A/N: Thanks for your reviews! I hope you like this chapter as well! Please let me know what you think!

Seeker: a bullet is a modern part of a modern weapon. Modern day handguns did not exist in 1500s Japan, therefore, my understanding would be that Kaede could not have helped Kagome learn to protect herself from something which she had no knowledge of...neither could the twins protect her from something of which they had no knowledge. You have to remember that Kagome is half human, and since she had never been shot before, her body had no defenses against the bullet or its affects.

>>>>>>

My Only Hope
Chapter Thirty-Three

"So, how many demon sightings have there been since all this happened?" asked Inuyasha.

"We can watch the television and find out as soon as we get back to the shrine, but I insist that Kagome lay down and rest." Gramps replied.

Kagome frowned. "But I told my dad we would be back soon…"

"We will go nowhere until you're healed. You will be of no use to yourself in our time if you are injured. You need to be in good health so that you'll be able to defend yourself if need be…" Sesshoumaru said in a coach-like voice.

"Argh! Fine!" Kagome huffed as they pulled up to the shrine. She gasped as Inuyasha swept her up into his arms and carried her up the stairs. Sesshoumaru followed him, Shippo in one arm and Toku in the other. Yuka and gramps brought up the rear, carrying the squirming Taka as they went.

When Inuyasha reached the top of the stairs, he stopped in his tracks. Standing in front of the Higurashi house were several different people. Kagome and Inuyasha blinked. There was something different about these people, though.

"Inuyasha…they're all youkai." Kagome whispered in realization.

He nodded. "I can tell. My next question would be what the hell are they all doing here?" he demanded of them. "I don't mean to be rude," he calmed himself, "but my family and I have been through enough in the past six months to kill us, literally, and now, Kagome needs her rest…"

"We just wanted to thank you." Smiled one demon, a female.

"For what?" blinked Inuyasha.

"Being yourselves. There aren't that many inu-youkai around anymore, but it really empowered all of us to see the group of you like that…and you weren't even disguised…" She paused. "I mean, there are inu-youkai around, but they couldn't come see you…."

"You know them?" asked Sesshoumaru.

"As do you, Lord Sesshoumaru." Bowed the female demon.

He frowned. "What the hell does that mean?"

"Never mind…" she shrugged. "The information is of little importance, anyway."

"Little importance?" repeated Inuyasha.

She nodded. "Right now Lady Kagome needs her rest." She pointed. "I know you do not want any intrusions, but I would like to request that we keep guard over this shrine and the surrounding area until which time you are returned safely to your own era…" she bowed again. "It was a suggestion from our inu-youkai friends who could not meet with you today…"

"Demons at the shrine…" Kagome's grandfather grumbled. "Can you keep quiet?"

"You won't even know that we're here." She smiled. "I'm Mine, Tokyo's resident fox demon." Again, she bowed.

"Mine?" Shippo whispered.

Inuyasha turned. "You know her, Shippo?"

He nodded. "Mine, you were friends with my mother and father before they were killed, weren't you? Wow! You must be really, really old!" he gasped.

"Shippo!" Kagome snapped. "It isn't polite to comment on a woman's age like that!"

Mine shook her head. "It's perfectly all right, Lady Kagome. I know several youkai who just happen to be older than myself…" she winked. "Get some rest, please, Lady Kagome. We will ensure your safety. You've been fighting off this enemy long enough…." At that, Mine clapped her hand over her mouth, as if she had said something forbidden.

Sesshoumaru was instantly curious. "Mine…why don't you and I have a little chat?" he whispered.

"About what, Lord Sesshoumaru?" she asked, acting clueless.

"I think you know exactly what I'm talking about." He replied.

She shook her head. "I'm sorry, Lord Sesshoumaru…I can not divulge any more information to you. It could endanger your future." She explained.

"I see…" he nodded.

"Exactly…"

"Come on, Kagome…to your room…" Inuyasha entered the house and carried Kagome up the stairs.

Kagome gasped in surprise when they entered her room. There was two small cradles in the corner, one for each of the twins, and a small cot for Shippo. Kagome recognized the cradles. One used to be her own when she was a child. The other once belonged to her brother Souta. Kagome's grandfather had refinished the beautiful wooden cribs, and they practically glistened in the small amount of sunlight that was seeping through Kagome's open bedroom window.

"Gramps!" Kagome yelped, and groaned in pain moments later. "Thank you! How did you know we would…" she began.

"I didn't. You…I mean, never mind…" he stopped. "I'll just leave you two alone, okay?" he smiled.

Kagome cleared her throat. "Can Sesshoumaru have Souta's room?"

He nodded. "Yes. Why not?"

"Just checking…" Kagome yawned as Inuyasha set her carefully in her bed. "I think I will take that nap…" she sighed, closing her eyes. "Inuyasha, could you…" her voice trailed off before she finished. She was already asleep.

He nodded. "Sure. No problem."

Inuyasha headed down the stairs to retrieve the twins, who were thankfully sleeping soundly in either Yuka or Sesshoumaru's arms. Sesshoumaru and Yuka were chatting idly. Yuka was laughing at something Sesshoumaru must have said or done, but at the same time trying to be quiet. She was turning slightly red with the effort of it.

