Bittersweet Freedom

A/N : My sincerest apologies to all of you. I promised to make this easier, but then again I am just not quite sure of what I do. Anyways, I have been thinking and I have decided that instead of doing a sequel, I would fuse them two into one. But it is actually up to you guys to decide whether or not to read it.

Chapter 13 : Return

Life it seems is always willing to prove your faith and your will to live on and not give up in something that you want.

- two months later -

Rays of sunshine hit his face, as he turned in his sleep. His fluttering eyelashes barely covering the light intrusion. Not succeeding in blocking the new day's light, he groaned and then he opened his sleepy orbs, his eyes took in everything. Nothing had changed anyways.

Sighing he sat up on his bed and then he stretched his stiff body around from the sleep. Once again, he glanced around and then he finally noticed the clock next to his bed. His eyebrow rose when he noticed that it was already ten in the morning. How unusual, since he usually woke up around seven.

He stood up and then went to the closet; he grabbed some clothes and then went to the shower. Once he was done, he dried his hair, and then when he was brushing it, he heard a knock on his door and then he answered, once she was allowed to enter, the maid apologized from disrupting, but he dismissed her. She went straight to him with a letter and then she respectfully left him to his business.

Sesshomaru flipped the letter only to see the doctor's name and whom it was addressed to. He sat down on his bed end and opened it.

Sesshomaru,

There has been a change in Kagome's brain reactions. It would really be advantageous for you to be here when the changes take full effect. There has been very good an indication that she will soon be able to remember what she has forgotten. After this two month of research, and further studying, I have concluded that there is a possibility of bringing back the old Kagome.

Please, as soon as you receive this give me a call and we will arrange to an agreement.

Victor

Sesshomaru reread the letter once again, and then he laid it back down, he placed his hand on his chin thinking, Kagome was coming around. When he was about to stand up, someone came barging into his room.

To his surprise, it was the same made who seemed flustered and out of breath.

"Mr. Sesshomaru" she said catching her breath calling him by his given name just as if he ha told them to, not Kezuki, he was Sesshomaru.

He stared at her, one eyebrow raised and then he closed his eyes, really, how he hated people barging in to his room.

Finally, she took a deep breath and then she continued. "Mr. Sesshomaru, there was a phone call from the hospital while you were taking a shower, my apologies for forgetting to tell you when I brought you the letter. But there was the phone call from the hospital where Miss Rin and Mr. Inuyasha are currently staying." now he was paying rapt attention to what she was saying.

"The doctor said that it was necessary for your presence, sir, as soon as possible." she finished. She watched him as the information was processed when he did, he dismissed her and then he stood, picked up his keys and wallet and went out the doors.

He took a deep breath and then he went into the room, where Rin was located. To his surprise, she was smiling and talking. Sighing in relief, he went to her side and the nurse left, smiling.

"Rin, you are okay?" he asked more than stated.

Rin beamed at him and then she hugged him, giggling when he returned the embrace whole-heartedly. After a while of staying close to her and talking with her, he promised that he would come later for visits. Rin pouted when he said he was leaving, but he said that he would go see Inuyasha as well. Agreeing, she closed her eyes and then she fell asleep.

As he walked up the stairs to the fourth floor where Inuyasha was located, he remembered what the doctor had said.

Apparently, the operations went very successful and then once they were fully recuperated, that they would be able to leave. Except, that Inuyasha would need some serious therapy to be able to use once again his left hand and leg, that is where the impact mostly occurred on, his left side.

He knocked once and then he heard a small grunt as a response. As he walked in, he saw that Kikyo was there with him, and once she saw him enter, she kissed Inuyasha on the forehead and left them to their talk.

Sesshomaru stared at Inuyasha before he moved to his side. Then he took the chair next to the window and sat next to him. For a while they stayed as if that, in silence, not one of them uttered a word, and neither minded.

Sesshomaru closed his eyes briefly and then he stared directly into Inuyasha's eyes, and then he said something utterly uncommon for him, especially when it was directed to him.

"I'm sorry," he said, and then he lowered his gaze and averted them to anything but him. Inuyasha blinked and his eyes widened.

"What?" he asked not sure if he had heard right.

Sesshomaru reluctantly raised his head and then he apologized once again leaving a very confused Inuyasha.

"Why?" he asked, really he wanted to know.

Sesshomaru looked at him confusedly and his surprised and puzzled face. " For not being able to protect you." he said it as if it was so obvious.

Inuyasha stared at him in disbelief, really this was something that was both surprising him and scaring him. Then something came to him, he blamed himself for not being able to control the world. He stared at him for a while then he averted his gaze to the small window in the room.

"That's crazy" Inuyasha mumbled then he continued when he noticed Sesshomaru staring at him intensely.

"You can't always be there and you surely cannot control how people behave or what they decide to do. No matter how hard you try you cannot always protect us from the world's reality, you may try, but the more you try you smother us and take away from us the opportunity to explore it ourselves. I know that you have promised our parents to watch over us, but you don't have to give up your own life to make us happy. You also deserve to be happy yourself. Life is life and no matter what you can't change that. You can help us through it, but one day you are going to have to let us go. Besides I'm a grown man." he finished.

