At the Higurashi shrine a black-haired middle aged woman stood before a running sink, absentmindedly staring out the window in front of her while washing dishes. Kagome was now in her mid-thirties and still looked good, her figure had stayed basically the same, just a bit taller. Her hair was still halfway down her back and a dark black color. She had green dress pants on along with a matching 'sham' sweater, the sleeves pushed up to her elbows since she was sticking her hands in the water and didn't want to get her sleeves wet. She also had an apron on to make sure she didn't splash her pants.
She looked out the window, not watching the tan colored dishes she was cleaning off but by now it was second nature and she could do it without staring. Out the window she had a nice view of the largest and her personal favorite tree on the grounds. The large tree that she had gone to, but back in the feudal era, there she'd met him, and now, hundreds of years later, there she saw him.
Sitting at the base of the tree, a large baseball cap perched on his head, was Inuyasha. He was wearing his normal large red outfit. Inuyasha was young looking as always. His white hair was covered at the top by a blue baseball cap. His arms were folded in front of him as he sat cross-legged on the ground next to the large tree of ages.
Kagome smiled and looked back down at the dishes, finishing the last one and placing it carefully into the crying rack. She cursed her dishwasher quietly which had broken a few days ago. The shrine was going decent in the business department. But not quiet enough to get an entirely new washing machine. They had enough for food and other things, but not a major appliance. Maybe once Inuyasha got another job. He had tried working at the local ancient sword shop. Needless to say he wanted to test all of them and got fired. Kagome was simply happy the owner didn't sue for the medical bills of that poor customer.
Kagome was so lost in her own world she didn't hear someone walked down the stairs. That wasn't too unthinkable though, the feet were small and light. She turned around to see who it was. In the doorway to the kitchen stood a young girl, no more then 3 years old. She had short black hair, not really short, but to her shoulders. Her hair was in pigtails so two neat streams of hair came cutely from either side of her head. Her large baby blue eyes stared up at Kagome. The child was wearing pajamas, blue with yellow stars and a matching night cap. The cap was tilted to one side, showing an adorable small black dog ear on her left side. In her right arm hugged close to her body was a small teddy bear. It looked well-used, it probably hadn't been washed since it was given to her and it had been used every night. Miyako raised her free hand to her face, rubbing her eyes sleepily. She had just woken from a nap.
"Hello dear, did you have a nice sleep?" Kagome said removing her apron and walking over to her daughter. Miyako blinked a little and lifted her teddy bear up towards Kagome. Kagome sighed a little, Miyako was almost four. Her birthday was the next March, and she hadn't said a word yet. It worried both her and her father. Inuyasha never said it worried him, but Kagome knew it did. She couldn't even take her in for a checkup, she was worried what would happen when the doctors saw her ears. Kagome picked her up gently, helping her onto her chair. Then she walked to the window, opening it and calling to Inuyasha. "You can come in now, dinners almost ready!" Then she shut the window again, watching as Inuyasha slowly stood up and headed to the door, arms still crossed.
Kagome walked over to the oven where a large bubbling pot of stew was now topping off. She stirred it absentmindedly waiting for Shikugo to come home from school, which would be any minute now. Kagome sighed and began to pour large scoops of soup into four bowls. She placed them each on the table in front of each family members seat. Just then Inuyasha came in the door, sniffing the air with his super keen smelling abilities he smirked. It wasn't ramen, but he liked Kagome's soup as well. He sat down and picked up his spoon, staring at the slowly cooling liquid with meat and vegetable chunks floating around within it. "None yet, Shikugo should be home in a few minutes any ways." She said, knowing that Inuyasha was about to start eating. She sat down herself.
But he wasn't home in the next few minutes. Or the next ten. Or thirty minutes later. Miyako started eating her food quietly and Kagome didn't stop her. She was too young to know better. When ever Inuyasha tried Kagome shot him a short glare making him put the spoon back down. After almost thirty-five minutes of silence Inuyasha growled under his breath, picking up his spoon and taking a mouthful. He swallowed it and looks repulsive. "Great. Its cold now." He said tossing the spoon back down. Kagome gave up and put both her and Inuyasha's bowls in the microwave for a few minutes. She covered up Shikugo's and placed it in the fridge. Miyako had fallen asleep at the table from being bored.
After Kagome and Inuyasha finished a tense meal they sat for a bit. Kagome started getting up and picking up the dishes, then starting to wash them for something to do. "You should go and check for him..." She said quietly as she finished and walked back to the table.
"He's a big kid, he can take care of himself. He's been through enough to be able to stay out of real trouble." He replied with some harshness. Inuyasha had to say real trouble because Shikugo was always in trouble, never major trouble. Well, not very often at least. He was obviously annoyed that his dinner had been disturbed by Shikugo even when he wasn't there. Kagome sighed quietly. Her mind wondered back to a few nights ago.
Inuyasha was lying down in bed while Kagome was in the washroom changing. Kagome was running a brush through her thick black hair. She finished and walked out, wearing a long tee-
shirt that came down to around her knees. She came out, placing the brush on the counter she looked at Inuyasha who was lying awake watching her. "..Shikugo was brought home by the police today." She said like it was something normal. Or something bad she was trying to pass as normal.
"Idiot." Inuyasha hissed quietly. He didn't particularly care, Shikugo was still fine, but he knew it would matter to Kagome.
