A/N: Another two chapters posted. Forgive my mistakes and spelling errors I don't have a computer so I'm using my tablet to write and finish this. There is a transition of 1st person characters speaking in this chapter. Don't get confused!

Through the Well and Back Again

Chapter 18

"Kagome are you sure you want to do this?" Miroku said to us. We gathered near the well, mother had Kikyko in her arms wrapped in a cool blanket. I leaned up to my toes looking at Kikyko as she struggled to breath.

"I have too," mother said to them.

"I would do the same Miroku, if it was the girls or Koji... or the baby... I would do the same," Sango said to him. He sighed deeply and pulled Sango aside. The twins looked like they were going to cry, they hide near their parents looking at Kikyko.

"Inuko, be a good boy, you listen to everyone okay... we won't be long I promise," mother bent down and said to me.

"Mom what if you can't come back," I said worried.

"I will do whatever I have to do to come back to you... and I promise Kikyko will be okay," she said to me. She hugged me and kissed my face. I sighed deeply. I shuffled my feet towards Miroku and Sango.

"Be careful," father said to her.

"Please be safe," he said to her again. He hugged mother and Kikyko.

"I know she'll be okay... InuYasha please... if I can't return," mother said to him.

"Shut up don't say that don't even think that... you'll come back Kagome, both of you..." father touched Kikyko's head.

I rolled my eyes to the ground when father kissed mother. I sighed deeply and dried my eyes.

"I love you, both of you..." he said to mother.

"I love you and Inuko, take care of him..." mother said to father. I saw her turn to the well.

"MOM WAIT," I shouted and ran to her.

"Wait, give this to Kiki... its her birthday gift, I was going to give it to her after the fireworks," I said holding up a necklace.

"Inuko, she will love this... you are such a wonderful brother to her," she said to me and nuzzeled me.

"Be good," she said again. She put the chain around her hand, and jumped down the well. Father and I leaned over the well.

"Did it work?" Miroku said as well.

"I hope so," father said.

I looked at my necklace and pushed it back into my haori.

"Mother I'm certain, I'm certain I heard something coming from the well," Sota that was Sota's voice. He surely wasn't a young boy anymore. I kicked my feet over the well and touched Kikyko's face.

"Don't worry my love, your going to be okay," I said to her.

"KAGOME," I heard mother's voice.

"Mom," I said and ran to her crying.

"Kagome, her fever..." mother said as we rushed to the house.

"Sota call an ambulance," mother said to him. I couldn't even catch my breath, I looked at Sota as he dailed for an ambulance, he was a young man now, a teenage boy, and mother hadn't changed a bit.

"Mom," I said to her.

"I have missed you so much Kagome, I always wished for this day... to see you and your little ones," mother said touching Kikyko's forehead.

"Her name is Kikyko, and I have a son... Inuko," I said to her.

"What happened Kagome?" mother asked worried, she put a cold clothe to Kikyko's forehead.

"I don't know mom, she just fell ill... InuYasha wanted me to bring her here, doctors there can't help her," I said nervous.

"They're on their way," Sota said coming to my side.

I ran down the hallway of the hospital following the doctor as they took Kikyko to a private room.

"Miss, ma'am please tell me what happened," a nurse said to me trying to get my attention.

"We... we don't know, she just had a fever during the night and it wouldn't break," I said to the nurse as I diverted my gaze to the room.

"We will run tests, please Miss I need you to sign some forms," Mother came around me to the nurse.

"I'll take care of it Kagome," mother said touching my shoulder.

I looked at the doctor as he came out of Kikyko's room.

"She is very ill, we need to keep her over night and the next few days to ensure her fever doesn't return, her fever finally broke," he said looking at me.

I took a deep breath in relief.

"However, her tonsils are infected... they must come out, or they could cause more complications," he said again to me. That was the last thing I wanted to hear, to put Kikyko through surgery.

"We will put her under antibiotics for a few days to see if the swelling in her throat will go down, if the antibiotics work she will not need surgery," he said again to me. I sighed deeply and looked to Kikyko in her room.

