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Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or the characters in it. This story though IS MINE. Any person who copies this story will find my wrath upon their doomed heads (and a bottle of Coke up their nose). YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!

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Chapter 3

Home Again

Kagome walked into her home, fuming over her mother's lack of assistance, only to have her brother Souta become an added appendage on her leg, which forced her to crack a smile.

"Hey pest, what're you doing?"

"Nothing. Just glad your home is all." He said cheerfully, grinning up at her. Kagome ruffled her little brother's hair slightly, grinning at his boisterousness. I'm really going to miss you when I'm gone, you pest, Kagome thought with affection, gazing at the little brother who'd always made sure she was up on her school work, and had on more then one occasion, dropped off all her schools things.

"I'm glad to be home too, and to see you and Grandpa. But I really gotta go get packed, brother dearest," Kagome grinned for him, and began efforts to pry him off "Not to mention I have to get Shinju here all rested up for the trip to meet her father tomorrow."

"Well, you won't really have time, will you? Not if you're leaving right away!"

"Relax, Souta. I'll rest here for a day, then I'm leaving right after breakfast tomorrow, so I'll still have plenty of time to talk to you guys, and visit. But right now, I really do have to get Shinju down for a nap. Trust me, we don't want a cranky little Inuyasha on our hands, now do we?" Growling at Inuyasha's name, Souta slowly let go of his sister's leg, watching her carry the new addition up the stairs to her room, coughing all the while. Shinju gurgled gently at the coughing, as if to say, "take it easy!" making Souta laugh as his sister disappeared into her room. His laugh died, quickly turning into a silent frown, as Souta became deep in thought. His sister was pale, and tired looking. She couldn't even make it up a short flight of stairs without coughing heavily, and he'd seen his mother putting an inhaler into Kagome's mouth when she was screaming at her for something, but ended up coughing and yet, the doctors had allowed her to return home in this condition. . .

They weren't telling him something, something important, was his final conclusion as he climbed up the stairs to his sister's room, hell-bent on helping her in anyway he could. As he reached up to knock on her door, he couldn't help but wonder: what could possibly be so terrible that they felt they had to hide it from him?

Kagome slid into her bedroom. She felt guilty about lying to her brother, but she couldn't afford to have her family see her off, it would just be too hard. Undoubtedly, her mother would be sobbing, her brother would be pestering her about her books and tests, and her Grandfather would be weighing her down with all sorts of "magical protections," even though they all knew they didn't work.

She also didn't want to be the one who had to tell her brother or her grandfather that chances were, she wasn't coming home again.

Kagome sighed as she calmly laid little Shinju down on her bad and began going through her clothes one by one, and trying on a different outfits. Okay, so what do you wear to tell a man that you were pregnant with his child, and that now he's the father of a beautiful baby girl who has his ears and hair, but that you're dying of an infection that'll slowly tear your lungs apart and you need him to look after the baby? Kagome wondered absently, as she went through outfit after outfit, holding them up in the mirror, but rejecting them all. Suddenly she pulled out a slightly faded blue sailor-type outfit, and held it out in horror.

Shinju let out a sudden yell when the blue flashed in front of her and then began crying, seeming to agree with Kagome.

"Now how did this_" She paused for minute and then jerked open the door fully prepared to start yelling at her grandfather for trying to shove her mother's hand-me-downs in her closet again, only to find herself face to face with her brother.

Again.

Kagome, clutched at her chest and gasped at the sudden shock, unconsciously reaching for her inhaler buried in her pocket, but resisting the urge to use it.

"Hey, hey, hey! Take it easy, I just came up here to see if maybe you wanted some help with packing after all." Souta reassured her as he helped his wheezing, gasping sister over to her bed.

"No_ thanks_ Souta_ I'm_ fine" every word was punctuated by gasp, or wheeze, till finally Kagome gave in and reached to pull out her inhaler and used it to regain some breathe.

"Kagome, are you okay? If you want to, I can go with you and help you in the feudal era. You may need somebody to help, with the baby and all, at least until you find Inuyasha." Yes, yes! Please come and help me! I really want some family there with me!

"No that's okay Souta. This is something I gotta do on my own." Were the words that came out of her mouth.

She wasn't going to let him see her die.

"Okay Souta, what do you think I should wear?" Kagome asked as she looked at all the piles and piles of clothes. Souta surveyed the piles with unparallel scrutiny, then reached into her closet and pulled a beautiful Kimono, styled like the ones depicted in ancient Japanese artistry.

"Wear this! You'll look stunning in it!" Kagome smiled, remembering the day she got the Kimono, back in feudal Japan.

*Flashback*

It was the festival of spring and Songo was bent on going. Of course, Miroko was bent on taking her, so he called in a favor on Inuyasha, forcing him to ask Kagome to attend a sort of Carnival that was going to happen in Kaede's village. Kagome had agreed, if only to spite him for asking her because he had to.

