I'm not going to go into the details of my vanishing act. I'm not got to apologize for it, either. I suffered a very personal loss last year, and it's taken me a very long time to finally reach the point I'm at. I will never be better, and I will never be who I was before it happened. I am also not going to extravagantly declare I'M BACK, because that's not true either. Am I going to be updating again? Yes, but for the time being, I am not going to be doing it very often. Enough to prove I don't abandon my stories, but I do have 2 accounts that need my attention, and I work 2 job while taking care of my children. I am much busier than I was when I updated regularly, and I wasn't living my life in mourning.

But, I suppose, for now, here is my update, and I will be getting to Little Dove once I can get into the document and try and remember where I was taking the story.

~Kouga's Eternal

*xXx*

While Kagome did take another few minutes before going inside, she could not have been more shocked by the reactions of her old co-workers. It might not have been so overwhelming had Natalie kept her excited voice down when the hostess realized who she was, but when the exuberant call of 'Kagome' all but bounced off the walls, it caught more attention than Kagome was ready for.

Even still, she smiled at the hostess, returning the near choking hug she found herself in when Natalie came out from behind the host stand and all but pounced on her. When she was released, Kagome slipped her arm back through Bankotsu's, her nervousness showing by the way of rhythmical tapping made by her cane on the floor. It wasn't loud, but it was somewhat noticeable as Kagome cleared her throat and smiled a little wider. "Hi, Nat. How've you been?"

Natalie, coming out of the shock of seeing the one one person she didn't think she would ever see walk through the doors again, was overtaken with her excitement. "Good, good. I uh, I got that scholarship you helped me apply for."

Genuinely happy for the girl, Kagome smiled wide. "That's fantastic. Congratulations. You should be what? In second semester by now?"

Natalie shook her head. "Almost. The next semester starts in a couple of weeks, but I'll won't be starting classes right away."

Blinking, Kagome tilted her head. "Why? Is the financial aid office giving you shit or something?"

Biting into the corner of her lip, Natalie slowly shook her head, not sure exactly what the reaction would be. "No, uh... the trial starts the same week as classes and, of course I would have been there for you anyway, but I'm on the witness list, and they only gave me a rough time frame to be available."

Closing her eyes, Kagome lowered her head. Giving it a slow shake, she then licked her bottom lip as she sighed, picked her head back up, and looked at the hostess again. "I am... I'm so sorry, Nat."

Confused beyond all reason, Natalie blinked as she jolted. "For what? They asked me if I would testify because I'm one the of the few people that actually saw what happened at that table. If something I saw helps get that psycho bitch locked up where she belongs, and if it stops you from having to, then the extra effort is worth it."

Lips pursing, Kagome's eye crinkled. "I beg your pardon? What do you mean so I don't have to?"

Natalie just shrugged as she gathered the menus. "After I talked to the prosecutor and told him what I saw, he told me he believes between my testimony, the matching statements of the other eyewitnesses, and your doctors, it should be enough for her to no longer want to take her chances with the jury. So, before you have to take the stand, she'll either change her plea to guilty or take a plea deal."

Bankotsu, who had been listening to the discussion, jumped in before Kagome could push for anything else. "I think this conversation is over." When his wife looked up at him with a wide, fear filled eye, he smiled at her. "I'll call Ginkotsu and see what he can find out about it, but for now," he looked back at the hostess and locked their eyes. "This conversation is over."

Quickly picking up she said too much about something she probably shouldn't have, Natalie nodded her head and looked back to Kagome. "Is there anyone in particular you want?" She watched as a brow slowly slid up Kagome's forehead, making the hostess giggle. "Kouga it is. Follow me."

It was almost more strategic than it was anything else to eat in the bar's section of the restaurant. It was just about as far as you could get from table 12, meaning as long as her chair was facing the bar and not the door, she wouldn't be able to see where it happened. Though no part of her thought she could simply forget about it, there was something like hope in her chest that if she couldn't see the table, she could remain calm enough to make it through dinner, and if she could do that, she would be one step closer to making it through the trial.

The only downside in Kagome's mind of being served by the bartender was that the bar was on the far side of the restaurant from the entrance, so she had to follow Natalie through the entire place, and since her arrival was announced like she herself was of the Royal Family, everyone she used to work with knew she was there and wanted to see how she was doing. What should have taken maybe two minutes took nearly ten, because even some of her old regular customers who were there stopped her as she passed them.

