Choices is very nearly done. An epilogue is coming up and then, it's finally over.

I've been working my way through this story for so many months, I'm happy it's reaching a decisive point.

This chapter doesn't really 'do' anything for the story, but I thought it smoothened out the last ugly scenes of battle. Please tell me what you think of it, it's very important to me.

Thank you, as always, for reading.

Choices

Chapter Thirteen:

Back to Kaede's

The sun dipped below the horizon as the last weak fingers of light filtered through the doorway of Kaede's hut. The sky was awash with the dusky hues of twilight and it was one of the most beautiful sunsets the little village had seen in a long time.

But Inuyasha didn't care for it. All his attention was focused on the girl curled up on his lap, her head against his chest. He had his arms loosely around her, and he drew comfort from her damp, heavy weight, and the rhythmic, steady beat of her heart.

Kagome had been asleep for at least four hours and Inuyasha's mind took him back once again to the last scenes of the battle and all that had happened next…

"I can't take it anymore! We were so close! And he got away… again! Inuyasha, we almost had him! And I…I had the last arrow left! I had the last arrow left!"

After that outburst, there was nothing much else anybody could get out of Kagome. Inuyasha kept close as everybody got ready to leave and go back to Kaede's. Miroku and Sango were sporting minor injuries but while most of Inuyasha's injuries had been taken care of by his youkai healing, he was still in worse shape than the rest of them.

Kikyou came to Inuyasha and before he could say anything, "Inuyasha…you don't have to say anything to me. Like I told Kagome, I probably knew all along that this would happen. The Kami want you together and I wish you happiness. And Inuyasha, I…I release you of whatever obligation you may have toward me."

Chuckling weakly at his dazed expression, Kikyou turned to the withdrawn Kagome standing limply at Inuyasha's side and spoke again, her voice soft, "Kagome, you are more than ten times the woman I thought you out to be. You'll survive this, we all will. And I promise you, we will get Naraku. I am so sorry I wasn't of any help today and I am so sorry for all that you've been through…I'll be there the next time. You'll have the honor of shooting the arrow that kills the bastard. I'm going to go now, but I hope to see you happy and cheerful again soon."

"Thank you," murmured Inuyasha bowing his head in grateful acknowledgement and even Kagome bowed her head although she didn't say anything.

Kikyou turned and let a cleansing breeze ruffle her hair. Now that the atmosphere was rid of Naraku's choking, evil aura, she had regained all of her stately composure and was able to recall her Shini-Dama-Chuu. She shuddered slightly as an influx of light surrounded her and the dead souls filled her body with strength. With a parting wave to everybody on the field, she was gone.

X

Miroku, Sango and Shippou mounted Kirara and waited in silence.

Sesshoumaru, who had been standing by the edge of the field for so long walked up to Inuyasha and Kagome.

"Inuyasha," he said in a quiet voice.

That one soft word communicated volumes. Inuyasha understood the gravity of the first moment when his brother had addressed him in such a non-hostile voice, the tone not neutral with undertones of barely concealed contempt or disgust or hate, but one laced with tolerance, bordering even on respect. He didn't bow his head, but tipped it ever so slightly and his eyes flashed with something strange for a moment, before Inuyasha bowed his head low with a "Sesshoumaru,"

Kagome looked up into the delicately handsome youkai's face and when his refined features relaxed noticeably, hers did too. She dredged up a genuine smile and whispered, "Thank you, Sesshoumaru." She then bowed low from her waist, thinking nothing of her deeply submissive posture, knowing that the Western Lord would recognize it as a gesture of pure gratitude.

In return, Sesshoumaru bowed his head and murmured, "Miko,"

Kagome's smile widened a little and clearing her throat, she said, "I hope to see you again Sesshoumaru. And Rin-Chan as well."

Nodding with a small smile, he turned and went his way, disappearing in the distance.

Inuyasha turned to Kagome and slipped an arm around her shoulders, "Shall we go Kagome?"

When she nodded, he tightened his grasp for a brief second and then knelt, waiting for her to get on his back.

X

The journey back was long, but Inuyasha wanted no rest. He didn't want to stop until he was at Kaede's because he didn't want Kagome to feel unsafe in the wild woods such a short time after such a terrible ordeal. Finally recognizing the fact that Sango and Miroku were exhausted and even more than them, Kirara, he told them all to stay and return at their own pace. Kagome would rest and sleep on his back, so he didn't have to worry about taxing her too much. He just had to be careful about his paces and not to jostle her about madly.

Sango and Miroku saw that Inuyasha's mind was made up and agreed quickly, Sango comforting a not-so-happy Shippou by telling him that it was for Kagome's own good. So Inuyasha told them to remain safe, bid them goodbye and took off.

X

Kagome was fast asleep when they reached the little village with a Well that had changed their lives forever. They had spent the last fifteen hours travelling and it was late afternoon when they reached. Wasting no time, Inuyasha went straight to Kaede's, stopping just outside to allow a groggy Kagome to slide off his back. Taking her hand in his, he pushed the mat that covered the door away and strode inside.

"Babaa, we-"

Inuyasha had hardly opened his mouth when the old Miko scrambled to her feet with a haste that no woman her age should have. She hobbled to Kagome as fast her feet would take her and cupped Kagome's face with wrinkled hands. She smiled with relief so evident, Kagome felt a rush of affection so strong that she broke out of Kaede's hold and hugged the old woman. A little startled, but not upset, Kaede's arms made their way around Kagome and she breathed out a prayer, thanking the Kami for keeping Kagome safe and bringing her back to the village.

