It rained all morning. She woke up to it and it was amazing how she slept during it since it was so loud. There was no wind and it came down as if someone was pouring buckets from a river.

She worked through it, mentally grumbling at having to keep mopping up puddles and mud everyone kept tracking in on their way to the desk. Other than that, work was the same as always - uneventful and mildly boring.

She pulled up a chair, finally finished clearing off the breakfast area, and procrastinated working on clearing the computer for the afternoon front desk. Sam was working on getting laundry washed and that would take a while, so she was harassment free for a bit. Until the phone rang and she had to sound cheerful, she was free to revel in true emotions.

Some were from not hearing from Inaki since they talked to the shikon. She was worried about him - he was worse than her with having to combine with Inuyasha and she wanted to know how he was doing. She needed to make sure he was okay and how he fared in general, since he took the news as bad as she figured. She hated seeing him suffer in any way - the feeling was mutual she assumed - and wished there was something she could do.

"Yo, come back here and help me clean up." She jerked to attention and looked in the vicinity of the laundry room. "And bring the phone with you so you can take calls."

Brown shot a dry look, but she grabbed the cordless reserved for making rounds and such and strolled back. "What's so necessary that you want me to step away from my other duties? I DO have a computer to empty you know."

Sam didn't look away from the towels she was stuffing into an industrial washer. "I didn't hear any typing."

She mentally cursed and hopped onto the large folding table smack in the center of the room. "Maybe I just hadn't gotten to it yet. I DID just sit down out there."

Blue rolled as the girl shoved the roller basket to the laundry shoot. "Don't lie to me - I know you too well. You were mopey this morning until you caught me looking at you. Something is going on and you know I'm going to bug you until you tell me and feel better. Would you like to wait and get the full brunt or put yourself out of your misery and spit it out?"

She tried not to smile and looked to the windows to hide some of it. Heavy drops splattered the window and generator just outside. "I don't know really. I guess I feel - I'm just..." Her brow scrunched as she tried to put a word to what she currently felt. "Restless? Yea, that."

Sam stopped pulling out sheets and looked her way. "This wouldn't have anything to do with no calls or letters from Inaki, now would it?"

Oddly enough, it didn't. "No, I'm not worried about him not contacting me because his life is pretty busy right now. I am concerned for how he's doing, but this is different."

For the past few days she was trying to figure out what was clawing its way to the surface to be known. It seemed important, and she tried to feel both hers and Kagome's emotions to see what it was. Kagome was probably trying to tell her something, but she wasn't getting the clues yet.

It almost felt like she was forgetting to do something. An unknown inkling in the back of her mind saying she skipped part of her agenda. But other than college and work, there was nothing she had to do now. It was strange and almost frustrating, but she tried to deal and give Kagome the benefit of the doubt.

'What is it I'm supposed to do??'

There was a lot of wonder whenever she looked into the other set of memories now possessed. So many unanswered questions remained which the shikon didn't give. She needn't ponder over Miroku-sama and Sango-chan's fate, but her family was a big hole. She wanted to ask Inuyasha what happened after her death, but that would be too touchy a subject and she knew it.

"Earth. To. K!"

She jumped again and caught a used hand towel before it hit her face. She blinked at it and gave it a grossed out look. "That's disgusting!" She shouted, throwing it right back. Sam grinned and dodged it, letting it land on the floor before throwing it in the second washer.

After setting the detergent dials, Sam turned and leaned against the counter next to her. "You're too spacey. What if the phone rang? I would've had to answer it and do laundry at the same time. There's a reason there're two clerks at this place."

She nearly glared. "Says the person who took me away from the front desk - what if there're people out there??"

"Then they'd ring the bell set out specifically for when we're back here." Sam shrugged and went to one of the fridges used for the breakfast area. "We can't be up front all the time... Ah ha, come to me my pretty."

"You KNOW we're not supposed to take food from there. That's practically stealing!"

"Say that to the housekeepers who yank donuts from here on a regular basis. If Barb has a problem with it she can calculate it off my salary."

She looked to the front area in mild panic as if there supervisor were here. "Don't say that like that! What if she's listening??"

