Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha, nor is there any profit being made from this fic.

Description: Just the way I see the ending of the series in my head.

WARNING: May contain slight spoilers regarding the end of the series. Read at your own risk and don't say I didn't warn you.

Oh, and parts of the song are )(like this)( because formatting is a nightmare. For some reason important characters aren't permitted, and neither are a couple extra spaces. --

Song: 'Be Like That' by Three Doors Down.

)(He spends his nights in California
Watching the stars on the big screen.
Then he lies awake and wonders
Why can't that be me?)(

It was miraculous. They had done it at long last.

Naraku was gone. Completely. And the jewel was whole again for the first time in...Gosh, they didn't know. Was it a year? Several?

No one spoke. Only sighed in relief as the warm sunshine from the stomach opening washed over them, lighting up the recently dark space.

Miroku was clinging to consciousness. The poison had begun to take effect. Sango rushed over and cradled his head in her lap, encouraging him to hold on for a little longer. Nearby, Shippou was looking worriedly at the monk, who was fast losing the colour in his cheeks.

"We need to get him to Lady Kaede," Sango announced, her tone edged in concern.

"Kagome too," Inuyasha mumbled. He was carrying the unconscious girl in his arms and had walked over to Sango. His arms were tired, but he didn't put her down.

"Are they going to be okay?" Shippou asked, the worry evident in his voice.

"Yeah," Inuyasha replied. He clutched Kagome a little closer to him, as if expecting something to come up and attack her while she was unable to fight back.

"My Lord, Inuyasha!" Myouga shouted. He appeared on the ground near Miroku's feet, and was bouncing around excitedly.

"Excellent timing, as usual," Shippou teased. He sighed and couldn't help but grin.

"We won!"

)(Cause in his life he's filled with all these good intentions.
He's left a lot of things he'd rather not mention right now.
But just before he says goodnight,
He looks up, with a little smile at me, and he says...)(

The companions made a quick arrival to the village, where Kaede was ready for them.

Miroku was immediately given an antidote and Sango was given the responsibility of watching over him while he healed. They had checked his right palm, and were relieved to see that the curse was indeed gone from his hand. All that was left was the poison from Naraku's insects.

Lady Kaede put a soothing salve on Kagome's feet, and bound them. After placing her on a straw mattress, she instructed Inuyasha not to try and wake her and that Kagome shouldn't walk for a little while, until her feat healed. Instead, he settled on sitting by her side, waiting anxiously for her to wake.

Inuyasha awoke some time later, and was alarmed to find that Kagome was no longer sleeping on the floor next to him.

He looked around the room and still didn't see her. Shippou was sleeping near the fireplace, Myouga on his chest, moving up and down as the demon fox breathed evenly.

Sango had fallen asleep on Miroku's chest. He looked peaceful, despite the fact that he had been poisoned very badly.

The half-demon barely noticed that more wood had been placed on the fire. He sniffed the air, and caught Kagome's scent on a slight breeze that had drifted in from the open door in the room. It was cool, so he grabbed a blanket from the floor and made his way outside into the night.

Looking around, he saw her sitting with her bandaged feet dangling over the edge of the walkway outside the building. If she had heard him, she didn't react, so he walked over and placed the blanket around her shoulders. She pulled it tightly around herself as he sat next to her and she mumbled her appreciation, having been slightly chilled.

"Why ain't you inside?" he asked. "It's cold out here, and you ain't supposed to walk yet, you're feet are too bad."

"They're fine," she replied, although it seemed a little unconvincing. She took a deep breath and pulled her knees up, resting her chin on them, wincing slightly at the small amount of weight on her feet. Looking upwards, she sighed again. "I couldn't sleep."

"How come?" he asked, following her gaze up to the starlit sky.

"I don't know," she mumbled. She was lying though. Ever since she had woken up a while ago, she had been thinking about the next day. Now that the jewel was reassembled, she had no use in the feudal era, which meant...

'No,' she thought. 'I don't want to think about it now.'

