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((Momma))

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And then came the problem of the cooler weather. People began to fall ill within the village, getting fevers that were tamed within a few days, vomiting, and aching bodies that forced them into bed for days. Kaede herself fell ill, and then came the problem that Kagome did as well after Kaede was better. Miroku had cursed under his breath. With Inuyasha returning at any possible moment and he promising to take care of the miko for him, this was not good news for the monk's health. Sango had reassured him that she would have gotten sick even with Inuyasha there, but he'd been disbelieving.

That was how Kagome ended up in the home of Kaede, where she had been since almost immediately after Koga had left, sniffling every now and then while trying her best to sleep despite being bored out of her mind. Sweat dampened her bangs, causing them to stick to her forehead as more dotted her face, and she quivered slightly as her stomach churned, threatening to bring up her small breakfast. Sango and Miroku had left hours ago to do a perimeter check around the village, and Kaede was away caring for another sick villager. Kirara was curled beside her, purring reassuringly, and Shippo was running around.

Suddenly, Shippo exploded into the hut, green eyes sparkling, tail swishing behind him and his fangs gleaming as he gave the confused woman a bright smile. "Kagome!" he cried, bounding over to gently touch her arm. "Kagome! Inuyasha's back!"

Kagome, despite the dizziness that filled her as she shot into a sitting position, beamed, moving to stumble to her feet in a wish to greet the half-demon.

Shippo immediately realized he may have made a mistake. "Uh, Kagome, you should stay here," Shippo said nervously. "Stay there; I'll go bring him to you!"

But she ignored him, stumbling for the exit of the hut with a gasp. Kirara leaped to her paws, darting after her with a cold look to Shippo.

Shippo bit his lip, watching after them anxiously for a few seconds before scrambling after them; already mentally preparing himself for a beating that he was sure would come from the furious Inuyasha, who was already cranky and tired as it was.

~~OO~~II~~OO~~

Inuyasha's eyes sparkled with barely hidden anticipation, hidden well by a massive amount of anger and tiredness. He'd a two days journey in less than an hour, and he was exhausted, ready to see the woman that he'd been distracted by the entire time he was gone, and hungry.

"Inu!"

The cry of a familiar and excited voice caught his attention, and a grin spread across his face as his ears swiveled forward, his eyes lighting up when he saw Kagome sprinting down the path of the village. But the smile disappeared when she stumbled multiple times, nearly crumpling to her knees as she reached him, gulping down air. "Kagome?" he muttered, crouching down beside her. She smiled faintly, and then suddenly gagged, and he moved out of the way as she vomited onto the ground. He touched her cheek and his eyes widened. "Kagome, you're burning up! What are you doing out here!?"

"Inuyasha!" Shippo cried as he came bounding over with Kirara hot on his heels. His green eyes sparkled anxiously. "I'm sorry! I shouldn't have told her you were coming, but I did, and then I told her to stay back at Kaede's until you got there, and then she ran off! I tried to stop her!"

Inuyasha flattened his ears angrily, removing his haori and wrapping it around the shivering girl. He gently scooped her into his arms, standing straight. "She's sick?"

"She's been sick for a few days," Shippo admitted. Kirara mewled her agreement. "A lot of people in the village have been sick. Kaede was, too. She should be better soon; Kaede's been giving her lots of medicine to break her fever."

Inuyasha glanced down at the young woman in his arms, who'd passed out as soon as she was there. He brushed the sweat dampened bangs out of her eyes, rumbling gently to her. She whimpered in her uneasy sleep. He growled. "Where are Miroku and Sango?"

"They're checking the area for any demons that might have come to stay while you've been gone," Shippo said nervously. "Kaede had to go help a man that sicker than Kagome, she thinks he needs more water."

The half-demon sighed, starting back towards Kaede's hut. "I should've known better than to leave her alone. I should've taken her with me," he grumbled, pressing his nose to her hair and breathing in, trying to see what was wrong. She was sick, as Shippo had said, and his ears flicked at the sound he could hear coming from her lungs. This was what made him nervous. "I think I need to take her home," he rasped, stopping. "She has stuff in her chest."

Shippo furrowed his brow with a whimper. "You hear it, too?" He nodded. "I tried to tell the others, but they didn't believe me! She doesn't have what the others have does she?"

Inuyasha shook his head, turning and starting back towards the forest. "I don't think so. Come on, runt, you can come with me to the well." To himself, he cursed, "Now I get to have a hell of a time explaining what's wrong with her to her mother. She'll hate me after finding out that Kagome can't do any of the stuff she used to."

