A1969: thanks to those who decided to review!
Miroku: she appreciates it…a lot.
Sango: you can say that again.
A1969: anyway, I don't own the show or any of its characters…I do own the OC's…and the plot…definitely own the plot!
Chapter Twenty-nine: Reunited
XoXoXo
Helen was sitting on her bed. Her knees were drawn up to her chin and her arms were wrapped snugly round her knees. She didn't know how long she had been sitting there like that; it might have been minutes or even hours…
There was a soft knock on her door. "Helen?" her mother's voice called out. Without bothering to wait for a reply, the door opened and her mother walked in. She was holding a tray in her hands. "You didn't come down for dinner…So I thought I should just bring some to you instead." She held out the tray to Helen. There was a bowl of cream of mushroom soup, a glass of juice, a plate of rice and some chicken.
"No thank you," Helen said, with a shake of her head. She leaned her head on her knees and sighed again.
Her mother sat on the bed next to her. "Are you sick, dear?" she asked, placing a hand on her child's forehead.
Helen gently pulled away from her mother's touch. "No…It's just…I'm so confused."
"You know you can always tell me anything, Helen," her mother reassured, placing an arm around her daughter's shoulders. "Tell me…What is your problem?"
Helen hesitated for a moment, wondering if she should tell her mother the truth. She decided that she would. "Well…it's…do you remember that guy, Sesshoumaru?" she asked softly. Her mother nodded. "Well…I…" her voice trailed off and Hsia sensed that it was hard for her daughter to admit it.
"You love him?" her mother asked.
Helen looked at her, blushed then nodded. "Y—yes," she stuttered. "But…he…loves someone else…In fact…that was the main reason why I came back."
"Go on," Hsia said when Helen paused.
Helen sighed. Talking about it all would be painful. It was hard enough to admit to herself that Sesshoumaru liked someone else…it was even harder to stomach the fact that he and Kagura were probably married by now.
"Well…I'm confused because a part of me wants to stay away," Helen said slowly. "And another part of me…wants to be with him despite the fact that…" she sighed and didn't finish her sentence. She felt the tears slowly brimming in her eyes. She wanted to be with him! She wanted to see him again. She didn't care if he loved Kagura…She just wanted to see him again…
She felt her mother draw her close so her head leaned on her mother's shoulders. "Helen," Hsia said slowly as Helen let out the tears. "It's alright…That's how you feel when you're in love. Do you know what I always told you whenever you had any problems? You should face them instead of hiding away."
Helen looked up at her mother with red-rimmed eyes. "But…I can't face him," she said softly. "But, mom…I want to…I want to see him again…Even though it'll hurt."
Hsia gave her a small smile. "You should talk to him," she said.
"I'm afraid, mom," Helen admitted, feeling sheepish. "I don't want to get hurt."
"Helen," her mother said softly. "In life, you always get hurt…It's something that we humans have to live with…Even though you're not human, I'm sure demons feel pain too. It's always there…some think there's nothing we can do about it but…"—she smiled—"they're wrong. There is something we can do about it. We face it. We face the pain and the hurt."
Hsia cupped her daughter's face in her hands and gently wiped the tears from her face. "Helen…you know that running away from your problems can never solve them."
Helen smiled. "I know, mom," she said. She paused for a moment, her thoughts swirling in her mind. Her mother was right. Suddenly, she didn't want to hide from him anymore. She wanted to see him again.
"So," her mother said, with a smile. "Should I help you pack?"
"Thanks mom."
XoXoXo
Sesshoumaru frowned to himself as he watched Rin annoying Jaken as was her wont. Jaken was saying something and Rin insisted on doing something Jaken didn't want to do—making wreaths of flowers. He turned his gaze away from them both and stared up at the sky, thinking about what Toshimaru had said earlier. His cousin had said that Lady Shinsuke and his mother had decided to call off his and Helen's betrothal. It made sense to do so.
He sighed, something he rarely did. He and Helen were no longer fated to marry; the idea should have pleased him, but somehow it didn't. He didn't know why. And it frustrated him. He stood up. "Jaken," he called out.
"Yes milord?" Jaken said with delight as he threw one of Rin's wreaths away and scurried over to his lord.
"Watch over Rin," he said and turned on his heel and walked off.
