~ 3 years later ~

Kagome sat at the cafe table, anxiously watching beads of condensation roll down her glass of water. Her tongue darted out to lick her dry lips before she lifted the glass and took a small sip of the cool liquid.

She closed her eyes and breathed.

The cafe was the same as it had been years ago when she had sat there with Daichi.

It was all the same.

But, Daichi and herself… They were very different from who they used to be.

Her nose wrinkled up as the smell of freshly brewed coffee twisted her stomach. Her hand slid from the surface of the smooth, wooden table as she clenched her fist.

Breathe through it… She reminded herself again and again until the queasy feeling in her stomach slowed down to a manageable level.

The door to the cafe dinged and her head quickly spun to see who was coming in.

There, for the first time in three years, was Daichi.

Her breath hitched when she saw him. Her heart stuttered and a nervous sweat dotted her collarbone. He hadn't changed at all… He smiled at her and, for a moment, she felt like it was the first time that she had ever seen him…

He quickly made his way over to her and slid into the seat across from her. He gulped before his lips twisted up into a playful smirk. "Guess you finally beat me here, huh?"

Kagome blinked once, then twice, before realization dawned upon her.

He had always beaten her here.

She had always been late.

A slow smile spread across her face and the slight tension between them evaporated.

"How have you been, Daichi?"

His smile slipped before he quickly rightened it. "I've been okay, considering… Not sure how I like being back in the city though."

Memories from the day that they had defeated the Monto washed over her, re-awakening the sadness that laid dormant within her heart. She had been trying her best not to think about that day over the last few months. She hadn't wanted to be sad. She had wanted to be happy, just this once, just for a while…

The waitress came and took Daichi's order, giving her a moment to let her sadness slide over her.

She couldn't let him see how the memories of the past still hurt her, not when he had been hurt so much more by the events of that day.

Daichi had chosen to stay in Okinawa to help his father. Chokichi was a completely different man… Zombie-like, and completely absent from everything that happened around him. Kagome had watched him with tearful eyes on the days before she had returned to the city. She had seen how Hana's death had completely devastated him, how it had turned a great and mighty demon into something that barely resembled a living, breathing creature.

Daichi had told her that he couldn't leave him… Not when he was like that, not when it looked like he could hardly breathe.

Had Daichi even had the chance to process his mother's murder before he began to care for his heartbroken father?

"Kagome?" Daichi's concerned voice broke into her barrage of memories and she flinched. His face softened as he looked at her. "What are you thinking about?"

Her eyes darted to the side and she heard him sigh.

"You don't need to try to avoid the topic, ya know… It's okay, to ask me about it…"

She took a steadying breath before forcing herself to meet his gaze. He was so kind, so sweet…

She remembered the way that he had embraced her that night…

She remembered the way that his kiss had felt and the way that it had felt to be held by him for the last time.

A waft of coffee hit her nose as the waitress sat a steaming mug down in front of Daichi.

Kagome inwardly groaned as she bit down the bile that was rising in the back of her throat.

"I know that it isn't my place to ask… But, how are you? How is Chokichi?"

Daichi's face fell slightly as his forehead creased. Suddenly, he looked pained by the world… As if all of life's problems were seated squarely on his shoulders. In that moment, she could see how Hana's death had worn on him… She could see the toll that it had taken on him to care for his father and the resort… She could see the pain that he hid from most of the world.

"Dad is doing better… He is still listless, but he focuses on his work with the resort. When he is working, he is almost like his old self. It's in the empty hours, when the guests are quiet and night has fallen, that he looses himself to painful memories."

"Daichi… I'm sorry." Kagome reached across the table and gently squeezed his wrist. Her fingers lightly dug into his flesh, and he hunched over a bit at the comforting contact. She brushed her thumb over the back of his hand before slowly withdrawing it.

"I know… I know that you're sorry. I'm not mad at you. I'm not mad at Inuyasha. I'm glad that the Monto are gone now. I'm glad that we rid the world of them. But, the memories…" His gaze slid to the side as his eyes became hazy.

"Yea…" Kagome agreed as flashes from that night washed over her. She could see blood… So much blood… "Memories can be the worst part."

He shook his head and forced a small smile onto his face. "I'm doing okay though, I have a girlfriend. Did you know that?"

