Wow...tough couple of days...I've just spent the past two days learning First Aid and Dangerous Goods...next I start Airline First Aid.

Anywayz...on with the story!

The next couple of days passed without much excitement. Inuyasha took the two pups out every meal time for hunting, spent the morning training them while the afternoons were dedicated to rough-housing and games. Miroku and Sango joined them at times, during which, Inuyasha proudly recounted Shippo and Kyo's 'battle' with Koga. To Inuyasha, spending time with Kagome and her pups had somehow started to feel more and more like he was spending time with his family.

The hanyou sighed at the thought, half-demons were outcasts among demons and humans. They weren't meant to know what it felt like to have friends, a family or a lover. Yet ever since Kagome stepped into his life, he suddenly found himself seeing such wishful dreams slowly becoming reality. Because of her kindness, he had something no other hanyou, except Kyo, had. He had friends who would stay by him, he had Shippo and Kyo, whom he thought of as his own pups, now all he needed was a kind, beautiful mate, who saw him for who he was, and loved him in spite of his faults.

Walking back to the hut, Inuyasha sniffed the breeze subtly. She was coming. Glancing over at the forest, Kagome noticed a soul skimmer, drifting lazily through the trees. Sighing to herself, the miko marched into her hut, followed by her two pups. Noticing that his 'father' hadn't entered the hut, Kyo glanced over at Kagome and Shippo, busying themselves with making dinner, before following after the golden-eyed hanyou.

Inuyasha made his way thought the trees, following the lone soul skimmer, until he reached a clearing. Kikyo stood in the middle, awaiting his arrival, her soul skimmers scouting the area. Kyo used every trick Inuyasha taught him during their games of demonic tiggy to slip past the snake-like demons. Stepping out into the clearing, Inuyasha spoke to Kikyo, unaware of the two little ears listening in. "Kikyo, this has to stop," Inuyasha told the dead miko, "I've defeated Naraku and avenged your death. It's time for you to move on, you don't belong in this world."

Kikyo's eyes narrowed, "Is this because of my pathetic re-incarnation?" she asked. Inuyasha nodded. "No," Kikyo responded, "You promised me you would come with me. You wouldn't go back on your word would you?" Inuyasha sighed, hanging his head. He was a man of his word, if nothing else, besides, Kagome deserved better then a lowly hanyou.

Kyo leapt out of his hiding place and streaked over to Inuyasha. "Don't do it," he cried, tears running down his tiny face. Inuyasha's gaze connected to Kyo's tiny paws, gripping his hakama. "Don't do it," the tiny hanyou whimpered, "Dad." Inuyasha's eyes widened as he realised he couldn't go with Kikyo. It didn't matter anymore, whether Kagome loved him back or not. Looking down at Kyo's face he knew that he couldn't abandon him. He couldn't leave the pup to face the world alone like he'd had to.

"Inuyasha," Kikyo's clipped voice rang out, "Get rid of that vile beast." Inuyasha began to growl. "No," he replied, "I avenged your death, just like I promised I would, but I never told you I'd go to hell with you. My heart belongs here, with Shippo, Kyo and Kagome, and how dare you talk about my son like that. It's time you moved on. Goodbye Kikyo." Nodding solemnly, Kikyo made her descent to hell, "Take care of her," she called out, giving a parting smile before disappearing completely.

Kyo turned to Inuyasha, "Do you love mummy?" he asked softly. Inuyasha regarded the tiny hanyou before nodding, "With all my heart." Inuyasha watched curiously as the small hanyou pulled a golden locket out from under his haori. "This is mummy's," he told him, handing the necklace to the hanyou, "She said inside were pictures of the people she loved the most." Opening the heart, Inuyasha smiled as he saw the two pups in one side. Glancing at the other picture, a small tear fell down his cheek as he saw the photo of himself. She loved him. Kagome, the miko who healed his heart, the woman of his dreams, loved him.

Inuyasha began to leap around the clearing, clutching the golden heart to his chest. Kagome loved him, and he was going to ask her to be his mate. The joyous hanyou hadn't even realised that Kyo had left. After completing one last, slightly tribal, victory dance, Inuyasha raced towards the hut, only to find it completely empty. Taking a quick peek into the bedroom, he noticed that all her belongings were gone. The only things in the room were the large cat she'd won him, and a letter. Clutching the letter in his hand, he began to read;

Inuyasha,

You know, if you didn't want to go with me to the Halloween party, all you had to do was say so. I know you'd prefer to be with Kikyo, and that I could never replace her in your heart, so I wish you both all the best,

Kagome.

Inuyasha felt a hot tear trickle down his face. He had made Kagome feel inferior. He had made her think that Kikyo was the one who held his heart, and had crushed hers in the process. He knew he wouldn't be able to get her to listen to him now, no matter how hard he begged. He had broken her, and that thought made his own heart shatter.

Half-blinded by tears, he spied a roll of bandage lying on the floor, obviously forgotten in Kagome's haste to leave. Picking it up, he began to turn the cloth in his claws as an idea started to take shape. 'There might be a way,' he thought as he raced into another hut, 'But to do it he'd need...' "Miroku," he shouted at the monk, "I need you to do me a favour."

It's official...the Fluff-o-metre is officially broken...actually it kind of exploded...I doubt even Wirny Rockbell could fix this mess.

(I swear it blew up...there was a small, black mushroom cloud and everything. I'm still digging embedded machinery out of the walls.)

Well...I WAS going to have the halloween party...but this last chapter kinda changed that fact. The Competition is officially over, but I will honour my deal even though there wont be a party. I did have her costume designed and coloured and everything...so the people who did guess correctly will still recieve an extra-special advanced preview of the next chapter at least ONE DAY before anyone else will get to read it.

Man...I can't believe Inuyasha screwed up...he finally has everything prepared to tell Kagome the truth...and she's not there...the silly puppy took to long to tell her!

Please forgive me...everyone who was looking forward to the party...I promise to make things up to you.

Now...to find out IF Inuyasha can fix this new mess he's created for himself...(honestly, if he stopped chasing Kikyo...THERE WOULDN'T BE A PROBLEM NOW WOULD THERE?)...1340 reviews.

Ja ne,

(creates make-shift shield, ducks and hides from projectiles)

May your thoughts and creativity flow,

Lady Ami DragonHeart