Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha.

A/N: I'm so sorry that this is so late! I'm sorry! I've been really sick, was in the hospital for 4 or 5 days. Apparently I was dehydrated because I wasn'teating or sleeping enough because of school. Anyways, I'm sorry. : (

So this is "officially" the last chapter, but I'm debating whether or not to write an epilogue, so tell me or something. Thank you. :D

Cigarettes and Lavender

Chapter 22-Frames for Contentment

Bi Polar

The car was slowing down and Inuyasha lifted his head up to look out the window. They were close; he had envisioned this moment in his head over and over again for the past seven months. He could barely keep inside the car; he wanted to jump out right then and there.

Miroku's car slowed to a stop on the curb right next to the 257 steps leading to Kagome's house.

Inuyasha wasted no time in climbing out of the car and standing at the bottom of the steps. This was it. Miroku came to stand behind him, putting a hand on his shoulder.

The golden eyed teenager turned to face him and held out a hand. "Thank you…for everything." He said quietly.

"What are friends for?" Miroku smiled and shook his friend's hand warmly.

Inuyasha grinned, shook his head, then enveloped Miroku in a large hug. His eyes watered. "Thank you, thank you, thank you." He repeated over and over again, letting go of him.

Miroku gave Inuyasha a small smile. "We're always here for you, just so you know." Inuyasha smirked and nodded his head.

Sango cleared her throat and waited impatiently for the silver haired boy to notice her. Inuyasha greeted her with warm eyes and open arms; she ran straight for them giving him an affectionate embrace. "I'll miss you and I'll make sure that Miroku drives us here to visit you and Kagome." She was crying so hard that it was hard to understand her.

"Why are you crying?" Inuyasha pulled back and looked down at her.

"I'm just so happy." She wiped her eyes and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "You're like a brother to me, and I'm just so happy to see you safe." She pulled away and stood by Miroku, who put his arm around her waist and held her close as Inuyasha turned to wave one last goodbye before walking up the numerous stairs.

Inuyasha's entire frame was shaking with anticipation. 'God damn all these steps.'

And there she was.

Kagome was standing outside on the porch waiting for him. She was gorgeous, her long hair cascading down her back and shoulders. Her heart shaped face flushed with anxiety and her azure eyes focused on him. The worry lines on her forehead were slowly disappearing. He could see her take a deep breathe and bite her lip.

And in a blink of his eye she was holding him around the waist sobbing into his sweatshirt. His heart felt like it was going to explode with contentment. He wrapped his arms warmly around her tiny frame and held her close, burrowing his face in her lavender scented hair and kissing her neck lightly.

"Everything is going to be alright." He whispered.

"I've missed you." Kagome mumbled into his sweatshirt.

"I've missed you too." He lifted her chin up and smiled down at her and she beamed back. On her tiptoes she gave him a slow chaste kiss, smiling against his lips.

She pulled away and grinned but it vanished when she got a look at him. "Oh my God…what happened to you?" Her worry forehead lines returned.

"I'm fine, really. Now that I'm here." Inuyasha reached out and grabbed her hand.

"No, you're so thin. What happened to you're head." At this she reached up and ran her fingers over his bruised and cut brow. "And you're hands." She looked down and reached for his hands as he looked away. "Oh God, Inuyasha." She looked up, her blue eyes watering. "What happened?"

"We just got in a little fight, that's all." He wouldn't look at her.

She shook her head. "It doesn't matter anymore. You're safe and sound now and that's all that matters." She smiled lightly, wiping her eyes quickly. "Come on, mom will be so excited to see you." She took his hand caked in dry blood and walked eagerly towards the house.

Kagome threw the door open and called out to the entire house. "Mom! He's home!" Her eyes were watering again. She couldn't go more than five minutes without crying a little.

Inuyasha heard something close to a stampede coming down the stairs. And there in the entryway to the kitchen stood Mrs. Higurashi. Her hands held to her mouth in disbelief. She ran up and hugged Inuyasha crying and laughing at the same time. She kissed him repeatedly on the cheek and then pulled back to look at him.

"You're nothing but skin and bones! And those cuts and bruises! Kagome go get the first aid kit, I'll make him something to eat." She gave him one more peck on the cheek and then moved to the refrigerator pulling out this and that, talking and smiling to herself.

Kagome looked up at Inuyasha and grinned. "Told you she'd be excited."

"Where's Souta?"

She frowned and shook her head. "He's…he's not talking to us."

"Why?"

"Because you left." They were in the bathroom and she was getting out the bandages and hydrogen peroxide while he jumped up and sat on the counter.

"What do you mean?" Inuyasha held out his hands for her.

"After you left he just…stopped talking to us." She dabbed the cuts on his knuckles with peroxide and he winced.

"Didn't you explain it to him?"

"Well…sort of." She was wrapping up his hands slowly and daintily.