Kagome smirked, she did know that.

"How is she? I haven't seen Maeve in forever."

A soft blush dusted his cheeks and Kagome's heart lit up. It was good to see him like this. It was good to see his eyes light up at the mere thought of Maeve. It was good to see him falling for someone who could love him back in the way that he deserved, in the way that Kagome could never have loved him.

He scratched his chin. "She's good. I'm thinking that I might permanently close my veterinary clinic here and open a new one near the resort. I don't like being away from Dad. I know it's silly because I've only been back for about a week… But, I miss Maeve already. Plus, after we beat the Monto, the resort was flooded with requests. It's become a destination, we are always fully booked and, before I left, we were even starting to think about building another wing just to deal with the influx of families that want to see where the enemy was defeated."

He took a sip of his coffee and Kagome watched as various emotions danced across his face as he looked at her. Talking about the resort seemed to re-energize him. Talking about his father seemed to pain him. Talking about Maeve seemed to make him feel alive. He sat down his mug and their eyes connected. Kagome wished, not for the first time since he had arrived, that she could see him in his true state instead of the human guise that he currently wore.

"You know… Back then, I understood. I understood why you chose him. With each passing day, I understood better. As time seemed to trickle on, and I began to notice Maeve, everything started falling into place again. She flipped my world right-side up." His soft blush deepened as he ran a hand through his hair.

"I really did like you, Daichi… I even wished that I could love you like you loved me, I just… I just couldn't." She sucked in her bottom lip and chewed on it softly.

"I know."

He didn't need to say anything else.

For a few moments, they just sat in the quiet. The soft sounds from the cafe floated in the air around them, transporting them back to a different point in time. Memories… The good, the bad, they all twisted together into one giant blur of emotions and swirling images.

"I heard from Koki that you ended up finishing school."

Kagome smiled. "Yea, I did. I had to re-take the semester, but I still finished. I got a job almost right away at the hospital a few blocks from the shrine."

"That's good… I was a bit worried, back then, since you didn't get to take your final exams." Daichi took a large swig from his mug before pushing it to the side, now empty. "Koki and I stayed in touch… You could stay in touch with me too, this time around." He quirked an eyebrow at her and a pain of guilt shot through her chest.

"I'm glad that you stayed in touch with him. I… I know that I should have called…"

"No."

Kagome's eyes widened and her fingers tightened around her glass of water. "Huh?"

Daichi's golden laugh danced around her. "You shouldn't have called me back then, I needed time… To move on. But, now that I have… It would be nice not to completely lose touch. I know that maybe we shouldn't be friends… I know that might be weird. Yet, at the same time, I'm not ready to lose my friendship with you, not after everything that we went through together. Is that… okay?"

Kagome's face softened. "Of course that's okay. We weren't meant for each other, I know that you see that now."

He gulped and nodded, his eyes wide with excitement. "Is Inuyasha going to be okay with this?"

Kagome instinctively reached up to rub the base of her neck, gently massaging her mate mark. "He'll be fine with it."

Daichi scoffed. "I doubt that, but I'll believe you anyway." He stood up from the table and reached out a hand to help pull her up. She eagerly accepted his help as he helped her to get out of her seat. With a soft huff, she stood up, and his eyes immediately traveled down to her extremely swollen stomach. "When are you due?"

Kagome's hands immediately darted to rest upon her belly. She could feel the pup inside moving around. It kicked against the palm of her hand and she winced slightly as she rubbed the now-sore spot.

She was pregnant.

When they had decided to start trying for a pup, she had gone in to get the surgery that she had avoided for years.

Uterine fibroids.

It had always been her fault. It had never been Inuyasha's. She had lived with that knowledge for so long. She had been tormented by that knowledge until she had finally been reunited with Inuyasha. Still, it had taken her time to work through the pain of knowing that it was because of her that they hadn't been able to conceive.

Inuyasha had always been there for her after they returned from Okinawa.

He had always been there when she had nightmares. He had been there to console her. He had been there to finally open up and share the pain that he had felt way back when Kaede had told them that it was his fault. Finally, they had all of the conversations that they should have had years ago.

To think, all that they needed to fix their problem was a simple surgery. She hadn't even needed to stay at the hospital. Within six months, she had become pregnant.