Kagome sighed a little. "Don't say that, he must have been in the wrong place at the wrong time.." She said sitting down on the corner of the bed lightly.
"You don't actually believe that do you? News flash Kagome, Shikugo likes to draw in problems, always has." Inuyasha knew it, Kagome knew it too. He was always stepping just over the line, seeing how far past it he could go before getting caught. Then try again, push a little further. It drove Kagome nuts but she tried to never let it show.
She stayed sitting quietly for a while, when she spoke her voice was dulled down. "I know that..but..I can't help but think that its not his fault...It's not exactly like he had a normal childhood...He was going back and fourth...between eras" She paused a little. "And...his ears...He was the only person that had those, to my knowledge. Not counting you..you were only here half the time." It was true...for almost the first year of Shikugo's life Inuyasha had been traveling back and fourth between Eras like Kagome had originally. Hardly at home for more then a few days.
Inuyasha propped his head up a little. "So it's ok to misbehave because no one accepts you, you look different and your dads never around? Why wasn't I informed of this?" His tone was harsh, obviously hinting at his own past in comparison.
Kagome looked back at him "I didn't say that!" She was slightly on edge and he wasn't exactly helping.
"No, you just meant it." He muttered turning onto his side, looking away from Kagome. At the wall. It was times like these that he was glad she removed the necklace that made him sit on command.
Kagome sighed angerly "Inuyasha, I didn't mean that, you know what I meant..in your era there were other demons..he's completely alone and-...Are you listening to me?" She glared at him. He didn't seem to be listening and didn't reply at all. She growled under her breath a little. Sometimes she hated Inuyasha, but every time she tried to fully convince herself she ended up re-realizing her love for him. She'd given up trying. With a sigh she lied down, facing the other wall so her back was to Inuyasha. She went to sleep without another word.
They still had that post-argument distance, but it wasn't too bad. Kagome sighed and stood up. "...He should have been home by now.." she said to herself, standing up and leaving the room. She picked up Miyako then left to put her in the play room. Miyako blinked and woke up when she was picked up, she smiled a little and nuzzled into her mothers chest. Then Kagome disappeared form sight. Inuyasha sighed, his white ears twitched under the hat. He heard a car approaching someplace down the street, he took a long whiff of the air. He smelt Shikugo was nearing. And he was bleeding. Inuyasha stood up and went to the window, opening it and sticking his head out. He climbed onto the counter and then into the window sill. He jumped out, his long red kimono flowing out behind him as he fell gracefully to the ground. He landed on his back legs, his knees bent. One fist on the ground for support, then he stood full up.
Inuyasha's yellowish eyes went to the large gate of the shrine, just as it opened. It was now night time and dark. Shikugo looked like he was trying to sneak in, he quietly shut the gate behind him trying not to make any noise. He was talking in a hurried whisper with another man about his age, Inuyasha heard them any ways form his good hearing.
"Yea...I'll have it tomorrow..." Shikugo said in an undertone, his eyes staring into the face of the other man. Inuyasha couldn't see him that well in the dark but he appeared to be fairly tall. He must have been wearing tight clothing, he could make the outline of a very muscular build. He could see the outline of a shoulder length mushroom cut.
"You better." The other replied. With that he jumped back into the passenger seat of the black mustang parked a few feet away. In the car there were two other guys, one driving and one in the back seat. It drove off. Shikugo watched it leave then turned and started walking towards the house door. He didn't even notice his father, not even when he was only a few feet away.
"Your a little late." Inuyasha said after Shikugo was past him. Quickly Shikugo turned and looked at him. He seemed almost frightened, like he was on edge and didn't expect anyone to talk to him. When he figured out who it was he sighed a little.
"Yea...I am, I guess...Sorry." Shikugo seemed like such a pushover. Always agreeing. His mother and father were not sure where he had gotten it, they were both pretty stubborn. Inuyasha didn't like that about his son, but he'd gotten over it. Shikugo shrugged a little and went to walk on. Shikugo was a pushover, but he had an attitude problem sometimes.
"What will you have tomorrow?" Inuyasha asked, standing in the same spot, feeling no need to follow after him, Shikugo couldn't escape him. Even if he tried to stay away from him. He hated that, his own son thought he was a freak because of his ears when he himself had them, even if he tried to deny it.
Shikugo froze, but stayed facing away. "Its nothing." He then started walking away again, disappearing into the house before his father could ask anything else.
Inuyasha sighed, he walked over to the tree of ages, hopping up and sitting in the lowest of branches, his leg falling over on one side of the branch. "That idiot.." He muttered under his breath. Shikugo was an idiot, but Kagome always worried about him. If she wasn't such a worry wart he'd tell her about this, but he knew she'd blow it out of proportion. He wasn't in the mood for another argument, Kagome always seemed to take Shikugo's side. It drove him nuts. She was always defending that kid. No one defended Inuyasha when he was Shikugo's age. He was amused at how much they were alike. Inuyasha knew that Shikugo hated him. It was annoying, but unchangeable. So Inuyasha simply did what he normally did. He sat in that tree and looked up at the moon. In his mind he had made a decision. He would find out what Shikugo was up to, they were alike, and if Inuyasha knew himself then he was sure that what Shikugo and that man in the mustang had in common was not a good thing. Probably something dangerous. Probably something stupid. Probably something Inuyasha would have done if he had lived in this era.
