Shortly after Kagome returned home from washing up at the river, Sango had arrived with only her son attached to her back. She had convinced Miroku to keep the girls so she could have some alone time with Kagome. Sango fidgeted a bit thinking of the conversation she had with Inuyasha in Kaede's hut yesterday. She didn't exactly want to talk her friend out of it, but she did want to voice her concerns. Sango exhaled deeply before starting,

"Inuyasha told us you two were going to mate... He told us you guys talked about this but... I'm just so worried that something bad might happen to you and Inuyasha." Sango looked at the ground feeling guilty about bringing up the conversation up in the first place.

It was Kagome's turn to exhale deeply before responding to her clearly worried soul sister,

"I know how you feel Sango, Inuyasha is also worried, though he tries not to show it. But... I want this; I want to be with him forever. Coming back through the well, I didn't know what would happen. While I was in my time, I used to think about how Inuyasha and I would live our lives a lot... But it always ended the same. I would grow old and age like a human, leaving Inuyasha alone again, Kami forbid if we had children. I would age while their time would stand still in comparison. I couldn't do that to him; I don't want Inuyasha to be alone ever again. It's a risk I feel I need to take, and he deserves to live a happy life finally. I hope you can understand our decision."

Sango was wiping away the few tears that had escaped during Kagome's declaration of love and devotion. "I understand.. just come back in one piece ok?

Kagome nodded her head also wiping away some leaky tears. Kagome and Sango held on to each other in a tight embrace for a few minutes before a familiar old Miko came through the door.

"Hello, Kaede! I wasn't expecting you, is everything alright?" Kagome asked.

"Nothing to worry about child, though I wouldn't mind a tea if ye have any," Kaede said as she sat her quivering old body on a cushion next to Sango.

"Of course!" Kagome said jumping up to start boiling water.

"Is Inuyasha not back yet?" Kaede asked

"Not yet but I feel his presence close by so he shouldn't be too much longer," Kagome said as she put the pot of water over the fire to boil. Sitting back down, she noticed the cloth in Kaede's lap. It looked like there was something inside it. Tilting her head to the side a little she asked,

"What's that you're carrying around?"

Kaede shared a slight smile and only replied, "Inuyasha asked me to make ye something, but ye can't see it until he has returned.

Kagome wasn't sure if she should feel extremely worried or extremely touched. She hoped Inuyasha came back soon, and she was curious to see what he asked Kaede to make.

Kagome had served the tea and sat back down as Inuyasha came through the door. "Welcome back!" Kagome squeaked out, realizing her tone was a little louder then it needed to be.

Inuyasha chuckled while walking towards Kagome; placing his hands on the top of her shoulders lightly before giving her a quick peck on the cheek, causing a dusting of pink to highlight her cheeks. Sango also flushed a little at Inuyasha's show of affection. She was not expecting Inuyasha to show any affection around anyone besides Kagome.

Kaede stood up and creaked her back to stand up as straight as she could with her old bones and achy muscles.

"Is it finished?" Inuyasha asked the old Miko

"Aye, but ye going to have to brace her as she is still human right now. But I'm sure ye don't want to take me on your little trip." Kaede joked

Inuyasha blushed a little before looking at the old women and then over to Kagome.

"You trust me right?" Inuyasha asked his soon to be mate.

Confused and now a little worried she replied, "yes... why?"

"This might hurt a little, but I'm gonna try to take the brunt of it. It's a safety measure we need to take before we leave in the morning..." Inuyasha started to drop his ears a little before finishing, "Please don't get too mad at me for this."

"Inuyasha what are you planning? Why would I get mad? H-Hey what are you doing?!" Kagome said as Inuyasha scooped up Kagome and brought her outside to the front of her house with Kaede and Sango following.

Inuyasha sat on the grass and sat Kagome in his lap facing him, wrapping his arms around her back one hand resting in between her shoulder blades and the other hand placed on her lower back pinning her into place. "I'm sorry Kagome but If I have learned anything while on the Jewel hunt is that this is a good safety measure for both of us."

Kagome blushed realizing the position they were in and how this must look to Kaede and Sango. She placed her forehead on Inuyasha chest and nodded. She would trust him if he thought this was needed, then she would go along with it, what it was though she had no idea.

Inuyasha looked at Kaede and nodded. Kaede opened the cloth to reveal beads that matched Inuyasha's. Kaede looked over to Sango, "This one is a little different than Inuyasha's could ye grab me a piece of each of their hair?"

Sango was looking more worried by the second but quietly agreed. She walked over to the pair on the ground before whispering, "Sorry" and yanked out a single piece of hair from each of them, giving the hair to Kaede. The old women placed the hair on the pile of beads and chanted a few words before the beads had flown towards Kagome.

Kagome had kept her eyes closed after Sango took her hair, she had no idea what was going on. She opened her eyes when she heard what sounded like beads clanging together and a strange pressure form around her neck.

"Now Inuyasha, the word!" Kaede shouted.

Kagome shot her glance up to Inuyasha's eyes, he looked guilty but also slightly amused. Before she could ask him 'what word?' Inuyasha let out a small, almost missable grin before saying, "Sit."

Kagome's eyes couldn't get any wider as she felt the strange force drag her down towards the ground, only to pin Inuyasha between her and the grass. Trying to force her head up to look at her now outwardly laughing hanyou, she groaned,

"What the fuck? Inuyasha... SIT!"

Inuyasha laughter was cut off when his own beads dragged him further into the dirt, all he could manage to get out at this point was,

"Yeah, knew that was coming."