I debated posting this epilogue for the longest time, as it contains major spoilers for the sequel I've been chipping away at. You've been warned.

Thank you all for enjoying this journey. I started this never expecting I would actually finish it, much less post it. Thank you for your encouragement and your patience. Without further ado, the epilogue to For Better or Worse.


Epilogue

3 years later...

Kagome ducked behind a tree and clapped a hand over her mouth to stifle her giggles. It was early spring, and the forest around the Sunrise village was teaming with life. Surely, all these new sights and smells would give her an advantage and make it harder for him to track her…

"Mama!"

So much for that thought! Kagome kept her hand clapped firmly over her mouth to keep from giggling, though she knew without a doubt Inuyasha knew exactly where she was.

"Where you mama?" Kagome didn't answer, instead hunkering herself down even further against the tree, pretending she was invisible.

"Found you mama!" Suddenly a little boy, no more than two years old, appeared before her with sparkling golden eyes and the same silver hair as his father. Her little boy. Said half demon was right behind him, sporting his usual cocky grin.

"Not so tough now, are ya wench?" He smirked as the toddler launched himself at Kagome, wrapping his arms around her neck and pressing his lips against her cheek in his idea of a kiss.

"You certainly did find me! What a clever little boy you are!" Kagome cooed at her son, stroking her fingers gently over the puppy dog ears her little boy had also inherited from his father. Except for his freckled cheeks, little nose and long, dainty eyelashes, Kenji was every bit his father's son.

"He'll be ready for his first sword in no time!" Inuyasha exclaimed proudly, plucking the boy from his mother's arms and tossing him in the air. Kenji squealed in delight at the game, clapping his hands together.

"Don't drop him Inuyasha," Kagome warned, though her words held no bite by the smile that crossed her face.

"Like I'm gonna drop him." Inuyasha tucked the boy back in his arms and followed his wife as she began the trek back towards the village, making sure to watch her carefully from behind to catch her in the event she tripped.

"I'm not made of glass you know," she teased as Inuyasha shot her a withering glare. She placed a hand over her abdomen, feeling the slight swell that was their second child.

"I'm pregnant, not fragile." He looked like he wanted to argue, but instead shifted his son into one arm and placed the other on her lower back. Kagome let him. If it made him feel better, let him coddle her.

"Hey Kagome! Inuyasha!" Kagome waved back to her heavily pregnant close friend, Sango, as the young woman was hanging laundry to dry while her young twins played in the grass beside her. Given the events of their wedding and the surprisingly budding friendship between the two couples, Sango and Miroku had elected to relocate to Kaede's village. Miroku took over the now retired Kaede's shrine duties, while Kagome had elected to use her healing skills along with Miroku to aid the village. Sango retired from slaying, but easily kept up with her training thanks to Inuyasha- who became her regular sparring partner. In addition to keeping Sango on her toes, the half demon learned valuable sword play from the expert slayer. Though retired, Sango or Miroku frequently joined Inuyasha on slaying ventures for extra money. Inuyasha's territory now included the village, and he enjoyed the frequent patrols and guarding of his territory now that he had a loving family to return home to.

Kagome waved back at Sango, changing direction to speak to her friend and coo at the twin girls playing in the grass- whom Uncle Inuyasha was a big favorite with. The twins made a beeline for uncle Inuyasha as soon as he was close enough, a twin each grabbing onto one of his legs. Soon, the sound of squealing laughter was heard as Inuyasha amused Kenji and the twins while Kagome and Sango talked.

"Miroku should be back any minute, he went to the shrine to begin prayers for this season's harvest." Sango rested her arms on her abdomen, due any day now with the couple's third child. (Secretly, Inuyasha had told Kagome Sango was expecting a boy, knowing Miroku was going to lose his mind over getting the son he'd been pestering Sango for their entire engagement)

"Have you seen Rin lately? She has lessons with Kaede and I this evening." Rin was the ward of Inuyasha's brother, Sesshomaru, who had randomly appeared into their lives a few months after their marriage with a young human girl in tow. Kagome had managed to convince him that Rin needed to be with other humans, especially women, as she got older. He'd dropped her off at the sunrise village only six months ago and Rin was slowly getting used to life in a village again after several years following Sesshomaru. She adored Kaede most of all, and blossomed under Kaede's healer training with Kagome's assistance.

"No, last I saw she was weeding Kaede's herb garden, but that was hours ago."

"Probably with Shippo again." Kagome said with a shake of her head. A few months after the wedding, Shippo's extended family had been found and the kit had gone to live with them, frequently visiting the village and building a budding friendship with Rin.

"Aunty Kagome!" The sound of her name had Kagome pausing in her conversation with Sango as a dark haired girl came running towards them.

"Guess what?! Lord Sesshomaru is coming to visit me!" She began waving a letter she held in her hands, the page filled with Sesshomaru's neat writing.

