Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha, nor do I own its characters. I do own the ideas of this story and the characters I have created for this story (i.e. Saphira). Please respect patent laws. Comments and reviews are appreciated.

Chapter 11: Kagome's Decision

"Are you sure you want to do this sweetie?" Kagome's mother asked. She was old, in her eighties. Kagome wasn't young herself, she was nearly forty four years old.

"I'm not getting any younger, Mom," Kagome said taking a deep breath. She looked around the shrine trying to take in every bit that she could. "I won't be coming back."

"I know, dear," her mother said patting her arm. "I know you're worried about baby Saphira."

Kagome closed her eyes at the mention of her only child. She rubbed her unmarked neck and opened her eyes again.

"I'm sure she's fine, Mom," Kagome said carefully. "I was younger when I went through the well."

"I know."

"Are you leaving, Kagome?" Asked Souta walking up to them. He didn't live at the shrine, but lived in his own apartment with his wife and children.

"Yes."

Souta hugged her. "You have to find it in your heart to forgive him, Sis. Men will always be men. Trust me, I know from experience."

Kagome smiled at her little brother. "I'll tell Inuyasha you said hi."

"Thanks, Sis," Souta smiled giving her another hug. "Give my niece a kiss for me."

"And for me," said their mother. "Tell her we love her."

"I will," Kagome opened the door to the well house. She looked back one last time at her family before she jumped into the well.

Saphira was awake, but didn't want to open her eyes. She felt like she had been out clubbing and drinking all night. She had horrible headache. She also had the feeling that she had done something she would regret. She rolled over and into something solid.

"What the fu-" she began then stopped when she realized who was in the bed with her. Silver locks of hair only belonged to one person she knew. She craned her head to try and see his face, but cried out in pain. "Owwwieeeeee!"

Evidently her moving around and noise woke up her bedmate.

"What is it?" Came Sesshoumaru's sleepy voice.

Saphira sniffled. "I got wasted, didn't I?"

Sesshoumaru blinked several times not understanding what she meant.

Saphira sighed. "Why are you in my bed?"

That got his attention. "Your bed? This is my bed! And as for why you are in my bed it is because you are mine."

He poked her bandaged neck. "See?"

"Hey! That hurts!" Saphira cried then noticed bandages on his neck as well. "Hey! It looks like you belong to somebody too! Hahaha!"

Sesshoumaru frowned. "It is not customary for the male to be marked."

"Well, somebody marked you!" Saphira giggled.

"Not somebody," Sesshoumaru growled. "It was you!"

Saphira immediately stopped laughing and started choking. "What?"

"I had to mark you before Saibairyuukotsusei could," Sesshoumaru explained sitting up. "And you marked me in the process."

"Hey! You can't be naked in my bed!" Saphira exclaimed when she saw Sesshoumaru's bare chest.

"I am not naked," he said as he got out of the bed. It was true, he had pants on or what looked like pants anyways.

"Am I naked?" Saphira asked lifting up the sheets to take a peek.

Sesshoumaru rolled his eyes. "You don't think I would mate you while you were unconscious do you?"

Saphira looked at him suspiciously. "I don't know...you are a dog demon..."

Sesshoumaru rolled his eyes in exasperation. "We will be having the ceremony this evening."

"The ceremony for what?" Saphira asked getting out of bed as well, she had clothes on too.

"For our mating."

"Wait a minute!" Saphira exclaimed. "I never agreed to mate you! I don't even love you!"

This stung Sesshoumaru's feelings.

"So, you mark me with your purifying fangs knowing that the scar will never fade, and you don't want to to mate me?" Sesshoumaru lashed out at her. "You don't even love me?"

"Well," Saphira said feeling bad about what she had said. "I like you a lot. And I can't remember 'marking' you so it doesn't count!"

Before Sesshoumaru could reply there was a knock on the door.

"What is it?" He growled.

Doragon opened the door. "I was just..."

He was cut off when Saphira knocked him over. "Father!"

As Doragon got up he looked over his future daughter. She was beautiful, she had his hair and eyes. But those eyes were quickly filling up with tears.

"Saphira?" He asked uncertainly.

"Why..." she began. "Why did you have to die, Dad!"

Doragon looked up at Sesshoumaru puzzled. Sesshoumaru just shook his head.

Doragon hugged Saphira tightly. "I'm sure I didn't do it on purpose."

Saphira laughed at this. "You were always funny, Dad."

"It's good to hear that I won't change that much," he sighed with relief.

"Well, if you'll excuse me I have to go prepare the castle for our ceremony," Sesshoumaru said nodding his head at Saphira.

"But..." she began.

"Saphira," Doragon said. "You've marked him as yours, and he's marked you. You are betrothed, and even if you don't love him now you will with time."

Saphira looked at her father. He was centuries younger but she knew that he would not change with time.

"Make me proud, sweetie," he said kissing her forehead.

"Okay," she whispered glad that her father would be there for her.

Doragon murmured something about the ceremony and family tradition and left Saphira alone.

"My Lady?" Came Rin's voice from the doorway, she came in at Saphira's nod. "Did you want to dine here? Or would you like to dine downstairs?"