Sam rolled her eyes and wordlessly headed out the doorway. She passed into the desk area and was back within half a minute. "The woman isn't here - why am I not surprised? She's NEVER here."

She hopped down and grabbed the cordless. "She's got another hotel to run besides this one you know. Don't be so nasty to her."

Sam stared as if she had three heads. "YOU don't even like the woman! What's with the change of heart??"

She stopped and gave her friend an unreadable look. "I grew up and decided not to dislike someone for no real reason."

She plopped on the stool again and mentally berated herself for going off on her friend like that. 'The only person you ever yelled at was Inuyasha.' A hand covered her mouth to hide a smile, even if it was true.

She decided to get back to work to pass the time. She had a job to do and even if she never held a paying job in her other life, she didn't want to waste the responsibility given. She was not sitting around to talk to Sam and watch the girl eat company food. There was little time to slack off when Kagome was alive and that made her feel like she had to do something to keep busy.

'All those classes and jobs make sense at least.' Black swished as she smiled and opened up the list of yesterday's customers. 'It's only a few hours, I can handle it. I always do. Besides, I can't be idle when I can use the extra time to get some homework done.'

The fall term would be over soon. She only had about a month left and was mildly worried about semesters, but knew as long as she studied as hard as always she'd be okay.

The hardest part to get over was she would be a SENIOR next term. She might be able to graduate a semester early if she kept piling classes on. It would not only save time, but money. Whether or not she got anything other than her master's degree was something she didn't plan yet. As long as she could find a good job and start saving up to pay back the government, she was happy for now.

Thinking about staying in school even longer didn't exactly sit well with her though. As much as she liked learning, the feelings roaming in her weren't making it easy to find an agreement.

Her head shook as she paid more attention to what she was doing, finding she just checked out a person staying a few more days. Cringing, she set about fixing it and forcefully kept from thinking. She could think later...provided she got homework done first.

It rained all the way home and didn't stop intensity. She was beginning to wonder if it was natural for it to rain this long, but very cold rain was the closest they'd ever get to snow, so this must be an equivalent to a blizzard. She still ended up having to dry her hair and throw her and Sam's uniforms in the dryer.

It always felt strange whenever she did homework in the rain. It never seemed like the world was doing anything and to have it rain this long was a reminder it was alive.

She got past one subject and about twenty pages of notes when the phone rang. She was content to let Sam get it, even if they both retreated to their rooms. After the fourth ring, she shot from her room with hope the person didn't hang up and threw an annoyed look at Sam's door in passing.

She was panting by the time she reached the phone. Luckily someone had a good amount of patience and it rang the whole sprint to ground floor. "Hello??" There was no immediate answer, so she took that time to catch her breath. "Hello...is anyone there?" She would be rather irritated to find a crank call right in the depth of studying for exams.

"...So you ARE home."

She blinked, immediately trying to place the voice. The person sounded rather familiar and her brain tickled heavily. "Who is this? Did you need something?"

"I need you. Wait there for me."

The line went dead and she dumbly blinked at the holder. The dial tone snapped her to reality and she slowly put the earpiece back, utterly confused. "What the hell was THAT all about??" She meandered back for her room, trying to place the voice. It was on the tip of her tongue. It ALMOST sounded like Inaki, but that was preposterous. She knew his voice and the guy sounded strange.

She was so confused it took a few minutes to get back to where she left off and by the time she was halfway through another class, she thought she heard a knock on the door. With the rain it was hard to tell, so she shrugged it off and continued on.

She thought it came again and sighed, pushing her chair back. "I'll NEVER get anything done at this rate. What exactly is going on around here?" She jerked the door open, hating to be interrupted in the middle of schoolwork. Sam's door was still closed, but she figured the girl would've heard it better since her room was right above the front door.

'Not like there's any mononoke in this house - I'd sense them if they were.' The doorbell rang and she quickened her pace, feeling mildly dumb at not paying attention to her surroundings. She paused at the top of the stairs in surprise. There was a discernable presence she picked up that rubbed her miko skills into the barest traces of being used!

