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His Past, Her Present, Their Future

Chapter 43 - Fragments

Kagome sat silently, watching her mother pace back and forth across the living room of her childhood home. It was rare for Kagome to stay longer than a few minutes at the shrine, but she knew she needed to finally clear the air between them. Though their relationship had been pieced back together after the blowout over the truth of her adventures, they had never really mended anything. And right now, Kagome needed advice only her mother could give her.

"Listen, Mom…" Kagome finally broke, shifting her gaze from her mother's pacing to the tatami flooring. "Don't you see that this is why I never told you? So you see how badly you're reacting to it?"

"How else could I react, Kagome?" her mother said harshly, her eyes burning as she stopped to face her daughter. "You brushed death countless times…"

"That was life in that era, mother. Surely you didn't think it was just some fairytale I was living? Disease and death were rife there, and I had it so much easier than most. I had vaccines and modern knowledge to stave off infection, as well as a half demon bodyguard in my travels. It's not as if I just skipped gaily off into the woods calling for the youkai to attack! No, not all of it was pleasant… but it was my life, and I wouldn't trade my adventures for anything."

"Some protector you had! You actually died at one point!"

Kagome sat up ramrod straight, her eyes hardening along with the set of her jaw. "Don't you dare insult InuYasha's abilities in protecting me. He risked life and limb a hundred times to save me! And yes I died, but I was resurrected within minutes, and we gained so much from that battle."

"And he also ran off and left you in danger just as many times!"

"And now he's dead, mother, do you understand that? He is dead and gone, and I will not let you talk about him as if he were anything less than a hero."

The fire in her eyes and voice must have pulled at something in the older woman, for she collapsed on a couch and sighed heavily. "I…I'm sorry. I shouldn't take my anger out on him. But someday you will be a parent and you will know the fear and pain that gripped me to read those things you went through. You're my little girl, Kagome. You never should have been in those positions to begin with…"

"But I was. I made the problem, I fixed the problem. We faced the utmost evil and brought it down. I survived my ordeals; can you please put this behind us and get the metaphorical elephant off the coffee table?"

Her mother laughed shakily and nodded. "I know you have a reason for coming here and bringing this all back up again, Kagome. What has happened?"

"I found Shippou week before last. Err, well, we found each other, really. Because of him, I have been assured that my mate is alive and out there… just out of touch at the moment. He-he offered me… oh, Momma, he offered me immortality!"

Mrs. Higurashi's eyebrows shot up to her hairline and she gaped for a moment. "Well, that's certainly a welcoming gift, isn't it?"

"But… to live forever or at least near to it? To watch you, Sota, and Ayumi age and die as I remain the same? How can I accept that?"

The elder woman's face scrunched in thought and the living room stayed silent for several very long minutes before she tentatively spoke up again. "But, if your… mate… comes back, what then? Can you imagine aging and growing old as he and all your other youkai friends stay the same? What is more important to you, do you think?"

"How can I chose between them and you?" Kagome cried.

"You don't have to. You aren't being asked to forget about any of us and leave us forever, just to give yourself more time with the rest of your 'family'. Is the decision really so hard?"

Kagome's eyes filled with tears. "But…"

"What is the real problem, Kagome?"

"Wh-what if he doesn't want me anymore? What if after so long he wants someone else? As long as I live he can never truly be with another, and I don't want to chain him to eternity with someone he doesn't want," she ended in a whisper.

"Oh, darling, I think you think too lowly of yourself, and I can't help but think InuYasha has a lot to do with that." She shushed Kagome before she could voice her protests. "No, don't deny it. He left a lot of room for insecurity in you. But let me tell you, you are a wonderful person, and Sesshoumaru would be a fool to pass you up. He doesn't seem like the type to just roll over anyway, from the stories." Here the elder paused, glaring over her daughter's shoulder in reminiscence. "So I think he would take it upon himself to rectify if he didn't want you, wouldn't he?"

Kagome sighed heavily, leaning her forehead against her mother's collarbone. "I-I guess you're right. But-"

"But what? You have a chance to do what humans only dream of doing, darling! How can you pass up such a chance? Give yourself the chance to be happy, my Kagome. Please?"

