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Chapter 38- Is this the End of Us?

The sun was covered by dark clouds that only kept light from shining through. No rain was dropped, the temperature did not descend, only the sun's true purpose was blocked. The black shrouded all hope of the sun coming back into the eyes on the people below, even as the sun struggled to force it's way by. The smoke would not disperse, and left the camp's mood melancholy.

Kagome's bags were packed before anyone else, and she now stood outside of her cabin, staring up at the murky sky. Sighing softly, she glanced back down at the surrounding area, watching as the kids once again ran around with each other. It seemed like just yesterday that the same scene had unfolded, but she had watched from her window with content. Now the scene only seemed to moisten her eyes again.

Shoving past her wet eyes, she stood and started to walk down the road she had known for so long. The woods seemed to creep in front of her, and stared with empathy as she pushed into the forest. The children's laugher slowly drowned out of her head as she continued to walk, bird's feeble chatting sweeping past the green shrubbery atop the trees that surrounded her. Sighing deeply before continuing to walk, she lifted her head when a familiar area greeted her.

"I shouldn't go there..." But even when she argued with her heart, she felt her body push past the pin in the tree, walking past the shrubs and heading towards the only place she promised she wouldn't go back to. Silently continuing to struggle with her emotions, her body halted only for a second before moving again.

The water's shimmer was not gone, silently moving in small ripples as Kagome slowly slipped her shoes and socks off, remembering her first encounter with the cold water. Walking to the edge of the pond, she dipped her foot in, ignoring her shivers as she pulled her jeans up to her ankles, stepping just so the water covered her feet. She didn't walk, but simply stared out past the water, idly moving her foot in the water.

In a matter of hours, she would leave this place. She would grab everything and walk away, never to return again. The small piece of her memories would forever lurk underneath the water, and she wouldn't be able to retrieve them. Silently she wondered if she would ever want to, and with the deep thought, she walked towards the tree.

Her fingers slowly trailed against the tree, memories shifting through her head. As if the tree shocked her, she rapidly pulled her hand away, rubbing the back of it with her other hand before closing her eyes. Taking a deep breath, she opened her eyes again, pushing her hair behind her ear as she frowned.

"I should go put my hair up." She muttered softly, turning away from the tree. She froze when she caught sight of something she wasn't prepared for.

"Kagome..." She nearly stumbled to her knees when she heard him call her name out, making her swallow deeply before she looked away from him.

"What do you want Inuyasha?" She asked softly, struggling to breath as she walked over to her shoes. The grass tickled the bottom of her feet, but she was in no mood to smile. She nearly winced when she felt his hand brush her shoulder, holding her in front of him.

"Can't you even look at me?" He asked quietly. She tried to push him away, but as soon as her hands met his chest, the strength she once controlled slipped to the ground. Taking a deep breath, she shook her head.

"No, I can't." He gripped her shoulder slightly harder, but not enough to harm her. He stared down at her in silence for a few seconds, nearly pulling back from the obvious sadness that was pouring off of her.

"Why can't you?"

"Because I don't want to have my heart broken again." She replied, finally regaining her muscles as she pushed him away from her, keeping her head down as she reached her shoes.

"Kagome I didn't mean..." Inuyasha tried to find his voice, which scampered down his throat once again. Balling his hands into fists, he threw his hands into his pant pockets. "Damnit, I didn't mean for this all to happen!"

"I never said you did!" Kagome quickly threw her head up to stare at him as she stood up, her feet covered again. "I never blamed this on you, I didn't say this was your fault. Did it ever occur to you that I WASN'T placing this on your shoulders? Have you ever stopped to think about who I really blame?"

"Well everyone seems to be up my ass, so I just figured you would be too." He said, watching her shake her head slowly.

"I don't blame you...I blame myself for ever loving you." Her heart dropped to her stomach as she watched him wince.

"Kagome, that's not your fault. Things just happen, fate just...just takes it's own course and chooses what do you."

"You're blaming this on fate? No, fate would have been letting my mother take me away from this place when she wanted to. Fate would have been letting Mike kill me and not resisting. Fate would have been never letting myself fall for you! That was what fate wanted, and that's what I didn't listen to. I had to be stupid and think that maybe you..." She trailed off before she could finish. As he took a step towards her, she quickly shook her head. "It doesn't matter now, I'll be out of your life soon enough and you'll never have to think about me again."

