Disclaimer - I don't own Inuyasha.
A/N: Last... Last... Last... chapter! (sobs) I'm so s-s-sad!
The next day Miroku was talking again. At times it was hard for him but other times he was just like his old self which was simply amazing. Someone out there must've wanted to give them all a bit of a break. He told Kagome not to worry about it and that it wasn't her fault. Sango cried happy, joyous tears once he'd woken and he had smiled to himself as the doctors sat there baffled. So Miroku was going to be okay, he'd recover. The question was would Kagome?
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It was finally the day Miroku would be going home. He was on crutches because his left leg still wasn't healed perfectly yet but he was just happy to be going home. Being stuck in a hospital for weeks can make a person very, very bored. Especially on the days when no one was able to visit him.
Sango held onto one of his arms to help him out the door.
"So, glad to be outside?" Kouga asked with a grin.
"Mm," Miroku said as he smiled at the sun. "Very." Inuyasha laughed quietly as they all walked over to his car which had been fixed after the accident. Sesshomaru had paid, clearly out of sympathy. At least that's what Inuyasha had told himself but secretly, he knew different. Sesshomaru cared for him. Just like Inuyasha had learned, over time, to care for Sesshomaru as well.
"Where do you wanna go first?" Inuyasha asked him. Miroku said that he didn't want to go home. His parents had only visited him a couple of times and he was still mad at them for it.
"Let's go to Kagome's." He said. Kagome couldn't make it to see him leaving the hospital, she had work. Lexi did too.
"Alright," Inuyasha said happily. They were soon at Inuyasha's car and driving to Kagome's. Kagome's shift was over the moment they reached her house.
"She should be back soon." Sora told them happily. "So how ya doing Miroku?" She asked as they all sat down on the living room couch. Sora had made her house very nice over the small amount of time.
"I'm good." He said, slightly out of breath because the crutches were a little tough to use. "These things are kind of a pain though." They all laughed quietly as they turned to see the front door open.
"Hey mom!" She hollered in the mudroom. "You here from the others? How's Miroku..." She stopped mid-sentence as soon as she saw them all sitting down in her living room. She put her hands on her hips. "How did I not notice Inuyasha's car?" She asked herself with a small giggle. "Hey Miroku." She walked over to him and gave him a tight hug.
"Hey," He said quietly. The two really had become like siblings. Kagome let a few happy tears fall on his shoulder then let him go. She hadn't realized that Sora and Sango had joined her in the happy crying so when she saw them they all broke down in ridiculous, laughing, sobs. Once they regained their composure the doorbell rang.
"I'll get it." Kagome said with a sniff.
"Hey," A cheery Lexi greeted everyone once Kagome let her in.
"Hey Alexis." Kagome said and then there were more hellos that followed.
"How are you?" She asked Miroku and he rolled his eyes.
"Would everyone stop asking me that?" He said with a chuckle. "I'm perfectly fine." He told her and she smiled at him with a small nod.
"So, how's work?" Kouga asked Kagome and Lexi.
"It's work." Lexi joked and Kagome laughed with a shrug.
"It's not bad, I guess." Kagome said. "I'm glad to be doing something useful with my time." She smiled and they understood what she meant. "Hm," She mused and they all looked at her. "What time is it?" She looked at the watch that was on her right wrist. "12:30. Lunch time," She smiled. "What do you guys want? We have literally everything." It had been so long since she'd really been grocery shopping so Sora stocked up on all that was in the store.
"I have an idea." Lexi said and everyone sighed with a small laugh. She always had ideas. She giggled to herself quietly before she answered their sighs. "Well, how about we set everything up for sandwiches and we make our own. Anything we want, we make." She said and everyone agreed that it was a pretty good idea. So Sora went out into her clean kitchen and set everything up on the island. She called everyone in and they sat on the new swivel chairs that she'd just bought. Once they were through eating they headed to Kagome's room. She still hadn't fixed her wall.
"Oh Kags, why'd ya do that?" Inuyasha asked with a sigh as he flopped down on a random chair Kagome had in her room. Sango and Miroku sat down on her bed while Kouga and Lexi sat on the floor beside the bed, which was low because she only had a mattress.
"When ya gonna get some furniture?" Kouga asked bluntly and Kagome laughed.
"Soon, I hope. I have a very bare room, I know." She said and they laughed with her. Out of the blue, Miroku burped... loudly. Everyone looked at him with accusing eyes.
