Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha…yet. But my birthday is coming up soon…No wait it passed because I took so long to write this stupid chapter. Darn!
To my reviewers: You guys are awesome! It took a while, but 7 reviews! That's more than I asked for! Sorry this has taken so long. I've been really lazy! I apologize!
Elf.Hanyou – Well here's more and I glad you liked that last chapter so much!
Mar-ArimiDemoness – I don't know if 'rockingist' is a word either, but I'm glad to know you think it describes me! And don't worry! There will be fluff soon, either in this chapter or the next!
Xxrupert-grint-loverxX – It was as fast as I can make it! Sorry that it wasn't quite so speedy this time. But remember the sooner I get my wanted number of reviews the sooner I start writing!
WiNdScArBaBe – I'm happy you like the last chapter so much, but what is LMAO? I must be naïve! Sorry! I'm updating as fast as I can. I'm really busy this summer. And no your review doesn't count as two. Nice try though!
Inuyashahottie13 – Here's the update you wanted.
Inu-yusuke102 - Thanks for the compliment! And don't worry Hiten shall be revealed within the next couple chapters. Don't worry, k? And yes this is the same Hiten of the Thunder Brothers that Inuyasha fought and killed.
Kae-sama – The little dance was cute wasn't it? And don't worry I know what you meant by never having gotten a letter, but knowing what Shawn feels like. Well here's the next chapter for ya!
OK now that that is all done with: On to the story!
Cousin's Return
Chapter 10: Finally Getting Back
Thursday night (after finding the note) came and went with no visits from Inuyasha. Shawn was so excited about going back to Feudal Japan that she had an extremely hard time falling asleep.
When Shawn woke up on Friday morning she jumped out of bed with out feeling the least bit groggy (even though she had only gotten a few hours of sleep the night before). She quickly put on her despised school uniform and leggings, made her bed, and brushed her hair and teeth, before sliding down the banister to breakfast. This time she landed smoothly and ran into the kitchen before Mrs. Higurashi could notice. She ate quickly and was done before Kagome was even at the top of the stairs.
"Come on, Kagome. You're taking forever!" whined Shawn.
"Slow down. What's the rush? You're moving at light speed!" exclaimed Kagome.
"There's no rush! I'm fine. Now hurry up and eat!"
When Kagome had downed her breakfast, with Shawn taping her foot impatiently the whole time, the two girls grabbed their school bags and put on their shoes.
"Bye Mom."
"See you later, Mrs. Higurashi!"
"Good-bye girls! Have a good day at school!"
Shawn practically dragged Kagome out to the street.
"Geez, what's your problem this morning? You actually want to go to school this morning!" stated Kagome, yanking her arm out of Shawn's painful grasp.
"Sorry," said Shawn, "I just can't wait! I want school to be over! I want to see Inuyasha so bad!"
"You sound a lot happier about it today," noted Kagome.
"Didn't I tell you? I found a love letter from him last night! He must have written it on Wednesday when I was asleep!" squealed Shawn with a little skip. She started humming a silly love song she had heard on the radio somewhere.
Kagome sighed, 'I know the feeling,' she thought, 'Not that I plan on telling Shawn. At least not yet anyway.'
RRRRRRIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINNNNNNNNNNNNNNNGGGGGGG!
"See you at lunch!" called Kagome as she headed off to her first class.
"Uh-huh," replied Shawn. She wasn't really paying attention. She practically danced to class singing (in a low enough voice that only she could hear), "Love just is… what ever it may be. Love just is…"
0o0o0o0o
"School's over! Yes! Thank you God!" yelled Shawn, flying down the sidewalk, "I'm freeeeeeeeeee!"
"Shawn! Wait up!" cried Kagome attempting to run after her insane cousin, "Stop! Shawn! Oh, for goodness sake."
"Come on Kagome!" Shawn cried back from down the block, "We don't have all afternoon you know."
"Can you just chill for a few seconds?" Kagome gasped, finally catching up with Shawn.
