" Kagome stepped forward and touched the bark.

"I believed they only needed to mention his name. I remember you mentioning that they had named the forest after him that used to be here. I think they felt it only right that he rested where he once rested before."

It seemed surreal. The whole time that she was going back and forth between the past and the present, InuYasha's body lay under the dirt of the very tree she had first met him. Even after she had been sent back to the present, the proof of his existence here in the present sat right under her nose. They would be connected no matter the circumstance

"InuYasha….you idiot." The rush of tears that broke through the dam of her pride and pain seemed never ending. Her vision blurred and her eyes stung with the sheer force of them.

Kagome's grandfather looked on with hope that this would help her move forward to a happy future.

"Mourn as long as you must."

Kagome took her grandfather into a hug before he could leave, "Thank you, Jii-chan, for telling me. I know Shippo must've told you in confidence."

"No. He wanted me to tell you. He, also, wanted to let me know of my grandfather's involvement in the ceremony they gave him. I believe it is why he was allowed on the grounds when he came through the well to get you. The legend of what you and your friends did may be lost to the modern world but there are people who know you and what you did. Saving the world from darkness isn't something easily forgotten."

Kagome could feel her heavy heart lighten at his words. It all made sense.

"I only want your happiness," he reminded her.

"That seems to be what everyone wants for me," she said, "Where do I find happiness?"

"There is no final destination for happiness. Treat it like a journey…an adventure." He smiled at a teary-eyed Kagome warmly.

Kagome wiped the tears with the back of her sweater. Adventure she understood. She would make her life an adventure to her happiness. She looked back at the Goshinboku.

I miss you, InuYasha, but I will be happy.