Chapter 27

Good bye, Inuyasha?

A month passed by terribly quickly for both Jaenelle and Inuyasha and as the days grew faster and brought them closer to the day that the breech in the barrier would return, the moods of the Hanyou and Witch had fallen drastically. They would be without their lovers, and in Inuyasha's case, his son as well, for six months beginning in only a day.

They'd return to the Keep tomorrow morning and would then put their plan in to action. It pained the both of them, but in order to keep their families safe, it had to be done.

They just prayed that Kagome took the hint and headed back to her time with Daemon and Inuharu straight away. A night in the village could be afforded, but anything beyond was too risky. Until they were safe in Kagome's time, Inuyasha and Jaenelle wouldn't be able to rest easy. In fact, no one would. It seemed that everyone but Kagome and Daemon knew of the plan to send them back to the Feudal Era and ultimately back to her time.

Not that it would matter. Neither one of them would be comfortable with the absence, and Inuyasha thoroughly expected to be sat straight into hell when he and Jaenelle went to retrieve their families. At least there was some good that would come out of it.

Saetan and Surreal had both made some astounding discoveries about the barrier and had come up with a way to fix it...and to create a gateway to allow for travel between Japan and Kaeleer so that they could visit their new friends and keep in touch over the years. As soon as Daemon and Kagome were safe in the Japan of Kagome's time, construction would begin on a building that would house the gate between the realms. Lorn, once more, had created another web that would hold the breach in place while the gate was constructed six months from now and then, when completed, the barrier could be resealed and spelled to allow for such a crossing.

It was an exciting and promising discovery, yes, but assuming that their plan to get rid of Hakuuyo didn't succeed and the gate was never completed...what would happen? Would he go through and go after the warring states? Would he discover the well's secrets and go after Kagome?

Shivering at such thoughts, Inuyasha turned away from the window to watch Kagome and their pup sleep. In the morning they would leave, the plan would unfold and she'd be upset and mad as hell with him. Taking a deep breath, he moved away from the moonlit window and carefully climbed into bed with her, wrapping his arms around her, snuggling against her warmth.

"Hmm...Inuyasha?"

"Go back to sleep, Kagome,"

"Mmm," She turned in his arms, snuggling into his chest. "Night night, Inuyasha..."

"Good night, Kagome,"

"Remember the plan, Shippo?" Inuyasha asked quietly as he knelt down in front of the kit the following morning. Shippo nodded slowly and sighed as Inuyasha ruffled his hair and turned his attention on Kilala, Ladvarian and Kaelas. "Make it convincing. If we don't get those two through the barrier they won't be safe."

"We'll do our best, Inuyasha,"

"Thanks, Shippo," The hanyou rose to his feet again and stretched, breathing in the early morning air.

"Are we ready?" Jaenelle giggled as she stepped outside, Daemon, Kagome and the others behind her.

"Mmhm..." Kagome's arms came around Inuyasha's torso and squeezed, grinning. "Nothing like early morning travel to wake us all up. Isn't that right Haru?" Inuyasha looked quizzically to his mate and then at his adorable son, unable to hide the pride he felt towards the both of them. He hated having to force them through the barrier against their will because he knew Kagome would be more than pissed, and probably truly hurt by it, but what could he do? If she stayed...not only would she and Haru be in danger, but so would everyone else. She was a distraction and he couldn't afford to have her used against him when it came to Hakuuyo. Thanks to Lorn, their plan wouldn't be obvious because they'd have to actually walk a ways to get to the barrier rather than just step through it right off the landing web.

"Let's go," Jaenelle smiled, but her eyes sparkled with something other than mischief as she embraced Daemon around his waist. An hour later after they reached the Keep safely, Shippo, Kilala, Kaelas and Ladvarian made their move, forcing mischief into the action.

"What in the world?" Kagome questioned, shaking her head as she watched the animals rolling around in the grass.

"Come on!" Shippo chorused as he reached the tree line. "Let's go for a walk before we go inside! Come on!"

"I could go for a walk," Jaenelle said with a shrug and grinned up at Daemon. "Let's go!"

"Might as well," Sango's cheerfulness was forced, but neither Daemon nor Kagome noticed it as they followed along with their wild animal friends. They walked for a few minutes in silence before Shippo decided to make the moment more cheerful.

"Inuyasha! Can I try my fox fire against you?"

"What in the hell for?" Inuyasha groaned, glaring at the kit's determined face. Kagome giggled and shoved Inuyasha forward a bit, smiling brightly. "Shit, fine. But you had better try this time or you're going to have more than one lump on that furry head of yours."