Rin and Jaken watched him go. "Master Jaken…have you noticed that Lord Sesshoumaru has been leaving more often since Helen-san left?" she asked.
Jaken sighed and nodded his head in agreement.
XoXoXo
Lady Shinsuke lifted the small cup to her lips, blew and took a small sip of the scalding tea. She sighed. "Penny for your thoughts, milady?" Chihiro asked. During all the time that she had served Lady Shinsuke, she had become more than a maid. She been a confidant, someone Shinsuke could trust with her troubles and woes. She had become more than head maid, she had become a friend.
Shinsuke looked up at Chihiro. The maid was standing in a corner of the room. They were in the room just above the garden which meant that the gentle breeze and sweet smell of flowers easily filled their senses.
"I was thinking about my daughter," Shinsuke said softly, placing her tea cup down. "I was wondering if I would see her again."
"Milady…you could go to the present," Chihiro suggested cautiously. Many knew how reluctant Shinsuke was to take advice.
Shinsuke gave her a small smile. "Ah, if only it were that simple," she said, her gaze looking out of the window. She could make out the tops of the trees in the garden. She thought about what she and Takeida had discussed. The two of them had unanimously agreed to call off their children's betrothal, thinking that it had been for the best. Takeida had seemed reluctant but she had agreed, in the end.
The door to the room slid open and one of the maids beckoned to Chihiro. Shinsuke listened to their whispers and wondered what they were whispering about. Chihiro returned to the room and bowed from the waist.
"Milady," she said. "Lord Sesshoumaru wishes to see you."
Shinsuke raised a delicate eyebrow. "Does he, now?" she asked. "Send him in, then."
Sesshoumaru entered the room. He knelt on one of the many satin cushions that women so favored and bowed to Lady Shinsuke.
"What brings you here?" Shinsuke asked as Chihiro offered them another tray of tea.
"A question," Sesshoumaru replied. He wondered how he should ask it. "I have heard from Toshimaru"—he didn't bother to use the honorific—"that you and my mother have agreed to…cancel my betrothal to your daughter."
Shinsuke's eyebrows shot up surprise. She didn't expect him to come all the way just to ask a question like that. Sesshoumaru inwardly berated himself for bothering to ask. He watched as Lady Shinsuke gave him a calculating look and he hated it.
"That wasn't a question," Shinsuke said as she raised her cup of tea to her lips. She gave him a small, mysterious smile. "But, yes, we thought it best."
"You did now, did you?"
"Now that is a question," Shinsuke said with slight amusement. "But yes, we really did think it best. After all, you are obviously infatuated with another and Helen…" Her voice trailed off and she frowned. She remembered her daughter's confession to her—that she loved the youkai lord. Shinsuke sighed. All this time, she blamed herself for what happened between them. If she didn't hide Helen away, then maybe she would have gotten to know Sesshoumaru and they wouldn't be in this little situation right now…
She looked at Sesshoumaru. He was staring at the treetops that were visible from the window. "Why do ask?" Shinsuke asked quietly.
Sesshoumaru's eyes snapped to hers. "I merely wished to verify Toshimaru's words," he said. He stood up and bowed to her, something he rarely did. "I must leave now," he said. "It is getting late and I cannot entirely trust Jaken with my ward's wellbeing."
XoXoXo
"Aren't you sleepy yet?" Inuyasha asked Kagome.
The young miko looked up at him from the algebra book she had been studying. She had a major test tomorrow that accounted for a quarter of her final grade. She had begged, pleaded and asked Inuyasha to allow her to return to her time for at least three days. Inuyasha had protested but, in the end, (with a few good threats and shouts from Kagome and some prodding from Sang) the hanyou relented reluctantly.
Kagome shook her head. She was reading by the light of the campfire. Inuyasha was perched high above the tree they were camping underneath and Sango was sleeping next to her in the extra sleeping bag that Kagome had brought for Sango.
"I have to study," she said, looking up at Inuyasha.
The hanyou jumped down so that he landed next to her. "Jeez," he said as he peered at the book Kagome was studying. "Why do you have to learn all those mumbo jumbo anyway? I mean"—he pried the book from Kagome's grasp—"what kind of spells can you produce with these x's and y's?" He looked at her enquiringly.
