Chapter 3
Kagome tried to settle back into her bedroom, but it had been so long since she had considered this home. She had not been home for longer than a month in a few years, and everything seemed so foreign to her, much like a mystery you once understood but now could not grasp. She had purposefully stayed away; there were too many memories and questions that were stirred up from the depths from her mind when she was home. That cursed well still stood near her home and it taunted her, showing her the gates which she could no longer pass through. But those were memories of the past, and she had taken her life into her own hands and had chosen to live. Kagome had made a pact with herself over four years ago. She would never let the remembrance of first love with a white-haired hanyou dominate her life. No, that would not happen. She would embrace life and not let the memory of an unreturned love haunt her, not now when there were more pressing matters to worry about.
With the wedding just three weeks away, her whole life was now dictated by wedding plans, meetings with the caterer, dress fittings, and Shiro. He was handsome, tender, and whispered beautiful words into her ear. Shiro was a business major at university, and they had met in the library after Kagome accidentally dropped a heavy book at Shiro's feet. Right away, he was taken with her beauty, wit, and intelligence. There was something so passionate and intelligent within Kagome, like she had lived a life completely separate from the present time and knew more then most people her age deserved to know. Whatever it had been, Shiro had been fascinated by her and got down on one knee after knowing Kagome for only seven months.
In the moment that Shiro proposed, Kagome had a jumble of thoughts ricocheting around her head; the most prominent was Inuyasha's jealousy whenever Kouga came within ten feet of her. The second thought was that only a foolish girl would refuse the huge ring and life full of happiness that Shiro was offering her, so she murmured a yes.
It was not the marriage that Kagome had been unsure of, it was the month she would be staying at home with her mother and brother that unnerved her. She had gone away to university to avoid the well and the memories. She had majored in Japanese history, a subject she had become intrigued with while living a year in feudal Japan, and intended to get her doctorate so she could become a Professor of History at the university. She had worked to the point of exhaustion so she would receive the highest grades in her class. All of it to help her move past Miroku, Sango, Shippou, and Inuyasha, but all of it was pointless. No matter what she could accomplish or would accomplish, part of her would always remain in the past. Not even a fancy wedding and wonderful fiancée could erase that.
"Kagome, come help me cook dinner," her mother yelled from the kitchen.
"Coming, Mom," she hollered back. Kagome finished folding the last of her laundry, careful to fold along the creases to keep them from wrinkling. She walked out of the room and shut the door softly to keep from waking her sleeping grandfather.
"Oh, there you are. Will you chop the vegetables for me?" Her mother handed over the large knife and cutting board. "Don't make them too fat. You know Souta won't eat the vegetable unless they're chopped very fine."
"No problem, Mom." Kagome took the knife from her mother and began to chop her way through the carrots.
"Are you glad to be home, Honey?" Her mother's question was quiet and almost difficult to hear under the slicing of the knife.
"Of course I'm happy to be home. What makes you ask that?"
"It's just that you've avoided coming home for so long, Kagome. I often wondered why you seem fearful to be inside this house."
"I'm not scared of the house. I've just been busy. It's hard to make top marks, plan a wedding, and try to get early admission into graduate school all at once."
Kagome's mother dropped the spoon and quit stirring the pot over the stove, "I know you're busy, and I'm so proud of you for what you've done at school, but you're only twenty-one. Take some time to breathe every once in a while." Her mother moved to her side and touched Kagome's shoulder, "Take some time to be happy."
"Mom, I am happy."
"Are you, Kagome? I don't mean content with the way things are going right now. I mean are you truly happy?"
Kagome face softened, "I'm happy. Shiro has made me happier than I ever thought I could be."
"Then I'm glad, but mark these words, my child. I haven't seen you look at Shiro the same way you would look at that boy from the past."
The breath caught in Kagome's throat.
"You had this look in your eye whenever Inuyasha came to this house. I haven't seen that twinkle since you came back to the present for good."
