Topazia: Gosh...is anyone there? Oh well, if not, thanks for reading
anyway. Here's the Finally! Dedicated to all my readers that stuck with me
throughout this fic, love ya to bits! ^^'
Epilogue
Kagome groaned and rolled over in bed, snuggling into the warmth of Sesshoumaru. Ah what a wonderful warmth. The bright morning light streamed in from the open window and she cursed, reaching a hand up to shield her eyes from its brightness.
Nana must have been here, either that or Rin and Shippo wanted a safe way of waking her up without unleashing the beast from within. She had been cranky lately and the slightest thing set her over the edge.
Even Sesshoumaru kept a respectable distance from her, insisting that something was wrong. That didn't help because statements like that were only used to fuel the fire she held inside. She would always become angry, insisting that she woke up on the wrong side of the bed, or that time of the month was near.
The demon lord would only stare at her curiously, matching her cold glare with his soft searching gaze and smile. That was something else that ticked her off...he knew something she didn't.
Yawning, Kagome careful got up, careful not to disturb the sleeping demon besides her and tiptoed to the window and peered out to the meadow beyond. Maybe she'd take Rin and Shippo for a little walk. That might calm her nerves; after all, it was such a lovely day.
She sighed contently and returned her gaze back the luscious scenery, her eyes widening as a familiar ball of orange fur streaked off towards the forest. "Shippo! Boy that little..." What was he thinking? Hadn't She and Sesshoumaru warned him to stay away from there? They never learn!
Fuming she stomped from the room and down the hallway, nearly tripping over a large object in the middle of the floor. "Sorry." Came the muffled reply.
Kagome sighed, knelling next to the small figure. Was everyone trying to try her patience today? "Rin." She started slowly. "What where you doing on the floor?"
The girl frowned, pushing a few stray hairs from her face. She had grown into a beautiful little girl, the silly ponytail was long forgotten and her hair now rested almost halfway down her back. "I was looking for Shadow." She pouted. "I can't find her Kagome."
Ah Shadow, the black kitten that had taken an unusual liking to her Sesshoumaru. It was cute in a way, mainly because the youkai lord found it unbearable, or so he said. Despite his harsh words towards the kitten it wasn't unusual to find the Shadow curled up in Sesshoumaru's lap while he slept, purring contently.
Kagome nibbled on her bottom lip a little, ears twitching slightly. It was faint but there was a small sound coming from on of the Family guest rooms further down the hall. "Check down there." She indicated with her finger. She wasn't fully sure. Hell, for all she knew it could be Jaken meddling around in one of the rooms.
"Thank you! I was getting worried!" she flashed a cheerful grin and bounced to her feet. She seems to have more energy now then her did when she was younger.
"Wait, where's Shippo? He's usually with you." Kagome crossed her arms over her chest, looking down at the child with raised eyebrows.
Rin shifted uncomfortably and a hand went up unconsciously to mess with her hair. What if she said something to upset Kagome? Rin certainly didn't want the woman angry at her. But she had to say something. "He...he went out to the forest. He kept saying he had to see someone and that's the last time I saw him."
Kagome thought this over for a bit before nodding and setting off down the hallway. Who in the world was Shippo seeing? Maybe he met a new friend? As nice as that sounded the fact that this meeting was in the woods bothered her, causing her pace to quicken.
Her pace broke into a run and quickly took her to the large oak doors that led to the garden and she pushed them open, racing out towards the woods below. A demon's scent reached her noise and she quickened her pace, tears burning her eyes. If anything happened to Shippo she'd...she'd never forgive herself, ever!
She pushed through bushes and darted around trees, head deeper into the forest. The stench of demon was stronger now and her heart ached with worry. Shippo wasn't much of a fighter, mainly because of his height and age but he had some defenses. She kept her senses open, praying fiercely that the smell of blood didn't come her way.
The burning sensation faded now as the tears fell from her eyes. She wouldn't lose him, not now! The little fox was like a son to her. Her heart jump into her throat suddenly when she came upon the Kitsune kneeling. Was he hurt? Dying maybe? Oh gods... "Shippo!"
The boy's head snapped up and he stood, shock written across his face. "Kagome?" She scooped him up in her arms and cradled him close to her chest, rubbing his head tenderly. "Kagome...what's wrong?" The little demon had grown too, rivaling Rin in height but despite this he was still the same naive boy that had left with her on the long journey to the western lands so long ago.
