** This story deals with rape, so if this sort of topic bothers you then be forewarned. **

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Author's Notes: I know I left you all with a cliffhanger, but I promise from now on the story will be resolving itself. After this chapter we'll start seeing more of Shippou, Rin, Kaede, and of course, the fruitcake Jaken, and I'll get back to the wedding, which is coming up for our favorite couple! How will Kagome and Ayumi explain everything, like Sesshoumaru's facial tattoos and missing arm, and the fact that Inuyasha's hair and eyes change color, and Shippou's bushy tail, and, well, the list goes on and on. And you'll all just have to wait and find out!
In the meantime, I just want to say thank you for all the wonderful support from you great reviewers! Over five hundred reviews! I know that some stories get in the thousands, but I'm just thrilled! What can I say, I have no ego (cough, cough).
I would, however, like to say that I'm sorry the courtroom scenes are boring for those of you who commented on them again, and there will be just one more chapter where you have to deal with them, okay? I'm sorry, but I feel they are necessary to the story. I'm not mad, honest, because you all are entitled to your opinions, I just want you to know that I hear what you're saying but am not changing the way I'm doing things.
And as for those few of you who say it's 'stupid' to involve Sesshoumaru with Ms. White, here's my reasoning. Like I said before, I view Sesshoumaru and Rin as more of a father/daughter thing, not a couple, thus that rules out the one woman (or in this case, girl) from his time who understands him. Hence, his only option is to find someone from the future that has yet to learn about some of his less appealing traits (ehm, like killing people, cough, cough). There weren't any characters from the feudal era who I can picture Sesshoumaru with, because, well, they're just not feisty enough. And those of you who put him with Kagome, all I can say is NO!!! I am a Kagome/Inuyasha believer all the way, so that was out for me. But I want Sesshy to be with someone, and since he cant be with me (lol) I created my own love interest for him, and if you don't like it, then you don't have to read my story. Again, I'm not mad, I'm just explaining why I'm not changing anything despite what you have said. I respect your opinions, but I have my own as well.
So, now that I'm off my high horse, I shall continue with the story! Drum roll, please! It's the moment you have all been waiting for, the moment when Kagome testifies! Will she nail it? Will she faint? Will Inuyasha turn demon and just kill everyone in the courtroom? (don't get any ideas, that's not what happens) You'll just have to read and find out. So, without further adieu, chapter sixteen! Enjoy!

cyberdemon: you are correct, there were other rape victims, but Kagome is the only one willing to come forward. It is very hard for a rape victim to confront her attacker, let alone prosecute him in court, and the way I see it, the other women are too like Ms. White's sister, and afraid of repercussions if the rapist is found guilty. Also, they cannot be forced in a court of law to testify if they don't want to (I think, and correct me if I'm wrong all you lawyers of the world!). So I hope that answers your question.

laura: I would love to chat with you online, though I can't promise I would be on very much. The only problem is that I have aol. But we could give it a try, if you want. My screen name is on my profile page. And thanks for the wonderful reviews!

Catgirl: WOW! Thank you so much for all the wonderful reviews, on each chapter no less! That's so wonderful! And to answer your question, the next chapter for Conflict and Everlasting Love is coming very soon, I promise!!!! To be honest, I've been working on it but have felt kind of like not too many people are into it. But for you, if you continue to like it, I'll be sure to keep punching out those chapters! And thanks for reviewing my other stories too, it just makes my day!

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Title: The Realistic Happily Ever After

Author: dolphingirl0113

Chapter: Sixteen

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha.

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Kagome could have said that none of it mattered. That she was ready for this moment, that she knew what she would say, and that she was prepared for anything that Mr. Cromwell would try. But if she had said that, she would have lied.

The moment Ms. White called her to the stand was one of those moments Kagome always saw in the movies, where time inevitably slowed down to a snail-pace of a second an hour. She could hear every sound, every breath, every click as her heels hit the floor, and every grind as her teeth clattered nervously in her mouth.

Her palms had gone damp with sweat, and Kagome used the excuse of smoothing her skirt to wipe away the unnecessary sheen, feeling her hands shake slightly against her more sturdy legs. Why was she so afraid? What could happen that would be so horrible?

