When Inuyasha went home that day, he knew that he was going to have a confrontation with his father, and he knew that it wasn't going to be pretty. He knew that things with Kagome were going to be fine, but he could tell that it bothered her a little that they were essentially going to have to plead their case before a bunch of people that Kagome didn't know that well.

He slugged his backpack against the corner of the atrium and hurried up the stairs to his father's study.

"Inuyasha? Are you home?" he heard his mother call to him sweetly. Ever since the Kikyo incident when he had come home banged up, his mother had been hovering like crazy. He opted to soothe her worries now before she went looking for him and walking in on him and his father going at it—because that was absolutely his full intention.

"Yeah, I'm home! I'm gonna head up and take a nap!" he lied, knowing that it would most likely keep his mother from intruding on him and his father.

"Okay! I'll keep your snack in the microwave for when you wake up!" he heard her call to him before he reached his father's study.

Inuyasha was about to knock when he paused. His father admittedly did try to inform him… Inuyasha scoffed at the thought and barged in. If his father had really wanted him to know about the report, he would have said something to his face—like a real man.

His father was on the phone while his brother was sitting near the window, looking out of it with his usual bored expression. Inuyasha was a little surprised to see Sesshomaru still hanging around. Both demons turned to look at the intruder, one a little confused and the other a little annoyed.

"I'll have to call you back later, Kerano," his father finished before hanging up and looking at Inuyasha expectantly. "Well, hello, son. It's good to see you. How can I help?"

Inuyasha huffed a little, his anger deflating at seeing his father obviously busy and hanging up just for him.

Stupid link… makes me sentimental…

"So Inukimi called me and Kagome into the office and started telling me that our relationship status has to be presented sometime soon. What's up with that? You guys already know how it's going, so why do we have to go?" he demanded, still gruff and frustrated.

He watched his father smirk a little and lean back in his chair comfortably.

"Why do you ask? Are you concerned as to how the report will go?" his father asked with an upturned grin, his voice laced with mirth and teasing. Inuyasha bristled at the implication, his face burning under his father's gaze.

"'Course not! Kagome just doesn't want to deal with it," he lied, crossing his arms across his chest defensively.

"Yes, well, it's obviously partly tradition. The demon council has always done it this way, so that's how they would like to keep it. The other part is to get information from both sides without the influence of the other muddying the report," he supplied easily. Inuyasha tilted his head a little at that.

"What do ya mean? I thought we were both giving the report," he posed, narrowing his eyes at his father. Toga laughed lightly at that.

"Similar idea, incorrect wording. You will both give a report. Two total. Once the council reviews each report, a decision will be made as to whether mediation is required or not. Do you worry that mediation will be necessary?" he asked, grinning playfully at his son. Inuyasha was somewhat speechless, not so much from the shock, but from the way his father was handling it.

"Why are ya acting so smug about it? Of course I'm not worried! I just don't like this last minute crap being thrown being thrown at me," he retorted, looking away from his father sheepishly.

"It was all written in the book which you chose to ignore," Sesshomaru reminded him coldly. Inuyasha whipped his head towards his brother, giving him a sneer.

"Yeah, well, I was busy," he shot back before looking back at his dad. "So… how does this report work? I just tell people how things are going and then we leave?"

Toga gave his son a mirthful grin and shrugged. "Essentially."

Inuyasha's eyes narrowed at his father's brevity. Surely there had to be more to it.

"You would be better prepared if you had read the book father gave you," Sesshomaru commented coldly. Inuyasha gave his half-brother a heated glare.

"Why are you even still here? Don't you have a mate to get back to?"

Sesshomaru rolled his eyes, giving Inuyasha an expressionless look. "I am on the council. Your report hinders my haste to see my mate."

Inuyasha felt a small tug of guilt. He knew of the pain being without your soulmate could cause. He didn't wish that upon anybody. Well… He looked upon his brother's posture. Sesshomaru appeared cool and collected as usual, but there was a sort of jerkiness to his normally smooth movements. His breath the slightest bit more labored and his heart beat a little faster than normal. Sesshomaru was stressed. Inuyasha allowed the small victory to set in before feeling guilty once again.

"That's why we have the report scheduled for tomorrow," Toga supplied, looking at Inuyasha with a mischievous glint. Inuyasha paled at that.

"What? Tomorrow? Isn't that too soon?" he protested, eyes wide.

"Not really. Sesshomaru is already here, so the timing is very convenient," his father added, shrugging a little.

Inuyasha looked between the two men before sighing and slumping his shoulders in defeat. "Why does it feel like I have no control over anything anymore?" he complained before moving to leave the study.