"She'll dine downstairs with me," Inuyasha said coming into the room. Rin nodded and quickly left the room.

"Thank you," whispered Saphira.

"Keh! For what!" Inuyasha scoffed.

"For finding my father," Saphira said looking at him with bright blue eyes. "For bringing him to see me."

Inuyasha looked at her with surprise, then said, "Well, if all I had to do was find my father to see him, I would."

"Is it true about what happened to Inutaisho?" Saphira asked quietly.

Inuyasha cringed with old human emotion. "He died saving my mother and me, if that's what you want to know."

"So, Ryuukotsusei didn't kill your father?" Saphira asked.

"No, he weakened my father so badly that a human was able to finish the job," Inuyasha said.

Saphira turned to the window as a breeze came through the room. A familiar scent teased her nose.

"Mom...?" Saphira whispered. "Inuyasha!"

She turned but he was gone.

"Inuyasha!"

Inuyasha ran through the forest as fast as his legs would take him. He had thought he had smelled Kagome, but it wasn't until Saphira had smelled it that he thought it might be true. Kagome had finally come back through the well.

He was at the clearing within a matter of minutes, his demon speed making him lightning fast.

There she was standing by the God tree where they had first met.

"Inuyasha..." she whispered, the first thing he noticed was that her shoulders were thrown back with defiance. Her hips had the swell that came with bearing a child. Her eyes were as bright as ever, and her hair was longer. Her face was older and wiser, but still beautiful.

"Kagome."

She looked up to see him, and smiled. "It's been a long time, Inuyasha."

The last thing he noticed was that her neck bared no markings. She was unclaimed.

He raced to her and hugged her tightly. "I'm so...so sorry, Kagome."

She patted his back, just like she patted Saphira's when she had been small. "It's okay."

"Why...why did you come back?" Inuyasha asked blinking back the tears.

"You are here, Inuyasha, and so is my daughter," Kagome answered quietly.

"Why did you mate with him, Kagome?" Inuyasha asked unable to hide the pain in his voice.

"I didn't mate with Doragon, Inuyasha," Kagome said gently.

"Then how did Saphira come to be!" Inuyasha demanded.

"In my time there are many ways to conceive a child," Kagome said. "And some of them do not require the parents to have intercourse."

"How is that possible?" Inuyasha asked in amazement.

"There are people called 'doctors' and they are considered healers in my time," Kagome explained. "It is possible for them to take my egg out of my body and mix it with a man's seed. Once the child has developed, they put it back inside my body to grow."

"Is that how Saphira was conceived?" Inuyasha asked.

"Yes."

"So, did you love Doragon?" Inuyasha asked.

"I love you, Inuyasha," came the simple answer.

"Then why did you let the doctors mix your egg with Doragon's seed?" Inuyasha asked. "Why have the child of a man you do not love?"

Kagome sighed. "Doragon loved Saphira and wanted her to exist. He knew that she would come back to the past. He found me and convinced me that I should give birth to her. He was right, Saphira had the right to exist."

Inuyasha only looked at Kagome with his mouth open and all his love showing in his eyes. "Kagome...I..."

Kagome smiled, shaking her head and putting a finger on Inuyasha's lips. "I forgave you a long time ago, Inuyasha. All I want now is to mate you, if you'll have me...?"

Inuyasha laughed. "If I'll have you? God, Kagome! I didn't even begin to hope that you would ever say those words to me!"

"Sesshoumaru!" Doragon called catching up to the inuyoukai.

"Yes?" Sesshoumaru paused.

"I have a small favor to ask of you," Doragon began.

"Whatever it is, it will be granted," Sesshoumaru said, he was grateful that Doragon had helped to rescue Saphira.

"Well, hear me out before you agree," Doragon smiled. "The place where my family came from is a long way from here. We brought with us certain traditions that we carry out during special ceremonies. There is a marriage tradition that family practices, and I would like it to be in my daughter's ceremony if you agree."

Sesshoumaru thought for a moment. Marriage traditions for youkai were few and far between, but Saphira was not a youkai. Dragons may have different traditions.

Sesshoumaru nodded for Doragon to continue.

"It is a blood oath," Doragon said, but when Sesshoumaru frowned he continued. "A promise between the bride and groom, a promise of blood."

Sesshoumaru nodded, he knew about oaths that lords made to their kings, but an oath between bride and groom? He would have to have Doragon explain further.

"Walk with me and tell me about this oath," Sesshoumaru said.

"My Lady?" Came Rin's voice into the room. "I brought you lunch."

Saphira smiled and gestured for Rin to put the food on the small table by the window.

Rin set the food down, but hesitated before leaving. "My Lady...?"

"Yes, Rin?" Saphira said.

"Well, my Lady, have decided what your vows will be?" Rin asked.

"Huh?"

"It is tradition that the bride and the groom make their own vows to one another," Rin explained. "I guess it's a good thing I mentioned it."

"Yes, it is, Rin," came a familiar voice from the doorway.

"Mom!" Saphira said running to the door.