~Five Years Later~

InuYasha sat in Kaede's village in the same stiff pose he always sat in. He was sitting just outside of Miroku and Sango's hut, listening to their children scream and run around. Sango had already bore a set of twin girls, and a newborn boy. Oh how he envied his friend. Miroku had married Sango after the battle with Naraku. While he had to be without the one woman he cared about most in the world. He tried to tell himself that it was for the best, Kagome was safe in that world of hers. But somehow, he couldn't convince himself. His thoughts kept going back to that night they'd shared, the passion he felt for the first time in his life.

She'd felt so good underneath him, her skin was so soft as he ran his fingers over it. And he had absolutely loved when she moaned out his name for the world to hear. He never would have thought that such an amazing miko would be so understanding, so loving of his hanyou self. She loved him despite the fact that he was half demon, whereas most other humans condemned him for it. As if he could change his blood.

Sitting still with his hands in his haori, watching the children run around. And, he just couldn't take it anymore. Bringing himself to stand up, starting to walk away. Which earned him quite a few confused looks from Sango and Miroku as he didn't even bother to speak two words on why he was leaving. He was a pretty private person, and in the years since Kagome left, he had become even more recluse. So, his friends knew better than to question his reasonings for seemingly randomly getting up and leaving.

Truth was, he couldn't take watching them, their family.

Damnit, that should be Kagome and me. I should be watching our kids run around and play. Not theirs.

It was a tinge of jealousy that struck InuYasha's heart. For a long time he had considered himself an outcast, having no place in the world. And he had made himself okay with that. Of course, that was before a certain miko came into his life, showed him what it was like to have friends, family, love. Made him feel ambition and hopeful for the future. He had never even imagined himself being able to settle down in one human village and have a family of his very own. That was before Kagome, of course. She made him want those things. Made him want to have his family. Kikyou had always made him feel like he needed to become human to have those things. But not Kagome. She loved him because he was a hanyou, she loved him for who he was. It was the first time that anyone truly accepted him for who he was, and not who he could be if they just happened to change him.

She was like a breath of fresh air. Though, he would never admit that out loud to anyone. That is, anyone but Kagome herself. Over the past five years he had spent so long beating himself up mentally over the things he had said to her. How he called her ugly, how he said he hated the smell of her, how he called her weak. She was anything but weak, she was the strongest and bravest woman he had ever met. Of course, she would have to be, in order to tame someone like himself.

I was such a baka to her. And she still agreed to become my mate...

Yes, he had marked her as his, a mark at the base of her neck he had made with his fangs during their lovemaking. And now, with her gone, it felt like the other half of his soul had been missing for years.

Wandering throughout the woods, the same woods that the villagers still called InuYasha's Forest. It wasn't long before he was glancing up at the Goshinboku, the tree he had been stuck to for fifty years before his Kagome rescued him, in more ways than one.

Letting a sigh escape his lips as one hand moved up to rest upon the tree, resting upon the area with the mark in it caused by his very own body being sealed against it for all those years. Sliding his claws just gently down the tree before glancing away, starting to walk in the direction of the old well. The very same one that Kagome had used many times in the past.

He still visited the well, once every three days. He couldn't help it, couldn't help but hold out hope that he would find his mate at the bottom of the well, awaiting him to help her out. She did that to him. She made him hope. Which was probably more dangerous to the mind than any other emotion.

Walking to the well, slowly he moved to look inside, only seeing the bottom of the well.

Guess she's still not here...

Moving so he sat on the well, his feet dangling on the inside of it, looking down into it just slowly. It felt like torture, he was torturing himself every time he looked into this well, every time he came by. He should just run away from the village, live his life the way he had before all of this happened.

But then I wouldn't see Sango or Miroku...or even that hag Kaede. She's not so bad once you get used to it. Shippo too...

Damnit, there was that hope again. That speck of light in his heart that was Kagome.

Contemplating his thoughts for a moment. Surely it wouldn't hurt to try one more time. He tried it every single time he had visited the well. He'd lost count of the many hundreds of times he'd pushed himself off the ledge only to land on the hard rock bottom instead of being swept up by the magical blue light that would take him to the future.

Pushing himself off the ledge, he closed his eyes, bracing himself for the impact. However, when he felt weightless, his eyes snapped open wide, looking around. The blue glow surrounded him as it transported him. Had it finally worked? Or was this another cruel dream? Was he going to wake up in a tree, sweating, only to realize his mind was playing tricks on him.

It certainly felt real as he carefully landed at the bottom of the well in the future. Looking up at the top of the well. It even smelled real. Taking in a deep breath and savoring the smell of the old well house that now surrounded the well. He couldn't believe that it had worked!

