Final Author's Note: Wah! T-T ACE is done, ACE is done, ACE IS ENDED! T-T Excuse me while I wipe the tears from my eyes as I write my final A/N for the entire story...
Okay, I feel a bit better now. So, my final words. What shall they be? Well, I've got a lot of people asking for a sequal, so I think that I'm going to write it soon. Maybe after this weekend...but if I do, I'm going to concentrate more on Truth because that's the next one in line to be finished.
So, final thoughts? Anyone?
My sister gave me a slight idea for a side fic, though. What do you guys think about doing a sort of blooper's one-shot? Do you have anything you want to see, say a part of my story that goes completely and horribly wrong? If so, please review and tell me what you want to see, if you like my blooper idea.
She's also kicking me into writing a book, along with my brother. I already have an idea, too. I'm kinda excited about it!
You know, I just realized...this chapter title is also the name of a very old Spice Girls song...which is on my iPod. It really does reflect the last chapter, now that I think of it. Kinda crazy, huh?
Finally, I have thank you's to give out to people. So...
Thank you: April-nee-chan (first reviewer ever!), LIES-14, Iridescent Twilight, Dragon, soul of agony, treelovr, atamagaokashii Ookami, Crystal Statue, Spike'sSavior, kimonoprincess, ranchan23 (I do believe you reviewed every chapter!), lady shadowsinger, unonome, sweetangelkags, Kogome-cutie, domichik, opp, FireFox ShadowWolf, AnimeMoonlightGoddess (thanks for your suggestions), lonelylulaby, Ryukotsusei, firevixen73, YoukoLover, otakualways, Raining Thunder, snowy-cherry, HelKatz, regretfully-yours-Cassie-chan (do you ever write anything other than 'please update soon'? It's kinda funny that you never react to anything...I think), ShadeSpirit, JoWashington, BlueMonkey89, Kimpatsu no Hoseki, Shabopo, vixenia, Calamity Kitsune, vi3tdream27, GreatestAnimeFreak, KawaiiYuki, xxprincess-sakuraxx, purp1ebabe, Ai Kane Yuri Kaiya, Silver Phoenix7, IchikoKitsuneKoumori, wee-little-kitsune, Jin-ashi, storywriter10791, Kitsune Kagome, Seshou1388, silver pup, kaze kitsune, Chibes, DarkGoddessAluthri, KuraiMiko37, Water Block, Fallon85, LuzdeVida, Vampry, Captain Starseeker (your loyal author and lieutenant, Kittey Rin X3), Forest Sprite, mizushoubai, Hoshiko Megami, Black Hands, Jjah-Jjah, TigerLuvr, pitbull123, Mischeivious Skyla, Tsuki-tora (I still love your name...), SnarlingDemoness, anette, Adaire, BloodspillerInuluver, susie202, Rainbows of Death, Cascading Fates, dragon18, FFchick, WhyWhatShutup, Kokoro Mizu no Kaze, Kaggy-chan2202, siren66, Hot Anime Guy Here's Girl, Inu-babe666, Katesy (Don't use my account again to review myself), Vanya the Elven Maiden of the Valar, Kagome-reincarnation, inukuramaRmine, Shadow Girl, Chaotic Rei, Kurama'sFoxyMiko, Falling Tenshi, Kagomente, dragon85, ShihanKitsune, roxworld, Sapphire Dragon R.E.L., Battousai's Loyal Wolf, yukikaza, EnV, Sesshomaru vs. Inuyasha-, midnightloon, Ajangel0, Rage, Deviant Kitsune, LoosingReality, NiraVarali, MeganD., Naraku'sgirl2, Night Ember, Anonymous, Cheeses and snaps, lunasun72, koiichi no namae kaitou, Victoria, C.S, Yuki Amida, Bloodcherry, Raito Hana, LadyAkina, in luv with cold hearted guys, KOGA, Black Fire Kitsune 666, Magical-Inkable-Pen-Of-The-Rubber-Duckies-Who-Lives-On-Durly-Lane-With-The-Muffin-Man-Duck-And-His-Muffin-Friends (Oo Long name...), Kage Youkai, Seishi Sairensuno, articulus, crimson-asylum, Chi-Chi Kudarina, BluesDaughter, Annoying Little Twit, Kalliara, MoonFace01, waikan, amishamj, hakkai-my-youkai, FuzzyPurpleWatermelons (thanks for catching all my mistakes), o0darkangel0o, SoarMoreFlyHigher, animebook fan, lone-wolf, Du Weldenvarden Farcai, Kagome Lady of Darkness, stepyshouse, LLLJJJ, stuck-in-a-tree, Outlaw-Lanaya, Mercurial Phoenix (I spelled it right this time! XP), lady silverfox aka mychelle (sorry if there's more, your name is cut off), Akikazu, FoxRin(keep up the german-outside-of-class thing, it's cool!), Jessie-Jane1, CyberGirl Rei, Rose, and anyone who reviews A Chance Enounter in the future. I couldn't have done it without you.
