(one year later)

He just had one more to do, and then life could return to normal. How funny, that this one was still in his hometown. Staring out the bus window, he debated on whether or not to call her, but if she didn't wait for him and was with someone else, could he handle that?

"Hey sugar, mind if I sit here?"

He side-glanced at the attractive redhead and put his bag next to him, "sorry, the seats taken."

She shrugged and walked by. It was interesting to him that not a single woman could turn him on anymore. He was cold to their words, and made sure to place an air of disinterest around him. None of them could hold a candle to Kagome.

(with Kagome)

Sesshomaru burst through the doors, carrying Kagome, Bankotsu on their toes.

"Father! It's happened again!"

InuTaisho ran into the living room to see a disheveled Kagome being cradled by his son.

"Dammit, Sessh! Where were you?!"

"Rin and I were on our way to get her, but we were too late. Father, we must find out why this keeps happening!"

Running up alongside Sessh, Rin checked her over, "it looks like she's okay, so they must have just assaulted her before we got there."

Setting her down on the couch, Sessh waited anxiously with Rin while Bankotsu sat beside her, cradling her close. Slowly, Kagome came to, feeling very confused.

"What happened? How did I get home?"

Sitting on the floor next to her, Rin grabbed one of her hands and held it to her face, "we got there as soon as your classes were over, but someone had already grabbed you. Do you remember anything?"

"I walked out of class and heard the flute. That's the last thing I remember."

InuTaisho paced back and forth, "again with that damned flute! It's safe to say that there must be a demon worm charmer nearby, but we need to know who is pulling his strings. Who would have enough money to hire one of them?"

"Other than us, Father, not many."

"Yes, and Naraku is dead, so it can't be him."

Just then, InuTaisho's phone rang, "yes, she's fine. It was another attack, so just keep researching. All we know is that it's a demon worm charmer. Yes, we were about to discuss that."

"Discuss what?"

Putting the mute on, InuTaisho regarded her solemnly, "your father, well, all of us, think it would be best for you to do online schooling until this is all over."

That did it, Kagome was sick and tired of being a victim, and ten attacks in four months was really starting to get to her. Now, she wouldn't even be able to go to college?! It was the one thing that kept her mind off of Inu.

Standing up, Kagome looked on them with sheer determination, "I know how we can catch the charmer."

They listened intently to her.

"Use me as bait. Have someone searching the area, and another person watching me to make sure whatever might happen can be stopped. It will work, after all, I've been researching demons in my spare time and the worm charmer must be near the host for the worms to take effect."

He hated it, but InuTaisho knew that she was right. Nodding his head, he got back on the phone with her father.

"Father! You can't be serious!"

After getting off the phone, he gulped.

"Your father agrees with your plan, but it upsets him for you to have to do this, just as much as it upsets me. Sessh, this is our only option, unless you have a better one."

Looking from his father to Kagome, he felt Rin slip her hand into his.

"Fine, but I don't like it."

They waited for Kagome to come downstairs, not sure why she was wanting to go through with it that night, but chose not to question her. No one could fully understand what she had been through the past four months.

Walking down, she felt very exposed, but held her head high as she made her way to the front door. Looking back, she shrugged, "coming?"

All the men followed suit, Sesshomaru was in charge of watching her, and InuTaisho was in charge of finding the charmer. Bankotsu was told to stay behind because he was a human and could be affected himself.

As Kagome made her way down the street, she was eyed by every man she passed and felt very uncomfortable. Maybe the short pink minidress was a bad idea, or the four-inch heels, possibly wearing her hair to the side too. She just wanted the charmer to get a good whiff of where she was at so they could capture him, and the person that attacks her since her dad was under the impression the attackers were lured into a situation where the worm charmer could possess them.

Walking down a dark alley, she rolled her eyes as she felt so cliché, but then she heard someone behind her. Let the baiting begin.

She pretended to see a scuff on her nude colored heels and bent down to wipe it off, only to feel arms come around her waist and a large bulge of desire against her.

