Deceitful Time
Chapter Twenty-Six: Destination

"Oh," Chiyoko sang as she tilted her head side to side while her violet eyes wondered all over the Inuyasha that sat next to Kagome upon the couch. She had heard the entire story out, from the time traveling through the well to the burning of the hut, her face was beautifully blank for a long while before her smile reappeared as she slid from the chair that was positioned across from the couch and knelt down in front of Inuyasha, letting her hands slide up his legs, "the younger, half-demon version of Inuyasha, hm? You are cute. Did Kagome tell you how we will get married?"

"Chiyoko," Kagome scolded as she shooed her away with a wave of her hands, "leave him alone."

"M… Married?" Inuyasha gawked, "that Shiro guy married this girl and you like him best?" He snickered as he pointed to Chiyoko with his thumb and turned to glare at Kagome.

It hurt her a little to hear him say that, 'you like him best', was that true? She just frowned and looked away, "Inuyasha…"

"We wed so that he could become the ruler of Japan," Chiyoko assured as she sat back down in her chair and straightened out her elegant silk kimono, "you are just too precious, look at those little ears of yours. I love you! You are just too adorable, anata!"

"This lady is weird," Inuyasha grumbled as he pulled Kagome closer as if to use her as a shield to keep the gleaming Chiyoko away.

"Chiyoko, remember the whole point of this?" Kagome sighed, "where is Inuyasha-Shiro? Is he OK? Can you get a hold of him? Is he…?"

"Is he…?" Chiyoko couldn't help but taunt, the dismal dread that etched itself into Kagome's face gave her a bit of a thrill, "I do not know where he has gone. I will call him, if you would like?"

"Please," she sped with a bow of her head, "thank you."

"Hold, please," she requested with a lift of her hand as she leaned over to pick up her antique, graceful phone and turn the numbers until she had the right series. She swirled a loose strand of her silver hair as her eyes danced about the still cowering cutie behind Kagome. How amusing it was, she was sure that Inuyasha had mentioned something about time travel and a well to her throughout all their years together to try and explain why he knew a girl from the future yet she simply thought he was talking out of his temporary insanity from his massive lack of sleep since once she eased his mind he never spoke of it again… well, he probably forgot. "Anata, what are you doing ignoring my calls?" She frowned, "you have your pet worried a great deal. At least call me. Did you go to Hokkaido?" She seemed to have a gleam in her eyes at that suggestion, "I bet you did. You went to visit with Akiko, tell her I say hello."

"You think… he went to Hokkaido, then? And he's OK?" Kagome murmured after Chiyoko hung up.

"Of course, he is the strongest in all of Japan, what could happen to him?" She mused back as she crossed her legs and leaned back into her seat, "he is a very sensitive one, though he'd never show it. He cares a great deal about you, for you to accuse him of such a crime must have hurt him a great deal. He will reappear when he has licked his wounds."

"I…" she sighed, how could she say she did not intend to do that?

"I will call Akiko," she declared as she picked up her phone again and turned the dial until she had the right numbers, "hello, Akiko, it is me… yes, I miss you as well… is Inuyasha there?... No? Huh, I was sure he was… apparently he's missing… yes, yes, I know, but his pet is worried… if he comes by will you call?... thank you, sayonara."

"No… No Inuyasha?"

"Enchantress, Hokkaido is not close, it will take him a while, and he always takes the train instead of a plane. He is probably planning to surprise Akiko," she shrugged, "leave me your number and I will call you if I hear anything."

"Are you sure—?"

"Enchantress," Chiyoko cut her off swiftly, "Inuyasha is a full blood demon and was the ambassador of Japan for over a hundred and fifty years. He is not a child. He is fine. No one I have ever come across could possibly be a threat to him."

"But… he… that Ohachi guy…"

"He hasn't any inclination to hurt Inuyasha, now scurry along," she waved her hand towards the door, "and he will appear once he feels like it. He has disappeared for years at a time, it is a very Inuyasha-trait."

"Alright," she muttered as she stood up, Inuyasha following suit, she bowed her head respectfully before they headed to the door to put back on their shoes only to be ambushed by Mimiko leaping on to Inuyasha's back and pulling on his ears.

"Hey!" He shouted as he tried to grasp the little imp that ran behind Kagome.

"Inuyasha! You never told me you used to be a half-demon!" Mimiko awed, "you and me are the same!"

"Yeah," he grunted, "sure, now get out of the way. We're leavin'."

