New Author's Notes: In honor of the one year anniversary of the 'Confessions Trilogy', I'm performing a massive editing session on all three stories. As you know by now, I've already finished editing the first, and am now posting this one, and will eventually be getting to the third as well, time permitting. I'm immensely proud of all three of these stories, and am contemplating turning this into a yearly tradition so that they can always be improving. The only thing that hasn't changed are the original author's notes, which I didn't have the heart to part with. I hope you enjoy!


Though not described in detail, this story does deal with rape, so be forewarned if that sort of topic bothers you.
Original Author's Notes: Thanks so much for the reviews, you guys…I really appreciate it and am glad you all still like the story. I have to apologize in advance if the updates slow down a little since school starts tomorrow and I'm still also working on another story at the same time. But I'll try to keep the updates coming as often as possible, and I hope I don't get writer's block. I know where I want this story to go, I just don't know exactly how I want to get it there, if that makes any sense at all.

A lot of you have mentioned Ms. White's character and how she deserves to have friends and a man in her life. All I can say to this is never fear; the all powerful author has plans for her (and I hope that doesn't give anything away for those of you who have already been voicing your suspicions).

This chapter will get away from the fluff just a little. In fact, Inuyasha is only in the first part, but you'll see that it is necessary for the plot. And to console all of you Inuyasha lovers who miss him whenever he goes away from a story for this long, Sesshoumaru will finally be making his appearance in this chapter! I don't know about you all, but in my mind after Inuyasha he's my favorite guy…er…demon. That is, besides Miroku, and Kouga, and, well…you get the idea. I'll stop blabbering. Enjoy chapter nine!


Title: The Realistic Happily Ever After

Author: dolphingirl0113

Chapter: Nine

Rating: PG-13 (rated for violence, language, and implied sexual situations)

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha.


In the week that followed, Kagome gave up trying to sleep altogether while acquiring more stress then she had ever wanted. But it couldn't be helped. Invitations had to be mailed, caterers had to be arranged for, the cake had to be ordered, and she had yet to find the prefect dresses for either herself or her brides' maids.

All this by itself, along with school, would have been enough to drive anyone to the edge of their sanity, but unfortunately it came at a time when she was also trying to go to trial against Ted Wilkins, and Ms. White had the misfortune of frequently calling at an inopportune moment…which gave her the worst temper tantrum in history as a thanks.

This time was no different as Kagome paced the small space the phone cord allowed. "Can't we talk about this some other time?"

"Of course Kagome…but you do realize that the trial begins in just one more week?" Ms. White's voice was forceful, and not at all sounding like the woman would be backing down anytime soon. "We need to talk about this soon."

"I understand that," Kagome emphasized dramatically with a roll of her eyes even though she knew the blonde lawyer on the other end couldn't see the gesture. "It's just that now is not the best time for a long conversation…or a conversation at all, for that matter. I'm going to pick out dresses today, and then I have to pick up my friends to have them fitted."

"I completely understand that you're busy, Kagome…believe me, I know all about sensory overload." Ms. White's voice was soothing, not seeming at all phased by the younger girl's temper, showing that she'd grown accustomed to being the punching bag in the past seven days. "Just call me when you're ready to talk, okay?"

Perhaps it was the fact that she wasn't fighting back, or the fact that there was kindness in her voice, but either way Kagome felt the anger seep out of her body faster then you could squeeze water from a sponge, and with it went her energy. She slumped against the wall, her shoulders sagging forward, and she felt all the stress of the week, the stress she'd been trying to push back, overtake her. It was now Friday once again, which meant at least she had no school for two days…but nothing else seemed to be working the way it was supposed to.

"I'm sorry…" She whispered into the receiver, feeling guilty for yelling at the woman who had been such a good friend and supporter throughout all the hell that was her life.