"I was worried about you. You nearly gave me a heart attack when I saw you run off towards the forest and when I caught the scent of a demon I got scared." She paused and let him go, a smile forming on her features. "I didn't want you to get hurt."
Shippo stared up at her, innocence mirroring in his eyes. "Sorry, I didn't mean to Kagome, I just had to meet someone." He titled his head a little and smiled, reaching up to wipe her tears away.
The miko giggle softly. "You silly boy...who?"
The small boy turned, pointing out into the forest. "No one bad, promise."
Kagome followed his gaze, her eyes widening. "Inu...Inuyasha!"
*~*~*~*~*~
"It's been a while Kagome, you've so much changed in the past two years." The demon smirked, stepping out from the shadows the woods provided for him.
Kagome smiled softly, tugging at one of her ears. "Well...yeah. I see you haven't changed one bit." She stepped forwards, wrapping her arms around him in a warm hug, which he gladly accepted.
He buried his face into her hair, taking in the scent. It smelled sweet as always...so sweet. He missed that wonderful smell hell he missed her period. "Kagome I..."
"What brings you here Inuyasha?"
"I'm surprised you haven't noticed. I've been checking on you...making sure your happy." He replied. "You deserve that."
She released him, unsure of what to say. "Well...why didn't you just drop by like Sango and Miroku? I would have been happy to see you!"
He shook his head, a sad smile playing across his face. "I couldn't bear to. It would hurt too much, you see. I still have feelings for you." His last sentence trailed off and his eyes traveled to the ground.
"Inuyasha...Don't start this again. Please once was devastating enough." Kagome whispered.
"Does it disturb you that much to know Kagome, to know that I love you more than anything? Should I have not told you how I felt and tried to open myself up to you?" He trailed off, his head slowly dropping. "But how could I not do these things?"
Kagome shook her head, a hand reaching up to rest on her forehead. She didn't need to think about that now...it hurt. I hurt to know she hurt him so long ago. And the fact that he never really got over it didn't help. "Don't do this again, not now. I'll always love you, just not like I used to. You're just going to have to understand and stop stalking me, it's disturbing." She smiled. "Besides, I'd prefer it if you'd visit rather than luring innocent children into the woods."
He nodded and returned her smile. "If that's what makes you happy, then I will."
Shippo looked from both adults curiously, resting his head on his 'mother's' hip who in turn reached up to scratch his head. "But you know I'm happy here. I've moved on and started over and you should too." She hugged the smaller boy to her and smiled.
"In more ways then you know Kagome...in more ways then you know." The demon chuckled.
She blinked, tugging at her hair and ears. "Does it bother you? I think it's kinda cute, don't you?" She giggled at the face he made.
Inuyasha shook his head and stepped forwards, amusement playing on his features. "I wasn't talking about that. Are you that oblivious?" He grabbed her hand suddenly. "You're pregnant Kagome."
Kagome stared at him for a while before a soft chuckle escaped her lips. Her pregnant? It couldn't be, but it would explain her mood swings wouldn't it? She didn't know what to think. She was happy about bringing a new life into the world, nervous because she never was very good at taking care of babies, and a little bit scared because...well...she could be. The last thing she felt was a wave of dizziness before the ground and sky swirled together before fading into darkness.
*~*~*~*~*
"Kagome..." She groaned, her eyes slowly fluttering open. Her gaze instantly fell to the window where the night stars shone brightly, lighting the room with an eerie glow. "You're awake."
Kagome shifted herself into a sitting position and looked around, spotting the figure at the foot of her bed. It was Rin. The girl was sitting quietly petting Shadow, who slept contently in her arms. "Rin?"
"Shippo went to go get Sesshoumaru. When Inuyasha brought you back from the forest he threw a fit." She tilted her head to the side slightly, a thoughtful look falling on her face. "I always wanted another baby to play with." She frowned suddenly, looking down at the sleeping kitten in her arms. "Am I too old to play with babies Kagome?"
"No.never." She chuckled, silly girl and her weird ideas.
The door opened suddenly and Sesshoumaru stepped in. Shadow picked her head up suddenly, leaping from Rin's arms to circle around the demon lord's legs, purring contently much to the demon's dismay. "How are you feeling?" He glared down at the furry monstrosity, who in turn sat down and tilted her head to the side with a cute meow.
"Fine...I feel much better know, thanks." She glanced, down at her sheets, toying with them unconsciously. "You knew the whole time didn't you? That's why you put up with my mood swings..." She felt bad suddenly, the way she treated everyone. It must have been hell for them all, complete Hell...and yet...they all stuck near her side.
