Chapter 24

As the family appeared in the sunlight of the feudal era, Yasha started searching around him, curious.

"Mama. Where are da cars and 'rucks? Where are we, Mama? It's quiet here.", the little boy began babbling constantly.

"It's going to be hard to explain, Yasha. But, where we are right now, there are no cars, trucks or anything like that.", Kagome answered him.

"It looks like da park. Where da merry ground?"

"I'm sorry to say, there's no merry-go-round here. But there are horsys. Real ones. We'll show you some later, ok sweetheart?"

"k."

Inuyasha picked up what he could carry in one trip, as Kagome picked up Yasha and climbed on Inuyasha's back. As Inuyasha took off running to their home, Yasha began squealing,

"WHEEEEEE. Faster, papa, Faster.", he yelled.

Deciding to give his son a treat, Inuyasha leaped into the trees. Yasha was beside himself with joy as the wind blew in his face. Inuyasha eventually came to land near their home. As Kagome got off his back, she looked around.

"Oh boy! 5 years of dust and dirt to clean up. And 5 years of weeds too.", she mused.

"Better than 70 years of weeds. HMPH, I'll have this cleaned up by mid-morning.", he said as he took the boxes into the house, with Kagome and Yasha following.

As Inuyasha prepared to go back to the well, Kagome said to Yasha,

"How about you stay with mama and help her clean up a bit?"

"Wanna go with papa.", Yasha looked at her pleadingly.

Inuyasha knelt down in front of his son, "If I go alone, I'll be able to bring more stuff back. And then, if you stay here and help your mother, we'll play catch with your new ball when I get back, ok?"

Yasha look downtrodden for a moment and then he looked at his father, "k, I'll help mama."

"Ok, Yasha, let's go in and see what needs to be down," his mother said as she entered the house, with Yasha on her heels.

Inuyasha headed back to the well. While he was arranging boxes, he was startled to hear his name,

"Inuyasha!"

Turning around, he was surprised to see Miroku standing there, with Shippou on his shoulder.

"Miroku. Shippou.", he said.

"Where have you been all this time Inuyasha?", asked Shippou.

"Is Kagome with you, Inuyasha?", asked Miroku, hopefully.

"Not that it's any of your business, but I've been living in a village north of here. And, yes, Kagome is back at our house.", Inuyasha answered gruffly.

"Why didn't you come back to see us, Inuyasha?", asked Shippou.

"Well, it's good to see you, Inuyasha. We were all worried about you and Kagome.", said Miroku.

"There's no need to worry about us.", Inuyasha huffed.

"When did the barrier get taken off the well?", continued Miroku, "We assumed Lady Kikyou put it there."

"She did and I have no idea when the barrier was broken. I thought the old hag did it."

"No, Lady Kaede said she didn't have the power to undo her sister's spell.", Miroku continued.

"Look, I have to take this stuff back to the house. Why don't you come by tomorrow and we can talk, ok?", Inuyasha said, obvious anxious to get back to Kagome and his son.

"Is that ninja treats?", piped up Shippou.

"Yea and you can have some tomorrow when you come by, ok?"

"Ok. We'll be by tomorrow afternoon, ok Inuyasha?", Miroku finished, as Inuyasha waved his hand in a 'whatever' gesture and took off for the trees.

By the next day, the new little family had most of the house cleaned and set up and the fields clear. It was too late to start planting this year, but at least it would be ready for the next planting season. As promised, after lunch, Kirara showed up with Miroku, Sango, Shippou and 4 small children on her back. Kagome excitedly ran out to see them.

"Kagome, you're back!", Sango said cheerfully as she hugged her best friend.

"KAGOME!", the little kitsune yelled as he jumped into her arms.

"Yes, I am and wow, you've been busy. Four children?", she asked as Miroku introduced the four,

"Our oldest is Aya, she's 4, and then there is Cho and she is 3, Mirai is our third and she's 2 and Nami is our youngest and she is 1.", Miroku said.

"And I'm going to have another one is 6 months.", Sango announced, as they all entered the house.

Yasha came running to his mother, "Mama!"

"Well, guys, this is my little one. His name is Inuyashakazu, or Yasha, and he's 4.", Kagome proudly introduced her son, as her friends stared in amazement.

"I thought you lost your child, Kagome.", Sango said.

"I did. But the night Inuyasha left, I became pregnant again. And Yasha was the result.", Kagome said.

Sango turned to Inuyasha and yelled at him, "You left Kagome all alone to raise your son, while you went off with Kikyou?"

Kagome looked at Inuyasha. He had never said he had been with Kikyou all this time. Inuyasha gruffly responded, "If I had known, I wouldn't have left."

"If you hadn't left, you would have known.", Sango countered back.

Trying to settle things down, Kagome said, "Look, it's in the past. We are back together and we're staying that way. Inuyasha and I worked things out, ok? So let's just drop the past.", she insisted, while making a mental note to question Inuyasha later about Kikyou.

As their parents chatted together during the afternoon, Miroku and Sango's girls, Shippou and Yasha played outside. After the children bored with that, Kagome gave them all lollipops, crayons and paper for them to play with. The girls, fascinated by the candy and pretty colored crayons, excitedly worked on creations for their mama and papa. Evening fell, and Miroku and Sango's group left, with Kagome promising they would stop by the village tomorrow to see Kaede. As Kirara took off, Sango said to Miroku,

"I can't believe she just took him back after all this time."

"Kagome has always been far more forgiving than any of us. Plus, she needs a father for Yasha."

"Yea, but what if he leaves again?"

"I seriously doubt that he will. I think he's learned his lesson."

"I hope she sat him a thousand times for leaving her like that.", Sango said, annoyed.

Back at the house, as Kagome made dinner, she quietly said to Inuyasha,

"You didn't tell me you were with Kikyou all this time."

"Does it matter?"

"Yes it does. Why were you with her?"

"Because I wanted to die, Kagome. I felt my life was over. But Kikyou changed her mind, she didn't want my life anymore. So I just stayed in the village, helping out. I guess a part of me hoped she would change her mind again."

Kagome had fully intended to get angry with him, even sit him a few times, for leaving her and going to Kikyou. But his unexpected confession caught her off guard. She hadn't realized that Inuyasha had felt THAT responsible for what happened that he had chosen to die. She secretly thanked Kikyou for not taking his life. After a long silence, Inuyasha spoke again,

"I was never unfaithful to you, Koshii, if that's what you're worried about."

Kagome smiled and said,

"I never doubted you for a minute."

Inuyasha came over and hugged her. It had been a struggle over the past five years, but now they were back together. Together they could accomplish anything.

As Inuyasha and Kagome lay in bed, listening to the croaking of the frogs and other night sounds, a knock came on the door and Yasha peered in.

"What's the matter, sweetheart? Why aren't you asleep.", Kagome asked him as he came over to their bed.

"Can I sleep wit you? It too quiet. I can't sleep.", Yasha mumbled through a yawn.

Letting Yasha curl up beside her as Inuyasha curled up behind her, Kagome stroked her son's hair as he fell asleep. It was a picture perfect moment and she knew it wouldn't be their last.