"Kagome," Mimiko whined as she pulled on her brown jacket, "he is mean to me."

"Inuyasha," she sighed, "please be nice."

"Are you going to look for Inuyasha again?"

Kagome just shook her head, it would be useless, probably… if he didn't want to be found he wouldn't be found. It was as easy as that… probably. Mimiko just frowned and nodded, "I hope you two break up."

Her jaw dropped at that, "wh-what?"

"I wanna date Inuyasha," she squealed before she scurried off.

"He's really popular with the ladies," Kagome muttered, "you should feel special."

"I'm not him," he grunted before they left.

{xoxoxoxoxo}

"Fucking leave already!" Takeo demanded as he slammed his fists upon the table, his blue blazing eyes locked onto the lazily man that was staring ever so dully at him.

"I'm helping you, you should thank me," Shiro retorted as he flicked another piece of popcorn into his mouth as he rested his cheek upon his fist, ignoring the vibration of his phone in his pocket. It was probably just Kagome again and he did not feel like dealing with that whatsoever. "You think this is how I want to spend my day? Instructing you on how to take over?"

"Fucking leave then!" He repeated with a deep growl, "I got this under control. Ohachi already told me all the rules about a billion times. Scat, you damn dog."

"Not happening," he muttered in the same bored tone as he took some of the popcorn and began to flick it in Takeo's direction, smacking him in right in the middle of the head—it was the first time he smirked since he got there.

"You stupid bastard!" Takeo shrieked as he stood up and stomped his feet before he mocked, "what about that little sex pistol of yours? Ain't she going to miss ya' while you are 'instructing' me?"

"She's fine," he grumbled as his gaze flickered from Takeo to the city lit night outside the window.

"Aw, relationship woes? Now that explains what'cha are doing here," he chuckled as he sat back down and crossed his legs upon the table, "hiding? You screwed another woman and she caught ya'?"

"Yeah, that's what happened," Shiro ridiculed, "I'm not talking about this with you. You do know you have to be able to be personable with other ambassadors, right? How many languages can you speak? I know you can at least speak English but—"

"I hate the term 'ambassador' it sounds so pussy-footed, the unofficial name is ruler after all and that's pretty much what we do."

"No," Shiro groaned as he slammed his head to the table, "that's… wrong. You fail. We're doomed."

"Shut the fuck up," Takeo grunted, "you want me to kick you out of here?"

"Look, your job is to keep all demons below human radar, to keep Japan and all the demons that reside here in the good grace of every other country so that we can move around boarders freely, and—"

"Whatever," he grumbled, "let's talk about you, whatever sexy woman, and that little school girl—"

"There was no other woman, nothing's wrong, back the fuck off," he growled back as he folded his arms and rested his head upon them to close his eyes.

"Oh," Takeo nodded, "that makes sense… she's a human, she figured out she could do better, eh?"

"Takeo!" He shouted as he jumped to his feet and slammed his hands upon the table almost enough to break it, "how the fuck would she find better than me, huh!? I'm rich! I'm good looking! I'm strong! I'm the best she'll ever have in bed! Where would she find a better man than me? I never age, either!"

"Jesus Christ," Takeo cursed while he motioned for him to simmer down with his hands, "I'm just kiddin', but I hit the head on the needle, huh?"

"That's not how the saying goes," he muttered, "and just back off, Takeo."

"Well… she's a human, what do you think? That somehow through the 'mystic'," he mocked ever so heavily, "power of love will keep her alive as long as you? Huh? Why do you think it's such a stupid idea for us to get involved with them? We're immortal and they are mortal. We live forever, they die within a century."

"Yeah, yeah, I get that," he grunted, he just hadn't figured out that part yet… he hadn't even won her over for sure yet so how was he supposed to worry about that part? There was no mystical mating ritual as much as many demons had searched for that and he probably wouldn't be able to find what others hadn't… maybe there was a way to give up immortality? He'd rather do that then kill himself after she died… no, he shook his head, he didn't need to worry about that yet. He didn't know if he had her or if that stupid… koinu had won. Fuck.

"You want somethin' to drink?" Takeo inquired as he headed over to his own personal mini-bar.

"Hell yes, whatever is the strongest thing you got."

"You know," Takeo's lips curled into a rather wicked smirk, "there's always Demonic… we could go there and blow off some steam."

