The car pulled away, from the shrine as Kagome waived to Jakken. (Not to Sesshomaru as she knew he wouldn't notice or care.) She only lived a few miles from school but it had taken over four and a half hours for Sesshomaru to find the time in his busy schedule to actually take her home. They had made numerous stops all over the city and even went to Sesshomaru's mansion in Matsudo in west Chiba. Even though most of her homework was done (in the car), Kagome was still worried about getting to bed on time. She needed to study for her Biology test and her notes were at home on her desk.

"I'm home" She called as she walked through the door.

Kagome slipped her shoes off, put her slippers on and walked into her oddly quiet home.

"Hello?"

She walked into the kitchen expecting to at least see her mother finishing dinner, instead she found a not.

Dear Kagome

Your grandfather won a week's vacation at an onsen in Hokkaido. There were only three tickets and since you're so behind in your studies we all decided to go on ahead and give you some quiet to work.

Love Mama

Kagome groaned, a week of having to put up with Sesshomaru forcefully chauffeuring her and she didn't even have the comfort of her mother's cooking to come home to. It was almost eight pm and Kagome still had a lot of studying to do. She sighed and headed upstairs to take a bath. There was no way she would be able to concentrate, at least not before a good, hot soak.

It was over an hour later that Kagome dried off and put on her robe, she hadn't meant to spend that long in the bath but she was still weak from the attack and the hot water helped her aching muscles. She didn't want to study, in fact she was considering going to sleep and skipping school the next day. If her family got to relax why couldn't she? Besides, it wasn't as if she had actually been truant all of those days, she was in the past, fighting demons and most likely saving the lives of her classmates ancestors.

Of course, Kagome knew she wouldn't skip school, she was too far behind. She walked into her room, her biology notes were on the desk and she needed to study.

"Hello Kagome."

Kagome gasped, a tall red-haired, four tailed fox demon was sitting in her desk chair waiting for her. She didn't have her bow; she didn't have any way to protect herself. Kagome turned around and ran from the room.

"Kagome wait!" the demon called after her.

She ignored him and ran towards the stairs; if she could just make it outside to the main shrine she could put up a barrier and be safe.

"Kagome stop!" The demon ordered as he materialized in front of her and grabbed her hands. "It's me! It's Shippo!"

"Shippo!"

Kagome couldn't believe it, Shippo was still alive? She looked at his face, studying his features to make sure. It was! It was her Shippo!

"Shippo!" she cried as she threw her arms around the now grown fox demon.

Shippo returned the hug, he was now a powerful demon lord and such acts of affections were usually seen as weakness; but he didn't care.

"Oh Kagome," he said pulling away from her "I'm so sorry, it's all my fault."

"What do you mean?" Kagome answered, looking confused "What's your fault?"

"You losing Inuyasha is all my fault. I tried to find you before it all happened, but I couldn't tell you too soon, it would affect the past, so I waited but I waited too long."

"Find me? Why would you need to find me?"

"To tell you not purify the Shikon jewel in the past, I wanted you and Inuyasha to be together, but I was too late. I'm so sorry."

"No," Kagome said feeling responsible for her friend's guilt "No Shippo, it's not your fault. Something similar may have happened, Inuyasha and I just weren't meant to be. I've started to come to terms with it, and Sesshomaru has been watching over me just like Inuyasha asked. Even today he's protecting me. He'll always be with me."

"Sesshomaru? Kagome, whatever you do, don't trust a word he says."

"Why?"

"Because," Shippo said "Inuyasha didn't die of natural causes; it was Sesshomaru."

"What?" Kagome said in disbelief "No, Inuyasha asked Sesshomaru to take care of me on his death bed."

"No, he didn't. Inuyasha was sick, so I left to find help. I had come across a way to make him a hanyou again so he could live long enough to be with you, but when I got back Sesshomaru was there with his claw in Inuyasha's chest."

(A/N: Did he really kill Inuyasha? Is Shippo lying? Only I know! I hope all of you are enjoying this story and please tell me if you do! I love hearing reviews on my stories, they make my day!)