Kagome dropped the knife on the cooking board and felt hot salty tears in the corner of her eye, "I'm happy. Shiro makes me happy."
"Kagome, I don't say this to hurt you. I just want your life to be complete as mine was with your father."
"Even if I wanted to be with Inuyasha . . . I mean go back to the past, which I don't, I couldn't. I gave the Shikon jewel to him. I can't return, but that's fine because my future is with Shiro. He loves me, Mom, and I love him."
"Then forget I said anything," her mother said and turned back to the boiling pot.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Kagome looked in front of the dressing room mirror. She barely recognized herself in the silk ivory wedding gown. The line of silk fell just short of her collar bone and dipped in the center while the dress plunged down her back with a string of pearls cutting across the line of her back.
"Kagome, you look beautiful!" Mariko said breathlessly. "I think this is the final fitting."
"It's about time. I've been here for fittings at least seven times."
"Well look at the end result." Mariko turned Kagome back to the long mirror. "It was worth it."
Kagome smiled, "Yeah it was." She could not help but absentmindedly wonder what Inuyasha would say if he could see her in this dress. He would probably just say "Bah!" and call it a waste of good material.
"Just think in a week you'll be Shiro's wife and the two of you will live in a huge house instead of the tiny apartment we've been living in for the last year."
"I can't help it if Shiro's family is rich." Kagome rolled her eyes. "You make it sound like that's why I'm marrying him."
"Well, you can't tell me that it's not part of the attraction," Mariko teased.
Kagome laughed, "No. In all honesty, I'd marry Mariko if he didn't have a yen to his name. Heck, the first person I ever loved literally had no concept of money."
"You loved someone before Shiro?" Mariko questioned.
Kagome opened her eyes in surprise. She did not realize she had let that slip. "Yeah well, that was a long time ago. I was young."
"So who is this mystery man you've never talked about before?"
"Just someone from the past," Kagome whispered. "He really didn't matter because I'm marrying Shiro." Kagome felt something inside of her stomach hollow out, leaving her empty and alone.
* * * * * * * * * * *
Early in the morning, Kagome awoke with the image of a tall figure with wings burned into her retinas. The dream was always the same; a tall form with wings that seemed to be present only to haunt her. The form was always so solid, but the dream itself was so twisted and broken to make any sense of.
It was six in the morning when Kagome awoke, a small breeze and sunbeam finding its way through her window. Kagome wiped her eyes and took a moment to realize that she was back home and asleep in her bedroom.
"Today is the bridal shower Mom is planning for me," she said softly to herself. She peeled herself away from the warm covers and arose to get ready for the day. Kagome knew from experience it was best to leave the images of wings in her dreams and not drag them with her through the day. They only weighted her down.
Kagome's mother had promised to take her out for an early brunch at and shopping afterwards. Kagome knew her mother was trying to drag her out of the house while Mariko and the rest of her friends snuck into the house to prepare for the bridal shower. After the day with her mother and the shower, Shiro was coming to take her out for dinner at a nice restaurant. Kagome knew she would have to dress for the entire day so she pulled out a black dress and a pair of high heeled shoes Shiro's mother had bought her as a present for her birthday.
Kagome looked in the mirror before she left her room. The dress was plain in design, but it was so dark that it looked as though someone had made the dress out of spilt ink. It flattered her figure and skimmed the top of her knees. The shoes matched the dress perfectly and Kagome could not help but smile at the reflection in the mirror.
"Not stunning, but not the awkward teenager I was either." She left her room, and walked through the house only to find her mother in the kitchen decorating a cake.
Her mother tried to hide the cake quickly, "Oh Kagome, you're up early. Why don't you go take a quick walk so I can finish getting ready?"