Sesshoumaru nodded. "Of course, it is my duty to know. So that I may help you through the times you have ahead of you. And besides, what kind of lover would I be if I didn't know?" he crossed his arms over his chest.
"How far along do you think I am?" Kagome asked timidly.
"Only a few weeks, I'm just starting to sense it." He replied.
Rin giggled. "Me and Shadow like babies, right Shadow?" The kitten looked up at her curiously, and then turned back to Sesshoumaru, suddenly finding his tail interesting... "If it's a girl she can help me torture Shippo." As if the idea was suddenly appealing she jumped up, a smirk on her face and bounced from the room.
Kagome sighed, laying back down. A new baby was exciting but...she hadn't the slightest clue on how to take care of it, well, she knew a little bit...very little.
As if sensing her unease Sesshoumaru lay next to her and pulled her close to him. "You'll do fine, you will." He cooed softly.
She smiled. "That's what you think, if I had trouble with my little brother what makes you think I'll be a good mother to the new baby?"
"Because of the way you handle Shippo and Rin and...because like I said before I'll be here for you, taking a few steps ahead of you to make sure you don't lose your way or have to stand alone."
Kagome smiled, snuggling into the demon's warm embrace. She was his and he was hers and nothing would change that. Sighing she stared out at the diamond dotted sky before sleep over came her and the room faded into darkness until her dreams took over, leading her to where ever she wished to go.
She wanted to stay this way forever and she'd make sure of it too. They'd live their lives out together peacefully until some other evil steps up and crosses the line that threatens their tightly knit love...
*~*~*~*~ ~*~Ending Notes ~*~ Topazia: What can I say I enjoyed writing this! I'm kinda sad this is ending... It was so much fun and your reviews helped a lot. It made me feel good to come home to them, and yes, I read them all!
Unfortunately, this is the last you'll probably hear from me until football season ends. (As far a new story goes) It's too hard to keep updating my stories for my wonderful readers in between band practice. ^^'
But just because I don't post anything knew doesn't mean that I don't write! The plan is to write the at least most of the story before posting it so that when it's time to update it's already done. Well...that's all for now. If you want any new information on any new stories check out my Bio. Once again thanks for reading!
Epilogue
Kagome groaned and rolled over in bed, snuggling into the warmth of Sesshoumaru. Ah what a wonderful warmth. The bright morning light streamed in from the open window and she cursed, reaching a hand up to shield her eyes from its brightness.
Nana must have been here, either that or Rin and Shippo wanted a safe way of waking her up without unleashing the beast from within. She had been cranky lately and the slightest thing set her over the edge.
Even Sesshoumaru kept a respectable distance from her, insisting that something was wrong. That didn't help because statements like that were only used to fuel the fire she held inside. She would always become angry, insisting that she woke up on the wrong side of the bed, or that time of the month was near.
The demon lord would only stare at her curiously, matching her cold glare with his soft searching gaze and smile. That was something else that ticked her off...he knew something she didn't.
Yawning, Kagome careful got up, careful not to disturb the sleeping demon besides her and tiptoed to the window and peered out to the meadow beyond. Maybe she'd take Rin and Shippo for a little walk. That might calm her nerves; after all, it was such a lovely day.
She sighed contently and returned her gaze back the luscious scenery, her eyes widening as a familiar ball of orange fur streaked off towards the forest. "Shippo! Boy that little..." What was he thinking? Hadn't She and Sesshoumaru warned him to stay away from there? They never learn!
Fuming she stomped from the room and down the hallway, nearly tripping over a large object in the middle of the floor. "Sorry." Came the muffled reply.
Kagome sighed, knelling next to the small figure. Was everyone trying to try her patience today? "Rin." She started slowly. "What where you doing on the floor?"
The girl frowned, pushing a few stray hairs from her face. She had grown into a beautiful little girl, the silly ponytail was long forgotten and her hair now rested almost halfway down her back. "I was looking for Shadow." She pouted. "I can't find her Kagome."
Ah Shadow, the black kitten that had taken an unusual liking to her Sesshoumaru. It was cute in a way, mainly because the youkai lord found it unbearable, or so he said. Despite his harsh words towards the kitten it wasn't unusual to find the Shadow curled up in Sesshoumaru's lap while he slept, purring contently.
