Chapter 25: Memories Renewed

Kagome slowly awoke. The sunlight streamed into her room, making it seem peaceful and relaxed. Kagome herself finally felt peace. All thanks to a stranger who saved her life. It was only yesterday when a man walked into her life and gave her the advice that she needed to hear. And now Kagome was determine to make the change and start living once again.

Even though she still felt as if something were missing, bit by bit she began to accept the fact that she might not remember it ever again, and that she should start focusing on the present instead of what happened sometime in the past. And so, following the advice of a complete stranger, Kagome woke up feeling better than she had in months.

Feeling better than she had since she woke up at the bottom of that well.

Although she sensed a strong deja vu the minute she opened her eyes, Kagome pushed it out of her mind, determined to concentrate on the current day. She rose from her bed with a stretched and looked around. It was going to be a great day, she knew it.

Throwing off her covers, Kagome headed to the shower. Fifteen minutes later, she returned to her room and got dressed. Sitting at her computer chair, she contemplated on what to do next. It was Sunday, no school, no other activities. Kagome basically had a free day. She didn't want to see her friends, however, and she didn't feel like going to the mall or the movies.

What she really wanted to do was meet up with Sesshoumaru again.

Kagome squelched the idea as soon as it popped into her mind. She wasn't going to see Sesshoumaru and she needed to realize that. Hell, the guy probably took off out of town after the emotional breakdown she had in front of him. Kagome sighed, what to do, she wondered, what to do.

And suddenly something told her to go to the grocery store. She didn't know why she wanted to do it, she just... wanted to go. She felt like it's where she should be going. As if that was how the day was suppose to go. Giving a shrug Kagome stood up and began to walk downstairs.

"Mama! I'm going to the grocery store to pick up some things, do you need anything?" Kagome asked as she slipped on her shoes.

"No I don't, but get some fruit while you're there!" Her mother called back.

"Alright!" Kagome said as she walked out the door.

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Soon Kagome was standing in one of the aisle holding two boxes of Ramon in each hand. She looked from one to the other, but couldn't decide which one she wanted. "Chicken or beef?" Kagome muttered to herself. Unconsciously she glanced behind her, expecting to see Sesshoumaru there, holding a green shopping basket, arms crossed looking very annoyed.

But there was no one behind her. Kagome shook her head. She needed to stop imaging things. After all, it was not going to help her remember. She needed to just let it go.

"Chicken it is." She said to herself, forcing her mind back to the present.

She began to stroll over to the fruit section. She stopped in front of the apples and grapes. "Hmm," she mused to herself, "Apples or grapes?" She crossed her arms in thought.

"Apples." Came a voice behind her.

Whirling around Kagome saw the familiar golden eye gaze of Sesshoumaru. "Sesshoumaru!" She said in surprise. "What are you doing here!"

"Shopping." He said simply. "Do I not have the right to shop here?"

"Hm, let me think on that for a minute." She casually strolled to where the granola bars were. But inside she had a bubble of excitement. He was here, standing next to her, and she thought she would never see him again. It took every ounce of self-control to stop Kagome from jumping up and down with happiness when she heard his voice.

"So tell me, Mr. Know it all, which granola bars should I get? Mixed Berries, or Apples and nuts?" She held up each box. Sesshoumaru grunted and grabbed the mixed berries and tossed them into her basket. "Nice choice. So what exactly are you shopping for-"

"KAGOME!" At the sound of her name being called, Kagome inwardly groaned. Slowly she turned around and saw her three friends walking towards her. Ayumi, Yuka, and Eri.

"Kagome! How funny it is that we run into you, the grocery store of all places!" Yuka said cheerfully.

"Hilarious." Kagome commented dryly. She knew her mom had called her friends the second she left the house. It was her way of keeping a watchful eye on her without Kagome actually knowing. She knew her mom was just worried about her 'mental state' but it was seriously beginning to get a little much.

"And who is this!" Ayumi's eyes shifted to Sesshoumaru, who was standing behind Kagome.

