Disclaimer: Nope, nope, and…. nope.

[Author's Note] Hehe!! Of course it's not the end! You guys totally were cracking me up with your reviews… I think I got like, as many reviews in the past day as I have over the past 6 chapters combined! Well, that was pretty cool! Thanks!!!

Priestess Tokiko- Hmm… well, I am using the anime English, and I think they spelled it with an "i"… no one else has said anything about it being misspelled, though.

NightRain- hehe, you crack me up… a black dog with clothes?? hehehe!! Tell your husband I said hello!

mvdiva- glad I've made you curious!

AnimeKrazy- yeah, I thought the same thing when I wrote that last chapter!

Chapter 8: Epilogue

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Last time:

"I- I love you, Inu Yasha," she choked out. His ear twitched slightly in response to her confession before the eyes of Inu Yasha, the beautiful silver-white dog, closed forever.

***

Kagome could not believe what had just happened. She sat kind of sideways, her legs bent slightly and to her left, and there lied Inu Yasha to her right. He saved her life. This dog, who she had only met but a month ago, gave his life for her. It was almost like he was only there to protect her. Words escaped Kagome's mind at this thought, and she was overcome by tremendous grief. She rested her face in her left hand, covering her eyes, and propped her head up by her elbow resting on her leg. Her other hand gently stroked Inu Yasha's soft silvery-white hair back and forth as she sobbed uncontrollably.

It really seemed like a lot, considering she was crying over some stray dog that had been following her around for a month. But Inu Yasha was more than just a dog to her. He represented her dream, the dream of Inu Yasha the hanyou, whom she loved and who she thought loved her. Who, when she was dying, finally told her of his love for her.

'Wait a minute. When I was dying??? When I was DYING??? WHEN was I dying??' All of a sudden, Kagome's memories began to flood back. There were so many of them, and they were so real. Suddenly, without a doubt, Kagome knew that Inu Yasha really wasn't a dream. He was actually real. Her sobs died down slowly as she contemplated her experience with Inu Yasha the dog. He must have been Inu Yasha. But why was he a dog? Her hand continued to brush backward and forward with and against the grain of Inu Yasha's fur. She came across a longer tuft, and twirled it around her finger, thinking of what all of this could possibly mean. 'But if Inu Yasha the dog is dead, that means that the real Inu Yasha is also…' she couldn't bear to continue her thought, and removed her face from her hand. She looked down at where the dog lay.

Only it was no longer a dog. Inu Yasha the hanyou laid in its stead, on his stomach, unconscious. Kagome untwisted her finger from one of his silvery locks of hair.

"Inu Yasha," she whispered, hopeful that he would come to. After all, as a dog, he was dead. But this was a hanyou; his body was much more durable than a mere canine. Maybe by some stroke of luck, his healing powers would help him recover. "Inu Yasha?" she asked again, timidly. She reached her tearstained left hand across her body, and over to one of his soft, fuzzy ears. She was juuuust about to touch it…. when it moved. She let out an involuntary gasp and withdrew her hand. He was coming to.

His eyes began to flutter, until they groggily opened completely. Remaining on his stomach, he propped himself up on his elbows, and turned to his right to see Kagome looking at him.

"What happened?" he asked.

"You were hit by a car," she told him, sniffling.

"That's right, I remember now, " he said, looking back to the ground, remembering the sequence of events that occurred. His eyes snapped back up to her face after a fraction of a second. "Wait. You understand me?"

"Yes, I understand you. Why wouldn't I?" she asked, not understanding Inu Yasha's disorientation due to the transformation from canine to hanyou in her time period. He looked down at his hands.

"My.. hands.. Kagome… you did it?"

"Did- what?" His eyes sparkled, and he quickly sat up completely and drew her into a hug. She hugged him back for a few moments, until she noticed something was missing.

"Um, Inu Yasha?"

"Hm," he grunted, not really wanting to separate himself from her.

"What happened to your clothes?"

***

After a short, embarrassing interlude, Inu Yasha threw Kagome on his back and flew like death was at his heels up that final hill toward the well-house, where his clothes were waiting for him. He quickly dressed, and came out to face her. Normally, they would both be very embarrassed at what happened, but considering the gravity of the situation that they had just been in, they were willing to just let it go.