"Okay. I'll be back in a little while." Kagome smiled to herself, turned, and walked out the backdoor. She was touched by her mother's attempts to hide the cake and the party. Kagome began walking in an aimless direction, not really worrying about where she was heading and letting her feet take her in an all too familiar path. She stepped through the streets and hopped in a puddle, not caring about the splash and her now wet feet. It was not long before she found herself in front of her families' old temple. She felt an outward force pressing her towards the temple.
She entered the door and looked at her surroundings, "It's been a while." She whispered to herself. She looked at the Bone Eater's Well, "I didn't want to come back."
Kagome looked into the depth of the well and the darkness surrounding it. She remembered how slinging herself the sides and into the darkness was so casual, but back then she had a reason for throwing herself into the darkness. Inuyasha. The quest for the Shikon no Tama and the destruction for Naraku was the main motivator, but if it were all condensed into one thin line the reason behind it all was Inuyasha.
"I didn't want to come back," she repeated. Kagome thoughts began to bounce through her head. There were so many memories that she had tried to repress into a distant corner of her mind; Miroku's good humor and perverted attempts to grope her, Sango's friendship, Shippou curling in her arms and calling her mother, Inuyasha's flashing amber eyes, the time he hugged her fiercely, the times he chose Kikyo rather than her, and all the times he made her cry.
In one instant all the thoughts channeled into one single image, a tall form with wings, the faceless form with the silver lining. The image made Kagome dizzy and she tried to grab the side of the well. She hobbled and gave up grasping the side, instead choosing to sit on the edge. Kagome sat and for a second felt the shakiness leave her limbs for a moment, but it resurged a moment later and she felt herself falling backwards.
An odd sensation entered into Kagome's body and a flash of light surrounded her. She felt a dull thud as she hit the dirt at the bottom of the well.
"Shoot! Now how am I going to get back up to the top in these heels?" Kagome said. "Mom's going to be expecting me home soon!"
Kagome heard the cry of a large bird from above and looked up at the light. Rather than seeing the roof of the temple, Kagome saw green tree tops and a blue sky.
"It couldn't be," Kagome said with a shocked whisper. "It's not possible." A familiar smell of the woods she used to travel through made its way down the well.
Kagome sighed and had an unearthly desire to cry, scream, yell, or do all three at the same time, "This isn't fair. I just want to get married. I just want to move on, but NO! I get dragged back here, and I don't even have the stupid jewel with me! And of course Inuyasha and Kikyo will be there and they'll be so happy with little cute kids."
She finished rambling, sighed, and then pulled her high heels off her feet, bit the straps with her teeth to hold onto them, and began to climb out of the well. Luckily, the year spent tracking through the woods had helped Kagome's agility and she had lost none of it in the last five years. Kagome grabbed her shoes from her mouth, tossed them over the edge of the well, and climbed out.
Kagome thought to herself, "Guess I'll head to the village. Doesn't look like I have any other options. I'll stay with Kaede until I can figure out what's going on, and then I'm out of here."
She put her shoes back on and began the walk. Kagome looked at the forest and felt a comfort cover her. "I'd forgotten how beautiful it was here," she thought to herself. Before long, Kagome found herself in the village. She made her way to Kaede's hut and banged her wrist against the thick wood.
A young boy answered the door, "Hello. Who are you?" He had black hair, dark eyes, and a smile that looked familiar.
"My name is Kagome. Who are you?" Kagome smiled.
"Taru." He tilted his head to the side and tried to study her.
"Is Kaede here?"
"No, not right now, but my Mama is here."
"Taru, who is that?" A lyrical voice came from inside the hut. A woman came to the door. She had long dark hair, thick bangs, and was very pregnant, but it only took Kagome a second to recognize her.
"Sango?"
"Kagome?" Sango squinted her eyes and studied her for a moment, before throwing her arms around Kagome. "How did you get here? We thought you went home? How is this possible?"
Kagome smiled, "I don't know, Sango. I fell down my families' well and found myself here."
Sango hugged Kagome a second time, "Oh, how I've missed you. Sometimes there are just too many men in this house."