"Him?" Kagome pointed at Sesshoumaru behind her. "Ah well, yes, he is Sesshoumaru." She said rather awkwardly, tucking a piece of her hair behind her ear. Her friends stared at her, waiting for more of an explanation. "He's..."

"An old friend." Sesshoumaru filled in for her.

"Yes..." Kagome smiled softly. "An old... friend..." Something began to work in her mind. Suddenly the clocks that seemed to have been frozen began to churn inside her head.

"Well why didn't you introduce us to him before?" Yuka asked shockingly. "We have a right to know if you have such a cute friend like this." Her tone turned to flirtatious.

"Well..." Kagome tried to explain... her tone was distant, however, for her mind was still trying to sort things out. "We kinda lost touch and now he's back in town again..." A vivid image of Sesshoumaru glaring at her while she was holding a tree stump flashed across her mind.

"Isn't that just lovely?" Eri said dreamily. "Reunited after a long period of time. What a wonderful love story."

"Indeed..." Kagome met Eri's eyes. "Listen to me," She turned around and flashed Sesshoumaru a quiet smile, "Two days and I'm already talking like you." Another image of Sesshoumaru standing on a rock glaring down at three guys about to get into the hot springs with her uninvited, flashed across her mind

"So Kagome, tell us, how in the world did you meet Sesshoumaru?" Yuka asked.

"He saved my life." Kagome's tone was becoming more and more distant. Her sapphire eyes clouded over. An image of Sesshoumaru staring at her from across a bright fire flashed across her mind.

"And..." Ayumi pressed.

"And..." An image of Sesshoumaru gazing at her drenched form in the pouring rain flashed across her mind. "That's it." She snapped back fully into the present and gave a bright smile. "I guess we've been friends since."

"Uh huh." Yuka didn't look convinced. "Just friends?"

"Yes." Kagome smiled, "Just friends."

"If you ladies will excuse me..." The silent Sesshoumaru now spoke up, "I must be getting on my way." He looked at each of them and then gave Kagome one last long look, before he turned away and left the store.

The three girls watched him walk out of the store. Funny, Kagome thought to herself, the way he looked at her was almost has if her wasn't going to see her again. Her heart sank. Why? Kagome had a headache. All those vivid images seem to replay in her head over and over again. She just couldn't put them away.

But where were they coming from?

"KAGOME!" All three girls turned around at once. "HOW COULD YOU BE SO DENSE!" They shouted.

"What!" Kagome yelled back.

"Can't you see why he left? It's obvious that he doesn't want to be 'just friends', honestly Kag." Yuka slapped Kagome's forehead. "Hello is anyone home?"

"I know! Tell us how you met him again, hmm!" Ayumi asked sarcastically.

"Actually the first time we met, he didn't save my life, he tried to kill me!" Kagome protested. Yuka opened her mouth to say something but then closed it and stared at Kagome with a confused expression. "I thought he was the most arrogant, self-centered, bastard I'd ever met!" Kagome went on; she had no clue where any of this was coming from.

"And he was too! It took some crazy fairy to chain us together for him to change. And man, we fought all the time, everyday!" Kagome kept going; her friends stared at her with blank expressions. Images of a journey replayed in her mind. "Of course he was never going to change!" Kagome herself was confused by the words she was saying. "But he did." Her tone turned from angry to soft. "He did and I fell in love with him and-"

Her eyes widened. The well. The feudal era. Inuyasha, Sango, Miroku, Shippou, Kirara, Kikyou, Naraku. The shikon no tama, Tsuki and Haruka. The chain, the last shard, her journey. All of it came back to her, like a flood; the memories poured into her thirsty mind.

"Oh my goodness..." Kagome said in horror. "Sesshoumaru!" Her eyes darted to where he had walked out the store. She had to find him, and fast! "Eri!" She turned to her friend and grabbed her hands. "Please can you call my mother and tell her I'm staying at your house tonight and then going to school with you tomorrow? Please." Kagome begged.