Blue eyes, still brimming with tears, shone with gratitude as she crushed her mother into a hug. "Thank you. Thank you so much."

"Of course, what else are mothers for, anyway?" Mrs. Higurashi winked and stood. "How about some lunch?"

"Just a bit; I'm going to Shippou's tonight for dinner and meeting the family."

"Well then, why don't you tell me about how you found one another?"

As Kagome pushed herself out of her borrowed car, she gulped uncertainly at the large manor house in front of her. Within those walls, who would she see? Would any of them even remember her after so long? She smoothed her skirt free of the invisible wrinkles she was sure adorned it, shakily taking a step before stopping again.

How could she face all these people? She was nothing compared to them, a child! They had experienced the last several hundred years of hardship whilst she simply leapt past them, skipping the rough time she knew they had experienced and popping up again when the going got easy. What right did she have to intrude on their lives?

Her heart ached as she looked across the lawn at the flickering windows; shadows frolicked across drawn drapes, a happy family all relishing in time together. Where did she fit in? She dared to call herself mother to a man who had lived so much more in his life than she could ever dream of? To actually claim the title of grandmother when she was barely in her twenties? What could she offer them?

Her shoulders slumped and she was about to turn back to her car when a low voice spoke from her right. "You came all this way to run away, Kagome-mama?"

She stiffened and glanced at Shippou from the corner of her eye. "I can't do this."

"I knew the bravest girl in the world when I was a tiny pup… she faced down grotesque youkai with a single arrow, she stood up to a hanyou whose demon blood had come to be too much for him, she crossed time and juggled lives and still came out on top. And now, that same brave girl is a woman who is afraid to have dinner with some of the friends she's lost?"

Kagome's hardened features crumbled, and she faced her son with all her grief and fear shining in her expressive eyes. "What am I, really, in comparison to all of you? I'm just a human girl who did some creative things with time. I am not the brave and strong woman you think I am, Shippou. I'm just Kagome. Hell, even when I was taking care of you you were several times my senior… and now? I'm a decimal point in time to all of you."

"Are you even listening to yourself?" an amused Shippou butted in, a smirk stretching his lips. "Kagome, pardon me this, but you're being an idiot. Since when has age meant anything? Think of InuYasha and Kouga back then. Both of them were several centuries old, and you were the only voice of reason between them. Think of Miroku and Sango, were they less than any of the rest of us simply because of the short years they had lived?

"Of course not!" Kagome defended hotly, then winced as she caught the point of her son's rant. The fox's smirk widened.

"Then how does the number of years affect anything? I know Kouga will never grow up, but that's just in his character. Age has little to do with worthiness, and for being a decimal point, you're a damn prominent one. Do you know how few of us would be alive it not for you?"

The woman's eyes slid closed and she breathed deeply as she allowed the handsome youkai to lead her up the gravel path, "See, Ma? Not so bad, is it? It's alright, Kagome. Those you know remember you, and those you don't are anxious to meet you. Well, most the people aren't even aware of your attendance tonight, but that's an entirely different matter."

Kagome finally broke down and smiled, her face aglow again as she observed the playful face of the man beside her. Once a trickster, always a trickster. "Are you going to tell me who's on the guest list?"

"Of course not!" he scoffed, grinning at the mock indignation on his companion's face. "You'll just have to see. Wouldn't be too fair if you weren't surprised too, would it? I doubt you'll have too many problems remembering people, most haven't aged much." He peered at her from the corner of his eye and he saw the familiar determined glint enter her eyes once more. "Speaking of, have you thought over my offer?"

She stopped, facing the redhead with a deep breath and met his eyes. "I… yes. Yes, Shippou."

This had obviously not been the expected response, for the man gawked at her in a gobsmacked manner for several moments before grinning like a loon and swinging her in a circle. "You're sure, right? I mean, really sure? Oh, Kagome, you don't know how happy I am now! I mean, this is great! And you're sure?"

Kagome snickered. "You're babbling."

"Ah, so I was. But I am glad. Let's get inside, alright?"

With a grin the two walked arm in arm up the front stairs and through the impressive double doors, Kagome peering around at the beautiful entrance hall. "It's really gorgeous here, Shippou."

