REI'S CORNER: Hi hi! I am very sorry for being late with this chapter! Revisions on my chapter plans were being shifted around, and I was busy adding and subtracting material from the story. I was also late because of major school stuff, and lost track of time! Sorry about that!

DISCLAIMER: nope, still not mine

IMPORTANT NOTE: THIS CHAPTER IS ABOUT TWO MONTHS LATER FROM THE LAST CHAPTER!

Ch. 12- Moving on

Inuyasha relaxed. He didn't understand why he was getting so upset about this, all of that other stuff was over two months ago. He clenched and unclenched his fist, trying to calm down. He tried to forget what he'd seen earlier that day.

He felt a palm slide down his chest and he smiled as the woman next to him pressed her lips to his. He kissed her back lustfully, then she pulled back, and gave him a questioning look.

"What's been on your mind? You've been acting funny since we got home." she asked.

Inuyasha's eyes widened.

-THIS IS A FLASHBACK-

Inuyasha spotted Kagome three booths down from him. She hadn't noticed him yet, but he noticed her. She was all dolled up, dressed in a pretty cocktail dress, and her hair was pinned back. She was wearing make up. Judging by the number of times she looked at the clock, she was waiting for someone. She seemed to be waiting for...

'A date...' Inuyasha thought bitterly as he sipped his coffee.

The office had become awfully quiet, almost like they had never spoken to each other before. Kagome only talked to him when she had to, and him the same.

'Serves her right.' Inuyasha thought.

He doubted that they would never talk again, much less see each other outside of the office. And here she was, looking the way she did. She even seemed a bit nervous.

'She never wore make up around me...'

Inuyasha felt anger course through his veins when he saw her stand up quickly and jump into the arms of another man.

From where he sat, Inuyasha couldn't hear what they were saying, but he didn't even want to. He knew that it was a date. He could see Kagome's eyes as she sat down, smiling at the man. She looked...happy.

What was so great about that guy?

Inuyasha gave him the once over. He wasn't so great. So what he was a bit taller than himself? And he had long black hair. Inuyasha scoffed.

'He's just some other wannabe.'

He couldn't see the man's face, since he was facing the man's back.

He wasn't so great.

'Then why is she so damn happy to see him? I never got that look.'

He called the waitress over for the check. He'd seen enough. Kagome had moved on. So what? So had he!

As he left the restaurant he clicked on his cell phone and dialed a number.

"Hello?" came a soft voice.

"Hey, it's me."

"Oh hey babe! I was just thinking about you. What're you up to?"

"Nothing. You coming over tonight? Shippo's got something he's doing with his friends."

"...Really? He won't be around?"

"Yeah. It'll just be us."

"Alright, babe. I'll be over."

"Great. See you."

Inuyasha felt his stomach churn as he hung up. Looking back in the window of the restaurant, he saw Kagome's face down in what seemed to be a modest blush. Inuyasha couldn't really tell; her hair was covering her face from that angle. But whatever it was, Inuyasha assumed that it was some sign of affection. 'The guy' was rubbing her hand.

"I don't care. I've found someone better." he said to himself.

-THAT WAS A FLASHBACK-

"Nothing baby." Inuyasha said, and kissed her.

They were really getting into the kissed when the front door flung open. Shippo stomped inside, trying to get the snow off of his boots.

"Shippo!" Inuyasha asked from the couch as he broke away from the kiss.

Shippo passed the couple on the couch and went into the kitchen, not even acknowledging them.

"I thought you said he was out for the afternoon."

"I thought he was too." Inuyasha whispered back.

Shippo peeked his head around the wall. "We're out of hot chocolate."

Inuyasha didn't even get to reply before Shippo's head disappeared back into the kitchen.

"Wait here, Ami, I'll go see what's up with him."

Ami pulled his sleeve, trying to tug him back down. "Why don't you let me talk to him? Maybe he needs a woman's guidance."

The image of Kagome immediately flashed through Inuyasha's mind, and he shook his head to get rid of it.

"No, I'll do it. He's been acting like this for the past month."

Inuyasha walked in the kitchen and saw Shippo sitting on the table, sipping a mug of tea bitterly.

"Shippo get down. Table's for food, not your ass." Inuyasha scolded.

Shippo hopped off the table and started towards the door.

"Hold it."

He stopped and turned to look at his dad.

"What's going on with you?"

"Nothing. Why?"

"You came home early again...and you're having problems in school again. You barely talk to me anymore, and Kaede says she caught you skipping last week."

"Sorry. We ended our club meeting early today, and none of my friends wanted to go to the arcade so I just came home." Shippo said.

"That's fine. But do you want to tell me what else is going on?" Inuyasha asked.

"No...not really."

Inuyasha gave him a stern look.

Shippo took a long gulp of his tea and placed the empty mug in the sink.

"I changed my mind. I think I will go to the arcade...I'll leave you alone with Aki."

"–Ami."

"What?"

"It's Ami. You said Aki."

"Oh. Well I'll be back before dinner."

And with that, Shippo left the kitchen.

Inuyasha stood in his spot and shook his head. What was going on with that kid? Every time he was around, he was either sulking, or running out the door with something to do.

Inuyasha stepped back into the living room and sat on the couch.

Ami was reading something in her hand, and when he peered over her shoulder to see what it was, she crumpled it in her and stuck it in her pocket.

"I just remembered...I have to go do something..." Ami told him.

Inuyasha gave her a quizzical look. Ami gave him a quick kiss on the lips and put on her coat.