"Inuyasha," he heard his brother call to him. Inuyasha turned to face his half-brother, surprised by the intensity of the emotion in his eyes. "I meant what I said about Kikyo."

Inuyasha's eyes widened as he closed the door on the two men. He could only hope that Kikyo and Naraku had made it far, far away from this place. He didn't dwell on it long, however, for he knew that he had more pressing concerns.

When Kagome returned to her aunt's house that afternoon, she was feeling equally nervous and excited for multiple reasons. She and Inuyasha seemed to be on a path in their relationship that was going to work out well, and while their talk about going before the demon council to inform them of such was intimidating, she felt certain that things would work out just fine. She was also excited to see if her aunt was awake—truly awake—for the first time in years. However, the potential of having to wait even longer to see her was something that made Kagome's brow crease in worry. She had been told that it might take a few days, but the uncertainty was still worrisome.

She opened the door to the old barn house and was surprised to see her mother and her aunt playing cards on the table. The sight was familiar, but what was different was that her aunt was laughing, her eyes twinkling in mirthful glee. Kagome's eyes widened, a large smile spread across her face as she looked to her mother with questioning eyes. Her mom nodded, small tears formed in the corners as she did so. Kagome rushed over to the table, looking her aunt over. The woman appeared thin and frail, her skin still wan and fragile. However, there was a warmth in her eyes, the smile on her face gave her figure the strength it needed to keep going.

"Aunt Tsukimi! How are you?" Kagome greeted, looking her up and down. The woman looked back at her with a grin and nodded happily.

"I'm doing as good as I can be! How about you? You've gotten so big—you look just like your mother did," the woman replied warmly, holding her arms open for a hug. Kagome gladly accepted and was surprised by the strength the hug held.

"So, you don't remember anything?" Kagome asked, pulling away.

Her mother frowned at this, but her aunt merely shrugged her shoulders.

"I remember some things, I remember hearing some things as well, but it feels like I was taking a really long nap. I'm so happy to be awake now, though, since your mom here was telling me that you and I are living together?" Aunt Tsukimi asked, looking at Kagome expectantly.

"When you were ill, I was staying here to watch over and take care of you," Kagome nodded with a smile.

"Now that she's better, you probably won't need to stay here anymore, Kagome," her mother added with a smile. "You can come back home and finish out the school year with all of your friends."

Kagome's smile faltered and her eyes widened at her mother's words. It was true, now that her aunt was better, Kagome wouldn't need to stay there. She would need to transfer back to her other school and leave all her new friends behind. The idea of it all made warm tears prick the corners of her eyes, threatening to fall. It was bittersweet. Her aunt was finally better, but now she had to leave everyone. Including…

"Well, I could probably still use some help around here for a little longer. Once physical therapy starts, I'll need someone to help me at home. Besides, this old house can get really lonely," her aunt spoke up, looking at Kagome with a knowing grin. Kagome glanced back at her aunt, relief flooded her face as she nodded quickly.

"I would be happy to help," she supplied.

"Well, if you're sure," her mother nodded, giving a shrug.

"Yeah, I am," Kagome nodded, looking at her aunt and mother with a big grin.

As the wind whipped past his ears, Inuyasha thought heavily on how he was going to tell Kagome about the council meeting tomorrow. He figured that she probably wouldn't mind, but there was still the possibility that she would be upset about it being so soon.

He hopped from tree to tree, dashing towards her house. He knew that he should have sent her a text or called her, but he didn't want to risk any miscommunication. Well, that and he really wanted to see her. Being away from her for any amount of time was difficult. As he approached her house, he felt like he had the words down. He tapped on her window, hoping she was still awake. When she didn't answer, he opened the unlocked window and crept inside. The room was dark, but there was life in it. Kagome was sleeping soundly in her bed, her face soft with the peacefulness of rest. Inuyasha almost felt bad to disrupt it. He placed a warm hand against the smoothness of her cheek and smirked when he saw her press her face ever so slightly into his palm. That familiar shiver raced down his spine to his toes – the symbol of their bond.

"Kagome, I gotta tell ya something. Wake up, won't ya?" he whispered, trying not to wake anyone else who might be in the house. Kagome's eyes seemed to flutter for a moment before opening. When they locked onto his figure, a smile stretched across her face comfortably.

"Inuyasha…" she breathed, her voice full of satisfaction and awe.

"Hey, Kagome," he greeted softly, rubbing his thumb across her cheek. "I need to tell ya about what my dad said."

Kagome moved slowly to sit up, the shadow of sleep slowing her movements.

"Yeah? What is it?"

