Well, this is it, the extremely long, hopefully emotional conclusion of my 17-chapter "Without a Home" fanfic! I'm incredibly excited, seeing as this is the first conclusion I've done for a fanfic that isn't a one-shot! This chapter is the one I most want reviews for! It would mean the world to me if you could give me feedback on the story, ideas for the sequel, suggestions, questions, comments, or (hopefully, if you liked it) praise! I value your opinions!

Home, Truly and Forever, Home

When Kagome woke up the next morning, it took her a moment to figure out where she was.

Wasn't I with Inuyasha? I must have fallen asleep… he brought me to my room… that was nice…I can't believe all we've been through… and I can't believe that fate threw us together like this…

She got up and prepared for her day, and then went down and made breakfast. Arani came in while she was setting the table and helped her finish. They made small talk and talked about what Kagome and the others had planned for the day. Inuyasha didn't come in until they were almost done, and quickly ate a small plateful of the pancakes and sausage Kagome had prepared.

"Sorry, I kinda slept in…" He explained.

"It's okay." Kagome and Arani said in unison.

"Well, we should be going…Sango and Miroku will be waiting…" He said.

"I guess so." Kagome said, picking up her bag that she had set by the door.

"See you later." Inuyasha said to Arani.

"You two have fun at the beach." She replied.

They left the house and walked to the beach, talking about what else had gone on the day before. They arrived to find Sango and Miroku already waiting, Miroku with a fresh slap mark on his face.

They played around for several hours, only stopping to play some volleyball and eat the picnic lunch that Sango had packed. When they were tired out, they sat in the sun until they were dry, then slipped their clothes on over their suits and began to walk back towards their homes. Inuyasha and Kagome were only half a block from his house when they noticed the sleek black car out front. Kagome looked at Inuyasha in confusion, only to see the same look froze on his face.

"That's not Arani's car." He said slowly.

"Something's wrong." Kagome said, the seriousness of this beginning to dawn on her.

They took off at a run, slowing to a walk once they reached the drive of Inuyasha's house, so that they could walk in normally as was possible. They walked inside and Inuyasha called out,

"Arani? You here?"

"One moment!" Came her voice from the next room, which was followed by her speaking to someone else.

There was a faint reply, and the Arani came walking around the corner.

"Oh! You're back from the beach!" She said loudly enough for the other person to her, then leaned close and continued in a hurried whisper. "Go freshen up and dress in slightly nicer clothes. Kagome, this woman is here to see you."

Kagome and Inuyasha nodded silently, and then Kagome replied,

"We'll be there in a little bit, I just want to go change out of my swimsuit." She said loudly.

Arani went back into the room, while Inuyasha and Kagome hurried upstairs as fast as was possible. They flew into their rooms, and changed with amazing speed. Kagome threw on the blue sundress that she had worn on one of her first days up and about her new home. She quickly dried her hair the rest of the way and combed it out as fast as she could. Sliding her feet into a nice pair of sandals, she opened her door, only to find Inuyasha standing outside her door, dressed in a nice red short sleeve shirt with navy blue stripes across it, khaki shorts, and a black shell necklace.

"We should probably get going huh?" Kagome asked, mentally noting how good Inuyasha looked.

"Yeah," Inuyasha replied, "any idea what this is all about?"

"Not a clue."

"Well, we're about to find out." He said.

"I guess so."

They set off down the stairs together, and within moments, were standing in the same room as Arani and their unknown guest, whose back was to them. Arani looked up from the tea she was pouring into cups for the four of them. She gave a warm smile, but both Kagome and Inuyasha knew her well enough to see the worry in her eyes.

"Oh, here you are. I was starting to get worried. Here, have some tea." She said gesturing to the couch facing the chair her guest was seated in.

At the indication that Kagome and Inuyasha were in the room, the unknown visitor turned around. Kagome was a little surprised to see a woman who could not have been more than 30 start surveying her with extreme scrutiny. She stepped forward and extended a hand, forcing herself to give a friendly smile, despite the feeling of worry growing in her stomach.