"I'll see you later." she said and stepped out of the door.

Inuyasha shook his head and turned on the television. 'I keep finding myself alone...' He thought.

---

Shippo shot the head off of a zombie, and the screen flashed yellow, signifying a 'game over'. He sighed and put the fake gun back in its original place, and walked away from the machine.

'Stupid dad...' he thought.

Shippo was disgusted at the amount of women that his dad was bringing home nowadays. Before, it wasn't so much, but now he was bringing a new one home almost every week! Not that Shippo really cared. He battled them all off one by one; it was like picking crumbs out of his teeth. They all left immediately after the first verbal warning, or the first 'date'.

Shippo scoffed. His dad didn't go on dates anymore. He just brought the women home and they stayed in his room all night. Usually they came in pretty late, and Inuyasha would peek his head into Shippo's room to check if he was asleep, but Shippo never was.

They were all easy to get rid of. Shippo had put his yellow box away, seeing as there was no challenge for him, and no reason for him to plan anything special.

He stood in front of a change machine and tried to place his dollar inside. The machine took it, but then spit the dollar back at him. Frustrated, he tried again only to get the same result.

"Shippo?"

Shippo turned and saw Kagome standing behind him.

"Hi! It's been a while." she smiled.

Shippo grunted his acknowledgment, then turned back to the machine.

"Here, let me help you." Kagome said.

When Shippo turned back to her, he noticed that she was wearing a change apron. She took his dollar and gave him back four quarters.

"Thanks." he mumbled.

"No prob." Kagome said.

She turned to leave.

"You...work here now?" Shippo asked.

"Yup. Just something to do on the side. I've had too much free-time lately, you know, gotta pay the bills."

"You don't still work for my dad?"

Kagome was quiet for a moment. "I still work for your dad. I just needed something else to do. I've had far too much time on my hands lately."

"Oh."

"...So how are you? How is everything going in school?"

Shippo shrugged.

"That bad, huh?"

"Well I don't feel like doing the work anymore. What's the point? Dad's never around to check my grades or anything anymore."

"Really?"

"Yeah. He's always either at work, or out on one of his 'dates'." Shippo said bitterly.

Kagome thought for a minute. "Well, do you want your dad around?"

Shippo glared at her. She laughed.

"Easy, it was just a question. Tell him how you feel. He'll understand. Your dad's a good guy and all, he cares for you. He just doesn't know you that's all."

"Yeah...well...who asked you anyway?"

Kagome laughed. Shippo smiled a little.

"He wouldn't have time for me anyway. All these girls he keeps bringing home keep taking up everything."

Kagome raised an eyebrow. "How many of them have you...?"

"All of them. It wasn't hard. They were mostly air heads and gold diggers."

"Yeah I can understand that."

"But there's this new girl, Ami, she won't leave! I gave her the verbal warning, and she told me I was attention deprived!"

Kagome laughed.

"Hey, it's not funny! She tries to be more of a 'Dr. Phil' than you!"

"Well, is she pretty?"

"Who cares? I hate her."

"Hmm. Well have you tried mixing peroxide in the shampoo?"

Shippo thought about it. "No...I never thought about that one!"

Kagome laughed. "You gotta make sure it's at the right moment. 'Cause if you miss her, you know who else is gonna end up with a funny hair color..."

Shippo thought long about it. Why didn't I ever think of that one?

"Higurashi! Stop socializing with the customers! Get back to work!"

Kagome turned around and blushed. "Sorry, gotta go. You take care."

When Kagome ran off, Shippo felt a headache coming on. 'What was that?' he wondered.

'Why was I so nice to her? I mean I don't have to be completely mean to her anymore now that she's not with dad anymore, but why was I so friendly?'

He sat down and played a driving game.

'And she didn't once ask about Dad. We only talked about him when I said something.'

Most ex's that had the courage to talk to him always asked about his dad. They would ask how his dad was, or what he was up to. Kagome didn't ask anything about Inuyasha. She only addressed him.

'You win' flashed on the screen, and Shippo entered his name into the high score column.

'It doesn't matter. Kagome's just a person now. She has nothing to do with my dad.'

---

Inuyasha was still on the couch when Shippo got back.

"How was the arcade?"

"It was alright."

"Good."

"Kagome works there..." Shippo blurted.

Inuyasha was silent for a moment before he spoke.

"I know it's been a long time since we broke up...but I saying now that I'm sorry for pushing her in here..."

"Huh?"

"I thought maybe...she'd make a good mother for you. And she was a hard worker. I didn't really try to see her flaws..."

Shippo shrugged.

"Well we have Ami now."

"Yeah...Ami..."

"She's going to be a teacher, you know. She can help you with your school work. And she's a great cook..."

"Yeah.."

"And she likes you."

'Yeah right.' Shippo thought.

"She's a lot better than Kagome. She knows who she is, and she doesn't have to work five hundred jobs to keep herself busy.

Shippo shrugged again. "I'm tired, I'm going to bed."

"But it's only seven."

"Yeah. I'm real tired."

"Oh. Ok. Goodnight then."

"Night, Dad."

Shippo went up to his room and closed and locked the door.

Inuyasha sighed. 'Ami is definitely better.' he told himself.

He felt something hurt in his gut.

"Forget about her." he said.

The phone started ringing and before he picked it up, he told himself one more time that he was better off.

OKAY I KNOW THAT WASN'T THE BEST CHAPTER! DON'T HATE ME! IT WILL GET BETTER!