But Kagome understood the moment she took the stand, because she was forced to make eye contact with that one man she never wanted to see again, his cruel eyes and his heartless smirk once more in place, Ms. White's intimidation having faded into the back of his memory now that he saw her, his victim, quivering on the stand. The thought enraged her. Why should she be afraid of him? The bastard, why did he do this to her?

In slow motion Kagome raised her right hand, putting her left on the book offered to her by the clerk. She barely heard what he said, only knowing that somewhere in there she answered with an 'I do' before sitting down, watching as everyone in the audience seemed to tense and wait for what would happen next. She took a deep breath, and sighed.

"State your name for the court please," Ms. White began, and time returned to normal as Kagome jerked her head, blinking back to reality.

"Kagome Higurashi," she replied tentatively, leaning into the small microphone provided. Unfortunately, it picked up the slight quiver in her voice, and she blushed.

"And you are the one charging Mr. Ted Wilkins," Ms. White indicated the man with an accusatory finger, "with rape, is that correct?"

"Yes I am." Ms. White nodded and smiled at Kagome encouragingly, causing the younger girl to relax, albeit slightly.

"I'm going to ask you some very personal questions, Kagome, and I want you to take your time with your answers if you need to, okay?" Kagome bit her lip, but nodded.

"Okay."

"Describe for me what you were doing the night of the rape."

"Objection," Mr. Cromwell called lazily, "Once again your honor, it has not been determined that my client is a rapist."

Ms. White rolled her eyes and looked over at Mr. Cromwell before glancing at the judge. "I'll rephrase your honor. Kagome, describe for me what you were doing the night you encountered Mr. Wilkins."

It all came back in a flash, and Kagome could almost touch the set as she stood, watching Hojo with a bored expression while he recited his lines, trying to act excited, like the young lover Juliet was. "I was rehearsing the play 'Romeo and Juliet' at the school. Every year we do a Shakespeare production."

"And you were Juliet I assume?"

"That's right." Ms. White smiled again.

"Impressive. I love that play, always have, and I must say it doesn't look like it would be easy to perform, wouldn't you agree?"

"Yeah, it's pretty difficult," Kagome replied with confusion. This certainly didn't seem like the line of questions she was expecting.

"Objection your honor, relevance?" The judge nodded and looked at Ms. White pointedly, but she just turned her smile on the judge.

"I'm getting there your honor, have I failed to disappoint yet?"

The judge sighed and leaned back, obviously seeing her reasoning. "Very well, but don't dance around the point too much Ms. White."

"Of course not, your honor." Ms. White returned her attention to Kagome, and winked slightly, so that only Kagome could see, and she understood. Ms. White was trying to get her relaxed with easy questions that were unrelated to anything involving her rape so that she would be ready when the harder questions arose. "So you were at the school that night?"

"Yes."

"And how late was it before you left?" Kagome tried to recall, only remembering that she had been yawning toward the end of rehearsal.

"Oh, I'd probably say about 11:30."

"That's pretty late, wouldn't you say?"

"Well, I'd been sick recently, and thus Hojo, he was playing Romeo, and I hadn't had any time to really practice together. So Mrs. Dunn, the drama teacher, arranged for us to stay late that night."

"So it was just you two and the teacher?"

"That's right."

Mr. Cromwell made a point of scribbling something on his notepad, which Ms. White seemed to notice because her eyes flicked in his direction momentarily before she frowned and looked back at Kagome.

"But the teacher was there the entire time?" Ms. White accented the world 'entire', and Kagome understood that she was heading off any angle Mr. Cromwell might want to take involving her and Hojo. She nodded.

"Yes, that's right, she was there until the moment I left the building."

"And you were alone at that point?"

"Yes."

To her pleasure, Mr. Cromwell stopped writing, but she frowned when he started writing again on a new sheet of paper. This time, Ms. White didn't seem to do anything to head him off, either because she didn't know how or didn't think it was important.

"Who was the last person you saw before you, um, encountered Mr. Wilkins?"

"Hojo."

"And that was at the school, correct?"

"Yes."

"And what did he say to you?"

"Um," Kagome thought for a minute, recalling his concerned expression when she insisted on walking home alone. In retrospect that had been the worst mistake of her life. "I guess just that he'd see me the next day at school."

