Disclaimer: Dont own Inuyasha

"…Blazing in the Night Sky," –Chapter Eight: Greetings from the Past

"K-K-Kouga," Kagome managed to choke out in a surprised voice as the man, who turned out to be a wolf like youkai, in front of her dashed through the doorway to kneel at her feet, taking both of her hands in his. "Yes Kagome, it is I, your beloved Kouga," The youkai began, "I have finally returned to you after all these years." At this, Kagome's brow twitched in annoyance before she found her words and replied, "Kouga, I, well, I'm very surprised to see you. What are you doing here?"

Standing, the youkai said in a soft voice, ignoring the last part of her remark, "Yes, as am I to see how much more lovely you've become." Turning her face away, Kagome could feel the heat slowly creep up into her cheeks. "Kagome," The wolf demon said once more, to draw her attention back to him, "I know you cannot forgive me for being away so long, but please, give me another chance to make it up to you and I will make you a proud mate."

Just as she opened her mouth to answer his statement, a deep growling noise came from behind her, slowly rising in volume until it broke out into a snarling voice, "Get your filthy hands off her!" Gasping, Kagome quickly ripped her hands from Kouga's and turned, too fast to see Kouga's surprised reaction, to see Inuyasha standing at the bottom step, shaking in his deep anger and claws stuck inside the wall beside him.

"Just who the hell are you," She heard Kouga snap back from behind her, and winced when she thought of what might come next. In front of her, Inuyasha was raising a balled fist to reply back, "I'm her mate damnit, can't you smell it? Or is your wolf dog nose letting you down?" Growling, Kouga said back, "Why you worthless piece of dog shit, why would Kagome want to mate with somethi-."

Turning, Kagome said in a high voice to cut off his last remark, her hands clasped in front of her chest as she looked up into the wolf youkai's angry face. "Kouga, stop it! It's true, Inuyasha and I are married." Stunned, Kouga could only stare at her incredulously for a few moments and as Kagome shifted uncomfortably under his gaze, she could visibly see him somber down. "It's true," He asked, in a soft, puzzled voice, "You really mated with this, this…animal?" Gesturing in Inuyasha's direction only brought a low growl from her husband as she nodded and said in a chirpy voice, "Mhm, that's right Kouga, and not to worry, he's only an animal part of the time."

A sputtering noise came from behind her as a small smile slowly spread on Kouga's lips. "Well, we all make mistakes, so I'll give you another chance." "Geh," Kagome replied, almost feeling her hair stand on end as he finished his sentence, her hands brought back in shock. "What," Inuyasha yelled behind her, beginning what she knew would be a long battle between the two, "You can't do that!"

Sighing, Kagome marched toward the stairs to go up stairs to bed. Passing between the two of them unnoticed, for their bantering had already took way and they were now absorbed in their fight, they didn't see the tired expression that passed on her face. 'Oh, they'll just be wonderful friends,' She thought simply as she closed her bedroom door, closing out their high voices in the process. 'Still…I wonder what he's doing here..'

Shaking her head, Kagome slumped down onto the bed, crawling up its length to the fluffy pillows after closing the heavy canopy curtains. Sighing once more, she looked up to the dark shelf that hung above both she and her husband's heads at night. This shelf is where they had placed the Shikon no Tama, in all its glory.

When Naraku had been imprisoned safely behind bars, they had put it in a glass case and it had acted as a night light of sorts, illuminating the canopy bed with its soft pink glow. But now that it was unsafe to let its presence be left out in the open, it was now replaced within the enchanted box she had received from the old hag she had met so long ago.

Turning over, Kagome closed her eyes as that thought brought on another. Why hadn't Naraku made his move yet? Where was he and what was he planning? Curling into a tight ball as she pulled a sheet over her still clothed body, Kagome wondered whether her children were safe at this moment, tucked into someone else's bed, in someone else's home. Resorting to picking them up first thing in the morning, Kagome let herself drift into a pleasant slumber, smiling at the thought of her small family, her husband, and three children, her friends, Sango and Miroku, her now bother-in-law, Sesshoumaru, and his family, and her mother and brother, who she had not seen for along time.

"I should go visit them sometime…," She murmured softly before sleep overtook her and all thought of anything vanished, only a small smile remained where it had been, placed upon her delicate lips.

--

The next morning, when Kagome awoke, Inuyasha was not in bed beside her. 'He must be up already,' She thought to herself, swinging her legs over the side of the bed. Standing, she raised her arms high above her arm and stretched, groaning as the muscles down her arms and back strained. Then yawning, she walked into the bathroom to do a quick fix of her hair and smooth the rumbles out of her clothes, which she was still wearing from last night.

