InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Even Evil Has Reincarnates ❯ Rehasing the Past ( Chapter 13 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

DISCLAIMER-

Unfortunately, this story and the characters herein pertain to Rumiko Takahasi.

Except for a select few... those are MINE! ALL MINE!!!!!!

(Clears throat)

This story is rated M for Maturity.

Hanyou thoughts

Demon thoughts

Human thoughts

Note: Only those words that are not frequently used in fanfics will I put a translation to. I mean, come on… we know what a BAKA is…right?

Also, any and all comments are accepted. Be it negative or positive. Constructive criticism only helps and positive feedback inspires.

To those that have commented, thank you.

--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+- -+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--

Chapter 13: Rehashing the Past

The all sat around the living room quietly, attempting to let the current situation settle in.

It had been so long since they sat together and now, after so long they did with incredible amounts of tension. Far from the nights they sat around a campfire laughing, joking and playing games.

Souta was the first to break the silence and turned to look at the ex-monk and taijiya. “So, how are you two still alive and looking rather healthy?”

Glaring at his sister, after receiving a whack across the head courtesy of her, he cringed at the look on her face. “W-Why a-are y-y-you staring at me l-l-like that?”

“Because -“she hissed, “that was rude.”

He bowed his head, “Sorry sis.”

Shippo let out a chuckle, “I was wrong Okaa-san…”

Kagome raised an eyebrow at the kitsune, “What do you mean Shippo?”

He laughed. “You were never scary before when you were mad… you are now.”

Trying her hardest to hide it, she failed miserably. Her lips twitched and she smiled.

Clearing her throat, she looked at her two friends, “What my rude brat of a brother meant to say is...how is this possible?”

Sango and Miroku exchanged looks. They looked back to Kagome.

Sango started fidgeting, “Well… it has a lot to do with the reason we weren't able to be here Kagome.”

Miroku nodded, “It is best that InuYasha tell the story so you understand how we are able to sit here with you today.”

Turning slowly in her chair, she looked across at the hanyou with a lifted brow, “Well?”

Rubbing his sweaty palms on his jeans, he leaned forward. “It all started with the day you purified the jewel…”

He told her the full story of how Midoriko came to them, how she explained why they couldn't come to her for five years and the how and why Sango and Miroku were still alive.

Once he finished, he looked at her as she stared at him blankly, emotionless.

After a few tense filled silent moments, Kagome slowly stood up. “Excuse me.” She made her way to the kitchen.

About a minute later, they heard a loud shattering sound coming from the kitchen and they all ran in there. The kitchen window was shattered and the kitchen door that led to the backyard was open.

They found Kagome smashing the jewel against the wall. “Come out you stupid, life-destroying evil bitch!”

She raised her arm one more time and was about to slam it down when she felt a hand wrap around her wrist. She turned frenzied, tear-filled eyes to find worry filled amber ones staring back at her worriedly. Dropping the jewel, she grabbed onto to him like a life line and allowed herself what she had not for five years.

She wept.

Five years of all her bottled emotions rose to the surface. She sobbed so hard she was struggling for breath.

“That stupid, good for nothing, bitch. Why?! Why couldn't she come to me?! Why couldn't she offer me some comfort?! Why should I protect this fucking jewel if it's going to rip everything from me?! Why?!” She yelled through her hiccupping sobs.

“Because you would have died and everyone else that you love would have died as well.”

Snapping her head around, Kagome came face to face with the object of her rage. She gritted out, “Midoriko.”

Before her stood a crying visage of the miko, “Yes Kagome, it is I.”

Kagome charged at her but was unable to inflict injury upon her. Looking up at the ancient miko, “Why?! Why should so many people suffer because of your mistakes?! How could you create such an evil jewel?! People I love have died! Have you any idea what it is to see your family murdered before your eyes?!”

Sango gasped and held a shaky hand up to her mouth. Shippo looked away and both Miroku and InuYasha held onto Kagome trying to keep her from charging again and hurting herself and it was proving difficult.

InuYasha looked down at his mate wide-eyed.

