A/N:Sorry I have taken so long. Between the muse taking an extremely long vacation, some playtime with Hermione Granger and Charlie Weasley (my pals know what I'm talking about, haha), and two family deaths and the death of a friend, life has been so hectic.

Anyway, I struggled with this hardcore. I just hate letting a story that I once felt so passionate about collect cobwebs. I picked it up this morning and decided that this will be the story I concentrate on primarily until I finish it. I know this chapter is very short, but keep in mind I'm still trying to get back in the saddle and get comfortable.

Big thanks to anyone else who left a review.

-MD

The home that Shippou and Souten owned was beautiful with simple modern furnishings. Even though it was different from what she was used to, it had a strange feeling of home and one could tell from just walking in that many good times had been had here. Kagome embraced the little sister of the men that killed Shippou's father.

"It's been years, Kagome-san," she said. Souten had grown into a beautiful woman. She took after their father, looking strikingly like Hiten, with her long hair in a braid that was quite similar to her deceased elder brother.

Kagome smiled. "It has."

Shippou led Kagome back to the bedroom prepared for her. "See, even remembered your love for strange pink things," he commented, pointing to the pink doorknob cozies that were on the doorknobs. "Souten started adding touches like this when I told her that Sesshoumaru had found you."

Kagome nodded and added a whisper light thank you as she passed him into the room. It was pleasant enough though a total departure from the room shrouded in cool colors that she had shared with an equally cool demon.

She stood in the middle of the room, almost looking lost. Shippou noticed the look on her face and embraced her from behind. "Don't worry, Kagome. Soon you will be living like you have lived in this century all of your life!" He stepped away and she moved to sit on the bed. "You don't mind if I let my hair down do you?"

Kagome looked at him and raised her eyebrow, gesturing at the short hair.

He smiled. "Not what I mean, silly." He closed his eyes and concentrated. In a quick burst of bright light the humanoid man that Kagome had known as Shippou disappeared, revealing a demon that looked more familiar to her.

Shippou stood proud, the spitting image of his fox father, smiling at Kagome and twitching the tail that was still as bushy as it was in his childhood. "Transformation is easy for me now, but I prefer to be like this."

He studied her where she sat. The Kagome he knew was gone with this shell of a tiny woman in her place. Even though he hadn't been at the battle, Kouga told him of the atrocities that had occurred that day. The better part of his tribe and the Northern tribe had fought that day while he stayed back in the caves, too injured from a small skirmish with Naraku a few days prior to go into battle himself. Shippou had entertained himself with some of the other pack children that lived in the caves while they awaited news of victory or defeat and the fate of the miko and hanyou that had become mama and papa.

A week had passed before any news came. Out of nearly two hundred warriors, youkai of both humanoid and animal like appearances, only fifty returned. It was Ginta who had come to bring the message of their victory, by means of Kagome, and the list of dead. To be honest, Shippou doubted Kouga knew every one of the wolves that had lost their lives in the battle. Ginta was torn up by the death of Hakkaku and immediately left to mourn after he had spread the news.

Months had passed before Kouga was healthy enough to escort Shippou back to the battlefield. The villagers had told him of the battle and the fate of his mama and papa. They told him that they had buried both in a small shrine on the larger shrine grounds. Both he and Kouga went to the shrine to pray. After that they had returned to the east where Kouga found a family of kitsune that agreed to take Shippou in and teach him the ins and outs of who he was as a fox demon, though Shippou made them agree to allow him to visit Kouga and Ayame if he wished. Kouga was all that he had left and he was not giving up that last little familiar piece of the life he used to have.

Shippou pulled himself from his thoughts. In the time he had spaced out Kagome had wrapped herself in the pink throw that Mokuren had given her and gone to sleep clutching Tessaiga.

He sighed and left the room, walking to the kitchen.

"How is she?" Souten asked. She stood at the stove stirring a pot of noodles.

Shippou shook his head. "She's not the same mama."

Souten put the wooden spoon onto the stove next to the pot. "What did you expect her to do? Fall back into the routine you had as a child and be the same old Kagome? She's been through a lot, Shippou."

He slammed his fist on the countertop. "I have been through a lot too!"

She walked over to Shippou and wrapped her arms around him. "You have had more than enough time to deal with it. She hasn't. You can't expect her to be the same after seeing her friends and the man she loved die right before her eyes!"

Shippou wrapped her arms around Souten returning her embrace. "You're right. I've been an idiot."

Souten laughed. "You're never an idiot. Misguided, perhaps, but never an idiot."

Kagome looked around. She was in Tokyo, just not the Tokyo she grew up knowing.

Once again she found herself standing near the well like she had done many times before, in the middle of Inuyasha's forest. The sky was the same vibrant blue that it always was, the grass and trees the shocking color green that one just didn't see in the modern world.

'I have to be dreaming,' she muttered.

Out of nowhere a red and silver blur streaked through the trees and dropped down in front of her. 'Not quite.'

'Inuyasha!' She flew over and embraced the hanyou, who embraced her just as fiercely in turn. 'I've missed you like you wouldn't believe.'

Inuyasha nuzzled his nose into her hair. 'You've missed me? I've spent what feels like an eternity without you!'

Kagome pulled back and kissed him, trying to show him through her lips and fingers running through his hair exactly how she felt. 'I'm miserable without you,' she whispered as she pulled away.

'Jeeze, wench! You act like we won't see each other again!' He pulled her over to the well by her wrist and pulled her down to sit with him.

Just like she used to do, she made herself comfortable in his lap. 'But you are dead, and I'm not.'

He laughed. 'Let's get the girl a prize!' he said, a perfect imitation of a host from one of Grandpa's awful game shows. 'I'm not sure why you are still alive and I'm not,' he said. 'I watched you defeat Naraku and fall. I waited for you to join us. It was Sango and Miroku that finally dragged me away.'

'What do you mean?' she asked.

He buried his nose in her hair, taking in her scent for what he knew would be the last time until she joined him. 'After the battle, we waited. We thought that you were dead.' He wrapped his arms tighter around her. 'Something went wrong with the jewel, and there was a bright light. Suddenly all of the evil was gone, Naraku was gone.' He closed his eyes. 'Then the villagers came and took our bodies, yet you didn't join me. I watched our burials, yet you didn't join me. I've been so worried.'

Kagome snuggled herself into his chest. 'I don't know what happened,' she whispered. 'I just remember purifying the jewel, then waking up with your brother in my face. I just want to be with you again.'

Inuyasha laughed. 'I know it's hard, wench, but you are still alive. Go live life, which I know will be hard without my smiling face,' he joked.

Just like old times, Kagome smacked his arm. 'It will be harder than you think,' she said.

'Nah, you are strong. I wouldn't have chosen you if you weren't!' He prodded her out of his lap and stood up, helping her up with him. 'I think you were saved for some sort of fucked up higher purpose. Shippou still needs you, even if he tries to act grown up, and my stupid brother needs someone to keep his head on straight and remind him to lighten up.'

Kagome shook her head. 'They looked like they were fine without me,' she said sullenly.

'Keh, quit with the low self worth bullshit.' Once again he pulled her into his arms and embraced her with everything he had. 'Go and live the normal life you never got the chance to have,' he whispered. 'Go be happy, even if it is with my asshole brother.'

She pulled back. 'I don't see him like that!'

He rolled his eyes. 'You have never been a good liar.' He kissed her on the tip of her nose. 'Now go give him hell!' He pulled away from her and started to walk away. He had gotten almost to the tree line when he turned. 'And Kagome? Wake up.'