Alright, redemption for everyone who got so freaked out last chapter.

Damn my affinity for yaoi.

Rawr.

This is gonna be a good one, though, I think.

Only a few chapters left till the end!

--

Inuyasha woke up with a pounding headache and an even more uncomfortable hard-on, sticky inside his hakamas. He rubbed his forehead, where a giant welt had sprung up. He looked down on his clothes, expecting to see the tatters the wolf had left, but they were whole.

"What the fuck happened?" he groaned, and he heard a very unwelcome chuckle from behind him.

"You ran into a tree branch, mutt," came Kouga's voice. "You've been unconscious all night, grumbling and thrashing around creepily."

Inuyasha was stunned, and very uncomfortable. He needed to take care of his little problem before the wolf noticed. The last thing he wanted was for the ookami to realize for whom he was so excited. Inuyasha himself didn't even want to think about it. He shuddered. "Why'd you stay?"

"Meh, bored, wanted to see what'd gotten you so riled up. It's not every day someone sprints head first into a tree."

"I don't wanna talk about it," grumbled Inuyasha. He didn't want to have that conversation again, even if it had lead to such… exciting places. He shook his head, trying to clear his mind. He couldn't tell if he was disgusted with himself, or if he had actually liked it, and the confusion was driving him insane. He focused on quashing his boner so he could get out of the clearing.

'Alright, Inuyasha,' he said to himself, 'think un-sexy things. Totosai, having sex with Kaede… umm, Jaken… eww, yeah…' He felt himself deflating, and he sighed in relief. Now, he just needed to get out of there. He stood up, swaying a little.

"Alright, wolf. I'm leaving. Kagome and them must be missing me, and I really don't want o be here with you any longer." His heart cringed at the harsh words, but he told it to shut up. He strode briskly past the wolf, freezing in place as he felt a harsh swat on his backside.

"What the…"

Kouga chuckled. "Go on, puppy, but don't try to pretend you are indifferent to me. I may not be Sesshoumaru, but I have ears." He laughed a little more, walking off in the opposite direction.

Inuyasha wanted to throw up. He sat there, perfectly still, embarrassed and confused and trying desperately to regain hold of his masculinity. Yeah, maybe Kouga's touch had tingled just as it had in his dream, but that was nothing. Obviously he was just stressed. He nodded to himself. The stress was getting to him, making him loopy. He began walking back to the group, confident hat he would get over the loss of Kikyo and carry on as a normal male again. Maybe Kagome would get tired of his brother, and realize what she'd had all along! He grinned, loping through the forest happily again.

Then he heard the scream.

--

Kagome had spent the night in Sesshoumaru's arms, crying for Kikyo and Inuyasha, but also for her friends and herself. She had finally found someone who cared for her, and who might even love her, and they were going to be torn apart by some stupid commitment she had made. She knew Sesshoumaru wasn't alive in her era, for she had checked for demonic auras every time she had come back through the well, just in case. His was too strong to hide, and she had never sensed it. It was tearing her apart inside, knowing that she would never see him again, and she just hoped he would be able to move on, so that he wouldn't spend his whole life waiting for her when they would never meet again.

She scoffed at herself. How vain was she, thinking that Sesshoumaru would mourn her loss, or even wait. She knew he liked her, yes, but did he like her enough to waste his whole life waiting? He could find a new mate, and they could have little pups, minus the complications and weirdness of a miko-demon. No, Sesshoumaru would be fine.

Inuyasha, too, could console himself in the fact that she had killed his Kikyo, telling himself she was a murderer and that she wasn't wanted. He would be fine, and maybe find someone to be with, too.

Miroku and Sango, she reminded herself, stilling her tears, had each other, and a married life ahead of them. They wouldn't have time to think of her in the bustle of their many children and marital bliss. They could even take care of Shippou, and he would soon forget her, as all children who lose things do. He might have a ghost of a memory, or maybe a story or two, but he would be fine.

Kagome wrapped these thoughts around herself like a blanket. Everyone would be fine, and once she left the world would be at peace. The only one getting the short end of the stick was her, right? She could handle that. As long as she wasn't causing anyone else pain. More tears fell. She would be miserable, she was sure. She would miss them! She gripped Sesshoumaru's clothes tighter, sobbing now. She would live forever, as a demon, or near enough, without competition or disease, and all she had to look forward to was her human family and friends, who would age and die and she stayed frozen.