Ms. White nodded and walked up to the witness stand, placing her hands on the wooden top, looking Kagome straight in the eyes. Her blue eyes were sparkling with kindness, and Kagome could see she didn't want to have to ask the next set of questions, but it was necessary. Kagome nodded, and Ms. White understood the silent message that she was ready to proceed.

"What happened next, Kagome?"

She felt the box of memories she had wanted to keep tightly sealed come undone, the walls falling down, and everything came back to her. She remembered how cold the night had been, remembered breathing out and watching the steam rise into the night sky, and remembered being suddenly grabbed by a stranger.

"I was walking home, like I always do, when I suddenly felt someone grab me from behind and cover my mouth so I couldn't scream." She shuddered at the memory of a cold, merciless blade being pushed against the tender skin of her neck. "The person was wearing a mask, but I could tell it was a man because of his voice and the fact that he was so strong. He put a knife to my throat and said that if I screamed he would kill me."

She felt tears threatening to overcome her eyes, and Kagome fought desperately to keep them away. No, she told herself, he would not see her cry because of him. But in an effort to hold them back, she then felt her body begin to shake, slightly at first, before turning into voluminous quaking that she had no control over.

"No," she whimpered softly. Whatever fate above compelled her to look up, she did not know, but Kagome found herself meeting the eyes of the man who did this to her, and the old fear returned. That indescribable fear of being hurt or worse. And Ted Wilkins just smiled.

Inuyasha watched, helpless, as the woman he loved was slowly wilting under the gaze of that despicable man. When she looked up, he saw that her eyes were clouding over with pain, slowly becoming those doll-like eyes he hated so much, and he looked away. He could not bear to see it.

"Kagome, listen to me," Ms. White said sternly, and Kagome found herself looking back at the woman who had become such a pillar of strength. But it was like she was looking through fog, and Nancy White's voice was far away.

"Kagome, listen to me, he can't hurt you any more," Ms. White tried again, but began to feel panicked. It was the same way with her sister. She had watched as her sister had clamped up at the last instant, thus never finishing her testimony, meaning her rapist got off free. She would be damned if that happened to another woman she cared about.

"Kagome, I can't do this without you," she whispered urgently, "I can't make miracles happen without you saying something first."

But Kagome was lost in her fear once more, and the only thing she knew was the pain of that night, the threat on her life, and the control he had over her. That constant, incessant, overwhelming fear that she couldn't quite shake, no matter how hard she tried.

He was losing her, he could see it, and Inuyasha couldn't take it any more. This man would not control her this way! She was stronger then that!

Without warning, he rose to his feet, knocking a surprised Sango to the ground. "Damn it Kagome, snap out of it! You're stronger than this!"

Kagome's head snapped away from Ted Wilkins so that now she was gazing into the eyes of the man she loved, the man who had pulled her out of this dismal abyss once before already, and who was trying to do it again.

"Inuyasha," She whispered, and they stared at one another, ignoring the judge calling for order.

"That's right, Kagome-chan," Sango said, managing to rise from the floor to her feet and standing beside Inuyasha, "You are strong. Remember all that you have done."

Miroku nodded and rose too, followed by Kouga and Ayame and, to her utter shock, Sesshoumaru. They were all staring pointedly at her, and the rest of the courtroom faded away until she no longer saw the other spectators, no longer felt the piercing stares of the emotionless jury, no longer heard the voice of the frustrated judge, and no longer felt the presence of Ted Wilkins. All that mattered were her friends, the ones who had helped her defeat Naraku. The ones who were always there for her, and believed in what she could do.

She recalled a monk with a boyish grin that melted her heart and who, despite his lecherous tendencies, was always there for her. And she remembered the way he had fearlessly run into battle, prepared to die to save them from Naraku, willing to sacrifice it all without fear.

She remembered Sango, a young woman who had lost everything, and how much pain had been in her eyes that first time they met. She recalled how much three years had managed to heal her wounds, and how light and joyous she had been the day she married Miroku. And she also remembered the woman who bravely fought off Naraku's horde whenever necessary to protect her friends.