Watching the wordless exchange between the two Miko, Inuyasha's face creased into a smile and there was a pricking behind his eyes that he had to blink several times to get rid of.

Kaede drew back and smiled at Kagome once more. "It is good to see you, child. I was very worried indeed. Don't you run away again." And turning to Inuyasha, "You did well Inuyasha. Thank you."

"Keh. I had help…lots of it. Babaa, Kagome'll need a place to sleep tonight. Yeah, and some food, if you got it."

"Of course, Inuyasha. There is the soup I made for lunch. Come, both of you. You can wash up in the back and I'll have the bowls ready."

X

Inuyasha unhappily watched Kagome shuffle around the back, fumbling for the water bucket and clumsily pouring it over her legs to wash them. He didn't like the uncertain way in which her once steady legs wobbled, and her hands trembled. He walked over to her and gently took the bucket from her hand. "Kagome,"

"I don't know what's happened to me, I think I need time for everything to sink in, Inuyasha. I'm sorry… I-It's just that I wasn't expecting Naraku to go scot free like that. I was temporarily okay when we were on the meadow, but that was also because I expected to make an impact. I just wanted to hurt him so much…and I feel so useless. Somehow, it's like everything's drained from me. I feel so deadened." Her eyes were heavy and pleading for him to understand.

"Hey… we did make an impact. You wounded him pretty badly there; it wasn't an easy thing to do. None of us were able to do much. You did in two arrows what we took hours to do. And it's okay to need time. You got as much of it as you want. And I'm always going to be there, K'gome, always. Why don't you take it easy for some time? It's okay to let me help you."

Hastily wiping tears from her eyes with the heel of her hand, she nodded and allowed Inuyasha to help her finish washing up. He then led her back into the Spartan hut where Kaede had ladled steaming soup into bowls and set them by two threadbare floor mats.

Inuyasha turned his head away from his own bowl of soup, suppressed the overpowering sense of hunger and fatigue he felt and attended to Kagome. He made sure she knew how hot the soup was, he made sure she finished it all and asked Kaede to fill her bowl again. It was only when she was carefully sipping her second bowl of soup that he even started on his own lunch.

X

When they were both finished, Inuyasha declared that Kagome needed to sleep on a real bed. Agreeing, Kaede went to the corner where the bedding lay and quickly set it out. "Sleep, child. I have to go check on Chiyo's baby. The poor babe has rashes all over." And she left the hut with a smile at Inuyasha.

Wondering whether she'd want to be alone, or if her experience of being nearly raped made her want to be alone when she lay down, Inuyasha cleared his throat gruffly and mumbled "I'll just…Goshinboku…"

He would have left if it were not for the sudden grip of fear he smelt on Kagome. Whipping around, he demanded, "What is it?"

Kagome's eyes were brimming with tears and she whispered, "Don't leave…"

Feeling like a jackass for even thinking of leaving her like that, he closed the distance between them in two strides and tried to give her a quick, reassuring hug, but Kagome clung on. She looked up at him and asked, "Stay with me? I can't sleep alone…" He nodded with a lump in his throat and gently brushed away an ever-persistent bang from her forehead.

He settled her onto the bedding laid out and sat next to where she rested her head, leaning on the wall with a sigh that betrayed his tiredness.

There was a peaceful for about half an hour before he heard Kagome's voice again, hesitant and tentative. "Inuyasha…do you remember the time you were injured on the night of the new moon when we were battling the spider-heads?"

Chuckling lightly with his eyes still closed, he said, "Yeah… Kami, I was such a bastard that time!"

He could feel the smile on her face as the full memory of that night hit her. "You remember when you asked me if you could rest your head on my lap?"

"Hell yeah… felt good."

"Well I was wondering if I could ask you a favour of that sort… It's silly, but this bedding feels too large for me. I feel as though it's swallowing me up. I feel…"

"What?" Inuyasha's eyes were now open and alert.

"It's like the cave." She finished in a small voice.

Wordlessly, he extended his arms towards her and in a flash of red fire-rate robe and skin, she was in his arms, cradled. She rested her head against his strong chest, listened to the beating of his heart, almost in tandem with her own and was asleep in minutes.

"I love you…" he whispered into her hair, his eyes gently drifting shut as well.

X

That had been almost four hours ago and not so surprisingly to Inuyasha, sleep came easier to him with Kagome in his arms.

He then thought of what had to be done. As soon as Kagome was ready to do so, they would have to go to the other side of the Well. It had been almost seven months since Kagome had last seen her family. He would have to talk to Sango and Miroku to decide the best course of action, once they returned and their injuries were looked after. He would also have to talk to Kaede, tell her the whole story and ask her for some herbs for Kagome. He might also have to tell all of them about him and Kagome. He could just imagine what fun the teasing bouzu would have…

It had been a terrible few months and it was not something Inuyasha ever wanted to go through again. He had seen what life without Kagome was, and he now knew that it was simply not worth it. Kikyou had released him…although he doubted that she could have kept him away from Kagome, the formality of her actually saying the words made a huge difference and he was grateful. He was glad the ordeal was over.

They still had lots to do, and lots to deal with.

But they were together; they could do anything.