"Ya know that meeting with the council that Aunt Inukimi was talking about today?" he began, beginning to fidget a little. When Kagome nodded, he continued, "Yeah well that meeting is tomorrow."

Kagome seemed to be still for a moment, as though she was trying to process his words. After the moment passed, she shrugged. "Okay. Is there anything I need to wear?"

Inuyasha blinked at her words, confusion creeping up his neck.

"Kagome, you can wear anything you want but aren't you a little, like, I dunno… upset or something?" he asked, furrowing his brow.

Kagome shrugged. "I figured they would want to do it as soon as possible. It's not that surprising."

Inuyasha stared at her for a moment, trying to gauge her expression before sighing and laughing lightly as he shook his head. "You're always surprising me. Alright then," he sat down on her bed and gently took her hands within his own. "If you aren't worried about it, then I won't be."

The next day, the two were excused from school. Inuyasha had given Kagome all the information she needed in order to get to the council building and what time she would need to report there. Even though Inuyasha had told her that she could wear whatever she wanted, she still decided that it would be best to be as prepared as she could to make a good impression. She wore a sensible blouse and skirt with flats—a formal outfit that didn't make it seem like she was trying too hard. As she approached the small building, she was surprised to find so many demons walking around chatting with one another. They seemed to be talking about something upsetting because they all had rather intense expressions. She couldn't make out what they were saying, but if she had to guess, she figured that they were discussing the mating bond power outage that happened last week. Kagome kept her eyes forward, deciding that she didn't want to get involved in anything that they were upset about. Her plan almost worked until she felt a strong hand on her arm. She turned around to find a familiar face looking back at her with intense ice-blue eyes.

"You're Kagome, right?" the man asked, his face searching hers for something she couldn't place.

"Yeah, and you're Koga's dad, right?" she confirmed, looking him over with a bit of apprehension. She last time she had seen him, he had not been in the best of moods. Then again, she couldn't really blame him considering the amount of suffering a lot of people had gone through that day.

"Call me Kerano," the man nodded and rubbed the back of his neck, letting go of her arm. "I wanted to apologize for my shortness the other day. That day wasn't easy for me, but I should still have been more hospitable, especially since you mean so much to my son."

"No, no, I totally understand. You don't need to apologize to me," she shook her head, her brows furrowing a little.

"No, I do. I will admit, however, that I have another reason for approaching you," he admitted, his face set in determination. "I need to know if you have any idea where the witch went. I have men and wolves searching the woods all around for her and the spider boy, but we haven't come up with anything. We suspect that they know how to conceal their scent and presence."

Kagome shook her head, frowning a little. "I'm sorry, sir, but I honestly have no idea where they went. Everyone thinks they split town as soon as they were able to, but they didn't tell anyone where they were going."

The man seemed to accept this with a disappointed nod before giving her a tired grin. "You know, Koga talks about you a lot. I honestly thought you were going to end up being his intended before he met Ayame," the man informed her. Kagome blushed a little at that, but shook her head.

"We both had the same thought, but he's very happy with her and I'm happy with Inuyasha," she smiled, looking towards the doors of the council building.

"Well, you're still welcome in my den anytime. Any friend of Koga's is a friend to our pack," he nodded, giving her a firm pat on the shoulder. Kagome felt a rush a warmth through her heart.

"Thank you very much, sir," she nodded. He gave her a warm smile before looking at the building behind her and nodding toward it.

"I'll let you go. I know you've got a very important appointment today," he bid her. "Good luck, kid!" He cheered, waving her off. Kagome was once again reminded how grateful she was that she came to this town. She now has so many people who care about her and want to have her around. As she pressed forward toward the building, she reflected on all that had resulted from her decision to stay with her aunt. Without it, she would have never met Sango, Miroku, Koga, or even… Well, she guessed she would have found a way to meet Inuyasha, but this was the only way she would have been able to really appreciate him. Without losing the bond, she wouldn't have understood just how much he truly meant to her in such a short amount of time.

Her hand rested against the handle, pulling it toward her as she entered the building. She was immediately whisked away by a familiar woman with a long ponytail. Kagome blinked as Sango pulled her along.

"Sango? What are you doing here?" Kagome asked, a little bewildered. Sango flashed her a grin and winked.

"The principal thought it would be a good idea to have a human with you since everyone here is a demon and they can be a little prejudiced against us," Sango explained, leading Kagome down a hall.

"Why you, though?" Kagome with a bit of a chuckle. Sango scoffed.

"Because I'm strong and I know how to rough up these demons just as good as the next demon," she supplied, grinning smugly.