"Can you blame me?" He asked with a light laugh. "I had a lot to eat, okay?" They nodded their heads in agreement.
"Wait," They all looked at Inuyasha with confusion in their eyes. "Kagome hasn't answered my question yet."
"I thought it was rhetorical." She muttered and all eyes were on her. She shrugged slightly. "I don't know, I was upset that day." They all nodded their heads with understanding.
"Well," Inuyasha said as he went behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. "Please don't get that upset ever again." He laughed warmly into her ear. She smiled and put a hand on his neck.
"Okay." She said quietly as she looked at him. He bent down and kissed her lightly on the lips.
"Okay you two," Kouga said roughly. "Break it up." Kagome laughed slightly, their lips still touching. When they were through with their small kiss Inuyasha was still holding onto her. He'd never let her go. Miroku moved closer to Sango and touched her hand lightly. Sango was turned away from him so he didn't see that he lit her whole face up and she was smiling slightly. Kouga and Lexi were just sitting there waiting for everything to pass.
"Wow," Lexi said after Miroku kissed Sango's cheek. "I'm so outta here if this is gonna continue." Everyone laughed it off and, for some odd reason, they all formed a circle on the floor. Kagome looked at each of her friends with astonishment. Their story just goes to show how soon something can change your life in such a short amount of time.
"So," Sango whispered to break the comfortable silence that had fallen upon them. Everyone glanced at her but was still lost in his or her own thoughts.
"Maybe," Kagome began and everyone looked at her with wandering eyes. "Maybe we should 'start over' and kind of put this all behind us." She said with a small smile.
"Wait, Kags, we can't just forget what happened." Inuyasha said with a slight growl at the stupidity of the idea. She rolled her eyes at him.
"Inuyasha, I know that... But we can't keep thinking about it either. So maybe we should just let it go." They looked skeptical but she went on. "You guys need to begin to see the real me and I need to begin to see who you all really are too. I want to be able to joke about things with you and have little, stupid inside jokes with everyone and we can't move on with anything unless we let all that's happened, or at least some of it, go." They agreed it was time to start a new chapter of their lives.
Sango suddenly stood up and walked over to the beaten wall. Kagome stared at her, wondering what she was thinking. She had been there when Kagome had freaked and they both shared that moment with one another and always would. What a deep moment it had been... Kagome got up and walked over to her. They stood together, side by side. Sango with small, sad smile playing at her lips and Kagome with a content expression.
"So," Sango began with a raised brow. "How and when are you gonna fix it?" She asked. Kagome continued to stare at the wall, deep in thought. Then she realized who that wall would represent from that point on: Her. It had punch marks, holes, and blood all over it; some holes deeper than others. That wall would never heal or become fixed but Kagome would. She knew she would because she had and overtime she'd get better, mentally and physically.
"I'm not," She said softly as she touched the wall with love. "It's going to stay this way." They all looked at her and rolled their eyes. "No, seriously. This wall will remind me of what used to be and what is now. It won't heal but I can. No one can hurt me anymore." She stared at the wall, her eyes gleaming.
- & - & - & - & - & - & -
Kagome smiled as she wrapped her arms around herself. The first snow had just fallen and she'd walked down to her high school. She didn't have a true reason for it except she had wanted to breathe in the fresh air and take a walk. She had immediately thought of her school. She looked in the front of the building and saw her bench.
"Hm, that's where it all began..." She said to herself remembering the first day she'd had lunch with the others. The sakura blossoms on the sakura tree were all gone and that left its limbs bare but that didn't matter, it was still beautiful. Only now, it had sparkling snow crystals on its branches. She walked over to the bench and wiped off some of the snow that was lightly coated on the seat then sat down. She took in a deep breath and shut her eyes, taking in her surroundings as a blind person might. "I love this place." She whispered softly. Then Kagome's thoughts drifted over to her friends and the love of her life. Inuyasha, Miroku, Kouga, Sango, and Lexi. They all meant so much to her and she knew that together they could get through anything. She wished that they were with her then but it was nice to be alone in the quiet...
Suddenly, someone's hands were over Kagome's eyes. She jumped, terrified at first but then settling when someone whispered huskily into her ear.
"Guess who?" Questioned a dark voice.
