Kagome's return's chapter 17

it begins...

"Because she wouldn't stop loving you!" Sesshomaru screams! He moves, fast . . . and a blink of an eye, Tetsusaiga is flying through the air and Sesshomaru has Inu-yasha by the throat.

Inu-yasha's eyes widen in shock. They focus on Sesshomaru's free hand, it is glowing green and acid is dripping from it.
Sesshomaru's other hand is around Inu-yasha's throat and is lifting him off the ground.

"Damn you, Inu-yasha." Sesshomaru growls through clenched teeth.
"Will you think!? Will you hurt her!? Or will you help her!?"

"You can't kill me." Inu-yasha whispers through his constricted throat.

Sesshomaru takes deep breath and shoves Inu-yasha to the ground.
"You're right, damn you. Killing you would hurt Kagome and I can't do that."

"And killing you would hurt her." Inu-yasha says in a hoarse voice as he rubs his throat. He is sitting up from the push Sesshomaru gave him.

Sesshomaru nods. "And leaving Kagome would hurt her. Not that I can leave her."

Inu-yasha nods. 'Same here. I can't leave her.' He thinks.
A pause.

"I will put Kagome's desires above mine own, Inu-yasha."
Sesshomaru begins to say, "Will you do the same?"

Inu-yasha glares at his brother. He opens his mouth to speak. He closes it with a snap.

"Well?" Sesshomaru growls out.

"I'm going to hear about Kagome's perfect world from her lips,
not yours." Inu-yasha spits out. "For all I know, all this has been a trick!"

His eyes narrow, as he thinks, 'this could be some trick to make me seem more like Miroku. I can see him proposing to two women,
even at the same time. And if I tell Kagome that I'm willing to try to be with her and Sesshomaru at the same time that sounds a lot like one of Miroku's schemes.'

Sesshomaru nods. "An adequate answer. Even, given our history,
better than one could expect." He says in a very reasonable tone.

"You're not going to force me to answer, yes?" Inu-yasha asks in a puzzled tone.

Sesshomaru shakes his head, no. "I'm not, little brother. For two reasons: first, I know enough about love, that it has come from the heart, and forcing you to say yes, would not be a good idea."

"And the second?"

Sesshomaru's raises an eyebrow. "Part of me wants you to say, no.
Because once you reject that plan, you will try to make her yours. And, right now, your jealousy and possessiveness will drive her away and into my arms."

Inu-yasha growls, deep in his chest. "I don't like it, or you."
He slams his fist into the ground. "I wish I could rip your head off and piss down your bleeding neck."

"You are welcome to try, little brother."

Inu-yasha glares at Sesshomaru.

Sesshomaru gazes back, without expression.

A silent pause . . .

"You will listen to her?" Sesshomaru asks in quiet voice.

Inu-yasha, after a long pause, slowly nods.

"Good. Excellent." Sesshomaru replies. "The best reply I was hoping for, in fact."

"Huh?" Inu-yasha blurts out. "I thought that you wanted me to say yes?"

"When she left, you weren't listening to her. You were fighting her and screaming at her." Sesshomaru replies. "Now, You've just promised to listen to her, not fight her."

Inu-yasha growls, "I don't like it when you put words in my mouth. I didn't promise a thing."

Sesshomaru rolls his eyes and sighs. "Fine. Have it your way,
then, Inu-yasha." He points to Kirara. "You are aware that we had an observer."

Inu-yasha looks at Kirara . . . his eyes widen.

Kirara mews, softly, in the trees.

"You weren't. Why does that not surprise me?" Sesshomaru bemoans.

"Fuck you." Inu-yasha sneers.

'Brilliant conversationalist . . . ' Sesshomaru thinks. 'I've got to see if Kagome can fix that.'

"You will listen to her?" Sesshomaru asks again.

"I said I would, damn it!" inu-yasha screams. He waves his fist at Sesshomaru. "I just wish I could rip your face off!"

Sesshomaru raises an eyebrow. 'It would be best if he could burn off some his energy in combat. If he's already had a real fight,
he might not fight with Kagome.' He thinks.

