Characters = Rumiko Takahashi

Story = Desert-Bandit

Last time:

Either way, he was still a Lord and a Lord never showed confusion or weakness of any kind.

With that in mind, he sat on the edge of his bed after relieving himself of his armor and upper haori and glanced out towards his balcony relishing in the cool breeze wafting through the open doors and quietly told himself,

'The winter solstice will be here in two months.'

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Chapter 4

Girl Time

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Kagome was startled out of her sleep by the shrill cry of Akari from the hut a few yards away.

She risked opening one eye and was met with the bright morning sun gleaming through her makeshift shades.

Groaning, she grabbed her pillow; one of the few luxuries from the future that she couldn't bare

to part with, and pulled it over her head in an attempt to shut out the world for just a few more hours. She never was an early riser to begin with and even though life here in the village began at the crack of dawn, she was not going to convert now.

Sango had said that early risers come with age; age and family.

Well, in Kagome's experience, age has nothing to do with it and at this rate she didn't think she would be having a family to call her own anytime soon.

Of course she had her son Shippou, but that was slightly different.

Not in a bad way of course, but in her time it was relatively normal but in this era, being single and having a teenage child is somewhat looked down upon; especially if that child was a 'demon' child.

The men, on the other hand, that asked to court her were not at all what she was looking for.

She wanted someone that wanted both her and her son. Not just her and her position.

So in the end, men began to ignore her and say that she will never know the pleasure of a man warming her bed; that she will be a cold, frigid virgin forever. And over the last seven years she was just fine with that.

Or so she thought.

But if InuYasha had taught her anything all those years of traveling together, is to not give a rats-ass about what anybody says.

She sometimes missed his brash behavior. Sometimes.

Finally coming to the realization that sleep had eluded her this time, she waved her white flag and surrendered.

Sitting up she looked over into the room across from hers to find it empty.

No surprise there.

Shippou, like the rest of the village, woke up early and is most likely with Kohaku training or doing "guy" stuff as they call it.

With her mind finally made up, she gathered her bathing supplies and extra clothes in hopes that Sango may join her in a bath. They desperately needed some 'girl time'.

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"Ahh, this feels so good

I haven't had a nice soothing bath in a while."

Kagome chuckled.

"I figured you would take me up on this offer of some nice, quiet time without any distractions."

"You have no idea how hard it is to relax when you're constantly playing, what was it that you called it; referee?"

Both women laughed and sank further down in the warm water, letting their muscles relax.

"By the way, are you going to attend Kouga's consummation party?"

Sango asked.

Kagome nodded,

"Yes and I'm so happy for him. He deserves it after everything he went through.

What about you?"

"No, I'm busy here with Kouji and Akari so I turned him down gently; he was very understanding, but I did hear that InuYasha was going. You two hadn't seen each other in several months now."

"I know,"

Kagome said looking off into the distance.

"Last time I saw him was before Akari was born. He said that with you and Miroku having a second child really made him think about his future with Kikyo. He told me that he was going to ask her to marry him."

Sango was surprised but the look on her sister-like friend concerned her.

"Why didn't you tell me this?"

"Because he wanted to keep it a surprise; he wanted to wait and tell you guys after he and Kikyo were already married. Possibly even with kids."

Kagome leaned back against the boulder.

"I hope he's happy as well."

Silence settled around the two friends. Both had fallen into their own thoughts.

Sango knew that something was troubling her friend, and that something had to do with everyone else too. She knew that Kagome was truly happy for everyone but at the same time, felt like she was being left out.

"Kagome,"

Sango finally said

"For sometime now, I've been noticing that you're not as happy anymore."

"Sango, there's really nothing to worry about; I've just been overwhelmed that's all, what with the constant traveling to the other villages and with Kaede getting older and more frail and all, it's just a lot to handle right now but I promise it'll get better."

Kagome tried to reassure her but the look in Sango's eyes told Kagome that she wasn't buying any of it but in the end, Sango knew that she wouldn't get any more information out of her so she dropped it…for now at least.

"So Kouga told me that he invited all the lords and ladies to the party as well; even Lord Sesshoumaru."

Kagome raised an eyebrow.

"I'm shocked that he would be willing to go. The last time I checked, they couldn't really stand each other."

Sango smiled.

'Maybe it's because he knew you would be coming?'

But she kept that little bit of information to herself.

She saw how the two reacted to one another when they thought no one was looking all those years ago.

The smile on Kagome's face was different when she was around him and he acted different too; warmer perhaps.

Either way, she had a feeling that this may be what Kagome needs. A reuniting with the Western Lord may finally open her eyes to what she's been missing. She only hoped that no one else ruins it or she herself may have to bash a few heads in; namely InuYasha and Kouga, possibly Shippers too if he gets caught up in the older men's antics.

"Well you still have a few weeks to go until then so what do you say you spend those last weeks helping me with Akari and Kouji?

Together, they are quite a handful and Kami knows Miroku and Kohaku run away any chance they get."

Laughing, they dried and dressed themselves and made their way back to the village, all the while leaving Kagome to think,

'The winter solstice will be here in one month'

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Greeting fellow readers!

Chapter 4 is finally done so please enjoy.

Next chapter will be up very soon, I promise.

Until then!

-Desert-Bandit

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