Author's Note: Sorry this chapter took so long to post. I've had it done and ready, but my mom has been going through a tough time, and I've been required to help my dad take care of her, and so this story kind of went by the waysaide for a while. This is the last chapter though, and I can't say when I'll post another story, but hopefully I get some time and inspiration, and something new won't be too far ahead in the future. In the meantime, I thank everyone for their patience and kind reviews. You've all been wonderful, and I thank you with all I have. Happy Thanksgiving!!

Deds:

metalcherry - Thanks for your wonderful wishes, and I'm glad you've enjoyed this story, and that I was able to write something for a minority fandom. It has been a journey in more ways than one :D

Skaterperson250 - It started out as KagomexInuyasha, but sadly, as you know, he kicked the bucket, and therefore her heart turned to someone else. I listed it as that for technical purposes, and to elevate the surprise twist in lovers she has throughout the story.

rinichibimoon - You may sound like a corny Japanese anime, Danielle, but I appreciate you nonetheless :D Thanks, and don't worry bout taking a long time. I just did!

DemonDog113 - Well, then, mission accomplished, Joelle! :D Thank you!

Say

Epilogue

"Sango, what did you name the baby?"

Sango smiled, and looked at Miroku, who also began to grin. "Well, we couldn't decide, really. I had originally settled on Daisuke for a boy, but we've changed our minds. We're going to name him Kichiro, because he was lucky enough to have people like you two to save his life."

Kagome and Shippo smiled at each other, and then they went to hug Miroku and Sango, and Kagome whispered to her old friend, "Thank you, Sango. For everything."

Sango nodded graciously. "Thank you for saving my son."

They smiled at each other as tears spilled over, and then Miroku pronounced, "Alright! Enough of that before we all float away. So: let's plan a wedding, shall we?"

.oOo.

Three days later the wedding took place. The flowers were beautiful, the bridesmaid was stunning, her newborn baby in a sling around her shoulder, a bouquet of roses in her hands, and the best man was her son, a beaming Ryouta.

Miroku officiated for the bride and groom. Kagome wore a long, white kimono in the style of the brides in the past, and Shippo also wore the traditional wedding outfit. On their way down the aisle between the throng of waiting villagers who'd turned out to celebrate the occasion, Kagome had hissed under her breath, "Next time I will not wear this stupid outfit!"

Shippo had smiled and replied, "Agreed. We can get married naked, if you wish."

She smiled at the guests and replied softly, "You're bad."

After the wedding was over, there was dinner at Sango's, and then the couple changed out of their wedding finery and left to be alone.

Shippo led Kagome, carrying her bag over her shoulder, to the well, and said, "Hurry back. We have a wedding night to consummate, woman."

She threw her head back in laughter. "I can't wait. And who are you trying to kid? This wedding was consummated before it even took place."

He smiled softly into her eyes in the twilight, and stroked her cheek. "Maybe, when the Jewel is in danger, you should just go home for a bit until we eliminate the threat, and then come back. You know, like time-jumping."

She smiled back, replying, "That would be wonderful, except the well may not always send me back to the same times. You may have to go for quite some time without me between visits."

He pulled her into his arms, dropping the bag. "I don't care. As long as you keep coming back, I'll wait forever."

Kagome fingered the rosary at her neck once more. She'd suggested taking it off for the wedding, since its significance pertained to a man other than whom she was marrying, but Shippo had insisted she leave it on.

She guffawed to herself. Why hadn't she thought of this before?

He stared at her. "What is it?"

"You could come stay with me, Shippo."

He paused. Go with her to the future? "Wouldn't that screw up the time rip? I mean, what if I ran into my future self, which is supposed to be waiting there for you? Remember?"

She blinked. Oh yeah. He had a point. She might screw up the time-fabric-thing if she brought him back. It had only worked with Inuyasha because... He'd died. She'd forgotten, then felt ashamed for doing so.

She shrugged. "Well, then I guess that rules that idea out. Oh well. It was still a good idea." She winked.

He kissed her then, and slipped her bag on her back. "Come back as soon as you can, okay?"

She grinned. "Okay, but don't be surprised if it's not for a long time, or not at all. This thing must be wearing out. I can't think of why else it would screw up this time for me even though I'm very grateful it did." She leaned back to peck his lips once more, before waving.

"Bye."

"Bye. I love you," he replied, watching her.

She grinned. "Love you more!" Then jumped in. The light flashed, and she was gone.

.oOo.

Kagome touched down in the present, and when she climbed out of the well, felt a sharp pain in her ankle, and heard a pop.

"Ow!" she cried, dropping her bag and limping toward the steps, using her good foot.

She hissed through her teeth as she hiked up her red pants and gently pulled off her tabi, the white socks she hated. They were already stained crimson.

What the hell happened? She thought, looking for the Jewel, but there was nothing except a big bloody spot on her ankle, which was very tender, and her bloody sock, perforated with a ton of tiny little holes. Where was the Jewel?!