Ms. White simply laughed as though it were nothing. And, perhaps, it wasn't; after all, she probably had clients and opponents yelling at her all the time. "I wouldn't worry about it, Kagome. When my younger brother got married last year I don't think any of the family slept for nearly two months…and we weren't even the bride's family. I'd hate to think of what you're going through right now especially since you have more then just the wedding to worry about."

Her kind voice was comforting, and Kagome couldn't resist her own slight smile. "Thanks."

"No problem. And if you just need to vent a little on your own, we can always do lunch again." She could tell the woman was winking on the other end. "Remember, I don't work on Sundays."

"Is that a hint?"

"Hey, you know what I said last weekend."

"Yeah…I'll remember that." Kagome felt her own mood lifting more by the minute. "But be careful what you offer; I'm likely to take you up on your offer."

"I never say anything I don't mean."

"I believe it." Kagome stood up straight and laughed outright. "I'll talk to you later, Ms. White."

"Okay, you take care of yourself, Kagome. Bye." The receiver clicked, and Kagome hung up the phone, gently massaging her temples as she leaned once more against the kitchen wall. God, how on earth was she supposed to survive this? A normal wedding was enough stress…but her wedding involved a nervous hanyou for a groom, a demon and a lecherous monk for groomsmen, a demon exterminator for a maid of honor, and a very nosy group of girls as brides' maids. Would anything in her life ever be easy?

"And Inuyasha still needs one more groomsman," Kagome muttered, ticking off on her fingers Miroku, Kouga, and Souta as she also ran over her list of acquaintances that could fit the part…coming up with nothing for the thousandth time. It was hopeless…

"Kagome?" Her mother was calling to her from the courtyard, where she was sweeping up the shrine steps. The wind through the open windows of the kitchen was blowing the curtains every which way, and Kagome found herself shivering slightly as she walked towards the window to reply.

"Yes mama?"

"What time are you going to the bridal shop?"

Kagome sighed, wishing she knew the answer to that. But there were unfortunately too many other factors to consider. "When I know I'll tell you."

"Well you'd better go soon if you're planning to make it back in time to take all your friends to get fitted for their dresses, sweetheart."

Kagome rolled her eyes at the obvious statement. "Tell me something I don't know. But first I have to make sure all the invitations are stamped and get to the post office, and that's going to take me a while."

The door suddenly opened, and Mrs. Higurashi appeared in the kitchen doorway wearing a scarf and sweater against the unusually chilly wind, a broom in her hand. Her cheeks were pink and the tip of her nose was comically red. "I already did that for you, honey. I went to the post office this morning."

"You did?" Kagome couldn't help the disbelief in her voice. How could she, control freak that she was, have missed the fact that the huge stack of invitations was missing from the counter? Was she really that stressed out?

"Yes," Mrs. HIgurahsi smiled. "Yes, so feel free to leave whenever you're ready."

Kagome couldn't stop herself and threw her arms around the chilled older woman, cold skin meeting warm as their cheeks touched, and Mrs. Higurashi felt her daughter tremble in silent sobs. That wasn't like her normally cheerful daughter at all. "Kagome? Sweetheart, what on earth is the matter?"

Her trembling got worse, and she fisted her hands in the older woman's purple sweater. "I can't do this mama…I can't do this…" Kagome repeated herself over and over again into her mother's chest, shaking her head from side to side as though saying no so some unknown question.

Mrs. Higurashi just smiled and gently ran her fingers through her daughter's long, soft ebony hair. "Of course you can, sweetheart…and I don't ever want to hear you say something like that again Kagome Higurashi." Her voice was firm but kind, and she pulled back to look her daughter directly in the eye. I'm here to help you, as are your grandfather, your brother, and Inuyasha. So don't keep insisting on carrying this burden by yourself."

Kagome looked down. "Yes, mama…"

"I know it's hard on you, Kagome. But you've done so much before, and handled so much stress, that I know you'll be okay. I have faith in you…so don't forget to have faith in yourself."

She smiled. "Yes, mama."

"Now get going or you're going to run out of time to get to the bridal shop." Kagome pulled back and nodded, running for the closet and snatching her camel coat which fell to her knees, matching her tan pants and black turtleneck.

"Where the hell are you going now?" Kagome stopped just as her fingers brushed the doorknob and turned to see Inuyasha standing in the stairwell, his arms crossed and an eyebrow raised in question. One of his ears flicked in her direction, and he frowned.

Kagome just gave him a pleasant smile and shrugged, putting her hands behind her back. "Just to the bridal shop," She replied in a pleasant voice, completely ignoring the way he was glaring at her. "And don't say I didn't tell you, because we talked about this yesterday."

Inuyasha pulled away from the wall and walked the last few steps the ground floor of the house. "Keh, you're way too stressed and should just go to bed for a while," he stated firmly, and it was all Kagome could do to bite her tongue, balling her hands into tight fists. Did the baka think she didn't already know that? Hell, she could barely keep her eyes open in class from day to day!

"I don't have the time to just lay down, Inuyasha," she said softly, her voice tense. She wouldn't yell at him…she wouldn't…not today, anyway.

"And is having a stupid dress so important? You could just wear one from my time and that would be good enough."

Tears of frustration pooled in her eyes, and Kagome started counting silently to ten in her head as she looked at the ground, her voice full of frustration. "I don't want a dress from your time, Inuyasha! I want one from a bridal shop just like I always dreamed about when I was a little girl! And I'm going to get my friends so that we can all pick it out together."

"Whatever…it's a stupid idea…but whatever." He rolled his eyes.

Maybe it was the way he looked at that moment, as though she were a total idiot, or the fact that she had slept a grand total of about seven hours the entire week, or maybe it was the fact that she had finals coming up for school, or maybe it was all the stress of planning the wedding…or maybe, just maybe, it was the fact that her fiancé had just insulted the dreams she'd had since she was a little girl. Either way, Kagome snapped, and everyone within a two-mile radius of the normally happy girl felt a sudden chill in the air.

"Sit! You rude bastard! Sit!" Inuyasha went crashing to the floor at top speed, coming to rest with his face on the welcome mat at Kagome's feet. She smiled in triumph, flung a white scarf over her shoulder, and walked out the door, ignoring his cursing and swearing as she slammed the door shut.

Walking over to the well, Kagome prepared to jump in, but then froze just as her knee was lifted. It occurred to her then that she was about to bring over a demon exterminator whose instinct it was to attack anything that moved suspiciously, a lecherous monk, and two wolf demons who had no clue about her customs…and the latter two had tails to boot!

"Good God, why me?" She moaned, sinking down into a sitting position with her back against the well, suddenly losing all energy she'd once had to deal with the problem that would be presented the moment she went down the well and brought back her friends.

True, Sango and Miroku had been over once before already, but only Sango had left the house, and now they would all be going out into public. Not only would they all be in an unfamiliar place, with strange sounds, smells, and manner of dress that would lead no doubt to someone saying something stupid giving away their secret, but Kagome had suddenly lost the inspiration to make up stories for all of them in order to explain their sudden presence to her friends. Eri, Yuka, and Ayumi were ditzy at times, and even a little annoying, but they weren't stupid…especially Ayumi. They'd sense something was up the minute they met Kouga and Ayame.

A thick silence was in the air for several minutes as Kagome chewed on the problem before finally recalling her mother's suggestion about asking for help, and she sighed, coming to a decision. "I'm definitely going to need some outside help."

But who…?


"So what was so important that I needed to come over to your house two hours earlier then we originally planned?" Ayumi asked, always to the point, sitting beside Kagome beneath the Goshiboku, both girls leaning back against the old trunk, gazing at the sky with wistful smiles in place.

Kagome glanced over at her longtime friend carefully, almost as though to measure her silently, still somewhat hesitant to tell Ayumi such a huge secret.

The girl slowly closed her eyes, savoring the breeze through her hair, and Kagome couldn't help but smile at her innocent expression.

Even though lots of people called Ayumi a ditz who didn't have a clue what was going on since she was always the quiet one of the quartet, speaking up only to offer a kind comment that seemed overly cheerful at times, Kagome knew better. It was all, in truth, a façade; because deep down Ayumi was one of the most consciously aware people Kagome had ever known. She saw people for who and what they truly were, but at the same time didn't hold their faults against them, instead trying to get along anyway. In all honesty, Kagome felt she'd acquired some of her forgiving and positive nature from years of knowing the brown-haired, mild-tempered girl.

And what was more important, Kagome knew she could keep a secret. And that's what finally pushed her to speak and overcome her hesitancy. "I called you here, Ayumi, because, well, I have something really important to tell you." Fiddling with the ends of her scarf, feeling her friend's curious gaze turn to her the moment she opened her mouth, she blushed.

A long silence stretched between them before, finally, a sigh was swept away on the air and Ayumi folded her arms over her chest. "Kagome…you're not pregnant, are you?"

"What?" Kagome nearly fell backward in surprise. That was certainly not the response she'd been expecting, and once she'd recovered from her initial shock, started laughing outright. "Oh, heaven's no! Of course not!"

"Oh, okay." Ayumi visibly relaxed as she tucked a stray wisp of hair behind her ear, the rest of the brown locks tucked securely away under a beige colored beanie that was keeping her head and ears warm on the rather chilly afternoon. "So what's the problem then?"

"Well…" Kagome coughed and began to fidget again, knowing if she kept that up, her scarf would be back to a ball of yarn before this discussion was over. How exactly could she say this in a way that was believable? "Um, you remember my friends Sango and Miroku…and the others you're going to meet today?"

"Yes; they all sound very nice."

"They are," Kagome agreed, "But, well, it's just that…they're a little different then everyone else, and I thought you should know that."

"Different?" Ayumi scrunched up her face in confusion, and Kagome couldn't blame her for wondering why she was being so serious. After all, in modern Tokyo different merely meant you wore black pants and shirts, painted your lips and nails black or blue, and pierced nearly every part of your body. The poor girl would never guess that Sango, Miroku, Kouga, and Ayame were different because they came from five hundred years in the past. "How are they different, Kagome?"

"Well, um…" Kagome swallowed and took the plunge. "They're demons."

"Huh?"

"Not all of them," Kagome pushed ahead, knowing her voice was rising in pitch as it sped up to match the frantic beating of her heart. "Sango's actually a demon exterminator, but otherwise very human…long story about how we met, and Miroku's human too. He's a monk. But the other two you'll meet today, Kouga and Ayame, are wolf demons. And the little boy Shippou, who will come over eventually, he's a demon too. A fox demon. And as for Inuyasha…" She hesitated to say it for fear of getting into trouble with her already easily irritated fiancé, but decided she might as well spill it now since she'd already said everything else. "Inuyasha's a hanyou, part human and part demon."

She'd said it all so fast that Ayumi took several minutes to just stare at Kagome as though studying every detail of her face, looking like her friend had just spoken everything in Greek, and Kagome started to feel very uncomfortable. She chose not to say anything either, just letting her poor friend process everything, and had to resist the urge to bite her nails out of anxiety, choosing instead to return to fidgeting with her scarf.

"So…you're serious, Kagome? I mean, you're telling me the truth about all of this?" Ayumi finally asked, and Kagome nodded, smiling sheepishly as she knew how ridiculous it had to all sound. But honestly at that point she was just grateful someone was speaking again. The silence had become unbearable.

"Yes," she replied as steadily as she could, and another long silence followed.

"And everyone is either a demon or a hanyou?"

"Except Sango," Kagome corrected, feeling like this was the strangest conversation she'd ever had…and yet, it felt natural to be finally telling someone the truth, rather then a web of lies.

"But what about Miroku? I thought you said he was human."

Kagome blinked and blushed, realizing her mistake. "He is human, but he's also more. He's a monk." She spoke quickly, but then decided to rethink her answer as an image of the dark-haired man groping some innocent woman came to mind. She rolled her eyes. "Sort of, anyway."

"What?"

"Never mind."

"Oh." Ayumi seemed to be struggling with what she had just been told, not that Kagome could really blame her for that. After all, in modern day Tokyo no one used the term monk any more, demons were thought to be nothing more than figures in legends and demon exterminators had never been heard of because they were no longer needed.

All in all, Kagome thought with a hopeful smile, Ayumi seemed to be taking it all extremely well…considering...

After another long pause, in which time the wind decided to pick up briefly, blowing their hair around and nearly dislodging Ayumi's beanie from her head, the girl finally decided to speak once more, this time staring at the ground, shaking her head in disbelief. "Why exactly are you telling me this, Kagome? I mean, if what you say is true, then you've obviously been keeping this a secret for a long time. So why me? And more importantly, why now?"

Kagome found that she was actually relieved it wasn't another question about her friends or travels into the past. In fact, she realized that they hadn't even gone into her travels in the past, and for the moment she wanted it to stay that way. Ayumi was trustworthy, that was true, but still, the less the girl knew, the better.

"I'm telling you," she finally began carefully, choosing her words in a way that wouldn't give too much away, "Because I need someone to help me keep this secret." She took Ayumi's smaller hand in her own. "This is such a big secret I can't possibly handle it on my own, and I trust you, Ayumi. I trust you to help me, because I just can't have the whole world knowing about who and what my friends, and especially my fiancé, really are. And unfortunately, the way things are going right now, one of them will say something accidentally that will give them away."

"But I still don't understand why you need my help."

Kagome chuckled. "Because I can only fabricate stories so fast, and I could use a second author…if you know what I mean."

Ayumi paused for a moment before breaking into a genuine smile, one of her kind, heartfelt gestures full of innocence, and before long she was even giggling. "Well, I have to say…this certainly explains a lot about the sudden hair and eye color change with Inuyasha. I had been wondering about that ever since he showed up with silver hair and amber eyes after having black hair and violet eyes the night of the prom."

"So…does this mean you believe me?" Kagome couldn't prevent the hope from creeping into her voice.

The modern girl beside her shrugged her shoulders nonchalantly and smiled again. "I guess I do." She sounded somewhat surprised to hear herself say such a thing, but continued just the same. "After all, like I said, this would certainly explain a lot about why your boyfriend remained so mysterious for so long. You were afraid to introduce him to us. I understand that now." She looked up at the sky once more, which was peeping through the thick branches of the Goshinboku. "So…now that I know, what can I do to help?"

It was the most wonderful thing anyone could have said, and Kagome felt her mood lift instantly as she beamed and hugged her friend tightly about the waist for a moment before pulling away, her face once more a mask of serious business. It was eerily like Ms. White, who could so easily slip between business and pleasure in an instant when dressed in jeans versus a pants suit.

"First," she began, coughing slightly, "We need to come up with stories for all of them, and then learn them well enough that it will sound natural when people ask questions and we answer them at the wedding."

"Not to mention when we explain it to Eri and Yuka," Ayumi added thoughtfully, a finger under her chin. "They may be silly, but they're not stupid. And I suppose it will take some work to convince Hojo too, since you invited him to the wedding and all…"

Kagome blushed as she recalled the long fight she'd had with Inuyasha about that. The hanyou had been dead set against it, but she had argued that he was a good friend who had always been kind, and deserved to be a part of her wedding. But Inuyasha had simply argued back that for all he knew she'd put Hobo in the wedding next, just like she had Kouga, without his permission, and he just wouldn't allow it.

