InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Haunted ❯ Making Memories ( Chapter 26 )

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

Chapter 26: Making Memories

Inuyasha woke slowly, squinting his eyes at the brightness of the sunshine coming in through Kagome's bedroom window. Dammit! Why didn't I close those curtains last night? Feh!

Groaning, he rolled over slightly, closing his eyes again, and burying his face in Kagome's neck. Inhaling her scent calmed him, and allowed him to continue waking feeling content rather than irritated.

He smiled as he felt her start to move into wakefulness as well, lovingly nuzzling her skin.

"Mmm, 'Yasha..." she sighed, burying her nose in his warm skin and inhaling softly, taking in his scent. I always did love the way he smells...

Opening her eyes, she squinted at the light levels for a minute, then jerked away and sat up quickly. "Kami! I can't believe we slept so long!"

Inuyasha shook his head in amusement, appreciatively watching his naked mate ahem, bounce around. He snickered as he realized that she hadn't noticed she was naked yet, nor that the sheets had slipped down, leaving her entire, magnificent chest bare for his perusal.

And he wasn't about to mention it and ruin his fun, either. He knew she'd notice before too long, anyway, so he just continued to smile and stare... and he laughed outright when she finally realized the compromising position she was in.

She blushed from her face all the way down to her beautiful breasts, making the view even better, in his opinion.

"Inuyasha!" She yanked the sheets back up, face still pink and obviously embarrassed.

He raised a brow, folding his arms behind his head, he grinned up at her. "What?"

"Why didn't you say something instead of staring, you hentai?!"

"Why should I say anything? I was enjoying the view, I'll have you know... and since you're my mate, I've got every right to do so." He reached a hand over, yanking the sheet from where she'd tucked it.

"In fact," he mused, "I don't think I'm done admiring the view."

She squealed and tried to take the sheet back, slapping at his hands.

Damn! I'm in heaven here!

Kagome, in all actuality, was quite well aware that while fighting to take the sheets back, her bare chest was perched right in Inu's face, and even though she was blushing a bit with embarrassment, she really had no intentions of backing off and hiding again.

She'd promised him another round of lovemaking last night before they'd gotten back through the well, not expecting what had happened when they had finally made it here, so she was perfectly ready to fulfill that promise this morning, and judging from the size of the tent in the bedding, her mate was more than willing.

This play would lead straight to where she wanted to go - and they both knew it.

---cCc---
After a long morning of lovemaking, Kagome felt great and ready to face Naraku, or anything else the day could throw at her. They both bathed quickly, then dressed, before heading downstairs and practically inhaling lunch.

Everything went great... until her mother brought up the situation with Inuyasha's father and what Naraku was planning. The sudden tension in her mate's body clued her in that he hadn't been able to come up with any way to deal with the news yet.

"What are you going to do about it, Inuyasha?" As her mother looked at him concernedly, he shook his head and sighed, then turned away.

"I don't know... I never knew him, so I don't know what kind of danger he could be, although I do know that he was the strongest youkai of his time, and probably still would be stronger than most of them out there. It's possible that Sesshoumaru is stronger."

Standing up suddenly, he began to pace. "I may even be stronger than he was - after all, I did defeat Ryuukotsei, when he wasn't able to himself... but there aren't any guarantees, especially if he has shards implanted in him."

Kagome nodded thoughtfully. "From what I've seen and heard, your father was exceptionally strong, so it will probably take a lot of shards to control him. That's going to make it very difficult to stop him."

Her brow furrowed in thought. "Of course, I could call the shards to me, but I'd have to get close enough to do so with the horrible taint that Naraku puts on them - and there's no telling what will happen once I get all the shards out. He could disappear, go back to being dead, or..." she glanced at Inuyasha, "he could actually remain... alive. It all depends on just how Naraku brings him back."

Inuyasha's eyes widened, unsure of what to think at his mate's pronouncement.

Alive? I don't know what I'd do if he was actually to stay... alive. How would I handle that?

"Inuyasha?" Kagome's mother watched him with concern. How much more can the poor boy deal with? The fate's have definitely thrown him one hell of a curveball, that's for sure. How many people have to deal with something like this?

He sighed and shook his head, running a hand across his brow and closing his eyes. "There's no point in worrying about it too much at this point - we don't know enough about him to make any concrete plans right now - we'll have to wait 'til we can talk to Sesshoumaru. He's the only one that really knew our father... well, besides Myoga and Totosai. Myoga might be able to give us some useful info about him, but Totosai..." he snickered, "he's too senile to be much help."

Kagome giggled, rolling her eyes at the thought of the bug-eyed old man. He sure was annoying sometimes with his total lack of memory recall. But other times - well, he could be hilariously funny, too.

Depended on the circumstances, really.