Sesshomaru moves into a basic defensive position and forms his acid whip.

Inu-yasha quickly grabs Tetsusaiga and moves into a defensive position.

'What is going on?' Kirara thinks. 'I didn't think that they would fight?'

Sesshomaru pauses, and shifts his head. 'Perhaps, instead of me .
. . there is another target. Someone that I would enjoy killing,
as well.' He thinks.

Inu-yasha, still in his defensive position looks in the same direction. 'Is he sensing something? A possible attacker?' Inu-
yasha thinks.

"Inu-yasha." Sesshomaru begins to speak in a very low voice, only Inu-yasha's superb senses allow him to hear him. Even Kirara is too far away to understand the whispers.

"What?" Inu-yasha whispers back. "A demon or something?"

"Something." Sesshomaru continues, still in that low whisper,
"While we were traveling, Kagome found out that the Jewel and all the adventures and trails that she and you went through were tests."

"Tests?" Inu-yasha hisses.

"Yes, tests." Sesshomaru's eyes narrow. "For what, exactly, I don't know. Kagome, I think, has found out, but, between Naraku,
Sango's brother, and us, she hasn't had time to tell anyone."

"What do you know?"

"That Go-Shin-Boku-kami was the one that was testing her and you."

"The fucking god tree?" Inu-yasha squeaks. He growls. "That makes sense. His motherfucking spring fertility festival. He manipulated and caused that orgy to happen. I hated being possessed and fucking Kagome in public."

"I found being shifted from world to world, against my will, to be offensive as well, Inu-yasha." Sesshomaru growls. "Kagome told me, that the god tree on her side of the well, is the creature that is powering the well."

Inu-yasha's eyes narrow. "She stopped you from attacking him,
didn't she?"

"Of course."

A pause.

Inu-yasha lowers Tetsusaiga and looks at Sesshomaru. He smirks and begins to speak in a normal volume. "Big Brother,"
Sesshomaru's eyebrows raise, but his doesn't say a thing.

"Since, if you are correct about Kagome's desires, we will need to get along, perhaps you and I should take a stroll."

"And talk?" Sesshomaru smiles, showing his fangs.

Inu-yasha smiles back, showing his fangs. "Of course. I'm sure you'll find the conversation very enjoyable."

"Of course. I enjoy a good conversation."

Both brothers begin to walk, slowly toward the god tree. As they walk, Sesshomaru begins to tell Inu-yasha about his and Kagome's travels.

"You do know, that no matter what, I still don't trust you." Inu-
yasha whispers to Sesshomaru.

"And you do know, that no matter what, I am your superior."
Sesshomaru whispers back.

Kirara follows . . .

Since I am evil . . . I'll leave it there.

But, since I'm not that evil, I won't end the chapter . . .

On the other side of the well . . . (continuing from chapter 15)

Miroku's clean and whole hand grabs hers.

His mouth twitches, "I am embarrassed, Sango, I had a wonderful,
romantic speech planned, but, I can't remember a word. So." He pauses, then . . .

"Higurashi Sango, I Higurashi Miroku, wish to marry you." He asks, in a low voice. His head is up and he is looking at her.

Sango looks at him in the eyes. Her other hand covers his. "I accept." She whispers.

"And I approve." Their adopted mother says as she stands up.

Kagome, silently, stands up as well.

"Yeah." Sota squeaks out.

"Yes!" "Great!" "Congratulations!" Kagome's friends yell.

Kagome and her mother rush around the couch and hug Sango and Miroku.

"I would have thought you would have done it with more romance?"
Kagome whispers to Miroku as they hug each other.

"I wanted to." Miroku whispers back. He looks at Sango, who is listening, "but, I made a promise that once Naraku was dead, I'd ask. And, this is the first chance I really had. Also, once your brother wakes up, you'll be distracted."

Sango nods. "I do appreciate it, Monk. No. Miroku." She whispers.

"Tonight, unless something comes up," their mother whispers, "you two can use my bedroom."

"Are you sure?" Sango squeaks.

