Sorry about the wait. School has started and I can't get anything done.

Chapter 29: Leave the past where it belongs

Kagome's past memories where pretty much restored by now, it had been two days since seeing Soshi. They decided to suspend finding Koga for a little while, while Kagome got her thoughts together. She planned on telling them she was ready to leave today.

She was sitting in the hut all alone. Usually Inuyasha would be with her, but this time she personally asked him if she could be alone for a little while. He made his 'feh' sound in response and decided it was best to leave her for a little while.

I had been about an hour since Inuyasha had left and Kagome no longer felt the need to be alone and wanted to be near Inuyasha. She stood up and went out to find him.

He wasn't outside where she expected him to be. So she went over to find Miroku, Sango, and Shippo. Miroku and Sango were sitting on the ground watching Shippo play with the other village children. When Kagome saw their bored faces she couldn't help, but feel sorry for them. After all it was her who was holding up their journey. The one which they needed to complete, the one they must accomplish before they could continue their lives in bliss.

Kagome made her way over to them.

"Hello lady Kagome, how are you this fine evening?" asked a mans voice. Kagome was about to reach Miroku and Sango, but turned around when she herd someone else talking to her. She looked at the man villager standing there behind her.

"Um.. hello... do I know you?" questioned Kagome.

"You mean you don't remember me... you and lady Kaede helped my sick wife not to long ago." Kagome processed her thoughts and remembered the man. His wife had the flu a few months ago and Kagome brought her modern medicine to make her better faster.

"Oh, yes... now I recall. I'm fine and you?"

"Better than ever, my wife is expecting a little one in some time."

"That's wonderful, I'm so glad to hear it!" Kagome said. "Mikee, right? That's your wife's name?"

"She will be honored to know a priestess such as yourself remembered." The man bowed and Kagome blushed.

"I'm nothing special." Kagome said with a smile waving her hands in a defensive manner.

"But you are... I have heard you are also expecting master Inuyasha's child, it is true?"

"Master... Inuyasha?"

"He does after all own the forest and protect the villagers, it's only right to treat him with such respect."

"There is no need to have such respect towards me, but if you want to respect Inuyasha you'll have to take it up with him." Kagome said with a smile. She could only imagine Inuyasha getting annoyed with being praised. He wasn't that type of person, she really wasn't either.

"Well are the rumors correct than?"

"Um... well actually... I have to go." Kagome said as she hurried away to Miroku and Sango. She had no intention in wanted everyone to know about her personal life. "Miroku, Sango have either of you seen Inuyasha?" Kagome asked the two who were sitting side by side. They looked up at her.

"I'm sorry, but I haven't seen him since this morning." Sango said.

"Neither have I. Perhaps he went for a walk in the forest and will return shortly, maybe you should wait here for him."

"No, I'll go."

"But Kagome the forest is dangerous alone." Sango insisted.

"I'll be fine, Inuyasha will know if there's a demon around. With that Kagome walked off into the forest and headed in the direction of the sacred tree, which is where he usually spent his spare time.

"Do you think it's a good idea to let her go?" asked Miroku.

"Go... hurry follow her." Sango pushed him.

"But, Sango..."

"I said go hurry."

Kagome's walk was short for she came upon him early. She stopped and hid behind a tree. He was with Soshi. They weren't much talking more holding deadly stares toward each other.

Kagome didn't want them to fight. Through the memories she found that she had cared for Soshi. She didn't love him, no she couldn't love him yet, not from a few memories. (A/N: Love him as a father, nothing more.) She loved Inuyasha more than anything else in the world though.

"Listen Inuyasha I don't care if you are her mate, I don't want you with her." Soshi argued.

"What the hell is your damn problem! You can't keep me away from me mate or my pup! I don't care what jealous grudge you hold with me! Kami! We can't change the past, alright. I will say I'm sorry for your loss though. If I could go back in time I'd gladly switch places as long as Kagome didn't have to go through that kind of pain." Inuyasha spoke more softly, than angry. He didn't want to kill Soshi knowing how Kagome would get mad at him.