She knew the subject here was serious, a painful one for Inuyasha, and that it would be for the proud Daiyoukai that her mate called brother as well, but also that he would never show such weakness, either.

But for some reason, she just felt good this day, and refused to spend too much time worrying over things she had no control over, and instead, decided to spend the day enjoying her mate and her family. She smiled up at her still smirking mate, then over at her mother.

After all, it was most probable that she wouldn't be able to enjoy them in combination for very much longer.

---cCc---

Unfortunately, time always flies when your having fun, or dreading something that's coming. It made the day pass far too quickly, and finally left her unable to get away from the talk she knew she'd have to have with her mother. Too many things could happen, and her mother had the right to know what those possibilities were, so she cornered her in the kitchen after dinner.

"Momma?" She waited silently for her mother to turn and face her before continuing. "I need to talk to you about some things."

She watched her mother wrap both hands around her cup of tea and give her a level look. "I assume the subject matter is serious from the look on your face, dear, am I correct?"

Kagome looked away uneasily. "Yeah, it is... and it's not a discussion I really want to have but..." she trailed off, suddenly overcome by sadness. While it was true that all children eventually grew up and moved out, her case was just a little different.

Her mother watched her for a moment, before taking her daughter by the hand calmly and settling her down at the table, then handing her a cup of tea, before sitting down herself and picking her own cup back up.

"Out with it then, young lady. What's weighing on your mind?

Kagome closed her eyes for a minute, trying to draw strength for what she needed to say, before opening them and locking gazes with her mother. "Momma... well, it's just that... oh hell," she said, laying a hand over her eyes in resignation. "What I'm trying to say is, we know that the battle with Naraku is coming - soon. Inuyasha and I have already talked about this and the problem is that we don't know how long the well will continue working, if it will even continue working, or even if Inuyasha himself will be able to keep using it even if it does stay open."

She shook her head. "The bond between us, if we were to be separated by the well, both of us would die. That much time between us would completely destroy our minds, momma. We can't be separated - do you understand?"

She nodded. "Yes, I can imagine that kind of thing would do massive damage to the both of you." She sighed, smiling ruefully over at her daughter. "The kami's picked you for an odd fate, dear, but it's an honorable one, nonetheless. Why don't you tell me what it is you need to and get it off your chest?"

"Inuyasha and I talked about it and we've decided that until Naraku is defeated, we won't be back." Her voice trailed off, tears audible in it, but her eyes remained clear, and she continued on with only a bit of strain evident. "We haven't decided what to do after Naraku is gone - I'm hoping I can ask Midoriko about the well and get a few answers, but if not... well, both of us are terrified that if we try to go through the well, even together, that it'll block him."

Her mother sighed again, finally understanding what her daughter had been trying to tell her. It hurt, but she knew there was nothing she could do about it and so she smiled at her. "It's okay, dear, I understand what you've been trying to say. Unless you can get some firm answers about the well, you won't be back."

Kagome looked down, then nodded silently. "Yes, momma."

"Didn't you tell me that you now have Inuyasha's life span? If so, then why so glum, dear? You'll see us again, right?"

Kagome's head shot up, eyes wide with surprise, as she took in what her mother was saying. Yes, it was still hard to think about, because for her, it would be five hundred years before she'd be able to do so, but for them - well if they did it right, and she kept track of the dates, she could come back to the shrine the day after leaving.

"I never really thought about that, momma," she said softly. "You're right. It will still be hard, but..."

Her mother smiled at her, reaching out a hand, she placed it over her daughter's. "It might be hard, dear, but you are strong enough to bear it. After all, if you could deal with everything else that's happened in your life, this should be easy, don't you think?"

She met her mother's gaze and practically beamed at her, relief evident in her expression. Five hundred years was a long time, true, but - it wasn't forever. She would still shed tears when she left, but, there would also be hope, not just pain.

"Hai, momma." She tilted her head, her smile getting smaller, as her eyes got a far away look in them. "Maybe not easy, but - I'll be okay."

Her mother nodded and stood, still smiling, and reached out a hand for her daughter. "Come on, dear, let's go find the rest of the family - we should spend as much time together as possible. When are you and Inuyasha planning on going back?"

"Two more days. We wanted to spend as much time here as possible before making that final trip through the well."

"Hmm. Well, if that's the case, maybe we should go do some shopping - get you two as stocked up as possible before you go back. I know it won't last forever but, at least for a while, you'll still have some of the stuff you're used to."

Kagome nodded as she thought about that, smiling a little as they walked into the living room and Inuyasha immediately came to her side with a questioning look. "Everything's okay, Inu," she said, softly, reaching out and grabbing his hand. "I told momma, and I don't really think she was all that surprised."

Inuyasha wasn't really surprised that she wasn't, actually. Kagome's mother just always seemed to know what was going on around her - even when she shouldn't. "What did she say," he asked, curious as to what her words of wisdom had been.