"Why thank you," he grinned. "Though it's mostly Rin's good taste that made this place beautiful. We bought it in the beginning of the nineteenth century. We had been in the western world for a while and she was really taken with a lot of their culture, so we had this place built." His eyes look a far-off glaze and a frown settled on his lips, making Kagome take his hand in hers and squeeze. Shippou broke his reverie and smiled. "Sorry about that, Kagome."

"It's fine."

Shippou gestured to their left at another smaller set of double doors. "Everyone's in there. Now, I must announce you properly!" he exclaimed, yanking on their joined hands and leading her off to the side, winking at the mock annoyed scowl he got in return. With a dramatic flourish, the fox spun on his heel and threw opened the doors with both hands, grinning as everyone in the room came to a standstill. Kagome could see the mischievous smirk on his face and wondered how many people in the room were right now fidgeting in nervousness.

"Ladies and gentlemen," he began imperiously, the wicked tilt still on his lips. "I have brought you all here under false pretenses," he stated with grave and false contriteness.

"Get to the point Fox, or I'll tell them all for you," the unmistakable voice of Kagura snarked, making Kagome stifle a giggle.

With a glare, Shippou sighed and grinned at his audience again. "We have a special guest tonight. Many of you know her, and the rest have heard the stories. May I present to you all the Miko Kagome Higurashi, Lady of the Western Lands," he finished with a deep bow to her, making her turn bright pink as she stepped into the doorway and met with about two dozen stunned gazes.

Biting her lip, she smiled shyly at the group whom she hadn't had time to identify anyone from yet. "Hello everyone."

"Sister!" two voices cried, and she was almost instantly engulfed in a two way hug, blinking in shock.

When her brain caught up with her, she grinned happily at the two shaggy heads of two-toned hair and hugged them back. "Ginta! Hokkaku!"

"I didn't believe Kouga when he said you were from the future! Wow, its so good to see you again!" the one to her left cried, finally releasing her. The two had aged minutely, or perhaps it only seemed that way since they both now sported nearly normal hairstyles - coloring notwithstanding. The bad part was that she now could not tell them apart as easily. She was rather sure the one who had just spoken was Ginta, due to his brow line and the placement of the white streaks in his hair, but she really wasn't sure.

"I know!" the other, whom she thought must be Hakkaku cried, releasing her as well, grinning widely. "It was so farfetched… but you're really here! And how in the seven hells did you end up mated to Lord Sesshoumaru?"

Kagome smiled again. "I've missed you both as well. As for Sesshou…"

"Come everyone," Shippou interrupted in his imperious tone. "We have a dinner awaiting us in the dining room!" he seized his adopted mother's arm and led her away regally, nose pointing nearly skyward.

"You know Shippou," she said as she was led, "with your nose in the air like that, you've made me think of something."

"What's that? How debonair and handsome I have become?"

"No… I was thinking you need to pluck your nose hairs."

"Mooooooom!" he groaned, shoulders slumped as everyone around them laughed at the wail coming from the youkai. "That was just mean. I throw this nice party for you, and look what you did?"

"Do you want me to break out the photo album? I have pictures of you bathing, you know."

A bright red stole across the man's tanned cheeks and she was well aware which in the crowd were his progeny by now by the devilish smirks on their faces. "How much do I have to pay you to make you keep those collecting dust?"

"You could never pay me enough, my sweet. You were the cutest child… so very brave, even when covered in chocolate… unless InuYasha was threatening you."

The still-blushing man picked up the pace and called out triumphantly, "We're here! Let's eat!" Kagome stopped him as everyone took their seats and kissed his cheek fondly. "I hope you don't mind me teasing. It's helping me to relax more than anything else to reminisce."

"It's fine Kagome, I can take what I dish out."

"Oh my, can I expect embarrassing stories about me now?" she called to him as she strolled to her seat.

"You mean like the time you and Sango were running naked through the forest because you thought there were bees after you? Then when InuYasha and Miroku came to see why you were shrieking you two practically killed them both? Women," he scoffed, grinning at the chuckles he received and the fake glare from Kagome.