Kurama watched Shippo's eyes open as he approached the hospital bed. The young boy looked much better than he had, even if his smile was somewhat strained and painful. His greeting was filled with both happiness and sorrow, and it pulled at what few heartstrings he had left that hadn't been cut by Kagome's departure.
"Hey, Kurama. I'm glad you came to visit me." Shippo was strapped to the bed, his body unmoving. It took Kurama only a moment to realize that the young boy was paralyzed.
"Sorry I took so long. I'm still settling into life again after..." He didn't finish his sentence. "Anyways, I'm sorry that it took so long for someone to get you."
Shippo smiled. "That's alright. Really, it is. You and Kagome came to get me, and that's all that matters. You came." Shippo watched Kurama's expression as he said Kagome's name. He was amused to realize that both adults had the same expression of sadness and longing in their eyes.
Kurama pushed away the pain that threatened to rise up again and concentrated on talking to Shippo. He took a seat next to the boy. "We really should have arrived sooner. I would have, if certain people hadn't stuffed me into a closet."
Shippo would've winced if he had had the ability to. "Ouch. Don't tell me you threw a fit?" At Kurama's nod, he sighed. "Well, at least you didn't hurt anyone."
Kurama smiled and began to fill their time with meaningless small talk. Both stayed away from the topics of Kagome and Shippo's past, even though Kurama wanted to help lift Shippo's burden and the young boy wanted to get Kagome and the red-head back together so they could be happy.
Shippo wasn't blind and could see that the two loved each other, as much as neither would admit to the other without help. So Shippo decided it was his duty to keep Kurama with him and talking until he knew Kagome would be making her way for his check-up, and then plead exhaustion just before she came down his hall. With luck, she would see Kurama and know that she had to check over him and her duty would keep her from running away.
Kagome checked her watch as she wandered the halls. It was almost time for Shippo to get checked again. She turned down the hall connecting the rehab facilities and the hospital and decided that she could make her way there early so that she could talk with the boy a little more.
She had been very surprised when the young fox had woken up and had an immense understanding of how the real world worked. It seemed like he had grown up into a tired old man in the span of two days, and Kagome had no doubt it was all due to what had happened in his life. He seemed so old now...
Kagome shook her head as she turned to down the hall right before Shippo's. He had taken the news of his families disappearance silently, just staring ahead of him. That wasn't good, and she would have to get him to open up to someone soon. It would consume him otherwise.
Turning down Shippo's hallway, Kagome looked up to the sound of a door opening. With horror, she watched as the one person she was trying to keep from her thoughts exited Shippo's rooms.
What is he doing here? her mind cried. I'm not supposed to see him again so soon! I'm not ready! He still hadn't noticed her, and she knew it was only a matter of time. She couldn't leave the way she came, for she wouldn't have time to avoid him in a side hallway and make it in time to work with Shippo. She also couldn't sneak by him, for there was a reason Shippo was down a hall with no other patients. There were no other rooms because the young boy had horrible nightmares from which he awoke screaming bloody murder. He would have disturbed anyone near him if he were in any other area.