"I'm sorry, but I'm just too excited! Let's go!"
"Stop!" yelled Kagome as she grabbed Shawn's arm to keep her from running off again.
"What?" asked Shawn, clearly annoyed.
"I have to stop at the grocery store real quick."
"Why?"
"First of all, I need to pick up some more bug spray and second of all, I promised Shippo I would bring him back some candy."
Shawn groaned.
"Oh come on," said Kagome, "It'll only take me five minutes."
"Fine," said Shawn with a huffy attitude.
"Don't worry," said Kagome, using that voice old women use when talking to babies, "Your lover boy will still be there."
And with that remark Shawn proceeded to try and whack Kagome with her backpack until Kagome ducked into the cover of the grocery store. Shawn waited outside, leaning against the store wall and humming "Love Just Is."
"Hello," said a voice.
Shawn looked around and saw Hiten leaning next to her, "Hey, you managed to say a 'hello' like a regular person. That's a new record! One in a row!"
"Ha ha," said Hiten sarcastically as a smile danced across his lips, "Who are you waiting for?"
"My cousin, Kagome. She should be out soon. She just had to grab a few things."
At the name Kagome, Hiten's eyes seemed to darken for a second. But then it was gone.
'Wonder what that was all about. Maybe I imagined it?' thought Shawn.
"So what are you doing this weekend?" asked Hiten, as though nothing had happened.
"Going to see some old friends. They live out of town. I may not be back until sometime next week."
"Is your 'boyfriend,'" at the word boyfriend, Hiten held up two fingers like quotation marks, "Gonna be there?"
"Hey, don't diss him like that!" Shawn said angrily. She stopped leaning on the wall and stood up strait, "And, not that it's any of your business, but yes he will be there and I am very excited to see him!"
"Reow!" said Hiten, trying to imitate a cat, "Chill! I didn't mean to rag on him, but I thought you were mad at him."
"I was but then yesterday-" Shawn stopped. 'What should I say? He snuck into my room and wrote me a note with the only three words he knew how to spell. Yeah, as if.'
"Yesterday he…uh… sent me an e-mail. Yeah… and he apologized for not being around a whole lot lately," she said.
Hiten raised an eyebrow, "Still, quite a sudden change of heart. You're not holding a grudge?"
"Apologies can work wonders if they are heart felt," said Shawn indignantly, "And besides," she quickly added, "I'm not the type to hold grudges. Usually."
"Really?" asked Hiten, grabbing Shawn's hand in his and bowing over it, "Then I deeply apologize for ragging on your boyfriend."
Shawn giggled at the dramatic display, "Very well," and she patted his head, "I forgive you."
"Oh, thank goodness," said Hiten. He glanced at his watch, "Oh crap. Sorry Shawn, but I gotta run. I'll see you round. Bye," and he dashed off down the street.
"Bye," called Shawn after the quickly retreating figure. She waved.
'Wait,' she thought, 'Wasn't that the first time he used my name? I guess we're official friends now,' Shawn smiled.
"Hey, who was that?" asked Kagome as she walked out of the store carrying a small, brown paper bag.
Shawn turned around, "Hiten."
"Oh," said Kagome, "Well, shall we go?"
"Yes!" replied Shawn. She grabbed Kagome's arm and started pulling her along the sidewalk, her old vigor once again intact, "Hurry up!"
0o0o0o0o
Shawn ran inside the house and kicked off her shoes as fast as lightening, leaving Kagome in the open doorway. She flew up the stairs, into her room and threw off her backpack. Luckily her teachers had avoided giving her homework for the weekend.
Shawn got out of her uniform and pulled on a pair of faded jeans and a light gray T-shirt. She pulled a brush through her hair a few times and put on some chap stick. Last of all she tucked her silver locket with the purple, heart jewel into her shirt.
Shawn looked at herself in the mirror. For a tomboy, she didn't look too bad. Or at least she thought so. Inuyasha probably did too. Shawn smiled at the thought.