Spreading her aura to try to calm down the enraged miko, Midoriko answered, “The jewel happened by error. I assure you that.” Sighing and with tears flowing freely down her face, she continued, “I never meant to cause so much pain.”

Kagome clenched her fists on her side, “How come you didn't allow them to come to me for five years?! You knew what would happen didn't you?! Yet—“

A sob ripped from her heart, “Yet you did not allow me any comfort or console whatsoever!”

Not receiving an answer, Kagome fired an angry silver eyed gaze at the miko, “Answer me! You knew didn't you?! Answer me dammit!”

Nodding her head in acceptance, Midoriko stepped forward, looking solely at Kagome. “Yes. I did. Had I allowed them to come in before Kagome, you would not be as strong as you are today and you would be dead. I foresaw this and did what I believed was the best. Believe it or not, this was the only way. You have met Zenaku and know of the damage he is able to cause.”

Kagome tried not wincing and throwing up at the mention of that name, “Yes, I have met him. So my suffering and my loss is only for the insufferable jewel…to make me stronger, to protect your mistake. To rip everything from me… cause me so much pain that I would turn…” She jabbed at her chest, clearly shaken, “into this.

Turning her head to one side, she let out a dry chuckle. “Do you know what it's like to wish your own death because you can not deal with the misery of reality? I wish I would have died but since I am not…”

With determination in her eyes, she looked at Midoriko with nothing but disgust, “I assure you that I will kill that fucking bastard for all he's done and rid the world of you, him and that jewel.”

Giving her a small smile Midoriko nodded, “It is your destiny.”

Kagome shook her head and chuckled again, “Fuck destiny. It's revenge.”

Midoriko sighed, willing the girl to remember the light in her heart. “Kagome, you have to let light back into your heart and purity into your soul. In order to rid the jewel and Zenaku, you must rid yourself of the hatred you feel.”

With that she disappeared.

Kagome yanked out of the hanyou and ex-monks grasp and marched back into the house into the living room, straight to the couch. She needed to sit if not, she felt like she would just pass out and under her current condition, stomping up the stairs to her room was unfeasible.

She rocked herself back and forth, tugging at her hair. She willed herself not to cry.

What was it about this group present that made it so easy for her to forget, so easy to cry, so easy for emotions?

She could not forget. She did not want to cry. She definitely did not want or need the wave of emotions.

She heard them come into the room. Looking down into her lap and unconsciously putting a hand where she was impaled 5 years before, she tried not cracking. Keeping her head hung, she whispered, “I've needed you all so badly. So… so much has happened. I've…I've had to change. Become a -“

Looking at her shaking hands she rasped out, “monster. I've - I've had to k-kill both humans and demons. I've had to fight. I've had to drag the last member of my family into this for a mere chance of survival.” She closed her eyes, willing the tears not to fall, “I've had to become what I have always been against.”

Looking up she met Sango's gaze with her eyes blue-grey depths full of unshed tears, “Sango, I underestimated you before. You are much stronger than I ever could understand… I admire you for that even more so now.”

Not being able to withhold it any longer, Kagome let out a long needed sob and put her face in her hands. Souta looked up at everyone obviously dumbstruck. She seemed… broken and lost.

InuYasha did not know how to react. He walked to where his mate wailed and rubbed soothing circles on her back. Looking at Souta with an obvious look of bewilderment, he awaited an answer.

InuYasha had ofcourse seen her cry plenty. He had seen her at her saddest but, this Kagome seemed so broken, so beyond sad, and in so much pain that he was afraid there was no fixing it. The mere thought caused him to whimper.

Clearing his throat, feeling a similar sensation to his sister, he rubbed at his eyes harshly, “She hasn't cried in five years, not until today… she cried the first few months she was thrown back here but -“

Kagome sprang from her seat, wiping furiously at her eyes and rasped, “Enough.”

She looked at him almost apologetically her eyes holding so much turmoil, “It was my weakness that created all the pain in the first place and it's me that will rehash that story. You don't need to Souta. It's too painful. You were too young.”

She turned her gaze and softened it when she met InuYasha's. He took her hand and yanked her to his lap. She didn't even blink. It felt normal; made her feel complete, even after so long.