"That's...impossible!" She skipped steps, heart beating fast. She knew of something so faint it was nearly impossible to pick up. In fact, if she hadn't set about to hone her skills so they were a little sharper, she wouldn't even have picked it up.

There was only one person she knew like that and it was Kagome who would know, not her. Someone with so fierce a fighting spirit it radiated with a pulse all its own.

She threw the door open and came face to face with a mildly dripping and soggy Inaki. Bangs plastered against his face, wet spots on his sweater and jeans. Her heart skipped a beat and teeth gnashed her lip. She couldn't help but stare like an idiot, but this WAS the first time she saw him in a while. Fingers itched to pull him close and to kiss the daylights out of him...but also ask why he was here so suddenly.

A crack of thunder made her jump and broke the moment, but she mentally shook herself and stepped back. "Sorry Inaki, come in please." She waved him in, but he wordlessly shook his head. "Inaki? Is something wrong?" There was a serious, but soft look in his eyes. She didn't know how he could pull that off at once, but didn't have time to think as he grasped a hand and pulled her forward. She was ready for an embrace, but surprised again when he merely pulled her outside. "What is with you??" She retorted, letting the screen door close. He didn't answer and she was beginning to think he wasn't going to, but he swiftly drew her to him and hugged her tight. He smelled her hair without tact, much to her confusion and shock. "What is the matter with you?! Why are you acting this way??" She tried to pull back, but he wouldn't let her go even to look him in the eye.

"Kagome."

That one word stopped every movement, every emotion, every breath. She felt air leave and sagged against him, glad he seemed to know she would do so. Hands gripped shirt and her face buried in his chest, body shaking. Tears of unnamed emotion fell as she stood there, shivering from cold and depth of feeling.

"K - Kaetta..." She breathed. "Anata wa...hountoni kaetta!" A hand rose and slowly ran over her hair. She tried to calm down, knowing she wasn't doing them any good by being so emotional.

The voice on the phone suddenly came to mind and brown opened. That WAS Inaki, or Inaki as his new voice sounded. It was Inuyasha's but through the vocal cords of a human. That's why is seemed weird.

"Inu...yasha?" She was released and looked into brown. "Is that really you now?" A hand rose and rested against a cheek. One of his cupped hers and she almost expected to see talons, but only normal human nails. Whatever changes she was expecting, he didn't turn into a hanyou. He was still human, just like the shikon said.

"Not anymore. I'm the same as you now...but he still couldn't resist saying your name one final time." He pulled her hand away and cupped her face. "I have a lot of his emotions and thoughts to get used to so it's kind of confusing for me right now. Bear with me please."

She quickly pulled him down for a deep kiss. He responded in kind and hugged her to him tightly. He felt so good, but there were so many questions in her mind to ask. She wanted to keep doing their current activity, but talking also required her lips.

She finally pulled away for air instead. "How...when...why?"

"Why?? Why not?"

She blinked in confusion. He looked offended at that last part and she hurried for an explanation. "Well, it's just you were so adamant - I mean Inaki was - about not wanting Inuyasha as apart of him, I just wondered why." She rambled.

He looked away and stopped her. He was silent, but a small grin crept up after a second. He looked back and gave her a tiny squeeze, reaching down to give her nose a quick nibble. "Baka...omae wa. As far as how, I simply followed what you did with Kagome; when is yesterday."

She slowly pulled away and sat on the flat surface of the porch railing, looking to the rain. "So...what're we supposed to do now? We're both Kagome and Inuyasha as much as we're Kalie and Inaki. The shikon didn't say anything what to do after did she?"

"Why don't you ask midoriko yourself?"

Her head whipped over, locking on an almost dull-looking pink ball in his palm. "How did you manage to get it from the kitchen?"

"My time went sometime after lunch to tenish. Ofukuro was up waiting for me and I insisted I do the dishes she made me dinner with. I snuck it before I went to bed and brought it with." He stopped before her and grasped a hand to transfer it. "You're the only one who can talk to that damn miko out of us, so I figure we could see if there's any part of the wish left out."

She nodded and stared at the shikon, watching rain reflect in smooth glass. She concentrated on the presence she felt when she sensed it after so long and was stunned at being unable to find it. 'Uso...' She held it against weak afternoon light as if trying to find midoriko in the tiny ball.

There was nothing there at all.

"M - masaka!"

"What is it?"

Brown showed the exact amount of astonishment and his head tilted in confusion. "There's nothing! No youki or miko energy...it's - it's empty!" The pair stared at it. "I don't understand...how could it? Is midoriko trying to tell us something?"

He stared at the ball, a smile tilting his lips. The lack of luster that was never there before...the dead weight feel. Like it was a normal marble. He sat behind her on the board and pulled her against him. "She's trying to tell us that's it. When I fused with Inuyasha, the wish was complete." He absently looked to the rain, smelling the unique fragrance it brought. "There is nothing more for her to say. Maybe the shikon was never supposed to disappear...but maybe it DID. It's nothing but a glass chunk now."

She listened to the rain, staring at the porch ceiling and somehow feeling almost cheated. She reveled in the warmth he gave and feel of his arms around her waist. Brown finally looked down the street, that restless sensation coming up. "That can't be the end of the story..." She mumbled, idly picking at her t-shirt.

"Eh? Why not? That's all we had to do."

Sadness invaded and mixed, making her feel a little melancholy as well. "We only have each other now and that's the wish you made, but there're still details left out." Slowly, she shifted and sat away from him.

It all became clear. Midoriko's absence helped her see what needed to be done, but she didn't know if she could relay her thoughts coherently and make him understand this need.

When she wouldn't turn to face him, he hopped up and went to her. "What is going on with you? We have nothing to be anxious about. There is nothing else. All we need to worry about is us now." He wanted to shake her and make her realize that, but she seemed preoccupied. He mentally shook himself from Inuyasha's impatience to be gentler and try to see what was going on. A hand went and pulled her to look at him, thumb brushing over her skin. "You won't close off on me anymore, ne? That includes what's running through that head of yours. It's not stupid if you're thinking it."

She blinked back tears and leaned forward to hug him. "Ee. I was just thinking...it's been a long time since we were born here... What about the others?"

He blinked and tried to look at her, but bangs covered her face and hid her eyes. "Others? We both know Miroku and Sango aren't alive and IF Shippou is alive, he wouldn't show himself for us because he wouldn't trust us in these forms."

Her head shook. "It would be nice if he managed to live this long, but I don't mean that part of the family. I wanted to see about my - Kagome's family. I want to see what happened to mama...Souta...jiichan..."

He forced her to look at him when her voice wobbled and cut off. Tears flowed and he almost did an Inuyasha panic, but let his emotions cut the hanyou's off. 'This is going to be harder than I thought.' He groused.

"Listen here, I didn't pick us being born a hundred years into the future. You have to believe me on that." He continued only after she nodded. "Everyone is born and everyone dies. That's the cycle of life. You probably already know about your ojiisan and okaasan by now."

"That only leaves Souta." Teeth bit her lip as her heart thudded. "I have to see what happened to him! I'm his neesan no matter what form I'm in! I'm not asking you for any favors of any kind, but - but I need to go to Japan and see! I want to see my home, Souta, my school, the tree, and the well. I just need to be sure Kagome's life is as finished as Inuyasha's is before I can be Kalie."

He knew what she was talking about of not being able to move on. It was funny the way she talked, of the lengths she was taking just for that closure. Inuyasha ran here and there just to see Kikyou, so he couldn't hold it against K for her desire. "I know you're not." He pulled her knees apart and moved to rest his forehead on hers. "But now that I am who I am, I'm not letting you out of my sight anymore than I have to." He smiled and gave a quick kiss to her nose. "If you're going back to Tokyo, I'm going with you. I've never seen Japan - my ancestor home - so this is an opportunity."

Her heart fluttered and smiled her thanks, snuggling cheek against chest. "Arigatou."

"When were you planning on leaving?"

Brown popped open as she pulled back, cheeks burning a little. "Ah, well I - actually this was...pretty new..."

He sighed and shook his head of it all. "Don't worry; we'll get things figured out." He looked to the storm and noticed it was starting to dwindle a little. He gave the rain a put out look for lasting so long and making visibility hard. "I seem to have all afternoon for it."

