Disclaimer: Sesshoumaru came to me in a dream and told me that I was his new owner because I owned InuYasha. Then I woke up, and found out it wasn't true. I cried.

***** THIS IS THE END *****

Last Time:

She surprised him again when she looked up at him. "Sesshoumaru?" He nodded to show her he was listening. "Can I sleep here tonight?" If he had been human, Sesshoumaru would have smirked. It was amazing how similar their minds worked, as this was the reason he had transformed. Slowly, so as not to startle her, Sesshoumaru shifted so that he encircled his miko. Using his mouth, he grabbed the back of her clothing gently and lifted her off the ground before placing her on his soft underbelly. Then he laid his tail over her so that she wouldn't freeze during the night.

Kagome curled up on top of Sesshoumaru with a content sigh. "Good night Sesshoumaru." She murmured, not sure if he heard her. "I love you."

The rumble that vibrated Sesshoumaru's body assured her that he had heard, and that he did indeed love her too.

EPILOGUE

Kagome woke up, still smiling from the dream that she'd had the night before. She loved it when she dreamed of that night in Amaterasu's Playing Ground. It just reminded her of how lucky she was. After five hundred years, she and her mate were still just as much in love as they'd been on that night. Not to say that there hadn't been problems. But they'd handled them, and grown stronger for it.

On days like today, it was hard to believe that five hundred years had truly passed. But they had, and their family had changed with the passage of time. Their empire, once one of land and armies, had become one of business. In this day and age, there was hardly any kind of business in the world that they did not have some sort of investment in, though most of their influence was from behind the scenes. They stayed out of the public eye most of the time, making it easier to hide the fact that they didn't age or die. And yet in spite of the deception, they led relatively normal lives.

Kagome opened her eyes slowly, not really wanting to get up. But as the slant of the sunlight in her room told her the late hour of the morning, she forced herself to at least sit up. A glance at the clock told her it was 10 AM, sinfully late in comparison to her usual time. Sesshoumaru, as she had discovered rather early on in their relationship, was an early riser even for an early riser, usually getting up at five or six. As they had shared a futon, and then a bed as technology had progressed, he had woken Kagome nearly every morning. By now, her body was so used to waking with him that it no longer bothered her.

Kagome glared at the clock as if it had insulted her. True she'd been up worrying and getting ready until about 3 AM but still. Ten o' clock? It was a wonder no one thought she was dead. She pushed herself up, rubbing her eyes to force away the sleepiness that made them want to close again. As she did so, her eyesight cleared enough so that she could see the glass cabinet that sat across from their bed, and she slowed, a small smile spreading across her face. To anyone but her and Sesshoumaru, the cabinet was chaos. So many different things, spanning so many different eras, there was no way any of them were connected. But to the two of them, each item held special significance. But the most important items of all of them were on a shelf above the cabinet.

The first was a single rose, magically preserved so as to remain in its fully bloomed state for eternity. Kagome had taken the souvenir from Amaterasu's Playing Ground the morning after she had agreed to date Sesshoumaru.

Next to it was a beautifully engraved gold mirror, polished and shining beautifully in the morning's light. Sesshoumaru had presented it to her as his first gift to her while they dated. When she glanced at him in confusion, he told her that Amaterasu had told him that jewels were customary while dating. But he could find no jewel that matched her own worth, except for the one the mirror reflected. It had been so clichéd, but Kagome couldn't help but smile and clutch the mirror tightly to her chest. The demon lord knew what to say to make her feel special.

The third item was a small bottle, almost unnoticeable in comparison to the others on the shelf. And yet it was one of the most important of all. Sesshoumaru had presented that same bottle to Kagome on their mating night as his mating gift to her. In it was a second batch of the life extending potion he had used on Rin just a month before. Any doubts Kagome might have had about him had been banished when he held that potion out to her and begged her to take it. They both knew that they potion meant forever, and Sesshoumaru offered it to her willingly and without any regrets or hesitations. Needless to say, she had taken the potion.