She didn't give a damn about him not being around for five years at that moment. She needed comfort and her comfort was him.

She sighed and started a recount of the event that took place five years ago…

+FLASHBACK+

Kagome and her family were finishing their dinner. Her family looked at her with worry.

The miko kept playing with the food on her plate but, did not make any attempts at consuming it.

“Kagome, is the food not sitting well with you dear?”

Kagome looked down at her slightly rounded belly and laid a hand there. She spared a glance at her mother. “I'm fine mama, I'm just not hungry.”

Her mother sighed, “I know sweetheart but you have a baby growing inside of you… you need to eat…InuYasha would want -“

Kagome side swept her plate out of the way and sent it crashing into the wall. She stood so abruptly her chair tipped over, “I KNOW MOTHER! I KNOW! I CAN'T HELP IT! I'VE LOST MY MATE! I CAN'T HELP BUT NOT FEEL HUNGRY! MY ONLY HUNGER, MO-THER, IS TO HAVE HIM HERE! WITH ME! TO SEE ME GROW WITH OUR CHILD! TO HAVE THE LOVE OF MY LIFE HERE!”

She started backing out of the kitchen with widened and tear filled eyes, “Mama, I'm sorry…I…” With a sob she turned and ran outside straight to the Goshinboku. She got on her knees and rested her forehead on the tree and began sobbing.Whispering InuYasha's name. So fueled with her despair, she did not notice a dark presence approaching.

When a shadow cast over her, she turned her head up and was face to face with the creature that had haunted her in the form of nightmares many nights through many years. “Na-raku?”

He gave her an evil grin, “No. Naraku was a weakling compared to me… I am Zenaku.”

Before Kagome could respond, run or attack. She felt a stab of pain through her abdomen. She looked down and saw a tentacle impaled into her and blood was seeping everywhere.

“Kukuku…and they claim you to be the all powerful reincarnated priestess that destroyed me in the past along with Kikyo?” He sucked his teeth and looked down on her again, “I'll be taking the jewel. Now, be a good girl and tell me where it is…”

Trying to stay conscious, fueled by her hate and anger, she spat at him, “Never.”

He lifted his head and looked towards the shrine, “Hn. Then I have some convincing to do.”

He grabbed her by her hair and dragged her towards the shrine, her mother was walking outside at that very moment and Kagome panicked, “MAMA RUN!!!!!”

Before Mrs. Higurashi had time to react she was impaled by a tentacle right through the chest which was surrounded with what seemed to be electricity. Kagome summoned up some power in her weak state and attacked. Zenaku was thrown back about 30 feet, allowing her some time to try and escape.

Kagome fought to control her body and dragged herself up and huddled into the house. Jii-chan and Souta were in the living room and sprung up when they saw her.

“Onee-san!”

“Kagome!”

Kagome could barely hold on, “Jii-chan…run… Souta… protect … the…jewel… don't let…let… anyone… get near… it…RUNNNNNNN!” She blacked out.

When Kagome awoke, she felt pain everywhere. As she opened her eyes, she saw white and bright lights. She was in a hospital.

She tried looking around to see her family. “Mama?”

“No sis, it's me.”

“Souta?” She couldn't focus her vision.

“Yeah” She knew it was him but, why did he sound so hoarse?

“How long have I been out?”

Souta cleared his throat, “A little more than a month sis.”

“Unh, Where's mama and jii-chan?”

Souta got up from his chair and silently embraced his sister tightly. “Souta?”

He startedsobbing uncontrollably into her shoulder. At that moment, a doctor walked in. He was a burly man with a kind face.

“Ms. Higurashi, it's good to see you awake. How are you feeling?”

“Horrible. Like I was stabbed…” She chuckled then gasped. “My baby! How's the baby?! He's alright isn't he?!” She started kicking off her sheets. Her stomach was flat.

The doctor approached her and laid a hand on hers, “I'm sorry, Ms. Higurashi…We attempted all that we could in order to save the baby but…”

Kagome opened her eyes wide and clutched at her womb. She couldn't speak and managed to rasp out a quiet, “No.”