One table that stopped her more than any other was enough to once again lift her mood, and the smile on her face was as genuine as it always when she saw them. Mrs. Wilmith were a very sweet couple in their early thirties with a five year old son named Shippo that acted as though Kagome was the light of his little life. Before anyone was able to stop him, he had hopped off his chair and barreled into Kagome's legs. While she was somewhat expecting the vice like hug, no one expected the force of impact, and had it not been for both Bankotsu and Jakotsu, the little red head would have ended up tackling Kagome to the ground. However, once she was steady, she giggled and knelt down to his level, returning the embrace and smiling wide when the little boy started bouncing on his toes when they separated.

His emerald green sparkled as he looked at her. "I'm so glad you're back, Kagome! No one else makes my chocolate milk right."

While there were noticeable cringes on the face of Shippo's parents, Kagome just made a thoughtful face as she drummed her fingers together. "No one, you say?" At the overly forlorn look on the child's face as he shook his head, Kagome hummed loudly. "Well, I can't get you any chocolate milk. But... I'll tell you what I can do." Crooking a finger at the boy, Kagome leaned closer to him as if she was going to tell him a secret, much to Shippo's excitement. Shifting her eyes around, making it look like she was looking for intruders into their private conversation, Kagome lowered her voice ever so slightly. "I'll teach them how you like your milk, that way no matter who makes it for you, it's always just how you like it; made with one and a half spoons of chocolate syrup, because one isn't enough and two is too much."

His little nose wrinkling, Shippo crossed his arms as his started to pout. "Why can't you just make it?"

Though Mr. Wilmith tried to intervene at that point, saying Shippo's name with warning in his tone, Kagome just looked over at him with a smile. "It's okay." Then, she looked back at Shippo. "Because I don't work here anymore, Shippo. I'm not allowed in the kitchen anymore, and that's where the milk is."

Frown deepening, Shippo uncrossed his arms and played with his fingers. "Is that because the lady on the TV said you were hurt?"

Fighting back the cringe from the knowledge he was privy to the knowledge there were horrible people in the world at such a young age, Kagome nodded slightly. "Yeah, Little Buddy, it is, and I'm sorry you had to find out about it."

As a five year old, Shippo couldn't fully understand the gravity of the situation. "But, you're here, so you're not hurt anymore. You're all better now."

Not quite as successful as she was last time to hide the wince at the childish statement, Kagome rolled her head on her shoulders for a moment as she tried to come up with the best way to explain it to a child. In the end, she didn't have the best response, but decided it would have to do. "I'm getting there, Ship, but I still have a ways to go yet." Taking the little boy's hands in hers, she looked him in the eyes. "Do you remember when you broke your arm, and you told me you did it when you fell while jumping on the trampoline in your backyard?" When Shippo nodded, she smiled slightly. "And, do you remember before that, how you told me how much you loved doing that, and how it was your favorite thing to do?" Shippo nodded again, and she smiled a little wider. "Then, do you remember when you got your cast off, and I asked you if you've been back on your trampoline, and you told me no because you were afraid you'd fall off and break your arm again?" Once again, Shippo nodded, his eyes starting to show his understanding, and Kagome sighed through her nose. "I loved coming here. It was my favorite thing to do. But, then I got hurt, and I got so scared. Now, do you remember how long your arm hurt before it felt better?"

Frown reforming on Shippo's face, he gave a slow, shallow nod. "It felt like forever."

Giving him a sad smile, Kagome nodded and continued. "Just like your arm, even though it doesn't hurt as much as did when it happened, and I'm getting better, I am still hurt. I'm still scared, too, but I don't wanna be scared anymore. I want to be able to do all the things I love doing again, and do you know how to stop being scared?" She saw Shippo's eyes widen as he shook his head, and she gave him a secretive smile and leaned closer to him. "Do what makes you scared. It's not easy, and I'm scared right now, but I have my friends to help me, and when you're ready to face your fear, your mommy and daddy will be there to help you. Now, I'm going to go teach your server how to make your chocolate milk, and you go back to your spaghetti."

Shippo, his eyes crinkling in the corners, cocked his head to the side. "How did you know I was having spaghetti?"

