A/N Thanks to everyone who reviewed! This isn't my first IY fanfic, but it is the first one I had the guts to post... this was originally just a one shot single chapter story, but you guys demanded more! What's a girl to do? Write another chapter of course! With my deepest regret, I do not own Inuyasha which is copyrighted to it's rightful owner, Rumiko Takahashi. But the plot is all mine! Mwahahaha! On with the story!

Points of View

Chapter 2

She's Back! And a Letter

Inu Yasha and Kagome entered the small village, Inu Yasha quickly setting her down when they encounter the rest of the gang. Shippo happily leaps into Kagome's arms, shouting with joy. "Kagome's back! You're finally back! Did you bring that chocolate stuff with ya?"

Kagome couldn't help but laugh at him, ruffling his hair after giving him an affectionate hug, despite the blush on her cheeks. "Of course! Just give me a few minutes and I'll get it for you, okay?"

Shippo nods, a big smile on his face. "Okay, Kagome!"

Inu Yasha gives Miroku a glare that clearly says Not-one-word, Miroku having been in the process of starting to say something that was more than likely perverted. Especially since he had seen the way Inu Yasha was carrying Kagome into the village. Miroku quickly clears his throat and pretends that Inu Yasha doesn't have a blush on his cheeks. "Lady Kagome, welcome back. Did everything go well?"

Kagome nods. "Yeah, I think I might have actually passed. You haven't groped Sango while I was gone, have you?"

Miroku sweat drops while one of his eyebrows twitch. "Eh heh, of course not! Why would I do anything-"

Wham!

Sango glares down at the now unconscious monk, her Hiraikotsu embedded on the top of his head. "Hentai! Kagome! Thank the gods you're back! I wasn't sure if I was going to be able to tolerate him for much longer! So how did your 'test' go?"

Kagome embraces her friend, linking arms with her as Shippo perches on Kagome's shoulder. "I think I might have actually passed! It was great! You're gonna love this; it was History. But you see, here's the kicker, it was over the Sengko Jidai period. I couldn't believe my luck! My teacher..."

Their words are soon lost to Inu Yasha as they walk back to Kaede's hut. He could only stare down at Miroku with his arms crossed over his chest before sighing and taking some pity on his friend, even though he more than likely once again deserved what he got. Inu Yasha picked the Houshi up, throwing him over his shoulder like a sack of rice before heading to Kaede's hut as well.

It isn't long before Miroku returns to the land of the living, lifting his head with a groan to look at Inu Yasha as best he can. "Inu Yasha, you can put me down now."

Inu Yasha hmph's and drops the lecherous monk as if he were a sack of potatoes into a corner of the hut, away from the girls to the poor monk's dismay. "Gladly."

Miroku grimaces, reaching around to rub the small of his back. "You didn't have to drop me like that you know!"

"Yeah, whatever. Any word on some jewel shards or not?"

Miroku sighs, wearily rubbing his temple, he had been waiting for that. "Not recently. There have been rumors that your brother is looking for you, again."

"Humph, no surprise there. He claims he no longer cares about the Tetsaiga, but he certainly likes to give me enough trouble, trouble I could do without since I'd rather be hunting jewel shards." Inu Yasha leans back against the wall of the hut, sitting purposely between Miroku and where the girls were at, his arms crossed over his chest. He wasn't about to have that baka houshi put his hands on or anywhere near HIS Kagome. "Is there anything else besides that? Anything that's actually important?"

Miroku blinks. Actually important? Inu Yasha generally jumped at the mention of half brother, as if itching to fight him for whatever reason he could think of. Kagome, of course, never cared much for that. Not that Miroku could blame her. "Uh, outside of that, nothing comes to mind."

Inu Yasha nods, his ears swiveling in Kagome's direction as she approaches him.

"Hang on Sango, let me get something out of my bag."

She kneels down next to Inu Yasha, blushing slightly when she senses him watching her out the corner of his eye, digging through her pack for something. It isn't long before she pulls out an envelope, a bar of chocolate, and a bottle of rose scented bath gel with its own scrubby. She quickly closes her pack and nearly trips over her own feet in her sudden haste to get back to Sango's side, the only thing saving her from falling being Inu Yasha's arm wrapped around her stomach from behind. Her eyes widen at the feeling, completely oblivious to the fact that Kaede, who had just entered the hut, Sango, Miroku, and Shippo were all staring at them with looks of shock.

"Don't you know you should be more careful, Kagome?" Inu Yasha asked her in a slightly teasing voice, making sure she had her footing before reluctantly pulling his arm away.

"Ar, arigato Inu Yasha..." This time, she manages to make it back to Sango's side without incident. As soon as she sat down, she realized they were staring at her and Inu Yasha. "What?! Why are you staring at me like that you guys?"

Inu Yasha promptly cracks his fist down on Miroku's head when he sees a lecherous smile creeping onto the lips of the perverted monk, his cheeks nearly as red as his haori. "Don't even think it, monk!"

