Disclaimer - It's not mine. Never was. So don't sue me.

A/N: I'm so glad most of you guys are enjoying this story. I don't have much to say at the moment, so I'll take this time to pass out some well deserved thank-you's to my readers.

Sexy_blue- You needn't worry about me not putting up a chapter for that long. I'm finished writing the story, and I just need to type it all up now. Tell you're friend that I'll make sure not to do that. ;) Thanks for the review, and I'll be sure to keep you updated. Later, A.A.

InvisibleRain- I'm glad you approve of my technique to make Kikyou stronger. I just kinda figured she'd really get pissed if she found out it was Kagome and Inuyasha's kid that was making her gain and then loose her power when Kagome contains the jewel's power. ;) Thanks again, and I hope you like the next few chapters.

Rushyuo- I'm glad you like Raidon. I know most people don't like original characters too much, but I figured Kouga needed a pesky little brother to annoy him. As for the container and cutting the jewel out……you'll see soon enough. I don't want to give too much away too soon. Thanks again for the review. Later.

OswariIYK- I'm glad you like this plot twist. As for using Cali in your own story, I don't mind, as long as you give me credit for making her up. I plan on using her in my next Inuyasha fic, and I'd like to do that without someone jumping on me saying that I stole someone else's character (Who was in actuality my own character to begin with). Oh, and by the way, the email on your bio page wouldn't let me send you an email, or I'd have answered you sooner. Later. A.A.

Kouga gurl- Thank you for such the enthusiastic review. It really made my day! I will be adding the last few chapters as soon as I get them all typed up. They're finally written, I just have to type and post them. Well, I'm glad you are interested in Medical Technology. It's a great career field, and I am working on my own degree as it is. I wish you all the best of luck in the future, and I'll be sure to keep you informed of anymore stories I write. Later, A.A.

Fushigi Wolf- It's okay about not reviewing in a while. I know how computers can be bothersome at times. You needn't worry about Kouga getting gypped. Kagome is staying with him, I promise. Hope you enjoy the next few chapters.

Okay, I know there are many more of you out there, but I'm kinda running on a tight schedule here (College Chemistry tests are a pain in the a**!!!) Anyhow, I hope you guys like the coming chapters. The story should be summed up in about four or five more chapters.

Later,

A.A.

Chapter 31

Later that evening, when the sun began to set and the katydids began their complex lullabies of the night, Kouga and Kagome took their leave of the coastal villages and left to go back to the den. They had spent the whole day speaking with the village elders, explaining what had happened, and reassuring them that everything would be fine. After covering every single village, Kagome was tired and hungry. When they got to the den, Kagome and the wolf prince grabbed some food and went to sleep, both two tired to do anything else. Kagome had explained to Kouga earlier that day that she needed to go home for a little while. And after much playful whining on his part, Kouga had agreed to bring her back to Inuyasha's Forest, and to the well that would take her home.

The next morning, after bidding the pack members goodbye and promising to come back soon, Kouga took off for the well with Kagome securely in hand. When they arrived at the well, Kouga did not immediately let go of her, preferring to keep her in the relative safety of his arms. Unbeknownst to them, a certain white haired hanyou that had picked up their combined scents and had followed them to the well, and was currently crouched down behind some bushes.

"Must you go back, love?" Kouga asked, nuzzling the back of her neck playfully, knowing it was one of her more ticklish spots. Kagome giggled, but let a contented sigh escape.

"I'm sorry, Kouga." she answered gently, "But I have to go back for a while.'

"How long will you be gone?" he asked, hugging her tightly. Kagome smiled, giggling when his hands slid down her sides and tickling her again.

"About two or three weeks." she said. "I've got some things in my time to settle before I come back."

"You do realize that when you pull the jewel's power out of you, you're going to be stuck in one world or another, right?" he asked seriously. He wanted her to be with him during the pregnancy, but he did realize that she could always decided to stay in her own time.

"I know, and I need to contain the power soon. Cali told us that the gestation period for the child would probably be a little shorter than a normal human because of the demon blood. I need to contain the power soon, so I can keep it from reverting back to Kikyou."

"Do you think she realizes what's going on?" Kouga asked, still holding onto her.

"Kikyou thinks that the power of the Shikon is reverting back to her because I get angry, not because my power is trying to distance itself from the child." Kagome answered truthfully. "As far as I'm concerned, I'm not going to tell her any different. Let her think what she wants."

"Well, if you wait to contain the jewel's power, the child will be safe until the last two months of the pregnancy, right?" Kouga asked. "That's what I gathered from Cali, anyways."

"I know. But I don't want Kikyou to regain any more of her abilities. I'm going to speak with my mother when I get back home, to see what her opinion is. I have a feeling I'm going to be spending more time here, in this era before this is all over with and my child is born." Kagome said with a sigh, taking strength from Kouga's loving embrace.