She suddenly felt nervous. Was it OK to feel this excited? After what happened to her parents? Was it OK to feel this happy again? After all, the only reason she was here was because they had passed away. Because they were dead.
FlashbackIt was like any other day. There was nothing significant about it. Nothing that for shadowed what would happen that day. Shawn sat in the kitchen. She was leaning her head on her hand and she was staring out the window. She sighed.
"Hey sweetie. Whatcha doing?" asked Mrs. Collins, Shawn's mom. She looked great for her age. She didn't have as many wrinkles as most moms her age and her skin was the perfect tan color. Her hair was wavy and raven black and hung just above her shoulder blades. She had it in a ponytail again. Her eyes were a hazel brown, like Shawn's.
"I'm just thinking," Shawn replied glancing up. Mrs. Collins was putting a few things in her purse.
"About that boy?"
"Inuyasha, yeah," Shawn had told her parents Kagome had introduced them while she was visiting in Tokyo. She hadn't, of course, given the whole truth, but just enough, along with some fake details, to satisfy her parents.
"You're doing that a lot lately," stated Shawn's mom.
"I just haven't gotten a letter from him in a while and I miss him."
"Who wouldn't? From what you've said about him he sounds like quite the charmer and like he actually has some substance."
"Substance?"
"Oh you. Like he's a decent guy. Like he has some maturity and that sort of thing."
Shawn didn't reply to this. Mature wasn't quite the right word. She changed the subject, "Are you going somewhere?" Shawn asked as her mother shouldered her purse
"Your father and I are going to the movies and dinner. I told you yesterday."
"Oh, yeah," said Shawn suddenly remembering, "Are you going to the theater down on Blackstone Avenue?"
"Yes. Why?"
"Be careful. There are weirdos over there sometimes and they might get drunk and stuff."
"Oh Shanko! Don't worry! How many times have I told you, 'Never fret over life. What comes will come-"
"-and you can't change it. All you can do is stand tall and get through it," finished Shawn, "I know. I've heard you say that a hundred times Mom. Just be careful. And how many times do I have to tell you to call me Shawn."
Mrs. Collins ignored the last part, "I'll be careful."
Just the Shawn's dad walked in, "Are you ready to go? The movie starts in a half hour," he said. He had light brown hair (like Shawn's) adorned with a few gray streaks. He swore they used to be blonde, but Shawn had never seen blonde on her father's head and couldn't really imagine it either.
"Yeah, just a minute," answered Shawn's mother, "OK, there's money for pizza and some soda in the fridge. Bedtime is 10 and don't forget to wash your dishes. We should be home around 10:30."
Shawn rolled her eyes, "Yes, yes I know. Now go! Make with the fun and be careful."
"Bye sweetie!"
"Bye Shawn!"
"Bye! Have fun at the movie!
It had happened at exactly 9:32 p.m. Shawn remembered because she had glanced at digital clock on the oven right before she walked into the living room. She plopped down on the couch the second the phone rang.
Groaning she got up to answer the phone.
"Hello?" said Shawn when she picked it up on its third ring.
"Hello. Is this the Collins residence?" asked a stranger on the other end.
"Yes," Shawn answered with some caution in her voice.
"Are you Shanko?" asked the stranger. OK this was annoying.
"Yeah and just exactly who the heck are you? I don't know if you know or not, but most teens aren't supposed to talk to strangers over the phone. So please either give me a reason to stay on or hang up, because I really don't feel like playing 20 questions."
"My name is Dr. Willinberg. I apologize for disturbing you, Miss Collins, but I must sadly inform you of a tragic event."
Shawn's heart froze and plummeted into her stomach.
"I am sorry to say that your parents were in a fatal car accident this evening and neither of them survived."
For a few moments time froze. Shawn stood stalk still holding the phone to her ear. She felt frozen.
"What?" she said when she could move her mouth again. She didn't hear the answer because the phone slipped out of her hand and crashed to the floor.
"Oh God."
