Disclaimer: NO I do not own Inuyasha. That awesome privilege belongs to Romiko Takahashi. Thank you!

Here it is, the long awaited last chapter. Since I'm making a sequel I'm leaving a few things undone. This story was mainly about the gang getting out and that's what has happened. There is no epilogue coming so don't wait for one and I hope you read the sequel! Thanks for sticking with me through the story.

Also, I've hit a block on In The Box, if anyone has any ideas, I'm listening!

Chapter 25: Tomorrow

Kagome was leaning against Inuyasha's chest, his arm around her shoulder, as they watched TV at her house on her couch. Ayame was leaning against the couch with Kouga's head in her lap as she ran her fingers through his hair, a goofy smiled on her face. Sango and Miroku were bickering in the kitchen, Kagome wasn't sure what over but it sounded like they couldn't agree on the pizza toppings they wanted for the pizza they were ordering.

Freedom was a heavy drug.

TV was a luxury Kagome would never again take for granted. That and pizza, waking up in a warm bed, feeling warm clothes right out of the dryer, that clean feeling you have right after a really good shower, A/C, good food, clean water. All sorts of things big and small that she had just always assumed would be there were now precious to her.

Things had changed, of course they had. There was no way to go to Hell and come back unchanged.

Kagome was quieter now, her smiles more rare. Her bandages were being taken off in a week and she had already gotten into the habit of wearing long sleeves and pants. She suspected that wouldn't change when the bandages were removed because she would still be covered in scars. Her 'friends' hadn't called once, or stopped over to visit.

But it wasn't all bad.

Because her hellmates loved coming over. Ms. Higurashi was fond of them all, seeing past the label society had given them to the person within, she knew if Kagome had found something inside of them worth loving then she could find it as well. She adored Miroku who showered her in compliments about her beauty and grace and personality. She thought Kouga was a darling boy and Ayame one of the sweetest girls she had ever met. Her and Sango were becoming really good friends as she tried to teach the young girl how to cook, it wasn't going well.

But out of all of them, she liked Inuyasha the most. Maybe it was his devil-may-care-attitude, or his rogue charm. She adored his ears and kept having images of little babies with his ears and Kagome's eyes flash into her brain. The hair color changed and so did the gender but the hair and eyes never changed. She didn't mind his rough personality, though he was always nice to her. She reminded him so much of his own mother, she had that same spark of kindness in her eyes, that he immediately started treating her like he would his own mother.

Souta, Kagome's younger brother, had met Inuyasha with Gramps a few days after their sentences were given. Gramps didn't trust him with his precious granddaughter and thought he was a bad influence, Souta thought he was the coolest being in the world, and Inuyasha had fun playing both hero and bad influence.

Souta would teach him about all the video games he had missed while he was away then they would have battles in all sorts of fighting games. Inuyasha would put Souta on his back and run his throw the city on top of buildings and cars to Souta's delight. And when Gramps saw him, Inuyasha would find excuses to wrap his arms around Kagome and kiss her neck or her face or her lips or nibble on her ear. He always did it with a mischievous twinkle in his and Gramps would see them and huff and puff about 'In my day...' while shooting Inuyasha dark looks.

It had been nearly a month since they got out and still it was unbelievable.

At any moment Kagome expected to be woken by a cruel faced guard and told to get her ass ready for class. Or, even worse, see GD or Helga's smirking face walk through the front door and tell her it was all a joke and that she was going back to Hinazuka.

But it never happened.

Sunlight on her face without her raising a pick to break stones was a wonder to her, being able to do anything she chose was even more so.

But the greatest gift of all, was right there in her arms.

She snuggled in closer to Inuyasha, breathing in his scent all the while, enjoying the hard plane of his chest.

She didn't regret going to Hell, she hated every moment of it and planned to be there the day it was torn down, but she didn't regret it. She learned who her real friends were and discovered they were not, in fact, the friends she had known all her life. And better than that, she met Inuyasha. Sure he was a convicted felon, she he had assaulted multiple people and set fire to a building but...

He trailed his calws through her hair, pushing a stray strand behind her ear. He did it while he looked down at her, looking deep into her eyes.

...but those claws, that were so fierce and unforgivable with others, were so gentle with her. Almost as if he were afraid he would break her if he was too rough. And when he kissed her, they pulled her to him forcefully but never with bruising force. He treated her like spun glass, beautiful and delicate and incredible.

The price of getting him was surviving a few months in Hell and it had been worth it. She was scarred now. Emotionally and physically, she was scarred, but her reward was a new group of friends, more loyal and loving than her last. A boyfriend and a best friend all in one, who would literally escape prison, beg his family that he hated for help, and kill for. She knew he would for he had already done all three. And despite all that, she loved him all the more.

Of course she loved him, but who wouldn't? He was a woman's dark desires come true, come to life to bring her everything she had fantasized about plus all the things she couldn't have ever imagined.

She would tell him one day, but not today. Kagome smiled up at him and leaned up to kiss his cheek. At the last moment he turned his head so her lips connected to his instead. He smirked as she giggled and buried his hand in her hair so he could bring her closer.

Yes, going to Hell was worth it if she got this.

And tomorrow was already looking much happier than it ever had before.