"You can stay with me." he said, grinning down at her. "Just say when, and you've got it."

"Kouga…"

"I mean it, Kagome." he insisted, resting his chin on her head. "I want you around so I can make sure you'll be safe. I can't go with you to your world, and I can't force you to stay here with me."

"I won't be gone long, Kouga." Kagome answered. "As busy as you're going to be in the next few weeks, you'll never notice I'm gone. So don't worry yourself too much about it, okay?"

"No, I won't ever be so busy that I forget about you." Kouga said gently. "I'm going to miss you every single day you're gone. Come back to me, Kagome."

"I'll come back, Kouga." Kagome said, moving out of his warm embrace. "I'm not going to disappear."

"I know." the wolf prince answered, all but pouting. "It's just going to be a pain trying to face all those villagers who are out for wolf blood without you here. They trust you more than us, at least right now."

"Do you honestly think the land along the Northern Borders will get to the point where the packs will be starving?" Kagome asked, concern evident in her voice.

"It will be in a few more weeks." he answered grimly. "But hopefully by then we will have found out who done this and get them to reverse it. Until then, we're going to be sending supplies up there to keep things stable enough for everyone to live comfortably."

"Do you have any idea who could have cursed the lands?" she asked, wondering if maybe that had overlooked something during the search the day before.

"No. Father has no enemies willing to put out that much of an effort, at least none that I know of." Kouga answered, scratching his head in frustration. Kagome sat on the side of the well and looked up at the prince. There were worry lines creasing his handsome face, something she had never seen before. He was extremely concerned about his brothers and sisters in the northern territories, and it was obvious to her.
"Well, I'm sure everything will work its way out. With all of the packs on the look out for any suspicious intruders, I'm sure you'll fin whoever is responsible." Kagome said firmly.

"I hope you're right, Kagome." Kouga said. "Because I don't want to see the packs up there be split up because of this. That's there homes up there. And uprooting them is going to present some major problems." Kagome shook her head in understanding and stood up from the side of the well, finally ready to go back to her won time.
"Everything will work its way out, Kouga. It always does. It just takes some time, sometimes." she said.

"I know." he sighed, walking to her side and placing his hand around her waist. "You ready to go back now?"

"Yeah. I'm ready." she answered, peering down into the black inkiness of the well.

"You know you don't have to go…" Kouga teased, smiling at her playfully and tickling her sides.

"We've already been through this, Kouga." Kagome answered, squirming under his hands. "I'll be back in three weeks. I promise it won't be that long."

"One week." he argued, secretly hoping she would be willing to cut her trip home short. He knew it was selfish of him, but he wanted her with him, not five hundred years into the future.

"Okay, let's compromise." Kagome answered, knowing the stubborn streak in Kouga was only matched by the one in Inuyasha. 'At least I could "sit" Inuyasha.' she thought with a grin, remembering how many times she had made the hanyou eat dirt. 'I can't do that with Kouga. Of course, that is probably a good thing, now that I think about it.' "Two and a half weeks."

"Say two weeks, and you've got a deal. I won't say another word about it." he said. Kagome shook her head and sighed.

"Okay. Two weeks it is." she conceded, watching as Kouga's face lit up with happiness at winning the discussion.

"That's better, much better." he murmured, burying his face in her hair. Kagome giggled and leaned on the wolf demon.

"Yes. I'm sure the kids don't want you to get grumpy again, seeing as how I left." she teased. Kouga groaned, remembering what the pups had said before about him being hard to get along with when she was not around.

"Are you ever going to let me live that down?" he asked. "Those pups have big mouths. You weren't supposed to know about that."

"Maybe, I might let you one day." she said. "We'll see." Kouga growled playfully at her, and Kagome only smiled and patted his head. "Now you be a good little wolf prince and play nice with everyone else while I'm gone."

"Does that mean I can't beat up Raidon when he starts his antics about you again?" Kouga asked, trying the puppy dog eyes Kagome could not resist.

"Yes." Kagome said mock sternly, a smile on her lips and her hands on her hips as she teased the wolf. "I don't want to hear about you beating up your little brother while I'm gone."

"Do I get a reward if I'm good?" he asked , grinning at her. Kagome shrugged her shoulders and cocked her head to one side, seemingly to contemplate his request.

"Well, I don't see why not, as long as you behave yourself." she said.

"What's my reward for being a good little wolf prince who doesn't beat up his annoying little brother?" he asked.

"What do you want?" Kagome asked. Kouga smirked and leaned down to her, brushing his lips across hers once before claiming her mouth in a soul searing kiss that left no doubt in her mind as to what he wanted. Kagome had not been expecting that, but it was not time before she relaxed and returned the kiss. When they finally broke apart and Kouga let her go, Kagome blinked and tried to regain her composure.