"She pointed out that since I now have your life span, I'd see them again, and that, with everything else I've had to learn to deal with, this shouldn't really be that hard."

"Huh." He shook his head, once again amazed at her mother's wisdom. She just always seemed to know what to say. Still, even knowing they'd be able to see them all again, it didn't make it any easier knowing they'd have to wait so long.

"She wants to take us shopping for supplies, as well. Her idea is that we can take as much as possible with us and try to make it last... I think her idea is more along the lines of medical supplies and the like than anything else," she turned a teasing glance on him, "although I'm sure she includes ramen in medical supplies, since I think she feels that if you had your ramen taken away, you'd have a heart attack."

Inuyasha just rolled his eyes at her, squeezing her fingers in his hand, before letting go and folding his hands into his haori sleeves. "Feh. Will not... although, now that you mention it, I would like a fairly large supply to take back with us." He sighed. "It's gonna suck having to wait five hundred years for ramen to be invented again."

Kagome just gave him an amused glance, before turning and heading towards the stairs. Calling back goodnights to her family over her shoulder, she grinned at him mischievously, and darted up the stairs to her room, shrieking with laughter as he pursued her.

He deliberately let her reach her room before he caught up, letting her get near her bed before pouncing on her. He smiled. This kind of play always ended up one way... and he was perfectly happy to oblige.

---cCc---

Morning came quicker than either of them would have liked, but since they planned on leaving fairly early to get as much shopping done as possible, they knew they had to get moving. The idea was that the sooner they got the shopping done, the sooner they could start taking it all back to the other side, and storing it away.

Showering together to get a head start, they finished quickly and dressed, before heading downstairs to the kitchen, where, from the smells, they could tell that mother was already awake and ready to go.

Kagome frowned thoughtfully at that realization. No matter how early a person got up, momma was always already not only awake, but showered, dressed, and ready for the day.

How does she always know?

Shaking her head, she sat at the table and grabbed her chopsticks. Rice and miso soup was a good start for the day, and she was more than content to watch Inu eat his favorite meal of - of course - ramen. She shuddered.

How can he eat that stuff every day, for every meal? He's gonna really hate it if we can't get back through the well... sooner or later, our supplies will run out... poor Inu.

"So, Kagome, dear, have you decided what supplies you're most interested in this time around?" Momma chuckled as Inuyasha made a face and started to open his mouth to say something. She cut him off with a wave of her hand. "Besides ramen, Inuyasha. That's a given."

"Keh." He looked sheepish for a moment, then went back to slurping his noodles.

"Yeah, momma. Foodstuffs, pretty much non-perishable items, dried fruits and nuts, dried meats, and of course, besides the ramen, pocky. It's always good for a quick energy boost, anyway. As for other supplies, shampoos and conditioners, toothpaste, oh yes, definitely toothpaste and toothbrushes, ummm, feminine products, yup," she blushed slightly, "plenty of that, and medical supplies more than anything else."

Her mother nodded, standing back against the counter with her second cup of tea for the morning. Kagome smiled, taking that in and pressing it into her memory.

Momma always loved her tea... she'd drink it all day.

She wanted to store as many memories as possible away for posterity, because a few days from now, they'd be all she'd have for centuries to come. Memories.

Kagome was pretty sure she'd be stuck waiting it out, call it a premonition, or whatever, but she just had that feeling, and so was determined to take as many memories with her as possible. And lots of pictures, of course.

With that last thought in mind, she looked up at her mother, and asked, "Hey momma, did you think to grab the camera? I want to take lots of pictures these next two days."

Her mother smiled at them both. "Of course I did, child, I wouldn't forget something so important. I even have several photo albums ready for you of pictures from the past, as well. I stayed up last night going through our family photos picking out a selection of the best ones." She nudged her son-in-law's elbow to get his attention. "I think that's enough food for now - let's get on the move, you two!"

Giggling at Inuyasha's mildly disgruntled look, she grabbed his hand and pulled him along behind her as they headed to the front entrance. Grabbing his hat, she handed it to him and used her foot to drag out her shoes and slip them on. Her mother was already through the door, simply waiting for Inuyasha to slip his sandals on.

Once that was done, she moved off, crossing the shrine grounds briskly towards the stairs, knowing the two would follow behind. Reaching the bottom of the stairs, she walked along the sidewalk until they reached the entrance to the shrine's parking area, and headed directly for her car. Normally, they'd just take the bus or a train, but with the sheer amount of shopping to be done today, it was best to take the car.

Inuyasha stopped as soon as he saw where she was headed. His first, and only experience, in a car, had not been a good one, and he was decidedly unhappy about spending more time in another one.

"Kagome..." he glared at the modern mode of transportation sitting innocently in front of him, "do we really have to go in that?"