Glancing at Inuyasha, she noticed her was studying her carefully, and she wondered for a second if he knew what she was thinking. She broke his gaze though, and looked straight ahead towards the outskirts of the village.

"How long before you make an attempt to steal the jewel for yourself?" she asked suddenly.

He was only slightly caught off guard, but managed to conceal it. "I was hoping you'd just hand it over," he said matter-of-factly.

"It's not mine," she replied with equal coolness.

"I think Kaede will entrust it to you," he said. "After all, you are Kikyo's reincarnation." He realized what he had said too late, and glanced at her to see how extensive the damage was.

Kagome merely bit her lip and avoided his gaze. She turned her head away from him and he hoped that he hadn't made her cry.

"So you expect me to just hand it over?" she asked. He could hear the slight quiver in her voice, but chose to ignore it.

"Look, I know you don't want to risk me becoming a full demon, but..." He paused, almost a little embarrassed to say it.

She turned to look at him. There were no tear streaks on her face, for which he was relieved. Her eyes were pleading though, and he just wished he could somehow know what she was thinking.

"But what?" she encouraged.

He mumbled something, still avoiding her gaze, then shook his head and said it a little louder. "My feelings for you won't change."

"How can you be sure what the demon part of you will allow your mind to stay the same? Demons are evil, you are no exception. Kaguya nearly had you; I still have the scars from where you cut me!" Kagome had to fight the urge to raise her voice and wake her sleeping companions.

"I won't let it happen again!" he argued.

They both harrumphed and turned away from each other. Inuyasha crossed his arms and glared at the wooden panels of the walkway.

"How do you know it won't happen?" Kagome asked softly. She had turned and was sitting cross legged facing him. Instead of turning around, he flopped backwards so his head was near one of her knees. He looked up at the stars for a minute, looked up at her and gave her a reassuring smile.

"I don't want to lose you," he replied quietly.

)(If I could be like that
I'd give anything
Just to live one day
In those shoes.
If I could be like that, what would I do?
What would I do?
Now and dreams we run.)(

"You can't go back!" he shouted angrily.

"I have to!" she replied, equally as upset as he was.

"Why? I want you here!"

Inuyasha and Kagome had been arguing for while now...Shippou, Sango and Miroku were almost positive that it was the longest fight ever. Kagome had announced early that morning that she was leaving to return to her time, and she wouldn't be back. Her feet were still burned, but she didn't seem to care.

She had then given the Shikon jewel to Inuyasha and told him to do what he wanted with it. he was confused, especially considering the chat they had had the night before.

"I don't belong here!" Kagome said. "No matter what, I will never be Kikyo. She belongs in this era, I don't. If I were her, I would stay, but I'm me, so it doesn't work that way..."

"You're just afraid of what might happen when I use the jewel!" Inuyasha retorted.

"And if I am?"

He didn't have a stubborn comment to counteract with. All he could do was watch as she went over and said goodbye to each of the companions individually. She even thanked Myouga, who though very chicken, had given some good advice during times of need.

She started to make her way over to Inuyasha, but he just crossed his arms and looked away from her. He didn't see her pained face, or how she bit her lip to fight back her tears.

Making her way to the Bone Eater's well, she climbed up onto the side and took one final look at the half-demon.

Feeling her gaze, he had to look, he had to apologize...

Their eyes met, and he saw the tears spilling down her checks before she plunged into the well.

)(She spends her days up in the north park,
Watching the people as they pass.
And all she wants is just a little piece of this dream, is that too much to ask?)(

She didn't expect him to follow her. He had the jewel, and he would probably never forgive her for running.

The present seemed so plain compared to the excitement of the feudal era. Her first few days back home seemed to crawl by, and were uneventful, giving her too much time to think about what had happened before she returned for good.

On several occasions, she had been halfway up the temple stairs that housed the well, the sit command ready for use once she saw that dog demon again. But she had stopped herself and only half believed her arguments that it was all for the best to never go back.

Hojo had asked her out again, but she just refused his offer, instead of standing him up like before. All of her friends questioned her several times, but between the detached answers and foul mood, they couldn't figure anything out.