As much as he should say no, as much as he should be repulsed at the idea, he couldn't as he took the glass of brandy that Takeo handed him… he really shouldn't but then again, Kagome really shouldn't keep going back and forth so… "why not?"

"Fuckin' great," Takeo grinned, finally showing his fangs, "it's about time we stop pretending to be bitchy little humans for a while."

"We are demons," Shiro nodded with a 'clink' of his glass to Takeo before he downed his glass in one shot, just like Takeo did. It was about time he started to act like his boiling blood beckoned for him to.

{xoxoxoxoxo}

"Let's go back already," Inuyasha eagerly pleaded after he finally was allowed to change back into his usual outfit, "that guy's fine, his friends said so and everything."

"Yeah…" she sighed, Shiro was fine, he had to be, how could he not be? Still… the idea of heading back to the feudal era without knowing for certain that he was alright just didn't float well with her, "I can't… when I talk to him and know he's OK I'll go. I promise."

"Keh, and how long will that be? Huh? What if he just never calls?" Inuyasha snickered as he folded his arms and sat down on her frilly pink bed, "we're just never supposed to find all the jewel shards or kill Naraku, huh?"

"Inuyasha!" She shouted even though she knew she really shouldn't—what was wrong with her? This wasn't fair, not to either of them but she… just… how was she supposed to pick? It was just cruel, was this how Inuyasha felt when he was placed between her and Kikyou? Gods, she was sorry for getting so flustered about it. She really was… but, "do you not see how I hurt my family by going to with you all the time? Did you hear what my little brother did because of what I do? I never thought he'd do something like that… and my mother gets a new wrinkle every time I go through the well and my grandpa? He's going to have a heart attack or something, I just…"

His eyes faded away from her and towards the dark window, "so… what you aren't coming anymore?"

"That's not what I said," she declared as she placed her hands on her head, "I just need time to… think."

"Before that Shiro guy came along none of that was ever a problem," he gripped.

"Before Shiro came around I never noticed how much I was hurting my family," she sighed, "I… I will still come with you, Inuyasha, I have to finish what I started but…"

"You're not going to stay when it's all done," he muttered, not that he had ever really thought she would. He would never admit it but he had fantasized about the prospect a few times… just having Kagome there, always.

"I… that… later, we'll deal with that when we have to," she stated as she flopped down on her bed and closed her eyes, "I'm just really tired right now… I think I'm just going to take a really long hot bath and then go to bed. You should rest up, too, you never really get the chance to."

"Yeah, sure," he grumbled before he got up to walk out of the room. She just closed her eyes; she'd get up in a few minutes… or the next day.

{xoxoxoxoxo}

"You can go back," she yawned as she stretched her arms high above her head before she sat down next to Inuyasha who was, as she thought, sitting and staring at the ruins of the well.

"And leave you here, keh, as if," he grumbled as he gave her a quick side-glance, she obviously just got up, she hadn't even bothered to change from her PJs.

"Did you eat?" she inquired with a swift change the subject.

"Yeah, your mom already gave me fish and rice, it was good, the food here's better," he muttered.

"Damn fucking straight it is," they both froze at the familiar yet rather fiery tone until the sounds of footsteps ceased right behind them. "Aw, looky here, Kagome and Inuyasha and Inuyasha and Kagome! Sitting and admiring the fucking burnt shit."

Kagome's shoulders sagged before she pressed her lips together and closed her eyes, "I was… worried about you."

"I don't really give a shit right now," he countered bitterly, "you gonna go back now, huh?"

"I was wrong," she steadily got to her feet to turn around and see Shiro there, his unrelenting rude glare on her solely, "I'm sorry… it's not fair that I accused you like that. I don't have any good reason at all, I am just really sorry," she even bowed her head to him.

"You gonna go back there?" He kept up, disregarding her and her words completely as he brushed past her and over the debris that had yet to be cleared. "You wanna jump down this little fucking rabbit hole and go to wonderland, eh?"

"Shiro…" she whispered after she had turned around to watch him as he stuffed his hands in his pocket to glare down at the damned well. "Souta set it on fire… I'm really sorry."

"I'm not, you are a goddamn moron, you know that?"

"Hey," Inuyasha finally broke in as he jumped to his feet.

"I fucked her, ya' know?" Shiro turned his molten golden gaze to Inuyasha, "three times. And that's not even the start of all we've done together or what she's done for me."

"Shut the fuck up," Inuyasha growled as his hand inched closer and closer to his sword.

