Hey! Oh my goodness, Thank you's so much for the good reviews. I can't believe so many people like my writing. I was so flattered by all the compliments on my writing skills. It comes from reading a lot ofbooks, my friends and paying attention to how people write. That's all. And so yeah, I am so close to 100 reviews, I can smell it! PLEASE review and get your family to review as well! Bring in strangers off the streets to review! I'm an addict! PLEASE! Sorry... it's true, though... OH! I think there's only going to be this and one other chapter, and then... IT"LL BE DONE! What will I do then?
Anyway... The Disclaimer: By Chapter twelve, I think it would quite obvious that I do not own, nor do I have any intentions on owning Inu-Yasha at the present time. Sad, but true.
Chapter 12-Reconciliation
Hours after Inu-Yasha had taken Kagome back to her hut; Sango, Miroku, and Shippo arrived to see her and the triplets. She was so glad to see them, for not only has she missed them, but she didn't want to be alone with Inu-Yasha at the moment.
Her feelings for him had not diminished in the time they had been separated. If anything, as she rested her gaze upon him, she knew they had simply gotten stronger.
No matter what Inu-Yasha had done, and how angry she was with him, she couldn't bring herself to hate him, which made her heart hurt more. He held a power over her that nothing seemed to break, which angered her, but also resigned her to the fact. She loved Inu-Yasha and knew no matter what, she wanted to stay with him for the rest of her life.
"Kagome, are you even listening to me?" Kagome blinked and looked down to the hurt aqua eyes of Shippo. His tiny hands rested indignantly upon his hips as he glared at her. Kagome sighed inwardly, knowing it was going to take some smooth talking to calm the ruffled feathers of the small fox demon.
Kagome lifted him onto her lap, hugging him close.
"I'm so sorry for ignoring you, Shippo. It wasn't my intention. I was just thinking of how much I wanted to give you something extra special for you finding me. What would you like?" Kagome smiled as Shippo sat comfortably in her lap, listing off all the things he longed for, including toys, candies, and a sword. She knew she had narrowly escaped hurting Shippo's feelings.
"So, Kagome, are you going to stay here or come back to the kingdom with us?" Sango asked the question everyone, including Kagome herself, had been thinking about for the past few hours. Kagome sighed softly, shaking her head.
"I'm sorry, but I have no idea what I'm going to be doing. I don't think I can bear going back to where... I just don't think I can go back there."
She hadn't voiced all of what she was thinking, but Inu-Yasha knew the rest as he silently sat by the door, listening to the conversation. She couldn't bear going back to where the treachery began. He couldn't blame her, but dammit he wanted her to forgive him! He wanted her to love him again like she did before he screwed everything up.
Inu-Yasha looked to the three pups sleeping in their cribs. His pups, their pups. He wanted to be in their lives, he wanted to be able to support them and their mother.
His eyes unexpectedly misted over, but he closed them quickly, before anyone could see his sudden show of emotion. Only when he was sure he wouldn't be caught did he open his eyes back up. A quick glance to Kagome was spared by him as he rose.
"Kagome, I'd like to speak with you as soon as you are available." With that, he exited the hut, unable to stay there a moment longer.
Kagome looked to the trio that she was sitting with in confusion.
"Do any of you know what he wants to talk about?" Shippo and Miroku both shrugged, Shippo because he didn't care one way or the other, and Miroku because he really had no clue. Sango shook her head at the hopeless malesin the group, then looked to Kagome.
"He loves you, Kagome. He wants to be with you and your children, and that's what he's probably going to tell you. At least listen to what he has to say. I know you love him, even while you're angry at him. Go, we'll watch the kids." Kagome nodded slowly, standing and leaving the hut quickly.
Sango watched her go, and smiled brilliantly. Miroku raised an eyebrow.
