Previously:

Her grin glowed with mischief. "I have something he wants." As he eyed her with curiosity, she called on the last jewel shard embedded in her body. She held it between her thumb and index finger for him to see, his jaw dropping slightly.

"You've had it this whole time?" he asked astonished.

She nodded. She could tell he couldn't decide if he should be enraged or relieved. Before he could pick one, she returned the shard to its hiding spot and walked to the ancient well's walls. "First things first though," she said with a serious expression. With a stubborn look, he joined her at the well's edge. She shrugged as she effortlessly jumped into the darkness, Inuyasha following.

Chapter Thirteen

Wounds Too Deep

Kagome's heart beat irregularly as she stepped through the sliding doors of the well house. Nothing had changed since she'd last been here. Yet everything seemed so different. She didn't feel that overwhelming sense of peace when seeing her house like in her past. But that was because this was no longer her home.

The girl made her way to the front entrance, her heart beating frantically. She hardly even noticed the hanyou trailing closely behind her. She pushed the unlocked door open and stepped through tentatively.

"Mom?" she whispered. Clearing her head of anxiety, she called louder. "Mom? Souta? Grandpa?"

There was no response. Just as Kagome prepared to call out again, a body stepped slowly into the room staring straight at her. His face was deathly pale as if he were looking into the eyes of a ghost.

His eyes sparkled as tears gathered. "Kagome?" he asked in a whisper. She didn't recognize the voice; it was much deeper than she remembered. He took a step towards her, and then ran the rest. She happily gathered him into her arms. He was a few inches taller than her now, his head resting on the cold metal armor plate on her shoulder, tears sliding down its surface.

"You're alive!" he cried with a broken voice. "I can't believe it!"

She couldn't help the joyful tears from sliding down her angular cheeks. "Hi Souta," she said with a smile.

He finally broke away from the hug. He had to look down into her eyes. After studying her for a moment, he said softly, "You've changed so much…"

She smiled. "You have too. Look how tall you've gotten."

He grinned shyly. His eyes found the other person in the room with them. Inuyasha was leaning against the wall with his arms tucked into his sleeves. He watched the two in quiet observation. Souta told him, "Thank you. I never doubted you for a second."

Memories of his last visit flashed through his mind before Inuyasha nodded in affirmation.

Kagome watched the exchange, expecting the two had had words before now in her absence. Deciding it was irrelevant, she asked Souta, "Where's Mom and Grandpa?"

"They're visiting America," Souta answered as he faced her again. With a serious expression, he added, "I think Mom's really considering moving there." There was sadness in his eyes.

Kagome smiled reassuringly. "You know Mom does that all the time. It never happens though. America's too far away anyway."

Souta quickly shook his head. "No, she really is serious this time. She's already visited there three times this past summer."

Kagome frowned. Had her Mom given up hope in ever seeing her daughter again?

Her brother's words caught her attention. "After the first year, Mom couldn't handle all the memories, so she started leaving more often. She took Grandpa with her every time. He seemed to be going even crazier, and he needed the time away from the 'evil spirits.'" He said the last bit with a hint of humor, but Kagome's heart filled with pain at the thought of her mother's extreme sadness. "She's left me behind, mostly because she knows I don't want to move at all. I couldn't move." He looked at her meaningfully. "I knew you'd be back."

Kagome smiled weakly, still thinking of her tortured mother. "Thank you Souta," she whispered. It had been a while since she'd allowed this much emotion to pass through her mind. The feelings of guilt and sadness felt stronger because of that.

Suddenly, Souta's eyes flickered with fear. "You're not leaving again, are you?"

Kagome nodded sadly. "I have to. I left a lot of unfinished business back there…" She trailed off as she realized she'd have to tell him the truth. With a sigh, she said, "My place is there. The whole land is my home now."

Realization sunk into his eyes with added fear. "You're not coming back?"

Kagome quickly shook her head. "Of course I'll visit Souta. I'm not saying I'm leaving forever. The only reason I didn't visit was because I didn't want to be found for a while…" She trailed off with a look at Inuyasha, who was staring into an unknown distance. Looking back to Souta, she continued, "I just know that I can't stay here as if I… belonged here." Her tone held sadness, but only for his sake. She'd come to accept, understand, and welcome the fact that Tokyo was no longer her place. But she knew it could have a toll on her family.

Souta tore his eyes away to stare at the floor. Kagome looked at him with helpless sadness. What could she say? Despite their family relations, she hardly felt like she knew him well enough to comfort him with a hug, but she did it anyway. Moments later, he looked up at her with new emotions in his eyes.

"It's okay Kagome," he said with a soft smile. "I can take care of Mom and Grandpa; that's what I have been doing the past few years. Just promise you'll visit often, at least enough that we know you're alive."

Kagome fought against the tears. Her brother understood everything, and was even willing to help her. He hadn't only grown physically it seemed. Souta took her grateful smile as the seal to the promise.

"When will Mom be back? I'll stay till she gets here." Kagome asked, pain still lining her pupils at the name.

"They left three days ago, so it'll probably be two more days at the most."