Her studies were shot to hell, but that was fine. This was something she HAD to do, not just want, so it was warranted. However...if she DIDN'T study she could kiss the rest of this term goodbye on crappy exams. Teeth bit her lip as she tried to decide. "You're still all wet from the rain; you need to come in and dry off. I can throw your clothes in the dryer in the meantime, but -"

That smirk cut her off. "Eh? You want a repeat of last time do you?"

Her face flamed and eyes widened as he pressed against her and sucked on a shoulder. The breath left her and her heart sped as he started heat low in her stomach. It took a LOT of willpower to push him away, but she dug deep enough and found some. "I - iie! I need to finish getting my studies done for today."

Wrong answer. He pouted and glared at her for that one. "All you do is study! Kagome knows how to have fun, I know she does." He poked her to show he was teasing and smiled. She was not amused, so he sighed and took a step back. "Alright...we'll compromise. You do your studies and I'll dry off."

"That's not enough time and you know it!" She retorted, hands going to her hips. "It won't take you long to dry off."

He grabbed a fist of hair and pulled it for her inspection. "Are you kidding me?? Something like this is going to take longer than ten minutes! Even if I leave it wrapped in a towel, I'm in for an easy half an hour! No way am I putting it in a pansy-ass braid just to keep it out of my way. It'll end up all curly like a girl!" He suddenly stopped and took a step away, trying to reign in Inuyasha's temper. "Mou...he's not making this easy on me..." He grumbled, covering his eyes.

She smiled, knowing his problem and put a hand on his shoulder. "We'll see what happens when your clothes and hair are dry, ne?" He nodded with an embarrassed grin and she grabbed sweater. "Now, come here and say hello to me properly."

She wheedled an hour total of homework and let him get a nap, telling him it helped sort things out. She knew from experience every time she slept and woke things were a little more organized in her head. Even if she still dreamt of Kagome's life - she betted she always would as a side effect of all this - she felt refreshed and everything seemed like hers more than last time.

It didn't hurt that she also got extra time for studying too.

She didn't feel bad at all for that, especially when she took a break and watched him sleep. He looked so handsome that she wanted to run fingers over his face, but restrained the urge. It'd been a while since he slept here and she felt at home with him, even if he took up the whole daybed.

She resisted a giggle and turned to her text.

She promised they'd talk and was burning to get some details sorted out now. It was hard to concentrate and it ended her focus for the day. She sighed and stuck her pencil in the spine, closing it. 'Not going to let me off, are you Kagome?' Black swished as she turned and stood to stretch. She kneeled next to his head and gently rested arms and head on mattress to keep from disturbing him.

She could stare at him all day, so long as he didn't feel her eyes. Her head tilted as she resisted kissing him for how adorable he looked. A hand rose and lightly rested on his cheek. "Aishite..."

"Aishite...mo..." He mumbled, eyes peeking open. He gave a sleepy smile and a hand shifted to comb through her locks.

She blinked. "Weren't you supposed to be asleep?"

"I can't sleep anymore. He never did. But I did rest, so I'm set for a while." He yawned and sat up to stretch.

She almost felt sorry for him. Her brow furrowed as he pulled her to sit on the mattress with him. "You really can't sleep like you used to?"

He smiled and wrapped arms around her, nuzzling her neck. "It's okay. Animals are light sleepers...and Inuyasha was part dog. Comes with guarding the territory. But I do get some deep sleep at times."

She looked to the rumpled sheets, not pacified. "I still don't like the idea... Inuyasha used to go for days without sleeping. You're human now - you can't do days. No human can."

"Don't worry about it; I'll get it worked out. Now, about your plans. Shall we get to work on them? I'm almost getting excited to see what Japan looks like."

I am a BEGINNER Japanese learner...so if these are not 100% correct...please let me know if you care to do so. I only have a web page to learn from, a dictionary, and a few months experience to work with.

Translations: K - Kaetta-Y - you came back / y - you returned Anata wa...hountoni kaetta-You...really came back/You...really returned Baka...omae wa-You...are an idiot

Aishite-I love you Aishite...mo-I love you...too