"Why do you look like the cat that got the canary and tore it to bits for fun?" Sango laughed at Miroku, but said nothing. She knew Inu-Yasha was somehow going to find the right words to coerce Kagome back to him. Sango also knew that it wouldn't take too much pushing to sway her.
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Kagome found Inu-Yasha leaning against a large, old, gnarled tree; staring out into space. Kagome didn't have time to think of a way to approach Inu-Yasha, for he knew she was thereby her scent. He knew she was coming before she knew where he was.
Inu-Yasha turned his molten gold eyes to Kagome, stopping her heart for an instant as she saw the raw pain in his eyes. Kagome closed her eyes, willing herself to have the strength to even talk to the sad looking hanyou that stole her heart so many years ago.
"I'm glad you came, Kag. I was getting a little worried that you wouldn't want to talk to me." Kagome couldn't help but laugh.
"I was only five minutes behind you, how could you have gotten so worried in five minutes?" Inu-Yasha grinned toothily.
"I was worried from the time I said I needed to talk to you when I first found you." After thinking for a moment, the grin faded from his lips, and he sighed heavily.
"Kag, I never knew, couldn't have known, when we first met and became friends that this was going to be the result. Had I known, none of this would be happening, because I would have known how stupid that one decision would be. I love you, Kagome, more than anything. More than my crown, more than my life, more than anything. I'd rather have only one day of being the one to make you happy, then a lifetime of being the one that made you sad.
I know you don't want to believe me when I say that what I did with Kikyo was an accident. I know it hardly looked accidental. I know how crushed you were when you found out about it, and if I knew so much then, our lives wouldn't be so bad now." Inu-Yasha knew he was rambling, but he couldn't stop it if he tried. He needed to tell her everything that was on his mind before she could leave again.
"I love you, Kagome. I don't know how many times I can tell you that, and I don't care. I'll tell you a million times a day, at least, if that'll make you happy. I want to be with you and our children. I want you to be my wife, my lover, my everything. That's what you are, you know. You are my everything. Without you, my world is bleak, and not worth living.
I want to see you sleeping beside me every morning when I wake up, I want to stand beside you in public, without worrying about what will be said about you. I know I'm saying an awful lot about my wants, and I'm sorry. I have but one last want. I just want to know what you are thinking right now." Finally, Inu-Yasha said his fill, and looked into the chocolate eyes of his love, his soul mate.
Kagome stood there a long while, before beginning to speak. Had Inu-Yasha been human, he would have had to move closer and strain to hear what was being said.
"I've always known you loved me, Inu-Yasha. Just as I have always loved you. It never mattered to me that you were a prince, or that you had a wealth of money at your disposal. The only thing that ever mattered to me was that we would always be together. It wouldn't have mattered if we were both poorer than church mice, as long as we had each other.
I know you had my best interest at heart when you decided to marry Kikyo. You wanted to provide me with luxuries I neither wanted, nor needed. All I ever wanted was to be with you. Plain and simple. After you rescued me from Koga, I thought you would have realized that was all I wanted. I thought you would have seen how much you meant to me.
I'll admit, I was angry as sin when I finished healing. I was angry that you were marrying Kikyo, that Koga had hurt me, and anything else I could have thought of. Finally, I got tired of being angry. I didn't want to be mad at you, and when I found out that I was with child, I was elated. I knew then, that everything would be better. You wouldn't marry Kikyo while I was carrying your child. You loved me too much for that. When I found you with Kikyo in the bed together, I lost my mind. I didn't think of the consequences of what I was doing, only that I needed to get out quick.
I was scared, but I couldn't stay there, knowing you were bedding Kikyo. So I made my way here. I knew Koga's lands were not that far from the village, but I was careful as I could." Suddenly, Kagome's eyes softened.
"When I gave birth to those three hooligan pups, I knew I could continue living here, because even though they reminded me of you, and the pain that you caused, they were also a symbol of the love we once shared. I don't know what else to say, except that I will always love you. I just knew that no matter what, with those children, you would always be with me in some way." A lone tear found its way down her cheek, to which Inu-Yasha wiped away gently. With one small cry, Kagome launched herself into his arms.