Kagome nibbled on her bottom lip a little, ears twitching slightly. It was faint but there was a small sound coming from on of the Family guest rooms further down the hall. "Check down there." She indicated with her finger. She wasn't fully sure. Hell, for all she knew it could be Jaken meddling around in one of the rooms.
"Thank you! I was getting worried!" she flashed a cheerful grin and bounced to her feet. She seems to have more energy now then her did when she was younger.
"Wait, where's Shippo? He's usually with you." Kagome crossed her arms over her chest, looking down at the child with raised eyebrows.
Rin shifted uncomfortably and a hand went up unconsciously to mess with her hair. What if she said something to upset Kagome? Rin certainly didn't want the woman angry at her. But she had to say something. "He...he went out to the forest. He kept saying he had to see someone and that's the last time I saw him."
Kagome thought this over for a bit before nodding and setting off down the hallway. Who in the world was Shippo seeing? Maybe he met a new friend? As nice as that sounded the fact that this meeting was in the woods bothered her, causing her pace to quicken.
Her pace broke into a run and quickly took her to the large oak doors that led to the garden and she pushed them open, racing out towards the woods below. A demon's scent reached her noise and she quickened her pace, tears burning her eyes. If anything happened to Shippo she'd...she'd never forgive herself, ever!
She pushed through bushes and darted around trees, head deeper into the forest. The stench of demon was stronger now and her heart ached with worry. Shippo wasn't much of a fighter, mainly because of his height and age but he had some defenses. She kept her senses open, praying fiercely that the smell of blood didn't come her way.
The burning sensation faded now as the tears fell from her eyes. She wouldn't lose him, not now! The little fox was like a son to her. Her heart jump into her throat suddenly when she came upon the Kitsune kneeling. Was he hurt? Dying maybe? Oh gods... "Shippo!"
The boy's head snapped up and he stood, shock written across his face. "Kagome?" She scooped him up in her arms and cradled him close to her chest, rubbing his head tenderly. "Kagome...what's wrong?" The little demon had grown too, rivaling Rin in height but despite this he was still the same naive boy that had left with her on the long journey to the western lands so long ago.
"I was worried about you. You nearly gave me a heart attack when I saw you run off towards the forest and when I caught the scent of a demon I got scared." She paused and let him go, a smile forming on her features. "I didn't want you to get hurt."
Shippo stared up at her, innocence mirroring in his eyes. "Sorry, I didn't mean to Kagome, I just had to meet someone." He titled his head a little and smiled, reaching up to wipe her tears away.
The miko giggle softly. "You silly boy...who?"
The small boy turned, pointing out into the forest. "No one bad, promise."
Kagome followed his gaze, her eyes widening. "Inu...Inuyasha!"
*~*~*~*~*~
"It's been a while Kagome, you've so much changed in the past two years." The demon smirked, stepping out from the shadows the woods provided for him.
Kagome smiled softly, tugging at one of her ears. "Well...yeah. I see you haven't changed one bit." She stepped forwards, wrapping her arms around him in a warm hug, which he gladly accepted.
He buried his face into her hair, taking in the scent. It smelled sweet as always...so sweet. He missed that wonderful smell hell he missed her period. "Kagome I..."
"What brings you here Inuyasha?"
"I'm surprised you haven't noticed. I've been checking on you...making sure your happy." He replied. "You deserve that."
She released him, unsure of what to say. "Well...why didn't you just drop by like Sango and Miroku? I would have been happy to see you!"
He shook his head, a sad smile playing across his face. "I couldn't bear to. It would hurt too much, you see. I still have feelings for you." His last sentence trailed off and his eyes traveled to the ground.
"Inuyasha...Don't start this again. Please once was devastating enough." Kagome whispered.
"Does it disturb you that much to know Kagome, to know that I love you more than anything? Should I have not told you how I felt and tried to open myself up to you?" He trailed off, his head slowly dropping. "But how could I not do these things?"
Kagome shook her head, a hand reaching up to rest on her forehead. She didn't need to think about that now...it hurt. I hurt to know she hurt him so long ago. And the fact that he never really got over it didn't help. "Don't do this again, not now. I'll always love you, just not like I used to. You're just going to have to understand and stop stalking me, it's disturbing." She smiled. "Besides, I'd prefer it if you'd visit rather than luring innocent children into the woods."
He nodded and returned her smile. "If that's what makes you happy, then I will."