"Hello, I'm Kagome Higurashi. Pleased to meet you." She said as brightly as possible.

The woman shook her hand firmly and returned her smile.

"Hello Kagome, I'm Andrea Lewis, I'm a social worker of sorts, and it's a complicated matter which I have to explain to you."

Kagome's heart stopped. The name was familiar for some reason. Next to her, she felt Inuyasha stiffen and saw Arani wince, obviously awaiting her reaction. Doing her best to remain calm, she sat down on the couch. Inuyasha followed suit.

"To me?" She asked politely, feigning ignorance.

As if I don't know what THIS is about.

"Yes Kagome," Ms. Lewis replied, "We've been searching for you for quite some time."

"Really?" Kagome blurted, genuinely confused now.

"Yes, you see, after your home was discovered as a crime scene, your disappearance caused several problems for the investigation. We found your blood throughout the house, but no body or trail to find you to confirm that you were either alive or dead. The police think they know what happened within your home, but we would like to verify it with you so the case can be closed. Do you think you could recount that evening for me Kagome? I know it will be difficult."

"I- I think so..." Kagome said.

"Thank you." Ms. Lewis said, pulling a notepad out of her purse, and sat with the pen poised, ready to write. "I will also need to know how you ended up here, and what has transpired since then."

"Okay" Kagome said slowly, mind whirring as she tried to figure out what was going on.

She began to recount her story to the best of her ability, everything from her jumbled memories of stumbling through the streets to her collapse in the woods. Here Inuyasha and Arani were forced to pick up the story, seeing as Kagome had been unconscious during this period. When they had covered the hole in her memory, she resumed her telling of all that they had done for her.

The whole story took over an hour to tell, partially because Kagome needed to stop several times during her painful tale, after which Ms. Lewis asked several questions of each of them, clarifying or getting alternate sides of portions of the story. Finally, Ms. Lewis sat back in her seat and took a long drink of her now cold tea. Giving a heavy sigh, she looked from one of them to the next, finally coming to rest on Kagome. There was a long silence before she spoke.

"Well Kagome, I do not know what to say. My instructions are to remove you from this home and place you with a family member or home designated by the will of your parents."

Kagome stiffened. She had known that this was probably the reason this woman was here, but she had hoped otherwise. Next to her, Inuyasha had become more still than usual, hardly even breathing.

I might lose her? If she leaves, I may never see her again!

Ms. Lewis, noting that they were all waiting for her to continue, waited a moment longer then went on.

"Your father did not leave a will, but your mother did. It's really simple, and doesn't specify much of anything in terms of what we should do should anything happen to you. All it asks is that if there are no remaining family members or willing people, you choose your own home. Now none of your family remains, and we cannot find anyone else. It's now your decision."

Kagome was dumbfounded, shouldn't it be obvious where she wanted to stay? However, before she could speak, Ms. Lewis suddenly looked at Arani and began to speak.

"Ma'am, would you and Inuyasha give me a chance to speak with Kagome alone?"

"Of course." Arani said, rising. "Come on Inuyasha."

Inuyasha looked shocked, then understood. He too rose and left the room behind Arani. Once out in the hall, Arani looked at him and spoke quietly.

"Inuyasha, I get the feeling that Ms. Andrea Lewis is not as friendly as she tries to make us think. Keep an ear out, if she starts abusing Kagome, tell me immediately, but for heaven's sake, stay put Inuyasha."

He nodded and sat down near the door, closing his eyes.

Back in the room, Ms. Lewis moved to the seat next to Kagome and leaned in. She began speaking in a gentle voice, though her words were anything but.

"So please help me decide where you should go. I'm sure you'd like to stay here, but are they willing?"

Kagome was surprised by the spitefulness in her voice. Then she realized why she seemed familiar. Her mother and Ms. Lewis had been at each other's throats since high school. Because she worked in a hospital, she dealt with the occasional social worker, and she and Ms. Lewis had had several arguments over Ms. Lewis' action while dealing with children. Ms. Lewis went on in the same manner.

"You've been here for quite some time, and these kind people have put up with you patiently, but how much longer will they do so? You've been lucky, but do you really think that you can stay here with people who are nothing like you?"