"Can I see her?" I said, he nodded and steps aside.

I came over to her bed and ran my hand over her forehead, she finally opened her eyes and looked at me.

"Mo...mma..." her voice was so weak and laboured. She pulled at her oxygen mask trying to take it off.

"No... Kiki, don't be scared, your going to be okay..." I said to her.

"Pa...papa..." she said again. I sighed and pressed my head to hers.

"Kiki, you are very sick... I had to bring you through the well to my home, do you remember when I told you the story?" I said to her. She looked at me and nodded.

"Papa and Inuko had to stay back home, they couldn't come with us," I said to her. I could see her eyes change and fill with tears.

"No... don't cry, its okay... we'll go home soon, okay," I said to her again.

"Kagome," mother said coming to my side. Her voice was always so soothing, it always made me smile and forget my worries.

"Mom, this is Kikyko," I said to her. Mother bent over her and touched her forehead.

"Hello Kikyko," she said to her.

Kikyko looked at her then closed her eyes.

I watched the machines beep and the IV drip as the room fell silent. Kikyko had fallen asleep again and the nurse had been in and out of the room checking on her.

"Kagome... don't worry, she'll be alright," mother said again. I looked over to her.

"Mom, you have no idea how scared I was, even InuYasha and I've never seen him like that... I've never seen him so concerned... so scared, we thought we were going to loose her," I said to mother. She wrapped her arm around me.

"Kagome, being a mother is the most amazing and wonderful part of my life, when you were born I was young and a new mother, I didn't know anything and I had to learn everything on my own," she said to me.

"... I was the same with Inuko," I said to her resting my head against her arm.

"You were so young when you became sick... your father had gone out of the country for work, you where just about the same age as your daughter is now. I was scared and worried, I didn't know what to do... I was so young I didn't know how to treat you, but I pulled through and helped you overcome your sickness. It was a hard time for me..." she said rubbing my hair.

"Kagome, when I saw you come through that well with your little one, I knew that I had done right in my life... letting you go that day to return to InuYasha, was the most difficult thing I ever had to do. But as a mother I never regretted the decision to let you go... now you, have a family, oh Kagome I am so proud of the women you have become," she said to me again.

"Mom... I feel like I've failed her, let her down," I said to mother looking at Kikyko as she slept.

"But, you haven't... you are doing everything in your power to make her strong again, she will overcome this..." mother said again.

"I have missed you so much mom," I said to her and and sighed deeply.

"Dad," I said to him trying to get his attention. Its been a whole day and mother hasn't returned with Kikyko yet. I was really beginning to worry.

"Yes," father said looking at the well.

"Its getting dark," I said sitting next to him.

"You should go home with Miroku," father said rubbing my head.

"Aren't you coming too?" I said to him standing up.

"Go Inuko, don't worry about me..." father tapped my face. I sighed and turned towards Miroku.

"InuYasha, don't worry, Kagome will come back with Kikyko and she will be okay," Miroku proclaimed. I half turned and looked to dad.

"Take him Miroku," dad said again.

"InuYasha, don't worry... come to our home and rest when your ready," Sango said taking her twin's hands. I turned around and ran to her side. Miroku looked at dad then followed us.

At the hospital...

"Ma'am," the doctor said distracting me. Mom stood up and came around the bed. I came to her side.

"The antibiotics are having no effect on her small body. Her body won't fight the infection, we must request you and your husbands consent to proceed with the surgery," he said to me. I looked to mother.

"Well her father is out of town right now," I lied making up an excuse. Yeah sure I'll just go through the well, leave my child behind, get her father and not know if I can return. Sounds like a plan!

"Well ma'am your consent will be enough, we ask for you to sign a few papers and we will have to proceed in the morning," the doctor said. I sighed and looked to Kikyko, following the doctor out the door.

"Little Kikyko, I am your grandmother..." mother said to her and smiled. She touched her hand. Kikyko opened her eyes and looked at her.

