InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Present Perfect ❯ Chapter 32 ( Chapter 32 )

Inuyasha belongs to Rumiko Takahashi

 

 

Chapter 32:

 

 

Inuyasha lay sprawled on the bottom of the old well. Behind him the thin blue line of the time slip winked out until there was only darkness remaining. “Heh,” he said, as he got to his feet and sheathed Tetsusaiga. Looked like he didn't need the well anymore. He could create the time slip anywhere now. That had possibilities.

 

Right now he had other things on his mind. Kagome. “Kagome!” he bellowed once more, as he leaped out of the well, and then out into the shrine grounds. Where was everybody? It was night—there should have been lights on in the house at least, but it was completely dark. Inuyasha fumbled in his sleeve for his cell phone and flipped it open. The battery was dead. What did he expect? Muttering to himself, he stalked over to the house and yanked at the door, surprised to find it locked.

 

There was more than one way to gain entrance. Inuyasha backed up slightly and then bounded up onto the small roof outside Kagome's bedroom window. He had long ago broken the locks so that he could come and go as he pleased. He slipped inside and inhaled deeply, breathing in Kagome's scent even though he could tell she was not here. No one was. Where were they? Just how long had he been trapped in the stupid well?

 

He flicked on the lights, searching for his phone charger, but it was missing too. So was Kagome's suitcase, and most of her clothes. His stuff was still there, he noted, digging through it in search of the charger. Did they all go away somewhere?

 

Finally, he gave up on trying to find the cell phone charger, and walked downstairs to use the phone in the hall. He dialed Sesshomaru. No answer. This didn't bode well. Had something happened?

 

Quickly he dialed Shippo, then Kouga, but only got their voicemail. Frustrated, he hung up without leaving a message. He decided to go to Sesshomaru's office in downtown Tokyo. But first, he needed to eat something. He hadn't felt hunger or thirst at all while he was caught in the time void, but now that he was back, he felt both with a vengeance. He raided the kitchen, looking for some leftovers, but everything was cleaned out. He finally settled on chewing a frozen slab of steak he found in the freezer, carefully pulling away the plastic wrapping first. It wasn't so bad. He washed it down with water from the kitchen sink by sticking his head directly under the faucet.

 

Upstairs again, he rummaged through his clothes until he found something suitable for wear in this time. He changed quickly, slapped a hat down over his ears, and looped Tetsusaiga through his belt before willing it to hide itself from view. He knew how to get to his brother's office, but he wasn't exactly sure which mode of transportation he needed to use. Sesshomaru frowned on him using youkai powers in this day and age.

 

Hell with it. This was an emergency. Inuyasha launched himself off the top step of the long staircase which led from the shrine to the street below, then proceeded through Tokyo in leaps and bounds, literally, until he arrived at his brother's office. Lucky for him, it must have been late at night, because not very many cars were on the streets at that hour. A few pedestrians staggered by every now and then, but Inuyasha figured they wouldn't remember him the next day anyway, judging from the addled looks they gave him as he zipped past.

 

Inuyasha stared up at the tall building, wondering what to do next. There were lights on in some of the upper story windows, but no one was in the building. He jiggled the main doors, just to be safe, but they were securely locked. If he had thought a little more clearly, he would have realized the offices shut down at night. He didn't even have a cell phone to try calling Sesshomaru again. Damn. Where did they all go?

 

There was no other choice. Inuyasha ducked into the alleyway between Sesshomaru's building and the next one, and let himself transform into pure spirit. He streaked off towards Sesshomaru's home in the central mountains to the northwest of Tokyo. Even in this form, it took a little time to get there. But once he did, the same sight greeted him. Sesshomaru's house was dark and locked up tight. Not even a housekeeper remained to tell Inuyasha what had happened. He flew towards the youkai village below and woke up the inhabitants of the first house he came to. “Where's Sesshomaru?” he asked gruffly.

 

No one knew. He woke up half the town, but no one knew anything about where Sesshomaru had gone. “Maybe he went away on business?” one of the youkai guessed. “He goes away a lot.”

 

Inuyasha growled his frustration, and transformed once more for the trip back to Kagome's house. He didn't know where else to look. It was morning by the time he got back to Kagome's room, and he sank down on her bed, tired and still hungry. Did they all just give up on him so easily? He put his hands behind his head and swiveled his feet around until he was lying on Kagome's bed. Did Kagome give up on him? He sighed, and turned so that he could see Kagome's alarm clock. His eye caught the small, folded pink paper tucked under the leg of the clock, and he sat up quickly and pulled it out so that he could read it.

 

`Inuyasha,' it began. `I'm writing this in the hope that you will find it. I went back to our house, and I will wait for you there. Kagome.'

 

Inuyasha sat on the edge of the bed with the note in his hand. She hadn't given up on him. No, she had gone to their place to wait for him. Relief poured over him, and he thought about the vision in the time void, of Kagome and him, of their child to be. Somehow she had known that that's where their future lay.

 

Inuyasha galvanized himself into action. He had slept enough in the void. He could wait a while longer. First, he needed to call Kagome, tell her he was coming. But, although he knew her number, the call wouldn't go through. He gave up after the fourth try. He could do this—he would go to the airport and buy a plane ticket today, right now! Hurriedly, he threw his stuff, including his fire rat clothes, into the suitcase she had left behind for him. His passport and his wallet were on her desk—why couldn't she have left the phone charger too? Shaking his head, he zipped the suitcase shut, and carried it to the bottom of the shrine steps. There was a lot more traffic now, and the sidewalk was crowded with people on their way to work. He would have to play the human for a while. Now, which bus to take to Shinjuku station? From there, he remembered how to catch the airport shuttle bus, and he even remembered which stop he needed to get off. Then he just needed to figure out which plane went to Connecticut.

