Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha, Rumiko Takahashi does. I do own a completely trashed money pit, and I'm procrastinating on doing the dishes since I'm the dishwasher. So, two chapters in the same day.

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From Chapter 12: "I wonder if he still has that necklace, and if it still works."

"Wouldn't you just like to find out." came a voice from the door that Kagome thought she'd never hear again. Afraid to turn, she looked at Rin, who was staring at the person standing in the door and grinning from ear to ear. Slowly, Kagome turned and looked.

"Sesshomaru…not quite who I expected." Kagome felt nauseous. Her heart had been pounding so strongly, and her adrenaline was so high, that seeing him instead of InuYasha caused her to almost go into shock.

Rin ran to him. "Sessho…Rin was so worried about you. Please don't ever do anything like that again!"

Sesshomaru tucked her against his body and put his arm around her waist. "I won't ever have to." He looked at Kagome, who was looking back at him with confusion. "Well…try it. See if it works." It took her a second to comprehend what he meant.

"OSUWARI!!!"

Thwak!

The sound came from directly behind her. She turned, and lying on the floor was the most beautiful man she'd ever seen.

"InuYasha!!!"

InuYasha was getting off the floor and smiling back at her. "Kagome I presume!?!" He looked at her. She was a decade older, and had lost much of her childish appeal. However, it had been replaced by an adult sensuality that made him inwardly groan. "Stand up, let me look at you." He stood, taking her hands and raising her to stand before him.

She let him turn her around completely, before she wrapped her hands around his waist and squeezed tightly. "I thought I'd never see you again." Tears were seeping down her face, wetting his hakama. He held her tightly, breathing in the fragrant scent of her hair. "Let me look at you too." Kagome pulled away to look at InuYasha.

Time had caused his hair to turn the black of a full human, but that didn't surprise her. However, his body had filled out into a man's frame; and his face had matured making him look much more handsome than cute. He still wore his fire-rat hakama, but he wore it instead of it wearing him. InuYasha was still the same height, and he still looked to be fit, but she knew it would take them a while to learn the more subtle changes in each other.

She turned to thank Sesshomaru, but they had already left. "We can thank them later Kagome, we know where they live."

ooooooo

He took her hand and led her outside to stand in front of Go-Shimboku. "I felt you here Kagome." He touched their joined hands to the trunk.

"I was trapped in the afterworld. Dead, and waiting. I had just about given up hope. Once that happens, than a human spirit trapped in the Demon Spirit-World is sent on to heaven, or hell. However, I felt you talking to me. Telling me not to give up. I remembered the last time we spoke through this tree, and how I told you I spoke back because I was afraid you'd Osuwari me. I lied." He grinned, showing slightly larger incisors than a normal human's, but smaller than they previously had been.

"I knew I loved you that day. I had made a decision to face my death at your hands rather than live without you. Now this tree has helped bring me back from death a second time. Only God can grant life, the Tenseiga is only a tool used to facilitate His power. Sesshomaru knew that if I didn't want to come back, he'd be unable to resurrect me. It took him most of a day to find my body, I wasn't where he'd hidden me. Housenki Sr. took my body to protect it. He actually encased me, which prevented me from aging even a day."

"I'd love more than anything to take you up to that room where you sleep, and love you with all the passion I feel. However, I know that would not be the right thing to do. Regardless of how much we've missed each other, it has been 10 years, and we have both changed. How about if we find a nice hill to sit on, and talk about everything that has happened to us since that day."

Kagome nodded and shyly took his hand. This man was not the boy she'd left behind. Maybe if he'd been able to come through the well, things wouldn't have changed; but she knew that time stood still for no man. "I know the perfect place."

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A/N: DogBoy finally shows up - bout time. Can't believe it took him 13 chapters! I hope 13 isn't a sign of trouble up ahead for the couple. They deserve a break.

Hope everyone had a good Christmas. I finally got rid of the hoarde. It's so nice and quiet now, no radio, no TV, no half-deaf people yelling at each other. The dogs are gone, the loud toys are gone. It's just the sound of fingers typing on a keyboard. May you experience peace too. Whether it's found in silence or in noise. -TK