Kagome gently took the book back. She knew that Inuyasha was interested in her studies but, of course, he pretended that he wasn't. "These aren't spells, Inuyasha," Kagome said as she buried her face in her algebra book. "These are mathematical computations that can be used to find the value of an unknown factor."
Inuyasha looked at her, not knowing what she was talking about. "Can you use these 'computations' to defeat Naraku?" Inuyasha asked hopefully.
Kagome gave him a look. She returned her algebra book to her bag and took out her English book. She wasn't particularly good with the subject—she still had a hard time with it. "What's that now?" Inuyasha asked, trying to hide the interest in his voice.
"This is English," Kagome said.
"What's 'Engrish'?" Inuyasha asked, with all innocence.
"It's another language," Kagome explained. "We have to learn it because it's somewhat universally used around the world in my time."
"Another language?" Inuyasha asked. "Could you teach me?"
Kagome looked at him, feeling slightly astonished that he would humble himself in this way. She smiled at him. "Of course…after my tests," she said. "Anyway, why do you wanna learn it?"
Inuyasha shrugged. "Because…I figured that if we learned this 'Engrish', then Naraku won't know what we're planning and saying even if he's spying on us…mind you, with his scent and aura gone, he could be in those very bushes, listening to what we're saying and we wouldn't be none the wiser."
Kagome looked at him. Inuyasha had a point. So many times their plans had faltered and failed because Naraku had been spying on them via Kanna's wretched mirror. Now that she thought about it, it would probably do them all good to learn the language.
"Gee…that's smart, Inuyasha," Kagome said. "I didn't know you could think like that"—Inuyasha gave her an angry and annoyed comical look—"but you know what? I'll teach you. I'll teach Sango and Miroku too. That way, we don't have to worry about Naraku spying on us."
"What did you mean by you didn't know that I could think like that?" Inuyasha snapped.
"Huh?" Kagome asked.
"Do you think I'm stupid?" the hanyou asked.
"Did I say that?"
"You sounded like it!"
Kagome switched to English. "Oh, shut up."
Inuyasha looked bewildered. "Dammit," he muttered, not understanding her.
XoXoXo
Sesshoumaru returned that night to find Rin and Jaken both awake, eagerly expecting him since they were wondering whether or not he would merely check up on them and run off again. He looked at Rin who greeted him. "Sleep, Rin," he ordered. "We are leaving early tomorrow."
"We're leaving without the girl, Sesshoumaru-sama?" Jaken asked, unaware of the effect this had on his lord.
"Don't mention that girl," Sesshoumaru—unbelievably—snapped.
Jaken hastily bowed. "I—I'm sorry if I offended you, milord!" he said hurriedly. "I didn't mean—!" Before the luckless toad could finish his sentence, Sesshoumaru aimed a well-placed kick which sent him flying into the trees.
Sesshoumaru sat down opposite them and began his usual brooding. Jaken silently crept beside Rin, who was now leaning against Ah-Un. "Rin," he said quietly, his voice so low that Rin had to lean in to hear him. "This is the first time I've seen Sesshoumaru-sama loose his temper." There had been many occasions when his master lost his temper but he usually kept a cool and calm manner; now, however, was quiet different.
Rin nodded her head in agreement.
XoXoXo
Dawn slowly crept over the horizon, waking those who were asleep and bothering those who were awake. Sesshoumaru was part of the latter. He—as always—did not sleep. He sighed and looked up at the stars that were slowly fading out of existence. An hour or so from now, he would have to order Jaken to wake Rin and then they would leave to search for Naraku…
He scowled to himself. Why was it that he couldn't get that wretched girl out of his head? No romantic notions surrounded her, he knew that. Still, he didn't want to leave without talking to her…
Did he miss her? No, he was quite sure. And yet that nagging feeling still remained, clawing at him as though determined to bully him.
As if he could be bullied.
He sighed again. That persisting feeling still remained and this displeased him to the utmost. This was the reason why he had locked away his emotions behind a dam of cold indifference. Emotions made him weak and they distracted him. Several times he wished that he had been born without them and he—though he wouldn't admit it out loud—marveled at Kanna's ability to keep total and absolute control over her emotions.
The fact that the blasted girl had left without telling him was what annoyed him. He didn't mind her leaving, no he didn't. She should have at least told him.
