Disclaimer: Oh, never mind. You know what I'll say.
Chapter Six - More Old Friends
Kagome sat beside the river thinking. She'd been here for nearly a week and she still wasn't exactly sure what she was there for. The memories still plagued her and her nights were still sleepless. It surprised the hell out of her that she didn't just pass out from exhaustion and lack of sleep. What surprised her more was the fact that no one even seemed to notice any difference in her. She growled in frustration.
"I might as well just go back home," She grumbled. "I'm having about as much luck here as I did there."
After some consideration, though, she realized that that wasn't completely true. Here she was much more relaxed and thinking clearer - which wasn't saying much - then she ever had at home since this whole thing started. Oh, she still had no idea what the point of this whole thing was, but Kagome had a feeling that it'd be easier to figure out here than in her original time.
Unbeknownst to Kagome, he sat in a tree not too far away watching her. He now knew why the past had decided to rear its head up and bite him in the ass. What Inuyasha didn't know was what he was going to do about it. It wasn't as if he could just walk up to her and blurt it all out. But he couldn't just let her return to her time without saying something. He let it happen once before and now look where he was. He definitely didn't want to wait another year or possibly even longer for another chance.
Sitting near the edge of the water just staring up at the clouds felt good to her. She had forgotten how peaceful it was here. At least, when you weren't fighting youkai, hanging on to life by a thread, or competing for someone's affection with a past incarnation of yourself who shouldn't be alive in the first place. It was easy to think here. Which was something she needed.
"Kagome-sama, it's been a long time," a familiar voice cut through her thoughts. "Have you given any more thought to whether or not you'll bear my child?"
She jumped up and spun around. "Last time I checked, you no longer have a void in your hand that was slowly but surely consuming you. Therefore, you no longer have to sire a child to make sure the quest for revenge on the demon who had cursed your family with it will continue on. Besides that, the damn demon is dead."
"True, but still, it would be a great honor to have such a beautiful woman as the mother of my child."
"You never quit, do you, hentai?" a biting voice cut in. "What would Sango do if she heard you?"
Miroku laughed. "She'd probably roll her eyes, knock me on the head for good measure, and then laugh good naturedly because she knows that I wouldn't do that to her."
Kagome's eyebrow rose at that. "You and Sango, Miroku-sama? Why didn't I know about this?"
"I think it has something to do with the fact that you live five hundred years in the future," the monk replied.
"So? You could have asked Inuyasha to." She trailed off, realizing the hanyou couldn't have come.
Everyone fell silent at that and Miroku tried not to glance at the half-demon. He never would have asked him to do that and they all knew it. It would have been too painful for Inuyasha and Kagome. He may be a lecher, but he wasn't cruel. After a moment, Kagome broke the silence.
"So how is Sango, anyway?" She asked.
"You can ask her yourself. She's waiting at Kaede's hut. I told her I'd come get you."
Inuyasha saw her eyes light up with pleasure as she raced past them towards the village. Miroku was right behind and after rolling his eyes in annoyance, he followed. He should have known it would only be a matter of time before those two showed up. It was turning into a reunion. He reached the hut just as Kagome stepped inside. He winced at the squeal of glee she let out upon seeing her old friend. Stepping inside, Inuyasha immediately noticed why. The former taijiya sat drinking tea beside Kaede and Shippo, her stomach swelled slightly with the child she carried.
"Kagome-chan, you've been gone way too long," Sango said by way of greeting.
"And you look positively radiant!" Kagome responded. "How much longer?"
"About three moons," she answered as she and her friend embraced.
Everyone sat around Kaede's hut talking and catching up on all they've missed out on. Inuyasha sat at the edge of the group, remaining silent unless directly spoken to, which wasn't very often. He didn't mind. It just felt good to have everyone together again. Something he'd never admit out loud even though they all knew he wasn't as rough around the edges as he acted. What he liked most about this reunion was seeing Kagome so animated. In those hours she laughed and smiled more than she had in the week since she returned. He was content.
* * *
The deer bolted through the trees, trying to escape the predator. It didn't have a chance. He could take it easy at any time he wanted. He was just enjoying the chase. It was the only thing that created any excitement around here since Naraku had been defeated and the Shikon no Tama was taken out of here. Not that he was complaining. The excitement Naraku created was of the worst kind. He just got really bored. Rival youkai were still busy trying to piece their lives back together after the Final Battle. It wasn't really a surprise considering the magnitude of it all. Even a carefree guy like him shuddered at the thought of the last stand against the evil youkai. Their victory had come with a heavy cost. Suddenly, he wasn't in the mood to keep chasing the deer anymore and was about to put the creature out of its misery when he caught a familiar scent. The deer was immediately forgotten as he veered off and followed the new scent.
* * *
Kagome stood under the Goshinboku. Her fingers absently rubbed the scar left by Kikyo's arrow when she pinned Inuyasha to the tree. Fifty years later, she had freed the hanyou after falling into a world that would become an unforgettable part of her life. No matter how hard I try, she thought. She now realized that her grandfather had been correct, one could not so easily dismiss the past. What she didn't see was why her memories had been so forceful, almost as if they had a life of their own. The miko knew that she would have come to the same conclusion after time, but there was something that her mind said was unfinished.
