AN: Firstly, all characters are the intellectual property of Rumiko Takashi. I disclaim all rights to the characters, InuYasha the anime or manga and any and all other works of fiction that are referenced in any way, shape or form in this story. There are a lot ;)
This is a canon divergence wherein Kagome never returned after wishing the jewel away. This had also been intended as nothing more than a short oneshot, but it got away from me and ran. Because of this, some chapters vary in length, but it felt right splitting it all up where I did. There might be an epilogue if inspiration so strikes me. Anyways, enjoy!
It had taken every ounce of her sanity and the span of more years than she was proud to admit before Kagome was able to come to terms with the closing of the well.
At first, she had thrown herself into her studies, distracting herself from her grief with school and the friends she had gradually lost contact with. For three years she toiled as any normal high school girl would, with only the odd fitful sleep to remind her of her life beyond.
In gaining her diploma, however, she lost her purpose. And with it went her ability to distract herself. She often found herself aimlessly standing by the well, gripping the decaying wood, calling out to the past, wishing to be with InuYasha and the rest. But the spark never came back to the portal.
She stopped wandering over to the well house, she stopped wandering all together. Every step she took, everything she did, triggered one memory or the other, each too painful to remember with the possibility for a reunion taken from her.
Her mother suggested therapy, but she scoffed at the idea. If she told anyone about the root of her sadness, they'd lock her up indefinitely. And at the same time, she couldn't bear to spin a tale that was more believable, because that wouldn't do anyone justice, in the present nor the past.
So, Kagome kept to the house. And later, to her room. And in the end, she kept to her bed, exclusively getting up to get some food or to relieve herself. One by one, the friendships she had rebuilt dwindled, until even Hojo wouldn't venture up the shrine steps anymore.
Then, one day, her mother had had enough. Without talking, she gently, but ever so firmly, guided her daughter to the bath. And with her little girl soaking in the bathwater, she started to comb her hair. And with her mother teasing out the knots in her matted locks, Kagome began to cry.
It took some more time and a lot more tender firmness from her mother, but eventually Kagome found her new purpose. She started doing volunteer work, signing up for various projects around the shrine. This eventually led her to working for an organization dedicating itself to supporting children with cancer and their families. They had various programs, and after dabbling in all of them Kagome decided to dedicate herself to the hospital facility dog team. They trained service dogs to specifically support the care of the pediatric patients.
Starting out as a volunteer, she worked her way up and after some time was able to support herself with a reasonable salary. This in turn enabled her to rent a small apartment. It was old, moldy and overshadowed by fancy highrises, but it came fully furnished and allowed her tranquility that she didn't feel at the shrine anymore. She still had her relapses, where she would sequester herself from time to time, but her new duty would drag her out of hiding after a few days.
And so it was, that ten years, three months and twelve days after she fell down the well, Kagome found herself on her small balcony, standing tall.