"Did you and Miroku marry? And is he yours?" Kagome asked in a rush.
Sango reached for the little boy and picked me up, "Yep. This little devil is mine, and Miroku is his Daddy." Sango grinned wide.
"And you're pregnant?" Kagome touched Sango's stomach.
"Three months and we'll have another one."
"Well, Miroku wanted twenty kids." Kagome teased.
"He can keep on wishing. He is not getting twenty kids." Sango smiled. "Oh, Kagome it is so good to see you." Sango hugged Kagome for the third time. "We've missed you so much. You don't know what it means to see again. Let me get a look at you." Kagome twirled around. "You've changed. You're taller, Kagome and a little thinner too."
"I've grown up."
"Look at you. You look all fancy, and you have a huge jewel on your finger." Sango grabbed Kagome's hand and began to look at the huge diamond that sat on a platinum band.
"It's an engagement ring. My future husband, Shiro, gave it to me. It's like a promise that he'll take my hand in marriage."
Sango raised her eyebrows, "He must love you to give you a promise that large."
"He's good to me." Kagome answered.
Sango sucked her mouth, not sure how to respond.
"So where are Miroku and Shippou? I want to see them." Kagome asked.
"Shippou went out with Kaede to pick some herbs and Miroku is with Inuyasha."
"Inuyasha?" Kagome voice shook and cracked.
Sango noticed the look in Kagome's eyes, "Shippou should be back soon."
As if on cue a young demon, about the age of ten bounded through the back door of the hut, "Sango, you should see some of the herbs we found. Kaede will be able to brew plenty of medicine for the village."
Shippou stopped at the sight of Kagome at the door, "Kagome?"
Kagome gave a hesitant grin, "It's me, Shippou."
Shippou ran past Sango and threw himself in Kagome's open arms, "Mama."
It felt so satisfying to have Shippou in her arms again. She could not have loved Shippou more if he had been her own child, and having him near her gave her a sense of completion.
Kagome kissed the top of his shaggy head, "I missed you too."
"Come inside. Let me make you some dinner." Shippou grabbed her hand and tugged her inside, sitting her at a table. He began cooking some soup, and in less than ten minutes had a warm bowl of creamy soup for her to eat. "Eat, Kagome."
"Thank you." Kagome picked up the spoon and let the soup wind its way through her body. It was wonderful to have something warm and solid inside her stomach. Looking at Sango take care of little Taru and Shippou near her gave Kagome an odd sense of being home.
"This is wonderful. You've become quite a cook."
Shippou grinned widely, "Kaede is teaching me."
A loud noise came from outside the front door of the hut. Something slammed and it sounded like wood from the hut had just cracked.
"Sango, who dragged out all of Kagome's old stuff?" A yell and growl from the door came, and Kagome froze. The door slammed open, "I could smell it all the way from the woods. Didn't I tell you guys to keep all that stuff packed away?" Inuyasha's screaming could have been heard from a mile away.
Kagome looked at Inuyasha. He looked wild and angry, very angry. His eyes flashed, "Sango, where are you?"
Inuyasha's eyes ran quickly through the cabin, but stopped on Kagome. His mouth dropped, and his grip on the exotic fruit he held in his hand relaxed. The fruit fell to the floor and rolled away, completely unnoticed by the hanyou.
"Kagome?" he whispered.
Kagome stood up from the table and stared at Inuyasha. For several seconds the two held eye contact from across the room, neither being able to move. Inuyasha was the first to take a step. He moved slowly across the room and stopped a few inches from Kagome. He extended a shaking hand towards Kagome's face, and made contact with the skin on her face.
* Thank you to everyone who had reviewed. It really makes my day to find reviews underneath my story and it is a huge encouragement, so thank you for taking the time. Hope you like this chapter and sorry to end it with a semi-cliffhanger, but it seemed to be the best place to separate this chapter with what I have planned in the next chapter. So thanks for taking the time to read, and if it so moves you review please!