She smiled at Daichi, big, bright, and full of unhindered joy. "Any day, actually."

Daichi's eyebrows rose in mild shock. "I'm surprised Inuyasha let you out of his sight, even for a moment."

Kagome laughed. "Well, Shippo is distracting him for me."

Daichi smirked and turned to begin to walk out of the cafe with Kagome hot on his heels. The door dinged as they stepped through it for the very last time. "I heard that he had another kit."

An uncomfortable sensation, almost like indigestion, floated through her system and she instinctively rubbed her swollen stomach. "Yea, about a year ago… His name is Sachio, he's already so rambunctious. They have a mischievous one on their hands."

Daichi laughed and his eyes, once again, roamed to her giant belly. "I'm really happy for you, Kagome. Truly."

Kagome could see the sincerity in his eyes. She could feel it in his words… Daichi meant what he was saying.

They could do this… They could be friends. This friendship… It was something worth saving.

Daichi's phone beeped and Kagome caught a glimpse of Maeve's name lighting up the screen.

"You know…" Kagome teased as she elbowed him lightly. "For a moment, back then, I thought that she would end up with Tetsuya."

Daichi stumbled and his jaw dropped open. "Wh-what?"

Laughter spilled from her lips and she placed a hand on Daichi's shoulder to steady herself. He quickly straightened up and jerked his head in the opposite direction.

"That's so not funny." His own words creaked with the sound of his barely retained laughs.

Kagome let go of him and brushed back a strand of stray hair as her laughter came to a slow halt. "Really though, back then, I thought that they had a thing for each other."

Daichi rolled his eyes and looked at her. "Guess I beat out one of the dog-boys at least."

"Hey!" Kagome playfully pushed him and he laughed.

It was easy… It was easy to be like this with him.

Another uncomfortable pain danced across her stomach, making her forehead furrow.

"I better get going now. Inuyasha will be worrying."

Daichi nodded. "Thank you, Kagome."

Her eyebrows rose as her heart stuttered. "For what?"

"For being my friend."

A soft blush lit up her cheeks and she looked down at her stomach. When she looked up, Daichi was already walking away.

"See ya next time, friend!" He waved over his shoulder at her, and she waved numbly back at him.

He turned a corner and was gone before her brain could even truly process what was going on.

In the end, everything had worked out. Daichi had found someone whom he could love, who could truly love him back. She had found happiness with Inuyasha, and they were finally going to have their first pup together. Even Shippo's family had grown, and this time the birth had been surrounded by happiness instead of fire.

Another pain, slightly stronger this time, gripped her stomach and she grunted slightly. She looked down at her stomach with an accusatory smirk. "You couldn't wait just a little bit longer, huh?" She patted her rounded belly. "Of course not, you're just like your Daddy."

With a heavy sigh, she hailed a cab. The fee would be astronomical, but it would be quicker than waiting for public transportation. The cab whisked her away and she watched as the city zipped by in a relatively grey blur. In her mind, she could see the rolling green fields from the Feudal Era. She closed her eyes and let her memories of the past wash over her. Her heart beat in-tune with the noise of the chirping birds that flew over the babbling stream.

No cars.

No skyscrapers.

No artificial noise.

Just nature… Just nature and her friends.

The cab came to a halt in front of the shrine steps and she quickly paid the driver and slid out. Unsurprisingly, a masked Inuyasha was leaning against the first torii gate, waiting for her.

Her hand gripped her stomach as she made her way to him. As soon as she reached his side, he frowned slightly, and wrapped an arm around her waist.

"I know that you were with Daichi."

She shrugged and leaned into him as he helped her to make it up the large staircase. "I know."

Inuyasha sighed and turned slightly to kiss the side of her head. "How is he doing?" His words were barely more than a whisper. They brushed hotly against her skin. She shivered and he tightened his grip around her waist.

"He's doing good, I think…"

Inuyasha's muscles relaxed as he helped her up the last couple steps. "That's good." They walked slowly, enjoying this moment to themselves. When they reached the Goshinboku, Kagome's eyes wandered over to it…

A brief image of Inuyasha pinned to that tree by Kikyo's air infiltrated her mind and she shivered slightly. Still, if it hadn't been for that, she would have never met him.