This couldn't be happening. Not to her. Not to her parents. It was a dream. No, a nightmare. She must have fallen asleep on the couch. Any minute she would wake up and everything would be fine and she would tell her mom about it and she would laugh. Or they had gotten the couple mixed up. It was someone else. Not her parents. It had to be a mistake. It had to be, 'Mom said she would be careful.'
"Hello? Hello, Miss Collins? Are you still there?" said the voice from the phone.
Shawn hung up. It wasn't happening. It wasn't happening. It wasn't happening!
She collapsed on the floor, tears flowing from her eyes as if they meant to flood the whole room.
End flashbackShawn stood still in her room. She wiped away the few tears in her eyes. And tried to forget the pain. But her question was still unanswered; was it OK to feel happy again?
She recalled her mother's advice, "Never fret over life. What comes will come and you can't change it. All you can do is stand tall and get through it."
That's what her mother would say right now. She wouldn't want Shawn to be depressed. Mrs. Collins was the kind of women that hated sorrow. She found a reason to rejoice in everything, even in death.
'Mom wouldn't be sad if she were me,' thought Shawn, 'She'd hold her head high and treasure her parents and go on living. She'd want me to be happy.'
Suddenly a breath of wind swept through the trees outside. The leaves seemed to be rustling with laughter.
"I bet you heard me, huh Mom?" Shawn asked the air around her.
There was a moment of silence. Then, "Shawn! Come on! Are we going or not?" Kagome called up the stairs.
"Just a second!" Shawn called back. She grabbed her backpack and shoved a few things she would need into it. Then she grabbed her staff. Last of all she glanced around her room to see if she was forgetting anything. She was about to walk out when she caught sight of her pocketknife on the desk, 'Well, it saved my life more than once before. Maybe it will again,' she grabbed it and shoved it into her back pocket before dashing down the stairs.
When Shawn reached the bottom she spotted Kagome talking to her grandfather, "Now, remember, if we're not back by the end of the weekend you have to tell the school our plain was delayed, OK? No more of that sickness junk. I've had Hojo on my case about it all week!"
"Hojo and Kagome, sitting in a tree," sang Shawn as a joke, "K-I-S-S-I-" Kagome took the opportunity to kick Shawn in the shins.
"Ow!"
"Serves you right," said Kagome, coldly. Then her voice changed and was back to its usually cheery tone, "Let's go," she said as she hoisted up her coffee table-sized backpack. Suddenly Shawn wasn't sure if she had enough stuff. Her backpack was normal sized. But then again she hadn't bothered to pack homework or things like hairspray.
"Bye, girls. Be safe!" called Mrs. Higurashi from the kitchen.
"Bye, mom!"
"Good bye, Mrs. Higurashi!"
"Hey sis, could you tell Inuyasha I said hi? And ask him to come over sometime?" asked Sota.
"Good bye, Sota," Kagome said with emphasis on the 'Good bye.'
"Later, Sota," said Shawn, giving him a high-five.
"Good bye, girls. Good luck on finding more jewel shards," said Grandpa.
"Bye Grandpa!" Kagome and Shawn said in unison.
Finally they went out the door and headed towards the old shrine. When they reached it they went inside and slowly walked down the old, careworn steps to the well. They stopped in front of it.
"I remember the first time I fell down," said Shawn with a grin.
"Ready to fall down again?" asked Kagome returning the smile.
Shawn nodded and together they jumped down the well. As their surrounding began to swirl in the darkness of time and space Shawn thought, 'I'm finally getting back.'
Authors note: I'm so sorry this took so long. I tried to finish it last week, but I was too lazy. Sorry if this chapter was a little weird. I know I kind of skipped through a bunch of different modes, but I just couldn't help it. Originally it was all supposed to be cheery and care free kind of, but I wanted to clear up that issue with Shawn's parents a bit so I added in the flashback which changed the mode to sorrow at one point. So that's why it might seem funky.
Please review. I want at least four again! Hurry, hurry. I don't start writing until I get all my review, so the faster you read and review the faster the next chapter will be! Toodles!
Gotta roll,
DramaQueenABZ