Kagome tried to settle back into her bedroom, but it had been so long since she had considered this home. She had not been home for longer than a month in a few years, and everything seemed so foreign to her, much like a mystery you once understood but now could not grasp. She had purposefully stayed away; there were too many memories and questions that were stirred up from the depths from her mind when she was home. That cursed well still stood near her home and it taunted her, showing her the gates which she could no longer pass through. But those were memories of the past, and she had taken her life into her own hands and had chosen to live. Kagome had made a pact with herself over four years ago. She would never let the remembrance of first love with a white-haired hanyou dominate her life. No, that would not happen. She would embrace life and not let the memory of an unreturned love haunt her, not now when there were more pressing matters to worry about.
With the wedding just three weeks away, her whole life was now dictated by wedding plans, meetings with the caterer, dress fittings, and Shiro. He was handsome, tender, and whispered beautiful words into her ear. Shiro was a business major at university, and they had met in the library after Kagome accidentally dropped a heavy book at Shiro's feet. Right away, he was taken with her beauty, wit, and intelligence. There was something so passionate and intelligent within Kagome, like she had lived a life completely separate from the present time and knew more then most people her age deserved to know. Whatever it had been, Shiro had been fascinated by her and got down on one knee after knowing Kagome for only seven months.
In the moment that Shiro proposed, Kagome had a jumble of thoughts ricocheting around her head; the most prominent was Inuyasha's jealousy whenever Kouga came within ten feet of her. The second thought was that only a foolish girl would refuse the huge ring and life full of happiness that Shiro was offering her, so she murmured a yes.
It was not the marriage that Kagome had been unsure of, it was the month she would be staying at home with her mother and brother that unnerved her. She had gone away to university to avoid the well and the memories. She had majored in Japanese history, a subject she had become intrigued with while living a year in feudal Japan, and intended to get her doctorate so she could become a Professor of History at the university. She had worked to the point of exhaustion so she would receive the highest grades in her class. All of it to help her move past Miroku, Sango, Shippou, and Inuyasha, but all of it was pointless. No matter what she could accomplish or would accomplish, part of her would always remain in the past. Not even a fancy wedding and wonderful fiancée could erase that.
"Kagome, come help me cook dinner," her mother yelled from the kitchen.
"Coming, Mom," she hollered back. Kagome finished folding the last of her laundry, careful to fold along the creases to keep them from wrinkling. She walked out of the room and shut the door softly to keep from waking her sleeping grandfather.
"Oh, there you are. Will you chop the vegetables for me?" Her mother handed over the large knife and cutting board. "Don't make them too fat. You know Souta won't eat the vegetable unless they're chopped very fine."
"No problem, Mom." Kagome took the knife from her mother and began to chop her way through the carrots.
"Are you glad to be home, Honey?" Her mother's question was quiet and almost difficult to hear under the slicing of the knife.
"Of course I'm happy to be home. What makes you ask that?"
"It's just that you've avoided coming home for so long, Kagome. I often wondered why you seem fearful to be inside this house."
"I'm not scared of the house. I've just been busy. It's hard to make top marks, plan a wedding, and try to get early admission into graduate school all at once."
Kagome's mother dropped the spoon and quit stirring the pot over the stove, "I know you're busy, and I'm so proud of you for what you've done at school, but you're only twenty-one. Take some time to breathe every once in a while." Her mother moved to her side and touched Kagome's shoulder, "Take some time to be happy."
"Mom, I am happy."
"Are you, Kagome? I don't mean content with the way things are going right now. I mean are you truly happy?"
Kagome face softened, "I'm happy. Shiro has made me happier than I ever thought I could be."
"Then I'm glad, but mark these words, my child. I haven't seen you look at Shiro the same way you would look at that boy from the past."
The breath caught in Kagome's throat.
"You had this look in your eye whenever Inuyasha came to this house. I haven't seen that twinkle since you came back to the present for good."