"FOX FIRE!"

Inuyasha glared and reached for the kit's giggling and squirming form, only to grasp thin air as Shippo transformed into a sacred stone and slammed right onto Inuyasha's foot. "OWE, YOU LITTLE SHIT!" He reached down to pound the kit into the ground, but again met air as Shippo scurried away, jumping onto Daemon's shoulder for protection. "I'm gonna get you, Shippo!"

Jaenelle suddenly stopped on the trail, drawing the rest of the group's attention and causing them to also stop.

"What is it?" Daemon asked, his eyes narrowing as he turned to face her and saw her tense but soft smile. "Jaenelle?"

"Daemon," Jaenelle braced her hands on his chest, kissing him gently. "Take care,"

"What?" Stunned at her words, he wasn't able to keep his balance as she shoved him backwards. He felt an odd tingling sensation for a moment before he landed on the ground.

Kagome stared at the spot where Daemon had been and felt Inuyasha's arms come around herself and Haru. "I love you, Kagome. Know that, please." He kissed his son's forehead and gently pushed them backwards. She screamed in protest as she felt herself going through the barrier, pissed that they would do such a thing at all.

"Jaenelle..." Daemon stared in disbelief at the deserted path before himself and Kagome.

"Damnit, Inuyasha! This isn't fair!" Kagome cried, distressed. "How can I help you fight them from here? Inuyasha! Damnit, I don't want to go home! I want to be with you! Fighting with you! This isn't fair! Inuyasha! INUYASHA!" Inuharu squirmed in his mother's arms, feeling the distress welling inside of her and not liking it one bit. "Inuyasha! SIT BOY!" She flung her free arm out to punch at thin air, knowing by the subtle not there message she received as her fingers danced over the barrier that she was back in the feudal era and stuck there. Until the breach in the barrier returned to this spot, there was no going back, meaning that Jaenelle, Inuyasha, and everyone else had conspired together to get herself and Daemon out of Kaeleer and away from danger, away from the fight. "DAMN YOU, INUYASHA!" Tears spilled from her cheeks as she slipped towards the ground, Daemon's arms immediately around her, supporting her.

Inuharu cried out in protest to his mother's distress and buried his little head into his mother's chest, his ears twitching restlessly under her chin. She cried into the air, feeling the sympathy washing off of Daemon as he stared into a forest he didn't recognize, oddly it was the way they had just come. You made a promise to me, Jaenelle. I don't want to one day come home to find you gone. Not again...not ever again. I couldn't stand it...

He hadn't realized that he'd said it aloud until Kagome's arms came around his neck and she sobbed into his chest, feeling Haru squirming restlessly against him. He held her for a while, stroking her back, soothing her until she finally calmed down enough to wipe her tears from her cheeks.

"We're back in the feudal era," Kagome murmured, stroking her son's back to ease his own distress. Haru's sobbing instantly quieted as his mother began to relax again. She blew out a breath and stood up, offering her arm to the Warlord Prince at her feet. "They had planned this all along,"

"We're not alone here," Daemon murmured, looking to the right of them, waiting patiently for their companion to drop the sight shield. After a long pause in which Kagome pondered who it could possibly be, Ladvarian dropped his sight shield and trotted up to them happily. "At least someone's pleased," Daemon said blandly, not entirely sure if he was going to enjoy the Sceltie's company or if he would end up strangling the mutt before the day was out.

Kagome patted his head and gave the faintest of smiles, turning to examine their surroundings. She immediately recognized the Sacred Tree not seven meters from where they stood. "We're in Inuyasha's forest,"

Daemon turned, focusing his golden eyes on the tree Kagome was indicating. "Meaning that the Bone Eater's Well is nearby. Also meaning that Kaede's village isn't too far, either. Come on, Daemon. It's becoming painfully obvious that we won't be going back to Kaeleer."

"I can honestly say, whether I care to admit to it or not, that I'm not surprised,"

"Neither I am. We both should have known that something was up when Jaenelle and Inuyasha both conjured up the idea to go for a walk along the trail in the woods. Damnit, Daemon, how do we keep falling for this?"

"Our mates both have ways of cleverly suckering us into pretty much anything," Daemon admitted dryly as they reached the Sacred Tree. "This is the tree that Inuyasha was pinned to for fifty years?"