Needless to say, it had not ended well. In fact, all she remembered was the sound of slamming doors as she stormed away leaving him to stew on his own in her room.

They seemed to be fighting a lot lately.

She shook her head to clear it of such thoughts and nodded in response to Ayumi's observation. "I suppose that's true…they of all people manage to ask the wrong questions at the wrong time, don't they?"

Ayumi giggled. "It's a curse and a talent all at once…but we love them as friends anyway."

"Sure, maybe you do." They both giggled at that before falling silent for a moment, thinking on the problem at hand.

Ayumi snapped her fingers suddenly and sat up straight. "Hey, do Kouga and Ayame look a little rugged, like they live in the woods? I mean, you did say they were wolf demons or something, right? So they must live pretty rustically…"

Kagome pictured the two wolves with their animal hide clothing and knee-high hide boots. "Yeah, you could say that…"

"Perfect!" She grinned in triumph. "Then we can say that they are fur trappers."

"Fur trappers?" Kagome was surprised at how simple that was, and yet how complicated. "But Ayumi, that's not exactly a commonplace occupation these days…"

"So what? Some people still make a living hunting and selling animal hides. Besides, do you have a better idea?"

"No." Kagome admitted. "Then what about Sango?"

"Well, since she's an exterminator, she's probably really good at martial arts, right?"

Kagome pictured the brunette dressed in her exterminator garb, her hair pulled back into its tight ponytail, her Hiraikotsu over her shoulder as she jumped off Kirara to plant a solid kick on her attacker. She grinned. "Yeah, she's very good."

"Then she can be a martial arts instructor."

"That sounds reasonable. And what about Miroku?"

Ayumi shrugged and gestured vaguely with her hands. "He could still be a monk. I mean, they do exist…it's just not as common any more."

Kagome was feeling a great weight being removed from her shoulders, relieved beyond measure that she had another helper to undo the tangled web that her wedding was quickly becoming thanks to the fact that half her wedding party was from a different era five hundred years in the past. She smiled in appreciation. "Thank you, Ayumi. You have no idea how much I appreciate this."

The brunette laughed in response, her kind eyes twinkling. "It's not a problem, Kag. I know we don't see each other as much as we used to, but you're still probably one of my best friends…if not the best friend I've ever had…and you've done so much for me in the past that I'd do anything at this point. Besides, this could be kind of fun."

"Fun?" Kagome laughed tightly at the thought, already picturing Inuyasha and Kouga getting into a fight at the wedding and landing face first in the wedding cake amid screams of surprise while Ayame and herself desperately tried to pull the men apart. "Ayumi, you have no idea…"


It was just as cold on the other side of the well, and Kagome was glad she had decided to change out of her school uniform and into her pants and sweater, wearing her warm knee-length camel coat since this time she'd be making the trek to Kaede's village alone.

Surprisingly, the walk was pleasant. She found herself enjoying the peace and quiet of the forest, as well as the blanket of peace that always fell about her shoulders when she came back to the Feudal Era. Sure, it was called the Feudal Era for a reason...and yet, she felt that here, unlike back home, she could just be herself and not have to worry about school or trials or weddings.

It was a nice thought.

After talking for a little while longer, Ayumi had headed off for the mall to pick out clothes for everyone, promising to get a few different sizes since neither girl really had a clue what Kouga or Ayame would wear. They had promised to rendezvous again in about two hours.

Kagome still couldn't believe how simple it had been in the end…asking for help, that is, from an outside source. She had expected a lot of denial followed by laughter as Ayumi teased her for finally cracking under all the sickness she'd been dealing with lately. But instead, she'd now been given a lifeline to keep her sane, and a second brain to come up with explanations when people got too curious for their own good. It felt nice, and a part of her was finally starting to relax.

"Kagome!"