Kagome dropped the knife on the cooking board and felt hot salty tears in the corner of her eye, "I'm happy. Shiro makes me happy."
"Kagome, I don't say this to hurt you. I just want your life to be complete as mine was with your father."
"Even if I wanted to be with Inuyasha . . . I mean go back to the past, which I don't, I couldn't. I gave the Shikon jewel to him. I can't return, but that's fine because my future is with Shiro. He loves me, Mom, and I love him."
"Then forget I said anything," her mother said and turned back to the boiling pot.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Kagome looked in front of the dressing room mirror. She barely recognized herself in the silk ivory wedding gown. The line of silk fell just short of her collar bone and dipped in the center while the dress plunged down her back with a string of pearls cutting across the line of her back.
"Kagome, you look beautiful!" Mariko said breathlessly. "I think this is the final fitting."
"It's about time. I've been here for fittings at least seven times."
"Well look at the end result." Mariko turned Kagome back to the long mirror. "It was worth it."
Kagome smiled, "Yeah it was." She could not help but absentmindedly wonder what Inuyasha would say if he could see her in this dress. He would probably just say "Bah!" and call it a waste of good material.
"Just think in a week you'll be Shiro's wife and the two of you will live in a huge house instead of the tiny apartment we've been living in for the last year."
"I can't help it if Shiro's family is rich." Kagome rolled her eyes. "You make it sound like that's why I'm marrying him."
"Well, you can't tell me that it's not part of the attraction," Mariko teased.
Kagome laughed, "No. In all honesty, I'd marry Mariko if he didn't have a yen to his name. Heck, the first person I ever loved literally had no concept of money."
"You loved someone before Shiro?" Mariko questioned.
Kagome opened her eyes in surprise. She did not realize she had let that slip. "Yeah well, that was a long time ago. I was young."
"So who is this mystery man you've never talked about before?"
"Just someone from the past," Kagome whispered. "He really didn't matter because I'm marrying Shiro." Kagome felt something inside of her stomach hollow out, leaving her empty and alone.
* * * * * * * * * * *
Early in the morning, Kagome awoke with the image of a tall figure with wings burned into her retinas. The dream was always the same; a tall form with wings that seemed to be present only to haunt her. The form was always so solid, but the dream itself was so twisted and broken to make any sense of.
It was six in the morning when Kagome awoke, a small breeze and sunbeam finding its way through her window. Kagome wiped her eyes and took a moment to realize that she was back home and asleep in her bedroom.
"Today is the bridal shower Mom is planning for me," she said softly to herself. She peeled herself away from the warm covers and arose to get ready for the day. Kagome knew from experience it was best to leave the images of wings in her dreams and not drag them with her through the day. They only weighted her down.
Kagome's mother had promised to take her out for an early brunch at and shopping afterwards. Kagome knew her mother was trying to drag her out of the house while Mariko and the rest of her friends snuck into the house to prepare for the bridal shower. After the day with her mother and the shower, Shiro was coming to take her out for dinner at a nice restaurant. Kagome knew she would have to dress for the entire day so she pulled out a black dress and a pair of high heeled shoes Shiro's mother had bought her as a present for her birthday.
Kagome looked in the mirror before she left her room. The dress was plain in design, but it was so dark that it looked as though someone had made the dress out of spilt ink. It flattered her figure and skimmed the top of her knees. The shoes matched the dress perfectly and Kagome could not help but smile at the reflection in the mirror.
"Not stunning, but not the awkward teenager I was either." She left her room, and walked through the house only to find her mother in the kitchen decorating a cake.
Her mother tried to hide the cake quickly, "Oh Kagome, you're up early. Why don't you go take a quick walk so I can finish getting ready?"