"I don't...I never asked for that." He watched her smile attempt to break through her stoic face, but her lips stayed straight as she talked.

"Let's just say I'm giving you one more gift before I leave." She whispered. Without warning, she ran. Inuyasha took a few steps towards her, but slowly stopped when he knew it was pointless. She wouldn't listen to him not matter what he said now. She was gone. He wasn't ever going to get her back.

"No, I won't believe that." Inuyasha said quietly, determinations seeping into his body. "I've got one more shot, and I won't lose it. Fate can just go screw itself for all I give a damn."

Scene Change

"I'm going to miss you girls so much!" Rin sobbed out, pulling each one of them into a hug. The tears in each girl's eyes were threatening to fall form their eyes as they pulled away to look at each other.

"It's alright Rin, we all have each other's numbers and emails. We'll make sure to get together before school starts up again." Sango said, smiling brightly as she let out a laugh. "I would never want to lose touch with you girls!"

"Well it's simple for us, we all go to the same school." Kikyo said, giggling.

"Sorry girls, I think I graduated a little while ago." Rin said, stepping away from them and sighing. "I should go say goodbye to all the other counselors. Plus, I can tell the boys are just itching to get away from Sesshoumaru to come see you all." Rin glanced over at the boys, the girls following her gaze.

"Sesshoumaru, how long are you going to talk?" Kouga asked, rolling his eyes as he stared up at his counselor. He quickly ducked when Sesshoumaru went to smack him in the head. "Alright alright you have my attention!"

"Thank you. I just wanted to...thank you all for making this experience as easy as you did. Though sometimes you lost your heads like with the fire or at the ski lifts, you didn't act as immature as I was expecting. Not that I'm saying I'm proud of you...just don't forget what you've learned here."

"Of course we won't, everything was a little extreme to forget. I think I'm still wondering how the heck we got Kagome off the ski lift." Miroku said, smiling slightly when Sesshoumaru rolled his eyes.

"We'll all probably get roped into a reunion with the girls, I can already hear Rin chatting in my ear about all that good pointless stuff women worry about." Each boy froze as Sesshoumaru continued to speak, though he stopped when Rin spoke from behind him.

"You're not going to MAKE it to the reunion if you keep talking about me like that!" Rin growled out, placing her hands on her hips. Sesshoumaru swiveled to look at her, sighing as he shook his head.

"Rin, I was just-"

"Yea, alright Sesshoumaru. And my name is suddenly Harriet. Lets go say goodbye to the other counselors before I decide to place your head on a stick and call you dinner." Sesshoumaru sighed as she threw his arm around her waist, giving the boys a small smirk as they walked towards the counselors.

"You think that those two will last?" Kouga asked, glancing over at Miroku.

"As long as Sesshoumaru learns to keep his mouth shut." Miroku said, laughing. Both boys glanced over at Inuyasha, whose concentration was not on the conversation, but rather on a certain girl. "Inuyasha, are you still sulking about Kagome?"

"I'm not sulking." Inuyasha said quickly, looking over at both the boys in silence for a minute before muttering something.

"I'm sorry, I didn't hear you." Kouga said, leaning closer to Inuyasha as he repeated what he said.

"I need you two to help me out with something." Both Miroku and Kouga stared at him with wide eyes as he looked up at them again, grimacing slightly. "It's just...I want to get her back."

"Whoa, are we really talking to Inuyasha here? Inuyasha, the one who doesn't believe in help or anything close to it?" Kouga asked, smirking when Inuyasha glared over at him. "You want us to help you get Kagome back, is that what you're asking?"

"Yes alright! I'm asking you to help me get Kagome back!" Inuyasha said, crossing his arms. "So will you two idiots help me?"

"Well..." Miroku glanced at Kouga, who stared right back at him. After pausing for a few seconds, Miroku looked back at him and smiled slightly. "Do you have a plan or do we have to do that for you too?" Inuyasha smirked slightly as the took a step closer to him.

"No, I've got that part all covered. Here's what I need you guys to do, and it's important we do this right. Otherwise, it might not work."

Kagome watched as the cars started to pull in, sighing slightly when none seemed to look like her mother's car. The younger kids were assigned to leave first, and after 20 minutes, the next age group were allowed to leave. It was now time for the older kids to start being allowed to leave, and yet there was no sign of her mother's car. She looked away before glancing at Sango and Kikyo, who were now walking over to the boys. She didn't bother to go, and stayed with their bags.

"I can't believe I'm leaving you!" Kikyo said, quickly throwing herself into Kouga's arms. He quickly wrapped his arms around her securely, bringing her closer to him as he sighed.

"You'll be able to see me in school you know." He muttered into her hair, breathing in her scent before smiling slightly. "Well unless we don't have any classes together."

"Kouga that's not funny!" Kikyo said, hitting him in the shoulder. He laughed before rolling his eyes, kissing her softly before pulling away.

"I was just joking around, I'm sure we'll have something together."

"And if we don't?" She asked softly, looking up at him. He paused for a moment before shrugging, grinning as he pulled her back to him.

"I guess I'll just have to spend even more time with you after school." He mumbled, kissing her again. She made no protest, and only threw her arms around his neck as she kissed him back.

"Miroku..." Sango said softly, stopping right in front of him. He looked up at her, smiling softly.

"Hey you." He said, pulling her to him and lazily wrapping his arms around her waist. She stared up at him with a worried look, causing him to frown. "What's the matter?"

"I can't believe this is the last time I'll see you. What are we going to do when we're in school, and we can't see each other anymore? I don't know what I'm going to do without you." Sango admitted, blushing slightly as she felt her eyes fill with tears. "I mean I know I'm being stupid about this, but I just...I really do love you."

"I know you do, which makes me love you even more." Miroku said, nuzzling her cheek with his. Gently, he kissed her cheek before whispering in her ear. "That's why I can't wait to tell you something."

"What?" Sango asked, pulling away enough to look up at him. He smiled brightly as he tapped his nose.

"Me and Inuyasha are going to be going to the same school as you guys." He said, watching her eyes widen before he laughed. "Did you honestly think I was going to let you go back without me?"

"Oh Miroku!" Sango said, hugging him tightly as she buried her head into his shoulder. He continued to laugh as he wrapped his arms around her waist.

"You think that's good news, you want to know something even better?"

"What else could you possibly tell me?" Sango blinked when Miroku twisted her around, pulling her back into his chest. She stared at Kagome, her eyebrows furrowing a bit. "I don't get it."

"You'll have to watch and see, because he made me promise not to tell you." Miroku said slowly, looking around as he spotted another round of cars coming in. Staying quiet, he frowned when he didn't see Inuyasha.

"Are you saying that Inuyasha planned something!" Sango whispered, looking back at him when he didn't answer. Once she saw the concentrated look on his face, she looked forwards again, staying silent.

"Thank God." Kagome whispered, gently picking up her bag when she saw her mother's car. Before she could take a step forwards, Inuyasha quickly jumped in front of her. She nearly screamed as she stumbled backwards slightly, gasping when he grabbed her back by the waist. She dropped her stuff quickly as she looked up at him, a mixture of confusion and embarrassment reflecting on her face. "Inuyasha!"

"Don't go." He whispered, causing her to stare up at him.

"What?" She asked softly, her eyes widening when he leaned closer to her. "Inuyasha don't do it..."

"I don't want to lose you." His lips dropped dangerously close to hers, making her pull away slightly.

"You already did." Her words stung for both hearts to hear, but for once, Inuyasha didn't back down.

"Then tell me you don't love me anymore." He stared into her eyes, watching as she opened her mouth to speak. When no sound escaped, he glanced back her to her mother, who was now looking at them. Pausing for a moment, he looked back at her and continued. "I shouldn't of let you walk away last night, and I shouldn't of let you believe that I wasn't sure about us. I have always been sure, I'm just too stubborn to admit how I really feel about you at times."

"Inuyasha, stop now. I don't want to hear it." She shoved herself away from him, backing away from him. He watched her with a lost look, trying to keep his shoulders from dropping as she grabbed her bag, walking over to her mother. Slowly she dropped her bags in her car, shutting the truck slowly before walking back to the side of the car, opening the door.

"Kags..." Inuyasha said, watching her pause before she slammed her door, glaring over at him.