Signaling to his children, Shippou ducked into the kitchens, apparently to retrieve the food and his offspring followed. Kagome finally looked around, meeting many curious and even awed gazes on her, forcing a blush to her cheeks. The strongest gaze on her were a pair of highly familiar pale green eyes, and her eyes lit up at the man across the table from her. "Setsu!"

Gyakusetsu smiled widely, his fangs showing. "You remember me then, do you?"

"Well, of course. You're aware it's hardly been three years since our last meeting for me? Even if it had been a millennium though, you made quite the impression."

The tiger grinned sheepishly, running a hand through his shorter, though still waist-length, hair. "I had to assume, since you look much the same. My memories of that far back are foggy at best."

"I am surprised you recognize me at all then!"

He smiled. "How could I not? You were the single most fascinating human I ever met, not to mention that I never had a run in with any other miko on even neutral terms, let alone as friendly as my encounters with you. Best Decennial Banquet there ever was… what with Gojou leaving literally red faced."

Kagome beamed and inclined her head as a girl to his right called his attention, her eyes sweeping around the table. Most everyone was talking amongst themselves now, and she saw a few vaguely familiar faces and one that stood out. "Oh! Shiori!" she said almost to herself, making the woman in question look up and smile. She had matured into a beautiful woman, her pale hair cut in a fashionable bob and her outstanding eyes shining. She had laugh lines creasing her eyes and was the oldest appearing in the group, looking in her mid forties. Kagome thought her hanyou blood likely to be the reason for this, but she had aged beautifully nonetheless.

"It is good to see you, Kagome. I confess to being a bit confused as to your presence here though…"

A young woman to her left with teal hair and wide brown eyes cocked her head. "Yeah, me too! When I met you it was like, forever ago, and you look just the same. You sure you're human?"

It took Kagome a minute, but she quickly placed the woman as the lime-haired Rei who believed miko to be some kind of youkai eating monster. She smiled widely at the now grown woman. "Well, it's quite a story…"

Shippou bounced back in then, eight people following him all laden with platters of food. "And all can be told later. For now, food's up!"

"Finally!" a voice from the other end of the table cried, drawing Kagome's eyes to a black haired woman who smirked at Shippou. "Took you damned long enough."

Shippou pouted. "Souten, you're so mean to me."

Kagome blinked in surprise and laughed at her son's antics, surprised that he had stayed in contact with the successor of the Thunder clan. Never having really known her, Kagome merely smiled at the grinning youkai who was goading Shippou.

"Now for introductions!" Shippou called a few minutes later after the food was served, and proceeded to name off the five attending of his seven children (the others apparently lived too far away to come in on such short notice, but promised to visit soon) and twelve various descendants of his. All greeted her shyly, and she noticed most of the awe previously directed at her came from them. She wondered what all Shippou had told them about her.

"We need all of your help," Shippou stated. "We need word spread in the youkai community of Kagome's return. Word needs to reach Sesshoumaru, for obvious reasons."

Nods followed this announcement, and Kagome smiled gratefully. Kagura perked up from where she had been chatting idly with Ginta and Hakkaku. "When are you taking her to Iwaku, Fox?"

"Next week, and I know you're tagging along. No one tell Kouga! Hear me!" Kagome giggled and he glared at her. "I want it to be a surprise! It will be hilarious to see the look on that wolf's face when Kagome comes strolling in."

The others who were aware or had heard stories of the wolf's obsession laughed at the thought, whilst still others were confused slightly. Kagome gave up on putting it off and began her story for those yet unaware of her journeys. The group stayed late into the night, reminiscing of a time with clean air and untouched forest, which Kagome wistfully recalled for the few not old enough to remember. After all, it had been the shortest time for her since last seeing the sights most remembered.

When Kagome finally settled into the guest room in Shippou's home that night, a smile was stretched across her face. This was what she had been missing. Home, family, acceptance, and utter honesty. There was no reason to hide herself from these people, because they had been through all the same things she had. They had lived in a time where good fought evil and honor was tested. There was no longer a single doubt in her mind as to the best course as the fragments came together, for the path was in front of her, stretching out as far as the eye could see.