"Don't be scared, you are like your mother, strong and beautiful... you will overcome anything," mother said to her.

I sighed deeply as they rushed Kikyko in to the surgery room. I stood by the doors as they closed behind them.

"Sis," Sota's voice said behind me.

I turned and looked at him. I smiled, he was so handsome, so grown... I came to him and hugged him.

"Aaah, hey,"he said. Typical boy!

"Mom will be by in the afternoon, she had to do a few errands around the temple. Since grandpa passed away last year..." he said sitting down next to me.

"Grandpa passed away?"I said surprised. I sighed, grandpa had always had many health problems. I guess I shouldn't have been too surprised, its not like they could write to me everyday and tell me everything that happens.

"Oh, sorry I thought mom told you," Sota said again.

"No Sota, I didn't know..." I said again with a deep sigh.

"Sis..." he said to me after a few moments of us not conversing. I was so worried about Kikyko, it had been two hours and the doctor hadn't come out yet.

"Sis," Sota said again. I turned my head to him.

"You have a son and daughter, wow... InuYasha must be a great father," he said nodding. I smiled and rubbed his head.

"You haven't changed one bit Sota," I said to him. We looked at eachother and laughed!

"Uncle Miroko?" I said and looked to the bowl of food in my lap.

"Yes Inuko," Miroku said handing bowls of food to his daughters.

"Its nightfall, mother isn't back yet," I was concerned, even father hadn't returned yet. I had become so worried I wasn't sure what to think, is sister okay, is mom with her... what's happening with her on the other side. I sighed deeply.

"Don't you worry Inuko, your mother will return and Kikyko will be just fine..." Sango said to me rubbing my head. I knew she was trying to comfort me, but it wasn't helping. I looked at my bowl and picked up my chop sticks.

I sighed deeply and picked at the vegetables. I looked to Haku and Kira who also seemed worried. Hakura kept looking at me, concerned her eyes didn't even wander. I shifted my eyes to her father.

But Miroku wasn't in the room. I looked shifted my eyes around the room looking for him.

"Ma'am," the doctor said coming out of the moving doors. I took in a deep breath and stood up. Sota looked at me then to him.

"Your daughter is just fine, her tonsils were inflamed and red, we managed to remove them without any problems. She is now being wheeled back into her recovery room, she will need to stay in the hospital for a couple of days and she will need to recover for a solid week," the doctor said to me. I thanked him and sighed sitting back down again.

"What's wrong Kagome?" Sota said to me.

"A solid week, I was hoping to take her home as soon as she gained her strength back, InuYasha will be so worried..." I said to him.

"Oh, I was hoping you would stay longer this time," he said to me. I smiled and patted his head again. That's when a nurse came towards us.

"Ma'am, she's waking up... please," the nurse said gesturing with her hands. I stood up and followed her to Kikyko's room.

"Kiki," I said coming to her side. She was weary and dizzy, she focused her eyes on me.

"Kiki," I said again and hugged her.

Sota smiled and leaned over her tapping her head.

"InuYasha," Miroku said to him. He bent down and placed the bag to the ground next to him.

"Miroku?" father replied to him.

"If we don't bring you food you won't eat," Miroku said opening the bag.

"I'm not hungry," father said to him. He leaned against the well and closed his eyes.

"Inuko is concerned about his mother and sister, we have tried to comfort him and reassure him everything will be fine... but he needs his father," Miroku said to him again sitting down.

"Miroku, I'm worried, its been a whole day, morning will be coming soon and theyr'e still not back. What if they can't get through again... what if Kikyko got worse..." father said shaking the thought out of his head.

"Worrying and putting those thoughts in your head InuYasha will make you go mad, come back with me, stay with us until they return," Miroku said standing up. He tapped a fist to his shoulder.

"I can't leave Miroku, what if they do return..." father said again.

"InuYasha trust Kagome, trust yourself, the love you both share will bring her back and Kikyko, she's a strong young lady," Miroku said sighed and picked up the bag, he pulled the strings tightening it and stood up to his feet.

