Disclaimer: I don't own InuYasha and never will.

Chapter 4

It had taken him much longer than he had expected to find the shrine, tell their friends what had happened and get out of the well, partly because the entire village had to come up to him and ask him to say how sorry they were about Kagome losing her family to her and partly because every villager offered him the use of a black kimono. He had had to try them all on to see if one fit. Then Sango and Miroku gave him some things Kagome had left, Shippo gave him a picture for Kagome saying 'You're not alone Kagome!' and Kaede gave him some tea to help Kagome relax and sleep. Weighed down as he was, he had to be careful on his run back to Kagome's temporary home, stopping every now and then to make sure nothing had dropped. When he finally reached the building, he saw that boy from the night before at the door. As he landed on the lawn, the boy turned and saw him.

"Hi!" He held out his hand. "We met last night but I didn't get your name. I'm Hojo by the way."

"InuYasha," he replied ignoring the hand. "You a friend of Kagome's?"

"I'm her boyfriend."

InuYasha looked at him coldly. "Oh?"

"Well, kinda. We haven't been going out that much since she started being sick all the time."

"I see. Well, uh, she's waiting for me. I'm a bit late."

He hit the ground suddenly as the door opened to reveal a girl in a black dress, her hair tied up in a bun, a very upset look on her face.

"You're late, dog boy. Very late. You said an hour. It's been nearly two. We have thirty minutes before we have to go. Do you have any idea how long it'll take to brush that hair of your's into a respectable state?"

"Uh, hi Higurashi?"

The girl turned to the boy and nodded slightly. "Hojo? What're you doing here?"

"Just wanted to see how you were feeling today, is all. I've gotta get home. I'm in charge of baby sitting the twins tonight."

"Oh. I'm better, thank you. I'll see you tomorrow? Maybe?"

"Maybe." He was already down the path to the street.

"Why were you so late?" she asked as he pulled himself up and inspected his packages.

"It took me longer than I thought to find the shrine and find a black kimono that fit. Sorry." It was odd seeing Kagome in anything so dark. She had always worn her school uniform or some pastels. Black was just too morbid for her.

"So go get dressed. I suppose we'll have to tie your hair or something."

He was pushed into a room by Kagome and he dressed faster than he had ever done in his life. When he was done, Kagome gave him a pair of sandals and took Tessaiga away from him

"What're you doing? I need Tessaiga!"

"Not for a funeral, InuYasha," she scolded as she ran a brush through his hair, "If something happens, you can defend me very well with your fists. Sometimes I think you rely to much on that sword."

"It locks away me demon side. Of course I'm dependent on it. Ow! Watch the ears!"

"Sorry."

"Kagome!" called a woman from outside the room, "Come on. We're going to be late! Oh, hello again, InuYasha, wasn't it?"

It took him a moment, but he recognized the woman from the steps earlier.

"What's it to you?"

"InuYasha! That's my aunt Hitomi. Can't you try to be nice to her?"

"At least she won't be going to a foster home. I hear she has an aunt from Kyoto who'll take care of her. Getting away from this shrine is probably best for her."

"I won't let you take Kagome away from me."

The woman faltered and Kagome blinked.

"Take me? Where?"

"Kyoto."

Kagome looked him in the eye. "How do you know she lives in Kyoto? Do you even know where Kyoto is?"

"I heard the police mention her. And no, I've never heard of Kyoto, but that means it has to be pretty far. It has to be well away from Kaede's for me to have never heard of it. Is it even in Japan?"

Hitomi blinked as Kagome shook her head. "Kyoto isn't that far, it just wasn't called Kyoto in Kaede's time. It south and east, but there's no well."

"Of course we have wells! What does it matter if you have a well there or not? And what gives him the right to tell me what to do with my niece? And why did he say Shippu or something missed his mommy? And why can he fly and are those dog ears and, and, oh my..."

The woman collapsed onto the floor, followed by two sets of eyes.

"I think I liked her better before she opened her mouth."

Kagome nodded and returned to unknotting InuYasha's hair.


I would like to apologize to my readers who have been waiting for updates for the last few months, but I had some technical difficulties. I will, therefore, be updating most of my fics and put some of them on hold, meaning only that they'll be updated slower. I would like to apologize for the delay and wish to assure you it will not happen again in the near future. Thanks. SY

R&R please!