Me: Drum roll please! *silence* Rin! Drum roll!
Rin: Oh, sorry! I was just picking some flowers for Kagome and Sesshomaru. I forgot.
Me: Ahhhh. Kids. What can you do? Anyways, now that I have had my drum roll, the all-important news... this is it, folks. The final chapter. Yay!
*hears crying in the distance*
Me: Damn it Kagome! Why won't you stop crying already?
Kagome: Because -sniff- it's over now!
Me: Get over yourself already. You don't have to be the center of everything, you know.
*crying gets much louder, and up pops Sesshomaru*
Sesshy: What's wrong, Kagome love?
Kagome: She's being mean to me!
*whack*
Me: Fine, be that way! I just won't write you two a happy ending. Mwahahahahaha! Jk, jk. I think you'd kill me, Sesshomaru. Anyways, death glares aside, here's the final chapter. And I don't own any of the characters.
Inuyasha pushed his way through the crowd of people as he ran through downtown Tokyo. How could he have been so dumb? It was easy though, he just hadn't been thinking. If he had been, he wouldn't have left her alone. He would've called Ayumi and cancelled. Last minute, yes, but he didn't know how long he would have with Kagome before she would leave. And even if she didn't, she was still marrying Sesshomaru in just a few days. Either way, he would lose her.
He shook the thoughts out of his head as he pushed himself harder. They wouldn't do him any good.
The corner came up fast and he slipped as he tried to round it. His palms began to bleed as he scraped them on the sidewalk, but he rubbed them on his jeans and kept running. He'd had much worse while battling demons in the Feudal Era, and the scrtches didn't even sting. So he pushed on.
Old Man Tanaka's café came into view. There was a large cluster of people surrounding the entrance, and he knew that they were there because of Kagome. It gave him the energy to shove the people out of the way and stand to the front. They gasped at his ears as he pushed by.
Inuyasha banged on the normally open door until Tanaka unlocked it for him. The small man kept everyone else away, closing and locking the door once more. He pulled down the blinds and turned to the frantic half-demon.
"What were you thinking?" he yelled at the boy. "You left her alone in a city she barely knows anymore to go on a date? What kind of friend are you?"
He ignored Tanaka's words. "Where is she?" But he needed no instruction as he raced up the stairs into Tanaka's private apartment. Kagome was lying on the couch with a cold wash cloth on her pale face. He raced over to her side and grasped her hand. "Kagome? Kagome, can you hear me?"
There was no response.
Inuyasha scooped her up into his arms, the cloth falling to the ground, and ran back down the stairs. He was careful not to jostle her though. "What happened?"
Tanaka sighed. "I don't know exactly. She couldn't find her way home, and you left her without any money for her dress. I offered to let her stay here until you came back, and she wished to help out. After a couple hours, she just passed out behind the counter. I rushed everyone out and brought her upstairs."
Inuyasha knew what he had to do. It wouldn't be sufficient, and she'd need more once he got her back to her mate, but it would keep her alive for a little while. After placing her on the ground behind the counter, away from prying eyes, he took a small knife from his pocket and slit his wrist. He opened her mouth and let his life energy flow into it. When the cut began to heal, Inuyasha picked her up again and looked at his friend. "Thank you for helping out. There wasn't much you could have done. If I'd stayed…"
Placing his hand on the lad's shoulder, Tanaka tried to comfort him. "There's nothing you can do to change the past. But the future is a different story." Inuyasha nodded and exited through the back door.
He jumped onto the rooftop and made his way back to Higurashi Shrine. It brought back memories, happy ones, but he didn't have time to dwell on them as he held the lifeless girl in his arms.
Once he was back at the shrine, he called out for Sesshomaru. "She needs your blood," he said to his older brother as he gave Kagome over to him. "The baby is sucking away her life force, and without sufficient energy, she will die."
Sesshomaru bit his wrist and placed it at his mate's lips. She drank greedily, and opened her glowing red eyes as the baby took its energy from its father. When she had her fill, she thanked him and asked to be put on her feet.