"You win," father said to him.

"Kiki don't cry, its okay..." I said to her. She was trying to talk through the oxygen mask. It frustrated her she couldn't talk, she held her hand to her throat and tears formed in her eyes.

"Its okay, you had a small surgery... they had to take out your tonsils," I tried to explain to her best I could. I could tell she was scared, her eyes gave that away. I sighed deeply and leaned in to her.

"Kagome, they'll be letting her out tomorrow, I have prepared your room for her when she comes home," mother said to me sitting down next to me.

"My room?"I said looking at mother.

"Are you... not coming home with her?" Mother asked concerned. I smiled and nodded.

"Yes, she needs to recover, InuYasha will be worried but I know he'll understand... I need to make sure Kikyko's strength is back before I can take her home.

Mother smiled and came over to Kikyko talking to her.

We had been back in Tokyo for two days now, Kikyko was going to be released today. She was sitting in bed sucking on and ice cream as Sota was sitting next to her showing her his video game. I stretched my arms and stood up. I hadn't slept well last night, the hospital chairs were so uncomfortable.

"Ah, ah..." she mumbled pointing to her stick.

"You finished it, good... you need to eat something cold for your throat," I said taking the stick from her. She looked at Sota then to me. She really wanted to say something, I could tell she was trying. She would mouth something and then sighed when she couldn't find her voice.

"Can she write Kagome?" Sota asked turning off his game.

"No, we have schools in the fuduel era but they're far, so our village doesn't have one," I sighed and sat on the bed next to her.

"Maybe you should take some books with you and teach her how to write," Sota said. I looked at him and smiled. He's such a genius sometimes. I could even set up a small school and teach children in the village. I reached to the bed stand and pulled out a notepad and pen from the first drawer.

"Okay Kikyko," a nurse said to her coming through the room. I hadn't even noticed her. I clicked the pen and ripped the paper from the pad folding it.

"Is she good to go?" I said looking at the nurse as she checked her over again.

"Yes, this little one is good to go," the nurse said bowing down to us. I smiled at Kikyko and tapped her head.

"Dad," I said looking up to him. We were going back to our home, dad was wanting to run some errands, gather food, clean the house. He said he wanted to prepare for when Kikyko came home.

"Yes," he replied to me. He always looked like he was lost in thought.

"Its been two days, I'm worried," I said and sighed.

Father looked down at me and bent down to one knee.

"Inuko, I need you to understand something, the well your mother goes through... it stopped working when she returned, we were able to go through once only and its never worked since. Your not a child anymore Inuko, your a man now, meaning you need to understand... it could be hard for your mother to return," father said to me. His eyes were worried, he looked like he was thinking again.

"What are you saying... mom's never returning?" I asked cautiously.

"She will return, and Kikyko will be okay..." he said to me again rubbing my head.

"Then, why didn't you say that..." I said pushing his hand off my head.

"If she doesn't... I'm going in after her, in three days... I'll go," he said again.

"Just like that, in three days you'll leave me and go after mother... what if you can't get through, or if you do and you all can't return," I said. I was agitated he would even suggest that.

"Mom will come back and so will sister,"I said in a huff.

"Inuko... calm down," father said to me as I turned around and went into the house.

"Mom, you left my room just as I left it?" I said holding Kikyko in my arms. She rubbed her eyes and looked around my study desk still had my algebra book on it, my sheets on my bed were still the same design. Even my alarm clock on all my pictures on my dresser were still there.

"Yes Kagome, I couldn't bare to change it, this is your childhood in this room, your youth... teen years, you have memories in this room," mother said clasping her hands together. I looked around my room again. Everything was where I left it, she's right... there's lots of memories in this room.

I looked at Kikyko thinking. Will she have memories, a child hood, or even her own little world like I did. I smiled and pressed my face against hers.

"Ah ah," Kikyko struggled in my arms. I put her down, she walked over to my dresser and saw the picture I had next to my lamp.

"Oh I had forgotten about this," I said bending down near the dresser. She held the picture up.