Still frozen, mouth slightly open and eyes ready to pop out of her skull, Kagome watched with a detatched coolness in her mind as Suuichi turned and spotted her. His expression became much like Kagome's herself, and it would have been hilarious in any other situation to see how much they mirrored each other.
Kurama was the first to break out of his shock at seeing Kagome there. He really wasn't ready to deal with her rejecting him again, but he knew he had to at least try and explain himself to her. He opened his mouth to start his confession but was stopped by Kagome first.
"Don't even say anything," she snapped. Her eyes darkened as shock was replaced with a smoldering anger. Every other emotion was forcefully stuffed into the depths of her soul. "I don't want to hear whatever you want to say, since all you seem to do it lie to me."
She began to walk towards Shippo's door. She had almost made it when Kurama grabbed her arm.
Struggling slightly, Kagome nearly growled. "Let go of me! I have nothing to say to you, so you can just leave me the hell alone and never see me again."
Kurama let the words wash over him, refusing to let them affect him. "Just let me explain for one minute, Kagome. You have to give me a chance to explain myself and why I didn't tell you!"
Kagome glared at him. "And why should I? All you've ever said to me was lies, why should I believe you? What do I owe you that would let you talk to me?"
Kurama's anger rose slightly, but he kept it at bay...mostly. Some of it must have leaked into his voice, for it was harsher than he would have liked. "I saved your life three times when I was with you. The least you can do is listen to me and give me a chance to say what I have to say."
Kagome pulled her arm away and Kurama let her go. She stood with her arms crossed as she stared at him furiously. "Well, I haven't got all day. Spout out your lies and then let me move on with my life."
Kurama took a breath to calm himself and then looked straight into her eyes. "I didn't lie to you, ever. I would never lie if I could help it, lies just hurt people. When you hit me with your car," he noticed that Kagome winced there, "I had been newly changed into a fox by a spell cast by a sorceress on a mission in the demon realm. I was injured and confused and didn't see you, and by the time I had everything sorted out, Botan had already got you to agree to take care of me.
"I needed a place to stay where the hordes of demons after my life wouldn't find me. I couldn't stay with anyone I knew because I had been seen around them too many times. I couldn't be taken in by just any stranger because my demon soul is too picky a person to let just any person be in charge of our well-being. I stayed with you because you fell under neither category of stranger nor friend."
Kagome's stance tensed a bit. Kurama continued. "I didn't realize that the spell let me turn into my other forms until it actually happened. When I was Youko for the first time, I was trying to contact my friends when we literally ran into each other." Kurama took it as a good sign when Kagome's mouth twitched slightly. "I couldn't have you screaming your head off and bringing who knows what onto my head while I was like that, so I had to carry you someplace where I could explain what I was. I could tell you didn't believe me, and it never occured to me to try and say that I was Yuuki. After changing back, I returned to your house because I still couldn't live on my own like that.
"When I became Suuichi, I had just been trying to get to my house when your friend pulled me into that double date. I enjoyed it so much it never crossed my mind to explain myself to you. By the time I woke up, I was already a fox. Then, the second time I became Youko, I was too distracted to even think of anything else than the present. Then all that stuff with the warehouse happened and by the time I got a chance to try and tell you everything, you ran off."
Kurama waited while Kagome processed everything. She asked him a single question. "Why?"
Kurama blinked. Kagome looked at him with solomn eyes. Sometime during his explaination she had lost most of her anger and depression had caught up with her. She was still mad that he hadn't bothered telling her, but he did have a valid explaination and she couldn't stay as furious at him as she had thought she was.
"Why what?" Kurama asked. "I'm afraid I don't know what you mean."
Kagome took a deep breath. "Why me? Why this? Why," she waved her hand around vaguely, "why any of it? Why?"