When the two reached a large set of doors, Sango let go of her hand. "Good luck, Kagome. I'll be right out here if you need me," she assured her, giving her shoulder a squeeze. Kagome nodded and gave Sango a thankful smile before entering the room.

The setting was like that of a circular courtroom, with the judges held up high in chairs so that their faces were obscured by darkness. She couldn't make out any particular figures, but as she approached the center of the large courtroom, she found herself feeling as though a hundred eyes on her.

"Welcome, Miss Higurashi. Thank you for coming today. Take your seat in the center and we shall begin," a familiar voice instructed her. She obeyed dutifully and smoothed out her skirt, trying to calm her pounding heart. She wasn't nervous because she thought she would fail; she was nervous at being the center of attention in such a strangely official setting.

"This is being recorded for our records. Please state your name, age, and the name of the person you are bonded to," she was instructed, by a separate voice, though similar to the first, cutting through the silence of the cold room.

"Kagome Higurashi, 17, and I'm bonded to Inuyasha Takahashi," she stated simply.

"Thank you. We will now begin the report. Answer each question as honestly as you are able," the voice ordered, yet another new voice, this one female. "How long have you known your intended?"

Kagome blinked at the question as she tried to recall the exact moment she met Inuyasha. The memory that surfaced brought a blush to her cheeks.

"About three months," she supplied simply. The voices were quiet for a moment before another voice cut through the silence.

"How did the two of you meet?" one of the male voices asked.

"I saw him in my dreams at first," she admitted after a moment of contemplation. The council wanted her to be as honest as she could, so she felt like this information wasn't too invasive. "He was always chasing me. Then one night I was on a walk and my dream became real. I don't know how he found me, but I know that as soon as he caught me, he ran away. I didn't see him again until we were at school."

She thought she heard muffled whispers up above for a moment, but they died down quickly.

"What was your first impression of him?"

Kagome furrowed her brows a little in thought. He was always so coarse with her at first, wanting to stay with Kikyo and trying to push her away though he wanted to keep her close. It had felt like a game of tug of war at first. She smiled a little at the thought.

"I thought he was some sort of wild magical creature at first. He had been chasing me like an animal in my dreams for so many nights and suddenly he was there, chasing me in person. When we met at school, he was mad about something but then he ran away like he was terrified. We didn't formally meet until I had dinner with his parents. He seemed upset about me being there, but he was pretty pleasant to be around," she nodded. "He was argumentative, brash, and more than stubborn, but I guess that was everything I needed."

"Thank you for sharing that. The next few questions will more or less be yes or no questions, so you may feel free to answer them as such. Has Inuyasha ever hurt you physically out of anger?"

Kagome balked at the question and quickly shook her head. "No, never."

"Has he ever harmed you emotionally?"

Kagome thought about it for a few moments.

"Maybe a few times at the beginning, but it was because he wasn't ready for us to be together," she admitted.

"Have you ever wanted to be free from the bond?"

She stilled for a moment, unsure how to answer the question.

"Well, not exactly. It was hard to accept at first, so I wasn't sure how I felt about it. I don't think I ever wanted to get rid of it, but there were moments when I wasn't sure if it was something I wanted for forever," she answered after a moment of thought.

"Do you still feel this way?"

"Not at all," she answered with certainty.

"Do you have any worries about being with Inuyasha?"

She let a small smile grow on her face.

"No, not at all."

Inuyasha let out a sigh of relief at her words, his shoulders loosening from their stressed state. He was watching from a television in a separate room. Koga stood beside him, his eyebrow raised a little.

"What? You thought she was going to say yes?" Koga teased. Inuyasha slightly scoffed but sighed again anyways.

"I figured she wouldn't say yes, but I wasn't completely sure," he admitted quietly, folding his arms across his chest defensively.

"Well, looks like you've got nothing to worry about. The council's finishing up right now," Koga informed him, pointing at the screen.

"We now need your testimony. In front of you is a paper with a contract. Read it over for a moment and decide if you agree to it. Should you agree to it, read it aloud for the records," his father instructed. Inuyasha watched as Kagome leaned down and picked the paper up. A few moments of silence passed as she read it carefully and cleared her throat.

"I, Kagome Higurashi, being of sound mind and sound body, agree to the mating bond impressed upon me through the power of the elder council. I vow to live my life with Inuyasha Takahashi and promise to be a good mate, wife, and companion to him as our souls continue down this road of life. Should he be in need of me, I shall be there. Should we find our hearts wandering, I shall pull him closer and meet him wherever he may go.