"Kagome, you didn't eat again. I told you before; you need the constant energy source."
She hung her head at her mate's words. "I'm sorry Sesshomaru. But I was stressed out, and I can't eat when I'm like that."
He cradled her face in his hands. "My love, please don't worry me like that. What if Inuyasha hadn't gotten to you in time? I would have lost you for good." He pressed his lips to hers lightly and stroked her hair.
Inuyasha backed away. The moment was too personal; he shouldn't interfere. He hung his head and went to help her mother with wedding plans.
There was a light tapping on the door. "Come in," Kagome called out, and her best friend crossed the threshold. They both stood there, not saying anything, until Kagome turned back to the mirror and continued putting her make up on. "Kagome, we need to talk," he said.
"Then talk. I'm not stopping you." There she was again. The ice-cold demon he had met in the Feudal Era.
Inuyasha took a deep breath. "I'm sorry."
"Oh really? It doesn't seem that way."
She was making it much more difficult than it needed to be. "But I am. And I came here to say something."
"Obviously."
He paused before continuing. It was that pause that made Kagome put down her eyeliner and face her best friend. "Don't marry him."
She began to laugh. He couldn't believe it. He had just bared his soul (almost) to her, and she just flat out laughed in his face!
"That's just rich. I'm finally happy, and you tell me not to marry him. Your brother, might I remind you. Nice try, but no."
Inuyasha took in a deep breath. He'd tried, in a last-ditch effort. As he was closing the door behind him to return to his girlfriend, he spoke, too low for anyone to hear.
For what it's worth, I did love you.
Kagome's ears picked up the words that he had been too afraid to say loud enough for her to hear. Had she still been human, she wouldn't have. She placed her hand on her mirror and spoke to the half-demon who stood right beyond her door, too strong to leave, to cowardly to stay. "And for what it's worth, you were my life."
A single tear slipped down her cheek, but it dried before it fell to the floor.
Kagome's mother stood in front of a picture of her long-dead husband. "She grew up to be a wonderful girl. You would've been proud of her." She let the tears flow silently and she stroked his face, frozen in time. "For what it's worth, you will forever be the only one I love."
She turned around and went to greet the guests.
Ayumi sat next to her boyfriend and held his hand. But she could tell his heart was miles away. She gave his hand a squeeze, but he didn't notice. Sighing, she stood with the rest of the guests as the bridal march began to play. She leaned in next to Inuyasha and stood on her toes. "For what it's worth, I love you."
But he didn't hear her.
Sesshomaru stood at the altar in the ridiculous black suit that Kagome's mother had forced him into. But it was something his mate wanted him to do, so he did it. As long as it made her happy, he was willing to do anything.
Kagome floated up the aisle like the demon she was. The dress she wore fit snugly in the bodice, but flared at the bottom. To him, she had never looked more beautiful.
Many of the guests were crying, but the face that stood out to Sesshomaru most was that of his own brother. He had asked him to stand by his side as his best man, a concept he still didn't get. But he had refused, and now stared blankly at the sacred tree behind the couple.
When the priest asked if anyone objected, no one spoke.
"You may kiss the bride."
Sesshomaru picked up his blushing mate and kissed her passionately. "For what it's worth," he whispered as he pulled away, "my feelings for you are forever."
And yes, for those of you who caught that, the final words Sesshomaru say are in fact from the song Forever, done by Papa Roach. I don't own that either.
A note about the ending (and the title): I chose "For what it's worth" because I find they're highly ironic. They're usually said when the words following don't matter anymore. They were fitting with the relationship between Inuyasha and Kagome. The words he said were too little, too late. Saying I love you won't fix anything, not with their relationship, but they still found happiness. Maybe not with each other, but I think that's the difference between Inuyasha and his brother. Inuyasha was always too fickle. He dealt with Kikyo and Kagome in the same way. And thus, Sesshomaru's last words. He will always love Kagome (in my world!) and he will never waver.
So please review. And kudos to anyone who actually read that whole note. I always enjoy reviews, and I want to know what you guys thought about the ending.