Chapter 19

Kagome and InuYasha stood in the construction site letting out a breath the both didn't know they were holding, and after a few seconds looked around and realized that Kagome's family was right there…I mean they knew they were there…but it didn't penetrate until then.

'Crap! Now what? Oh yea lets just tell them "oh yea they do this all the time…they go back in tile to collect a jewel that evil demons are after, InuYasha is a hanyou and Kagome is a miko." That'll go over well' InuYasha scowled to himself

'Ahhh, we are in trouble now…' but as it started to sink in she began to panic, 'what if they reject us? What if they tell the rest of the family? What if hate InuYasha and he recedes again? Wh-wha-' her thought were suddenly cut short when a soft blackness ran over hare mind, and she passed out

Seeing Kagome panic and then become faint he hurried over to her and caught her before she fell roughly to the ground. 'Dammit this cant get any worse can it?' he knew Kagome was stressed out and understood why she passed out but this didn't help the situation. Picking her up so his arms here under her knees and behind her back with her head resting on his torso he took a deep breath and walked over to where Kai was an affectionate annoyance dancing around his eyes…he knew she was worried regardless of the predicament they were in.

And as he crept closer and closer he became more and more anxious, and his eyes began to swirl with fear and he just about jumped clear out of his skin when both Steven and Souta leapt at him smiling broadly.

"That was AWESOME!"

"How did your sword get so big?"

"Wasn't sis great!"

"What was that thing?"

"Why did it attack you?"

The boys began to bombard him with questions as Kai walked over looking the pair over worriedly, "Are you alright? No injuries? Is Kagome alright?" Kai spluttered over her daughter, completely forgetting about the others.

"Yes, yes, we are both fine, she just passed out from stress, I think she is worried they would judge us…I don't know…I'm used to it…but she isn't, I've protected her from it in the Feudal Era…I didn't want her to go thought what I did…I know she loves her family very much and I think that is why she is so worried…" InuYasha explained softly looking down, not being able to meet Kai's eyes.

But Kai had other plans, she reached her hand underneath his chin, forcing his face up so that his eyes met hers. Both were surprised by the emotion swirling within each other's eyes… InuYasha's held regret, fear, compassion, and anxiety, while Kai's expressed worry, awe, and a very strong sense of love. It took a second but Kai spoke, "I know, I know how much you care for her, I know how much you try to protect her, I know how much she can be a pain because she doesn't listen and she doesn't want to let anyone down either…I also know how much she loves you and wishes you would just trust her a little more, she knows more about your past then I do but she is still frustrated how you always seem to be hiding, you don't need to hide…not from everyone that loves you…Kagome, myself, Souta, even Kar….and I'll bet anything that Sango, Miroku, and Shippo love you too…we all do…and you need to open up and realize that…yes there are those that will hurt you…but you wont ever have experienced all the positive emotions if you keep yourself locked away…to know love and be hurt and better than not knowing love at all…just remember that" Kai smiled into InuYasha's eyes, "it's gonna' be alright…just your wait"

Not sure how to respond the hanyou just hung his head, and was "saved" by Souta, " 'nYasha, is Kagome alright?"

Smirking and looking back to the girl held protectively in his arms, "yea, she'll be fine…I actually think she fainted from shock than anything else, she smells fine, she's not exhausted, cut, poisoned…just stressed" he added with a smirk, "and even if she was hurt your sister isn't one to give up easily…I don't think you'll have to worry about her…"

"Yea! My sister isn't afraid of anything!" Souta bragged to no one in particular

'And that is what worries me…' InuYasha thought as Souta hopped away.

"Kai!" a dangerous voice sounded behind her, warning her she had some explaining to do….

"Yes brother" she retorted nonchalantly as if nothing had happened

"What the hell just happened here?" he asked coming out of shock, but Jenny stood next to him still completely stiff.

Letting out a defeated sigh-there was no way out of this one- Kai looked her brother straight in the eyes, "I think we better go back to the house to explain this one.."

"Kai I want to know right now!" he yelled now becoming angry at his sister

"You want to know! Then you will let me explain this to you the best I can and I am still gathering my thought so we are going back!" and with that she summoned her father and they walked off. Too shocked to do anything but respond Robert followed holding Jenny's hand and pulling her along.

This was the first time Kagome realized just how much her mother did for her, yes she gave her food, prayed for her safety when she left, listened to her complaints…but she had to deal with everything ELSE too. Kagome smiled, her mother really the most amazing person she knew…

Kagome stated to go after her mother but InuYasha stopped her, "let then be, you will have your chance to defend yourself later, just take it easy…"

"Huh? Oh, ok…hey! I should be the one worried about you! Are you alright!"

"Feh, I'm fine!"