He stood there, only stroking her hair as she sobbed onto his shirt, murmuring softly into her ear. It wasn't until the sun began to set behind the trees that Inu-Yasha brought a sleeping Kagome back into her hut, only after making her promise to come back with him. When he entered the hut, Miroku, Sango, and Shippo, along with the three pups were sound asleep. Inu-Yasha set her upon her bed, then laid beside her, wrapping a protective arm around her waist.
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Kagome woke up the next morning feeling warmer than she had ever felt since she left the castle a year ago. That thought made her instantly aware of the strong arm holding her securely to the equally strong body that was attached to it.
As she tried to wiggle out of his grip, Inu-Yasha moaned softly.
"Don't leave me again, Kag. Just stay here a little longer." As much as she wanted to say no, Kagome simply couldn't. She loved him too much. So, instead, she curled up closer to him, and fell back to sleep, listening to the steady rhythm of his heartbeat.
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Shippo sighed heavily as he and Miroku searched for Kura. Miroku knew they wouldn't find the treacherous wench, but they searched anyway. They wanted to rid Kagome of the pains of the past.
While they searched, Sango stayed at Kaede's hut, watching the three small children. They had grown much, and at seven months were already crawling and trying to walking. Sango laughed softly as Matsu and Mitsu tumbled about, playing. If they were being rough at seven months, Sango didn't want to imagine the wreckage that would be their home when they grew.
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It wasn't until hours later that Kagome and Inu-Yasha rose from their warm, comforting haven. They dressed each other, for the first time back to their old habits of exploration. Inu-Yasha gently kissed her, afraid of what her reaction would be. Instead of the shunning he was half expecting, Inu-Yasha was surprised when Kagome pulled him closer, kissing him back gently.
They pulled away due to lack of air, both panting slightly. Inu-Yasha was the first to regain his breath, and as he leaned his forehead against hers, he spoke.
"Please come back to the kingdom with me, Kag. I want you to be my wife, my princess, my mate. I want you to bear more of my children, but only if you wish to. I just want you to be in my life again. Please Kag, no more of this pain anymore. I know I asked before, and you promised, but I want to be sure that you still wish to go." Kagome nodded slowly, her chocolate brown eyes seemingly searching his own golden ones for some unknown answer to an equally unknown question. Once she found her answer, she hugged him tightly.
"Let's go home."
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It took most of the afternoon to get everything prepared for the long journey ahead of them. It was dusk when the group finished the final errands, so they decided to stay the night and leave at daybreak. Of course, they had no real choice. Kaede would have made them stay regardless of whether it had been dusk or mid-morning.
Inu-Yasha grumbled about wasting time, while Kagome smiled and nodded to the old woman, granting her request. That night, they all stayed with Kaede while she fixed them supper and told stories of battles between ancient demons.
After the food was dispensed and devoured, it was time for all of them to rest. Kagome laid Miyoko, Mitsu, and Matsu to sleep on one large cot. Shippo curled up with them, already thinking of them as his siblings. Miroku and Sango slept peacefully on another cot, wrapped lovingly within each others arms.
Inu-Yasha and Kagome looked around the room, watching everyone peacefully slumbering.
In a voice no more than a whisper, Inu-Yasha spoke into her ear. "You should be asleep like the rest of them. Come, love. We have a long, tiring travel ahead of us." Kagome looked around once more before allowing herself to be pulled onto the bed and wrapped in the protection of Inu-Yasha's arms, quickly succumbing to sleep.
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Hey! There is Chapter Twelve! I hope you all reallllllly like it. Seriously, I hope everyone enjoys this story as much as I have enjoyed writing it. As I said before, I think there's only going to be one or two chapters, this and another one, and then ta-da! It'll be done. That will be a sad day, indeed. But for now, it is not done so REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW!