Disclaimer - I don't own any of the characters or the plot from InuYasha. But I do own DVD's, and my all so holy lighter with Inu on it, so I am content . . . until I get an Inu plushie.



Author's Notes - Aww, to hell with it, you guys don't want to hear from me, you want to read the story. *mumbles in the background* I feel so abused . . .



Chapter 28 - Across Any Distance



Kagome stopped sweeping to glance at the well house for the what seemed the hundredth time since dawn had broken over the peaceful confines of the Higurashi shrine. She wore traditional miko robes, much as Kikyo had once wore . . . but her's were dove grey rather than the deep red that reminded her so much of her adventures in Feudal Japan - and the absent mate she had been forced to leave behind.

'Three months . . .' she thought to herself. 'It's been three months, and it still hurts. Is he okay? Is he even still alive?' She wiped the tears away from her eyes at that thought. He had to be alive . . . she wouldn't allow herself to think otherwise, knowing that the only thought that kept her still going was that he was alive and well with their friends.

Unseen from the kitchen, her mother sighed and wiped away her own tears at the sight of her daughter staring so longingly at the well that was forever sealed. Why had God done this to her? To take her so forcefully away from the man she loved, knowing that he still lived, that he was so close and yet so far away from her . . . it had to be some kind of cruel joke. Kagome had not been the same since her grandfather had pulled her up from the well three months ago. She had not returned to school, choosing instead to take her place at the shrine as the miko she had become. She had been busy since then . . . as word leaked out that there was once again a genuine miko at the Higurashi shrine, people had come from all over Japan to see her . . . and in many cases, to have themselves healed. 'If only someone could heal her as she heals them' she had thought many times, watching with sorrow filled eyes as Kagome tended the young and old alike with a tenderness and compassion that made her loved by everyone she came in contact with. The shrine had been flooded with donations . . . but money could not bring happiness in this case, as Sakura Higurashi could clearly see.

Only she knew of the tears her daughter shed each night, standing over the well that had brought her to InuYasha and praying with all her strength that it would allow her through one last time. Just as only she knew of her daughter's depression in that first desperate month . . . a month that Kagome had spent in the well house itself, refusing to eat or sleep for fear that she would miss the well opening back up. Sakura had feared Kagome would never recover . . . that she would, in fact, die from a broken heart.

But, fate had intervened. A sick, injured dog had somehow found it's way into the well house one evening . . . a white dog that had reminded Kagome of InuYasha. Forced to face that the well would never open again, she had embraced the dog with her wounded heart . . . and healed it.

That dog now lounged in the shadow of the God Tree, watching his mistress as she went about her morning ritual of cleaning the shrine . . . and her soul. The dog was never far from Kagome . . . somehow, in that uncanny way animals had, it knew she needed it. Kagome was often to be seen speaking to it and leaning down to caress it's silken ears as she went about the shrine caring for her visitors . . . something that had brought about many questions to her sanity. Sakura had always replied to those questions with the same answer.

"He keeps her sane," she would murmur, smiling softly with a deep sadness in her eyes. That same sadness was present now as she watched her daughter resume her sweeping with a deep sigh. With a sigh of her own, she turned away to prepare a lunch for Sota to take to school with him.



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Evening came creeping across the Higurashi shrine much as the dawn had, bringing with it a peace that the shrine only saw at night now. Kagome smiled graciously at the last individual to leave the shrine, receiving his bow of thanks with a murmur and blessing before sending him back out into the real world. Turning, she turned to walk to the house . . . and stopped beside the God Tree.

Reaching out, feather-light hands wisped upwards to caress the lone scar in the ancient tree's bark. Sighing, she turned to move away from the memories that scar produced . . . and stopped as she felt a surge of warmth from the tree itself. Glancing back towards the tree, she nearly fainted at the sight that met her eyes . . . the ghostly form of a beloved hanyou lounged against the base of the tree, his amber eyes shut in slumber.

"Inu . . . InuYasha?" she whispered, her voice full of longing and pain as she beheld the ghost before her.

Hands reached out, fingers ghosting over and through transparent features that haunted her dreams. Sobbing, Kagome collapsed, tears falling like rain until she fell into sleep, exhausted.

Gentle hands picked her up from the ground . . . hands that, has she been awake to see them, would have shocked her to the core. Delicate stripes graced the wrists of those fine boned hands . . . silver white hair glinting in the moonlight as the tall figure leaped lightly into the tree outside her window before leaping gracefully into her room and settling her on the bed.

The figure sighed, before shifting back into the form of a snow white dog and settling by the foot of her bed.



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InuYasha awoke to the phantom touch of beloved fingers brushing over his face. Amber eyes shot open and he was on his feet in an instant, glancing around wildly for any trace of what had awoken him.

"Kagome . . ." he whispered, his voice cracking under the weight of longing and pain that one word held. Sighing, he flopped back to the ground, growling at himself in annoyance. It had felt so real . . . he could almost catch her familiar scent if he tried hard enough, sense her presence in the gentle wind that tugged on his hair and ran loving tendrils of breath over his sensitive ears.

This was the first time he'd allowed himself away from the well . . . desperate for sleep and a cease to the pain that lodged in his heart, he'd come here, to where they had first met. Absently leaning his head back against the ancient tree's bark, he stared up at the scar that marred it's gigantic trunk . . . a scar that had both painful and wonderful memories for him. There he had spent fifty years in a death that was not death, sealed by Kikyo's dying arrow. There he had met Kagome for the first time, believing her to be Kikyo. He smiled slightly as he remembered her indignant protests to that, and her rather annoyed look when he'd finally realized she was telling the truth. She had awoken him, made him live again . . . and with time, had made him live more than just the existence of an outcast hanyou wanted by neither side. She had shown him unconditional love, compassion . . . friendship and acceptance. And now she was gone from his life . . . forever. He'd thought that they had prepared for this . . . that knowing it could happen would blunt the agony. They had been wrong.

"Kagome . . ." he whispered lovingly . . . and gazing at the appearing stars, he finally allowed the tears to fall.



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Sesshoumaru watched his brother from a short distance away, noting with relief that his brother was finally allowing himself the grief he had locked away for the past three months. Sesshoumaru too felt the loss of Kagome deeply . . . if for no other reason than the light she had brought to his brother's life, much as Rin had brought that light to his. Kagome had brought a light to everyone . . . and everyone felt the loss keenly, especially in the unfairness of it.

He realized that he had changed . . . that one talk with Kagome had done much to clear the wounds of his past and heal the rift between him and his younger brother. For that alone, he loved her . . . although no where near as strongly as his brother did. Which is why, that night, he made a vow to himself and his brother . . . if there was any way to protect her, he would do so - past, present, or future.



TO BE CONTINUED . . .



Author's Notes - Welp, there it is folks . . . hope you all enjoyed them, and there is still more to come. Did you like my little throw-in there with Sess? I couldn't help it, I had to put him in there somewhere. At any rate, I'll be back in two weeks with another chapter - I've got to read over it, make sure it's all in order, and I've got a job now, so I don't get to sit in front of the computer thinking of ways to torture you anymore : D ----See, I learned a new face! Aren't you proud of me?

Alright all . . . Later, and keep smiling and reading and REVIEWING! PLEASE!