Eri smiled, "Of course, go get him."

"Thank you." Kagome said her voice full of gratitude.

Kagome dropped her basket and took of in a dead run out of the store. She looked left and then right. Over the multitude of people she saw a silver hair figure slowly make its way down the sidewalk. Kagome ran. She focused her eyes on Sesshoumaru's head and pumped her legs harder. She had to catch up to him, she had to tell him that she remembered!

The look that he gave her before he left the store was so final, Kagome had a growing fear that he had given up and she was never going to see him again. She pushed against the oncoming crowd and picked up speed.

"SESSHOUMARU!" Kagome called out, hoping, praying, that he could hear her. "WAIT! SESSHOMARU WAIT!" She cried, tears now gathering in her eyes, what if she didn't reach him? What if...

To her horror, the light change and a large group of pedestrians came towards her. Kagome tried to push her way through, but there was just so many. "SESSHOUMARU!" She cried desperately as she pushed against the crowd. "Please... wait..." Someone pushed against her, causing Kagome to loose her footing.

She tripped and fell.

Lying on the ground Kagome felt despair build up in her chest. There was no way she was going to catch him now. She might as well just lie there on the freezing cement. What else was she to do? Tears of grief made their way down Kagome's face, as she laid on the cold concrete. And its coldness seemed to seep within her skin.

How could she not remember? How could she not realize everything the moment he made himself known?

"Stupid! I am so stupid!" The utter heartbreak he must have felt when she stared at him with blankness in her eyes.

"I wouldn't say that." A indifferent voice said above her. "Stubborn, but not stupid. Never stupid."

Kagome slowly lifted her eyes to meet Sesshoumaru's intense gaze. He bent over and helped her to her feet. "You... you're here." She said in utter shock.

"You told me to wait, so I decided to wait. And then I decided to see what was taking you so long." Sesshoumaru explained as if it were simple.

"You heard me yell?" Kagome asked in amazement.

"Kagome, the entire country of Japan heard you yell. What was so urgent to tell me that you nearly got trampled on in doing so?" He asked as he led her away from the busy sidewalk to the large stairs of a major corporation, which were above the sea of walking people.

"I came to tell you that..." She began once they stopped and Sesshoumaru was looking at her full in the face. "That I..." Kagome stopped. What could she say? That she finally remembered? She stared at Sesshoumaru seemingly indifferent to her presence, acting as if he could care less whether she was there or not.

But Kagome could see through his facade and knew that he indeed did care. Just like she cared. And suddenly anger burst within her chest, there were so many unanswered questions but the most important one was...

"Why didn't you come and find me the moment I woke up from that damn well over a year ago?" Kagome yelled and began to pace "Why weren't you there, waiting for me, ready to explain what just the hell happened? No, you were off somewhere shiting around." Kagome exploded. "While I was having the worst year of my life." She stopped pacing and turned around and gave Sesshoumaru a push as tears fell from her eyes. "Do you realize how it feels to know that a part of you is missing and you can't do anything about it!"

"Why..." She balled up her fist and forcefully placed them on his chest as she moved closer to him, her tears hot steady streams of acid running down her face. "Why did it take so long for you to find me, so long for you to bring me back? Didn't you wonder where I was? What I was doing? How I was? Didn't you care?"

"Kagome." Sesshoumaru's arms enfolded her small body. "Kagome, my Kagome." He murmured into her hair. "I've finally have you back." He said. Pulling back some, he lifted her face to his and passionately kissed her. Kagome's arms moved to around his neck and she pulled him down to make the kiss deeper. A fire erupted in her body and she wanted nothing more than to be with him. And as if this kiss was the channel of her emotions, she conveyed a simple message to him, passion.

Breaking for air, the two breathed heavily. Sesshoumaru gently caressed Kagome's face. "There is so much to tell." He said. "But first, I need to say that which I never got a chance to say..." He leaned down so his lips was caressing her ear. "I love you."