But...that also meant...

Kagome!

"KAGOME!"

Quickly jumping out of the well in a swift motion, landing on top of the edge, only to jump off and walk as fast as he could up the small amount of stairs, only stepping on every other step in his excitement. Pushing the well house door open with a loud smack of the door, he looked outside, seeing the Higurashi house just by the Goshinboku, a smile curling onto his lips. A real smile. The first smile he'd felt in five long, long years.

Slowly taking a step, he immediately halted, all the scents of this world enveloping him so quickly. And then, to his surprise, he heard a girl giggling. His golden eyes slowly moved to the shrine steps, seeing a small girl, who had to only be about four or five years old, running up the steps. He didn't remember a small child living there. Well, except for Souta. But, he would have had to be in his teens by now, and he certainly wasn't a little girl.

Just at his thought of Souta came to his mind, it was like he appeared. He was running after the little girl, swooping her up into his arms as she giggled frantically.

"Let me gooo! I'mma tell obaachan!" the girl squealed.

"Neverrr! I've got you Tamako! You'll never break free!" Souta retorted, tickling the girl a little.

As he walked, it was Souta's turn to stop in his tracks as he caught glimpse of InuYasha. Slowly his eyes looked up at InuYasha, pausing as his mouth dropped open.

"Inu...Inu...Yasha?" he asked confused, which only granted a smile from the hanyou's lips.

"Hey there kid. You've grown..." InuYasha replied.

Tamako looked up from Soutas arms, looking at the man he had been talking to. Slowly moving to hug Souta and hide against him a little. "Ojisan...who is that?" she asked timidly, one of her eyes peaking out to look at the man in front of them.

His focus slowly went from Souta, to the child he held in his arms, blinking a little bit. Seeing her eyes peak out, his own widened.

Those Eyes...

Tamako's eyes were a soft brown color, and it almost seemed like gold was mixed in with them. It was a perfect blending of InuYasha and Kagome's eyes. She also had long very dark silver hair. It almost could be confused with grey, but it wasn't, it shimmered too much in the sunlight to be grey. However, she almost appeared human. The more InuYasha looked at her, though, he could almost sense the aura surrounding the girl. That aura was strange, but it was definitely that of a hanyou.

It couldn't be...

Souta looked up at InuYasha, holding his niece in his arms as he blinked. He had no idea what to do. How was InuYasha back now? He had no idea.

"T-Tamako...thats InuYasha..." he explained to the child, having no idea how to spill the beans, so to speak.

"Inu-Yasha?" Tamako repeated softly, looking up at the man slowly. She recognized that man, she knew him somehow. But how? Squirming in her uncles arms until he slowly put her down on her feet. Standing up straight, looking up at InuYasha, his gaze seeming to follow her. "O-O-Otou-san?" she asked in a hesitant voice.

She knew about her parents. Her grandmother and uncle would tell her stories about her mom and dad, how they saved the world from the evil hanyou Naraku who had wanted to use the Shikon No Tama to take over the world and destroy it. Her parents had been the ones who ensured the future stayed safe for her. Those stories were grand ones, filled with excitement and adventure. Surely her mother had told them all to everyone before she had been born.

Sniffling a little, Tamako looked at her father and quickly, instantly started to run to him.

Hearing that word made InuYasha's ears twitch and stand up, looking down at her and blinking. Seeing her run, he knelt down quickly to capture her in his arms. Feeling the girl hug him, her little arms gripping at his haori as tight as they seemed to be able. Slowly moving his own arms to bring her close to his chest, resting his chin atop of her head.

Is this real? Could this be? Was Kagome pregnant...?

His mind was a whirlwind of emotions as he felt his daughter cling to him and cry into his chest. She cried with reckless abandon, as hard as she seemingly knew how. He could smell the saltiness of her tears, and also a smell that was so much like her mothers. Closing his eyes as he held her for what seemed like forever.

"There there, Tamako...I'm right here. I swear, I'll never let you go." he whispered to the child in a soft, comforting manner.

He had a daughter. Him. InuYasha. He couldn't believe it. Kagome had given him the best gift that he could ever receive. He just wished he had been there to see her come into this world, to hold her as a baby. But, he was holding her now. And, he was sure he would be true to his promise, never to let go.

A/N: Thanks for the good comments already! :-). I decided to hurry and write this chapter of InuYasha first meeting his daughter. I'm hoping to update this story pretty regularly while its fresh in my head. I'll get to work on the next chapter ASAP!