To the east, he could make out the sun as it slowly started to peak over the mountains like some insecure being. He glanced at Rin and Jaken both of whom were still asleep. Jaken was snoring and with every exhalation, a snot bubble popped while Rin was sleeping comfortably beside Jaken, looking innocent and—truth be told—like a little angel.
It didn't look as if they were going to wake up yet.
He stood up. He would go back to the present, he decided. He wouldn't go to Kagome. He would go to her brother. The little boy knew how to use a telephone or whatever that was. This in mind, he quietly left the clearing.
After he talked to her, surely, the nagging feeling would go away?
He hoped so.
XoXoXo
"Kagome," Inuyasha said as he gently shook Kagome awake. "Wake up, woman."
Kagome muttered something unintelligible and resumed sleeping, holding a sleeping Shippou in her arms. "Kagome," Inuyasha persisted, shaking her harder.
"Mmm," Kagome muttered.
"Wake up woman!" the hanyou finally half-shouted.
Kagome's eyes snapped awake and met Inuyasha's amber orbs. "Sit!" she said automatically when she found him leaning over her.
The loud crash and the stream of curses awoke Sango and Miroku who both sat up, wide awake. "Sheesh, Inuyasha," Sango said with an annoyed look. "Do you have to go and make all this racket this early in the morning?"
Kagome yawned as Inuyasha sat up with an enraged-annoyed look in his eyes. "What was that for, Kagome?!" Inuyasha bellowed, waking Shippou.
"Why did wake me?" the priestess asked.
"Idiot! Didn't you say you have one of those important eggs-hams today?" he snapped.
Kagome's eyes widened as she remembered. "What? Eggs-hams? Oh, right! My exams are today!" She immediately stood up with such speed that Inuyasha could barely follow her with his eyes. She looked at Inuyasha and was silently bewildered that he woke her to remind her of her obligations as a student.
"Come on, Inuyasha!" Kagome said as she grabbed his wrist. "If I'm lucky, I can get home, take a bath, change, eat and study and maybe even get to school on time!" Before Inuyasha could even protest, Kagome dragged him out of their camp, towards Kaede's village which was not so far away.
Miroku and Sango looked at each other. "She sure was in a hurry," the monk commented.
XoXoXo
"Kagome get on my back," Inuyasha said as he stopped. Kaede's village was not so far away but still, it would be quicker if Kagome rode on his back.
Kagome, who was panting, looked at him gratefully. "Thanks," she said as she mounted his back. Without further ado, they were off. The cool morning wind whipped through Kagome's hair, making her momentarily forget her problems and the slight drowsiness that remained in her eyes.
She glanced up at the sun which was now high above the mountains but still low in the sky. "It must be around six," she muttered. She suddenly felt Inuyasha tense beneath her. "What is it?" she asked as he increased his speed.
"Sesshoumaru's headed in the direction of the well," the hanyou muttered.
"This early?" Kagome asked with slight astonishment. "I wonder what he wants…If he wanted to talk about Helen, surely, he would have told us."
Inuyasha didn't answer as he leaped over a few trees, increasing his speed.
XoXoXo
What was he doing?
Sesshoumaru stared at the well's dark depths and wondered if he should do this or not. It would be foolish to waste his time trying to talk to Helen, which, like yesterday's attempt, would be futile. In the distance, he could make out the faint scent of his brother. It seems as if he wasn't the only one who had planned an early morning excursion.
He frowned. Knowing his hot-head brother, Inuyasha would probably, pull out Tessaiga and instead of a morning greeting, the hanyou would bellow that he explain his reasons for being at the well at this time of the morning.
Not wanting to confront his brother at this time, he jumped into the well. Blue light enveloped him and a second later he found himself in the modern era. He didn't immediately jump out of the well. He wondered, for a brief moment, if he should just jump back in and return to the Feudal Era. But no, the nagging feeling still persisted; he reasoned if he could just talk to her, then the nagging feeling would go away, right?
This in mind, he easily cleared the well in one elegant jump and landed right on the creaky steps.
