Chapter 2: Wish You Were Here

Kagome's eyes opened wearily to a dark shade of shadows. She lifted her upper body into a sitting position and used one hand to rub her head as the other kept her up. That was when she realized it. Her heart skipped a beat as she looked down at her hands. The jewel was gone. A frown appeared on her face as the realization hit. She really couldn't go back now. It wasn't just a bad dream after all.

A few tears formed in her eyes as she got up but she managed to keep them back. After lifting herself up out of the well she exited the well house and noticed someone standing on her doorstep. A police officer. And from the looks of it he was about ready to go. Why wasn't her brother or mom answering the door? Her grandpa wouldn't of course. He had passed away a few months ago. Kagome's mom was still trying to cope without him around. Although Kagome had to admit that it was really strange without him.

Kagome began to walk over to the officer quickly and stopped once she reached him.

"Um, can I help you, sir?" she asked as he spun around to look at her. "Did you need to speak with my mother? I can go get her if you would like."

The officer shook his head grimly at her and spoke more softly than Kagome expected. He was a rather rough looking man and seemed like he would talk a bit rough as well.

"Miss Kagome Higarashi, correct?"

"Um, yes," Kagome said nodding with worry. "Why?"

His face turned away for a moment and then looked back at hers sadly. The bushy black mustache almost completely hid his frown but didn't quite make it.

"I'm afraid I've got some bad news."

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Inuyasha was still leaning over the well wide eyed even a few minutes after Kagome was gone. He just couldn't believe what he had just seen. It wasn't exactly what he had planned to happen. It was nothing like he planned. He expected her to stay. At least for a while. She would never just leave like that. Then again, she just did right before his eyes.

With a sudden look of determination Inuyasha jumped up on the side of the well ready to jump in after her to discover she hadn't closed the well for good. But as he stood over the edge he froze. What if he couldn't get through? What if she really did close the well forever and he just fell onto the rotten dirt and bones at the bottom?

His heart sank as he backed off the lip of the well onto the grass behind him. He couldn't do it. Not now. It still seemed like it wasn't real. He didn't want to jump into the well and simply land in the bottom like every other ordinary well. He wanted to appear in Kagome's time, but now he might not be able to do that. Ever again.

"Damn," he mumbled looking down at the ground angrily. "Why did she do that?"

With one glance at the well he turned around and sprinted back off towards Keade's hut. The old hag had to know how to get through without the jewel. There had to be another way through.

As Inuyasha reached the edge of the forest and the beginning of the village, he stopped. What if the old priestess couldn't get Inuyasha through the well anymore? He couldn't hear that right now. He couldn't bring himself to. Before he could turn around and sprint off he heard a man's voice.

"Inuyasha," Miroku said walking towards him. "There you are and Lady Kagome is with you I'm presuming?"

Inuyasha looked up at Miroku without saying anything and then eyes drifted away to the side. Miroku raised a brow and looked around Inuyasha realizing that there was no Kagome around him. And Inuyasha looked like he knew something about it.

"Inuyasha, where is Lady Kagome?" Miroku asked suspiciously.

"What if he ate her?!" came Shippo's worried voice as he scampered out of a bush and behind the monk's ankles.

Inuyasha glared at the little kitsune dangerously until he became conscious of Miroku's curios gaze still on him.

"She left," Inuyasha grunted as he crossed his arms over his chest.

"And when will she be coming back?" Miroku asked.

"Oh you know, never," mumbled never as quietly as he thought possible but the small fox demon heard him clearly.

"What do you mean never!?" Shippo demanded jumping up on Miroku's shoulder. "What did you do this time?! Why didn't you stop her, idiot!?"

Miroku cover his ear for a moment as Shippo yelled and then took his chance to speak before Inuyasha.

"What you mean is that you made Kagome angry and are too stubborn to apologize so now she never wants to come back," Miroku stated simply.

"No, I mean that she took the jewel and left," Inuyasha snarled getting angry. "She closed the well."

For a moment everyone stood in silence until Shippo began to wail.

"What? Why would she leave without saying goodbye?" Shippo said wiping some tears away from his face.

"Now, now, Shippo," Miroku said thoughtfully. "Inuyasha, are you sure about this?"

Inuyasha nodded in reply finally erasing a scowl from his face.

"I say we go investigate before Sango finds out," Miroku confirmed. "She wouldn't be too pleased with this.

The three agreed and headed back towards the well.

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Kagome sat in the hospital waiting room nervously as her eyes stared down at her hands that now lay in her lap. She couldn't believe this. How could all of this be happening all at once? First she had to make the decision to leave her friends behind, leave Inuyasha behind, and now this? Kagome finally lifted her head up watching a nurse go bustling by.

At first she didn't believe the officer. She had almost fainted, but he had grabbed her before she could fall and drove her here. Her mother and Souta had been in an accident. A bad one. The police officer had explained everything to her after a lot of coaxing on her part.

They were driving home from one of Souta's soccer games and a speeding motorcycle crashed right through the driver side and went completely through the next. It had hit that hard and had happened in a split second. There would have been no way to stop it. The motorcyclist wouldn't have even had time to put his foot on his brake to even attempt stopping.

Both the motorcyclist and her mother were killed instantly on impact. It was amazing that Souta had lived. Right now her little brother was in surgery and she hoped to the gods that he would be alright. Without Souta she would have nobody. She'd be completely alone and probably have to move with some relative that she didn't even know. She really didn't want that.

After hours of waiting doctors started coming out of the room were Souta had been. One shook his head slightly at an upset nurse. Then he walked towards Kagome and took a seat next to her. He looked over at her and her eyes met his. His eyes were a soft blue with a pair of large spectacles in front of them. He looked kind and wise.

"Kagome?" he asked confirming her name.

Kagome nodded still looking straight at him worried.

"You're brother…" the doctor started.

His eyes stayed on her and his bushy white eyebrows covered them for a moment as he thought of the right words to say to her.

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Inuyasha led the way to the well and then stopped by it. Miroku was looking around him to make sure that Kagome hadn't passed by them. Shippo on the other hand was sniffing around making sure Inuyasha hadn't eaten her.

"See, I told ya she was gone," Inuyasha grumbled looking over at Miroku.

Miroku nodded and walked over to the well looking down into it. Then he looked back up at Inuyasha with another nod. He kept his eyes on the bottom of the well waiting to Kagome pop back through.

"Ah! Inuyasha I hate you!" Shippo wailed. "This is all your fault! If you weren't always so busy making Kagome angry she would have stayed! This is your entire fault!"

Inuyasha's eyebrow twitched slightly and a growl came from his throat as he put his hand on the handle of his sword. He wasn't going to kill the little brat, just give him a good scare. Yeah, that was it. With that he pulled out his sword and raised it up.

"I'll show you, runt!" he yelled.

"Miroku! Inuyasha's trying to kill me!"

"Wait!" Miroku yelled both demon and half demon froze looking over to Miroku. "Inuyasha don't move your sword!"

Inuyasha did as he was told still curious to what the monk was onto. Both he and the kitsune might take off back to the village or he really found something.

"Shippo, come here," Miroku said motioning for him to look in the well.

Shippo quickly scampered to Miroku's side and looked down. His emerald eyes widened and his tail fluffed up happily.

"Inuyasha! You can go get Kagome back!" Shippo yelled cheerfully as he looked back at the hanyou who was still holding his sword in place.

"I can?" Inuyasha asked with surprise.

"The jewel, it's still here," Miroku answered pointing down into the well. "The light bouncing off your Tetsusaiga hit the jewel just right. And there it is!"

Miroku pointed and Inuyasha sheathed his sword following the monk's finger. He squinted and leaned over the edge. There it was! The jewel didn't go through with Kagome. It was still here after all.

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Kagome walked slowly into her home as a cop car waited out side to take her to an aunt's house. Her brother was gone too. She was all alone. Her hand slide against the wall as she walked up to her bedroom. She was to get a few pairs of clothes to stay the night at her aunt's. Then they would come back to start emptying the house. She was completely leaving this place. Maybe it was best. She could just start fresh when she left.

She opened her door and looked up in her room. Her eyes instantly widened as she saw a very familiar shape on her bed.