Tears gathered in Kagome's eyes as a gentle smile graced her lips. Sesshoumaru lightly kissed her and then placed his arm around her waist. "Let's go."

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Soon they were driving inside his car going to his house. Kagome sat in the passenger seat and gazed at Sesshoumaru. He was wearing dark blue jeans and a black collar shirt. His markings were gone and Kagome couldn't sense any demon aura in him whatsoever. "So, tell me. How are you here? Why did it take you so long to find me? How did you know where I would be? How did you remember me?" The questions popped out of Kagome.

After a long typical Sesshoumaru silence, he began. "After you so called, left, there was this big bright flash of light and I found myself at my castle. Jaken came in the room and began telling me of the news with the war in the south. I was so confused. I wondered where you were and how I got there and why there was a war in the south. So I immediately called on Haruka."

"She explained to me that the Miko let me keep my memories, for one day I was to be reunited with you and I was to help your memories return. But, there was a condition. I had to hang around for fifty years and make sure certain events happened. For instance, Inuyasha became human and he and Kikyou lived happily ever after. Sango and Miroku had to meet, so I arranged that. They too married and had loads of children."

Kagome smiled, but then noticed Sesshoumaru's face took on a sad look. "I made sure that Rin's family wasn't killed by those bandits. I watched over her from a distance; however she didn't really know me. She grew up with her family as she should have. Shippou's parents never died either and they took over the Western Lands until I was to return in this era."

He was silent for a moment. "After the long fifty years, I had Tsuki turned me into a human. For I promised myself I could never live in this time as a youkai. And then I was put to sleep for all those long years. When I woke up again I moved back to my castle and then began my search for you. It didn't take me long to find you."

"When did you first see me?" Kagome asked.

"At the crosswalk." Sesshoumaru gave a smirk. "I knew what day it was and I figured you would be getting that game for your brother. Sure enough there you were. And then when those kids pushed you into the street, I instantly reacted and went to save you."

"My hero." Kagome grinned.

"Right when I looked into your eyes I could tell you didn't remember." Kagome squeezed Sesshoumaru's hand in comfort.

"I'm sorry." Kagome whispered.

"It wasn't your fault. That damn miko thought it would be easier for you to heal if you didn't remember me." Sesshoumaru muttered.

"It wasn't." Kagome squeezed his hand again.

They pulled into the driveway in front of his castle. Kagome marveled at how much it still looked the same. However it seemed droopy and weather beatened. In fact the whole castle seemed somewhat sad. Sesshoumaru got out and went around to open to door for Kagome. Grabbing her hand, he slowly pulled her out and then pulled her into his arms.

He breathed in the familiar scent of her raven hair and then whispered into it, "How I've longed for you, my Kagome."

Kagome wrapped her arms around his torso and then whispered back. "What are you waiting for? Take me upstairs and show me a ten."

Sesshoumaru instantly scooped her up into his arms and gave an arrogant smirk. "Anything for my mate." He said and then the two headed into the castle and then directly to the bedroom.

End of Chapter

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Moonchild: Ok now is everyone happy? I told you, MC would NEVER let you down. I love happy endings. I'm the kind of person who wants everything to work out in the end, so that's how my stories will ALWAYS end.

Kagome: sigh What a great ending.

Moonchild: Ah but I have a surprise for everyone!

Inuyasha: A surprise? I like surprises!

Moonchild: This isn't the last chapter! I'm going to make an epilogue chapter that is just a fun loving chapter about Kagome's and Sesshoumaru's life together afterwards. YAY!

Kagome: YAY!

Inuyasha: BOO YOU SUCK!

Kagome: SIT!

Thump

Inuyasha: Ow...

Sesshoumaru: You really don't want this fic to end, do you MC?

Moonchild: Got that right. Ok so next chapter is THE FINAL CHAPTER! Let me warn you now, it's going to take me awhile to write just because posting it will mean the fic is over. But at least I left you on a good note! Thanks again for all the wonderful reviews and words of encouragement. I couldn't have finished this fic without you all. Thanks, thanks so much.