This is the end. Yes, sad I know, but it is what it is and it has to end. I am sorry that it has taken, oh, about a year to update, things came up and I could not write for a long while.

Okay, now there was a question about what year the story takes place in. I figure it would be between 1920 and 1930...not sure on an exact date or anything, but that should give you an idea.

I am not sure about any other questions, I have not read the reviews in a while due to lack of time, but I will read them and answer more questions on here when I have more time.

WARNING: Its the end, anough said.

DISCLAIMER: I own everything but the basic plot and the characters, oh yes, says alot about me doesn't it? Oh yes, and I do not own the song "Swing Life Away" by Rise Against.

Am I loud and clear, or am I breaking up?
Am I still your charm, or am I just bad luck?
Are we getting closer, or are we just getting more lost?

The years from that moment went by so fast that I could not even believe it myself. Sesshoumaru, Shippou, and myself lived deep in a forest a few towns over. No one ever found us, and we did not come out until the war between youkai and humans was over ,and Sesshoumaru and I could finally get married. We had fallen in love by the end of the summer, and we are still in love with each other until this very day. We now live in an average sized house two towns over from where I had once called home. I spend my days watching my children grow up, all four of them. Shippou is, and will always be, my oldest son. My daughters come next, each more beautiful then I could have ever imagined. My son is the youngest, and curious as anyone could possibly be, always asking questions. Sesshoumaru is a wonderful father and husband, I could not have asked for a better man to share the rest of my life with. He saved me when I thought I could not be saved, he helped give me the courage to leave my father and to make a new life for myself. He is my rock and I love him more than words can describe. He supported me when I needed it, and even to this day he supports my decision to skip my fathers funeral.

I had not been in contact with my father since the day I left, but I have spoken to Souta a few times through the years, he was the one that told me when our father had passed away. I cried that night, though I do not know why, he did not deserve my tears, but he got them anyway. I was told when the funeral was, but I did not go, I could not bring myself to do that. Maybe one day I will visit his grave site, but as of right now I cannot bring myself to make that trip. I have not forgiven my father for all of the things that he has done, and I doubt that I will ever be able to, but I do hope that one day it will not control my life so much. He did not even know about my children before he died, he did not deserve to know about them, not with all of the things that he has done. I know that my mother would not want me to act this way, she would want me to forgive him, but I am far from perfect and she has always known that.

I began writing stories for Shippou and my other children when they could not sleep, and now I am writing the story of my life in the hopes that someone will read it and gain some sort of courage from it. I know, a bit of a far-out idea, but it makes me feel better to think that I may help some other girl in the same situation.

So this is my life story, filled to the brim with all of the ugly truths about everything that I had to deal with as I tried to raise myself. It was a wonderful life in the beginning, and though it got off track, the end is turning out to be rather wonderful.

I'll show you mine if you show me yours first
Let's compare scars, I'll tell you whose is worse
Let's un-write these pages and replace them with our own words

Flashback

"Sesshoumaru, what are we doing out here?" I asked the man that I had grown to love as we made our way through the forest that we called home.

He did not answer, he just kept walking through the trees, dragging me behind him. He seemed so distracted, and I do not think that I was making it any better.

"Are we going back soon? I do not want to leave Shippou alone too long,"

Yes, I never learn my lesson with him, but I know that is why he loves me.

"He will be fine for a few hours,"

Obviously he still needs some time to actually get to know him, because he could get the whole town running after him in a few hours, but I will trust his judgment this one time.

"If you say so," I said as I continued to let him drag me around.

We walked for at least another ten minutes before Sesshoumaru stopped. I almost ran into him when he did stop, he did not give me any warning and I was not paying attention.

"Heh, sorry," I said, scratching my head for added effect.

"Just close your eyes," was all he said.

I did what he asked and closed my eyes, but he put his hand over my eyes anyway, he knows me all too well. He walked beside me, and after another few minutes we stopped again. I could hear water, so I knew that we were either by a river or a lake, but I had not seen one this far out into the woods before. Of course, I spend most of my days at home, not trusting this new forest, you never know who is out youkai hunting.

"You can open your eyes now," I heard Sesshoumaru say right before he removed his hand.

I opened my eyes and looked around, not believing what I was seeing. Right in front of me was the most beautiful waterfall that I have ever seen. Right by the water was a picnic that I could only assume Sesshoumaru had set up.