A familiar melody suddenly reached his ears and it was coming from outside. His eyebrows shot up in surprise. That music…he had heard it before. It was a sweet melody, pleasing to the senses. It was almost with eagerness that he slid the door open and stepped out of the well shrine. Light from the early morning sun greeted his eyes, making him blink. Still, he heard the music. When his eyes slowly adjusted to the light, his gaze rested on the source of the melody.
She was sitting on the stone bench beneath the Sacred Tree. She caressed her instrument as she tenderly played it, moving the bow of her violin with a certain grace that gave one the impression that she was playing underwater. She seemed to be thinking. Her eyes had a faraway look in them and he saw that her loose curls gently caressed her neck and shoulders. She didn't seem to notice him; she was lost in the music.
He stepped out of the Well Shrine. "Helen," he whispered.
XoXoXo
Helen had certainly given her aunt quite a shock when she showed up early in the morning. Her aunt had not been displeased—in fact, she seemed more than delighted to find her niece back in Japan. Aunt Higurashi had suggested that she rest before she venture forth into the Feudal Era, but Helen had so politely declined saying that she should go. So—after unpacking and doing some of the useless trifles that came with traveling from abroad—she decided to go the Feudal Era. Now.
That wasn't the case, however. The moment she had taken a few tentative steps towards the Well Shrine, she had stopped in her tracks. The thought of seeing him again filled her with slight dread, anxiety and excitement. And so, thinking that she needed some sort of diversion from the butterflies in her stomach that demanded her attention, she had decided to sit underneath the Sacred Tree, playing her violin and thinking about what she would say to him.
She failed to realize that the door to the Well Shrine had so subtly slid open. She suddenly became aware of someone watching her. She heard someone whisper her name…
She spun around on the stone bench. Her lips parted in surprise and her eyebrows rose. Sesshoumaru was staring at her; there was a look of surprise in his eyes. She stopped playing and placed her violin on the stone bench. She stood up and looked at him. So many emotions surged through her. She felt happy to see him again yet quite nervous.
Sesshoumaru, she thought. What is he doing here? I…didn't expect to see him so soon…
Sesshoumaru seemed to have been thinking the same thing. The moment he had heard the music she played, he knew then that she was the one playing. But still, he couldn't believe that she was here…that she had returned…
There was a long silence between them.
XoXoXo
Inuyasha and Kagome arrived at the clearing where the well was to find it Sesshoumaru-free. "He isn't here," Inuyasha muttered. He approached the well and sniffed the air. "He was definitely here, though. And it looks as if he's gone through…His scent stops here."
Kagome nodded. "C'mon, then," she said. She and Inuyasha jumped into well and soon found themselves in the modern era.
"He's definitely here," Inuyasha said, jumping out of the well with Kagome on his back and sniffing the air. He sniffed again. There was another scent. A scent of vanilla and wild violets…
"Helen's scent," Inuyasha said softly. "She's here."
Kagome looked at him. Without another word, she and Inuyasha ascended the steps to find the door to the shrine partly open. Just beyond, Kagome could see…Yes, it was Helen. She and Sesshoumaru were staring at each other as if they had just met for the first time. Inuyasha was about to step out of the shrine when Kagome stopped him.
"What?" he asked.
"Let's leave them alone and see what happens," Kagome said as she peeked between the gap in the partly open door.
XoXoXo
Helen and Sesshoumaru continued to stare at each other, as if hardly daring to believe the other was real. Sesshoumaru snapped out of the momentary stupor. "So," he said quietly, his eyes locked on hers. "You have returned."
The sound of his voice made Helen snap out of her reverie. She tried very hard not to cry with the happiness that seemed to flood her. "Yes," she said quietly as the wind rustled between them. "I…I've come back." Don't stutter, she told herself. She gave him a small smile. I'm not prepared to see him so soon! I thought Inuyasha and Kagome were the first ones I'd run into! I…didn't expect to see him…
He looked quietly at her. He didn't realize that he had actually missed her company, didn't realize that he missed the times when they snapped at each other; he had actually missed the times when she would do everything in her power to annoy or disobey any of his orders…
"Why?" he asked as he took a step towards her. "Why have you returned?"
She smiled at him. "Why do you ask?"
"I don't care," he said. "I'm just curious."
Her smile faltered for a moment. She seemed to be thinking. "I…I missed everyone," she said very quietly. She looked at his eyes.