"Yeah," Kagome whispered, a hint of pleasure in her voice. "The spot where I tweaked his ears for the first time." Daemon began to chuckle but stopped suddenly, listening, throwing black shields around himself, Kagome, Haru, and Ladvarian. An arrow sailed past them and lodged into the tree; a warning shot that Kagome recognized completely.

"Who are ye! And what are ye doing in the Forest of Inuyasha!"

Kagome relaxed, and because he felt the change in her, Daemon released the shields, but remained tense, taking a step back from the killing edge long enough to see Kagome smile.

"Kaede," In an instant the older priestess recognized the voice and cried out in pleasure.

"Kagome! It's you!" Kagome turned and smiled warmly at the familiar face, catching sight of the confusion in Kaede's eye as she looked upon the pup in Kagome's arms, and the stranger standing next to her. Of course, when Kaede's eye fell upon the black jewel in Daemon's necklace, she knew what he was, and understood why he was here. "I was wrong, wasn't I? About the Lady Witch being the sought after source of power?"

Kagome grimaced, nodding. "It was Daemon they were after, and me,"

Kaede sighed heavily, thinking to change the subject to a better one. "And this adorable pup ye have in ye arms! Inuyasha and ye are mates now? A family?"

Kagome smiled brightly, genuinely, and nodded at the older priestess. "Inuharu is my first son and pup with Inuyasha,"

"And a handsome one he is," She was shocked that the pup's hair was black and his eyes were brown. "And he inherited his mother's beauty."

"He's going to be quite the looker," Kagome said full of smiles. "Oh, forgive me. Kaede, this is Daemon SaDiablo, Jaenelle's husband. Jaenelle is the 'Lady Witch' that you mentioned."

"Pleasure," Kaede bowed her head and Daemon did the same in a show of respect for the older woman. Well, older to her own standards. He was sure that she paled in comparison to his age, but he wasn't about to say that out loud.

"And this is Ladvarian," Kagome motioned to the Sceltie dog who surprised Kaede greatly by saying, Kagome's friend is my friend, too!

"Well I'll be...he speaks..." Kaede shook herself and turned her attention back to the task at hand. "You'll be wanting some food and rest then. Come with me back to the village."

Daemon placed his hand at the small of Kagome's back and let her lead him after Kaede, finding the power resonating from this forest to be nearly as pure as that from the sunken garden at the Hall in Kaeleer where the two statues rested. He felt, a few minutes later, the ripple of pleasure from Kagome as they stopped in a clearing and he stared at the well in the middle of it. Kaede paused as Kagome walked towards it, running her fingers over the wooden frame of it. "Tomorrow," She whispered into it, a promise. "Tomorrow,"

"Lady Kagome," Daemon said gently as Kaede moved towards the edge of the clearing. She smiled at him as she rejoined him, cuddling Haru against her chest as he made his gleeful baby sounds. Something about his mother's pleasure at seeing the well had perked him up really quick.

They reached the outskirts of the village ten minutes later, and after a few happy greetings from the villagers excited about her return, they stepped into Kaede's hut and sat on the floor around the warmth of a fire.

"I'll get ye some food and we shall talk," Kaede said pleasantly, leaving to allow Kagome time to help Daemon adjust to his surroundings.

"It's a bit of an adjustment, I know, but tomorrow you'll be ok. I figure we'll just stay the night tonight and then head back to my time tomorrow morning. Inuyasha probably hoped we would anyway, which could explain why they sent us here. Demons are still in this land and Hakuuyo could just as easily get through the barrier if he wanted to, but unless he's got a direct connection to me, which he doesn't, the well won't let him pass."

"I just wish they would have told us before they did this,"

"And do you think that either of us would have agreed to it if they had told us?"

"Of course not! That's entirely my point!" Daemon huffed, blinking as Inuharu reached out for him. Kagome giggled as she watched the Warlord Prince interact with her son.

"He's comfortable with you," Kagome mused as she watched her young pup with Daemon.

"He's comfortable with a lot of the coven,"

"He adores Karla,"

"Of course he does," Daemon chuckled, tickling the pup under his chin. Haru made a gleeful gurgling noise and clapped his tiny hands, amusing himself with his fingers for a moment before he realized that he was hungry. He looked over at his mother expectantly, his tiny white dog ears flattening back against his head.

"Yes?" Kagome lifted him and blushed when she realized what he wanted. "Well, damn, you are just like your father. You don't even ask, you just go in for the kill," Daemon choked and turned away as Kagome gave her pup the food he wanted. "When we get to your grandmother's house, I'm so weaning you. You'll be on the bottle so quick..." She grumbled something under her breath while she waited for him to finish. "Three months is a good time, don't you think? Goodness...I have to wean him before his teeth come in,"

Daemon chuckled as he looked over at her. "I suppose that would be smart. Should he have fangs like his father..."