Mrs. H smiles. "I'll be Ok."

"What are you four whispering about?" One of Kagome's friends calls.

They break the group hug. "Just stuff, Eri." Kagome says as she and her mother sit back down on the couch.

Miroku, his hand holding Sango's, goes to the chair and he sits down on it. "I don't like being fondled in public." Sango says as she looks down at him. He obviously wants her to sit in his lap.

"Up" Sango growls. "You get up, and I'll sit down. And then, you can sit on my lap."

Miroku looks around the room. 'She's got a lot of support here,
doesn't she? Her newly adopted mother and sister, who also just happens to be her best friend. Her best friends three female friends, and little brother and adopted son.' He sighs and stands up.

Sango's lips twitch into a quick smile, as she sits down.

Miroku, after another sigh, sits down on Sango's lap.

She, easily, picks him up, and shifts him, so he fits comfortably on her lap.

"If I was sitting on your lap." Sango whispers into his ear.
"You'd perform outrages on me. I am very tempted, to do the same." Her hands, still around his waist, move suggestively.
"But, instead, I will set an example of proper behavior for you."

'Proper behavior,' Miroku thinks, 'is what? What other people think is proper? And if that's the case, are they correct or are they wrong?' He sighs, 'at least, once things settle down some, I can teach her about what is the correct behavior. My way.'

"When will you two get married?" Yuka asks.

Sango and Miroku twist to share a glance. "That is hard to say."
Sango begins. "There's my brother. There is Kagome, Inu-yasha and know Sesshomaru to consider."

"The village has been destroyed, as well." Miroku adds. "We'll be busy helping them, as well. It could be some months before the official ceremony."

Sango nods, agreeing with him. She looks at Kagome. "You will do the honor?"

Kagome smiles. "I'll kill anyone that tries to stop me."

'It's not traditional for a miko to consecrate the marriage,
but.' Miroku thinks. 'Like Kagome says, I can't think of anyone I'd rather have to it.'

'hmmm.' Shippo thinks. 'Now that they're out of the way.'

"What about you, Kagome?" Shippo asks. "You were talking about your adventures."

"And courtship!" Yuka purrs as she continues to fondle Shippo's tail.

Kagome looks around the room, and instead of looking at Sango and Miroku, everyone is looking at her.

She sighs. "Courtship, Yuka?" She nods. "Yes, Sesshomaru and I courted, among other things."

Her mouth twitches, and a far away look appears in her eyes. "I told him things that I've been wishing to tell Inu-yasha. He told me things that he's never told anyone, or even wished to tell anyone."

She turns to look at her mother. "Which is, I suppose, where it started?"

"what started?" her mother asks.

"The conversations that we had." Kagome replies, still with a far away gleam in her eyes. "I started to open up with him. And,
unlike Inu-yasha, who always pushes me away, he started to open up to me."

Kagome glances at Miroku and Sango. "Oh, we knew that there was a physical attraction between us. We even knew that, probably sooner or later, we'd allow that physical attraction to lead to sex, but." She pauses.

"But?" Sango asks.

"It was the conversations that we were having that changed things, Sango." Kagome slowly nods. "Oh, I still might have. No.
I'll be honest." She says as she shakes her head. "We would have fucked each other. But, without those conversations, all that fucking would have meant to us was just a momentary pleasuring on our bodies, nothing else."

"But you talked to each, instead of fighting?" Miroku asks.

Kagome nods. "Oh, there were times when we'd disagree about things. Sesshomaru firmly believes that killing everyone and letting the gods sort them out is a good strategy. Whereas I'm always trying to find a way to avoid death and destruction."

Mrs. H places her hand Kagome's thigh, as they sit on the couch.
"your's is the correct path."

Kagome smiles, "I know. I've even changed his mind enough to allow me to make an attempt at a peaceful solution." She sighs.

'But, talking with Sesshomaru is so much more than anything that Inu-yasha has ever done with me.' Kagome thinks. 'I've adventured with inu-yasha. He's saved my life, I've saved his, but, because he won't talk to me, I think, I know less about him than I do Sesshomaru.'

"Talking to lord Sesshomaru led to what?" Rin asks from the floor, as she sits with Sota.

Kagome looks at Rin. 'How do I say this? Especially to her?' she thinks.

A long pause as all the adults and teenagers in the room wait to see how Kagome will handle that question.

"Led lord Sesshomaru and I into making love to each other."
Kagome replies. Her mouth twists into a smile. "I never understood how Inu-yasha could love Kikyo and I at the same time.
Now, I can. Inu-yasha and Sesshomaru have each captured part of my heart."

A pause.

"Are you Rin's mother now?" Rin asks.

Another pause.

"I will, if you want me to be." Kagome replies. "And, Rin, that is will be true no matter what happens between Inu-yasha,
Sesshomaru and myself."

A pause.

Rin stands up and walks to Kagome. Tears begin to form in her eyes. "Rin . . . doesn't remember her mother."

Kagome gives Shippo to Yuka as she slides off the couch and hugs Rin. "Cry." She whispers.

Rin hugs Kagome as she cries into Kagome's shoulder.

Kagome, after a couple of minutes, leans back against the couch as she sits on the floor. She drags Rin's body into her lap and watches as Rin curls into a ball as she lays on Kagome's stomach.

"No matter what, Rin." Kagome says in a low emotion filled voice.
"No matter what, I'll be here for you."

Time passes as Rin softly cries . . .

Mrs. H bends over and whispers into Kagome's ear. "Will you be there for everyone?"

"Probably not." Kagome answers back. "But, which is better.
Trying to be there for everyone, and maybe, failing? Or only being there for yourself?"

Mrs. h reaches down and squeezes Kagome's shoulder. "I am proud to have as my daughter." She says in a low voice.

Everyone in the room, softly agrees with Mrs. h.

Kagome flicks her eyes to Sango in time to see Sango's nod.

After a short time, Rin stops crying, but she still remains in Kagome's lap.

"What happened with you and Sesshomaru?" Eri, finally, asks.

"We made love to each other and fell in love with each other."
Kagome replies, speaking in a soft, emotion filled voice.

"Inu-yasha?" Miroku asks in a gentle voice.

Kagome looks at him. "That's the odd thing, Miroku. I always assumed that if I ever fell in love with someone else, I'd stop loving Inu-yasha."

She licks her lips. "But, that never happened. If anything, being away from him, caused my feelings for him to increase." She shakes her head, "but, it didn't stop my heart from feeling love and caring for Sesshomaru at the same time."

"So you still love Inu-yasha?" Ayumi asks. "And Sesshomaru, at the same time?"

Kagome nods.

Various people in the room look at each other, all of them thinking the same thing. 'Kagome's got a choice to make and it'll be a hard one.'

"What are you going to do?" Eri asks.

A pause . . . as nothing happens.

"Kagome?" Her mother says.

Kagome sighs. She glares at Miroku. "I don't want to hear a word from you, by the way."

"Me?" Miroku asks, very surprised. "My dear sister, except for Sota, I'm the only male in this room. If I do something that you don't like, what do you think would happen to me? Especially since I'm sitting on Sango's lap" he says as he wiggles his ass into Sango's lap.

"Grr." Sango growls into his ear, as the other females in the room giggle at Miroku's speech. "You're about to find out."

"Yes, dear." Miroku whispers back.

"You're trying to upset me." Sango hisses.

Miroku smiles, without saying a word.

Kagome looks around the room. She sighs again. 'How to explain'
she thinks.

She looks at the floor, so she doesn't have to stare at anyone's face. "Ayumi, Eri, and Yuka, you three do know that in the past,
it was Ok for a man to have two or more wives, right?"

"Yes." Eri replies.

"And concubines," Yuka replies.

"And probably sex slaves." Ayumi adds.

Most of the people in the room look at Ayumi. Miroku has a weird gleam in his eye. At least he does until Sango hand squeezes him,
hard.

Kagome, who keeps her eyes on the floor, continues, "well,
Sesshomaru and I were talking, and, he came up with the idea that."