Then deciding not to change, she pulled up the bedroom door and was greeted by the scent of freshly made coffee wafting up the stairs. Smiling, she briskly climbed down to the first floor and was surprised to see both Miroku and Inuyasha in each of the comfy chairs, sipping at their mugs as they read the morning paper.

"Kagome," A pleasant voice called from the kitchen, and she turned her head to see Sango helping herself to a cup as well. "Sango," She replied happily, glad to see her best friends face, then frowned, turning her attention to her husband and just as she was about to open her mouth to speak, Inuyasha cut her off, his ears pressing flat against his head in an agitated gesture. "That idiot bastard went back to his motel. He'll be back later this afternoon…If he's not afraid that is…"

As he finished, with a small growl to top it off, Kagome heard a soft snicker from behind her and turned once more to see Miroku hiding his smirking face behind his section of the news. "What's so funny," Kagome snapped, placing her hands on her hips. Waving his hand as if to ward off her attitude, Miroku answered back, "Nothing, nothing dear Kagome, it's just…I don't think I've ever seen Inuyasha jealous before."

Behind her, Inuyasha had stood up from his seat and was saying how he was not jealous and asking why he should be jealous of such a lowlife mongrel anyway. This caused Kagome to start laughing as well and she answered Miroku's remark by saying, "You know, I think you're right!" At that, Inuyasha sputtered as his protests lengthened to defend himself against their teasing.

"So where's Shippo," Kagome asked after Inuyasha had quieted down, settling herself onto the couch with the comics as Sango came into the living room from the kitchen to sit beside her. Raising a finger, Miroku tapped on his chin thoughtfully before saying, "Ah! Yes, he went to his girlfriend's house." Raising a brow, Kagome could see Inuyasha lower his paper again at this as well. "His girlfriend's house?" Grinning, Miroku nodded then sighed wistfully, "Seeing all this makes me feel so old." Grumbling, Inuyasha said, "You think that makes you feel old, how old do you think it makes me feel?" Chuckling, Sango chirped in and said, "Inuyasha, you don't look a day over thirty and you know it." The only response from him was a soft "Humph" before turning back to his paper.

Smiling, Sango turned back to Kagome, "You too, I guess mating with a demon gives you a little of their abilities, huh?" Shrugging, Kagome set down the comics and laughingly replied, "I'm not too sure yet, but you might be right." Sighing, Sango sat back, holding her mug in both hands as Kagome watched her stare up at the ceiling. Then, as the front door opened behind her, everyone turned their heads to see the children come bouncing in, their friend's mother waving her greeting before pulling the door closed behind them and leaving.

"Welcome back," Sango greeted, laughing as Anata climbed up into her lap. "Thank you Sango," Anata said back, giggling. Hidama, in his somber mood already, also climbed onto Sango's lap, tugging on her shirt sleeve to ask in a small voice, his wide violet eyes staring up at her as he said, "Sango, when are you going to bring over one of you cat youkai's kittens?" Laughing softly, Sango replied as Kagome and Inuyasha stopped in their reading to look at her.

Nervously, Sango said, "Well, I don't know. If it's alright with your parents, in a few days or so." With wide eyes, the children first looked over to their mother, in which they knew to be the more lighthearted and gullible one of the pair. "Please mother, please," The cried in usion.

With a twitching brow, Kagome grumbles in annoyance at their whining voices, "If it's ok with your father." Taking this as a sign, the children leapt from Sango's lap and ran to Inuyasha, wrapping their arms around both of his legs to turn their wide eyed looks on him. Though, he pointedly ignored them, not bothering to look over his paper once more for a few moments before Anata growled, a sound much like her father sometimes gave, surprising the others in the room, and ripped the paper from his grasp, also showing off her genetically inherited attitude. "Father," She cried, "Please!"

Grumbling, Inuyasha snatched the paper back from her and snapped back, "Fine, but don't expect us to clean or look after it, that's you and your brother's responsibility!" Smiling, the two children released their father's legs and hugged each other fiercely.

--

Unknown to them, again something watched them through the window across the road, hidden deep within the cover of the trees. Grinning, that something turned its back and disappeared altogether. "Wait and see, soon…," It muttered mindlessly, before the voice vanished with its owner.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

There, how was that? Good? Bad? I thought I should try and bring in more characters, even though its like super duper hard to play parts for all of them at once, but I'm trying. Also, I'm aware of the fact that the story is running a little slowly right now, I'm just trying to get everything in order and then things can start moving along faster. Review please