Sango clears her throat and quickly decides to change the subject. "What have you got there, Kagome?"

Kagome blinks, it taking her a second before she's able to get her wits back together. "Oh! Shippo, here's the chocolate I promised you, now just promise me you won't eat it all at once. I don't want you getting a stomach ache, okay?"

Shippo happily takes the chocolate bar from her. "Okay Kagome! I promise!"

Kagome then hands the bottle of bath gel to Sango. "Here's the bath gel I told you about. This way, we can have our own bottles with the scent we like and won't run out as quickly."

Sango gladly accepts the gift, twisting the cap off to smell it. "Oh! It smells like roses! Thank you Kagome! You wanna go to the hot springs with me later so I can use it?"

Kagome claps her hands together. "Sure! I don't see why not. I had a bath earlier back home, but a nice soak in the hot springs sounds great."

"What's that paper you got there?"

"Huh?" She looks down at her hands, having completely forgotten about the envelope she had pulled out. "Oh! This is a letter from my penpal. We've been writing back and forth for a few years now. I usually leave her letters at home, but it arrived just before I left and I couldn't wait to read it."

Kagome quickly tears open the letter, her eagerness shining in her eyes. She starts reading aloud to them, wanting to share what was written in the letter.

Dear Kagome,

I hope this letter finds you well. I'm sorry it took me so long to respond to your last letter. You're probably wondering why it looks as if someone else has written this letter, well, you'd be right. My sister is writing this for me.

Kagome, please don't cry, although I know you more than likely will. I have come to know you too well over these past few years. I have some bad news and some good news.

Being the good friend I am, I'll give you the good news first. My mom contacted your mom and they made arrangements for me and my sister to come visit you in Tokyo. You probably weren't told because it was supposed to be a secret until I told you.

The bad news... the bad news I'm finding it difficult to tell you in this letter. It'll be easier to tell you in person, I fear. Let it be suffice to say that there is nothing left for me to see.

I should be arriving in roughly two days time. I can't wait to meet you in person instead of constantly sharing photos and letters.

Yours truly,

Love,

Melissa Thornshire

Kagome scans the letter again, searching for some clue as to what the bad news really was. That cryptic remark was going to drive her nuts! She shakes her head slowly. "I don't understand... bad news? Why couldn't she tell me now?" She reads the letter once more before gasping.

Inu Yasha looks over at her, sensing her distress. "What is it, Kagome?"

Kagome looks at her wrist watch, ticking something off on her fingers before jumping to her feet. "I gotta go!"

Sango blinks. "Go? You just got here! Kagome, what's wrong?"

"Don't you see? She'll be here in two days! I have to go back and get everything ready for when she gets there! I swear, I'll be back in a week!" She grabs her pack, pulling out everything that she had brought that was either going to get eaten or used during her stay. "Here, since I don't need to take all this stuff back with me, plus it'll lighten my load, I'll just leave this stuff here."

Inu Yasha grabs her wrist, forcing her to stop from putting her pack on. "No."

Kagome blinks. No? No! She narrows her eyes at him, glaring at him coldly, despite the fact that she had told him earlier that she loved him.

Inu Yasha gulps, backing up half a step. Oh great, she was going to sit him, he just knew it! He just had to ruin a, for the most part, wonderful day! He quickly back tracks, scrambling to keep himself from getting sat right there. "I'll carry your pack." He quickly takes it from her, slinging it over his shoulder before moving to stand in the doorway, looking back at her. "Well, are you comin' or not?"

Kagome stares at him a moment in shock before following, she was still tempted to 'sit' him, but his quick turn around had temporarily disoriented her. "Uh, yeah. Of course I'm coming! Sheesh!" She easily follows him outside, giving him a funny look once they were out of sight of the rest of the group.

He glares back at her. "What? Do I have horns now instead of ears or somethin'?"

Kagome shakes her head, turning to look straight ahead before speaking. "You know you can't stick around once she shows up, right?"

"Yeah, yeah. I know. You're afraid that she'll 'freak out' when she sees me, right?"

Kagome nods. "Right. Besides, I'll introduce you to her when I feel it's all right. She's flying here all the way from Florida in the U.S. so she's going to be really tired when she gets here as it is."

Inu Yasha nods, placing an arm around her waist and easily lifting her to hold her against him before jumping into the well and jumping right back out when they reach her time. He didn't understand this U S or floor eh duh stuff, but he managed to catch the general gist of it.

Once they were out of the well house, he careful set her down before closing the door behind them. He silently watches her start to walk away for a moment before deciding to ask her something. "Kagome?"

Kagome spins around, a smile on her lips with her hands clasped behind her back, the breeze lightly playing with her hair as a few Sakura blossom petals blow by. "Hmm?"

Inu Yasha nearly dropped her back pack at that point, she looked so innocent and, beautiful, at that moment. All thoughts went flying from his brain.

"Inu Yasha?"

He blinks, looking away from her for a moment so he could remember what it was he was going to say. "You don't mind if I stay until she arrives, do you?"