She used the clean end of the sock to wipe away the blood on her skin, and before the blood oozed out again and made a mess of her foot, she'd seen the same effect in her skin as in the sock: thousands of tiny holes.

Had the Jewel exploded? She touched the wound with the sock, feeling for shards, but felt no substance between the sock, and her skin, or anything under it, either. It had just disappeared!

Oh no, she thought, and, ignoring her pain, quickly limped back to the well and, hanging from the rim, let herself fall in. She landed awkwardly, and on her good foot, but nothing happened.

The dark dirt before her began to blur as she tried to rationally explain to herself what had just happened, and she remembered that she'd told Shippo to expect this very occurrence as a possibility for her failure to return, but as she dragged herself out for the last time, knowing now that the rosary itself was not good enough and that she required the Jewel, only it had now exploded, or something, and she could not find it nor had any idea where or what had exactly happened to it, the tears flowed full force.

Shippo... we were just married and I never came back...

Her sobs were loud as she pushed open the well-house doors with more force than necessary and dropped to her knees, head in her hands. How could this happen? And why? Why now? Oh, Shippo, I'm so sorry, she thought, distraught.

A long time seemed to pass while she sat there alone, in the dark. She had no idea what time it was on this side, but it didn't matter. She'd laid her face down and pressed her cheek against the cement step, her tears soaking the concrete beneath her face, feeling sorry for herself, but most of all for those she'd so suddenly left behind, and her heart felt like it would be rent in two, and she remembered her pain after finding out about Inuyasha, and, gasping, she got up to run to Goshimboku, to make certain there weren't two stones there and history had not repeated itself.

Coming to a stop, she saw with relief in the moonlight still one stone standing, lonely in the darkness. She sunk down to her knees and cried happy tears that Shippo's grave was not here, but they became wailing sobs once more as she realised that they would not have seen each other for five hundred years, and she cried for him, for his loss, and for being the one to cause it. It wasn't fair that he'd had to go so long...

There was a scraping on pavement, but she barely heard it. So busy was she crying into her own hands, it took her a moment to register that someone was speaking to her.

"At last, I came at the right time. I thought you'd never come home, Kagome."

She breathed in, and then looked up. Who would be so rude as to-

"Shippo..."

He smiled at her, his hands in the pockets of his dark jeans, his hair shorn now at the back, but his bangs longer at the front. His deep blue button-down shirt whipped in the breeze under his dark leather jacket, and his teal eyes twinkled at her from underneath a few stray strands of red hair.

"In the flesh."

She stared at him, awed. He had not changed a bit, except for his hair and his clothes. It was as if she'd not just left him five hundred years in the past, but that he'd simply gone to change his clothes and get a haircut.

She stumbled to her feet and in her hurry to get to him, fell into him, and he caught her, breathing, "What happened, Kagome? Why didn't you come back?"

"Oh, Shippo," she cried, the tears coming all over again, "I'm so sorry! I just got back now, and when I climbed out of the Well the Jewel exploded, or something, I don't know, and, see-" she lifted her pant leg and showed him her wound, plus her bloody sock, "-I tried to come back, and couldn't! I feel so terrible, Shippo, I'm so sorry I left you there and I love you so much that I've been sitting here bawling my eyes out and-"

She backed up a pace, even though she didn't dare let him go, "You're late."

He grinned at her before throwing his head back and laughing. She glared at him. Nothing about this was funny!

"I am late, yes. But I didn't mean to be. There was an accident downtown and the subway was delayed. And I've been coming for the last few nights, trying to get the date right. I'm sorry," he said, still chuckling at her hysterics, then he reached out to tuck a stray strand of hair behind her ear, tugging her close again. "It's alright, Kagome. I understand. I knew something must have happened to prevent your coming back, and I don't hold anything against you, sweetheart. Sometimes bad things happen, but I know for a fact that good things come to those who wait. I just got my wife back," he said, making his point, "And I waited a damn long time for her, but I was patient, and my patience has been rewarded."

He leaned down to kiss her, and his memory of their last kiss - which to her was only a half hour before - and he felt that he had found home again, in her. She was where he was meant to be. Her hands went directly to the back of his neck, and knotted themselves there in his short, soft strands.

They parted again, and after a few minutes of more kissing, and a lot of staring, since they were back together again and able to drink in their share of each other for years to come, Shippo remarked, "Kagome...?"

She purred. "Yes?"

"When are we going to get married again?"

She laughed, and took his hand, while he followed after her.

"As soon as we can arrange it. But you have to meet my family first, and tell me all about what happened to Sango and Miroku, and their children, and their children's children! Are any of them still around? I'd love to meet them! And my mother is just going to love you!"

Shippo laughed at her eagerness, and the two went inside the house.

Back in the well-house, at the bottom of the stairs, a shimmering pile of dust, all that was left of the Shikon no Tama, disappeared into the darkness, forever.

Fin