Lauren: Hey everybody! Guess what time it is for me right now? SPRING BREAK TIME! Yeah! Finally, I can rest and relax and hopefully finish this story off soon. I might be going on vacation for a few days tomorrow but I'll try to write more when I get back. ^_^ I finally have time to write! It's amazing. And guess what else? My birthday is coming up! April 15th! I can't wait! I signed up for my classes next year and here are what they probably will be:

Honors Survey of American Literature

German 5-6

Algebra 3-4

Chemistry

US History

Ceramics/Into to computers

And lastly, want to know what I just realized? Today is the official 6-month-anniversery of "Where Did You Go"! Yes, this fic has been going on for half a year, six months! That's the longest I've ever worked on a fic and this is definitely the longest fic I've ever written chapter wise too. Weird huh? Later on in this chapter, I'm going to make some reference to past episodes. The one about her mom hugging her is from episode 48 and the one about the moth demon is from the Inuyasha movie. So any ways, please enjoy the new chapter and review!

crew-hanyou- Yeah, you understood that part correctly. The necklace can't be used to actually subdue him with saying, "Sit" because he's in human-mode when he wears it and if it did subdue him, it would cause major damage. So, thanks to the higher-powers, it only is used to subdue his demon blood. Also, the story IS almost over. I just want to get a few ties knotted up so that everything can work out perfectly in the end, with no questions or confusion.

InuSayianPrincess- Yeah! That's the same hat he wore in episode 82. I love that hat too! It's so cute! And to answer your other question, no, Naraku, Kikyo, and Kouga (etc.) are not going to get their memories back. Kagome wished only for her close friends to regain them (basically Shippo, Sango, Miroku and Inuyasha).

dragon fire- Haha, yeah, I had fun! XD –tries to unlock computer room door- HELP MEEE! I need fooooooooooooood!!!

TalonKarrde- Hehe, that's pretty cheap .01! Hmm, I'd do a sequel for free but only if I get the inspiration and story idea for one because I wouldn't want to make some boring sequel after this or make one of those second story things that just suck compared to the first, ya know? I want to wrap everything up in this but there might be room for a sequel or maybe a side story (Miroku & Sango?). All I can say is 'We'll See'!

Dincht Girl- Nah, I don't think anyone will try to rip off his necklace, although that would be really bad. If I were Inuyasha, I'd probably entertain myself by taking the necklace on and off and watching myself change constantly. I wonder if it would like self-combust or something! XD I'd be like "Look! Magic! Black, silver, black, silver!"

~*~ Where Did You Go? ~*~

~By: Lauren~

-Chapter 33-

"Family Reunion"

Ms. Higurashi stood still as a statue, gaping at Kagome and not really noticing the guy with the odd silver-white hair next to her.

Kagome could only stare back, unconsciously quivering. In fact, at this very moment, she decided she would have rather faced Daemon instead of her mother.

Finally, after a few seconds of silence, while Inuyasha shifted uncomfortably, Ms. Higurashi spoke. "K-Ka…gom…e? Is that…really you…?" She leaned forward, inspecting her daughter. Yes, this was not the girl that had been living in her house recently, that much was for sure. Much had changed since she had truly last seen her daughter. There seemed to be a sparkle of joy, a shimmer of life, lit in her cinnamon eyes that had once been vacant. Her ghastly pale skin had taken on a slightly tanner shade and her hair had a luscious bounce and glimmer to its raven color. Even the girl's lips curled up in a nervous smile, but at least it was a smile instead of her past scowl.

"Yes Mama…it's me…" Kagome answered, her trembling voice barely above a whisper. She took in a deep breathe, managing to scarcely calm down her racing heart.

"Where have you been?" Ms. Higurashi's voice took on its usual motherly tone before she began to regain her senses from the shock of seeing Kagome. "And what is going on?! Are you even allowed to be here? Did you sneak out of the clinic and send that look-alike girl here? Did you?!"

"Mom!" Kagome snapped back, her voice terse.

"Do you still believe those silly stories? Who was that girl? What have you been doing?" She looked at Inuyasha, taking in his strange hair and his appearance. "And who is that?!" She trailed off, sputtering madly to her daughter while pulling them inside the house and slamming the door shut.

Kagome closed her eyes, trying to calm her rising temper. At one time, she and her mother had gotten along perfectly. Her mother had been the kind, concerned, sweet mother. But…somehow, after the well was sealed, when Kagome began to change, they started to grow distant. Bit by bit, their relationship fell apart until all that was left was pieces scattered across the floor. Since when had she become so untrusting of her daughter? Since when had things gotten so out of hand between the two? Next to her, Inuyasha reached over and firmly, yet gently, took hold of Kagome's hand. He squeezed it reassuringly, giving Kagome that extra amount of bravery that she needed. Frankly, she was getting quite sick of taking crap and the usually quiet girl decided to raise her voice for once. "MOM!! STOP THIS RIGHT NOW!"

Ms. Higurashi's jaw dropped as she paused mid-sentence. She clenched her mouth shut, twitching slightly as she tried to hold back her tongue. "What?" She managed to state, gritting her teeth.

Kagome smiled, happy for once to have the upper hand in the argument. "First of all, that girl was a friend of mine who was helping me out. I had some business to attend to before I came to visit you and I knew the only way I could take care of it was if I got her to impersonate me. Second of all, I'm allowed to be out here. I was stamped sane and released from the clinic, wasn't it? Third of all, this is Inuyasha." She turned towards the said man, her fear diminishing with each word and supporting look from him.

"Nice to meet you, again." Inuyasha held out his hand, which Ms. Higurashi ignored.

"I've heard that name before." Ms. Higurashi glared at Kagome. "That is that boy you used to rant on and on about. Don't tell me you found some poor sap to pretend to be him?"

"MOTHER! STOP IT! Don't you trust me? Don't you believe in me?" Kagome pleaded, her emotional barriers breaking down as she fought back a choked sob. She would not cry. She would not let herself cry in this battle.

"I once did Kagome, I once did, until you lost yourself." She replied plainly to her daughter, her anger calming as a melancholy mood settled down around her.

"But I never really lost myself mom. Nobody believed me. Nobody believed what I said! That was what caused me to act crazy. And then…then grandpa died because of a demon…because of a mad creature..." She explained calmly, knowing that Souta was in the room next door, listening intently.

"You're still muttering about this nonsense?" Ms. Higurashi sighed, running a hand through her thinning hair. She began to plead. "Please Kagome, I'm scared for you if you keep acting like this! Will you just explain everything to me? I don't want any trouble from you or the clinic."

And that was when Kagome noticed it. Since when had her mother become so frail? So old? Looking over her now, her mother appeared to be very weary and tired. Tiny wrinkles graced her face and hands while her chocolate brown hair was beginning to turn gray. She looked thin, as if she hadn't been eating very well for a while and truthfully; it looked like she was made of glass. Kagome was afraid any moment she would crack and then break into a thousand pieces. Past memories of worrying over Inuyasha or Shippo suddenly returned to her, making her realize something.

Now Kagome understood. Her mother was like this…she was so weak…because of worrying about her only daughter. Their relationship hadn't turned sour because of her mother. It was because of her. It wasn't Ms. Higurashi's fault that she didn't remember anything of Kagome time traveling. To her- no, to anyone, what Kagome had spoken of would probably sound like the ravings of a lunatic. And so her mother began to worry about her because she loved Kagome. Because of her worry, she tried to take different measures to help Kagome. She tried everything and anything because…she just wanted her daughter to be happy and obviously these past supposed memories where tearing her apart. Then, especially with what had happened to Kagome's grandfather, Ms. Higurashi had decided that there was nothing else she could do. It was out of her hands- everything she tried to do for her daughter would only be turned against her and thrown at her in an argument. And so, she sent Kagome to a clinic, hoping it would possibly cure whatever pain she was feeling.

Not because she thought her daughter was crazy.

Not because she didn't believe her daughter.

But because she knew her daughter needed help and it was the kind of help that she could offer, or at least, she didn't think she could. She wanted her daughter to be happy, to live life to its' fullest and not to dwell on some fantasy story. She just…hadn't known what to do and Kagome couldn't blame her for that.

She knew that Kagome would grow bitter and resentful towards her for what she had done, and at times, she regretted it also, but…Ms. Higurashi just didn't care. As long as her daughter was okay in the end, she was happy.

Kagome could hate her guts for all she cared, but it was only a small price to pay to see her daughter finally happy.

Why hadn't she seen it before? Why hadn't she understood? Instead, Kagome had become blind to this and angered. She began to detest her mother and the things she did. But, in the end, her mother was only human. She made mistakes just as Kagome did and she had only done what she thought was best for her, even if Kagome didn't quite agree.

How did Kagome understand the feelings of her mother now?

Because she felt the same way towards Inuyasha, Shippo, Sango, Miroku, Souta and her mother also. If something was terribly wrong with any of them, Kagome would do everything in her power to set things right. She would rather Inuyasha hate her than for him to be unhappy. As long as he was content, then she was too. As long as Shippo was safe, healthy and joyful, then she was too. As long as Sango and Miroku were okay, then she was too. And if anything were to offset this balance, she would do everything in her power to fix it. Just like she had done with Daemon. She would rather sacrifice herself than to watch her friends suffer.

And Ms. Higurashi would have rather sacrificed herself than to watch her daughter suffer. All the while Kagome had been locked up in the clinic, ignoring doctors that tried to help her, Ms. Higurashi had been sitting there fretting and worrying about her daughter. She had grown thin to the bone, barely eating her meals while working hard to support Souta and keep him happy while also paying the bills for Kagome.

Right now, she just looked like an old, poor defeated woman.

Tears now brimming her eyes, Kagome dropped Inuyasha's hand from her own and ran forward, collapsing against her mother while tightly wrapping her arms around her. Her arms encircled her mother with some space to spare. She was trembling now as she realized the mistake she had been making all along about her mother. Kagome leaned down slightly to bury her face in her mother's shoulder, holding on to her as if her life depended on it. She breathed in the sweet, comforting scent she always had- lavender from the garden and the smell of cake icing from the kitchen, while memories of all the times her mother had been there for her flooded her mind.

The many times her mother took care of her while she was sick. The times she had caught Kagome when she had fallen or bandaged up a scrap. The yummy lunches and dinners she never failed to cook for her. The time she had comforted Kagome when the girl had decided to stay with Inuyasha, even if he loved Kikyo. The many times she washed and scrubbed her dirty school uniforms clean. The time she had reassured Kagome when the well had been temporarily sealed and she was scared because she had shot Inuyasha with an arrow, for she had been under the control of a moth demon. On the days at school when children's father's came in to talk about their jobs, her mother would always show up, happily chattering on about what she did, even though Kagome's father was gone. She had always walked that extra mile to make sure Kagome was okay. There were so many times her mother had been there for her, never failing to not pull through.

Ms. Higurashi was stunned at her daughter's sudden change in attitude. She stood still for a moment, her arms held in the air slightly while Kagome held on to her tenderly and cried. Slowly and gently, she lowered them and wrapped them around her daughter, rubbing her back in circles while leaning her head against Kagome's. "Shh…it's okay honey…I understand…" She whispered, her vision blurring from water. Blinking her eyes, two tears dropped down her cheeks, which were then followed by another pair and then another, until both mother and daughter had been reducing to a crying mass on the floor.

"I'm so sorry mom…I'm so sorry…" Kagome's muffled voice said into her mother's shirt.

"I forgive you. It's okay. I'm so sorry too Kagome. I wish I could have been there more for you…I wish I could have done things differently and that they wouldn't have turned out like this…" Ms. Higurashi answered between sobs, neither of them paying any to attention to Inuyasha.

"It's okay. Things are fine like this mom. We can start over. It's never too late to start over…" Kagome sniffed, her tears slowly dying down until they finally halted. Both women held on to one another in a forgiving embrace; something they had longed for always. For both of them, it felt so good to be forgiven. Not only that, but it seemed like a pact was being made between them. Neither of them would question each other about the past.

The hanyou began to sniff the air, trying to pick up Kagome's faint scent along with that of the smell of old beads. Kagome was all right now and all he had left to do was get the rosary back. He sauntered up the stairs, sniffing through the hallway until he reached a shut door. Hesitantly, he opened it up to be met with a furry of fur while a fat cat scampered across his feet. Inuyasha growled, remembering the fat cat Buyo, before he entered the room, sneezing. Yes, he had been correct. It was Kagome's old room mixed with the scent of Kikyo and a lot of dust. It was still set up the same way it had been left the last time Inuyasha had been in there, technically in his last life. He picked up the smell of old wood and began to rummage through Kagome's drawers. Inuyasha pulled open a drawer to be met with a bunch of her old school uniforms. Pulling some out and digging through the pockets, he let out a pleased snort of triumph as he tugged the familiar rosary from one of the random outfits. He held it up in the air and the faded wood almost glistened in the sunlight that filtered into the room. He fingered the smooth, greenish-blue beads and the white teeth before standing up straight, pushing the drawer shut with his foot. Of course, he was too preoccupied to notice Souta watching from the open doorway and the scent of dust covered up the boy's smell.

Praying that it would work, Inuyasha nervously pulled off his baseball cap, his dog-ears twitching this way and that towards any sound. He quickly pulled the rosary down over his head until it settled on his neck. He felt his entire body pulsate and tingle for a brief second before the odd feeling disappeared. Looking into Kagome's mirror, Inuyasha's jaw slacked at his reflection. It was him…except his hair had returned to its black color, his ears were now that of a humans, his fangs and claws were gone and his eyes had returned to a purple color flecked with a tint of amber.

From the doorway, Souta smiled and walked away. He always knew Kagome had been telling the truth, even when everyone else didn't believe her. Something had always told him to believe her and Souta knew his sister didn't lie, even if it was something as preposterous as what she had claimed.

Inuyasha grinned, proud that the rosary had worked and plus, he thought he looked pretty damn sexy in that necklace. Turning in the mirror, he then fled from the room and back downstairs, just in time to see Kagome and her mother breaking apart from their embrace. Before either of them could even realize he had been gone, he was standing back in the same spot he had left.

Kagome sniffed, dabbing at her eyes with her sleeve. She turned to Inuyasha and then to her mother before she did a double take. Her brows furrowed together in confusion before she noticed the familiar rosary nestled around Inuyasha's neck. From there, she could pretty much figure out what had happened.

Luckily for her, Ms. Higurashi didn't notice the obvious changes in the boy. The events that had just unfolded were something that she would never forget and they had not really involved him, and so her mind was too preoccupied with joy to notice the changes.

"Mom…this is my fiancée, Inuyasha." Kagome grinned proudly, turning from her mother to Inuyasha. "And that IS his real name. He was…one of the doctors that helped look after me…" She blushed softly. "He helped me get over my past and look to the future. He helped me live again mom…and I really, really love him. And you want to know what? He loves me back just the same." Her gaze slid to the carpet so that she could escape Inuyasha's slightly embarrassed, loving look.

"Nice to meet you Ms. Higurashi." Inuyasha held out his hand, which Ms. Higurashi shook gently.

"Oh dear…I'm sorry about all this confusion." She muttered, wiping the remnants of her tears away.

"It's okay." Inuyasha politely replied, trying his best not to be rude, which was a miracle for him in itself.

"Wait a minute. Did you say fiancée?!" Ms. Higurashi turned towards her daughter, a look of perplex surprise on her face before it turned to one full of delight. Where her cheeks had once been dry, new tears returned; tears that were happy for her daughter.

Hearing something shuffle in the background, Kagome's eyes turned towards the open doorway from the living room. Standing in the doorframe was Souta, grown up taller and more mature than when she had last seen him. He smiled softly at his sister, before giving her a knowing wink.

Kagome grinning, running over her little brother to ruffle his hair and them pull him into another tear-jerking hug.