Chapter Six

Kagome arrived in her time feeling empty and cold. She climbed the ladder, walked out through the shrine door, where the well was, and headed to her house. The lights were on, and she heard the TV in the living room so headed that way; Mom, Souta, and Grandpa where all there. Souta was playing with the cat and watching the TV, mom was sewing up a hole in one of Souta's pants, and grandpa was reading the newspaper.

"I'm home." Kagome said. Everyone looked toward her.

"Oh sweetie, how are you feeling? Inuyasha told us today that you were hurt, just this morning. We weren't expecting you to return so soon." To Kagome it felt like this morning had been five hundred years ago. "Darling you don't look well let's get you to bed." Kagome felt a surge of gratitude towards her mom. Mom helped her up the stairs, seeing as Kagome was completely exhausted by now, physically and emotionally.

"Mom my stuff's still in the well."

"Don't worry, Souta and Grandpa will get them." They'd reached her room by now. When the door was safely shut Kagome said.

"I'm not going back, mom." Kagome's mom made a tutting noise at Kagome's barrowed clothes, then gasping a bit at Kagome's bloody bandages; her wounds had reopened. Together they cleaned and redressed them, then putting Kagome in a pair of pj's and leaving the necklace on, she got into bed. Mom sat down on the bed.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"Mom, I don't think he doesn't love me, but he won't say otherwise." Kagome let out all her troubles, as her mom listened patiently. She told her everything, up until she left the well in her time. When she was finished her mom smiled at her kindly. "What am I going to do?"

"Well, first you're going to rest, and then you're going to call up your friends, and get the notes they've been taking for you, you're going to study and live your life like a normal girl your age would, until everything becomes clear again. And don't worry sweetie everything is going to be okay. Now take a couple of these sleep inducing, pain killers and go to sleep." Handing her a glass of water and the medicine, Kagome took them and let her mom lull her to sleep, by smoothing out all the wrinkles out of the bed and tucking them around her.

Inuyasha was in an even worse mood, and everyone was really starting to get on each others nerves. The last couple weeks had been horrible. Inuyasha went around sighing, mumbling, and biting people's heads off. Shippo had become prone to crying fits, which didn't improve anyone's mood. Sango and Miroku kept to themselves; and Sango had lost the heart, she usually put into beating Miroku to a pulp, when he became too perverted. Keida become the innocent bystander. Hardly anyone spoke, preferring the silence of their own thoughts. Shippo sniffed loudly, and Inuyasha growled.

"I…miss… Kago...me!" Shippo cried going into another fit. They all looked at the kitsun. Finally Inuyasha got up, and walked over to him. Shippo looked at him, expecting him to hit or yell at him, but he didn't. Instead Inuyasha bent down, picked up Shippo, and mussed his hair in a brotherly way.

"Me, too." Inuyasha didn't look around at any of them. His bangs covered his eyes from anyone's view, he just held Shippo in his arms. Everyone was a little shocked at this unexpected side of him; Shippo looked at him in disbelief. Finally Shippo leaned up to look at Inuyasha from under his bangs. He saw the hurt, the abandonment there that he felt. This seemed to make him feel better, to know that even Inuyasha was effected by Kagome leaving.

"What are we waiting for?" Shippo ran up Inuyasha's arm onto his shoulder; Inuyasha's eyes following him. "Kagome told us were the last shard was. Let's go get it; then we can get Kagome to come back. And things will get better, won't they?" He asked. Sango and Miroku looked at him, Inuyasha didn't say anything, but Kieda was smiling.

"Of course they can." She said.

"Why not?" Miroku said. "I was starting to get bored and out of shape just sitting around here."

"Yes, and I'm really out of practice." Sango chipped in, getting her Herrikosts, and standing up. Kirara got up and meowed, her agreement, then jumped to Sango's shoulder. Now they waited for Inuyasha's reply.

"Well, are you in or not?" Shippo prodded, Inuyasha looked up at them all, crossed his arms and said.

"Whatever." This was his way of saying yes. Shippo cheered. "But we need to get there and on our way before the new moon, that is if the jewel shard is still there." Everyone nodded.

"Okay, let's go!" Shippo cheered. They packed up, and waved to Kieda as they left the village, in search of the last jewel shard. 'I will get her to come back; I just hope it's not too late.' Inuyasha thought. He'd realized since that night Kagome left, that he'd do anything to get her to come back. He'd let down two women in his life, and he wasn't about to lose a third. 'Kagome, I wish I hadn't been so dense, and that you could have just told me, but I'm going to fix that. I don't care about becoming a full demon.' With his mind set, and his friends, with extra determination in their steps, headed speedily toward the village, and the jewel shard.

Kagome stared out her upstairs window, smoothing her graduation gown down. By some miracle she'd passed tenth grade, and today she was graduating from middle school and heading toward high school. They'd gotten her results in, the day before she'd come back. She still had two more grades to go before she graduated, but it seemed that she would have a lot more time to study now that she wasn't returning to the feudal era; this depressed her more than cheering her up.

"What did you expect? That you could always stay in the Feudal era and just keep jumping between times? Well here's your reality check." Kagome looked away from the window and the sun washed well shrine, that'd she'd been looking at. It had been about twenty- six days since she'd come home to her own time. 'He's not coming.' Kept Kagome up at night and it was starting to affect her sleeping habits. She stayed up for most of the night and slept for most of the day. Sighing she finished putting her hair up.

"Sis, it's time to go!" Called Souta.

"I'm coming!" Kagome yelled as she slipped the prayer beads around her neck. Giving herself one more check over, Kagome headed for the stairs.

"You look beautiful, sweetie." Kagome's mom said. "Honey we're so proud of you." She hugged her daughter and beamed with motherly pride.

"Thanks, mom. I just wish I were happier about this." Kagome gave her a sad smile, and they headed for the family car, and Kagome's school. When they arrived, Kagome headed for the gym auditorium, where the rest of the graduates were. Kagome's family headed for their seats. Kagome opened the door to the back stage, and was immediately greeted by her friends, Eri, Yuri, and Ami. They all started talking at once.

"Kagome you made it." Eri said.

"How are you feeling?" Yuri asked.

"I wasn't for sure you'd make it, where's your family sitting?" Ami asked. Kagome laughed, these guys were her best friends here in her time, and they could be a little energetic at times.

"I'm fine, yeah I made it, and they're sitting in the fourth row. How have you guys been?" They could tell something was wrong when Kagome gave them a smile. They immediately figured what the problem was.

"You're lying to us, Kagome. Is it that jealous boyfriend of yours?" Yuri asked. Kagome's face lost its color and they knew the answer. 'Poor Kagome.' Yuri thought.

'That jerks done something again. Why doesn't Kagome just break up with him? Maybe she did!' Thought Eri. Ami was the romantic in the group, so she wasn't sure what to think.

"Its fine guys really. Don't worry about me. Don't forget guys its graduation day, so let's just be happy. We're going to high school next year." Kagome turned and started toward the teachers who were directing the teenagers, to their places.

"Well if you're sure, Kagome." Ami said following her.