"So wait a minute, Inu Yasha." Kagome and Inu Yasha had just sat down to a nice cup of hot tea, and decided to hash over the incidents that had just occurred. "What happened after you told me… you loved me…" she blushed deeply and continued, "…and I died?"

"I gathered the rest of the shards, and wished you back to life."

"How did you find out how to wish on the jewel? I didn't think any of us knew how that could actually be done," she speculated.

"I visited Midoriko's cave while you were away taking your 'test' things. There were some old scrolls and parchments that spoke of myths and ways of wishing that could possibly purify the jewel." He sensed Kagome's confusion, and tried to alleviate it as much as he could. "Of course, they were written after the formation of the Shikon no Tama, since Midoriko couldn't have possibly foreseen her lasting battle within the jewel."

"Right," Kagome nodded her head.

"But Midoriko would only resurrect you on the condition that you would forget all about us, and that the only way you would ever remember is if you'd say the words- some words. And you did."

"What were the words? I said a lot of things." Inu Yasha coughed and blushed profusely. He cleared his throat, only prolonging the inevitable.

"Iloveyou Inu Yasha." Kagome giggled at his awkwardness. But somehow, it didn't seem that awkward to her anymore. And she remembered his heartfelt words on her own deathbed. She decided to take a step of faith. Putting down her teacup, she reached across the table, placing her right hand on his left.

"I do love you, Inu Yasha." He blushed, and looked away.

"I was… worried about you," he said, still not looking at her. Kagome sighed, and pulled her hand away. It was a nice response, but not quite the one she was looking for.

"Well, you know, I think I've been away from the Warring States Era for long enough. What's say we go back now?" Inu Yasha's blush disappeared. He nodded, and stood up. He watched Kagome pack her things, and they headed to the well house.

***

There they stood, ready to return to the Sengoku Jidai.

"Here goes!" Kagome said, and made a move to jump inside the well.

"Hold on a second." Inu Yasha grabbed her arm to keep her from jumping. She turned and looked up at him, a little confused. Usually, he was the one ready to go, and she was the one wanting to stay behind a bit longer. He pulled her arm to his chest, drawing her into him. He wrapped his arms around her, enjoying the feeling of holding her close. His mouth was near her ear, and he began to whisper. "When you died, Kagome, there was such a sadness… in my heart."

'Is he going to do it?' she thought hopefully.

"I failed you. Not just in protecting you, but more than that. I never showed you how much you meant to me. The Shikon Jewel gave me a second chance, and I don't want to make that failure again." He drew his hands from around her waist to her shoulders, and pulled her back so that he could look into her velvety brown eyes. "Kagome, I love you." He would have said more, but it wasn't his style. Maybe he would tell her more about how much she means to him when he'd ask her to live with him in the Sengoku Jidai. After all, now that the Jewel was no longer in existence, things would be a lot safer.

All these things ran through Inu Yasha's mind as he completed his last sentence. He would have thought more, but the look in Kagome's eyes quickly sent his thoughts fleeting away. A smile spread slowly across her face as she moved her hands from Inu Yasha's waist up his chest to around his neck. His heart beating faster, he pulled her toward him, and tilted his head down toward hers. Her smile slowly faded as she realized that he was about to pull her into a kiss, and she began to close her eyes. Inu Yasha followed suit and closed his eyes as well, focusing all his senses on the touch of Kagome's lips and the sensations that they delivered against his own. Softness, warmth, love, and passion; everything that a kiss should be, and everything that they felt in each other's arms.

They withdrew from each other, and Inu Yasha ran the back of his fingers along Kagome's face and jaw line with his right hand. She leaned into his touch. It was everything that she had imagined it would be.

"Are you ready?" he asked her softly.

"NnHn," she nodded. Wrapping his arm around her waist, Inu Yasha and Kagome leapt through the well, ready to make the most of their second chance together.

The end.

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[Author's Note] yes, this time it really is the end. Just thought I'd give you all a scare with that last chapter..

La Belle Dame Sans Merci- you and whyndancer really saw through to my ending!

whyndancer- you hit it right on the nose! Yay!