"I guess I can see now why she cared to become your mate..." Soshi closed his eyes and smiled. "Even so that doesn't make things right. Even if you have so much honor, it doesn't change a thing you see. Inuyasha I will kill you and settle a score I have wanted to settle for so long." Soshi made a purple energy wipe like Sesshomaru's except it was a different color.

"If you want a fight you got one, but I warn you now it won't be easy." Inuyasha said as he pulled out Tetsusaiga. "I don't care if your Kagome's old man, it's your choice to die, so why should I feel bad about it."

Kagome stood and watched as the two were about to go head to head. She had to stop them.

"So where is Kagome anyway, aren't you supposed to be protecting her at all times, yet you've abandoned her to come and fight me?"

"I didn't come to fight you, I came because Kagome wanted some alone time and you just happened to be here."

"Very well than." Soshi readied his wipe.

The two engaged in battle as Kagome watched in horror. Inuyasha would probably be made at her for coming at all, but that didn't matter. She suddenly saw as Inuyasha sword was flicked out of his hand and Soshi was about to give him a nice wipe.

"NO!" Kagome screamed as she jumped in front of Inuyasha to defend him. The wipe sliced her arm, but Soshi ended up cutting off most of the force when he saw her. So it wasn't fatal.

Inuyasha quickly pulled Kagome down into his arms and away from the open air as though she would die if she stood with out him. He covered her just in case any more slashes would come.

"Kagome what do you think your doing here!" Inuyasha whispered to her in an angered, yet concerned tone. She was prepared to cry. Her whole upper arms was slashed, something that would need to be stitched of course, but that wasn't why she was crying. "Are you alright?" Inuyasha asked as all the anger left his voice and was replaced with pure worry and love. She nodded.

"Please Inuyasha don't fight him. I know that he had a stupid grudge, but... he still is my father... I'm sorry." Kagome allowed the tears to fall as she hid her head in Inuyasha's haori. He sighed. What was he supposed to do?

"Kagome... I won't just please don't cry..." Inuyasha asked the all to familiar question.

"I know, I can be such a baby." She whimpered. Inuyasha took Kagome's face in his hands and kissed her on the lips and then looked into her eyes.

"Don't worry, alright. I promise everything will be alright. Just stop crying... for me?" Inuyasha asked. Kagome almost gasped at the softness in his tone. He was never that soft even to her and he never asked anything of her 'for him'. She nodded her head.

Soshi watched longingly. He remembered when Kagome used to cry and she used to be so obedient to stop whenever she was told. He was glad that Inuyasha didn't 'make' her do anything she didn't want to. Surely any other mate from the clan would force her and beat her if she didn't listen, but not Inuyasha. Inuyasha was different than the rest. He for a moment wanted to stop disliking Inuyasha for not only Kagome's sake, but for her pups, and his. He then noticed Kagome stood up and look at him face to face. Inuyasha was standing beside her waiting to see what she had to say.

"Soshi, I am not sure of why you ever left mom, me, and Sota, but as hurtful as it may be for you for me to admit it, I'm glad you did... you see if you never left I probably would be as close to Inuyasha as I am now. I don't want to hate you, but I can't love you... not with the way you treat Inuyasha." She looked down. "I'm sorry, I really am. You see if your were to kill Inuyasha I would have died as well, because we are mates and mates are held together..."

"In an unbreakable love." Soshi finished. He hadn't really given any thought to that at all. He never wanted to kill Kagome. "I guess I forgot. I forgot all about it indeed and for that I apologize. I never wanted to harm you Kagome, you see. I do not and never did planning on killing Inuyasha, but I do wish him to suffer... the way I had."