"Where is he?" He whispered as she finished up with his hands and moved to the cut on his brow. She bit her lip in concentration and wiped his gashed forehead.

"At his friend's house. He'll be back for dinner though." Kagome took the medical tape and the small wads of gauze out of the kit.

"Does he know that I'm here?"

"No." She taped the gauze to his cut and inspected the rest of his face, lightly running her fingers over his cheeks.

"Oh."

"Do you want to change?" She smiled gently at him. He knew she was just trying to reassure him, but he felt a nervous knot in his stomach. Inuyasha shook his head and took a deep breath. It'd be okay, he'd cross that bridge when he came to it.

"Yeah." He hopped off the bathroom counter and walked out into the hallway.

"Well, we have some of my dad's old clothes in the closest."

"No it's okay…I brought some of mine." He whispered holding his old leather bag to his chest.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes." He answered quietly.

He was in her room changing from bloodstained sweatshirt and pants into his brother's old clothes.

Sitting down on Kagome's floor he took out the old pictures of him and his Sesshomaru. He must have been around 12 then. It was close to Sesshomaru's death. There 15 photographs in all; some of his brother, some of him, and some of both of them together. There was a knock on the door and Inuyasha spun around as Kagome opened it and peeked inside.

"I was just wondering what you were doing." She said innocently.

"Oh, nothing…" Inuyasha roughly stuffed the pictures back in his backpack.

"What was that?"

"Nothing."

Kagome came to sit next to him and reached over to grab his backpack; she took out the pictures and looked through them with a melancholy look on her face. "Is this your brother?" She asked sorrowfully.

Inuyasha nodded, not trusting himself to say anything.

She didn't know what to say so she didn't. Instead she leaned over and kissed him. Inuyasha leaned in and savored the taste of her lips. "It's going to be okay." She whispered after she broke the kiss.

"I know." He gave her a confident look that made her want to jump for joy.

"You know…" She began thoughtfully, "We could always hang these up." She finished holding the photographs up.

He smiled gently. "I'd like that."

"I'm glad." She picked herself up off the floor and held out her hand for Inuyasha which he took after pocketing the pictures.

Mrs. Higurashi had been waiting for them. She already had his food out on the table and was waiting for both of them. "There you are! Come, come sit down." She motioned to the chair.

"Aren't you two going to eat?" He asked politely, feeling a tad bit awkward being the only one at the table with food but both of them sitting there with him.

"Oh we've already eaten dear." She smiled warmly at him.

Kagome gave a quick glance to Inuyasha and he nodded. "Mom…can we get some picture frames." She asked softly.

"What for?"

Kagome gave a quick look to Inuyasha and he pulled out his 15 photos. "For these." He answered calmly.

"Oh." She took them from him and stared at them one by one as he ate quietly. She didn't say anything but instead gave him a loving smile and nodded her head. "Of course we can." She stood up grabbing a few of her favorite ones and hung them on the refrigerator door. "There…I'll buy some frames tomorrow."

They sat there and talked even after he finished his meal. But then they all fell silent when the front door slammed shut. Souta was home. Inuyasha got up from his chair as Souta marched into the kitchen. The young boy didn't even notice him as he opened the refrigerator door.

"Hello Souta." Inuyasha said, clenching his hands together.

Souta whirled around and stared at Inuyasha. "What are you doing here?" He asked disgustingly.

"What do you mean?"

"Aren't you supposed to be at home?" Souta spat.

"I am."

"No your real home."

"I'm here."

Souta was getting angry. "The home that you left us to go back to, you idiot!" He yelled ferociously. Mrs. Higurashi got up off her chair and made her way to Souta when Inuyasha held out his hand, she stopped in her tracks waiting patiently for the argument to finish.

"You know I wouldn't purposely leave you." Inuyasha answered evenly.

"Then why did you go?"

"There are just some things that you have to do even though you'd rather not."

Souta tried to keep his glare but his eyes were stinging. "Why'd you leave?" He asked shakily.

"My parents were looking for me. You don't know how much I have wished that I hadn't have left." He said seriously.

Souta clenched his hands together and lowered his head. "I'm sorry." He whispered. Inuyasha smiled kindly and came forward to hug Souta. The younger boy cried and clung to his 'brother.' "I'm so sorry." He sobbed.

Inuyasha kneeled down and smiled at Souta. "How about we go play soccer?"

Souta beamed, wiping his eyes with his sweatshirt sleeve and nodded his head vigorously. Dragging Inuyasha outside, he once again tried to teach the older boy how to play soccer. Kagome and her mother watched from the back door smiling gratefully.

Kagome gazed at the pictures hanging on the fridge; a younger Inuyasha gazed back leaning against his older handsome brother, both of them smiling contently. And looking back out the window she saw the same smile spread across his face.

A/N: POLL TIME! Should I or should I not write an epilogue?

THANK YOU SO MUCH TO ALL MY REVIEWERS. 3

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