The doctor looked at her with eyes full of apologies. “I'm sorry. A nurse will be right in with your medications Ms. Higurashi.”

The doctor turned and left the room, leaving the siblings alone together.

Souta who was still hugging his sister and held on to her tighter, “Sis...”

Kagome grabbed Souta and sobbed into his shoulder.He grabbed onto her trying to be strong, trying to control his tears.“Onee-san… that's not all…”

She grabbed his shoulders and pushed him back to see his face, tears soaking her beautiful face, “What do you mean?”

He was trembling. How would onee-san take the news? He took a deep breath. “Mama and jii-chan are gone too.”

She furrowed her brows. She was confused. “Gone? What do you mean gone Souta? Where did they go?!”

He shook his head. “No, onee-san. Gone. They…they died.They were murdered.”

+End Flashback+

Kagome looked up to meet their gazes. The look she gave them shattered them all. She rasped out, “The last memory my mama and jii-chan had of me was my screaming at them and treating them like a spoiled little brat, spitting hateful words at them when all they were trying to do was help.”

She had her pant ties in a white-knuckle grip. “If I hadn't been so weak, crying for so long... had some faith that we would meet again...like they did…” She looked at InuYasha, trying desperately to swallow the horrendous knot in her throat, “They could still be alive today and -”

“That's enough Kagome!” Souta stood and his aura flared, giving off that he was beyond angry. He turned and screamed at her, “Onee-san, the one day you lose your temper with mama, you think that would be her only memory of you? Jii-chan, him too? So you cried out of pain three months.... I DO NOT BLAME YOU! You are one of the strongest people I know sis! Don't you dare continue blaming their deaths and putting that burden on your shoulders... it's that fucking bastard Zenaku!” He lowered his voice and looked at his sister with honest eyes, “I don't blame you. You should not blame yourself either.”

Kagome bowed her head, “Gomen-nasai otouto. You're right.”

Her friends and mate still stared at her in shock. Even Shippo hadn't known the full events of what had happened, especially, that she had been pregnant.

Snapping out of his shock, InuYasha grabbed his mate and ran with her up to her room, leaving everyone to simmer in their thoughts about the newly acquired information.

InuYasha held Kagome against his chest as he sat against her wall. He let his suppressed tears fall. He was no longer ashamed of them. He was mourning for Mama Higurashi who had accepted him with open arms, for the crazy old man, who in his own crazy ways, showed him acceptance and for his pup. Most of all... he was mourning for his mate. In just one day, that bastard Zenaku had killed so much within her.

Feeling wetness on the top of her head, Kagome looked up to see the most shocking sight she had ever been met with.

Her hanyou was in full demonic state and crying. She tentatively reached a hand up, tracing the jagged purple marks adorning his face.

“InuYasha?” He closed his eyes and shook his head. When he reopened them, they still were outlined in red but, the amber had returned for the most part.

He rubbed his thumb on her lower lip, nearly choking on the lump in his throat. “I'm sorry koi. I'm so sorry I couldn't protect you from any of it... I couldn't protect our pack... and… and our unborn pu-pup.”

She wiped the tears from his eyes as her own spilled. “InuYasha… I…” She released a shaky sigh, “It still hurts like hell that you could not be hard headed for once and ignore what she told you. I'm yet trying to let it soak in.”

Looking at him, she saw that his eyes were closed but continued, “But I am sorry that I had so little faith in you.”

He opened his eyes and stared into hers. He kept silent knowing that she had to vent some of the things she had in her heart.

Not being able to deal with the intensity of emotions she saw in his eyes, she lowered her gaze and whispered, “Please give me some time. I need…” She clenched her eyes tight, “I need to take this all in. I need to forgive completely.” She looked up once more to meet his gaze. “Not only you but, myself. I need to become worthy of you once again.”

He shook his head and cradled her head in his hands and gave her a small smile, “You've always been worthy Kagome… even more so now.”

She turned her surprised eyes away from him, “How can you say that I am worthy? How can you say that?! I'm a monster InuYasha!”

He chuckled and turned her head to rub his nose against hers, “Now you can understand my predicament so many centuries ago.”

Furrowing her eyebrows in confusion, he once more laughed and gave her a chaste kiss and offered further explanation.

“When I thought I wasn't worthy, you made me feel like the worthiest person in the world. When I thought I was meant to be alone, you offered me companionship. When I wanted to change who I was because, I saw flaws in it, you made me see that there was nothing to change. Throughout it all, you never turned me away. Don't ask me to turn you away koi. I wouldn't be able to bear it.”

Letting out a choked whimper, she embraced him with all her strength and cried into the crook of his neck. He held her and comforted her, whispering his promises of love and protection.

Whispered promises to never let her go ringing clear and true in her heart.

Straddling his lap, she wrapped her arms tighter around him and she began kissing his neck earning a groan from him. “Promise?”

He tightened his hold on her, “Koishii. I've never broken a promise.” With that he turned his head and searched out the sweet lips he had missed and yearned for so long.

Kagome did not deny him or hold back. She needed this as much as he did. For one moment, everything that had happened in the past five years was nothing more than a distant memory.

For one moment, she was that young, naïve, pure, free-spirited girl that fell in love with the rude, arrogant, loud mouthed, stubborn hanyou.

Breaking from the kiss, Kagome slowly opened her eyes to look at her beloveds face. She stroked his cheeks. “I've changed a lot InuYasha. I'm not sure I can ever be the old me ever again.”

He placed her hand over his heart. “I've changed as well but what hasn't changed is what's in here and that's all I give a damn about.”

Looking away from him and towards her window, she let out a sigh, “How do you know that hasn't hardened as well.”

He chuckled and shook his head, “Keh. If you were so stone cold Kagome, we would not be sitting here like this right now. You wouldn't have wasted a minute of your time on us. You would've kicked us out on our asses.”

Grabbing her chin gently, he made her look at him, “Your heart could never be dark or cold…as much as you wanted it to be that way. Nothing that was once so pure could really ever become that tainted by free will.”

He placed his hands on her hips and rubbed circles with his thumbs.

She smiled tremulously, “You have matured and gotten a lot wiser in five centuries…”

He only nodded and focused on her neck. He furrowed his brows and sounded a little annoyed, “How come you still have your mark?! I lost mine and almost went crazy not having our scents mixed five-hundred years dammit!”

' Count to ten Kagome. So much for maturing in five centuries…'

Kagome slightly glared at the obviously perturbed `matured' InuYasha, “Five hundred and five years and I did lose my mark. This…” She pointed at her neck, “Is a tattoo. When I lost it, I couldn't deal with it! I couldn't control anything else that I had lost, but be damned if I didn't get my mark back!”

He was taken a little aback by her ferocity. Huffing, she took off her two silver cuffs she wore on her wrists, she held her wrists up to him. 'My Protector' on her right wrist and 'My Everything' on her left.

It was what she had told him she wished his mark could've said, the morning after their mating.

He grabbed her and embraced her tightly.

`Leave it to the wench to get meall mushy'

She pulled back from the embrace and earned a slight growl for her efforts. “You know...” She tried smirking but failed. “You haven't changed much… but there's still a lot that needs to be said and it needs to be said in front of everyone.”

He looked at her as if she had grown a third head, “And you know I have not had my mate around for 500 -” At her glare he faltered “—erm... 505 years! I want alone time dammit!”

She laughed. Right in his face and gave him a little pout. She grabbed some of his forelock and twirled it. “So were you faithful to me 505 years?”

“K-Keh.”

Grabbing one of his furry ears, she yanked until he was in her face. Vein popping in her forehead, “That better be a YES I WAS FAITHFUL 'KEH' or I'M GONNA MAKE 'KEH'-BOBS out of your—”

There was a knock on the door. “Onee-san, we're waiting. We need to clear the air. You can have a - um - reunion later.”

She flew out of his lap and with a look of total hurt and dismay, then switching back to fury she bit out, “You know what? It might slip my mind if I was faithful or not.”

He was up in an instant, sniffing all around her. “I don't smell any other males on you...”

