Ian grumbled as Kagome gently pulled yet another enchantment scroll off his back. They were currently in the living room, the family in front of him, watching him with the same shocked expression.

Ian let out grunt as Kagome tore one from his neck, along with about twenty of his hairs. Kagome's grandfather was very luck Ian didn't have Inuyasha's claws, or the old man would have been gutted like a fish ten times over.

"Is this how you treat all your guests?" Ian said, folding his arms.

"If they are hanyous, then yes." She giggled. "You are certainly getting sue to being in a sour mood."

"Maybe there is a reason for that. It's called Kagome's famii…OUCH!" Ian bellowed as Kagome ripped the last scroll off. He rubbed the raw spot on his neck, his eyes closed. "I could have stayed at the orphanage and fought for space around the only fire we have..but no, I had to come to dinner and have an old man place sticky tape all over my body!"

'But the ramen was good." Kagome said, kissing his cheek.

"Ok, so it wasn't a total loss."

Kagome smiled and rubbed his shoulders, causing the teen to murmur and close his eyes. She looked up at her family and sighed. "Ok,can I now explain completely?"

They all nodded.

"First, the facts. I fell down a well, met Inuyasha. A few months ago, Inuyasha was killed." Ian stiffened slightly, and Kagome gently kissed his neck, causing him to relax. "The first day I went to my shrink, I met Ian. Ian suffers from nightmares, in which, I learned later, he is dressed as Inuyasha."

"Kagome was also in the dreams." Ian said quietly. "IN every one of them."

Kagoem nodded. "Over the last few weeks, we have been slowly jogging his memories, and he is remembering bits and pieces about his past. He'll never remember everything…but atleast he knows who he was."

Shippo leapt down and looked over at Ian, glancing at him. "Do you remember me?" Ian shook his head. "I am an all powerful demon and leader of our group! You are my trusty butler."

Kagome sighed. "Shippo, don't give Ian false memories."

"I will do what I want to Ian." HE grinned. "Ian…that is a funny name!" He began to laugh, before Ian lifted him to his face.

"I don't have my fangs anymore, but you will respect me runt, because I can still beat you to a pulp." He paused. "and the name is Inuyasha."

Shippo frowned. "Kagome won't let you hurt me!"

"I am not wearing those damn beads anymore kid." Ian said, his voice lowering. Even Kagome was shocked at how he had fallen into is old personality. She gently shook his shoulder and he blinked, confused for a moment, before setting Shippo down. "That was…weird."

Kagome's mother nodded. "It was as if Inuyasha were truly with us again for a moment…maybe it has something to do with Shippo?"

Ian paused, thinking. "Maybe…when Kagome began to see me as Inuyasha, I had an outburst like that…do you think it has something to do with me seeing someone from my past?"

"Could be" Kagome said quietly.

&&&

Kagome, ian and Shippo sat outside, watching as the sun slowly set over the hills. They were under the god tree, just relaxing. The kitsune was curled up between Ian and Kagome, smiling, his yes closed.

Ian smirked and shook his head. "This explains why I was always annoyed at the child in my dream." He sighed and looked out over the hill again. "Did we ever do this…when I was…"

"In the past." Kagome said. She knew what he was going to say. 'When I was…Inuyasha.'

"Yea."

Kagoem shrugged. "We…spent time together."

"But never like this?'

"Not really. We were too busy getting the jewel shards."

Ian nodded, not happy with the answer. He looked over at Shippo, smirking again, then at Kagome, his face soft. She had never noticed why she had never seen him as Inuyasha. She saw now: He was too peaceful. Inuyasha was guarded…Ian, while still being shy, was more open. Inuyasha would have never told her what he was feeling…but Ian…

"What are you thinking about?"

"Nothing." He said calmly.

'Ok…so much for that theory…'

Kagome stretched, pretending to watch the sunset but instead focusing on Ian. She wanted to wait for the perfect moment to ask him her question. She had learned this trick from Sango. One could simply watch a man, and see when he was in just the right mood set to ask him a question.

Ian's breathing had slowed down, and it looked like he was getting ready to nod off. Time to see if she was as good as Sango at doing this.

"Ian…if you have anything to ask me…you can." Kagome paused. She remembered exactly what Sango taught her. You didn't say a word after that, you didn't get mad if they didn't want to answer…

"Just wondering…how did we meet?"

"Well…I found you pinned to a tree by an arrow."

Ian's face twisted slightly. "oh yea." He paused, and then smiled. "Fate must have really wanted you and I to meet. I bet I would have been reincarnated sooner if you hadn't saved me from that arrow wound. How long was I up there, like, a few minutes?'

"Acually…50year." Kagome said, looked away.

"……What?"

"50 years…no big deal." Kagome said with a plastered on grin. Ian stared at her and she laughed. "Ok, so maybe Kikyo did shoot you with an arrow and pinned you to this tree…"

"This tree!" Ian said, leaping up. He paused then slowly looked at her, his eye ticking. "KIKYO! You are the reincarnation of Kikyo!" Kagome shrank back, still smiling slightly. "YOU SHOT ME WITH AN ARROW!"

Shippo woke up with a start. "You were shot again Inuyasha?"

"I didn't shoot you. Kikyo shot Inuyasha."

Ian and Shippo looked at her as she bit her lip, grinning sheepishly. "I am Inuyasha." Ian said. "AND YOU ARE KIKYO!"

"I am not!"

"But you said you had accepted it…mmmmm!" Shippo said, Kagome covering his mouth.

"It's poor Shippo's bedtime!" Kagome said, rapidly getting up, making a dash to the house. Ian looked at her, then dashed after her, tackling her and bringing her down, Shippo bouncing on the grass. The teen growled and pulled Kagome towards him, ignoring her squeals.

"Ok, so you shoot me with an arrow, then you free me…what did I do next?"

"You don't want to know." Kagome said. Ian smirked, and began to tickle her, right under the arm. She burst into laughter, trying to wiggle from his grasp.

"Oh, I think I do!"

"Ia…Ia….Inuyasha!"

Ian paused, and merely nodded, still smirking. Kagome paled, and waited for him to leap up, to scream at her that he was Ian, just like she would have done if Inuyasha had called her…

"Yup." He tickled her harder, causing her to wail with laughter. Shippo leapt on his head, pounding his little fists into Ian/Inuyasha's head.

"Let her go,let her go…"

"She just tried to drag you to bed!" Ian/Inuyasha said. Shippo paused, and began to attack kagome too, who burst into a louder fit.

"OK! OK!" She sighed as the two let her go. "You attacked me, alright? You thought I was Kikyo…"

"You are Kikyo."

Kagome shook her head. "I'm not like you. I didn't even have a sense that I was Kikyo." Ian/Inuyasha raised an eyebrow. "But anyway, that's when Kaede put the prayer beads on you, and I learned how to sit you."

Ian/Inuyasha flinched, then let out a sigh of relief. "Thank the gods I don't have those anymore." He got up and let out a long breath. "So…it was a rocky start?"

Kagome smiled weakly and sat up. "ya…but…we became friends."

"Just…friends?'

Kagome looked at him and gently took his face in her hands. "We never got the chance…that's why you came back, I think." She leaned in and kissed him, ignoring Shippo taunts. Finally, she pulled away. "A second chance at love In…Ian…"

"..or Inuyasha." He said, a soft smile on his face. "As I said…I hate the name Ian. Makes me sound like I should be asking Oliver Twist for begging tips."

Kagome smiled, and, for the first time in the current era, Kagome and Inuyasha kissed, while Kagome had yet another kiss with Ian, the man she loved.