Yes, I know that I am all deserving of these magnificent characters, but alas, they will never be mine. And I am still in denial about that.
Kagome and Sesshomaru tumbled out of the well onto the hard wooden floor of the shrine. "We made it." They chuckled and Sesshomaru helped her up.
Everything seemed so strangely modern to Kagome, even though it had only been three years since she had been back. The sacred tree had grown again, the grass a bit longer than she remembered. But most of all, there was a sense of life that hadn't been there before. She couldn't explain it, but Kagome just felt like the shrine's spirit had been lifted.
There was a crash and Kagome spun in response. Standing just a little ways off was Sota, not a handsome young teenager. The two siblings ran toward each other and embraced. "Geeze Sis, I really missed you!"
Kagome squeezed him gently, careful of her demon strength. "I missed you too Sota. But I'm only staying a few days. Where are mom and Grandpa?"
"In the house. But Kagome, you should know, we've had some guests over lately, so you may want to cover up your ears."
She laughed, for she had completely forgotten about them. "Got a hat?"
"Hold on a second." Sota ran into the house and came back with the same baseball cap Inuyasha had worn when he'd visited her time, all those years ago. It sure brought back memories.
The hat fit a little snugly around her ears, and she understood why Inuyasha had always fought with her over wearing the stupid thing. It dulled her sense of hearing and it just didn't feel right. But if they had guests, she didn't want to frighten them.
"Would you like me to fetch you some clothes, too?"
Kagome nodded. Her feudal era clothes would be acceptable, but her mate's were a bit flamboyant for a shrine. Not that he didn't look good in them, but it had been a while since her family had seen the traditional dress of demons. Not since Inuyasha...
Damn it. Being back home was making her think of him way too much.
The couple made their way behind Sota, who led them through the back door and into the kitchen. "Hey, Grandpa? I'm sorry, but I kinda dropped the box I was carrying."
"You did WHAT?"
"It wasn't important, was it?"
"Important? IMPORTANT? That box held the ancient jar of your great-great-great- great-great-great- great-great-great- great-great-great- great-great-great- great-great-great- great-great-great-great grandfather! He collected the ashes of demons in it so he could purify them! And you just destroyed it!" Kagome's grandfather sank to the floor.
"But, um... look who I found!" Sota gestured for Kagome and Sesshomaru to walk in.
Kagome's mom squealed with joy and ran up to the daughter she had thought she lost. "And you must be Sesshomaru. Inuyasha told me so much about you!"
Sesshomaru bowed. "It's an honor to meet the mother of my mate."
Her mom bowed in response, but then pulled him into a hug as well. Three years ago, Kagome would have had to stop him from shredding her mother into pieces at the unexpected contact, but he had softened a bit toward humans.
"Please, come have some tea. Our guests have left, so feel free to make yourself at home." He nodded his thanks as Kagome took off the hat. Her mom gasped in shock and nearly dropped the tray of tea she held. "Kagome! You're so adorable!" She set the tea on the table and ran up to rub her daughter's ears.
Everyone burst out laughing. "Mom, you haven't changed a bit!"
They sat around the table, drinking tea and catching up for several hours, but there was an underlying tension to the family. No one wanted to bring up the short time they had together, nor the guests that Kagome still knew nothing about.
Long after the sun had set, Kagome asked if they could retire for the night. Her mom and grandpa exchanged a look with Sota, who then kindly offered his room for them to sleep in. But Kagome shook her head and told them she and Sesshomaru would be in the Sacred Tree.
There was a collective sigh of relief after the couple went outside for the night. "Sota, will you wake them up in the morning and take them out somewhere? I'm not sure how she'll take the news, so I want to postpone it for as long as possible."
He nodded. He understood what his mom wanted, and why. But he didn't look forward to waking up Kagome. That was one thing he hadn't missed.
Kagome woke up in the middle of the night to the screeching of her cat. "Buyo, shut up," she called down, trying to snuggle back into Sesshomaru's arms. But then the smell hit her nose. It was familiar, but sleepiness had caused her sense of smell to go on hiatus. Oh well. She'd find out later.
The next morning, Sesshomaru hopped down from the tree with his mate in his arms. Ever since the slight bulge had started to show, he had been even more protective of his mate, though he knew as a demon she would rarely be fully incapacitated due to the pregnancy.
Kagome jumped from his arms and strolled into the kitchen while Sesshomaru went to find her brother. As she made some tea for the two of them, she started singing, just like she did when she'd lived there. But when she reached for the tea cups, she couldn't find them. Her singing stopped as she cried out in frustration. She was just about to give up and wait for her mom to wake up when she found an old set she'd made in primary school under the sink. "Yay!" she stopped to think for a moment. "But why are they down there? And where are the rest."
Maybe my mind's just playing tricks on me. I've heard demon pregnancies are rather odd. She thought as she carried the tray into living room.
She stumbled and nearly dropped everything, but her demon reflexes allowed her to catch the tea set before it fell. "Wow. I've never seen a clumsy demon before. I have to say, I think you're the first. Ever."
When she heard his voice, she nearly dropped it all over again. But she refused to be made fun of. "Inuyasha."
"Yep. The one and only."
"So this is where you've been the last three years."
The half demon shrugged his shoulders. "I guess. So how are you? Last time I saw you, you were about to rip my throat out."
She just looked at him. "That's not how I remember it. But I've settled into being a demon, starting a family."
With an obvious glance at her stomach, Inuyasha said, "Really? I never would've guessed. So how's my brother treating you?" Kagome blushed a deep red. "I didn't mean it like that!" He yelled. "You perv!"
She began to laugh. "It looks like you've really started to get a hang of the lingo around here."
"Yeah, well, I've had some help." She tilted her head to the side in curiosity. "You're friends. They came by looking for you."
"What did you tell them?"
"That you'd run off with my brother down a well that transported you five hundred years to the past. And that that's where I grew up." Kagome's eyes went wide and she got ready to punch him in the face. But she stopped when he started laughing. "Relax. I just said you fell in love with my brother and went to live with him. But he lives in another area and you couldn't come home very often."
"Don't ever do that to me again. You scared me! But how do you keep it a secret from them? Isn't it hard?"
Inuyasha shook his head. "I've learned that if I keep my ears flat they won't notice them. It won't work for you though, since you're so much shorter than I am."
She shrugged. "I won't be here for very long. And I don't want to meet them. It just wouldn't be a good idea."
I heard a door open upstairs and Sota came running down. When he saw me talking with Inuyasha, he suddenly froze. "Crap!" And then he ran back upstairs. "Mom! She found out! And the house hasn't been destroyed yet!"
"It's a miracle!"
Both of them laughed, and Kagome leaned down to embrace Inuyasha. "We're good?" he asked, thinking he knew the answer.
She nodded, but then whispered in his ear, "If you break Ayumi's heart, you're dead." He turned about ten different shades of red, but nodded in agreement. I was glad though, that he had started dating the most romantic of my friends. She deserved some happiness. And so did he.
Kagome's mom came rushing down the stairs. "Alright, Kagome. We've got two days to organize things, and I really think we can do it!"
Her heart began to sink. "Do what?"
"Plan your wedding of course!"
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