All right! Here is what you have been waiting for…the last chapter! Woohoo! Thank you so much for reading my story, and being so supportive of me. You guys helped me keep on going!

Disclaimer: If I owned InuYasha, I think someone would have told me by now.

XxX

Chapter 12: Safe

The first thing that Kagome registered as she drifted back to consciousness was the smell of antiseptic. As soon as that smell registered in her brain she bolted upright, afraid that after all that had happened, the person who had rescued her had left her to Naraku after all. Strong arms encircled Kagome before she could register what was happening and she began to struggle at their tight grip. Pain exploded in Kagome's ribs and head as she tried to scramble away.

"Kagome! Kagome, calm down. Shh, it's okay. It's going to be all right." A soothing voice murmured in Kagome's ear and slowly she stopped struggling. She finally looked around the room and realized that she was no longer in the psychiatric hospital. Instead she was in a regular hospital. Bandages were wrapped around her ribs and the various cuts on her body. Kagome reached up to her face and winced as she realized it was badly bruised. When Kagome stopped struggling, the arms left and Kagome turned around to find InuYasha behind her.

They stared at each other for a few minutes across the room. Neither moved until Kagome burst into tears. She was surprised at herself. She had thought that she didn't have any tears left, but here she was blubbering like a baby once again. Everything that had happened came flooding back to her. In a second, InuYasha was there and put his arms around her once more to pulled her into an embrace.

"Thank you," she whispered, "Thank you so much. Thank you, thank you, thank you." Kagome clung to InuYasha like she never wanted to let go and sobbed her heart out. InuYasha held her until she began to calm down, and then he pulled back and looked Kagome in the eyes.

"Kagek…I mean, Kagome," Kagome's eyes widened. Sango must have told him her name. "I'm so sorry."

Once Kagome had processed what he said, she was confused. "Why are you apologizing? You just saved my life!"

"But before you left, I said such horrible stuff. I'm so sorry." InuYasha sat there like a wounded puppy with his tail tucked between his legs. He looked so remorseful that Kagome did something that she thought she might never do again. She laughed.

At first it was just a giggle, but then it bubbled into chortle, and then a full out laugh burst from her lips. Kagome bent over holding her stomach, she was laughing so hard. InuYasha looked confused, but soon enough a smile crept onto his face and then he and Kagome were laughing together like nothing had ever happened.

Kagome winced as her ribs protested against the laugh, but was still giggling when she said, "InuYasha, are you seriously apologizing when you just saved me from Naraku?" Her face grew somber all of a sudden. "Do you realize what he could have done to me…what he would have done to me if you hadn't shown up?" InuYasha had stopped smiling now too.

"Yes," he replied. "And I'm just sorry that I didn't get there sooner. Look at what he did to you Kagome." InuYasha's hand brushed Kagome's cheek again, but this time it stayed there. He ran his fingers across her bruised cheek and then down across her lips. Kagome blinked, staring at him as if mesmerized and knew that she would not be able to pull away even if she wanted to. Then InuYasha leaned in slowly and brushed Kagome's lips with his. He kissed her gently, aware of her bruises and cuts, and then pulled back and looked at Kagome.

Her face was mottled with ugly bruises that were turning all shades of the rainbow, but she had her eyes closed and had a blissful smile on her face that made her more beautiful than anyone InuYasha had ever seen.

"Kagome," he whispered, and her blue-green eyes opened. "When Sango told me what had happened, I felt like I was being ripped apart from the inside. I didn't know what I would do if…if you hadn't…" InuYasha trailed off, but then started again. "It was then that I realized that…I love you Kagome Higurashi. And I never want you to hide something like this from me ever again."

Kagome was stunned. This was what she had always pictured him saying, what she had dreamed of ever since she realized that she was falling for InuYasha. And now he was all hers. He loved her. Kagome grinned, ignoring the pain that it caused her bruised face. "I love you too, InuYasha."

And with that, Kagome threw her arms around InuYasha and planted a huge kiss on his lips. In the middle of the exceptionally romantic moment, neither noticed the door quietly open until a high voice whined, "Oh, gross!" They broke apart to find Souta standing in the door with a smirk on his face with Miroku, Sango, Keade, and Kouga standing behind him. At least Keade had the grace to look embarrassed, while the others grinned and elbowed eachother. Kagome and InuYasha blushed.

"Erm, they told us that you were awake, Kagome," she said nervously. "But if you would like some privacy…" Kagome's laugh stopped Keade.

"Keade, of course you can come in!" Everyone poured into Kagome's room, and they sat laughing and talking until one of the nurses finally came to shoo them out hours later. Kagome leaned back on her pillow as she watched them all file out the door. She would never be able to have her true family back, she knew, and she would never forget them. But now Kagome had her friends to help her through the hard times, and she wasn't alone anymore.