"You have your little fucking cute scene in the cabin," he lightened his shoulders some to go along with his mocking tone, "congrats, I'm the one that popped her cherry."

"Shiro!" Kagome shrieked, "what's wrong with you?"

"You are!" he bickered back, "you fucking are! If I had never met you maybe I'd still be pinned to that goddamn tree and maybe I'd still be a half-demon and, hell, I'd probably even be dead by now but… but fuck! I'd be happier than having to deal with you and your bullshit! How is there even a choice!? Huh?" he pointed down to the hole in the ground then up to him, "I waited five hundred miserable years! I'm the first one to say 'I love you' to you! I am! Me! Not him," he pointed over to Inuyasha, "and I can keep you alive! You go back to the feudal era and fuck… Kagome, that's it," he slashed his hand through the air, "I'm not dealing with this anymore. I'll find someone else. I swear to god I'll find someone else."

Wasn't that what she wanted…? A while ago, at least, for one of them to get so sick of her that they just put their foot down and pushed her out of their life? But… but she just shook her head and bit back a sob, she didn't want that anymore… she wanted to choice, was that selfish of her? Could Shiro be better off without her?

"Hey, Koinu!" Shiro snickered, winning a new growl from Inuyasha, "you wanna know something else, huh? About the Kagome I knew before she died? Huh?"

"Not really," he grumbled back as he advanced towards the well; ever so weary of the possibility of Shiro trying to sabotage it once more.

"Shiro," Kagome wearily whispered, knowing full well that he heard her.

"She was pregnant," he stated swiftly, "with our kid," she pointed between the two of them, "'cause whether you believe it or not we're the same fucking person."

That got all the anger to flush out of his system just like that, instead he just stared at Shiro with nothing at all upon his face, his mouth slightly ajar.

"You and me, buddy boy," he ridiculed, "failed to protect her and got both Kagome and the baby killed. Ain't that wonder-fucking-ful?"

"Shiro," Kagome called out as she stepped about the debris, trying her best to avoid the splintered wood or the nails but she failed and scabbed the back of her heel. She just grunted it back until she was able to stand beside him and grab his arm. She knew what was wrong… he wasn't sober, "Shiro—"

"I don't want to hear it from you," he growled as he yanked his arm free, "alright? You know what I had a fucking euphony last night! You aren't the same Kagome that I've been waiting for all this time, she never existed! She died all those years back! I've been waiting for a ghost!"

"Shiro!"

"No, shut up," he took a step away from her when she tried to advance.

"I'm sorry!"

"No you aren't! You aren't sorry at all or you'd choice right fucking now! Him," he pointed to the still stunned half-demon, "or me. There or here. And no! Kagome you don't get both, you can't just go back and forth and trade between boyfriends until your little heart can't take it anymore or fate intervenes! I'm not waiting for that! Either you stay here with me or you leave!"

Yes… that was nearly the exact opposite of what he had proclaimed to her just two days ago almost at the very spot that they stood but… but she wasn't supposed to falter, she was supposed to just stay with him, maybe convince him to let her go back through the well a few more times but she was not supposed to keep up the "I love you" but "I love him, too" thing. Fine, a piece of her heart could always belong to the other Inuyasha but not half of it, just a third at most. And, jeez, the longer that he was around his past-self the more he hated him.

Right now…? Kagome looked between the two quickly before down to the well, right… now? Now, now? She closed her eyes and pressed her lips together. Should she compare and contrast? Make a list of pros and cons? How could she pick one place or the other? She had unfinished business in both worlds. Maybe… maybe Shiro didn't mean it, maybe when he got sober he wouldn't make her choice but… still, that wouldn't be fair, she had to make a choice eventually, right?

Well… the well made that choice, at least, a part of it, it brightened up and glowed like never before pulling them in and through the blue mist.

Apparently, fate had other plans for the wayward lovers and fate always got what it wanted.

A/N: I was writing this while I was suffering from both lack of sleep and a caffeine crash while I was listening to music and watching TV so sometimes when I look back to what I typed I found sentence that I was just like 'wtf? Why did I write that?' like random stuff. I wonder is that like having your subconscious coming out, hm?

I don't believe in the 'mark-a-mate-live-forever' thingy that seems to be so popular to, so sorry all who were hoping for that to be the outcome :( I just think that's kinda an easy way out of the angst of life--death.

Anyway, thank you for all the reviews, please keep them up, and I hope you continue to enjoy it.