He skidded to a stop just outside the clearing, taking a moment to stare at her. It had been so long since he had last seen her. She was still as beautiful as he remembered. Outwardly she hadn't changed a bit, but something told him that she was worlds different on the inside.
"Kouga-kun, are you going to stand there all day or are you going to come greet me properly?" She called without turning around.
He shook his head with a grin. He should have figured she'd know he was there. The wolf youkai stepped into the clearing.
"Sorry. Just getting a look at my woman. It's been a while."
Kagome sighed and turned to face him. "Kouga-kun, I thought we went over this. You said you understood."
He grinned. "I do. I was just trying to get your attention. You seemed distracted. Anyway, I got a woman."
"You did? Who?"
"She's actually a wolf youkai from China. Her name is, Mei Xing." A proud glint entered his eyes. "We're expecting our first pup soon."
Kagome smiled warmly. "Congratulations, Kouga-kun. I'm happy for you. You know, Sango-chan and Miroku-sama are expecting their first as well."
"Really?" Kouga had an incredulous look on his face. "You mean that hentai actually got her to marry him."
She nodded. "Yup. It took them long enough. They were so irritatingly stubborn about their feelings that I thought that they would never get together."
A sly twinkle entered his eyes. "Sounds like a certain miko and hanyou I know."
The girl became indignant. "Don't blame me. I told Inuyasha I loved him, you were there."
"Yeah, I know." The sound of a howl in the distance cut him off. "That's my mate calling. I gotta get going."
"Good bye, Kouga-kun. It was good to see you again."
He started to leave, then turned back. "Hey, Kagome. It's good you're back. Dog-breath hasn't been the same since you left."
There was no disrespect behind the term he used. It sounded more like a friendly nickname now and there was genuine relief in the wolf leader's eyes as he said it. Knowing those two, they probably became friends once they stopped fighting over her. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Shayril: Okay, guys, what'd think? You should know where to send it by now. Betcha didn't expect to discover that Miroku and Sango got married did ya? And her being pregnant was an extra surprise. That reunion idea isn't so bad. They could have one every ten years, with awards, dancing, food. Okay, maybe not. But it's funny to think of. As for Kouga, well it just wouldn't be the same without him being in there somewhere, even for a short time .... Frowns .... My brain must be slow today. This one is even shorter than the last two. Maybe I'm getting sick or something .... Feels forehead ... I'm going to get the thermometer. You guys will excuse me won't you. I'll try to get the next chapter up soon...
Chapter Six - More Old Friends
Kagome sat beside the river thinking. She'd been here for nearly a week and she still wasn't exactly sure what she was there for. The memories still plagued her and her nights were still sleepless. It surprised the hell out of her that she didn't just pass out from exhaustion and lack of sleep. What surprised her more was the fact that no one even seemed to notice any difference in her. She growled in frustration.
"I might as well just go back home," She grumbled. "I'm having about as much luck here as I did there."
After some consideration, though, she realized that that wasn't completely true. Here she was much more relaxed and thinking clearer - which wasn't saying much - then she ever had at home since this whole thing started. Oh, she still had no idea what the point of this whole thing was, but Kagome had a feeling that it'd be easier to figure out here than in her original time.
Unbeknownst to Kagome, he sat in a tree not too far away watching her. He now knew why the past had decided to rear its head up and bite him in the ass. What Inuyasha didn't know was what he was going to do about it. It wasn't as if he could just walk up to her and blurt it all out. But he couldn't just let her return to her time without saying something. He let it happen once before and now look where he was. He definitely didn't want to wait another year or possibly even longer for another chance.
Sitting near the edge of the water just staring up at the clouds felt good to her. She had forgotten how peaceful it was here. At least, when you weren't fighting youkai, hanging on to life by a thread, or competing for someone's affection with a past incarnation of yourself who shouldn't be alive in the first place. It was easy to think here. Which was something she needed.
"Kagome-sama, it's been a long time," a familiar voice cut through her thoughts. "Have you given any more thought to whether or not you'll bear my child?"
She jumped up and spun around. "Last time I checked, you no longer have a void in your hand that was slowly but surely consuming you. Therefore, you no longer have to sire a child to make sure the quest for revenge on the demon who had cursed your family with it will continue on. Besides that, the damn demon is dead."
"True, but still, it would be a great honor to have such a beautiful woman as the mother of my child."
"You never quit, do you, hentai?" a biting voice cut in. "What would Sango do if she heard you?"
Miroku laughed. "She'd probably roll her eyes, knock me on the head for good measure, and then laugh good naturedly because she knows that I wouldn't do that to her."
Kagome's eyebrow rose at that. "You and Sango, Miroku-sama? Why didn't I know about this?"
"I think it has something to do with the fact that you live five hundred years in the future," the monk replied.
"So? You could have asked Inuyasha to." She trailed off, realizing the hanyou couldn't have come.
Everyone fell silent at that and Miroku tried not to glance at the half-demon. He never would have asked him to do that and they all knew it. It would have been too painful for Inuyasha and Kagome. He may be a lecher, but he wasn't cruel. After a moment, Kagome broke the silence.
"So how is Sango, anyway?" She asked.
"You can ask her yourself. She's waiting at Kaede's hut. I told her I'd come get you."
Inuyasha saw her eyes light up with pleasure as she raced past them towards the village. Miroku was right behind and after rolling his eyes in annoyance, he followed. He should have known it would only be a matter of time before those two showed up. It was turning into a reunion. He reached the hut just as Kagome stepped inside. He winced at the squeal of glee she let out upon seeing her old friend. Stepping inside, Inuyasha immediately noticed why. The former taijiya sat drinking tea beside Kaede and Shippo, her stomach swelled slightly with the child she carried.
"Kagome-chan, you've been gone way too long," Sango said by way of greeting.
"And you look positively radiant!" Kagome responded. "How much longer?"
"About three moons," she answered as she and her friend embraced.
Everyone sat around Kaede's hut talking and catching up on all they've missed out on. Inuyasha sat at the edge of the group, remaining silent unless directly spoken to, which wasn't very often. He didn't mind. It just felt good to have everyone together again. Something he'd never admit out loud even though they all knew he wasn't as rough around the edges as he acted. What he liked most about this reunion was seeing Kagome so animated. In those hours she laughed and smiled more than she had in the week since she returned. He was content.
* * *
The deer bolted through the trees, trying to escape the predator. It didn't have a chance. He could take it easy at any time he wanted. He was just enjoying the chase. It was the only thing that created any excitement around here since Naraku had been defeated and the Shikon no Tama was taken out of here. Not that he was complaining. The excitement Naraku created was of the worst kind. He just got really bored. Rival youkai were still busy trying to piece their lives back together after the Final Battle. It wasn't really a surprise considering the magnitude of it all. Even a carefree guy like him shuddered at the thought of the last stand against the evil youkai. Their victory had come with a heavy cost. Suddenly, he wasn't in the mood to keep chasing the deer anymore and was about to put the creature out of its misery when he caught a familiar scent. The deer was immediately forgotten as he veered off and followed the new scent.
* * *
Kagome stood under the Goshinboku. Her fingers absently rubbed the scar left by Kikyo's arrow when she pinned Inuyasha to the tree. Fifty years later, she had freed the hanyou after falling into a world that would become an unforgettable part of her life. No matter how hard I try, she thought. She now realized that her grandfather had been correct, one could not so easily dismiss the past. What she didn't see was why her memories had been so forceful, almost as if they had a life of their own. The miko knew that she would have come to the same conclusion after time, but there was something that her mind said was unfinished.
He skidded to a stop just outside the clearing, taking a moment to stare at her. It had been so long since he had last seen her. She was still as beautiful as he remembered. Outwardly she hadn't changed a bit, but something told him that she was worlds different on the inside.
"Kouga-kun, are you going to stand there all day or are you going to come greet me properly?" She called without turning around.
He shook his head with a grin. He should have figured she'd know he was there. The wolf youkai stepped into the clearing.
"Sorry. Just getting a look at my woman. It's been a while."
Kagome sighed and turned to face him. "Kouga-kun, I thought we went over this. You said you understood."
He grinned. "I do. I was just trying to get your attention. You seemed distracted. Anyway, I got a woman."
"You did? Who?"
"She's actually a wolf youkai from China. Her name is, Mei Xing." A proud glint entered his eyes. "We're expecting our first pup soon."
Kagome smiled warmly. "Congratulations, Kouga-kun. I'm happy for you. You know, Sango-chan and Miroku-sama are expecting their first as well."
"Really?" Kouga had an incredulous look on his face. "You mean that hentai actually got her to marry him."
She nodded. "Yup. It took them long enough. They were so irritatingly stubborn about their feelings that I thought that they would never get together."
A sly twinkle entered his eyes. "Sounds like a certain miko and hanyou I know."
The girl became indignant. "Don't blame me. I told Inuyasha I loved him, you were there."
"Yeah, I know." The sound of a howl in the distance cut him off. "That's my mate calling. I gotta get going."
"Good bye, Kouga-kun. It was good to see you again."
He started to leave, then turned back. "Hey, Kagome. It's good you're back. Dog-breath hasn't been the same since you left."
There was no disrespect behind the term he used. It sounded more like a friendly nickname now and there was genuine relief in the wolf leader's eyes as he said it. Knowing those two, they probably became friends once they stopped fighting over her. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Shayril: Okay, guys, what'd think? You should know where to send it by now. Betcha didn't expect to discover that Miroku and Sango got married did ya? And her being pregnant was an extra surprise. That reunion idea isn't so bad. They could have one every ten years, with awards, dancing, food. Okay, maybe not. But it's funny to think of. As for Kouga, well it just wouldn't be the same without him being in there somewhere, even for a short time .... Frowns .... My brain must be slow today. This one is even shorter than the last two. Maybe I'm getting sick or something .... Feels forehead ... I'm going to get the thermometer. You guys will excuse me won't you. I'll try to get the next chapter up soon...