"That answer your question?" he asked cockily.

"Quite thoroughly." she answered, shaking her head to make her brain go from the mush Kouga had created when he kissed her, back to the intelligent organ it was supposed to be any other time. Kouga only grinned and stepped away from her. Kagome shouldered her bag and sat on the well's edge, her legs dangling into the magical abyss that would transport her home. She suddenly got a wicked idea in her head and hid the smile that came to her face. It was true that she was beginning to hold Kouga's unending love, unbreakable patience, and goofy antics toward her above anything else. 'I'm falling for him.' she told herself grimly. 'I'm falling for Kouga, and I'm not really trying to stop myself. At least he treats me like a queen, and loves me because I'm me, and not because I look like someone else. Besides, his family likes me, which is more than I can say for Inuyasha's brother Sesshomauro.' "Oh, Kouga, one more thing." she said quickly, putting her plan into action.

"What is it, love?" he asked, leaning his body over Kagome's shoulder, peering down into the well. Kagome grinned, and turned her head to his. Grabbing his shoulders, she kissed him hard on the lips, and let go just as quickly, causing the wolf prince to blink in complete surprise at her audacious movement.

"Next time, just ask for a kiss." she said, a sassy grin on her face. "Give me a little bit of a warning next time, and you just might enjoy yourself a little more." And with that final comment, Kagome slid down into the well, and out of Kouga's sight and senses. When he had regained his senses, and processed what Kagome had said, he smiled and nodded his head.

"Oh, I will, Kagome." he said happily. "Don't worry, I will." The wolf demon grinned like a pup with a new toy and took off towards the East, leaving a confused and angry hanyou sitting in a tree not far from the well.

Inuyasha was a mixture of very volatile emotions when Kouga had left. He was angry at Kagome and Kouga for their little display by the well that he had just witnessed. 'Well, she did say that she wasn't going to wait on me.' he thought. 'She's keeping her word, now isn't she?'

He was amused to find that the lands in Kouga's father's care was dying. 'Serves the mangy wolf right. He's as bad as his son, stupid wolf!' Inuyasha thought angrily, kicking at some loose bark on the nearest tree.

But he was most intrigued to find that Kagome's power was receding into Kikyou because of the child, and not because Kagome was getting angry. 'Kikyou would have a fit if she found out the truth. I sure as Hell ain't going to tell her. That was one point where Kagome was right. The less she knows, the better off we all are.' he thought. Shaking his head, he left his hiding place and headed back to the hut where he and Kikyou lived.

When he got to the village he called home, he saw Kikyou speaking with one of the men who had returned form the eastern coastal villages where they had traded with some of the villagers. It seemed that the guy was beaten up pretty badly, and Inuyasha figured they had been attacked by some rogue bandits.

"When we got to the village, we heard that they were in a scramble to save their supplies. It seems as though some of the more northern parts of the land along the coast are unexplainably dying." he said as Kikyou dressed the wound on his arms. "So we did not get to trade as much as we had hoped."

"There has been a curse placed on the land." Kikyou said matter of factly. "Is it affecting the youkai wolf packs around the area by any chance?"

"According to the villagers, there have been attacks on the demon wolf tribes. A few of the wolves have been killed, and only some villagers have been injured." the man explained.

"Has anything been done to try and find the reason why things are dying?" Kikyou questioned. "Have they found the conduit that is the center of the problem?"

"The village elder told me that the wolf taiyoukai and some of his sons were around a few days ago, conferring with him and the wolf packs." he explained. "Apparently they had a human girl with the as well." Kikyou nodded and finished bandaging the man's arm, sending him on his way after thanking him for the information. 'So, my reincarnate things she can change things?' Kikyou thought. 'That little girl will not be able to stop my plans for her, and the wolf demon tribe that protects her.' An evil smile graced her face, seemingly making her more cold than she already was.

Inuyasha shook his head in confusion. 'What is she thinking?' he thought, watching as Kikyou gathered her herbs and left for another hut. 'The traded did not say anything about a curse being placed on the land, but Kikyou sounded like she knew exactly what was wrong with the place. What the hell is she doing?'

Inuyasha frowned and walked into the hut, trying to digest and figure out exactly what was going on, not only in the dying north-eastern villages, but with Kikyou as well. He knew the miko had never been able to lie to him, because he could always tell when she fabricated the truth. He could tell that she was hiding something, but he was not exactly sure as to what it was. Deciding to worry about it later, Inuyasha grabbed a few rice cakes and settled himself into a tree near the hut, content to watch over the village and make sure none of the rogues that had attacked the trading caravan decided to target the village.

A/N- Okay, now Inuyasha knows the real reason behind Kikyou regaining her miko abilities. Let's just see if our dear hanyou can do anything to figure out exactly what Kikyou is up to before anything gets to out of hand.

Later,

A.A.