Ok, I must say I do really love this chapter. It's just so... eep! I dont know.. But I really like it. Hopefully everyone else does too :D.
Have fun reading :)!
Chapter 15 - The Reunion
"I-Inuyasha?" She whispered, her hands trembling. Her eyes remained fixed on the hanyou, her face expressionless.
She must be dreaming. There was no other explanation. She'd never woken up from the nap. She'd never looked at the prophecy. Megumi hadn't been missing. This was all a dream.
But then she felt something wet hit her arm and she looked up.
It was raining.
She stared at the dark sky and felt the droplets caress her face. They hit her with a small splash and slid down her chin, falling to the ground. A dream had never felt so real.
"Mama!"
The sound awoke Kagome from her thoughtful state. She looked down and saw Megumi running towards her. The little girl grabbed onto her mother's skirt and looked up, her eyes filled with tears.
"Mama!" She cried again. She pulled on her mother's skirt, her face a mixture of happiness and guilt.
Kagome suddenly realized that she wasn't dreaming. It was all too real.
She blinked and looked down at her daughter, immediately remembering what had happened. She bent down and cradled the girl.
"Are you alright?" She asked, worriedly, brushing away the girl's tears.
Megumi sniffled and mumbled, "Hai…" She let go of her mother and pulled the jewel off her neck.
"Gomen nasai…" She said, offering it back to her mother.
Kagome took the jewel and placed it back around her neck, a sense of relief rushing through her. Her arms quickly found their way around the girl, picking her up.
She hugged her tightly and said, "Don't worry. I'm not angry." Her voice sounded calm and peaceful. This little girl shouldn't have to feel the sorrow and anger of her mother.
She held Megumi for some time, standing in the rain, dreading ever having to put her down and confront him.
It had been six years after all.
Of course she still loved him. It wasn't a matter of that. It was just… How could she forgive him?
Right when she had needed him most he hadn't been there! As much as she wanted to throw everything away and run to him, she couldn't. Not after all the pain he had caused her. He'd changed her life and then left. He'd been so selfish!
------
Inuyasha looked at Kagome, his eyes pleading with her.
Forgive me! Please forgive me! His mind screamed. He seemed to have lost his voice. His throat dry and his heart beating wildly.
Why is she just standing there? He wondered.But he had known the answer before he'd even wondered.
She's angry…
She must hate me…
He could feel the rain hitting him, soaking his clothes and hair. It was cold, very cold. But that didn't matter. He only cared about one thing now.
He looked to her, his heart breaking. She wouldn't look him in the eyes. Had he really hurt her that much?
Please… Forgive me…
------
Kagome glanced up at him once for a very short period of time, noting the pain in his eyes. She ignored the ache in her heart and followed her mind and turned away, tears falling from her eyes.
She could sense his sadness, but she couldn't face him. She just wasn't strong enough.
Her feet carried her back to the house, where her mother, Sango, and Miroku stood. All looked at her in awe.
"Mama!" Megumi cried. "What are you doing!"
Kagome looked down at her daughter and said, "Megumi… Go with Obaa-san."
Kagome's mother quickly ran forward and took Megumi from her, mumbling something about catching a cold.
Kagome brushed a stray strand of hair behind her ear and stared blankly ahead. Her heart was screaming at her to go back. But her mind told her that if she did it would only cause more pain. She bit her lip, trying to cease that aching throb in her chest.
Sango stepped forward, towards Kagome, saying something. But Kagome was frozen, her heart and mind waging war.
Just as Sango grabbed her arm, to get her attention, she closed her eyes, and turned away.
Everything moved in slow motion as Kagome ran. She felt the rain pelting her skin, like thousands of tiny daggers. But she had become numb to the pain. Mud splashed about her, coating her feet and legs.
It seemed like an eternity, but she finally reached him.
Her sensed returned to her and she became fully aware of how much she longed for him... For his touch...
She threw her arms around him, more tears falling from her eyes. But this time they were tears of happiness.
"Kagome…" He murmured, "I'm so sorry…" He pulled her tighter, trying to shield her from the rain.
She sniffled and looked up at him, her eyes showing forgiveness.
"I don't care!" She whispered, taking his hands and holding them. "I'm just so happy you're back…That you're alive…" She smiled weakly at him, every second in the freezing rain draining her strength.. She shivered violently. "I thought you were gone… For good."
But even though she was in pain, she never wanted this moment to end. It was a dream come true.
"You didn't think I'd abandon you, did you? How could I? I love you, Kagome, " He reassured her.
He smiled at her, his hands covering hers, rubbing them gently, to keep them warm.
"I know…" She replied quietly, "It was just… It's been six years…" Her voice cracked and she buried her face in his chest, sobbing. " 'Go away…' I thought those would be my last words to you."
