InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Oops ❯ Reunited ( Chapter 4 )

Disclaimer: I don't own InuYasha or any characters there in.

Chapter 4: Reunited

InuYasha had found a small portion of "loose" rock along the solid wall of the cave. He removed the obstructing stones, sending them noisily to the floor, following the faint smell of dirt.

He worked quietly, and Kagome sat quietly, staring at the milky water pooled in the center of the room. She was trying very hard not to think about things, not right now, not with InuYasha so close. She might say something and she felt better about talking to InuYasha after she worked things out on her own first. Still, no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't keep that all too familiar despair from pulling at her heart. She couldn't keep the old fears at bay. Couldn't stop from replaying the telling scenes in her mind. Couldn't keep that most unwelcome presence, especially now, from running around her head. Kikyo.

Once InuYasha had cleared the rocks, and subsequent dirt, a narrow tunnel let the outside world into this once dark sanctuary. InuYasha crawled out first, making sure the way was clear. The tunnel ended up on the steep slope of a mountain, just below the tree line. The forest was peaceful and there was no sign of danger, human, animal, or demon, anywhere near.

Kagome stood silently in front of the tunnel watching him uncertainly.

"We need to go that way," InuYasha pointed at the mountain, "around the mountain."

Kagome nodded.

"It will be faster if you ride." Kagome hesitated before complying, InuYasha pretended not to notice.

It was a brief and uncomfortable journey. As silent as the cave they had escaped and slightly more claustrophobic. As it turned out the caves' tunnels had been quite twisted, so that the site of the battle with Sesshomaru was just over this mountain.

A gaping hole welcomed them at the foot of the mountain. A testament to the violence of that last battle. InuYasha jumped over to the small rocky area where their camp had been, Kagome's bag had been left there.

Miroku, Sango, Kirara and Shippo were already there looking at the mess that something had made of the contents of Kagome's bag, which was currently no were to be seen.

"I thought I told you we'd meet at Keade's." InuYasha barked at his friends. Actually, he was extremely grateful for their presence, the last two hours had been truly horrible for our hero. His brain had been working hard trying to figure out what to say to her. The journey back to the well would take two days for him, and they were sure to stop for the night at some point. There was too much he didn't know, and hadn't thought he would have to worry about for some time, for him to confront Kagome now.

"We have only just arrived ourselves, InuYasha." Miroku said calmly holding part of Kagome's first aid kit.

Kagome, having `dismounted', surveyed the mess. There wasn't anything that was once in her pack that now wasn't on the ground. "What happened?"

"KAGOME!" Shippo squealed, lunging for her and hugging her belly tightly.

"Shippo!" Kagome smiled, "I need to repack my bag right now, Ok?"

Shippo didn't answer Kagome as she put him down; he was too busy giving InuYasha a dry, angry look that stopped just short of `you must die in many horrible ways'.

Kagome walked around one of the larger boulders and found her pack, inside out on the ground, some of the smaller, heavier items scattered nearby. A metal box, some interesting stones and metal pieces that Shippo had dropped in, the various do-dads that inevitably accumulate at the bottoms of purses and back packs.

She had been looking every where for that file.

Then one item in particular caught her attention. A phial containing a single blue pill.

*

The rest of the group had been diligently gathering the supplies that were not on Kagome's side of the boulder. Except Shippo, who seemed to be content to stare at InuYasha wearing confused, angry looks. And InuYasha who tried to help, but was to distracted by Shippo's looks, wanting to bop him on the head to make him stop, and not bopping him for fear he might actually say something that InuYasha did not want heard, to be of much real help.

Sango had just rescued the last article of Kagome's undergarments from Miroku and added it to the small pile of replacement clothes, when Kagome rejoined them, looking kind of guilty.

"Ah, I see you found the pack." Sango smiled up at Kagome from her kneeled position.

Kagome jumped, "Yes, it was behind the rock." She said stupidly.

InuYasha gave her a questioning look; she hadn't acted like that back at the cave. Was she starting to realize the consequences last night would have on her life? What were the consequences for her? What were the consequences for him? For them? How the fuck was he going to find out? And how could he keep Shippo from giving him those looks?

It was about that time that he realized that the entire group was staring at him, apparently someone had said something.

"Are you ready to go, InuYasha?" Miroku asked slightly louder, "If you would like we could go on ahead and let you glare at the ground some more."

"Feh!" and he was up and walking.

"Sango," Kagome said in a determined voice, "I have to go home right away, could I borrow Kirara?"

Sango gave InuYasha an accusing look while Kagome flew away on the fire cat, leaving her pack behind. "What did you do this time InuYasha?"

"Kagome always wants to go home." InuYasha said after a moment's frantic thinking, "what's so different about that?"

"You always try to stop her, unless you made her angry." Miroku added his voice to the `disgruntled friends of Kagome coalition' that always seemed to form when the "couple" fought.

Every one was fully expecting Shippo to add his usual insult or bite on the head, when the little youkia just walked past them all and said, "Kagome just looked tired, either InuYasha really stepped in it this time or she's just as worn out as us and has stuff to do at home. Or both." Shippo whispered this last part to InuYasha and backed it up with an evil look.

*

A/N: the love scene at the end of chapter two was written as a reflection of the way they experienced it, they were there, but not. They were in the moment, and… it was an artistic choice because of the flavor how it happened. My love scenes are usually longer than that. Don't worry. I do appreciate the critique, though and would like if you would continue the good job.