"Yes, you're going on the bottle the second we get to your grandmother's house,"

"Here ye are," Kaede handed the two visitors a bowl of fresh noodles and sat down across from them. She watched Haru crawl out of his mother's lap and sit up between her and Daemon, smiling his cute little baby smile. It was miraculous how quickly the pup was learning and growing. At only two months, he'd learned to sit up on his own and was crawling around as if he owned the floor on which he traveled.

"He's much like his father," Kaede mused as she watched the pup.

"Yes, he is,"

"I'm surprised, Kagome, that this happened so soon. Are ye and Inuyasha to be married?"

Kagome smiled and nodded, but the smile soon faded from her face, leaving behind a saddened expression.

"What is it, child?"

"It's nothing..." Kagome looked away to check on her pup and swallowed the lump in her throat. "Daemon? Can you watch him for me? I'm gonna go get some air,"

"Take Ladvarian," Daemon said quietly as he watched her step out of the hut. The sceltie quickly bounded after her and followed her up the path through the village where Inuyasha's favorite tree rested. She stared up at it for a moment before she leaned against it, taking a deep, shuddering breath to steady herself. "If you get killed, Inuyasha, I'll kill you!"

She didn't know how long she'd been standing there before she realized with a jolt that she could sense jewel shards nearby. Looking around in mild dismay, she heard Ladvarian's low growl and tensed. Shadows danced along the tree line before her but if they were real or imagined she couldn't quite tell, but she knew that at least one of those shadows had to be real, otherwise Ladvarian wouldn't be on the verge of pouncing.

"W-who's there?" She called nervously, amazed at how steady she was standing. And then it happened; the tree line gave way to the shadow that Ladvarian was growling at and answered her wonderings about the jewel shards. Paralyzed in surprise, Kagome could only stare at the stoic and love sick form of the wolf demon, Kouga, as he made himself known. "K-Kouga?"

"Hello, Kagome," He smiled brightly, took a few steps towards her...and stopped. The scent was so strong that he didn't know how he could have missed it. Inuyasha was all over her and in her, and there was a fading scent of...afterbirth. "So," He murmured, his voice losing that overbearing confidence it had once held. "You and Inuyasha are mates now?"

She flinched at the scathing look he gave her and felt the tears coming to her eyes.

"Why are you crying?" His nose burned at the smell of her salty tears and immediately, he was on edge. "Did that bastard hurt you, Kagome?" He growled, taking a step towards her, only to be barked at by a very agitated dog. "Outta my way, mutt!"

You stay away from the lady!

"What the hell?"

"Ladvarian..." Kagome murmured just before she felt that rush of black power wash over her. "Oh great, that's just what I need; three snarly males when I'm miserable! I just want to be alone!"

Daemon stopped when he reached them, glaring at his new enemy with a bored sleepy look that foretold of blood and death to come.

"Kagome, who is this?" Kouga snarled, sliding close to the ground as if ready to attack. Daemon just raised his right hand.

"Damn you both, stop!" Kagome jumped into the middle of the fray, frustrated and miserable. Her emotions were still so messed up from the aftereffects of giving birth that if she were pushed any further she'd snap. "Stop it! Kouga, stop snarling, Daemon just...just stop!"

"You know him?" Kouga asked as he stood erect again, looking quickly between Daemon and Kagome.

"Yes, and he's a friend, so just...don't do anything stupid," Kagome turned her attention back to Daemon and wondered just how much more difficult it was going to be to get him to back down from this battle. "Daemon, this is Kouga. He's a friend,"

"Friend's usually make themselves known instead of lurking in shadows," Daemon said flatly, that bored look still adorning his face.

"Hey, buddy, I'm not one to rush onto a battlefield that I haven't seen yet. Besides, I don't have to be announced to my dearest Kagome," He folded his arms over his chest and stuck his nose in the air causing Kagome to bristle.

"I am not yours, Kouga, and Daemon's right! You scared the hell out of me, you baka!" She smacked his arm and glared at him, still bristling. "What are you doing here, anyway?"

"I've been on the hunt for Naraku," Kouga muttered, glaring at the ground. "But I lost him somewhere around here. His scent is completely gone and I can't pick up a trace of him anywhere. So I just came back here,"

"Naraku is dead,"

Kouga glared up at Daemon. "And just how the hell would you know?"