"I'm sorry… I didn't want to leave like that… But I thought it would be less hard on you if you… If you didn't love me anymore."
Kagome stopped crying and stared at him with wide eyes.
"What?" She whispered, her eyes filling with more tears. "You think a little fight like that would make me not love you anymore? Inuyasha… I know you don't hate me. I was just overreacting." He nodded in shame, realizing how stupid he had been.
"Inuyasha…" She whispered. "Nothing… Absolutely nothing could destroy my love for you. You need to understand, I will love you forever."
Megumi, who had been trying to pull away from her grandmother, finally succeeded, and dashed over to where they were standing. She wrapped her arms around her parent's legs and smiled at them.
"See otou-san!" She stated. "I told you mama would be happy!"
Inuyasha patted the little girl's head lovingly and released Kagome to pick her up. He smiled at Kagome, and she wrapped her arm around him
"Let's go inside…" Inuyasha said, deciding staying out in the cold rain would not be a great idea..
Kagome reluctantly nodded. Before beginning to walk, she stood up on her the tips of her feet and kissed him on the cheek.
"I cant believe you came back." She whispered, her eyes soft and welcoming.
He put his arm around her, holding Megumi tightly with his other, and they quickly made their way back to the house.
And as they walked back, Kagome was filled with the same sense of hope and courage she had felt when Megumi was born. She was on top of the world. She could do anything now! Just as her life had fallen to pieces, it was put back together. They could now be a family. Everything was as it should have been.
Except… Naraku….and the prophecy…
But she didn't have to worry about that now. Their would be plenty of time for it later.
For now she should just be happy and relieved that Megumi was safe and Inuyasha was back.
When they reached the door, Inuyasha set Megumi down. Sango ran forward and hugged him. She knew how much this meant to Kagome, and to all of them.
"You're back!" She stated joyfully.
Miroku ran forward and said, "Welcome back, Inuyasha!" He patted the hanyou on the back and opened the door for the group.
Everyone hurried inside, eager to get out the cold.
Mrs Higurashi rushed towards Kagome and Inuyasha and gave them towels. Soon the towels were soaked and Kagome's mother replaced them with two fresh ones.
"Dry yourselves off as best as you can. Then sit down. I think you both have some explaining to do." She stated matter-of-factly. But she didn't mean explaining to her, she meant explaining to each other. She turned away and began to boil water.
"Hai, mama." Kagome said, still shivering. She laid the towel down on a chair, and walked into the living room. She sat on the couch, and her mother brought in steaming cups of cha.
Kagome wrapped a blanket around Megumi and rubbed the girl's hair with towel. It became messy and Kagome did her best to flatten it down, but soon gave up, the task nearly impossible. She pulled a blanket around herself, and accepted the tea.
"Arigato!" She said, gratefully, shivering slightly.
Inuyasha sat down beside her He put his arm around her and kissed the top of her head.
Sango sat down opposite them with Miroku beside her. Shippo sat in a chair with. Souta beside him. Mrs Higurashi took her seat beside Sango.
Kagome sipped the tea and rested her head on Inuyasha's shoulder.
"Inuyasha… I think you really owe us," She motioned to Sango, Miroku, and mostly Kagome, "An explanation."
Kagome looked a little hesitant. She hadn't told Megumi anything about the other era… How could she even begin to right now?
Her mother seemed to understand and said, "Well… That can wait for a moment. Megumi-chan? I think it's time you took a bath, before you catch a cold, ok?"
"But… I want to spend more time with Otou-san…" She half-whined, her face set in a pout.
Her grandmother smiled, wanting to comply with the child's request. Considering she had only met her father for the first time in her life hours ago it seemed unfair to be taking her away. But it was all for the best.
"And you will… But for now, you need a bath… It will be a quick one and you'll be back down here before you know it!" Her grandmother smiled warmly and Megumi could only give in.
She stood up to leave, but before exiting the room she looked at her father and instructed, "Don't go anywhere before I come back!"
He nodded and watched Kagome's mother take her upstairs to the bathroom.
And then he told them.
He explained why he had left and what he had spent the six years doing. He talked about Naraku's continually growing strength and the temporary ally between Sesshomauru, Kouga, and himself.
When he finished he apologized again to Kagome, knowing that even if she forgave him, he could never forgive himself.
"Inuyasha! I told you. You're back, that's all that matters!" Kagome insisted.
He sighed and nodded, turning his gaze to the floor.
"But what will we do about Naraku?" Asked Miroku.
"Yeah, what about Naraku?" Shippo added.
"I…I don't know… I guess all we can do is try to follow the steps of the prophecy…" Kagome replied.
"Prophecy?" Inuyasha questioned.
"Oi!" Kagome exclaimed. "The Prophecy!" Then she explained about Miroku having the prophecy all along and all it had told her.