"Great, that jacka-that jerk has to show his ugly mug here." Inuyasha quipped from his position as a jungle gym for the children.

"Inuyasha! Watch your language around the children!" Kagome scolded him, crossing her arms over her chest.

"No mad aunty 'gome!" The twins and Kenji abandoned Inuyasha and raced to Kagome, flinging themselves against her legs.

"Ha! Even the kids agree he's such a damn jack- ow!" Out of nowhere, a rock came hurtling through the air and struck Inuyasha square in the temple.

"By all means, little brother, continue that sentence."

"Lord Sesshomaru!" Rin went racing towards the stoic demon, stopping in front of him to smile and tug on his hand.

"Welcome back lord Sesshomaru!" The demon didn't smile; but did look down almost fondly at his ward.

"Hello Rin. I trust my idiot brother and this village have treated you well?"

"Oi! Who you calling idiot; idiot!"

"Silence, you insolent half breed." Kagome elbowed her husband in the arm to shut him up, knowing Sesshomaru's jabs always riled up his temper and caused a fight. Sensing a fight was inevitable, as it always was with the brothers, Sango rounded up the children and disappeared into her hut to distract them with lunch.

"Last thing we want is a fight Inu," Kagome mumbled, knowing the demon would hear her anyways. She placed a hand on her abdomen and Inuyasha's expression softened. He was even more fiercely protective of her when she was pregnant, as she'd learned very fast early on in her pregnancy with Kenji. She'd been lucky to be out of his sight for five seconds before he was back at her side, sticking to her like sap.

Sesshomaru was staring intently at her after she spoke, evidently puzzled by Inuyasha's lack of response. Of course, being a demon lord it took barely any effort on his part to discover his brother had fathered another child.

"I don't know if he told you, Sesshomaru, but Inuyasha and I, we're expecting another child." His sister in law beamed at him in a way that suggested she was happy to be impregnated by his half demon brother. Interesting.

"A niece, I see." He remarked simply. Inuyasha rolled his eyes.

"We know, jackass. I can smell it as well as you can."

"I highly doubt that, pup."

"You really want to get your ass kicked, don't you?!" Kagome sighed in defeat, it seemed her brother in law simply couldn't resist the urge to piss her husband off. She placed both hands on her hips and gave them both a stern glare.

"Words only today boys, I am not in the mood to patch either of your stubborn asses up!" She was hissing by the time she finished the sentence and found that neither of them seemed to be willing to test her words. Sesshomaru, it seemed, had at least a tiny glimmer of respect for his sister in law after she nearly purified his ass at their first meeting. At the very least he seemed unwilling to piss her off.

"How boring." He finally quipped, then turned around and walked away. Rin, who had been watching from Sango's doorway, immediately ran after him to speak to him before he left.

"Yeah you better fuck off," Inuyasha snipped, knowing full well Sesshomaru could hear him. He stomped in the opposite direction towards Kagome, placing a hand on her abdomen and feeling the gentle swell of their daughter.

"You alright Kagome?" She nodded, resting her hands over his.

"We're both fine," Her voice was soft and gentle, similar to how he remembered his own mother being.

"Good," he said back just as gently. He wrapped the arm on her belly around her waist, pulling her closer to kiss her.

"I'll get the kid, then you too can head home while I grab some fish for dinner. I'm starving." His wife snorted as he ducked in the open door.

"You're hardly starving." He threw her a dirty look before disappearing. She could hear his deep voice as he spoke to Sango, thanking her for keeping his son busy. He reappeared a moment later, carrying Kenji with one arm.

"Mama!" The toddler reached for her the moment he had her in sight, and Inuyasha handed him over. Kenji reached his arms around her neck as far as he could, snuggling his face against her shoulder.

"Hello to you Kenji." She hugged him closer and hummed softly. It made Inuyasha's chest ache, seeing how much Kagome loved their son and how damn lucky he was to have her, to have all of them.

"Walk us to the door? He's almost out for his nap." Indeed, the toddler had his thumb in his mouth with his head tucked against Kagome's neck, his eyes fluttering closed.

"Yeah, wanna make sure you get there safe anyways." He followed his women and she led them home, to a hut just on the edge of the village where he could come and go without disturbing anyone. It was big for a village home, he'd seen to that. He lifted the mat from the door and held it for Kagome to enter, watching as she tucked their son on his futon and laid a blanket over him. She brushed his puppy ears gently with her fingers, then left him to join Inuaysha at the door.

"You won't be long?" She questioned with her hands on her abdomen and he shook his head, leaning down to kiss her again and brush his claws gently over her belly before he pulled back.

"Just gonna grab some fish and do a light patrol, an hour tops." He promised. She nodded and he left her there, disappearing into the woods in a flash. Kagome watched him leave, feeling contentment settle over her in a wave.

All was well in their world.


Keep your eyes peeled for the sequel, and send me all your writing vibes as I chip away at at!

~Anime Wildfire