Shippo looked from both adults curiously, resting his head on his 'mother's' hip who in turn reached up to scratch his head. "But you know I'm happy here. I've moved on and started over and you should too." She hugged the smaller boy to her and smiled.
"In more ways then you know Kagome...in more ways then you know." The demon chuckled.
She blinked, tugging at her hair and ears. "Does it bother you? I think it's kinda cute, don't you?" She giggled at the face he made.
Inuyasha shook his head and stepped forwards, amusement playing on his features. "I wasn't talking about that. Are you that oblivious?" He grabbed her hand suddenly. "You're pregnant Kagome."
Kagome stared at him for a while before a soft chuckle escaped her lips. Her pregnant? It couldn't be, but it would explain her mood swings wouldn't it? She didn't know what to think. She was happy about bringing a new life into the world, nervous because she never was very good at taking care of babies, and a little bit scared because...well...she could be. The last thing she felt was a wave of dizziness before the ground and sky swirled together before fading into darkness.
*~*~*~*~*
"Kagome..." She groaned, her eyes slowly fluttering open. Her gaze instantly fell to the window where the night stars shone brightly, lighting the room with an eerie glow. "You're awake."
Kagome shifted herself into a sitting position and looked around, spotting the figure at the foot of her bed. It was Rin. The girl was sitting quietly petting Shadow, who slept contently in her arms. "Rin?"
"Shippo went to go get Sesshoumaru. When Inuyasha brought you back from the forest he threw a fit." She tilted her head to the side slightly, a thoughtful look falling on her face. "I always wanted another baby to play with." She frowned suddenly, looking down at the sleeping kitten in her arms. "Am I too old to play with babies Kagome?"
"No.never." She chuckled, silly girl and her weird ideas.
The door opened suddenly and Sesshoumaru stepped in. Shadow picked her head up suddenly, leaping from Rin's arms to circle around the demon lord's legs, purring contently much to the demon's dismay. "How are you feeling?" He glared down at the furry monstrosity, who in turn sat down and tilted her head to the side with a cute meow.
"Fine...I feel much better know, thanks." She glanced, down at her sheets, toying with them unconsciously. "You knew the whole time didn't you? That's why you put up with my mood swings..." She felt bad suddenly, the way she treated everyone. It must have been hell for them all, complete Hell...and yet...they all stuck near her side.
Sesshoumaru nodded. "Of course, it is my duty to know. So that I may help you through the times you have ahead of you. And besides, what kind of lover would I be if I didn't know?" he crossed his arms over his chest.
"How far along do you think I am?" Kagome asked timidly.
"Only a few weeks, I'm just starting to sense it." He replied.
Rin giggled. "Me and Shadow like babies, right Shadow?" The kitten looked up at her curiously, and then turned back to Sesshoumaru, suddenly finding his tail interesting... "If it's a girl she can help me torture Shippo." As if the idea was suddenly appealing she jumped up, a smirk on her face and bounced from the room.
Kagome sighed, laying back down. A new baby was exciting but...she hadn't the slightest clue on how to take care of it, well, she knew a little bit...very little.
As if sensing her unease Sesshoumaru lay next to her and pulled her close to him. "You'll do fine, you will." He cooed softly.
She smiled. "That's what you think, if I had trouble with my little brother what makes you think I'll be a good mother to the new baby?"
"Because of the way you handle Shippo and Rin and...because like I said before I'll be here for you, taking a few steps ahead of you to make sure you don't lose your way or have to stand alone."
Kagome smiled, snuggling into the demon's warm embrace. She was his and he was hers and nothing would change that. Sighing she stared out at the diamond dotted sky before sleep over came her and the room faded into darkness until her dreams took over, leading her to where ever she wished to go.
She wanted to stay this way forever and she'd make sure of it too. They'd live their lives out together peacefully until some other evil steps up and crosses the line that threatens their tightly knit love...
*~*~*~*~ ~*~Ending Notes ~*~ Topazia: What can I say I enjoyed writing this! I'm kinda sad this is ending... It was so much fun and your reviews helped a lot. It made me feel good to come home to them, and yes, I read them all!
Unfortunately, this is the last you'll probably hear from me until football season ends. (As far a new story goes) It's too hard to keep updating my stories for my wonderful readers in between band practice. ^^'
But just because I don't post anything knew doesn't mean that I don't write! The plan is to write the at least most of the story before posting it so that when it's time to update it's already done. Well...that's all for now. If you want any new information on any new stories check out my Bio. Once again thanks for reading!