"Everyone?" he asked.
Helen looked at him and smiled, her lovely blue eyes sparkling in the early morning sunlight. "Yes," she said softly. "Everyone"—her eyes suddenly locked on his—"I missed my mother…I missed the way Lady Takeida orders everyone around…I missed Kagome, Inuyasha and his hotheadedness; Sango…I even miss Miroku's antics! Then there's Shippou and Kirara…And I also missed Toshimaru"—an annoyed look suddenly came into Sesshoumaru's eyes—"I missed Rin a lot…I even missed Jaken! And I miss…"
Her voice trailed off and she didn't bother to finish. She was about to say that she missed him the most, but thought better of it. Sesshoumaru looked at her, noticing that she didn't include him among those whom she missed. And much to his chagrin, it annoyed him.
He took another step towards her. "Why did you leave?" he asked the question that Helen had been dreading.
She considered him for a moment and remembered the reason why she had left. She had left because she had seen how happy he was with someone else, and she remembered the emotional pain that came along with it. "Why?" she asked softly. "Because…I didn't think that you…wanted me around…I didn't think that you…needed me."
He looked at her. He could have shaken her hard. That was her only basis for leaving him? Humans were fickle. "I see," he said, still staring at her. "I wouldn't have stopped you but…you did not say that you were leaving."
She looked at him and smiled sadly. He minded that she didn't say goodbye? "But you have returned," he went on.
"I told you," she said quietly. "I missed everyone…and…I wanted…to…congratulate you…"
He raised his eyebrows at her, not knowing what she was talking about. "What do you mean?"
She looked up at him, suddenly going red. "I mean…surely, by now…you and Kagura…" Once again, her voice trailed off and she did not finish.
"Kagura and I are no more," he said flatly.
Helen looked at him, her eyebrows raised, her lips parted slightly in surprise. They weren't married? Helen gave herself a mental kick for being so foolish. Still, amidst the embarrassment that filled her, she felt—there was no denying it—relieved.
"Oh," she said simply.
Silence reigned between them once again. She looked at him and suddenly realized how much she had missed him, how much she had gone through and, much to her annoyance, tears sprang to her eyes, unbidden and unwanted. She was happy to see him again so happy that…she didn't stop the tears from falling.
Sesshoumaru looked at her, wondering why she was crying. But he saw that she was not in tears because she was sad, she was crying because she was happy. He had never seen anyone cry when they were happy before.
Helen noted that the silence seemed to stretch before them. I missed him so much, she thought. I didn't realize how much I missed him…
And before she could stop herself, she ran to him and wrapped her arms around him. Sesshoumaru's eyebrows shot up in surprise. What was she doing? Why was she holding him? A part of him wanted to push her away but the other part—the part that shocked him the most—wanted to wrap his arms around her and hold her tightly against him. That part of him wanted to inhale her sweet scent and run his clawed hands through her loose curls, to feel their silken softness as her hair slid through his fingers. He was surprised to find that there was a part of him that held such feelings.
He listened to the latter part. He slowly wound his arms around her waist and drew her close to him. He gave in to temptation and ran his claws through her hair, inhaling her sweet scent of vanilla and wild violets, both pleasing to his senses. He leaned his chin on top of her head and sighed as the wind slowly blew around them.
Helen blushed when she felt his arms go around her waist. She closed her eyes and felt the warmth of his embrace. She looked up at him. He was looking down at her. And once more he gave into temptation and slowly leaned his face to hers…
"DISGUSTING!" a voice shouted from the Well Shrine.
Sesshoumaru automatically pulled away from Helen who had been thinking along the same lines and let go of him at the same time that he let go of her. Sesshoumaru spun around just as a loud "SIT!" erupted throughout the entire Shrine.
Kagome and Inuyasha were clearly visible through the open gap of the sliding doors of the Well Shrine. Inuyasha's face was close to the floor that one could say that his face had become one with the aged wood.
The miko was towering over Inuyasha, comical fury written in her eyes and said, with comical fury in her voice as well, "You ruined the moment!"
XoXoXo
A1969: Yay! I'm done!
Sango: about time.
A1969: sorry for the rather long wait…unlucky computer caught a virus.
Miroku: review please! -kneels- please review, otherwise she's gonna kill me!