Kagome jumped slightly as the village came into view as a large, heavy ball of fur jumped into her arms, nearly knocking her to the ground with its surprisingly heavy weight. Shippou was definitely growing too big to do that any more, and she decided she'd have to be more firm with him from now on in reprimanding him.

"Hello Shippou," she replied kindly, not having the heart to follow that resolution at the moment since he just looked so happy to see her, and set him down as soon as she could to heave a sigh as the air returned to her lungs following the sudden impact. "Where is everyone else?"

The kitsune smiled and replied kindly. "Inside waiting for you, of course. " He took her hand and pulled her toward the small hut that belonged to Kaede, where inside she found a roaring, warm fire along with a pot of herbal tea.

"Welcome back, child," Kaede announced from where she sat on her knees holding her own tea cup, a warm smile on her face that reached clear to her eyes. "I'm told, though, that you will not be staying long."

Kagome remained silent momentarily as she shuffled about on the ground, trying to find a comfortable position, finally settling for sitting sideways, her feet tucked somewhat beneath her, though it was harder then usual as she was wearing heavy tan boots. She smiled at the elder miko. "I'm afraid not, Lady Kaede. I have to get back to work on more plans for the wedding."

"Do I get to come this time?" Shippou asked hopefully, his blue eyes pleading with her to say yes.

Kagome felt her heart twinge slightly, and a part of her desperately wanted to say yes. "No Shippou, not this time…but I promise you'll come for your birthday, and then again for the wedding, okay?"

"Yeah, okay…" He frowned, but Kaede patted his shoulder fondly.

"You can't really blame him," she commented understandingly. "After all, you're like a mother to him, and he misses you. But more then that, I'd be bored out of my mind too if I had to spend so much time with a useless old woman who made me do so many chores."

Everyone laughed, and eventually Shippou perked up again as he ran about asking questions, just like he always did. It reminded Kagome of the fact that even though his body was physically starting to grow, his mind was still very much that of a child's. She hoped it stayed that way for a long time to come.

"Kagome?" A voice suddenly came from outside, and Kagome set down the cup of tea she had just reached for to turn and look out the half-open door.

"We're in here, Kouga," she replied kindly, and watched as the wolf demon, along with Ayame on his arm dressed in fur cloaks, entered the hut and huddled next to the fire, in between Kagome and Sango, who was leaning casually against Miroku's shoulder.

"It certainly is unusually cold for this time of year," Ayame commented as she rubbed her arms before putting her hands out towards the yellow flames, shivering slightly to accent her point.

Kagome nodded and sipped her tea. "I know, it's like this in my time too. I don't really know what's going on…I've never had a day this close to summer that felt so much like fall."

Kaede shrugged her shoulders. "You're all so young that you haven't had a chance to live through such phenomena, but I assure you that weather is just as unpredictable as anything, and that there is often no reason for what it does. It does not operate by the seasons as much as the direction of the wind…the seasons just act as general guidelines. It could still snow in the middle of summer if it wanted to."

Kagome widened her eyes. "You've seen it snow in the middle of summer?"

The elder miko snorted slightly and sipped her tea. "Of course not…I was just making a point."

"Oh," everyone chuckled at that.

Finally, after everyone had a chance to warm up and drink a cup of hot tea, Kagome glanced at her watch and looked around at her circle of friends before rising to her feet and brushing off her legs. "So…are you all ready to go?"

They nodded, though Kouga and Ayame were somewhat more nervous then the others as they had never traveled through the well before. "Kagome…what exactly will we be doing in your time?" Ayame asked softly, looking very nervous.

Kagome just smiled to assure her. "Taking you all to get fitted for tuxedoes and brides' maids dresses, along with picking out my wedding dress."

"But I thought you said I wouldn't be a brides' maid."

"I changed my mind."

"Really?"

"Yes." Kagome nodded, even though, in truth, she had changed her mind at that very moment. Damn it, now Inuyasha had to find one more groomsman then before. She really had to stop her mouth from running away without her. Still, she felt happy seeing the overjoyed look on Ayame's face.