And Kouga, with his clear blue eyes and innocent heart, who always just wanted her approval, his desire for revenge, and his desire to be loved more prominent then anything else when he fought.

Kagome looked from friend to friend, feeling as though time had stopped and was graciously replaying all these images for her. Of Sango and Miroku kissing for the first time. Of Shippou bounding ferociously into battle, only to run away two seconds later when he realized the opponent was ten times his size, but turning right around to try again another day. Of Miroku laughing despite his curse, being happy at all times, and then turning around and fiercely defending those he loved. Of Sango, who tried so many times to save her brother, but losing him in the end, and yet still smiling and moving on with her life.

Yes, Kagome realized, there was happiness in this world, despite the pain and suffering that accompanied it. And the only way to live was to have both extremes in your life.

Even Kikyou, who's stoic face and troubled soul had always brought Kagome grief, flashed before her eyes, that moment in the forest as clear as day. "You are Kagome," she said simply, "Now prove it."

Kagome continued to look at her friends, stopping suddenly when she came across those familiar, beautiful amber eyes.

Inuyasha.

That day in the woods when she had freed the handsome youth from the tree would be forever in her heart and mind. The way, after that, he had tried to avoid her, but in the end how they joined together to destroy Naraku. The way he always protected her, and how, in his presence, she never felt alone or afraid. How he would crumple to the ground whenever she commanded him to sit, and yet still came back to her later with love in his eyes.

She had given him hope again when before all he had known in life was pain and betrayal. And in turn, he had given some of that love and devotion back.

He had pulled her back from the abyss, she realized, that first morning after she was raped. He had kept her from falling into darkness, and now, when she was once more teetering, he was there to pull her back.

I will always protect you.

The words flowed through her mind as though someone had poured a bucket of ice water over her head, and suddenly Kagome felt alive again, the fog lifting and the air around her clearing.

"I will have order in this court!"

Time began to flow again, and Kagome was suddenly back in the courtroom, listening as the judge called for order while the spectators commentated on the sudden outburst of Inuyasha and her friends.

He was staring right at her, his amber eyes sparkling with concern, and while the others sat down, he remained standing, obviously still unsure. Kagome saw this, and smiled at him. His face lit up, and he smiled back before nodding and sitting down.

Ms. White had stood back to watch the scene take place, unsure of what to do, but now saw that it had been a blessing that Kagome had a loud-mouthed fiancé, because when she looked over Kagome was once more herself, and all fear was gone from her eyes. She smiled.

The courtroom finally quiet, the judge, looking even more weary then usual, glanced at Ms. White with a nod. "You may continue."

She nodded and looked back at Kagome. "I just have one question. Did Ted Wilkins rape you?"

"Yes." And this time when she answered all the fear and hesitance was gone from her voice. Ms. White nodded with satisfaction and walked back to her chair, looking at Mr. Cromwell as she did so.

"Your witness."

He nodded and rose to his feet, giving Kagome that predatory smile she had seen so many other witnesses fall victim to, but just smiled back sweetly. Now that she was herself, she was not going to be intimidated.

"Kagome, may I call you Kagome?"

"Call me whatever you like, Mr. Cromwell." Her voice was sugary sweet, just as his was overly polite, and it made everything seem very artificial.

"Tell me then Kagome, why did you refuse to let Hojo walk you home that night after play practice?"

"I was wanting to be alone. I was tired, and, frankly, I missed my boyfriend, now my fiancé, Inuyasha. I hadn't seen him in several weeks."

"And that's why you wanted to be alone?"

"Believe it or not Mr. Cromwell, when I'm in love I enjoy daydreaming like any other silly school girl, and I find it hard to do so in the company of another man."

Mr. Cromwell nodded, hiding his surprise at her quick wit by starting to pace. But Kagome, used to this routine, was unaffected.

In the audience, Inuyasha smirked as he watched the proceedings. Now that she was awake internally, he saw not only determination, but that old spark of defiance that Kagome adopted whenever they would have a fight. That was a dangerous combination in the fiery woman he knew so well.

"And when you met my client, Mr. Wilkins, you didn't flirt at all with him?"

"No, like I said he attacked me from behind."

"Attacked is a pretty strong word, Kagome."

"And it was a pretty violent evening, Mr. Cromwell."