"Both of them." Sango interrupts. "You want to marry both of them at the same time!"

Kagome nods, without looking at her friend, or anybody.

Both anyone else can speak . . .

"That's great!" Ayumi calls out. A daydreaming look in her eyes.
"Both of them at the same time!"

At the same time . . .

"That's horrible!" Eri calls out. "You can only love one person at a time!"

Kagome looks at Eri. "Why? What rule? Does, my heart has to follow that rule?"

"Why?" Eri replies. "But. But. It just doesn't happen."

"Does that make it wrong?" Kagome asks, "and, if so, why does it make it wrong?"

"Jealousy and possessiveness." Miroku gently breaks in. "Those emotions can disrupt a simple relationship between a man and a woman. With a woman and two men, those emotions becomes even more powerful and more likely to destroy that relationship."

Kagome looks at Miroku. She nods. "But, those emotions are not absolute, are they Miroku? Those emotions can be controlled. And,
given the right people, a relationship like that can work."

He nods. "In principal you are correct, Lady Kagome. With the proper training, those emotions are controllable and such a three-way relationship can be stable." He raises a hand in a stop signal. "But."

"But, can Inu-yasha and Sesshomaru control their emotions."
Kagome says as soon as she hears Miroku's 'but.'

He nods.

Kagome sighs, deeply. "I don't know, Miroku. Sesshomaru and I have had long talks about jealousy and possessiveness. He's pretty sure that he can control his."

"Are you sure?" Shippo asks. "What about all those fights over Tetsusaiga? That doesn't strike me as a man that can share."

Kagome nods at Shippo's question. "We've talked about that, as well, Shippo." She pauses. "I'm sure that dealing with Tetsusaiga and Tenseiga will be harder than he thinks."

Her lips twitch. "But, he's promised me that he'll do it. And I don't think he'll want to disappoint me."

"Sesshomaru?" Shippo squeals. "Are you sure?"

Kagome nods. "I have to trust him and I will."

"Inu-yasha?" Sango asks.

Kagome looks at the ground. "I don't know." She whispers.

A long Silence . . .

"Kagome?" her mother whispers, loudly into the silence.

"I don't know, mom!" Kagome cries out. She pulls Rin close to her and begins to cry into Rin's shoulder.

Her mother, instantly, slides off the couch and gathers Kagome and Rin into her arms.

Sango, instantly, picks Miroku up and stands up, places him down,
and moves to Mrs. H and Kagome. She, stops, suddenly her hands formed into fists. 'I don't know what to do.' She thinks. 'There is no one here to hit.'

Miroku, gestures for Sota to stand next to him, as he stands up.
Sota moves next to Miroku.

Kagome's three friends, who looked at Sango as she moved, all recoil away from her. The look in Sango's eyes . . . They've never stared into the eyes of a stone-cold warrior before.

"Mom," Kagome sobs, "I want everything to work out. I want to live happily ever after, but."

"Everything will fine." Her mother

"Inu-yasha will never agree to this!" Kagome wails. "I know him. He'll never do it! I've tried to believe it! I want to believe it! But, it'll never happen." Her voice fades into sobs as she cries.

"Shush," Mrs. H begins to rock her daughter, as Rin, quietly slips out between them and stands next to Sango.

"They're fighting." Kagome sobs. "Right now, on the other side of the well, they are fighting. And only one of them will live. I know this." She wails. "And the worse part, I don't know who I want to live . . . "

"Everything will be fine." Kagome's mother whispers. "You'll see.
It will work out in the end."

"How?" Kagome asks. "Inu-yasha is so jealous. He is so possessive . . . "

"He loves you." Mrs. h states in a no-nonsense tone. "Right?"

Kagome nods, rubbing her head against her mother's shoulder.

"He'll die for you, right?"

"Yes." Kagome whispers.

"You love him."

"Yes."

"You would die for him."

"Yes."

"Then, by all the gods, he'll put your feelings before his own."
Kagome's mother declares. "Otherwise, he's lying to you."

"But, shouldn't I put his feeling before mine?" Kagome asks.