"How dare you do this! What right do you have to come running up to me, acting like I should instantly forgive you and fall into your arms like some helpless little puppy that can't stand on her own? I'm not a little girl, and I don't need you or anyone else to support me!" She shouted, ignoring the surprised looks from everyone around them as she walked back over to him, shoving her finger into his chest. Her frustration and confusion were now causing her eyes to burn with tears, but she tried to ignore them. "What makes you think I'd EVER give you the time of day! I don't need you!"

"I never said you needed me." He said, keeping his voice calm as she glared up at him, grabbing the front of his shirt.

"Could you actually pretend that you care enough about me to get angry? I'm leaving, for good. You'll never see me again, you'll never talk to me again, you'll never hold me again...can't you act like that means something to you?" She asked, her tears slipping past her eyes as she closed them tightly. "Can't you act like you love me, for one moment?"

"...If I did, it...wouldn't be acting." He said, pulling her into him again. She did little to resist, and dropped her arms to her sides as she looked up at him with slightly surprised eyes. "I told you, I don't want to lose you. I never wanted to lose you." He stared at her, sighing slightly as he cupped her cheek in his hand. "I'm not good with words, I've never been good with them. But I'm going to give it a shot."

"When I first met you, I was instantly attracted to you. I don't know why, I thought you were annoying, stubborn, and too boring. And then I actually met you...and I learned about you, what you were really like. And I knew how you saw me, I was bossy, arrogant, and a total jackass. Hell, I still am. But for some reason, you wouldn't just leave me be. You stuck your curious nose into my life, and slowly became a part of it."

"And then you started to get into situations where I had to bail your ass out of danger. You made me show you everything I didn't want to show, and I didn't even think twice about doing it. I felt...like I had to protect you, like you were mine to take care of. And in return, to opened up everything I didn't want to talk about, picked at every weakness, and made it so that you had made a comfy home in me."

"Honestly, I was screwed from the start. For some reason, you were someone that I couldn't just push away or out of my life. No matter what I tried or did, you just fought me back and made sure you would always would be with me. And now you want to go away? Fuck that, you're mine. Mine to be with, mine to care for, mine to protect, and MINE to love."

"I'm not yours!" Kagome shouted, causing Inuyasha to growl.

"Shut up." He muttered, pulling her into a kiss. She gasped slightly, letting him nip at her lip gently before she slid her hands onto his shoulders, pulling him closer to her as she kissed back. Her spine crawled at the electricity that shot through their lips, continuing to shake her as they prolonged the connection. After a few seconds, Inuyasha slowly pulled away, breathing slightly heavier as he looked down at her, watching her struggle to open her eyes. Once she did, he kept the connection between the two as he spoke. "You're mine."

"So long as you're mine." She whispered slowly, looking up at him. "As long as you're mine to be with, care for, protect, and love."

"Sounds pretty damn appealing if you ask me." He said, smirking slightly as he leaned down, gently capturing her lips in another kiss. As the crowd around them began to clap, their friends cheering in excitement, the sun finally broke from beneath the clouds, shining down on the two. Breaking away, Kagome glanced up at the sky and smiled, gasping when the clouds finally began to let rain drop.

"A sun shower..." she whispered, laughing as the crowds raced to find shelter, leaving them with their friends.

"Those two are making me mess up my make up!" Kikyo shouted, wiping her eyes with the back of her hands.

"Oh calm down Kikyo, or else you'll drown the whole camp." Kouga said, Miroku laughing when Kikyo sent him a glare.

"I have a feeling that this year is going to be fun." Miroku muttered in Sango's ear.

"Going to be even funner now that you and Inuyasha are coming to our school." Sango said, laughing as Kagome turned her head towards them before looking up at Inuyasha.

"What did she just..." Kagome trailed off as Inuyasha smirked again.

"High school, here we come." He said, smirking as he pulled her into another kiss. And the rain continued to fall.

The End

Oh I can't believe that this is finally finished! I know that I was supposed to update the other story first, but this one I just wanted to get it done so that I could focus on my other one! I really hope that you all liked it, I did end it happily...though my gut told me not to. Anyways, please tell me what you think, and keep in check for my new chapter for "A Birthday Mistake"! Thank you all again!