Kagome glanced back at her hanyou, breaking into a laugh as she caught the pouty expression on his face. She traded amused glances with her mother.

"Yes, Inuyasha, we really have to take the car. We're going to be getting too much stuff to even have a chance of carrying it all back. It's going to be annoying enough just hauling it from here up all those steps and into the well shrine."

"Fine." He shot his mate a disgruntled look. "But you'd better make sure we get a lot of ramen, wench. I'm gonna need something to appease my upset stomach after this - and ramen's about the only thing that will."

Shaking her head, she grabbed his hand and pulled him over to the car. "Oh, hush, Inuyasha. You know I always get you lots of ramen. Now get in like a good little hanyou."

He glared at her indignantly. "Woman, you'd better learn some respect," he mumbled, as her and her mother broke into all-out laughter at his antics. He hid a small smile. He wanted her to smile and be able to remember her last few days with her family as happy ones, not have her memories be of a time of sadness and pain.

As he sat back in the seat with her cuddled up next to him, he held onto her hand, squeezing it gently, lovingly. Sometimes, especially at times like this, he felt so damn guilty for being the cause of her losing her family, and could only be grateful for the small mercy that it wouldn't be permanent. He loved her so much, and watching her now, knowing that she was busy storing memories for their departure, made him wonder how she could ever love him - he's such a selfish bastard.

If he hadn't claimed her, she wouldn't be preparing herself to lose her family.

He sighed, a melancholy sound, one that caught Kagome's attention very quickly.

She rolled her eyes at the thoughts she could hear coming from him.

'Inuyasha, stop. You shouldn't feel guilty for a choice that I made. I wouldn't choose any other path, either. I knew full well when I accepted you as my mate that this day would come - that I would have to learn to live without my family. Because frankly, I can live without them - But I can't live without you. So no guilt, okay?'

He raised stricken eyes to hers, locking his gaze on her.

'How do you always do that, wench? You always know what to say to me... and even though I can't understand why you feel that way about me, I do understand - because I can't live without you, either.'

Her mother watched silently in the rearview mirror as she waited for a chance to turn into traffic. She may have to give her daughter up, but she knew beyond a shadow of a doubt, she couldn't be in better hands - and that took the edge off. If anyone could make sure that Kagome lived to see her family again, it would be Inuyasha.

She smiled as she turned onto the street. She would see her daughter in only a few days, she was sure of it.

---cCc---

Inuyasha sighed. Even though he still hated the car, he had to admit his mate was right; there was no way they could have carried all this stuff.

As it was, it was going to take a while just to get it all up to the well, and then several trips together to get it all through. He didn't want to waste too much time on this project, either, since they would be leaving in the morning, he wanted her to have as much time with her family as possible.

"Come on, Kagome, Sota... let's get this done. The quicker we do, the quicker we're free to enjoy ourselves."

Kagome glanced behind herself in surprise. She hadn't realized her brother had followed her down, but she was glad he had. They'd already made one trip up, and if they did this right, they'd only have to make maybe two more.

Rolling her eyes in resignation, she nodded and started grabbing bags, loading herself up with as much as she could stand to take, then, to the amusement of her hanyou mate, staggering off towards the stairs.

She stopped, irritation beginning to roll off her in waves as she watched him grab over half the remaining bags, then practically leap to the top of the shrine steps, before vanishing for a moment, then leaping back down... all in the space of about ten seconds. Dropping her bags, she folded her arms across her chest before yelling out, "That is soo not fair!"

She huffed as Inuyasha began laughing at her, turning her back on him, she grabbed the bags and began moving off, then tossed over her shoulder, "Since you want to be such a showoff, Inuyasha, you can bring up the rest of the bags!"

She completely ignored his howl of outrage as she made her way up the stairs and over to the wellhouse.

Hmph! Serves him right! Don't know what he's whining about, anyway - not like it'll take him more than thirty seconds to finish it all up!

'Fine. Be that way, wench - but remember, I will get you back for this,' he practically purred into her mind.

She suddenly was very interested in going through the bags, and placing them into the well house itself in preparation for them being hauled into the past.

Her mate merely grinned at her.

Sota rolled his eyes at the two. "Adults - will they ever make sense?"

He turned and headed back to the house as he received two growls for his efforts. "Sheesh. Touchy today, aren't they?"

Momma just smiled as her son came through the door. "It's okay, Sota, dear. They'll calm down in a bit - just let them finish taking all that stuff through the well." She sighed, a sad look crossing her face for a minute. "It's just hard for them, dear. After all, they'll be leaving tomorrow, and saying goodbye is never easy, son, remember that."

Sota caught his mother's eyes and nodded. As young as he was, he understood that better than most kids his age. How could he not, with the sister he had?

After all, every time she went through the well, he said goodbye - not knowing if he'd ever see her again. He was used to it.

He still hated it, though.