The next item was an ancient device that looked very much like modern day needle. After a little less than a century of receiving gifts from Sesshoumaru, and yet unable to find anything to give him that he didn't already have, she had finally come up with the perfect gift. For nearly a decade, she trained with a ryuuyoukai that had become a legend among the medical field for his ability to return life to dead limbs. Then she trained with another demon that had developed a way to reach into other dimensions. She kept her reasons from Sesshoumaru, though she knew it frustrated him to no end that she kept the secret from him. Then finally, on the 100th anniversary of their mating, Kagome used her newly acquired powers to not only retrieve Sesshoumaru's lost arm from hell, but injected the very essence of her power into his arm in order to restore its life.

The next five items were special albums: baby books. Three sons and two daughters had graced their lives within the first century of their mating. There had been Yukio, who Sesshoumaru had claimed the right to name. Kagome had fumed at his name choice, especially for their first child and son. What child wouldn't turn into a spoiled brat when they had a name that meant "Gets What He Wants." However, Yukio's mannerism were often reminiscent of InuYasha, so much so that Kagome often joked that Yukio was the son InuYasha never had. And when Yukio and his uncle got together, all hell would break lose. Sesshoumaru had on more than one occasion attempted to convince Kagome to recreate InuYasha's rosary for their son, but Kagome would only laugh. Yukio's personality was a bit lighter than InuYasha's, however, making the perfect human relations coordinator in the business.

Ten months later, there had been Miyoko, their first daughter. Kagome had been the one to name her, since she'd had no say in naming their son. Miyoko was as much like Sesshoumaru as Yukio was like Kagome, though she didn't quite her father's tendency for violence. She preferred the quiet of the library or meditation to the rambunctious parties her brother thrived on. She and her mother were always on opposite sides of an argument, almost by rule. But both knew that, in the end, they truly did love one another as mother and daughter. And the arguing Miyoko did with Kagome prepared her perfectly as the legal counsel of the family.

After Miyoko had been another daughter, just a year after Miyoko. This one was named by Sesshoumaru, and once again, Kagome growled for days about his name choice. As if Yukio hadn't been bad enough, now she had a daughter whose name literally meant "She Who Is Without Equal." And though Kimi was not the perfection her name implied, she did far exceed most females of the time. She learned quickly, and trained hard. These two skills merged into one, and as soon as Kimi was of age, she became well known as a brilliant tactician. As the world had shifted, so had Kimi's focus, as her tactics switched from those of the battlefield to the complex world of business.

Their fourth child, a year after Kimi, had been another son. Kagome had named him Keiji, and her mate had teased her about being presumptuous. And yet he could not protest the fact that out of all his children, Keiji was most suited for inheriting the empire he had created. When the family gathered together to discuss things, Keiji remained silent throughout the discussion until everyone had said their piece. Only then would he speak, pulling pieces from each person's argument and adding elements of his own to create a plan. Nine-nine times out of a hundred, his plan was perfect for the situation. Keiji knew when to speak, when to be silent, when to be forceful, and when to go with the flow. Out of them all, he was most like their father, in looks and in temperament.

The last had been the most difficult. Kagome had had problems all throughout the pregnancy, and when she finally went into labor, they found out why. Markandeya was the only one who possessed his father's gift of poison. Sesshoumaru was forced to watch helplessly as the poison ripped through Kagome's body as she struggled through the birth, determined to give this last child life. She had managed, just barely, to live through the labor and the recovery that followed. But the damage, both physical and mental, had already been done. The poison had thoroughly destroyed Kagome's womb, making it impossible for her to conceive anymore children. Sesshoumaru had blamed himself, as it was his poison that had given their son the abilities he possessed. It had taken years for him to begin to understand that it was nobody's fault.