"This is amazing," I said, still shocked at how romantic Sesshoumaru was being all of a sudden.

Sesshoumaru led me to where the food was set up, me looking around as we walked further into this majestic place. We sat down and I could not help but smile at the picture that I knew we made. It is hard to believe that only a year ago I was living with an abusive family and Sesshoumaru was hiding to save his life. We are still hiding, but it does not really seem like it at times like these. We ate in silence, I was not sure of what to say, though there was so much that I could think of, it all just sounded to childish at a time like this.

We live on front porches and swing life away,
We get by just fine here on minimum wage
If love is a labor I'll slave till the end,
I won't cross these streets until you hold my hand

"Kagome, I want to ask you something,"

I looked up from my food when I heard him speak, his voice seemed a bit shaky, like he was trying to stay calm, but he just couldn't. Normally he would just come right out and ask me whatever it was that he wanted to ask, he was not a shy person, but today he had been acting differently than normal.

"What is it Sesshoumaru?" I was getting a bit worried, I did not know what it could be, and it scared me when I thought about everything that he could say.

Without saying anything he stood up and walked closer to me, kneeling down next to me when he got close enough. He leaned over and whispered into my ear.

"Will you marry me?"

"Yes," I whispered back into his ear as I hugged him as tight as I could.

End Flashback

I put my pen and paper away, I had the last page of my book done, and I felt like a giant weight had been lifted from my shoulders. It was nice to know that I had finished something so major in my life. Sesshoumaru had taken the children swimming so that I could work, and now that they are gone and I am done, I miss them. My life had changed so much, but it was all for the best and I could not imagine not living this life.

"Mom, is this the life that I was meant to live? Did I have to go through all of that pain to finally have some peace?"

I had been wondering that for so long, never knowing if I would get an answer, and knowing that I did not need one because I already knew. With a smile now on my face, I got up from the desk that Sesshoumaru had built for me and made my way outside towards the waterfall. Sesshoumaru always took the children there to catch fish, they loved to try and catch them with their bare hands. It was such a beautiful day, everything seemed like a dream out here, even the rain was amazing. There was not a day that went by when I was not happy that we were out here.

When I finally reached the waterfall I could hear the squeals and giggles of my children, so I stood back and watched them. They looked so happy, all five of them, just splashing around in the water like they did not have a care in the world.

"I get it now mom, you are right, this is the greatest thing in life,"

Watching my children grow is why I am here, to make sure that they do not go through anything that I have been through. This is why I was put through all of that pain, so that they would grow up with love and not hate.

"I get it now,"

"What do you get mommy?"

I had been so caught up in my thinking that I did not notice that my oldest daughter come up behind me. I turned around and smiled down at her.

"Nothing. Why don't we go catch some fish?" I asked, taking her little hand into mine.

"Okay!" she squealed as she pulled me to the water.

I've been here so long, I think that it's time to move
The winter's so cold, summer's over too soon
So let's pack our bags and settle down where palm trees grow

Sesshoumaru and Kagome spent the rest of their lives watching their children grow. They grew old together, making every second of their life count. Their children all grew up to get married and have families of their own, but not before graduating from high school and starting their careers.

Kagome never went to her fathers grave, she decided that she was over it, and did not need to see her father again. She gave up on that long ago and she could live with her decision. Souta also grew up and got married, moving away from his step-mother as soon as he could. He could never forgive her for being part of the reason that his sister left. He visits Kagome once a month, his children having grown up with hers.

Kagome's book was published and read by many, it was one of her biggest accomplishments, but still not her biggest, which was raising a wonderful family.

Kagome lived her life the way that she had always wanted to, and with the man she loved.

I've got some friends, some that I hardly know
But we've had some times, I wouldn't trade for the world
We chase these days down with talks of the places that we will go

We live on front porches and swing life away,
We get by just fine here on minimum wage
If love is a labor I'll slave till the end,
I won't cross these streets until you hold my hand

I will end up rewrting this, but I thought that it was time that I ended it. I had a somewhat okay ending for it, but when my computer crashed I lost it. I will not have a sequel, and I will try to update my other stories soon. I am sorry about not answering reviews, I will do that through emails when I have some time. Thank you for reading this and reviewing, and sticking by it even when it (in my opinion) sucked.

I hope that the ending was okay, though I know not the best. The lemon will be on other sites, I decided not to put it here.

Thanks for reading.