 

 

 

It was peaceful out on the deck, surrounded by her youkai. Kagome sat in the shade enjoying the warmth of the summer morning without having to endure the oppressive heat. Their mountain was pleasantly cool. She read, she knitted little booties which her baby would probably never keep on his feet, and she thought about Inuyasha.

 

Inuyasha was never far from her mind. She wouldn't dream of trying to forget him just to stop the ache in her heart. Instead, she thought of him constantly, trying to recall every little detail, from his deceptive strength to the vulnerable look he sometimes had in his eyes which only she could see. She missed his blustering, his tenderness, his utter determination to protect her at all costs. He would make a great father. It hurt, to think of him, but it would hurt more to forget about him.

 

Inevitably, word got out to the higher youkai that she was back. One day, she heard a faint buzz and smelled smoke. A second later her cell phone rang. “Kagome, will you let me in?” It was Fenn. Oh, no, he must have tried to cross the barrier!

 

Kagome ran out and let down the barrier enough for Fenn to come inside. “I'm so sorry. Are you hurt?”

 

“Only my pride,” Fenn said ruefully. “Inuyasha isn't here?”

 

Kagome sometimes forgot that youkai had such discerning senses. She hadn't wanted to have to explain about Inuyasha just yet, but she guessed she had no choice now. “No, he had something to take care of,” she said cautiously.

 

Fenn nodded his head. “He mentioned he might have to be gone a while,” he agreed. “I suppose I can't call him, either?”

 

“No, he's kind of out of cell phone range,” replied Kagome. Way out.

 

Something must have sounded in her voice, for Fenn said quietly, “He will come back.”

 

Kagome felt herself get teary-eyed again, and that was the last thing she wanted. She didn't know how much Inuyasha had revealed to Fenn, and she truly wasn't ready to get into it yet. “I know,” she murmured. “Fenn, I—“

 

“It's all right, Kagome. You don't have to talk about it. But I'll be around. Please call me if you need anything.” Fenn smiled at her as he stood to leave.

 

“Thanks. Thanks for stopping by. You know you're always welcome.” Kagome's eyes twinkled despite the tears. “Just make sure you call first.”

 

 

 

After a few false starts, and a few minutes where he was worried they would arrest him, Inuyasha got his ticket to Connecticut and waited impatiently in the boarding area for his row to be called. It was amazing what a credit card and his brother's name could accomplish. The first gentleman at the other airline would recover, eventually. Inuyasha hadn't actually touched him, but it was a close thing when the gentleman told him he could not go on the next flight but would have to wait until the following day. The woman at the second airline was much more understanding.

 

He fell asleep as soon as the plane took off and he didn't dream at all. When the plane landed, he grabbed his luggage and went outside. If only he had his car, but it was parked in their new garage. He could call Kagome again. He glanced around for a phone, and even asked one of the airline staff where one was, but the man directed him to a large, rectangular box with buttons and slots and far too many written directions. Forget it. He'd go home his way. It was going to be a challenge carrying his suitcase, but it should work.

 

Inuyasha knew enough now to get away from the ever-present cameras around the airport proper. He hopped on one of the hotel shuttles, but instead of going inside the hotel, Inuyasha darted off down the street until he found a place away from human eyes and cameras, and transformed. The suitcase transformed with him, much to his relief. He really didn't want to have to leave it behind.

 

It wasn't much farther now. He felt the presence of several of the lesser youkai who lived on his mountain. They swirled around him in a dance of joy. Inuyasha approached the barrier without hesitation—it was his barrier as well as Kagome's—and passed through it silently, taking on his hanyou form as he passed. He felt her the moment he crossed the barrier. These last few seconds were the worst of all. It took forever to cross the threshold and make his way up the short series of steps to the bedroom level. Valynne watched him slide open the door. “Go home, I'm here now,” he told her softly. She nodded, gave him a brief smile, and left.

 

Kagome lay sleeping. She was taking a nap. Inuyasha knelt by her side, content to just look at her while she slept. He wondered if she knew she was having a baby yet. He would have liked to be the one to tell her. He had so much to tell her, about Rin, about Tetsusaiga, about the time slip. But all the words deserted him when he looked at her sleeping face. None of it mattered, really. “Kagome,” he whispered softly.

 

Her eyelids fluttered, and she woke to see Inuyasha's face inches above her own. “You're really here,” she said wonderingly. She ran her hands along the line of his jaw, cupping his face as if to memorize every line and curve. “I knew you would come back.”

 

“I said I would, didn't I?”

 

If this was a dream, she didn't want to wake up. Inuyasha stroked her hair gently, touching her as tentatively as she touched him. Who cared if it was a dream? She leaned upwards and kissed him. Suddenly she was engulfed in strong arms, and he was kissing her back! Kagome's eyes opened wide. Inuyasha! It was him! She threw her arms around his neck and dragged him down to the bed. She didn't want to stop hugging him in case he disappeared. “How?” she asked eventually, not really caring how. He was here. That's all that mattered. But still, “Did you take the long way around?”

 

“Eh?” Inuyasha was confused.

 

“Did you live out the five hundred years until this time?”

 

“Nah, I got a little lost, but I finally figured it out.” Inuyasha's face brightened. “Tetsusaiga and I made our own time slip.”

 

 

 

. . . and they lived happily ever after.

 

 

THE END

 

 

 

 

A/N: A good place to end, and let them continue to grow and enjoy their perfect present. Thanks for coming on the ride with me.