"She doesn't tell you how long she'll be gone?" she asked in surprise. Their mom used to leave too many details.

Souta shook his head sadly. "Sometimes I wake up and she's not even here. She doesn't leave as much during the school year though. I start high school next week so she'll be back for my first day of school, no doubt."

Once again, Kagome was struck by how old he was now. She hadn't even been keeping track of her own birthdays, but if she had to guess, she'd estimate that she was nearly twenty now. That would make Souta almost fifteen.

Guilt forced her to realize that because of her actions, Souta was missing out on their mother's attention. She could tell even without her mom there that their relationship was now distant.

"Hey now," Souta said softly, seeing her distress. "It's okay, don't feel bad. I'm sure whatever made you stay was very important. Maybe even unavoidable."

Kagome didn't say anything and instead welcomed his loving hug. When she regained control over her mind, she released herself from his hold and said cheerfully, "I think it's time for some Ramen."

Out the corner of her eye, she saw Inuyasha instantly perk up.

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Their conversation was light as they ate. Inuyasha didn't speak at all, but whether it was because he didn't want to talk or his mouth was constantly stuffed with noodles, Kagome didn't know. It was only a matter of time, minutes really, until the two of them talked seriously about everything, so she didn't bother herself with it.

After finishing two bowls, Souta excused himself, saying he had to go shopping if the two of them were going to stay for the next couple days. Kagome saw his reluctance to go, but she knew he was doing it to give them some time alone.

"Be back in a couple hours!" he called before the door shut.

A silence fell over the two as Kagome washed the bowls and pot. In another life, it would have bothered her, but she held a mask of indifference in place, refusing to be the first to give in.

His eyes watched her the whole time. When she was finished, the amber orbs followed her to the living room and onto the couch. She flipped on the television, extremely grateful for electric entertainment after nearly three years without it.

She began to relax despite the eyes blazing behind her. Finally, Inuyasha stood and stalked to the living room. She was sitting smack in the middle of the couch, so he stubbornly stood in front of the tv.

Kagome looked up at him, giving him the attention he wanted. "What?" she asked without any emotion.

He closed his eyes and rubbed his temple with one hand. "So, let me get this straight," he began, straining to control his temper. "You left, with the last jewel shard, to seek strength, so you wouldn't be a burden. You lived on your own for two years training yourself. Then these last six months, Sesshomaru trained you even further." He'd said his half-brother's name through gritting teeth. After a pause, he asked, "Is that about right?"

Kagome simply nodded. "What about it?"

Inuyasha's eyes sparked with irritation, but she could see he was putting in a great effort to control himself. "Why would you take the last jewel shard? It would've put a lot more peace in my mind if I had known where it was this whole time."

"I knew there was a chance Naraku could take what we had. But without the last shard, it won't do much for him since he wants to wish on it. I've guaranteed another chance to end this." Kagome had a factual voice. She could tell her lack of emotion was irritating him further.

"So why did Sesshomaru willingly train you?" Inuyasha challenged. "He wouldn't do that kinda thing just for the hell of it."

Kagome's eyes flickered away. This was the part she didn't want to tell him. She could already foresee his reaction, and it wasn't going to be pretty. But she might as well get it over with.

"Well," she started reluctantly, "Sesshomaru plans to make me an officer of the Western Lands as soon as I've killed Naraku."

As soon as she said the word "officer," his anger took giant leaps of infuriation until she finished.

"O-officer!" he spat in his rage. "Kagome, do you have any idea what that means? Do you know what kind of responsibility that is? You'll be fighting deadly demons on a daily basis, and you're only human! I won't allow it Kagome, especially if you'll be under the command of that-that bastard Sesshomaru!"

Kagome continued to just stare at him. She knew he wasn't finished just yet. She closed her eyes, letting the words come.

"And what the hell makes you think you can really kill Naraku?" his rant continued. "I know you've improved, Kagome, but just because you have the last shard doesn't mean he won't use the rest of the jewel to boost his already growing power. I can already see where this insane plan of yours is going, and it's only going to end like the last time, except this time, he'll have the whole jewel and the world will be ruined before we can blink!"

When Kagome's eyes opened, they were glowing white. Her body ached to take over, to shift into her destructive mode, but her mind held perfect control. She'd had problems with this back in training because her emotions could influence the shift so easily. It took her nearly the full six months to learn to completely control her emotions. Now she could channel them, using anger to fuel her attacks, but staying smart enough to not go forth blindly.

She stood gracefully from the couch and stepped toward him. Inuyasha involuntarily stepped back, but his eyes continued to hold their ferocity.

"Next time we fight him, he will die," Kagome growled in a low voice laced with rage. "I'll be the one to kill him. Do you know how I know that?" She paused, but he knew it was a rhetorical question. "I'm stronger than you now Inuyasha." He opened his mouth to protest, but she continued on before he could get a word out. "Don't let your ego put false truths into your head. We both know I could've killed you in the forest."

"I couldn't hurt you after I recognized who you were," he growled, an emotion blazing behind his pupils.