Kagome's eyes welled up with tears. Somewhere she knew this wasn't true, but this woman was playing on every one of her greatest fears. Her gaze, which she had kept fixed on that wicked woman began to waver.

Out in the hallway, Arani came back from putting more water on for tea to find Inuyasha standing near the door bristling with anger, fists clenched.

"Inuyasha? What happened? What's going on in there?"

"That woman… she's…tormenting Kagome…. I can hear her crying."

"She's what?" Asked Arani angrily.

"I can't take this." He blurted.

"Inuyasha let me handle this please." Arani said quickly.

But it was too late, Inuyasha suddenly burst into the room and strode up to Kagome and pulled her to her feet. Putting an arm around her he spoke in angry, ringing tones.

"Listen. Kagome is ALWAYS welcome here. If she wants to stay, she can stay. My grandmother extended that invitation soon after she arrived, BEFORE she knew much about her. Now that we know Kagome, that invitation is only MORE valid than before. She is a resident in this house if she wants it, which means you have NO RIGHT to come in here and tell her she's not welcome! Arani wants her here, and more than that, so do I!"

Ms. Lewis looked shocked and remained silent. Inuyasha looked at Kagome and spoke in a clear but gentle voice.

"Kagome, your mother said it was your choice, what do you want to do?"

Kagome gazed up at him, stunned by his performance. He was her hero more than ever, and she knew he wouldn't have told the woman off if what he had to say wasn't true. What she had said had hurt her, but she didn't want that to ruin what she had she loved living here, with people who loved her, and she didn't want to ever lose Arani, Miroku, and Sango. But most of all, she knew she couldn't live without Inuyasha. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she gathered the courage to say the words her heart most wanted her to speak.

Inuyasha saw her tears and gently wiped them away. His simple gesture broke a floodgate in her heart.

"I-I…w-want… to st-stay...here!" she stammered, choking on her tears.

Ms. Lewis looked furious and opened her mouth to say something, but Inuyasha cut her off.

"No more. She's made her choice, and in compliance with her mother's will, you must adhere to that. Now, leave her be and leave. If there is any other paperwork, please see Arani for that, but get out of my sight." He said, his voice heavy with contempt.

Ms. Lewis gathered her papers quickly and scurried out of the room. As soon as she was gone, Kagome turned and buried her face in his chest.

"Inuyasha…" Was all she managed to choke out.

He wrapped his arms around her and held her tight. Her crying didn't stop, but it lessened. It felt so good to have her this close and somehow, he hoped Kagome felt the same way.

"Shh…" Inuyasha murmured. "She's gone Kagome, it's all right."

She looked up at him again with tear-filled eyes.

"Did you really mean it?" She asked

He was surprised to hear her say it, and hadn't realized that she had really taken it seriously. He didn't really know what to say, and after a moment, could only think of one response to it. He decided to take a chance, put away his doubts, and risk everything.

He pulled her close and pressed his mouth against hers. She closed her eyes, and he prepared to have her pull back, but she just deepened it. It seemed like ages before they pulled back, and when he did, he saw her eyes dancing with happiness. He gave her a tight hug, whispering into her ear as he did so.

"Of course I did. Every word."

Grabbing her hand, they walked out to the front hall, where Arani was watching the woman pull away in her car. She saw the connection between them, and took a silent guess at what had happened. She smiled at Kagome, who for the first time could not meet her gaze.

"Thank you." Kagome said quietly.

Arani walked over to her and embraced her. She held Kagome's shoulders at arm's length until she met her eyes.

"Why are you suddenly so awkward? It's all over, and you're staying here."

"I just don't know how I could ever-"

"Oh, don't worry about it any more Kagome." Inuyasha interjected.

Kagome nodded and then looked at them and shrugged.

"I guess so, but I'd like to go to my room and put my stuff away, I kind of just threw it down because we were in such a hurry…"

Inuyasha and Arani glance at each other, then Inuyasha took Kagome's hand and led her to the stairs.

"Don't worry about that, we want you to see something first."

"What?"

"You'll see."

He and Arani took her up the stairs to the third floor, and then led her down the hall until they were at the center of the floor, right beneath his own room. They stopped in front of a door with a gold nameplate on it. Carved to form 'Kagome' in curling script, her eyes widened when she saw it.

"W-What's this?" She asked.

"We thought that if you were going to stay here, you might as well have a room of your own."

She couldn't speak for a moment only stare at them incredulously.

"Thank you." She finally choked out, tearing up again.

"You go first, it's your room." Arani said quietly.

She reached out with a trembling hand and turned the knob. Pushing the door in and stepping across the threshold, she could do nothing but gasp. It was magnificent.

It was equally as huge as Inuyasha's room, only a light tan carpet with walls painted to look like a twilight scene, fading between light blues, greens, and lavenders. The circular bed was against the far wall, and close enough the beautiful white marble fireplace to feel the warmth. The Bedspread matched the walls, except that there were branches of plum colored flowers on it was well. There were a couple of bamboo plants in the room, including one on a beautiful desk carved with sakura blossoms. On which sat a computer with a flat screen monitor. Next to the desk there was a large bookshelf, covered in samurai novels to fantasy books, to reference books.The closet doors were carved in a similar way, only with ginkgo leaves, and there was a paper screen to change behind. The large window was covered with sheer layered curtains in the cm colors ad the wall. The wall was decorated with fans set on nails on the wall, so they could be taken down and rearranged, and a border at the top of the wall pained with the Japanese characters for love, happiness, energy, longevity, and courage. There was a flat screen TV mounted on the wall, and an ipod compatible stereo, with a new video ipod on it.

The adjoining bathroom was in a spa style, with green tiling and black granite countertops. There was a large tub with a place to lie and let the water jets provide a back massage, and a shower with the showerhead mounted so the water fell like rain.

When she finished looking at the bathroom, she rejoined the others in her bedroom. As she walked in, Kagome's eyes fell on a framed print hanging on the wall on the other side of her desk from her bookshelf. She walked up to it and read it. She began to cry, and Inuyasha walked up and held her. Arani looked on in satisfaction as he bent and kissed her cheek, happy he had found someone to care for after so much time alone. As Kagome turned to look at him, she noticed a small wrought-iron staircase in the corner near the door.

Following her gaze to the trapdoor at the top, he said simply:

"It leads to my room."

"But so that you can both have your privacy, there's two doors with a little space in between, so that either of you can lock it at any given time." Arani added.

Kagome nodded.

"I can't thank you enough. I don't know how to repay you." She whispered.

Arani gave her a hug saying,

"There's no need to child."

But Inuyasha stopped her from saying anything else.

"Yes there is. There's only one thing she can do to repay us." He said, a playful glimmer in his eye.

"Yes? What is it?" Kagome asked, startled.

What could I ever do for them?

"Stay here with me." Inuyasha said softly.

Kagome cupped his cheeks and gave him a quick kiss.

"That'll be easy." She said with a smile.

Arani smiled again, and put a hand on each of their shoulders.

"What do you say we go have dinner?" Arani asked.

"I'm famished." Kagome said.

"Me too."

"Inuyasha, you're ALWAYS hungry." Arani laughed, then walked out of the room.

"Come on." Inuyasha said, taking her hand and leading her out of the room. Just before she clicked of the lights, she stole another look at the framed print on her wall.

It was a simple thing, with only two lines of writing, the Japanese characters, and the English translation written beneath it, both in the most beautiful calligraphy. The words were simple, but carried the heaviest meaning imagined.

Without a home no more.

The End

Well, that's the end! Now that my computer works and summer is here, I should be able to get to work on the sequel. My deepest apologies for taking a YEAR to update (the story itself was actually done quite a while ago, but there was a bug in my document manager, which wouldn't allow me to upload it), I probably lost all of my loyal readers! Cries Oh well, I hope SOME of you return! And I'd like to thank everyone who reads this, new fan or old, and also for putting up with me!Plus, even when school starts up again I have more time now that I have fewer classes! Tell me what you think!