Miroku chuckled, taking everything Kagome was saying as a mental lesson for the next time he was in a heated debate with anyone, namely his lovely, but feisty wife Sango.

Mr. Cromwell nodded and stopped pacing, looking right at her. "Had you ever seen my client before that night?"

"No."

"Are you sure about that? We all meet several people every day that we will hardly remember forever."

"I'm positive, Mr. Cromwell. I would remember red hair like that." He nodded, and started pacing again.

"And yet, even though he never saw you before, he just attacked you out of the blue? Randomly? Why would he do that, do you suppose?"

"I don't know, he's the rapist not me."

"Your honor," Mr. Cromwell looked at the judge as though appealing to a parent for help. The judge sighed and looked at Kagome kindly.

"Please refrain from using the word rapist, Ms. Higurashi." Kagome nodded and looked back at Mr. Cromwell, who seemed to think he had won a small victory, because there was a smile on his face.

"You honestly expect me to believe, Kagome, that my client just randomly picked you that night to have some fun? If you do any reading on criminal minds, you will find that there is usually a reason for what they do, and who they attack."

Kagome frowned, but then smiled slightly. "I have done reading on criminal minds in my psychology class, Mr. Cromwell, and I assure you that there are many studies that prove while some criminals are geniuses who plan out every stage of their crimes, others just do them without thinking. And as for you doubting the reality of my story, it's not your job to decide whether or not you believe me, Mr. Cromwell, it's the juries."

Even Sesshoumaru couldn't hold back a smirk at such a comeback that left Mr. Cromwell standing and looking absolutely stupid for a moment. Kagome had nailed him to the wall with that one, and everyone knew it. But he didn't have such a great reputation for nothing, and his falter was only slight.

"Touché," he said with a grin, though it didn't reach his eyes. It was obvious he was thinking. "But let's try this story on for size, shall we? You haven't seen your boyfriend for several weeks, and you really want some attention. You're walking home alone, with no one in sight, when you come across a guy, who seems nice enough from your point of view, so you two start talking. You're a woman, he's a man, and we all know what happens when you throw hormones into the mix, right?"

Kagome couldn't help but feel rage at such an implication. "I would never give myself to another man. I love Inuyasha!"

That wasn't the reply she should have made, and Mr. Cromwell jumped on the opportunity. "And who says you don't love him? I certainly didn't. All I said was that you were lonely for attention and met a guy on your way home. Mistakes happen to the best of us, Kagome." He glanced at the jury. "So why not be man enough, or in your case, woman enough, to admit when you've made one?"

"Because I didn't make one, and I assure you that if I did I would be the first to admit it!"

"Oh really?" Mr. Cromwell raised an eyebrow, glancing at her briefly before looking back at the jury. "Then prove it."

Kagome opened her mouth to speak, but couldn't say anything. How could she? There were no eyewitnesses.

Mr. Cromwell smirked when he saw her reaction. "That's what I thought. The defense rests, your honor."

He walked back to his seat, and Kagome was shaking again, but this time out of pure rage. Gods above, how did that man twist everything she said against her? Because that is sure as hell what he was doing!

"Redirect, your honor," Ms. White said, rising to her feet. Her voice was like a godsend, and Kagome relaxed, knowing the woman would fix everything. She walked straight up to the judge's bench and handed him an envelope. The man took it and looked at the contents, his eyes growing wide as Ms. White turned to the jury.

"The prosecution would like to present evidence against Ted Wilkins in the form of letters that he himself wrote to Ms. Higurashi."

Ted Wilkins visibly paled about ten shades, and Kagome smirked in triumph. Obviously he, like her, had completely forgotten about the letters he wrote threatening her life if a report were ever filed to the police.

The judge handed the letters back to Ms. White and nodded. "Proceed, Ms. White."

"Objection your honor, the defense has had no time to prepare for this new evidence," Mr. Cromwell stated, rising to his feet, but the judge halted the lawyer with a raised hand.

"While that may be true, Mr. Cromwell, I can assure you that no amount of preparation can make it possible for you to get out of the mess this will create." Mr. Cromwell frowned but sat back down, whispering in his client's ear, obviously trying to figure out the content of the letters. The judge looked back at Ms. White. "Continue."