Kurama sighed as he thought. "You want the truth?" Kagome nodded. "I don't know why. I don't know why you out of all of the women in the world, I don't know why everything has happened. I don't know." He shrugged.
Kagome hung her head. They were both silent, neither wanting to speak before the other.
Finally, Kagome plucked up her infamous courage and said "So, what now? Do we just go back to being strangers?"
Kurama's face fell slightly. "If you want to, I'll leave and never bother you again."
"And if I want to see you every day for the rest of my life? What then?" Kagome looked up and kept her face blank.
Kurama, confused, replied "Then I'll be there for you."
Kagome took a deep breath and smiled slightly. "I'd like that."
Kurama returned her smile. "Then we agree." Walking forward, Kurama pulled Kagome into an embrace.
Youko, who hadn't spoken since the fight, growled. You idiot, we're supposed to kiss her!
Chuckling, Kurama pulled back. He was very pleased when Kagome had the same idea, her lips meeting his halfway between them.
Epilogue
Kagome, wearing basic jeans and a beat-up, short sleeved t-shirt, pulled one of the many boxes crowding the kitchen towards her. She only had a little bit left to pack, and then she would be out of this place for good. She quickly piled the last kitchen utensils into the cardboard being and closed it.
Sitting back on her knees, she took a good look at her townhome one last time. She would really miss the place, with all of its memories. Both the good and the bad. This was where she had first met her friends, way back when they were all in college. This was where Naraku had began his attempts at wooing her. This was also where she had met the guy she would fall in love with, in the form of a mischievous little fox.
Her sad eyes took in the vast emptiness of the entire area. The movers had already taken her stuff to Kurama's apartment, where she was moving in with him. She had sold half of the doubles they had, along with the red-head getting rid of the other half of the doubles. Her home had already been sold to a new family. There was really nothing left for her in this beat up place, with the holes in the walls where Kagome's temper threw the doorknob into them, and the scratches on the counters from all of the stress Kagome took out of them, chips coming off of the wooden moulding, showing the signs of a veteran from a battle long past.
The door opened behind her and Kagome turned around. Kurama, looking very good in casual clothing, walked up behind her. "You alright?" he asked when he saw the slightly depressed expression on her face.
Kagome nodded and stood. "Yeah, I'm alright." Walking forward, she met Kurama in a short embrace and placed a chaste kiss on his cheek. "I'm just going to miss this place more than I thought."
She turned in Kurama's arms and faced the living room, or what was left of it. Kurama placed his chin on her head, relishing in the warmth that Kagome was emitting. "I'm glad your coming with me, if that's of any consequence," he told her.
Kagome smiled. "I'm glad I'm going with you. But that doesn't mean I can't be sad over leaving the first place I've ever owned by myself."
Kurama nodded. "I'd be very surprised if you weren't sad. This is where so much of the events that effected who you are happened, and I know that if I were in your place, I would feel exactly the same way."
Kagome looked up at him. "That was very deep."
"I'm a deep person." Kurama stepped back and picked up one of the last two boxes. "I'll be outside waiting for you, so take your time."
Kagome nodded and watched him leave. Her smile faded slowly as she spun around once more. She wanted to burn the image into her head of the place where her fate had unfolded before her, giving her a foster son (she had been proposing for adoption, but the government wouldn't sign yet. It helped Kagome sleep at night to know Shippo wasn't in some horrible situation like before) and a lover in the span of a few months.
With great reluctance, Kagome bent down and picked up the last box. She rested it on her hip and slowly turned to the door. This would be the last time she ever set foot in this place, unless by some miracle she bought it somewhere down the line and it was still there. Walking through the hallway, with all of its gouges present and accounted for, she approached the door. Walking into the sunlight and shutting the door behind her, she couldn't help but think that she was closing the door to her past experiences and moving on into a bright new future.
End Story
Thank you for reading A Chance Encounter.