"Okay. I'll be back in a little while." Kagome smiled to herself, turned, and walked out the backdoor. She was touched by her mother's attempts to hide the cake and the party. Kagome began walking in an aimless direction, not really worrying about where she was heading and letting her feet take her in an all too familiar path. She stepped through the streets and hopped in a puddle, not caring about the splash and her now wet feet. It was not long before she found herself in front of her families' old temple. She felt an outward force pressing her towards the temple.
She entered the door and looked at her surroundings, "It's been a while." She whispered to herself. She looked at the Bone Eater's Well, "I didn't want to come back."
Kagome looked into the depth of the well and the darkness surrounding it. She remembered how slinging herself the sides and into the darkness was so casual, but back then she had a reason for throwing herself into the darkness. Inuyasha. The quest for the Shikon no Tama and the destruction for Naraku was the main motivator, but if it were all condensed into one thin line the reason behind it all was Inuyasha.
"I didn't want to come back," she repeated. Kagome thoughts began to bounce through her head. There were so many memories that she had tried to repress into a distant corner of her mind; Miroku's good humor and perverted attempts to grope her, Sango's friendship, Shippou curling in her arms and calling her mother, Inuyasha's flashing amber eyes, the time he hugged her fiercely, the times he chose Kikyo rather than her, and all the times he made her cry.
In one instant all the thoughts channeled into one single image, a tall form with wings, the faceless form with the silver lining. The image made Kagome dizzy and she tried to grab the side of the well. She hobbled and gave up grasping the side, instead choosing to sit on the edge. Kagome sat and for a second felt the shakiness leave her limbs for a moment, but it resurged a moment later and she felt herself falling backwards.
An odd sensation entered into Kagome's body and a flash of light surrounded her. She felt a dull thud as she hit the dirt at the bottom of the well.
"Shoot! Now how am I going to get back up to the top in these heels?" Kagome said. "Mom's going to be expecting me home soon!"
Kagome heard the cry of a large bird from above and looked up at the light. Rather than seeing the roof of the temple, Kagome saw green tree tops and a blue sky.
"It couldn't be," Kagome said with a shocked whisper. "It's not possible." A familiar smell of the woods she used to travel through made its way down the well.
Kagome sighed and had an unearthly desire to cry, scream, yell, or do all three at the same time, "This isn't fair. I just want to get married. I just want to move on, but NO! I get dragged back here, and I don't even have the stupid jewel with me! And of course Inuyasha and Kikyo will be there and they'll be so happy with little cute kids."
She finished rambling, sighed, and then pulled her high heels off her feet, bit the straps with her teeth to hold onto them, and began to climb out of the well. Luckily, the year spent tracking through the woods had helped Kagome's agility and she had lost none of it in the last five years. Kagome grabbed her shoes from her mouth, tossed them over the edge of the well, and climbed out.
Kagome thought to herself, "Guess I'll head to the village. Doesn't look like I have any other options. I'll stay with Kaede until I can figure out what's going on, and then I'm out of here."
She put her shoes back on and began the walk. Kagome looked at the forest and felt a comfort cover her. "I'd forgotten how beautiful it was here," she thought to herself. Before long, Kagome found herself in the village. She made her way to Kaede's hut and banged her wrist against the thick wood.
A young boy answered the door, "Hello. Who are you?" He had black hair, dark eyes, and a smile that looked familiar.
"My name is Kagome. Who are you?" Kagome smiled.
"Taru." He tilted his head to the side and tried to study her.
"Is Kaede here?"
"No, not right now, but my Mama is here."
"Taru, who is that?" A lyrical voice came from inside the hut. A woman came to the door. She had long dark hair, thick bangs, and was very pregnant, but it only took Kagome a second to recognize her.
"Sango?"
"Kagome?" Sango squinted her eyes and studied her for a moment, before throwing her arms around Kagome. "How did you get here? We thought you went home? How is this possible?"
Kagome smiled, "I don't know, Sango. I fell down my families' well and found myself here."
Sango hugged Kagome a second time, "Oh, how I've missed you. Sometimes there are just too many men in this house."