A pause . . . as everyone looks at Kagome's mother, watching her.

"That, my dear, is for you to decide." Mrs. H whispers. "But,
before you do, think about how your decision will affect the people you love and care for. And consider, will Inu-yasha, or Sesshomaru, for that matter, think about how their decisions will affect others, or do they only care about themselves?"

A pause . . .

"Sesshomaru will consider my opinions." Kagome replies. "He's shown that and I trust him to continue doing that."

"Inu-yasha?" Mrs. H asks.

"I don't know." Kagome whispers. "There's times when I think he would, then, there's times when he doesn't care what I think,
he's made a decision and I have no say in it."

"I think, Kagome," Sango says, as she stands next to Kagome.
"Until inu-yasha can show that he will listen to you that you have to think for yourself."

Kagome looks up at her best friend, tears falling from her checks. "Are you sure?" she whispers.

Sango nods. "I like Inu-yasha. In combat, I'll trust his judgments without question. But, outside combat? Especially where love is concerned?" Sango shakes her head. "I'll trust your judgment far more than I'll trust his."

Sango kneels down and hugs Kagome's shoulders. "If you say that you and Sesshomaru are in love, together. I'll believe you and I'll help you, without question."

Sango's lips twist. "And, if that means, helping you create some sort of three-way relationship, so be it." She stares into Kagome's eyes. "I trust you."

"Thank you, Sango." Kagome whispers. Mrs. h lets go of her daughter, allowing Sango room to kneel next to her.

Sango hugs her best friend, tightly. "You do know that your going to be in the middle, as those two fight for your affection?" she whispers.

Kagome sighs, "I know. It won't be pretty, especially at first.
But. I've had a while to think about this, and I've got a plan."

"I hope so." Sango whispers back. "I'll help."

"Thank you."

Mrs. h reaches out and grabs Kagome's shoulder. "Are you all right, now?"

Kagome looks at her mother and at her best friend. "I'm better,
mom." She sighs, "I just wish that I knew what was happening on the other side of the well."

"I don't have to hear the rest of your story, right now." Mrs. h says. "If you wish to go back through the well, without finishing this, go ahead."

Kagome looks at her mother. Her mother nods.

Kagome looks around the room. After a hurried whispered conference, all three of her friends nods. (Yuka looks a bit pissed, but . . . )

Everyone else, nods.

Kagome takes a deep breath and nods. "In that case, I'll leave right now."

Sango stands up, picking Kagome up in the process. "I'll walk you to the well." Sango glares at the room, "I'd like to have a private moment with you." Her glare freezes the room.

"Ok." Kagome says in a shaky voice.

Sango and Kagome leave the house and go to the well house.

"You do know that Inu-yasha will visit geishas, trying to upset you?" Sango asks.

Kagome sighs. "I can see him doing that."

"And?"

"And, I'll ignore it. They don't matter to him. He'd only be doing it too upset me."

Sango nods. "You do know that Miroku will try to horn himself in."

"Inu-yasha's and Sesshomaru's glares should stop that."

Sango nods. "Perhaps, at least for a while." She sighs, "but,
what about this?"

"What?"

"Sooner or later, Inu-yasha will try to come onto me."

Kagome looks at Sango, her eyes wide. "Huh?"

"He'll figure out that his plan with the geisha's isn't working,
so he'll try it with someone that he and you care about."

"You."

Sango nods.

Kagome reaches out and grabs Sango's hands. "I trust you, Sango."

"And?"

"You'll never try to hurt me or hurt him."

Sango smiles. "I'll live up to your trust."

"That went without saying." Kagome smiles.

Her eyes flick to the well. "I really need to leave. I'll feeling something."

Sango looks at the well. "Hurry back."

Kagome nods and jumps down the well.

On the side of the well . . .

Kagome frowns, instantly, as she appears.

She jumps up and out of the well and looks around.

She turns into the direction of the god tree.

"What did you two do!?" she cries.

She starts to run in that direction . . .

The end chapter 17 . . .

thank you for reading jeff shelton