Yes, she decided, it was worth it. The only problem would now be to convince Inuyasha to find two more groomsmen…and that was no easy task. She wasn't really looking forward to arguing with him again.

The five companions walked out of the hut and started for the forest, instantly longing to be once more back in Kaede's hut where the fire was warm and the tea was soothing, but all was forgotten as Kouga suddenly halted, causing Kagome to run into him, nearly falling over save for the fact that Miroku caught her gently by the elbow at the last second.

"Kouga?" She shot him a curious glance even as she glared warningly at Miroku as his hand moved lower then it should on her waist. Honestly…he was a married man!

The wolf man was staring off into the distance, and from the way Ayame was frozen beside him, their noses in the air, it was obvious that they smelled something. Their posture was erect, and Kagome started to feel uncomfortable as she too sensed a powerful presence moving their way.

"Someone with a very powerful demon scent is coming," Ayame confirmed in a whisper, turning to look at Kagome in warning.

Instinctively, the young woman reached for her arrows only to find they weren't there. She grunted in frustration as she noted the ever-growing aura of this being that was approaching, and wondered why, of all the times to forget her arrows back at the shrine, she had to do it when Inuyasha wasn't around.

"He's coming closer," Kouga muttered, and Kagome shot him a puzzled stare.

"He?"

"The demon has a distinctly male scent, though there is something feminine surround him too…something human…" The more he spoke, the more confused Kouga sounded, and that only made Kagome feel more nervous. She willed herself to remain calm and be the woman who had so fearlessly faced down both Naraku and Ted Wilkins.

The sound of rustling bushes caused everyone to turn, as one unit, to the left, and to their surprise, out of nowhere sprang a young girl with black hair and a beaming smile, dressed in a yellow, orange, and white kimono. Her dark eyes reminded Kagome of almonds, and the older woman thought she had seen the girl before.

Spotting them, the girl's smile only brightened, and she clapped her hands together excitedly. "I found them, Sesshoumaru!" She called over her shoulder, and Kagome tensed immediately as the tall, deadly handsome older brother of Inuyasha appeared in the clearing, his little toad-like servant at his side. The Lord of the West regarded Kagome coolly, his golden eyes like steel, and Kagome had to resist the urge to shiver as she felt as though this man could see right through any façade she might try to fool him with.

"Good job, Rin," Sesshoumaru commented softly, almost gently, in a way that betrayed his otherwise steely expression, and at the mention of the girl's name Kagome suddenly recalled how they had met her before, once, when Naraku had kidnapped her to use her as bait. That had been when Kohaku…

Kagome winced and glanced over at Sango, seeing that the demon exterminator was remembering as well, tears in the corners of her eyes as she recalled how her brother had refused to kill Rin despite the fact that Naraku threatened to kill him if he disobeyed an order. Even under the control of another, he had been a noble boy who only wanted to redeem himself in life so he could die in peace.

Footsteps interrupted Kagome's thoughts, and she looked up to see Sesshoumaru walking steadily towards her, and everyone, out of instinct, backed away, save for Kagome. Something was telling her she didn't need to be afraid…and besides, if he'd come to belittle her for mating with a hanyou, she wouldn't back down.

Golden eyes regarded her steadily for a moment of silence before finally he asked her, in a steady, deep voice that reverberated throughout her chest, "It's Kagome, isn't it? You're Inuyasha's mate."

Knowing he could probably smell it, not to mention the fact that she had the mark on her neck that Inuyasha had said demons could see no matter what, Kagome was not surprised that he knew this. So she simply nodded, staring right back into his intimidating eyes, wanting to figure out what exactly had prompted this strange, sudden visit from the normally imperious demon lord.

Finally, when he didn't say anything more, she frowned. "Sesshoumaru?" She didn't have the faintest idea what he wanted, but she was going to find out.