"But the interesting thing is, when I woke up, the scroll was lying right on my desk. I mean, I know I had put it in my drawer. So I just thought whatever and look at it and it revealed the next step… That's why I came running down the stairs looking for Megumi… It must be fate…"
Miroku nodded solemnly in understanding.
"But Kagome-chan… Did you miss the previous step, because you said it could not be completed!" Sango said.
"When I read the last step six years ago, I missed the end." She stated through clenched teeth. She was still angry at herself.
"What did it say, Kagome-sama?" Questioned Miroku.
"It told me that six years would pass and then," She gulped and a tear slid down her face. "Through a miracle of the jewel… Father and daughter would be reunited…" She smiled happily, and leaned her head on the hanyou's shoulder, her hand holding his.
Inuyasha smiled and looked down at her. Then he remembered something.
"Kagome… There's something I have to tell you. It's got to do with this prophecy." She quickly looked up at him and everyone's attention was on the hanyou. "I think it was the second battle with Naraku… He finally realized that the well had been sealed and that you were out of his reach… He mentioned the prophecy and he said that it was Kikyo who had told him."
"Yes I know that… I sort of guessed that she had done it out of spite for me…" Kagome looked down.
"But that's the funny thing… She didn't. She actually resisted him. Before she… left this world and before the battle with Naraku, he had managed to trap her. He had gotten wind of this 'prophecy' that she had apparently kept when she'd been alive before. He forced her to tell him as much as she knew…"
"She didn't… Just tell on her own? He forced her?" Kagome's mind was racing.
But Kikyo always acted as if she hated me… Why would she do that? She wondered.
Maybe… She wasn't as cold as I always thought she was…
"Yes, but in any case, it appears she managed to keep the fact that Megumi is the 'chosen one' and will be able to see into Naraku's mind."
Kagome put a hand over her mouth. It doesn't make sense… Why would she try and protect us? She wanted to ask Inuyasha, but still felt a little uneasy about the subject. She just didn't understand.
"Kagome, I don't know why she did it but… We can only be thankful, I guess." He said, as if having read her mind. She nodded and the room became silent for a moment.
Miroku's gaze shifted to Sango, the familiar perverted glint in his eyes.
Sango noticed and shuddered. After six years, you think he would have learned! She thought, irritably.
"Houshi-sama…" She said seductively, "We may be married, but that doesn't give you the right…" She leaned toward him staring deeply in his eyes. "To be such a hentai."
-SLAP-
Miroku raised his hand up to his cheek and held it there.
"Sango… Even if it through a slap, I am still content to feel your touch…"
Sango stood up, her eye twitching, and shuddered. Her fists were curled into angry balls at her sides.
"You'll never learn!" She sighed angrily, and left the room.
"Nani? What did I do?" He asked innocently, following Sango out of the room.
"See Inuyasha? Even with six years in Kagome's time and marriage, Miroku is still a pervert!" Shippo stated.
"Well I couldn't have expected anything different." Inuyasha laughed.
"Nee-chan? What are you doing?" Asked Souta, noticing his sister fiddling with something around her neck.
"Here Inuyasha. You should have this back." She held the locket out to him. He took it from her and clipped it around his neck. He stared at Kagome, his eyes soft and comforting.
"I'm happy to be back…" He murmured, as Megumi came running into the room, and crawled up onto her father's lap. Kagome's mother followed closely after the child.
"Otou-sama…" She whispered, as she laid her head against his chest. Her right arm held his neck tightly and her left arm was holding onto her mother. "Are you staying?"
Inuyasha smiled.
"Hai…" He replied simply. "I'll never leave you again." He promised.
"Good… Cause I don't want you to go away, ok?"
"You don't have to worry about that." He said, his hand rubbing her back gently. He looked at Kagome, suddenly smirking.
"Kagome?" He asked quietly, a slight grin on his face.
"Mhm?" She replied, gently playing with her daughter's hair.
"Can I have some ramen?" He looked at her with a pout on his face.
She abruptly picked up Megumi and walked to the doorway. She turned to face him and smiled happily. Megumi stared on, confused.
Shippo and Souta quickly hurried out of the room, sensing Kagome was about to explode.
"Inuyasha…" She replied, sweetly.
An awkward silence followed before…
"OSUWARI!"
The hanyou crashed into the ground and Kagome walked off, muttering, "They always have to spoil a good moment. Men are such pigs!" Megumi held onto her mother and stuck her tongue out, playfully, at her father.
"Kagome!" Inuyasha called from the hole in the floor. "Get back here! I'm hungry!"
:) Cute, no? I liked it. I think it's better now.. than what I had before I mean. I also added the information about Kikyo. Ties in with Naraku's little bit in a previous chapter.
Well, see ya all on the next chapter :D.
-Kellai-chan-