Shippo scampered up him and onto his shoulder, peering down anxiously at Kagome's flushed face. Biting his lip, he whimpered, "She'll be okay, right, Inuyasha?"

He gave a huff as he flattened his ears, allowed them to disappear into his mass of silver hair that shone in the sunlight dappling through the trees. "I hope so," he murmured. "What happened while I was gone?"

Shippo stiffened. "Err, uh…"

Inuyasha narrowed his eyes, and then was distracted when another voice cried out his name. His attention was diverted and Shippo released a relieved breath in a whoosh. "Sango. Miroku."

Sango and Miroku stopped in front of him, exchanging glances when they noticed who he was holding. "Inuyasha, where are you taking her?" Miroku demanded, frowning. "She needs rest. Kaede said she'd be okay if she got enough of it."

"She has stuff in her chest," Inuyasha said bluntly, tightening his grip around the young woman. Kagome groaned softly, stirring, and he rumbled until she calmed. "I'm taking her to the other side of the well so that her mother can take care of her. They have better medicine over there."

Sango chewed on her lip anxiously. "Alright," she decided. "It's probably better for her anyways. Make sure you tell her mother exactly what happened to her if she asks. And bring her back after she's better, even if it seems like she's better over there, Inuyasha. We're the ones who can figure out what happened. I don't think the people on her side of the well will know."

"I'm trying to get her better," Inuyasha retorted, "Not leave her in a place she can't remember." That said, he turned and darted away, growling furiously to himself. Shippo slipped from his shoulder and his silver hair whipped behind him as he tore off for the well.

There was silent amongst the four companions left behind. And then Miroku wondered, "If this is how he's acting over her being sick, I think we should keep Koga from him."

Sango nodded silently in agreement, her doe eyes wide.

~~OO~~II~~OO~~

Kaori Higurashi watched the window anxiously, her eyes drawn in distress as she saw the snow gently fall from the sky. "Kagome," she whispered, touching the window she was peering out of. Her daughter had been gone for over six months. While Sota was still optimistic, her father believed Kagome dead and silently mourned for her. Kaori was on the bridge of giving up. Their mission must have failed. Why else would Kagome have been gone so long?

Sota gave a triumphant cry from where he was playing a video game with a close friend of his, and the friend pouted, green eyes narrowing. "You cheated, Sota!"

"Did not," Sota protested, playfully shoving at the other boy.

Kaori smiled, continuing to peer out of the window with a soft sigh. Perhaps, she thought, it was time to move on. Kagome wasn't coming back. And neither was Inuyasha, as he must have been killed, too. Kagome had spoken of the way he would throw himself in front of her to take wounds that would have been fatal to a human like she. Perhaps he'd done it and died as well.

Suddenly, there was a flash of red in the corner of her vision. Kaori rocketed forward, squinting through the snow. She could've sworn she'd seen the familiar red of Inuyasha near the well house…she shook her head. She'd been seeing things she desperately wished to see.

But then she saw it again, and Kaori darted from the window, throwing the front door open upon reaching it. Sota yelped when she stumbled over him. "Inuyasha!" Kaori cried, her eyes widening at the panting half-demon. His golden eyes were dark. Her gaze followed his to the trembling woman he cradled gently in his arms. "Kagome," she whispered, her eyes widening. She ushered him in. "What happened?"

Inuyasha flattened his ears. "I had to leave for a few days to kill some demon. I came back and she was sick." He paused, flattening his ears. It was half of the truth, wasn't it? "I think she has stuff in her chest. Shippo could hear it, too."

Kaori leaned over, gently pressing an ear to her daughter's chest, listening intently. She pulled back. "I think she has pneumonia. Take her to her room, tuck her in. I'm going to call an ambulance; she needs to go to the hospital. Sota!" she called suddenly. "Get a hat for Inuyasha, please!"

As Kaori rushed away, Inuyasha did as he was told, heading up the stairs and for the unconscious woman's room. He wrinkled his nose at the smell, at the scent of tears still left from their last fight, from the dust on her desk, proving that Kaori hadn't come in for a long time, refusing to accept her daughter's death. Thank Kami she hadn't. Inuyasha carefully maneuvered Kagome so that he could pull the blankets back. He placed her in the bed, lovingly pulling the blanket back up to her chin.

As Kaori hurried in with a cool and damp towel, Kagome's eyelids fluttered, her sky blue eyes becoming revealed as she opened them and locked them onto her mother.

And then she whispered tone raspy, "Momma?"

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A/N: New chapter! Hope you all enjoyed! :3