Sesshomaru was quick to move as he hit the person and placed a bag over his head.

Kagome held a hand to her chest as she tried to get over the situation. "Do you think your dad caught the charmer, yet?"

Speaking into the earpiece, Sesshomaru grinned and did a 'thumbs up'.

What a strange dream, he was walking down a street, and then he caught the sweet fragrance of Kagome and couldn't stop himself from following it. Opening his eyes, he saw…nothing.

"What the hell?"

He tried to lift his arms, but they were tied down, "hey! What the hell is going on?! Someone turn on the lights!"

Hearing movement around him, there was a gasp before he saw light again. Squinting, his eyes adjusted and caught the sight of his beautiful Kagome.

She stared, almost in a trance like state as she dared to touch his face. He was real!

Without thinking, she jumped onto his lap, straddling his hips as she cried into his neck.

"Oh, InuYasha! I've miss you so much!"

Leaning up to gaze into his eyes, she reared her hand back and gave him a giant slap on the face.

"Where were you?! How could you leave me?! You're such a stupid idiot!"

She flung herself back onto him and continued to cry. In shock, InuYasha just looked at his dad and brother, "hey guys, I'm home I guess."

Getting off him, Kagome put her hands on her hips and glared, "you guess you are home? You mean, you hadn't planned to yet?"

"Well, no…not yet."

Kagome held herself as she left the room, it hurt too much to know that he wasn't even going to come back had they not captured him.

Sesshomaru followed after her, "are you alright?"

"I will be. Have we gotten any information from the worm charmer yet?"

"He won't speak voluntarily, so your father has concocted a serum, much like a truth serum, except that it forces you to speak the truth and not be silent."

"I'd like to use that on your brother if he doesn't explain himself."

"You and everyone else. Anyway, I'm going to grab the serum, why don't you stay with Rin in the living room. She cares so much for you, and this whole ordeal has her worried."

Smiling, Kagome nodded and headed in, seeing Rin pacing back and forth.

"Rin, you're gonna make a trench in the floor if you aren't careful."

Looking up, the lovable brunette came barreling towards her and held her tightly.

"Kagome! I knew you would be okay, but I can't help but to worry about you."

"Trust me, Rin, I was a little worried myself. Thank goodness we caught the demon worm charmer…and InuYasha."

"What?!"

The girl chose to sit down as Kagome told her what happened.

"So, now he's telling you that he didn't mean to come back yet?! What a jerk!"

"I know."

Kagome went to sit by her cousin and leaned on her. They were silent for a few minutes, until Rin broke it.

"So, now that he's here, will you be with him?"

"If you asked me before tonight then I would have said yes, but I just don't know anymore. I mean, he planned to be in town and not come home. That's proof enough of how much he really cares."

(with InuYasha)

Struggling with his confines, he was getting a bit irritated, "okay, guys. It was funny while it lasted, now untie me."

His brother swirled the bright pink liquid in the vile, "no, I think you deserve a little discomfort for how badly you've hurt Kagome."

"Look, I didn't mean it the way it came out. Of course, I planned to come back home. I had one more thing to take care of, and then I was going to come back and hope I wouldn't be skinned alive for leaving."

InuTaisho stayed silent long enough.

"Tell me, son, what was so damned important that you had to leave your woman, your love, broken and distraught for a whole year?! Let me tell you that absolutely nothing was worth seeing Kagome fall apart!"

Knowing how bad he hurt her was so different from actually seeing the pain on her face before she walked out. If that was just a small piece of her emotions peeking through, then he dared not think of what the entire picture looked like.

"I left to save Kagome's future…our future."

"How?"

"By righting the wrongs I've committed. When she told me how many times she was being harassed over the phone, I knew that something had to be done for us to live happily ever after."

"Go on."

Taking a deep breath, he told his brother and father about finding the women from his past, and making amends with them. Finding the women's husbands and boyfriends and allowing them to beat him until they felt closure. It was a hard road, but he had made things right with everyone…except one.

"Who else is left, son?"

"Kikyo."