Inuyasha's eyebrow rose as he came into the room. "I take it I shouldn't ask?" he smirked. "Do I even want to know?"

Shippo jumped up onto Inuyasha's shoulder. "It's nothing bad, daddy. You're just on the outside of the joke is all…"

"I'm on the outside? Really? And would that mean that you are on the inside?"

Shippo nodded. "Yeah!"

The twins eyes widened when they realized their father was in the room, and each of them smiled up at him and held their arms out expectantly. Sesshoumaru glanced at his little brother.

"Are you going to take them?"

"I'm going to take them upstairs to Kagome's room is all. She's sleeping, but she can't stand to have them be away from her all the time."

"That's because she's their mother." Sesshoumaru quipped.

"Well, yeah, last time I checked." Inuyasha smirked his reply.

"That wasn't how I meant that to sound. I mean she is going to want them near her all the time because it is just her natural instinct to be very protective of them."

Inuyasha nodded. "I could have told you that."

"I will go now." Sesshoumaru frowned. "I imagine there is someplace outside that I can sleep?"

"You can have Kagome's brother's room." Inuyasha pointed up the stairs. "It's that first door on the right."

After a moment rolling this over in his mind, Sesshoumaru headed towards the stairs. Yuka yawned and fell backwards on the couch.

"It's been a really long couple of months," she commented.

"Yes, it has. I just wish all of this terrible stuff would stop. I think Kagome definitely needs some time to relax that wasn't given to her due to injury. She needs to be left alone." Inuyasha replied.

Yuka nodded. "Yes, I think that's an awesome idea," she smiled.

"That day may not come for hundreds of years." Said the demon woman, Mine, walking slowly into the house.

"What's that supposed to mean?" demanded Inuyasha.

"It means exactly what it sounds like it is supposed to mean," she answered. "I know. I've been around for a long time. I've seen it happen."

"Seen what happen?" Inuyasha asked.

Mine took a deep breath. "Go upstairs and distract Lord Sesshoumaru. There are some things about the future that his heart would be best left clueless about." She whispered.

Yuka stood, and bowed to Mine. "I'll distract him." She nodded. "Just let me know when it's okay to come back down…"

Inuyasha nodded his agreement, and turned his head towards the stairs. "I'll holler up when we're done with our little chat." He promised her.

Mine cleared her throat. "Good. I'm glad she left. I didn't want to go messing up her future either…" Mine commented under her breath.

"She's only human. Humans can't live that long. You know that." Inuyasha retorted.

"They can if they are mated to a youkai." Mine whispered, an eyebrow raising with a subtle hint.

"You mean…?" Inuyasha nearly screamed as he jumped in surprise. "You mean…Yuka and…Yuka and…Sesshoumaru?" he finally managed to finish.

Mine nodded. "It is supposed to happen sometime very soon." She told him. "And you can not say a word of this to anyone."

Inuyasha gulped, but nodded anyway. "Wait," he paused. "If Sesshoumaru is finally going to get over himself, then what were you talking about a second ago? Tell me what's going on!" he demanded.

"The girl." Mine said simply. She didn't even have to explain, for Inuyasha had already paled. He knew what she was going to say next, so he was not at all surprised when she continued. "Sometime this month, the girl is going to be attacked by a snake youkai. You and your friends will find her, but the snake's bite will take its affect nonetheless, and the girl will die before the change of season."

"But…" Inuyasha began.

"No. Do not try to stop this girl's destiny from taking place." Mine cut him off.

"But…"

"Let me finish!" Mine growled.

Inuyasha nodded obediently.

"The girl's death will definitely anger and sadden Lord Sesshoumaru, but it has to happen. What will shock him more is when his father's famed Tenseiga fails him in reviving the girl…"

"But why….?"

"Her death is nothing but a part of Lord Sesshoumaru's continued legacy…" Mine explained.

"His…"

"Yes. Lord Sesshoumaru will produce an heir after Rin's death…a powerful little girl, whom he and Lady Yuka will name after her."

Inuyasha took a deep breath. "I see…" He paused. "And what about the demons after my children?"

"You will fight that battle for many days to come," Mine nodded. "No amount of hiding in this era is going to change any of that."

"What?" Inuyasha yelped. "Can you at least tell me who it is? What am I supposed to tell Kagome? She keeps dreaming that I'm going to go and die on her! Am I supposed to just let her keep thinking about that?"

"I can't tell you exactly who is after them, Inuyasha. There are too many after them as it is. The people that Kagome sees in her dream will not kill you. However, the people whom Kagome see are from the village in which you currently live, and unless you find Kikyou, there is a very good possibility that she will succeed with her intentions."

"Kikyou?" What little color had come back to Inuyasha's face quickly drained from it. "Who…brought her back this time?" he managed to choke.

"Someone from this era…someone whom you and Kagome know very well. Another in the Higurashi family with the holy gift…"

"No…" Kagome whispered, shaking her head in disbelief. "He wouldn't…I didn't think he could….why would he…I don't…" Kagome would have fallen down the stairs if not for Inuyasha.

"It's okay." He whispered.

"Has anyone seen the old man in the past half hour?" Mine pointed out, looking suspiciously around the room.

"No…" Kagome replied.

>>>>>>

A/N: Sorry bout the long update wait…finals suck. Please review and let me know what you think!