Then he sniffed again and widened his eyes in realization, “Wait I don't smell you at all?! What.the.fuck?!”

She chuckled, “I can block out scents. I wouldn't be a very good hunter if I was detected, ne? Didn't you notice when you couldn't smell me outside?” With that she turned on her heel and left a very pissed off, stuttering hanyou behind.

After a moment, he huffed and stomped out of the room right after her. “Oi bitch! You better tell me who I have to kill right now!”

When he heard her laugh, that fake laugh, he bellowed louder, “It was that wimp...HOBO? HOMO? HOTO? MOTO? TOTO? Oi! Don't keep walking away from me! Get back here!”

--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+- -+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--

Everyone turned and saw Kagome skipping down the stairs with one of her infamous `This-is-a-complete-fake' smiles, with a hollering hanyou hot on her tail which, she was obviously ignoring.

She bounced herself until she was right in front of Miroku and grabbed him by the ear and twisted.

He grimaced in pain and yelled out, “OWWWWWWWW! OWW! OWWW! OWW!”

Kagome kept smiling and hissed, “I want dates, times and names for all the bitches that my…” She growled, “he slept with, got it?” She let go of his ear and he looked between Kagome and a now pale/confused looking InuYasha while rubbing the nearly torn appendage.

Miroku let out an incredulous “What?”

Kagome shrugged and sat down in the armchair. InuYasha lifted her and sat below her, ignoring her trying to pound him and grabbed her arms and held them at her sides.

Souta sighed… a long, hair pulling sigh. “You guys are so immature.”

His sister abruptly halted her struggle and attempted to look as dignified as possible in her 'mates' lap and responded, “You're right. This isn't a joke.”

They all agreed. “Anyhow, when the...” She gritted, “'event' occurred and I awoke in the hospital and got the news. I um, you can say, flipped out.”

Souta snorted and rolled his eyes mumbling, “Yeah, flipped out.” He turned to the rest of the group, “Try white padded walls and super-drug relaxants flipped out.”

Kagome threw a remote at his head, which hit its intended target. Souta tried to figure out how she got loose from InuYasha's hold.

She sent a cold narrowed gaze at him and continued, “Anyway, yes, after my…um… `stint' in a facility… I was now in charge of maintaining this household and plotting to put an end to that son-of-a-bitch who shall remain nameless. Luckily, mama and jii-chan both planned for the unexpected so they had set a little money aside for Souta and me. We needed money so I could fund our hunts and obviously survive.”

She furrowed her brow and pinched the bridge of her nose. “Being that I didn't continue my education because I was going to stay in the feudal era -”

She caught InuYasha pressing his ears to his head. She turned to him and told him in a serious tone, all hostility put to the side… momentarily, “It was not your fault. We didn't expect me to get thrown back here... the future or present...wasn't in my future plans. I never regretted my choice.”

Turning back to the group, “I didn't know what I wanted to do as far as a business so; I started gathering a small team of 'experts' to help me out with hunting this asshole out while I figured out where my…our… life was going. I actually have a miko on my team, her name is Ai, she's incredibly smart and pretty powerful. She's more of an informant than anything else but, sometimes, she's out on the field with Souta and me. She's very good. A bit hyper and seems ditsy but, great fighter and archer if I do say so myself. There's also another female, although she's young, she's an expert in any weapons you can think of and the martial arts. Her name is Chika… reminds me a lot of you Sango. Hit first, questions later - Oh and fair warning Houshi, you better watch your hands around her... one thing she is not like Sango in... She will cut your hand off... or rip you a new Kazaana...if you catch my drift.”

She received a proud grin from her best friend and horrified look from Miroku and snickers from the rest.

“Lastly, we have a male - Do not growl InuYasha - which is our... well lets call it `communications and intelligence' expert, who can also kick some massive ass. His name is Norio. This group all has some type of agenda to getting Zenaku so, we all work together to accomplish our goal. From what we know this monster is very powerful but, does not go by the name Zenaku when disguised as a human. We have yet to figure out what his alias is. “ She paused for a moment to get her bearings.