Once he finished he moved his gaze from the window only to stare at his brother's surprised stare, and then for the first time since he had awoken, he saw him smile, no he was going to do more than just smile.

He stared in amazement, Sesshomaru's eyes glittered in amusement and narrowed as he let his mouth open to let his laugh be heard. It was a whole heartedly laugh, and then Inuyasha laughed along with him. He felt happy, happy that he was able to make him laugh, ever since their parents died, Sesshomaru grew up so fast, how he used to laugh all the time, until that day.

After a while, when Sesshomaru finally stopped laughing along with Inuyasha, they stayed quiet for a while and then Sesshomaru did another thing that he had not done in a long, long time ago, as he stood up, he placed his hand on Inuyasha's head and ruffled his hair affectingly, making Inuyasha gape at him and then he groaned at the mess his hair was even more.

Smirking Sesshomaru stood and then said goodbye to Inuyasha, who was slowly feeling the effect of the drug in his system. He didn't tell him anything about Kagome, no one knew except him, the doctor and her. Now he walked out the door and went back to Rin's room, but when he saw her still asleep he just stared at her and then he kissed her forehead, and left.

----

He needed to go. He wanted to tell Kikyo, she needed to know, but he somehow hesitated, he did not wanted to raise her hopes just like he had done so with his, heck he hasn't even told them that she was alive. He needed to know for sure, needed to know that she was the one he had learned to love in such little time.

-- two months ago --

Sesshomaru had agreed on a meeting with the doctor that was now in charge of the three people most important to him. How he had longed to be with her and hold her for all it was worth. How he had wanted to tell her how he felt about her and keep her all to himself. And yet he restrained himself to do so just like he had said as to not cause her any more trauma.

He knew that he had to be patient.

So when the doctor had told him about Kagome having Retrograde amnesia, Sesshomaru's heart tightened painfully at having Kagome forget about him. He felt dejected, more so than he had felt before. So he sat patiently as the doctor went through what causes it and how it affects the lives of people. Furthermore he said as to how Kagome came to it and why all the way to her twelve-year-old self.

Reluctantly Sesshomaru had agreed with him on letting him take her back to New Mexico for further examination. Kagome seemed hesitant to leave, but non the less she followed him. She surprised him by giving him a brief and a small smile.

-----

Now here he was ready to leave without telling anyone. As he looked out the window of the airplane, he thought of how he maybe should have told them about it, but he shoved it to the back of his mind, his more reasonable side telling him how it was better to not to raise their hopes of her remembering them, because if she didn't then that would surely break them.

He was happy, he felt like he had been waiting forever to just see her.

After a while the plane took off and he suddenly remembered the day that he had learned of her 'death', how he had blamed himself, and how he still felt guilty for making her suffer even more when she inwardly forced herself to be strong.

How he had despised himself at his rejection to her, how he hated and wanted to destroy Naraku for being a pathetic bastard at taking her once love in advantage, how he had reprimand himself for not being able to understand her and help her when she had needed him the most.

He remembered that he had promised to her how he wouldn't leave her and protect her from anyone or anything, and yet he had failed to do so.

--

The plane arrived early that afternoon and as he read the address, he took a taxi to his destination.

It took him a while, but he arrived at the residence of Dr. Bauer, without hesitation, he knocked the door and he was answered by a red head woman in her early thirties, she seemed surprised at first.

Sesshomaru stared at her and then he asked for Victor. She seemed to realize who it was and then she led him in. As he was seated down, she offered him water and he accepted, once he had it she left him to bring Victor.

Sesshomaru sat there uncomfortably jumpy, and when he heard footsteps he waited.

"Ah Sesshomaru, good thing you came, I would have gone and pick you up had you called like I said in the letter." Victor said smiling a bit, then he motioned for the woman to come forth.

"This is my fiancée Mimi, Mimi this is Sesshomaru, Kagome's you know." he said winking at her, causing Sesshomaru to raise and eyebrow and her to smile knowingly.

Then to their surprise, they heard and extra voice.

"Sesshomaru?" asked a small soft and unsure voice.

All three turned around only to see a very confused Kagome and besides her a white dog.

Both her and Sesshomaru stared at each other, not one saying a word.

When Sesshomaru stood up, she walked towards him and then neither the couple or Sesshomaru expected what happened next.

Sesshomaru's voice was cut off by a stinging on his left cheek, his eyes showed hurt, but not hurt because of the slap but at her rejection and confusion, Victor showed surprised and Mimi, well she seemed too shocked to speak.

Kagome bit her lip, then small shows of tears gathered in her eyes and she turned around and left a very confused group behind.

Sesshomaru hesitated, and then he followed her, it didn't matter she remembered him, he just needed to make sure that she truly hated him, and if she did then he would finally let her go and move on with his life, though he hated the thought about it.

"Victor are you sure that they will be all right?" she asked concernedly to her fiancé.

Victor stared at the spot where they once stood and then he shrugged, really what could he say.

" It's up to them" he finally said, placing a hand on her waist and went to the kitchen, followed by Hana.

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Okay I really, really want to apologize for everything and all the time that it took me to actually update this story. I have been quite busy, but I finally had time to write this. I would greatly appreciate it if you guys review on it.