"Inuyasha." She smiled as he slid beside her and wrapped his arms around her waist. She laughed as he shivered next to her. "So, why are you here?" He pretended to look hurt and Kagome laughed quietly, her smile always widening. "You know what I mean." He shrugged and tucked his neck into her shoulder.
"I wanted to go for a walk and decided to come here." He answered, kissing her ear. "Ironically, you decided to do the same." She smiled, content. Then Inuyasha took in the scent of her hair and smiled to himself. She always smelled so beautiful. "Mmm, you smell reeeally good." He said and she giggled quietly as he nipped at her ear.
"Oh stop it," She said, pushing him away. "Enjoy this. You only get this kind of feeling about snow two times a year." She said and he looked at her.
"Two times?" He asked.
"Yes. The first snow and if it snows on Christmas. Other than that, winter sucks." He put his nose to hers and frowned.
"Oh but I disagree." He said and she smiled in spite of herself.
"Why's that?" She asked. He grinned at her and shrugged slightly.
"I happen to love winter." He said, staring deeply into her eyes. Kagome stared back as he brought his lips to hers. The kiss deepened and they were lost in a world that only existed of them. That always happened when they kissed. When they broke apart they heard someone whistling from behind them. Inuyasha groaned as Kouga joined them.
"Hey Kouga," Kagome laughed out and Kouga smiled at her.
"Here," Inuyasha said. "Sit." Inuyasha got up and Kouga smirked at him with a raised brow.
"No, I feel like standing. Thanks though." He said as he took in a deep breath. He blew circles into the air as they formed quick little puffs.
"So, why're you here?" Inuyasha asked, a little upset he'd ruined their little moment.
"Eh, wanted to go out for a run. While I was out, I could smell Kaggy a mile away. You're smelling reeeally good, by the way." He grinned at Inuyasha and stuffed his hands in his pockets as Inuyasha blushed slightly.
"Why did we all come here?" Kagome asked aloud with a perplexed expression as Miroku and Sango joined them with Lexi trailing behind humming Christmas songs. She was currently on "Silver Bells" but had stopped when Kagome had asked the question and smiled.
"First snow," Lexi said simply and Miroku laughed quietly as Sango laid her head on his chest. She was fairly short compared to him.
"Yeah," Kagome said absentmindedly. "I came here because it's familiar and it had snowed too." They all agreed that it was the snow that had drawn them to the spot. In truth it may have been because they hadn't really been together as a group in a while. It was always a few people at a time and not everyone at once. Ever since their last conversation in Kagome's room they'd sort of drifted. That was an exception for the couples though, they'd grown very close and Kouga and Lexi had done some brother/sister bonding.
"Anyone up for another walk?" Miroku asked cheerfully. They all looked at him and nodded their heads. As they traveled down the streets they began to tell each other what had been going on in their lives for the time that they'd been 'apart.' It was like they'd never left one another. Of course they stayed true to forgetting what had occurred before but there was a certain something between them. Something that had been left unasked.
They each connected their eyes to Kagome's and one by one they silently asked, "Are you okay?" She smiled to herself. Her eyes held the happiness that had become her life. She'd never be alone, sad, or hurt physically again by anyone because if anyone even tried it she'd stop them right in their tracks. She had become a strong and amazing person and it was all because of the five people walking with her down that snow covered street.
Then Kagome whispered lightly, "I am now..." Kagome's heart was healed.
A/N (PLEASE READ, THANKS!): So, all done. Anyone up for a sequel? Lmao, nah just kiiidin. I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter, the last one to A Healed Heart. I loved writing this and I know you already know that but I just wanted to let you all know again. Thanks for ALLLLL the reviews that you have all so graciously given this story, it was always the extra push for me to get another chapter up. I hope that this last chapter doesn't leave you wondering what's next; I hope it doesn't leave you empty. Whenever I finish a good book, I hate that empty feeling I get sometimes. Like there should be more to the story or there was something, I don't know, missing. I hope you smile about the last sentence and say, "That was good... That was really good." Then go back and read something else (not forgetting to review lol). I hope you want to read it all again and see how overtime the story changed; how my writing became different. I hope you didn't mind the repeating of the letting it go thing and I hope you didn't mind the unrealistic stuff I put in. I hope you tell your friends about this little fic! (Insert winking smiley face here lol) I guess, all in all, I hope you loved A Healed Heart and it's a fic that you won't soon forget.
See ya later,
Liz