“So that's when I decided, I needed to start a business in order to continue funding this project. I kept looking around for something reasonable, until I found the club now known as Club Sanctuary. We get to stand in the midst of some of the upper class, both human and demon. We get to rub elbows and obtain information.”

Souta laughed and looked at his sister, “Rubbing elbows? Is that what you call elbowing a gut to get information nowadays?”

She smirked and shrugged, “Tomato, Tomatoe”

She allowed a small smile while she reminisced, “Kami, must have been shining on me for once because, I got an incredible deal for the club. Great location. Great Price. Not much to fix. Apparently, the previous owner... Takahashi something or other really wanted to get rid of it, thankfully it's massively successful.”

Hearing Sango chuckle, Miroku cough, Shippo snicker and InuYasha 'Keh'. She looked around the group with an uplifted eyebrow. “What?”

Miroku was the first to calm down from his 'little' attack. “Did you say Takahashi?”

She was confused. “Yeah, so?” Her tone suggesting he was slow on the intake.

“InuYasha... please take out your identification for your mate.”

Kagome crossed her arms, “Ex-mate.”

If looks could kill, Miroku would have died by a thousand amber daggers.

Kagome stood from her spot, whirled on him with her hands on her hips, “Well?”

Reluctantly, he took out his identification and prayed to whatever higher being to really, really survive the day.

She snatched it from his hand and looked at the I.D. in her hand first observing the picture and then the demographics.

'Yasha Takahashi, 6'2”, Brown Hair, Violet Eyes...am I missing something?'

She looked over it again...'Yasha..'

“TAKAHASI!”

InuYasha blanched.

`Mate will kill us'

'I never knew that club was hers! It wasn't me!'

'Yeah, by the looks of it... you're dead.'

Pinching the bridge of her nose trying to keep the headache at bay, what she really wanted to do was pull her hair and punch a certain hanyou in the face. As calmly as possible under the stress of it all, “InuYasha…”

“WHAT'S THE MEANING OF THIS? DID YOU INTENTIONALLY SELL ME THAT CLUB? YOU WERE AROUND AND NEVER THOUGHT OF COMING BY TO SEE YOUR 'MATE' EVEN IN YOUR CONCEALED FORM? WERE YOU TOO BUSY BANGING SOME OTHER BROAD YOU JERK?!!”

Taking a deep breath she continued as an epiphany hit her, “WAIT! YOU DID GO! TWO MONTHS AGO AND HIT ON ME YOU FUCKING JERK! YOU WERE TESTING ME?! KAMI! I DIDN'T EVEN GET THAT ON MY OWN EITHER DID I?! NOOOOOOOOO WHY WOULD HIGURASHI KAGOME HAVE SUCH LUCK?!” She was stomping her foot and fuming. She started to whirl to walk out but was stopped mid-stride.

He had had enough. He snapped, he whirled her back around and stood nose to nose with her. She defiantly stared straight into his eyes, cocking her chin defiantly. “LISTEN HERE YOU DUMB, IRRITATING BITCH! I COULDN'T COME TO YOU EVEN IF I WANTED TO! MIDORIKO CAME TO ALL FOUR OF US…YES 505 YEARS AGO AND SAID IF WE INTEFERED YOU WOULD DIE! I WAS NOT GOING TO RISK THAT! I WAS NOT GOING TO RISK YOU!”

He jabbed his finger at her head, “CAN YOU GET THAT THROUGH THAT THICK FUCKING SKULL OF YOURS BAKA?!”

Taking a deep breath, he calmed his tone and hung his head. “Do you have any idea Kagome... what it's like to not see you in over 500 years? Yeah, granted I saw you born, grow up, go back to the past, come back crying most of the time because of my being an idiot, finally see you decide to stay with me, only to see you get thrown back here, see you scratch at the bottom of that well for hours and do nothing because there wasn't a damned thing to do but wait? I left to Europe the same day you came back through that well. I couldn't handle being in the same country and not comfort you. I had nothing to do with the club, I promise.”