Her mate…

She turned to him and stood on her tip-toes to plant a chaste kiss upon his lips. He froze beneath her gentle touch before catching her and pulling her in deeper. His tongue darted out to caress her silky lips as he breathed her in.

Time froze as they lived in this moment.

Then, it was shattered, as the pain that hit her made her bend over and wrap her arms around her waist.

"Kagome?" His panic-laced voice shook her. He dropped to his knees so that he could look up into her eyes. Something wet trickled slowly down her left leg, making her feel like she had peed herself. Her eyes widened as she breathed through the growing pain.

"Inuyasha…" She panted his name and his eyes widened. His nose twitched and he quickly twisted his ring to let his masque fall away.

"Your water…" He whispered in disbelief.

"I'm in labor."

With those words, he had her in his arms and they were flying into the house. The sound of small feet padding against the wooden floor made her turn just in time to see Sachio, with his bushy tail, waddling after a squealing Sayori.

The sound of the children's laughter lit her soul on fire. Their own pup would soon be joining them. Soon, their pup would be able to run and play just like Sayori and Sachio… Soon, their dream would become a reality. Memories of Ana, Chiho, and Katsuro floated through her mind and she smiled at the remembrance of their happy faces.

Another contraction rattled her and she turned to snuggle her face into Inuyasha's chest.

He gripped her harder.

"Satori!" He cried out.

"Inuyasha, what's…" Shippo's voice trailed off into nothingness. Kagome could sense his excitement and nervousness without even needing to look at him.

"Satori!" Both of the men's voices rang out.

"I'm coming!" Satori's voice broke through the panicked tones and Kagome took a deep breath before turning to look over at her. The two-time mother and newly licensed midwife looked at her with a soft, knowing smile. "Are you ready, Kagome?"

Kagome's lips quivered as memories rained down upon her.

This still all felt like a dream, like she was living in some fantasy world instead of reality.

A part of her had never truly believed that this moment would come.

A salty tear trickled down her face and Inuyasha immediately nuzzled his head into the crook of her neck. He pressed light, loving kisses against her mark… Making a tingle of comforting emotions race down her spine, calming her nervous heart.

"I'm ready."

With that, their long night began.

Contraction after contraction after contraction tormented her body. She laid on a futon that was spread-out on the floor where her bed used to be. There hadn't been time to make it back to the home that she shared with Inuyasha on the outskirts of the city. This would have to do. Inuyasha sat behind her, supporting her back and gently rubbing her mark, desperately trying to comfort her in any way that he could. Shippo kept the children busy with Nao's chipper help as Satori took care of Kagome, just like Kagome had taken care of her… Albeit, Satori was doing a much better job due to all of her training.

Kagome felt disgusting.

She was covered in sweat and her hair had been tied back in a sloppy bun in a pointless attempt to keep it off of her forehead. Still, strands of hair clung to her sweaty face. She knew that she must look flushed, but she didn't really care.

She knew that she was a mess, and yes… She did feel gross… But, she didn't care.

Giving birth was damn hard work.

She was exhausted, to the point that she wasn't sure how she could keep going. Yet, somehow, miraculously, she did.

She kept dealing with the contractions until it was time to push, and once it was time to push, she kept pushing.

Her muscles ached, yet excitement bubbled within her heart. Inuyasha's claws gently scraped against her as he held her close, supporting her while simultaneously calming his own nerves.

Honestly, most of the night was a complete blur of unimaginable pain, nerves, and excitement.

Until, with one really hard push, it happened…

Kagome's heart stuttered.

Satori was fast at work as she quickly cleaned the pup's nose and ears and wiped off some of the birthing goo.

A soft cry met her ears and Inuyasha's fingers dug into her a bit more.

Kagome's breath hitched.

Satori turned and quickly laid the pup on top of Kagome's chest. Kagome's arms instinctively moved to securely hold the small thing…

Her heart froze as her eyes widened.

This was really happening…

Her breathing was shaky as her small fingers reached up to graze the crying pups cheek.

"Congratulations, it's a girl." Satori's happy voice barely even registered. All she could see was their pup.

All she could see were the bright, brown eyes that shown up at her as the pup slowly opened its eyes for the first time. All she could see was the tuft of silver hair that coated her small head.