"Don't you 'feh' me mister! You have some nerve…"

"They sound like a married couple…" whispered Souta to his cousin

Nodding his reply Steven smiled, "my mom said that one time about Jerry and Carla!"

Kagome had gotten away from the hanyou and walked over to the boys picking Steven up "what about Carla and Jerry?"

"Nothing" Souta cut off suspiciously

"Come on, lets get moving…" InuYasha encouraged

"Piggy back! Piggy back!" the boys cried after looking at each other.

"Fine, fine" the pair laughed and hoisted the boys up and began their trek home, to wage a war.

'What do I tell them? The truth…wow that was cliché, oh yea that will go over well, my daughter can travel time thought our old well and her friend is actually a youkai from the Feudal Era!…or not…' Kai sighed, this was not going to be easy…

Kagome and InuYasha were also deep in though about what was going to take place once they arrived at the house. 'Should I tell them…I cant let my mom do this…its my issue'

'This is my fault, if I hadn't then this wouldn't of…but they may not listen too me…they may not even want anything to do with me' the hanyou argued with himself all the way until he reached the front of house.

Upon reaching the house InuYasha froze, he wouldn't move, his feet were cemented to the ground and his body suddenly felt heavy. All the insecurities that had began to diminish since the day he had met Kagome started to show their ugly head again. He was still a hanyou, a misfit, even more so in Kagome's era…what little confidence he had dwindled away to almost nothing.

But as always Kagome, walked up slipping her hand smoothing into his, a source of light and warmth, confidence and security, she was his stability (this ones for you Jess! ) and at the moment he needed it. he looked down into her eyes and blinked seeing some things he had not expected…but he was not surprised, that was Kagome for you… she eyes told him it was gonna work out, and that she trusted in everyone…he searched her for pity or sorrow, but instead found compassion and understanding, doubt was one thing Kagome had never expressed around him so it didn't surprise him one bit as he saw none of that in the soft pools of mahogany.

Everyone was sitting in the living room when the teens walked in, Souta and Steven had run outside before they could be stopped and were talking excitedly about the battle. Kai was sitting in one of the chairs, and Robert and Jenny sat on the couch watching her closely. Kar was off to the side thinking to himself but paying close attention to his family. As InuYasha walked in, Kagome at his side, all eyes went to the teens.

InuYasha almost froze again but when Kagome crept forward he followed half a step behind her, not willing to leave her alone regardless of his own insecurity.

Kagome sat calmly on the love seat (2 seated couch) motioning for InuYasha to sit beside her but he had gone ridged and stood next to the furniture. Kagome broke the silence, "come on InuYasha, just sit down." She coaxed softly not realizing what she had said.

"Kagome!" the hanyou yelled hitting the floor, startling everyone.

Surprised and sorry Kagome dropped to the floor next to her friend, "are you ok?" she asked concerned. Giving her a flat glare, he grumbled as he picked himself up and sat down on the couch highly embarrassed.

"wh-what was that?"

"god damned spell the old ha-" his mumbling was cut off when Kagome sharply elbowed him in the ribs.

"it is a spell Kaede put on him when I first met InuYasha…but let me start from the beginning…"

although Kagome saw a million questions pop into her relatives minds they kept quiet as she requested and listened for her to continue. Letting out a sigh she began, "on my 15th birthday I fell though an old well that is on the shrine at my house. There I was transported 500 years into the past to Feudal Japan, there is where I met InuYasha."

Her relatives were to interested in the facts of her story to notice her voice soften as she mentioned InuYasha, but her mother wasn't and she smiled, deciding this may not be such a bad thing for to finally tell someone else this story who was not in the middle of it.

Recalling how they first met stung InuYasha'a heart, he had attacked her, almost killed her! What would he have done if that had happened! Smirking he looked at Kagome, more than one life was saved that day.

Laughing Kagome continued, "well InuYasha wasn't too glad to see me when we first met, he was under a spell and when he awoke I reminded him of the miko who placed the spell on him. He wasn't to far off to, come to find out I'm her reincarnation."

Kai and InuYasha noticed her flinch when she said that, 'Kikyo's copy…that is what she thought, feh, she couldn't be farther from it…' well I was actually being pursued by a youkai when I met InuYasha, he had to play the hero and save me," she laughed," but not before the Shikon no Tama was removed from my body. It's this little jewel that can increase the powers of youkai, that was what InuYasha was after and what got him pinned to the tree in the first place, oh yea he was pinned to the god tree outside my shrine with a sacred arrow that placed him into an eternal sleep that I disturbed, well anyway when I freed InuYasha he went after me since I was the new guardian, that is when Kaede put the spell on InuYasha, now all I have to do is say s-i-t and InuYasha does a face-plant."

InuYasha scowled at this, and Kai smiled, Robert looked at his sister's relaxed composure and wondered how she had been so understanding about this, her daughter disappears and comes back later saying, oh I was in the Past running around with a youkai…whatever that is…something is up…

"What is a Youkai?" jenny asks tentatively.

"In English there is really no equivalent, but it is loosely translated to demon…but they are not all bad…as proved with a handful of my friends…" Kagome laughed remembering a handful of times was acting like a curious little kid exploring her backpack full of strange objects, and then Shippo with his childlike innocence. "InuYasha wanted the jewel to become full youkai, since he is only a hanyou, his father was a demon lord and his mo-"suddenly Kagome stopped, giving InuYasha an apologetic look and then continuing as if nothing had happened, he could yell at her later. His brother is a full youkai and has attacked InuYasha numerous times to get InuYasha's sword, the Tetsaiga, but recently he hasn't been, he also now has a little human girl following him around, her name is Rin, she is about Shippo's age, AH!" Kagome suddenly exclaimed startling everyone.

"I haven't told you about all of out friends who are helping us collect the jewel shards, I shattered the Shikon no Tama about 2 years ago, and that is what InuYasha and I have been doing in the feudal era, trying to keep the shards away from Naraku, Naraku is a very bad youkai, but we wont get into that now. We are traveling with Sango, a youkai slayer and her pet cat Kirara, Miroku, a very unique monk, and Shippo a fox youkai. We have all become very good friends but the only once that can come thought the well are InuYasha and I, plus Shippo and InuYasha fight like siblings…" letting out a sigh Kagome realized she had given to much detail and her aunt and uncle just kind of sat there. "But in short InuYasha is a hanyou from the feudal era and I am a miko or priestess. And back home we have been collecting jewel shards to stop a villain, and the reason we were attacked today was because a demon sensed the power of the jewel and wanted it."

Robert was in shock, "so this was what you were whispering about this morning!" yelled Robert in surprise, making InuYasha jump out of his skin.

"Huh?" the hanyou blinked

"This morning when you woke Kagome up!"

"What? I woke her up because I smelt a demon, I was concerned, and I needed to know if she sensed a jewel shard, I didn't think they make it over here but just to be safe."

When InuYasha spoke his eyes became very protective and it was at that moment that Robert began to trust and believe the hanyou. The sheer rawness and intensity of emotion that appeared on his face unconsciously was astounding to him. He had never seen someone show that much on their face without a thought, things had happened to them and little by little he was able to accept it, he didn't know why or how, be he began to believe them, besides it wasn't like his sister to play tricks…

InuYasha stretched out, his feature now fully exposed, his fangs shown openly as he yawned and his ears swiveled comfortable atop his head, it was almost 1 in the morning and everyone else had supposable turned in, but the hanyou's nose told him otherwise.

Kagome seemed aware of this and nudged him in the ribs from her position beside him, he looked down at her, "what?"

Kagome rolled her eyes, "don't what me…"

"Whatever"

He seemed so distant, "what's wrong?"

He gave her a look though the side of his eyes, and to anyone else it would have been a glare but Kagome knew better… "How can you ask that? Between today and-"

"Ok, so even I didn't expect that…it was little rocky, but come on, that is proof that not everyone is prejudice against you…and now this is you safe-haven, you can always come here, they know you and accept you, like Keade's village, and my family, and all of our friends back home."

'She said it again, Home, and it was referenced to the Feudal Era, I thought that is what she said this morning but I couldn't be sure, but that was obvious, and she didn't even realize it…does she feel more comfortable and accepted there? Does she just like it more? Or…is it something else…?'

Kagome waved her hand in front of InuYasha's face, "Hellooooo, you still alive in there…." When he blinked she laughed, "Welcome back, ya tired?"

Letting loose a small smile he gave a slight nod, "guess so…"

"Good, so am I" she laughed as she crawled into bed

Rolling his eyes he followed after her, as soon as he was under the blankets Kagome curled up to him out of habit and just then did be begin to realize how much the girl next to him had changed his life…for the better.

"See now isn't that cute…"

All the adults were huddled at the top of the stairs watching the teens, they couldn't hear the words they spoke but the facial expressions the showed spoke louder than any words they could have said. Laughing jenny asked, "Now if InuYasha has youkai senses how are you getting back downstairs?"

"…crap!"

Lol so how was that? Lol choppy… and I know it took FROEVER! I am soooo sorry about that…finals came up sooo fast and then camp and now planning for camp…oh well, I got it up(finally)…oh and its official I have pneumonia! Lol well it isn't a good thing but I would explain why I had a cough for more than 4 months…anywayz I will try to get chapter 20 up as soon as possible! Thanks again guys! Lol plz review!

Lunar .