EXTRA EDIT: Right... so I have NO IDEA what happened to the page, lol! I think I saved and previewed it one too many times. No, it's not from my sugar intake, not to say that I'm not hyper already, but I was really upset when I loaded the page, read yall's reviews, and found that mess. Hopefully it's fixed now, and you guys found your way around ok. Thanks so much for being patient and awesome, yall RULE!!

Well, I have some 'splainin to do! Sorry it took me so long you guys, but it's been extremely hectic in my life. Week One: VacA--not hectic. Week Two: My first ever car-wreck. AA! Luckily, no one was hurt, and it wasn't my fault, so everythings OK. I'm just a little paranoid, now. So, here I am, day before school, delivering to you, my story readers, the last chapter. ENJOY!

Note: I use a Japanese word in here: "Haha-ue." The meaning is explained in the story, I won't spoil it. Why did I use it? Cuz it's cute, and I spent forever looking for it, and by the time I found it, I realized I'd already uploaded 2 chps with english "lords" and "ladys" instead of Samas. Go figure. Maybe one day, when I go back and fix everything, I'll change it. Or not.

Note2: "Sleep is overrated." I, personally, hate when people say that, because sleep is awesome. So, it's kind of a private joke. And now you're in on it too! YEA! Anyway, read on!

After a day of rest in the forest, Kagura was once again well on her feet. The little girl Rin had insisted with childish innocence that she stay, and, to Kagura's surprise, Sesshomaru did not object. Where they were heading, she didn't know. Sesshomaru always lead with silence. He was always followed closely by Jaken on foot or in air. Yet Rin had chosen to stay with the demoness. What inclined the child to stay by her side she didn't know. Happily Rin would cling to Kagura's hand, bouncing along, sometimes humming some tune of fancy. At first, Kagura resisted this attention.

"Wouldn't you rather be walking with Lord Sesshomaru?"

And the little girl would laugh and shake her head with a grin. So Kagura and Rin would walk behind their lord, the demoness still wondering at the simple openness of the youth's heart. Rin would talk and talk on the most inconsequential things while pointing out the trouble-free beauties of the forest, while seeking comfort from the stinging insects, while pulling Kagura into a child's world. She would continually ask questions to the Wind Sorceress, questions which Kagura rarely answered, yet Rin was hardly ever deterred. If any silence was evoked in the girl, it was still a cheerful one, and thus she had accompanied Kagura's side for a week.

In that short time Kagura was shocked to realize she had built up an affection for the girl, and when Rin would occasionally choose to walk by her father-figure, Kagura would feel empty without the chubby hand in her own. The demoness began to realize it was useless to dismiss the feelings as rubbish, and smiled as she knew now why Sesshomaru had changed so much.

She had observed them together, and noticed a father-daughter bond instead of a demon-human existence. What Rin had done for her Lord Sesshomaru was, externally, a quiet change. He seemed just as insensitive as before. Yet, inside, the change screamed its obviousness. His comforting strength had helped carry the child from her silent struggle, and her loving support had helped him to lose his selfish ways. Lord Sesshomaru had indeed become a father, though he perhaps would not ever admit to it. Kagura would smile as she would watch him gently pluck the youths hand into his own and walk on with all the ease as if he had done so forever. Kagura, for an uncountable time since she had been re-awakened, felt her heart swell. Her love and respect for the Lord of the West had tripled in the time she had spent with their company.

But so had her confusion.

She had never asked the question that belabored her mind since she was brought back. It haunted her mind from the instant she woke to night as they would gather round a fire. Laying on her side, listening to the gentle sounds of a snoring and sleeping girl and servant, she would watch him. He sat up straight in his sleep, ready for any threat to his adoptive family, eyes closed, breathing soft, slow, and deep. In this way, Kagura would lay and watch him every night, staring at his beautiful face and wondering.

On the seventh night, however, he caught her. Kagura was just beginning to drift away, feeling her eye lids close as she stared, without realizing for a moment that his eyes were far from closed themselves.

She gave a start as her eyes focused, seeing his eyes open and staring back. Breath caught in her throat, Kagura blinked and looked away, feeling a flush of heat rise into her cheeks that couldn't be traced to the dieing coals of the fire. She felt her skin crawl with frightened pleasure as his silky voice floated its way into the night—she couldn't look at him, could not look at those eyes.

"Lady Kagura, you should be asleep."

She blinked with a shrug as she sat up, trying with failing attempts to brush off her sudden capture. "Keh. Sleep is overrated."

He was silent for a moment, and then he looked away. "Not for one back from the dead it isn't."

Her eyes dragged themselves back up to his face. How could she ever have once hated him? So powerful, so strong, so good—he cared that she was better, he cared that she was alive... but.... His voice broke itself into her thoughts again. "But, then again, you haven't been getting much sleep lately, anyhow, have you."

It wasn't a question. He knew. Kagura's heart was beating an uneven tattoo inside her chest, her eyes wide and staring. How long had he known she was watching him? How long had he known?? The silence seeming to scream with panic in her ears, then, his eyes turned back to hers, and she felt her heart stop. "Tell me, Kagura. Or rather, ask me. What is it?"

Her jaw dropped, and she attempted quickly to close it. "I—I..." She blinked and looked up again to his face. "Why? Why did you save me? Bring me back from the depths of my lost world?"

He watched her for a moment, his eyes evasive to his thoughts, then he turned away from her. Kagura held her breath—had she offended him? Would he not answer? Then, coldly: "You're useful. Naraku believes you are dead. Whatever information you may have received would be valuable to us, and would catch him unawares. That gives us the advantage."

Kagura felt her body melt; releasing the breath she had held so dearly. She knew she should say something, give some response of understanding, but she couldn't. Such dark emotions were welling in her, and she looked away. So that was all. She was foolish to think he, the great Lord of the West, would see her... see her the way she saw him.

"And..."

His voice—her head snapped up, eyes locking instantly to his own, for his face was now again turned towards her, eyes fixated on her face.

"You are...special, Kagura."

Moments passed like eternity as they stared at each other, faces illuminated by the fire's embers. Special. She was special. All at once he blinked and looked away, as she too ripped away her widened eyes, breaking the bond of peaceful emotion so suddenly forged between them. Kagura was finding it somehow hard to breath without making a sound, finding it somehow hard to listen to her echoing heartbeat in all that silence, for all the world she would have given to scream with delight. Special.

"Get some sleep, Lady Kagura."

She felt herself lay back down, not quite sure what muscles were performing it on this cloud of heaven. How could that simple word mean so much to her? Never, in all the world, to anyone, had it ever meant so much. The feelings of doubt and hurt lifted high under the weight of that one word. Special.

"Kagura!"

"Yes Rin?"

"You look happy today, Kagura!"

She looked down at the little girl she held in her arms. Request after request had landed her that high vantage point, and now there the little girl was, poking about again. Kagura felt herself blush.

"Ni—Nice dreams I suppose..."

Rin giggled and smiled up at the demoness. There was something infectious about that laughter, and Kagura felt herself smile as they walked after Sesshomaru and Jaken. Eyes following closely on his long white mane, she didn't notice for some time the pudgy little hand waving itself in front of her face.

"Kagura... hello-o?"

Special...

"Hello? Are you listening to me?"

Suddenly reality struck her and she blinked and looked down to the source of her disturbance. "Yes, Rin?"

"THERE you are. Haha-ue, can I ride on your shoulders?"

"Wha--??" Kagura felt a blush quickly spread from her cheeks to her ears—mommy?? Sesshomaru had suddenly stopped walking.

"Err—listen kid, don't call me that. I'm not your mom."

But Rin was persistent. She grinned up at the distressed demoness, blissfully unaware of the embarrassment she was causing to more than one creature. "Why not? I like you, haha-ue. Can I ride on your shoulders?"

"No, really, don't—"

Rin had suddenly reached up...and grabbed her into a hug. Arms held tight around Kagura's shoulders, she squeezed all her love into that one little hug. "Haha-ue."

Kagura stared in disbelief at the young one. Blinking, she felt her own arms respond to go around the youth and hug her in return. Such dramatic acceptance as this, such love, she had never felt before. And now, with this young girl in her arms, and her Lord up ahead, Kagura felt a sudden stinging in her eyes. These... these tears...? The emotion was overwhelming. For once, these tears had no root in sadness or terror, no root in Naraku or death—she was free, and she was loved, and for the first time in life, Kagura felt what it was to be happy.

She blinked away the tears, and, wordlessly, she gently plucked the youth from her neck and swung her round to her shoulders, much to the delighted exclamation of the young girl. Ahead Sesshomaru continued his march. Securing Rin with a hop, Kagura looked to the Lord of the West, wondering what he thought of Rin's behavior, and she was shocked to see just enough of his face...

...Just enough to see the smallest traces of a smile.

ENDE!!
Aww, don't be sad. It's really only the beginning...
Enough cheese for you? No? Oh fine.

And they lived happily ever after.

Which they do of course. I want to say one last awesomely HUGE thank you to all those who reviewed, you guys are the top of the world to me, and I rave about you all the time to my family (who really don't know exactly what I'm talking about, but appreciate yall too!) I also want to thank...oh lord, I've forgotten you're ID!! ACK, I'm TERRIBLE!! Well, whoever it was that so awesomely let me know the diff between to anime and manga heart. Thank you so much, and forgive my horrid name memory skills!

For those new to this tale and for those old, I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did! Thanks, R&R, and hugs to all!