Looking at his shocked wide-eyed mate, “I'm sorry Kagome. When Midoriko came to us, she said you needed time to become stronger. That because of that fucking jewel, Naraku reincarnated just to get it and you. I guess everything comes at a cost. For you it was your family and our pup. For me, it was being without my mate 500...505 years, feeling helpless without being able to protect you, losing you...waiting and hoping to be able to make it to you and hope to kami, you would be ok…only to realize, the pain, torture and anguish you were forced to go through alone while I couldn't do a damned fucking thing about it.”

The silence hung around the group like a fog. The tension could be cut with a chainsaw.

Kagome hung her head and once again hid her eyes, clenching her fists at her sides, nails digging into her palms, causing her to bleed. “I would have become strong even if you told me what I was facing. You were always too hardheaded for everything. Why did you have to listen to someone for once? Why? Did you all have so little faith in me?”

InuYasha look like he had been slapped as did the rest of them. Souta carefully approached his sister and hugged her. “Would you have risked any of them onee-san if you were told that, if you stayed or didn't, it would determine their life or death without knowing what the consequences would be? If the tables had been turned and Midoriko approached you and told you, if you got near InuYasha his life would end…would you have risked him?”

Shaking her head in the negative, Kagome playfully glared at her brother, “When the hells did you become so deep and wise?”

He smirked and playfully rolled his eyes, “Where have you been? He-llo… I've always been deep.”

She slapped his chest and snorted, “Yeah, as deep as a puddle.”

She remained hugging him but turned to look at the group. “I apologize to you guys. I know I might be a... bit…different now”

The whole group 'Keh'd'.

She smiled through her tears. “O.K….a lot different but, it's my defense mechanism. It helped protect me and my brother. It'll take time to adjust on not depending solely on myself and Souta anymore... all I ask for patience. I know... it's a lot to ask.”

Looking back at InuYasha, “So if you had nothing to do with the club...who did? Takahasi isn't a vast last name...” She gasped and pointed a finger in his face.

“You don't mean to tell me you're one of the Takahasi?!”

When he nodded, she smirked, “Well look at that. My ma—... umm.... ex-mate is part of one of the richest families alive....”

She looked at Miroku and Sango, “What's your last name?”

They responded in unison, “Fushinegwa”

Both, Kagome and Souta looked like a pair of fish. Opening and closing their mouths.

Kagome elegantly stated in obvious shock, “Holy fu-cken Kami. Well Souta... bring out the formal tea set, we got two of the richest families sitting in our shrine...”

Souta shook his head and whistled low. “Ain't that something?”

They all laughed. Kagome looked at Shippo. “What's your last name?”

He puffed up his chest, “Takahasi of course! I was adopted remember Okaa-san? You're not that old to be senile!”

She playfully glared and swatted at her kit, “I'll let the 'old' comment slide, you 500 something year old brat!”

Looking back at the love of her life, “So, if not you than who basically handed me my club?”

He gave her a half-smile and shrugged, “Might have been Sesshomaru?”

Jaw dropped, “What? Why? He never liked us! He hates me! Well he hates everyone but especially you and me!”

InuYasha chuckled, “500 years and a mate can change a demon... we actually only try to kill each other every other year... for fun. The rest of the time, you can say it's a truce...besides -” he shrugged. “We're pack.”

Kagome was still in awe, “Wow. I guess so.... WAIT? Mate? Do I know her?!”

He gave a nod, “Rin.”

'I knew he had a soft spot for her...'

“Oh shit.”

He looked at her in mild surprise and playfully teased her. “Oi! When did you get such a dirty mouth? It isn't the first time today I hear ya! You're as bad as me 505 years ago.”

She blushed. A 'fire-rat' red blush. Rubbing her neck. “Eh...heh-heh...Part of that defense mechanism thing I told you about?”

He scoffed, “Not very fucking likely.”

She rolled her eyes, “Oh bite me, dog-boy”

He smirked, a fang overlapping his bottom lip. He walked up to her and leaned into her ear, “Soon. I plan on overtaking that tattoos spot.”

She blushed a lovely magenta.

--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+- -+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--

+Next Chapter+

+Reintroductions and Introductions+