A/N: Hey everyone! So the next chapter should be the last one... :( If I can, I'll try to stretch it into two. Well hope you like this one. Review please!!
Kagome sighed as she sank into her mother's couch. Her grandfather sat adjacent to her, his eyes fixed on the television show he was watching. She had come over after work to pick up the kids, but her mother was planting flowers in the garden with them so Kagome decided to wait until they were finished.
Kagome looked up to the television and frowned. Since when did her grandfather watch Spanish soap operas? He couldn't even speak Spanish, " Uhh, Grandpa? Why a--"
The telephone ringing cut Kagome off. Kagome's grandfather looked around for a little bit before his eyes fell on the TV remote. He picked it up and held it to his ear, " Hello?"
Kagome bit back her laughter, but looked out the window and saw that he mom had answered the real phone.
" Hello?...Listen jackass, this is the third time you called today and didn't say anything!...Hello?" Grandpa scowled and slammed down the remote, hitting a button to turn off the 'phone' but only succeeded in changing the television channel, " Damn prank phone callers. I sh-HEY! Did you change the channel?"
Kagome was about to reply when Keitaro came in, holding the phone to his ear.
" Hold on. Here she is." Keitaro held the phone out to Kagome, " Phone, Mommy!"
" Who is it?" Kagome asked, but Keitaro shrugged his shoulders. Kagome put the phone to her ear, " Hello?"
" Hey, Kags!" Miroku chirped and Kagome shot a look to a grinning Keitaro, " Where are you?"
" Miroku, are you kidding me?" Kagome grumbled, wondering how Miroku could not know what she was.
" N--OOH. Never mind." Miroku said, realization hitting him, " So you want to hand out tonight? Izayoi wants to take the kids to see a movie...all of the kids."
" Sure." Kagome answered him as her mother entered the room, " Uh, I'll talk to you later, Miroku. Bye."
After gathering her kids and speaking quickly to her mother, Kagome went to her car under the watchful eye of Kaori. The minute Kagome's car disappeared around the block, Kaori hurried to the phone. After a few rings, someone answered on the other end of the line.
" Izayoi?...It's me. We have some major work to do...I don't care is she divorced him, she's not happy!...Kikyo can kiss my ass! I don't like her one bit, and you said you didn't either...Fine...We'll talk later. I'll take the kids to the movies with you...Miroku told me, who else...Bye." Kaori hung up the phone and let out a sigh.
Later that Night
Kagome pulled a gray hoodie on over her head at 7:00 that night. She switched her sweat pants for a pair of very light blue jeans. Miroku and Sango would be coming over in about ten minutes. Izayoi and her mother had picked up the kids about five minutes ago.
This is what Kagome hated. Those moments when everything was absolutely silent, reminding her of how alone she now was. Kagome took a deep breath as an all too familiar lump appeared in her throat
The ringing doorbell seemed louder than usual as it echoed through the silent house. Kagome jumped as it did, then mentally scolded herself for being so easily startled.
Kagome went down the stairs and opened the door to see Miroku and Sango, both smiling brightly. Miroku held up a pack of Smirnoff wine coolers and smiled, " Good news. It's Smirnoff Thursday!"
" It's Friday." Kagome said, amused as she let them inside.
" Uhh, yeah. Thursday came twice this week." Miroku smiled as he walked past Kagome and towards the kitchen.
" For the third week in a row, huh?" Kagome smiled, despite her recent mood.
" Yea, they're thinking of making it permanent." Sango smiled as she entered the house, " Like day light savings time."
" But for booze." Kagome clarified.
" Exactly!" Miroku called from the kitchen.
Kagome giggled lightly as she and Sango entered the living room, " So, why are you really here?"
Sango frowned, " What do you mean?"
" Come on, Sango. I've known you two long enough to realize that you rarely show up on someone's doorstep offering free alcohol." Kagome smiled.
Sango sighed, "We just figured you needed some cheering up."
Kagome put on a fake smile, " Does it look like I need cheering up?"
" Come on, Kagome." Sango mocked Kagome, " I've known you long enough to realize that you rarely show your true emotions."
" Besides." Miroku added as he entere, passing out the bottles, " It gives me an excuse to get drunk."
Kagome giggled as the doorbell ran, " Oh, that's probably Izayoi. The kids must have forgotten something."
Kagome got up from the couch and made her way to the front door. She opened it and her smile fell as she stood frozen in shock, staring at the person in front of her. Kagome finally found her voice, " I-Inuyasha?"
Inuyasha smiled sheepishly, unable to meet her eyes, " Hey, Kagome. Can we, uh...can we talk?"
Kagome mentally debated with herself before silently opening the door wider and allowing him entrance to the house.
Inuyasha walked in and looked to his right, giving Miroku and Sango a small smile.
Sango was the first to recover from her shock. She grabbed Miroku's sleeved and stood up, pulling him up with her, " We'll leave you two alone to talk."
" But we'll be listening in the kitchen , so talk loud-OW!" Miroku rubbed his head where Sango had smacked him as he followed his angry wife into the kitchen.
Kagome cleard her throat as she sat Indian style on the couch, avoiding Inuyasha's eyes, " So, um, what did you want to talk about?"
" Well, uh, you see," Inuyasha paused, searching for the right words, " Kikyo wanted to, uh, move the uh...uh w-...um, the-"
" Wedding?" Kagome gulped.
" Yeah, that." Inuyasha to his feet, " Well, I was wondering if, maybe, you and the kids would go to New York with me. I want everyone to be there and I--"
" I'm not going."Kagome folded her arms across her chest, looking down at her lap.
" W-What?" Inuyasha's eyes widened.
" I'm no going." Kagome stated more firmly, " And the kids have school, so..."
" Wait a minute, okay. I'm going to make sure they're back in time for school. The w-wedding is next Wednesday and I'll have them back by Friday." Inuyasha insisted hopefully.
" And what are they going to do until then? Sit in your apartment all by themselves?" Kagome looked up, anger flashing in her eyes.
" No! They can go to work with me!" Inuyasha said proudly, " What kid wouldn't want to go to work with their dad?"
Kagome scoffed, " I don't know. Little Johnny Hitler maybe?"
" This isn't a time for jokes, Kagome." Inuyasha scolded.
" I'm not joking, mother." Kagome bit back.
" Why don't we see what the others think, hmm?" Inuyasha said, then raised his voice, calling in the two nosy eavesdroppers, " Sango! Roku! What do you think?"
Miroku and Sango stepped in, smiling sheepishly, " Huh?"
" Do you think Kagome has the right to deprive me of my kids?" Inuyasha pointed an accusatory finger at Kagome.
" Well, she has raised them alone ever since you abandoned the three of them." Sango crossed her arms and stood next to a silent, sitting Kagome.
" Well...you're biased so that doesn't count. What about you Miroku?" Inuyasha snapped his gaze to Miroku, ignoring Sango's protest at not being counted.
Miroku raised both hands at shoulder level, palms out, " I'm neutral."
" Neutral?!?" Inuyasha gaped, " You're always neutral!"
" Am not,." Miroku faught back childishly.
"Are too." Kagome spoke up, " You're Miroku Switzerland Houshi."
" Well, I'm still neutral." Miroku slumped into a chair.
" Looks like Kagome won." Sango smirked triumphantly.
" You don't count, remember?" Inuyasha growled, " Okay, I can understand why Kagome doesn't want to come--"
" Gee, ya think?" Sango muttered, and received a cold glare from Inuyasha.
" Shut up, Sango. Like I was saying, I can see why she won't come, but not letting my kids come? What's wrong with wanting my kids to share the most important day of my life with me?" Kagome felt a sharp pain in her heart as he said that, tears building, but Inuyasha continued, unaware, " I missed four entire years of their lives--"
" Whose fault is that?" Sango glared.
" Do we have to get into this again?!?" Inuyasha yelled.
" Well, if--" Sango started, but was cut off.
" Fine." Kagome said softly and everyone turned to look at her, stopping their previous arguments.
" What?" Inuyasha asked increduously.
" I said 'Fine' Inuyasha!" Kagome said through gritted teeth, holding back her tears, " This is what you want right?"
" Well, yeah, but--" Inuyasha started but was cut off.
" But nothing, Inuyasha. After all, it's going to be the most important day of your life right?" Kagome realized that a few tears had leaked out, so she stood and exited the room.
" Thanks, Kagome." Inuyasha said, and Kagome stopped.
" Just so you know, I'm letting them go to you wedding, but the will be coming back here, where they belong." Kagome glanced back once, tears pouring down her face before hurrying to the stairs so she could go to her room.
" Why...why was she crying?" Inuyasha asked, bewildered.
" Oh, I dont't know. Maybe it was all that talk about the most important day of you life." Sango replied sarcastically, " Considering the fact that you've never had anything important happen before, right? I mean, your first marriage and the days your kids were born are so unimportant now that you have Kikyo, right?"
Inuyasha's eyes widened, " I didn't think--"
" That's right. You didn't think. It may not have meant anything to you, but those things meant the world to Kagome." Sango said softly as she turned to follow Kagome's path, " And don't you dare follow us."
The next day was uneventful. Inuyasha's car pulled into Kagome's driveway at 10 o'clock sharp. Kikyo stayed in the car, refusing to even look at the house. Kagome said good-bye to the kids, not even acknowledging Inuyasha, while Sango stood next to her, glaring.
Inuyasha gave up trying to talk to Kagome after about 30 seconds of the cold shoulder. After the kids were buckled into Inuyasha's newly purchased car seats, Inuyasha stepped up to the car, " I'll...I'll have them back by Friday."
" No shit, Sherlock." Sago hissed, seeing as Kagome chose to ignore him and instead make faces at her kids through the car windows.
With one last ignored glance at Kagome, Inuyasha ducked into his car and drove off. The car ride to New York was uneventful and silent, except for the radio. Occasionally Kikyo would turn around and glare at Keitaro, who sat behind her kicking her seat. Keitaro just smiled innocently and stopped for about 30 seconds, before starting up again.
They reached Inuyasha's apartment late that night. Inuyasha carried the kids int the apartment and put them into the guest room before going to sleep as well.
The next morning, Inuyasha hurriedly fixed breakfast for the two kids while he and Kikyo got ready for work. Kikyo had a photo shoot in an hour and Inuyasha had a meeting with his manager.
" Ugh, this jacket makes me look fat!" Kikyo complained as she looked at herself at a mirror in the kitchen.
" You are fat." Keitaro pointed out dryly.
" Am not!" Kikyo yelled, then turned to Inuyasha, " Am I fat?"
" Of course not." Inuyasha kissed her cheek, " Now, I have to go or I'll be late. Come on, kids."
At five o'clock that night, Inuyasha sighed as he entered the house.
" That was wicked boring, Dad." Keitaro complained as he sat in a chair across the dining room table from Kikyo, sticking out his tongue.
" I know." Inuyasha hoisted Ami into a chair next to Kikyo, " I'm going to go get the pizza, it should be here bye now. Watch the kids, Kikyo."
Keitaro glared at Kikyo then smiled, " I can cross my eyes. Want to see?"
" No." Kikyo grumbled.
" Ami hates it when I cross my eyes." Keitaro looked at Ami and crossed his eyes. Ami shrieked loudly.
" I can see that. Stop it." Kikyo yelled while Keitaro laughed.
Keitaro suddenly stopped and pulled out a cell phone from his pocket that was buzzing.
" You have a cell phone?" Kikyo asked increduously.
" No, It's Mommy's. She gave it to me so she could call me all the time." Keitaro explained then flipped open the phone, " Hi, Mommy...Okay, I went to work with Dad...Wicked boring, I fell asleep...He's getting dinner...Pizza...No, Dad can't cook...Haha, Kikyo can't cook either. She made us lunch. It was Mac'n'Cheese...It crunched. It's the only time I've ever been afraid of food."
" I can here you, ya know." Kikyo snapped.
" Oh, and I though you were deaf." Keitaro said sarcastically, then focused on the phone conversation, " No, not you Mommy, the wicked witch of New York...Oh, I just heard the door, dinner's here...Love you, too. Bye!"
Keitaro clicked the phone shut and smirked.
Kikyo grimaced, " What's that smell?"
" I farted." Keitaro grinned as Inuyasha entered, carrying a large pizza.
" Hey, you three. How--" Inuyasha finished opening up the pizza, sniffing the air and wrinkling his nose, " What's that smell?"
" Kikyo farted." Keitaro smirked as Kikyo's jaw dropped.
" Smells more like you decomposed, hum." Inuyasha kissed Kikyo's cheek before going to the cabinet and getting Sprite's for everyone.
Keitaro just giggle and helped himself to the pizza in front of him while Kikyo sent him a glare that clearly promised pain if Inuyasha wasn't there.