I understand that this bond is eternal and everlasting—that there is no other power on earth that can break it in its entirety. I understand that should the council deem it, counseling and mediation can and will be provided. I also understand that the promises made today will be echoed by my other half and that he will be held to the same expectations that I am," she recited, reading as though she were thinking it herself. Inuyasha felt his heart warm at her words. Though they hadn't known each other very long, he could already tell that she had accepted him as a constant in her life. His ears twitched a little.

Kagome had accepted him.

"Well, don't sit there like a lovesick puppy—it's your turn," Koga grinned as he patted Inuyasha on the back.

As Inuyasha took a few steps towards the large doors opposite to the ones that Kagome had exited through, he felt a strange sense of certainty move through his being. Each footstep hit the floorboards like a beating drum. As he drew closer, he knew.

He knew.

Everything was going to be okay.

He was going to have a life with Kagome, and it was okay.

He was okay.

Him being with her was okay.

Everything else—every other worry and fear fell away – as he opened those large doors to his destiny.

Epilogue

"Inuyasha!" he heard Kagome call, waking him from his semi-conscious train of thought. As he blinked back into the real world, he looked around to see that it had already gotten dark outside. He yawned and stretched, standing up from his place on their porch. He didn't remember falling asleep out here, but he wasn't surprised. He had been hard at work making something for Kagome in the spare room and he hadn't gotten much sleep the night before either. The source of his lack of sleep came running out, tiny footsteps hitting the wooden floors loudly as she crashed into his legs. She looked up at him with big, bright eyes.

"Daddy! Are you done napping?!" she asked him sweetly, looking up through her thick, black bangs. Inuyasha chuckled and leaned down to pick her up.

"Yep! Daddy's done napping. What have you been up to, my little stinker?" he asked, rubbing their noses together playfully. She giggled wildly before giving him a toothy grin.

"I was helping mommy set up baby's room. She told me I was in charge of the stuffed animals," she nodded, pride etched across her face in a smug grin that mirrored his own.

"Oh yeah? Were they causing you any trouble?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

"They tried, so I roughed 'em up!" she answered, bringing her little fists up and shaking them. Inuyasha chuckled at his daughter and nodded, walking inside the house with her.

"Good. We never take crap from anyone, huh?" he asked as he walked up with stairs with her.

"Daddy! Mommy said that's a bad word!" Moroha scolded him, her little finger poking his nose. He chuckled and grinned at her.

"It'll be our little secret," he winked at her before entering the new room. His wife was sitting on the floor, folding some baby clothes over her belly. The sight warmed his heart and he knelt down and gave her cheek a quick kiss.

"Inuyasha, thank goodness you're here. I got on the floor to fold some laundry but now I can't get up. Can you help me?" she asked, laughing a little. Inuyasha chuckled as well and sat his daughter down to help his wife up. As he held her hands, that familiar shiver ran across their skin, not as intense as it was years prior, but still enough to make them look into each other's eyes knowingly.

"Sorry to leave you alone, I must've fallen asleep while I was sitting on the porch," he apologized as he gave his wife another kiss.

"It's alright. I didn't want to bother you since I know you were up all night playing knight and puppy with Mori," she laughed lightly, looking down at her daughter. Moroha grinned and jumped a little.

"Can we play it again tonight, daddy? I'll be the night and you be the puppy again!" she cheered, tugging on Inuyasha's pants. Inuyasha chuckled and knelt down, ruffling his daughter's hair.

"How 'bout I tell you a story tonight instead?" Inuyasha suggested, giving his daughter a soft expression.

"Yeah? What is it about, daddy?" his daughter asked, wonder filling her eyes.

"It's about a stupid dog and a beautiful princess," he answered, looking up at Kagome with a smile.

"Oh, I've heard about this one, Mori. It's a good one," Kagome nodded, grinning at her husband.

"How does it go?" his daughter asked curiously.

"It all started with a chase…"

Author's Note:

Hey guys! I'm so so sorry for the insanely long delay. Life has been crazy and I lost inspiration for a while. Thankfully, I picked it back up because I knew that I wanted this fic to be finished. I want to say thank you to every person who stuck along for this story. I'm so grateful for every comment and follow- it made writing so much more fulfilling to know that people were actually reading this and liking it. I know that I was trying to decide when to write the epilogue, and maybe it feels a little rushed, but I think that what is here is what needs to be. In regards to Naraku and Kikyo, they were probably caught at some point and I imagine they had to serve some sort of time or go through some punishment, but I don't think they were executed.

I hope everyone is safe during this quarantine and this pandemic. Keep hope everyone- the new Inuyasha show is coming out in October 3

Thanks once again and stay tuned for my next fic!

Yours,

STH