"Thank you your honor." She had a look of triumph, and Kagome knew it was a mirror of her own face as the two women looked at one another.

Ms. White pulled several letters from the manila envelope and handed them to Kagome. "Would you please read these for the court, Kagome?"

"Of course." Kagome cleared her throat and looked pointedly at Ted Wilkins before continuing. "If you make a report to the police, you will regret it."

She flipped to the next note. "I'm watching you, don't forget that. Don't do something you will regret."

And another. "If you care about those around you, you will do as I say."

Each note caused the frowns on the faces of the jury to deepen, and Mr. Cromwell's skin to become whiter. Finally, after seven letters all containing similar threats, Ms. White put up her hand for silence.

"Thank you Kagome, I have no further questions."

The judge looked at Mr. Cromwell as Ms. White returned to her seat, but the man just shook his head like one who had been defeated. "The defense has no questions, your honor."

"What?" Ted Wilkins jumped to his feet, and immediately was surrounded by several police officers. "What do you mean no questions? You're my attorney, now get the hell up there and say something!"

But it was like Mr. Cromwell, for the first time, truly realized that his client was guilty, and he had a look of such disgust that even Kagome wanted to flinch away. He turned and glared at his client.

"Sit down," he commanded dangerously, and Ted Wilkins was forced back into the chair by the guards, a scowl on his face. Mr. Cromwell returned his attention to the judge, who nodded in understanding and turned to the court at large.

"This court is in recess until tomorrow at noon, at which time the jury shall hear closing statements." The gavel connected with the wood, and everyone began talking excitedly as Kagome whirled around with tears in her eyes and flew over the bar into Inuyasha's arms. He scooped her up and held her against his chest, breathing in her calming scent.

"I thought I was going to lose you again," he whispered, and Kagome smiled at the concern in his voice, pulling away to look into his eyes.

"You pulled me back," she replied, and then turned to her other friends, who were grinning like fools. "You all did. And I thank you for that. Without your support, I never could have finished up there."

They all smiled and, in the corniest sense possible, crammed in for a group hug, excluding Sesshoumaru, who was too busy talking with Ms. White to participate.

"You were impressive today," he commented, and Ms. White blushed, looking at him.

"Thanks, coming from you I sense that is a big compliment." He just grunted and turned away. "Sesshoumaru?" He turned around. "I'll see you tomorrow?"

There was a slight pause before he nodded, and Ms. White was sure she saw a slight upturn of the corner of his mouth. She barely knew him, but at the same time that small motion told her volumes about what he was thinking, and she felt her stomach do an old-fashioned pancake flip.

"Ms. White?" The woman turned, shaking her head to clear her thoughts, and found herself looking at Kagome, currently standing before her looking very shy. "I'm, um, sorry for chickening out up there. I don't know what happened. I left you out to dry, and for that I'm truly ashamed."

Her heart went out to the young woman, and Ms. White just put her hand on Kagome's shoulder. "You hiccuped, that's all. You came through in the end, and that is all that matters."

"But."

"No buts, Kagome. You did something which hundreds of women like you cannot." Her face clouded over, and somehow Kagome knew she was thinking about her sister. "You faced the monster, and you shot him down. You should be proud of that."

Kagome blushed. "Thanks." She looked up and smiled brightly. "I won't give you a hug until after the verdict is announced tomorrow, but I have to warn you, it will be a big one."

"Well I've earned it, so I expect one," Ms. White replied in complete earnest before both women started laughing out loud. There had been so much tension only moments before it felt good to cut loose.

"Can I ask you a question?" she said, suddenly remembering something.

"Of course."

"Why did you wait to present the letters?"

Ms. White blushed slightly. "Call it pride, I suppose, but I wanted to see if I could pull it off without using the evidence."

"And you decided you couldn't?" Ms. White laughed that confident laugh of hers, casually waving the comment away with her hand.

"Don't be ridiculous, I had that bastard in the bag the minute we walked into this courtroom. But I decided that, while I was at it, I might as well roast him too."

Kagome liked the idea of Ted Wilkins being turned over a spit with an apple stuck in his mouth. The image had her laughing all the way home, Inuyasha's arm around her waist and her friends loyally at her side.