Disclaimer: The characters of Inuyasha are owned by Rumiko Takahashi, but this story belongs to me

One Family

"This world is dangerous," Inuyasha tells her. She agrees. Of course, they are right, it really is a dangerous world. He tells her about the dangerous demons that will still come after the jewel. He's right again.

"You could get killed," he says to her. My heart grows cold. The thought of Kagome dying scares me to death. I don't know what I would do if she died.

She laughs. "I could get killed crossing the road back in my own era. There are no guarantees in life, you know."

Inuyasha grunts. "I can't ask you to stay, Kagome. It wouldn't be fair to you. Go home. Be safe. Live in your warm house and sleep on your soft bed."

I can't believe it. He's actually telling her to leave. To REALLY leave. Forever! I want to run out there and stop this. I want to make him shut up. I want to beg her to stay with us forever. I'll keep her safe! But I know that no matter how much I love her, it is Inuyasha that she will stay for, or leave because of.

"You want me to go home?"

He grunts again. I know he doesn't want her to leave. We ALL know he doesn't want her to leave.

"You want me to find a husband to love…?"

He growls, claws digging into the dirt, but still refuses to look at her. The idiot. Any fool can see that all she wants is for him to ask her to stay.

"…and have babies with him?"

That sure got his attention. I don't think I've ever heard that many curse words before. I'm sure about half of them were in the language of dog demons too. I sure do learn a lot from Inuyasha.

"What if I already have someone I love, Inuyasha? What if I already found the man I want to have those babies with?" She pauses, probably for effect. If it was, it was probably lost on Inuyasha. He's not good with catching anything subtle. "What if I am already home?"

Inuyasha turns away from her. My heart breaks as her shoulders slump and her head droops. I can tell that she's feeling defeated. I almost cry as she pushes herself quietly from the edge and drops into the well, swallowed up by time.

"Stay." Inuyasha's voice was soft, and pleading.

I almost felt sorry for him when I saw his expression as he turned around and noticed that Kagome had already left down the well. First he looked scared, then sad, then angry. I guess he has more depth than we all give him credit for. I watch from my hiding place in the bushes as he has some sort of internal battle.

"Leave!" He shouts angrily. "See if I care!"

He slumps down to the grass and leans against the well. After a moment he turns so that he can peek down, likely hoping that Kagome has changed her mind and came back. Maybe he was hoping that the well hadn't work. Who knows what goes through that head of his.

"She left…"

Poor Inuyasha looks so desolate that I almost come out of the bushes to console him. But before I can do that his mood changes and he is in a rage, hacking and slashing at everything in sight. Everything but the well, that is. No way is he taking any chances on damaging that thing. Everything else was fair game though. It makes me awfully glad I am still in hiding.

More cursing and growling, hacking and slashing. I think he's being rather a poor sport about things since he's the one who told her to go in the first place.

With one last growl he leaps down the well.

"About time," I said to myself.

"I agree, Shippo."

I should be surprised to see that Miroku was spying at the whole scene too. After looking around I notice that Sango and Kirara are hiding out too.

We leave the bushes and sit by the well to wait for Kagome and Inuyasha to return. It's practically a custom by now. They fight. She leaves. He goes to get her when he thinks we aren't looking. Sometimes they come back within minutes, sometimes hours. Sometimes days. Usually we'll sit around and talk bad about Inuyasha while we wait. If they are gone for more than a couple of hours we go back to the village.

Luckily we didn't have to wait too terribly long this time. After about half an hour Inuyasha came flying out of the well with a smug looking Kagome in his arms. He glares at us, yells at us to mind our own business, and then takes off into the trees with her.

"Let us head to Kaede's," Miroku suggests.

"Shouldn't we go after them," I ask.

Miroku smirks. "I don't think so, Shippo."

Kirara ends up carrying an unconscious Miroku back to the village after he makes a perverted remark. Sango never appreciates those kinds of remarks.

Inuyasha doesn't bring Kagome back to Kaede's that evening, so instead of ramen we have some stew. It doesn't taste as good, but it isn't bad. I miss Kagome when she isn't here. But it's good to know that at least she's HERE and not five hundred years in the future. I end up sleeping with Kirara and Sango instead. It's not as nice as when I sleep with Kagome. She gives me good-night kisses and tells me stories or sings me songs. Sango just says good-night then threatens Miroku.

Around lunchtime the next day they show up in the village.

She's here! She's finally here! I can't help myself, I really can't. I race to her and jump into her arms. It always makes me feel good inside when she holds me. It feels safe. It feels like home. Just being near her feels right.

"Kagome! I missed you!"

She laughs softly and hugs me tightly. "I was only gone for one night, Shippo."

"It seemed so much longer!"

It was the truth. This time it did seem like it was so much longer. This time it felt like it was forever. Maybe because this time we were so close to losing her forever because of that stupid Inuyasha.

That's when I notice something is different about them. They are standing a little closer together than usual. And they are looking at each other a little differently… warmer I guess. And there is something a little strange about the way they smell. I can't put my finger on it, but something feels… more complete.

We have always been a strange little family. Kagome has been like my mother since the day we met. She protected me from the Thunder Brothers. Inuyasha, though I hate to admit it, has been like a father. He protects us and provides for us. Sure he bops me on the head more than I'd like, but it's his warped way of disciplining me. The day he defeated the Thunder Brothers was the day we became a family.

Next Miroku joined our family. Inuyasha didn't trust him, or even like him, very much at first. Probably thought he was some sort of threat. Probably because he stole our shards of the jewel… and Kagome… It didn't feel like he was actually part of the family until we found Sango and Kirara. Miroku and Sango are like an uncle and aunt, and Kirara feels like a cousin of sorts. A strange family, but still a family.

And now it feels like it's more real.

Sango drags Kagome away to talk. Inuyasha, to keep away from Miroku, goes to show Kohaku a better way to cut wood. Show off.

Kohaku is a member of our extended family now. Souten is too. And since Rin likes Kohaku, Sesshomaru brings her by often. They are two more people to add to our extended family.

Humans, demons, half demons… some of us have even died and come back. Who would have thought that one family could be so different. Kagome says that blood doesn't make a family, that love does. You are born into some families, and chosen to be in others. We were all alone until Kagome found us. I'm glad we chose each other.

"Are you home for good, Kagome?"

She smiles at me with a brilliant smile and touches her nose to mine. "Yes, Shippo. I'm home for good."

I want to shout for joy. I want to race around. It feels like I'm on a sugar high. It feels good to be a family.

Really REALLY good.

OoOOooOOooOOooOOooOOooOOooOOooOOooOOoo

Author's Note: Not quite the end yet, hope y'all can hang on for one more chapter. Thanks again to everyone who reviewed! It definitely spurred me on to keep writing.