She was so small, so tiny, so perfect…

"Inuyasha…" She breathed out his name in wonder. She felt him shift behind her and she leaned back more against his chest as one of his hands reached around her to slowly reach out towards their pup. His hand shook as the pup's small hand wrapped around his index finger, squeezing him with all her might.

As soon as she touched him, her crying ceased and she began to murmur sweet nothings that touched a part of Kagome's soul that she hadn't even realized existed.

Happy tears continued to fall down her cheeks as she gently ran her hand over the silver fuzz on the small pup's head. "Look, she knows who you are…" Her words came out shaky as emotions stormed her.

This was how it felt to be a Mom…

"Keh…" Inuyasha weekly scoffed as he leaned into Kagome a bit more, turning briefly to press a soft kiss to the base of her neck. "Of course she does." The pup's hand tightened around his finger and Kagome felt his chest shake. "She's strong."

"Of course she is…" Kagome's laughter was soft. "Just like her parents."

Inuyasha nuzzled Kagome's neck and she turned away from the bright, brown eyes of their newborn pup to look at him. Tears shimmered in his amber eyes and his face was completely filled with unabashed and unadulterated love.

"I love you, my mate." His voice was barely more than a throaty whisper, yet it shook her to her core. He leaned in and pressed his lips against hers in the most tender kiss that she had ever experienced.

Love.

Simple, pure, love.

Her lips molded to his before he leaned back and gently rested his forehead upon hers.

"I love you too, Inuyasha."

He purred deep within his chest and she felt the vibrations gently wrap around her, expressing everything that could never be properly put into words.

He leaned back and, with an exuberant smile, turned to look back at the pup that was held securely within her arms. "What should we name her?"

Kagome's heart swelled. She turned to look back at the brown eyes that were watching her, and she just knew… She knew what the name of their pup was supposed to be.

Her eyes flickered back to look at Inuyasha before returning to the gently squirming pup.

Inuyasha kissed her cheek. "Tell me… You're her Mom, you know what her name should be. Tell me… What name did you just think of? My mate, please tell me the name of our firstborn pup."

Kagome's heart skipped a beat.

The pup squirmed within her arms and Kagome gently tightened her hold around the fragile thing.

"Inuyasha, meet Sango, our daughter."

~ Author's Note ~

I am so, so sorry for the long delay. I moved countries and then went on an international family vacation, so I had no time to write. I feel so bad for posting this so late. Please, forgive me.

I hope that you enjoyed the epilogue. It was not as long as the normal chapters, but I just wanted to give you a small peak into what happened in their futures. I hope that I cleared up any big plot holes.

Thank you so much for sticking with me over the course of this story! It took me four months to complete, instead of three (which had been my goal). I have been blown away by all of your reviews and your support.

As promised, below is the playlist that I have compiled. I really hope that you enjoy it. The guide on top lets you know which songs go with which part of the story (they follow the story progression). Here is the link to the playlist (you need to put youtube's webpage in front of this text): playlist?list=PLJ6S36YhIaefCaZwrVx0fQFVrjp7d5A_d

1 - 3 The Beginning

4 - 5 Reunion

6 - 7 Guard Dog

8 The Attack

9 - 10 Okinawa

11 - 12 The War

13 Aftermath

14 The End

15 Epilogue

1. Every Little Thing - Carly Pearce

2. Fighter - Keith Urban

3. What Ifs - Kane Brown

4. Whatever It Takes - Lifehouse

5. Skyscraper - Demi Lovato

6. Demons - Imagine Dragons

7. In Case You Didn't Know - Brett Young

8. Rise - Katy Perry

9. The Way I Love Her - Stanaj

10. Rush Over Me - Seven Lions x Illenium x Said The Sky feat. Hailey

11. Warriors - Imagine Dragons

12. It's Not Over Yet - For King and Country

13. See You Again - Wiz Khalifa ft. Charlie Puth

14. I Won't Give Up - Jason Mraz

15. You'll Be In My Heart - Phil Collins

I'm not sure when I'm going to post a new story. I have a few ideas that actually branch off of this one (for example, how Sesshomaru and Rin got together). It will all depend on how much time I have, because I want to be able to update (ideally) twice a week like I did for the majority of this story. If you like my writing, please follow my account so that you will be updated when a new story is posted.

Once again, thank you for all of your support, and I truly hope that you enjoyed reading "Sterile".

~ FeudalAi