Standing from her kneeling position, Kagome smiled down at him. "You always get the spaghetti, because it's the only thing you can pronounce, and you're too stubborn to let anyone help you."

A light blush spread across Shippo's nose, but he didn't argue. Instead, after his good-bye to Kagome, but before she was completely out of his hearing range, she heard him ask his parents if he could play on his trampoline when they got home.

Pausing and turning back to see how the question was taken by his parents, Kagome smiled as she leaned her shoulder blade back against Bankotsu's arm. She watched as the shock of his question slowly wore off before both of his parents nodded their consent to his request, then just curled her fingers in a little wave at Mrs. Wilmith when she looked Kagome's direction, appreciation in her eyes. She had been concerned at more than one point over her conversation with Shippo that she had over stepped herself in how she dealt with the child since she wasn't anyone special in his life, but the warm smile she got in thanks from his mother set her fears at ease, and she smiled in return.

"You really are very good with children."

Turning her smiling face up to her husband's, Kagome regarded the look in Bankotsu's eyes. It was both curious and tender, as if he was seeing her in a slightly different light than he had a few moments ago. It momentarily transported her back to the conversation they had about having their own kids their first night at the manor. It had inevitably returned to the topic of how many kids they wanted and at what point in their lives they wanted to be parents. By then end of the conversation they had both agreed they wanted to wait a few years before starting their family, but in that moment, by the look on Bankotsu's face, it didn't seem like he really cared whether or not they stuck to their agreement.

Amusement taking over her own expression, Kagome shook her head. "Don't you dare get any ideas, Bankotsu. Kids Shippo's age are easy once you accept the fact that just because he's young doesn't mean he's stupid. Besides, just because you're good with someone else's kid doesn't mean you'll be good with your own."

Bankotsu's eyes narrowed slightly in thought for a moment before he dipped his head, letting his lips brush against the shell of his wife's ear. "Usually, you're better with your own."

With a dubious expression, Kagome pulled back, for once unaffected by Bankotsu's charm. "That's not true. I know more than a handful of people that were wonderful with kids until they had them. You would be disgusted by the number of people that have come to the shrine to beg the Kami for forgiveness over the fact they resent or downright hate their children that used to volunteer at the camp during school breaks for kids with parents that worked and were too young to be home by themselves. They liked kids until they couldn't get rid of them at the end of the day, I believe, was the way it was phrased."

There was nothing but pure indulgence on Bankotsu's face as he grinned at his wife. "Then they didn't actually like kids. Besides, I said usually. Under normal circumstances, parents are far better with their own kids than they are with someone else's, because they know them better, and they don't have to worry about pissing off someone else by overstepping themselves. And... I'm pretty sure I've said that already."

He wasn't wrong, he had. He said much the same thing during their conversation before, when he explained why he himself didn't particularly care for other people's children but did want his own. When that got a raised brow from her, he told her that, generally, he liked kids, he just didn't like their parents.

'You can't blame a child for how they're being raised, and with such a large escalation in the number of disrespectful brats running around with parents more interested in being their friend, it's very difficult to expect them to respect boundaries when the child doesn't have any.'

No matter how many different ways she tried, Kagome couldn't find fault in what he said. Over the last couple of years, she had noticed the way the older kids got, the more she actually had to stop herself from smacking some of the preteens in the mouth for how they spoke to... well... basically everyone. It had been at least a few years since anyone over the age of 7 used please or thank you, and their requests were closer to demands.

Be that as it may, however, they were still kids, and kids that could be taught there were boundaries could also unlearn such complete and utter untruths.

Clicking her tongue, Kagome thought about her response, but instead of continuing the line of conversation, she redirected it back to where it began. "It's not about liking kids, Bank. I've spent so much time around little ones Shippo's age, it really is just second nature at this point. I mean, Like I said, they aren't stupid, and they do know when they're being spoken down to."

Smiling widening, Bankotsu chuckled. "I never said they didn't. All I said was you were very good with kids." A knowing gleam sparked in the back of his blue eyes as he leaned his head down. "Where your mind took the statement is all on you, Pretty Girl."

Narrowing her eyes, Kagome wrinkled her nose up at her husband before standing straight and continuing her way to bar. "Asshole."