"Yes, this is your father and I, we took these when we went shopping... hahaha, your father hated that hat," I laughed remembering. She looked at it and tears formed in her eyes. She missed her father. I sighed and picked her up.

"You miss your papa huh?" I said rubbing her cheeks. She nodded and wrapped her arms around me.

"I know, I miss him too," I said to her tapping her back.

"Oh...I know what will cheer you up, home made soup," mother said to her. Kikyko looked at her and wiped her eyes.

Kikyko followed behind mother down the hallway, she was looking at our home and the rooms we had, she ran her little hands along the banister of the stairs. She stood at the top step and looked down at the stairs.

"Come on," I said holding my hand out to her. She took my hand and carefully followed me down the stairs.

"Woah," Kikyko's voice whispered. She was surprised by how big our home was. Her eyes followed the living room and then the kitchen as she followed behind me. I picked her up and put her in the share at the table. She looked at the table and then to me.

"We are going to make some soup, you sit here, Sota will be home soon..." I winked at her and lifted my sleeves.

Sota had come home early, he had got a part time job and works a few hours a day, he said he wanted to save up for a car when he's 18. He sat down next to Kikyko watching her as she played with his Nintendo, I smiled watching her concentrate and how she would look at the screen intently. I smiled and turned to the stove stiring the pot.

"Mom, I was thinking... well it was more of what Sota said to me this morning," I said stirring the soup again. Mother took a sip of the soup and looked at me. Sota lifted his head to me then to Kikyko.

"I want to set up a school when I return to teach the village kids to read and write," I said to her.

"Kagome that's such a wonderful idea, you would need to go down to the city and get registered to do that," mother mentioned.

"Uh mom, I don't live here anymore, will that work?" I asked looking over to Kikyko, she huffed and then tapped the buttons. Sota laughed when she died in the game.

"Its a certificate you can obtain to be a tutor there will be an exam and once you pass it, you can teach," mother said. An exam... no way! I haven't been in school in over 10 years.

"Aaah, and exam..." I said loudly and sighed. Kikyko looked at me and smiled.

"Your mom wants to get a certificate Kikyko... she has to write an exam, she was never good at those," Sota teased telling Kikyko. She looked up at him and beamed.

"Don't tell her that Sota... what will she think of me, gosh." I said shouting at him. Kikyko looked at me then to Sota and laughed. Her voice cracked and her laugh barely came out.

"Hahahha... oh you two," mother said laughing at us.

Kikyko looked at the table as we set it. She passed the Nintendo over to Sota and shifting to her knees. She looked at the rice and soup and I saw her lick her lips.

"Yes yes, I know your hungry," I said filling a bowl for her. I slid it over to her, she looked at it then at her chop sticks. She smiled and started to eat. I sat down and smiled.

"Aaahh," Kikyko's voice cracked. She tapped her belly and leaned back in the chair.

"Well her appitite is back," I said clearing the table.

"She sure ate a lot," Sota said also clearing the table.

"She usually does, not like Inuko though, boy can he eat, we barely can keep food stocked with these two..." I said placing the plates in the sink. I turned on the water.

"Kagome leave the dishes, I'll do them, why don't you put Kikyko to bed," mother said to me. I turned and looked to the table. She had fallen asleep.

I came over to her and picked her up.

"Thanks mom," I said to mother and turned for the stairs.

"I can't believe sis has two kids already, I really hope after she returns, she can come back with both of them again..." Sota's voiced said from downstairs. I sighed deeply. I really wish the same Sota.

I opened the door to my room and came in. Mom's right there was so many memories in this room, I could see InuYasha come through my window, and sit on my bed. I remembered the time he fell asleep and looked like a little boy, Inuko looks just like him when he sleeps. I put Kikyko down on my bed and pulled the sheets over her.

I sat down on the floor next to her and tapped my hand over her. InuYasha did this when I was sick one time. I sighed and smiled at her remembering so many memories in this room.

"I miss you InuYasha," I said and sighed deeply standing up