"It's NOT his fault!" Kagome cried out. "Mother, me, you it hurt us all and yet, your the only one who seeks revenge. Leave the past were it belongs, because you see.. if you don't it will only hurt you and the ones you care for farther." Kagome's words hit Soshi hard, but they hit Inuyasha like a bullet. He knew she was recalling Kikyo. He had been a stubborn fool back than when he hadn't left Kikyo in the past were she belonged. He never truly loved her, because he never trusted her and for him you need both. Kagome was the first person he ever trusted. She taught him the meaning of trust, love, and loyalty. He hadn't exactly known how much he truly had, until he had Kagome.

Soshi looked down in shame.

"You are just as clever as you ever were Kagome. I respect that. Your words are true to the soul, but I'm afraid words don't change anything..." Soshi began.

"Haven't you been listening?" Kagome asked as anger arose. "Things should be changed by force! They change as time goes on! Stop trying to change things." Kagome yelled. Soshi left with out a goodbye his final words were.

"I will fight Inuyasha once more and expect him to kill me, or I shall kill him and you will die with him, Kagome, so please... help him win." Kagome gasped at Soshi's words he wanted to.. die or her to die. Her heart pounded like thunder. She didn't want either of them to die. She cried once more and ran off. Inuyasha ran right after her.

She stopped and sat on a hill over looking the village. She pulled her knees to her chest and cried. What choice was there?

Inuyasha sat down next to her and pulled her head to rest on his shoulder.

"Oh, Inuyasha it's horrible." She cried.

"Kagome, I will have to... I'm sorry." Inuyasha said.

"Please go!" She wailed pulling away from Inuyasha. "Just leave me alone right now..." She sobbed. Inuyasha sighed and did as she asked. Although he wasn't going far. He'd go to a point where he could see her, but she couldn't see him. He took a spot on in the tree and watched her.

Kagome was sad at the thought of having to loose someone she cared for. She knew Inuyasha would win if they battled and she was of course glad, because she'd rather have Inuyasha survive than anyone else. The sun was setting and the sky was turning beautiful colors like orange and purple.

Kagome sighed and watched the sunset hoping it would calm her somewhat. She herd foot steps, but they weren't Inuyasha's, she also her a jingling sound and knew it was Miroku. He sat beside her.

"Hello, Kagome." He said. Kagome looked at him with a weak smile.

"Hi, what are you doing here?" Kagome asked.

"Well, Sango... asked me to follow you."

"Did you see the whole thing than?"

"All of it." Miroku gave her a reassuring at on the back. "Listen don't worry, things will work out they always do."

"Thanks, Miroku, but I'm afraid that wont be the case."

"There's not much I can tell you Kagome... life doesn't go the way you planned all the time, but in the finale scenarios is it not true that we all have our own happy endings?"

"Yeah, I guess so." Kagome said as she turned back to face to sun. 'My happy ending with Inuyasha...' she thought with a smile. She then realized Miroku's hand hadn't left her back. She didn't mind at first, but suddenly felt it moving farther down.

"Hands off monk, or that'll be the last time you ever use that damn hand." Inuyasha growled. Miroku quickly removed his hand and looked back at Inuyasha with a nervous look. Kagome also turned to see Inuyasha. He was standing with his arms crossed and glowering at Miroku.

"I wasn't... honest." Miroku tried to cover up.

"Save it lecher and go find someone who cares." Inuyasha bit out. Miroku stood up and took this chance to leave.

When he was out of sight Inuyasha walked back over to sit with Kagome. He was surprised when she leaned her head on his shoulder. He expected her to be mad that he didn't leave like she asked, rather told.

"I'm sorry." Kagome said. Her voice was calm and somewhat happy. She sighed out, the sun was nearly half way set now and looked more beautiful then before. Inuyasha pulled Kagome into his lap and rested his head on her shoulder.

"So your not mad?"

"I never was, I just overreacted."

"Feh." Kagome leaned back farther into him.

"Promise we'll have a happy ending together."

"Kagome, I promise that wherever you go, whatever you do, I will be right here waiting for you, whatever it takes or how my how much pain I go through I'll be right here, always... always with you. There will never be an ending to our love. You see, we won't live a happy ending... we will live a happy beginning."

Awe that was that best fluff I've ever written. It was so... beautiful!