"Did you and Miroku marry? And is he yours?" Kagome asked in a rush.
Sango reached for the little boy and picked me up, "Yep. This little devil is mine, and Miroku is his Daddy." Sango grinned wide.
"And you're pregnant?" Kagome touched Sango's stomach.
"Three months and we'll have another one."
"Well, Miroku wanted twenty kids." Kagome teased.
"He can keep on wishing. He is not getting twenty kids." Sango smiled. "Oh, Kagome it is so good to see you." Sango hugged Kagome for the third time. "We've missed you so much. You don't know what it means to see again. Let me get a look at you." Kagome twirled around. "You've changed. You're taller, Kagome and a little thinner too."
"I've grown up."
"Look at you. You look all fancy, and you have a huge jewel on your finger." Sango grabbed Kagome's hand and began to look at the huge diamond that sat on a platinum band.
"It's an engagement ring. My future husband, Shiro, gave it to me. It's like a promise that he'll take my hand in marriage."
Sango raised her eyebrows, "He must love you to give you a promise that large."
"He's good to me." Kagome answered.
Sango sucked her mouth, not sure how to respond.
"So where are Miroku and Shippou? I want to see them." Kagome asked.
"Shippou went out with Kaede to pick some herbs and Miroku is with Inuyasha."
"Inuyasha?" Kagome voice shook and cracked.
Sango noticed the look in Kagome's eyes, "Shippou should be back soon."
As if on cue a young demon, about the age of ten bounded through the back door of the hut, "Sango, you should see some of the herbs we found. Kaede will be able to brew plenty of medicine for the village."
Shippou stopped at the sight of Kagome at the door, "Kagome?"
Kagome gave a hesitant grin, "It's me, Shippou."
Shippou ran past Sango and threw himself in Kagome's open arms, "Mama."
It felt so satisfying to have Shippou in her arms again. She could not have loved Shippou more if he had been her own child, and having him near her gave her a sense of completion.
Kagome kissed the top of his shaggy head, "I missed you too."
"Come inside. Let me make you some dinner." Shippou grabbed her hand and tugged her inside, sitting her at a table. He began cooking some soup, and in less than ten minutes had a warm bowl of creamy soup for her to eat. "Eat, Kagome."
"Thank you." Kagome picked up the spoon and let the soup wind its way through her body. It was wonderful to have something warm and solid inside her stomach. Looking at Sango take care of little Taru and Shippou near her gave Kagome an odd sense of being home.
"This is wonderful. You've become quite a cook."
Shippou grinned widely, "Kaede is teaching me."
A loud noise came from outside the front door of the hut. Something slammed and it sounded like wood from the hut had just cracked.
"Sango, who dragged out all of Kagome's old stuff?" A yell and growl from the door came, and Kagome froze. The door slammed open, "I could smell it all the way from the woods. Didn't I tell you guys to keep all that stuff packed away?" Inuyasha's screaming could have been heard from a mile away.
Kagome looked at Inuyasha. He looked wild and angry, very angry. His eyes flashed, "Sango, where are you?"
Inuyasha's eyes ran quickly through the cabin, but stopped on Kagome. His mouth dropped, and his grip on the exotic fruit he held in his hand relaxed. The fruit fell to the floor and rolled away, completely unnoticed by the hanyou.
"Kagome?" he whispered.
Kagome stood up from the table and stared at Inuyasha. For several seconds the two held eye contact from across the room, neither being able to move. Inuyasha was the first to take a step. He moved slowly across the room and stopped a few inches from Kagome. He extended a shaking hand towards Kagome's face, and made contact with the skin on her face.
* Thank you to everyone who had reviewed. It really makes my day to find reviews underneath my story and it is a huge encouragement, so thank you for taking the time. Hope you like this chapter and sorry to end it with a semi-cliffhanger, but it seemed to be the best place to separate this chapter with what I have planned in the next chapter. So thanks for taking the time to read, and if it so moves you review please!