The festival had been so beautiful! Lanterns all lit, everything decorated with delicate cherry blossoms, vendors selling everything you could possibly want. Then Kagome spied a beautiful kimono, white with cherry blossoms and a deep red sash, when asked how much, Kagome discovered that she didn't have enough, and was about walk away, when a certain clawed hand dumped several more coins into the sellers hand, growling, "There, that should be enough." Kagome froze with shock as the vender gently placed the Kimono in her hand. Suddenly unstuck, she rushed to get changed. . .

Inuyasha stood glaring at the crowd. Should of just waited in the woods. Too crowded, too tired, he grumbled to himself, and then, he looked, only to see the most beautiful creature he'd ever seen walking towards him, wearing the most beautiful Kimono, all white, with pink cherry blossoms and a red sash across her middle. . .

"K-Kagome?!" He whispered in disbelief as she grinned up at him, and before she knew it, they were dancing. When the dancing ended, Inuyasha took her out to field, where he'd become like an insolent little puppy, chasing her, catching her, letting her go, until finally, they'd gone rolling down a hill, luminated by the soft moonlight, and she suddenly found herself on top of him, looking straight into his eyes. . .

*End Flashback*

Coming out of her reveries, Kagome, gently folded up the soft folds of silk, and gently placed it into her bag, careful not to ruin it. It would be Shinju's heirloom. . .

"Good eyes Souta! I'd forgotten that I had that!" She said, forcing herself to sound happy as she also picked up several outfits she'd cast aside and began putting them in her bag as well. Suddenly, something hit Kagome on the back, and she turned to Souta, who'd thrown the Teddy Bear at her, grabbed her socks, and promptly nailed him right in the face. He grinned wickedly and retuned fire. . .

"That's it, said Kagome, twenty minutes after she and Souta had halted their little war and resumed packing, as she finished packing Shinju's little bag.

"Cool." Souta said, laying on his sister's bed, trying to keep his voice relaxed, he prepared to ask his sister once last time if she was sure she didn't want him to come with her when. . .

"Kagome, Souta, dinner!" Came their mother's voice. Souta, starving immediately jumped off his sister's bed and raced to the door. But noticed his sister wasn't following him. Kagome had suddenly taken a ugly expression on her face, and was now busying herself with hanging the remaining clothes left scattered during her and Souta's twisted version of a pillow fight.

"Hey, Kagome, aren't you coming?"

"Nah, I better finish here."

"But I thought you were finished?"

"Yeah, but I need to get this place cleaned up, don't I?"

"Oh come on! You can't skip dinner!" But Kagome determinedly began replacing clothes into her closet. Sighing, Souta trooped downstairs, and took his spot at the table, his Grandfather on his right, and his mother sitting right across from him.

"Where's your sister Souta?" asked Mrs. Higurashi.

"Upstairs cleaning up after packing. Mom, did you two have a fight or something?"

"Yeah, we did Souta, but don't worry we'll patch things up. " I hope, Mrs. Higurashi thought as she quietly glanced up the stairs, sighing.

The next morning.

Quietly Kagome, holding tight to Shinju and muffling her coughs, crept past the doors of her sleeping relatives, hoping to sneak out unnoticed. She'd made past the doors, and was creeping down the stairs to her bags by the front door only to discover. . .

"SOUTA! What're you doing down here?" she hissed, shocked to see her little brother waiting for her.

"Going with you." He said determinedly, "You should I can tell when you're lying to me Kagome, I'm your sib. Anyway, you need my help Kagome. You're not well, and we both know it."

"Souta, this isn't your battle! And I don't want to risk you getting hurt, or worse!"

"When it involves my sister and my niece, it is most certainly my battle!" He hissed, trying to let the other inhabitants sleep. "Look Kagome, you couldn't walk up the stairs without coughing, and if somebody scares you, you have to reach for the inhaler! And you think you can take care of both you and Shinju there? You need someone to help you!" Kagome sighed, but had to admit, he had an excellent point.

"Alright, but only if you can get packed and be back down here in five minutes." Souta grinned and held up an already packed bag, much to Kagome's frustration.

"Let's go!" Souta cried, dutifully taking Shinju from her mother. Actually feeling a little bit better, Kagome led the ay out to the well, grinning. Souta's here, and I know Kaede can help me find Inuyasha, maybe this will be all right after all.

Then. The two siblings jumped through the well together. Kagome felt the familiar tingling sensation as she crossed over, and suddenly found herself breathing the warm, fresh smell of a forest. Turning to Souta, she smiled, "We're here!"

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AUTHOR'S NOTE! Okay, why so long to update? I WAS IN FRANCE! And it was the best time of my life! Anyway, hope you like the new chapter, and be prepared for a twist in the next one! Also, I should probably explain that "Shinju" means pearl in Japanese. Cute, neh?

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