"You wouldn't have been able to even if I was an enemy," Kagome accused, completely missing it. "Your sword was of little use since I can easily transform it back and your evasiveness wouldn't have been able to keep up for forever. You really don't realize how strong I am now…" She trailed off, pain flashing through her eyes. "Or maybe you just refuse to believe it's impossible."

She looked away, the white in her eyes dying down and leaving behind her cocoa pupils. She began to realize that what was impossible was ever proving herself to him. It hadn't been her main goal in this whole adventure, but it was still a big part. And it hurt a lot.

I'm not gonna cry, she told herself.

She felt his fingers under her jaw, forcing her to face him. His golden eyes stared intently into hers. After so much practice with Sesshomaru, she could read the emotion in the irises plainly: hurt. But why was he hurt?

He gazed at her only long enough for her to form the question and then suddenly, his lips were on hers. She blinked, her muscles involuntarily tensed, and her eyes widened in surprise. He broke away after only a couple seconds, enclosing her in a soft embrace.

"Kagome," he breathed against her ear. "I've never thought you were too weak to grow strong. And I see where your strength is now. It's just that… I just can't stand to see you ever in harm's way. My care for you runs deeper than you think."

She felt her heart stop, imagining his next words.

Without releasing his grip on her, he whispered, "I love you."

Her intuition correct, she felt her mind freeze up. She couldn't comprehend the thoughts that flashed through her mind fast enough. What should she say? What could she say? When her mind continued to draw a blank, she just stood there, trying to remember to breathe.

Inuyasha finally released her. Seeing the distress in her eyes, he began speaking again. "I've probably loved you from the beginning. Even though I'd hated Kikyo for the betrayal, I couldn't erase the feelings I'd had before. Those feelings passed down onto you naturally since you two were so much alike. But over the years it changed into a unique love. I hadn't even realized it until I noticed how much it bothered me that you were constantly in danger. That's why I kept pushing you… I wasn't sure what I'd do if I'd lost you…" He trailed off, looking away for a moment. When his eyes focused on her again, he said, "Now I do know. I'd search for you until the end. Or die trying."

She wasn't sure when the tears started to spill over. Perhaps it was irrelevant. But she didn't stop them. The one person she'd been determined to never show weakness again stood before her as her years of emotional defense crumbled down as salty tears. She sat down on the couch, the only thing she could do, and struggled to stop her lip from quivering. When she failed miserably, she buried her face in her hands.

She hated herself for this, exposing herself for him to see. But she knew she'd had it coming. Emotions and memories can't just disappear. She thought she'd conquered the black hole of sadness, pain, and struggle. But she had just pushed them into the nether regions of her mind. And only one person had the ability to reawaken them.

And now he'd just expressed his love for her. The burning fire that had been all his in her heart so long ago showed merely a flicker of life. His words had reached her too late. The stabbing words of the past had created wounds too deep for his love to heal. Forgiveness would come eventually, but her subconscious could never let go of her past, no matter how much she wanted to forget.

Inuyasha watched her go through her moment of weakness, struggling to keep from comforting her. Something told him she hated that tears had dared to fall down. Pitying her now would only add to the blow her pride took.

Kagome gave up trying to force her quiet sobs to stop, deciding to just wait until the years' worth of tears ran their course. Even after they stopped, she stayed where she was. Her mind drew a blank when she tried to contemplate her next plan of action. Finally, she settled for telling the truth.

"Inuyasha," she whispered. "You're too late." She didn't look up to see the expression on his face. "I've been through too much. You've hurt me too much…"

There wasn't a sound from him. If she hadn't known better, she would've begun to wonder if he was still in the room. Finally he spoke again. "I guess I deserved that…" She looked up to see the guilt and pain in his expression. They were washed away with determination a moment later. "That won't stop me from trying to convince you, though."

She wondered if he meant convincing her of his love… or convincing her to love him. She desperately hoped it wasn't the latter, because she knew as a fact that that fire could never be rekindled. At least, not while a new fire burned strong and bright.

It was only a matter a time before she had to confess to Inuyasha who had produced such a strong blaze in her heart. She felt a sense of dread at the thought.

How would Inuyasha react when he found out she was in love with Sesshomaru?

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Hey all. I'm sorry yet again for the late update. I could've had this chapter finished a long time ago, but I was wrestling with the ending of it. I'm kinda not sure what to do with Inuyasha at this point. I want to apologize to any Inuyasha fans out there because I pretty much left him with nothing. I have nothing against him, and in fact, my first fanfic was a InuXKag pairing. I'll figure out what to do with him. I'll try not to disappoint any fans in the process. Then again, I'm not entirely sure many Inuyasha fans would read this fanfic since it's a SessXKag pairing...

Anyway, I can't really say when the next update will be. Thanksgiving break is coming up, but I probably won't have any free time in between work, family, and school projects. Next chapter might be kinda boring though, and thus boring to write, since I've gotta get past all the happy reunion stuff. I promise to try and make it somewhat entertaining though. Until next time fans, thanks for your support!

Hiko