"Because I know the woman who killed him,"

"I don't believe you!" Kouga paused and looked to Kagome, seeking the answers in her face. "Is this true?"

"Yes," Kagome murmured. Kouga finally backed down, but he now looked deeply worried. "Where are your friends? Where's Inuyasha?"

Kagome closed her eyes, took a deep breath...and told him everything. Kouga just stared at her after she had finished, stunned and unable to say anything. "This barrier that you mentioned...the one that separates the two realms,"

"What of it?" Daemon asked as he moved protectively close to Kagome, feeling strangely as if the world were about to turn upside down on them. Kouga took a mental note to look further into the relationship between Kagome and Daemon before he continued with his musings.

"I've heard mention of it before,"

"You have?" Kagome asked, astounded. "Where? From whom!"

Kouga hesitated and then decided against holding back. She would have found out eventually anyway. "From...from Kikyo."

"What? No, that can't be! Kikyo's dead, Kouga!"

"I ran into her a few weeks ago on my way back here, Kagome," Kouga insisted. "She was going through that barrier. At first I thought she meant into the afterlife at long last but now that you've told me about this realm called Kaeleer...Now I understand what she truly meant,"

"No!" Kagome slipped to her knees and screamed in frustration. "DAMNIT!"

Kouga moved to comfort but Daemon beat him to it. Kagome was grateful and fell into the Warlord Prince's arms, unaware of the jealousy that flavored the air around Kouga. He'd definitely have to find out more about this new friend of hers.

"Let's get back to the village, Kagome," Daemon eased her up, supporting her. "Haru is probably missing you,"

"Haru..."

"Is that the pups name?" Kouga asked as he followed them back down the path towards the village. "Your pup with Inuyasha?"

"Yes," Kagome murmured as they walked. "I shouldn't get upset, he doesn't like it when I'm upset,"

"Neither does Inuyasha, sweetheart, and I'd prefer not to have to deal with his claws when he comes to get us and finds out that you've been miserable the whole time,"

"Ok," She murmured as they reached Kaede's hut and stepped back inside.

"Ah, Kouga, welcome," Kaede said cheerfully, Inuharu sleepily nestled into her arms.

"I'll take him now, Kaede," Kagome murmured and smiled as Haru reached out for her, snuggling comfortably against his mother's chest. "Go to sleep, Haru. We've got a long day ahead of us tomorrow,"

"His hair..." Kouga smiled slightly. "He's a beautiful pup, Kagome."

"Thank you, Kouga," Kagome gave him the first genuine smile of the night and let it, sadly, fade as she looked to Kaede. "It seems that Kikyo refuses to leave us,"

"What? Kikyo is still walking among us?"

"According to Kouga...she's gone through the barrier and is in Kaeleer."

"How can that be? Naraku destroyed her..."

"Apparently he didn't do a very good job of it. But when was the last time that Naraku did a good job of anything?" Kagome placed her sleeping pup into the basket that Kaede had provided her with and made sure that he was comfortable before she continued. "But I don't have any good feelings about this, Kaede. What if she's going after Inuyasha again? What if she tries to take him with her...to hell...like before?"

"She didn't succeed the first time. She shall not succeed the second," Kaede reassured with a smile. "Kikyo is a very mysterious Miko. I have no doubt that her motives may be sinister, but there is a chance that she does not know of Naraku's demise and may return because of it, leaving Inuyasha alone."

"You know I can't possibly believe that, Kaede. She's up to something, otherwise she wouldn't have even bothered," Kagome rubbed her face tiredly, feeling the effects of her exhaustion starting to kick in. Kouga rose from his place beside the fire and made for the door, a scowl plastered on his face. "Kouga? Kouga, where are you going?"

"I'm going through this barrier thing into Kaeleer. I love you, Kagome, and I'm not going to let Kikyo ruin what little happiness you've been granted. I'll come back in a little while with your mate."

"Kouga..."

"No need to thank me," Kouga muttered as he stepped out of the hut and disappeared into the night.

"Interesting character," Daemon crooned a moment later, his gold eyes hard. "I don't like him,"

Kagome glanced at him briefly before she moved for the cots that Kaede had lain out for them and curled up on one. "He's not that bad...once you get to know him,"

End of chapter. Ooops, yeah, I know, a day late. Sorry. Work got a little crazy on me…and now I'm about to start a second job….eh eh…read my profile page for info and updates on this story, ok?