Her tears fell to the ground just as the sun rose above the treetops, and, as the light hit her, she screamed. Rousing at the noise, everyone sat up just in time to see her dragged through the trees, backwards, headed towards the well. Sesshoumaru sprang to his feet, chasing after her.

She had dug her feet into the ground and was fighting the pull with everything she had, grabbing branches and clinging on to tree trunks, but was still going very fast. Sesshoumaru ran like he had never run before, all out, arms pumping and chest heaving, and managed to catch on to her, being dragged along by the force that pulled her back to her time. He looked into her eyes, bright with terror, and kissed her.

"I will wait for you," he said, roaming her face with his eyes, memorizing every shape and color. "You promised you would do this, and so I will let you go for now, but know that nothing will ever come between us again. I will find a way to wait, somehow, without you, and the instant you go through that well, look to the skies, for I will be there."

She looked at him, and saw the truth in his eyes. Wishing she hadn't, she looked down. "Sesshoumaru, don't be lonely just for me. Find someone, settle down, and be happy. You have five hundred years ahead of you. Don't waste them on me,"

They had reached the clearing of the bone eater's well, and the force was strong now, straining against their combined defiance. Her eyes pled with him to let her go.

He sighed, and one crystalline tear slid down his cheek, and she marveled at it. It dropped, landing on her chest and sizzling against her skin, leaving a perfect, tiny crescent moon scar in it's wake. "No," he said, and he let her go. She shot down the well, surrounded by the magical blue glow, and lost consciousness.

--

Inuyasha, Sango, Miroku, Shippou, Rin, Ah Un, and Jaken had walked to the well, knowing exactly what had happened. Kagome had left them, as they had known she would, but nothing could've prepared them for this. Following the path left by Kagome's destructive attempts at staying, they reached the clearing where Sesshoumaru lay, a fallen statue of an ancient god, eyes staring blankly at the sky. Inuyasha knelt next to him, placing his hand on his brother's shoulder. The moment was beautiful, and was not lost on the rest of the Inutachi.

They had reached peace with each other, through Kagome, and the breeze seemed to caress them in acknowledgement. Their hair, so similar, swirled together, and the sunshine danced on their faces. Sesshoumaru blinked, breathing deeply.

"We will all miss her," he said, not turning his head. "but there may be a way to wait for her."

Sango and Miroku gasped, and Rin and Shippou hugged each other.

Inuyasha looked at his brother oddly. "How?"

Sesshoumaru stood up gracefully. "I will have to do some research. Stay. I will return." He leapt into the air, his youki bubble forming as he shot off into the sun. They set up camp, worriedly pacing, eventually sitting and chattering nervously, then falling into silence as night moved in, poking the fire quietly and staring at the embers. It was not until the next morning that Sesshoumaru reappeared.

"There is a way," he said, and no one could miss the joy in his eyes, "but one of you will have to remain."

They looked around at each other, then back to him. "Why?" demanded Sango. "You expect one of us to stay, and never see Kagome again? Why not you? You're the demon."

Miroku coughed. "Sango, I believe Lord Sesshoumaru is the one of us who most needs to see the Lady Kagome again. Even if he were to stay here, he may not live as long as required. She would be devastated."

They all nodded in agreement, and Sesshoumaru looked smug. "My power is also necessary to the spell. We need someone to guard our hiding place, until we resurface. That is the only way we can hope to survive."

Inuyasha looked at his friends. "I will."

They all looked back on him. "Why?"

"I'm half demon, I can protect it, and I have no real business in Kagome's world. Besides, I still have some friends here, and you all don't." He grinned. "What's the plan, Sessh?"

Sesshoumaru may have smiled, or it may have been a trick of the light. He sat down gracefully on the ground, and began to explain. They all worked late into the night, up until early morning, and soon enough, they were ready.

Sesshoumaru smiled, a real, true smile this time, and clapped his brother on the back. "Are you ready?"

--

Whew!

One more chapter out of the way!

Almost there, guys!

R&R, pleasies. Input is always good!