She had taken to sitting in the park. No one ever thought to look for her there, which was a relief because she didn't want to be found. Thoughts of him filled her mind, despite the fact that she was trying to focus on the math test she had to write in two days.

Gazing around, she saw a couple sitting on a bench just a little ways away from the tree she was sitting under. The couple both had their nose buried in a book and the girl was resting her head on her lover's shoulder.

Kagome sighed and hugged herself tightly. She was beginning to wonder if she'd ever get over the half-demon.

)(With a safe home, and a warm bed, on a quiet little street.
All she wants is just that something to hold onto, that's all she needs.)(

"You're being childish," Miroku said simply. The monk wasn't completely healed yet, but he was well enough to admonish Inuyasha.

"I didn't run away," Inuyasha snapped. "I hate her."

"Then why do you talk about her now, even after she's left? Kagome this, Kagome that..." Miroku looked at the half-breed, who had yet to use the jewel Kagome had given to him.

"She is against me using the jewel," he argued weakly. "I'd have thought she'd support me...no matter what my choice was in the end."

"You know that you won't be the same as a full demon," Sango cut-in, coming into the room with some food for Miroku.

"My feelings for Kagome will...never change," Inuyasha mumbled.

Miroku shook his head. "You don't know that. But I'm sure Kagome feels that this is better then using you completely."

)(If I could be like that
I'd give anything
Just to live one day
In those shoes.
If I could be like that, what would I do?
What would I do?
I'm falling into this, in dreams we run away.)(

It had been eight days and nothing had changed. Kagome's family was suspicious as to what had happened and why she hadn't been to the feudal era in a while. No one asked her what was going on though, thinking she was just stressed about school and her slipping grades.

She wasn't handling things any better.

Walking home from school one day, she was relieved she had been able to escape the questions of her friends. Once the end of day bell had rung, she had jumped up and left without waiting for anyone after school.

The walk home was peaceful, and she was free for a short time as she admired the simplicity of the town she had grown up in. Shops filled with items, and people doing a number of things, without a care in the world.

Those good feelings immediately left her when she arrived on her property, and took the familiar route passed the small building that housed the well. The doors were open slightly, but she was too preoccupied to notice.

Trudging up the steps to her room, she threw her backpack on her bed and flopped down next to it.

"Kagome?"

She jumped out of her skin when she heard the voice. Someone was in her room...She sat up and looked around frantically, seeking out the source of the voice.

Inuyasha was seated on top of her desk, looking at her with a raised eyebrow.

"Geez, a little skittish ain't you?"

"You've certainly got some nerve!" she screamed. "What took you so long!?"

"Well I'm sorry it took me a day to figure it out!" he shouted back, leaping off the desk to argue with her eye to eye.

"A day? Try eight days-," she started, but clamped her mouth shut. She had forgotten that the flow of time was different. He must have remembered too, because his eyes widened and he took a step towards her.

"I'm sorry," he began, but she held up a hand and stopped him.

"What do you want anyways?"

Inuyasha scowled a little. "You couldn't be less grateful to see me," he complained. "But fine, I'll get right to the point."

He reached into his kimono and pulled out a small pouch and handed it to Kagome.

Opening it, she was surprised to find the Shikon jewel glowing inside.

"What's this for?" she asked.

"You," he said simply. "You've got the purifying powers, so you might as well keep it."

"But aren't you going to use it?"

He took the jewel from her and placed it on the bed. Before she could object, he put his arms around her and embraced her tightly.

"Look, I don't know how to say this right, so here goes: If becoming a full demon means losing you, then I don't want that to happen..."

"Inuyasha," Kagome whispered.

"I love you," he said quietly. "And I want you to stay with me in the feudal era."

"I love you too, Inuyasha."

)(Falling in.
I feel I am falling in. Into this again.)(

The End...

(Or perhaps the beginning?)

I hope you enjoyed my slightly more adorable version of the ending. Be sure to check out my other Inuyasha fic I just stared in which Kagome and Inuyasha switch bodies.

Now, if you wouldn't mind, REVIEW! :D

-K-