Kagome never regretted Markandeya. She had named their son a week after he was born, as Sesshoumaru had spent that week using all the abilities he had to keep the poison at bay long enough for her holy powers to return to their usual strength and purify it from her body. Markandeya was a child of her own heart, in both body and mind. He looked like a masculine version of his mother, and had her personality as well. The only time he reminded her of his father was when he blamed himself for her inability to have more children. Markandeya dealt with this guilty differently than Sesshoumaru, however. Instead of becoming overprotective and overly affectionate, Markandeya became her baby, the child that never really grew up. While this annoyed his father, Kagome enjoyed it immensely. It turned out this compensation was a good thing, as it enabled him to be the perfect advertisement advisor.

Of course, even with children of their own, they had never forgotten their first two. Rin and Shippou had grown quickly, and to nobody's surprise, had mated on the hundredth anniversary of the day Rin took the life extending potion. Kagome, of course, had been absolutely thrilled when she heard the news. It had taken Sesshoumaru nearly half a century to forgive Shippou for taking his first daughter away from him, but once he did, he welcomed Shippou readily into the family. Though Sesshoumaru would be the first to admit the only reason he forgave the kitsune was because of the threats from both his mate and daughter.

Amaterasu had regretfully passed on just after Markandeya's one hundredth birthday. To Sesshoumaru, the blow had been as bad as if it was his own mother that had died. The night after her funeral, Kagome had sat with her mate in her arms as he cried. It was the only time she ever saw him cry, except for when she had nearly died. Her lands had been passed down to Kai, since neither Sarra nor Yuri had any interest in being lord. To Koneko, Amaterasu left her position as nursemaid to the children of the West. At least, until she had met Markandeya. The two of them had mated, officially tying the two families together.

Sango and Miroku had had a large family, as did Kohaku. They reestablished the slayer village, and their descendants still lived there today as one of the founding families of Kyoto. Though Kagome watched over her friends' family, she never directly interfered. After all, their family didn't know of their involvement in what was widely considered a fable.

As for InuYasha. . . Kagome smiled sadly. The poor hanyou had never mated, had never even dated. Kagome welcomed him into the family with open arms, as did the rest of the family, and InuYasha was content with that. But sometimes she wondered if perhaps he wanted to be alone. She had asked him once, and she had never received a satisfactory answer. Then again, recently he had been talking about some human in one of the companies. So perhaps there was hope for him yet.

Kagome was shaken from her revelry by a crash from downstairs. Kagome shook her head with amusement as she forced herself out of bed. While she was denied the ability to have more children, she delighted in the presence of the grandchildren that ran around the palace she had come to call home. No doubt one of them had just broken yet another priceless antique. Or rather, they had broken the replica. Kagome and Sesshoumaru had learned rather early on, and the hard way, that priceless antiques and children did not go well together.

Of course, she didn't see her descendants every day. They'd expanded the palace about three centuries ago, when Sesshoumaru gotten annoyed that he couldn't even kiss his mate without one of his progenies bursting in on them. Each of their children had a wing of their own, and so far, they'd managed not to fill up their wings too badly. But their own wing still managed to fill with grandchildren every day, much to the combined delight and annoyance of the Lord and Lady of the West.

With a sigh, Kagome grabbed her robe and wrapped it around her. Using the mating bond, Kagome navigated through the halls towards her mate. Their own wing was actually the main portion of the palace, the connection point for the five wings of the palace. The first and second floors were exactly the same as they'd been five hundred years ago, with the only additions being plumbing and electricity. The only major change was the addition of the third floor, which they'd made into their own centers of relaxation. No matter how stressful the day was, once Kagome and Sesshoumaru entered the third floor, nothing that had happened during the day was allowed to enter. It was the rule they'd made so many years ago.

Kagome finally made it to the ground floor, and saw the source of the crash she'd heard. Two of her more rambunctious grandchildren stood in front of her mate, who hadn't yet noticed her arrival. She hung back, letting him deal with the two children. "Explain." Sesshoumaru commanded. Kagome rolled her eyes with a smile. Even five hundred years, Sesshoumaru was Sesshoumaru.

The older of the two stepped forward. "We were playing tag, and I fell into the vase."

Sesshoumaru glared down at the two. "And what are the rules?"

The younger answered this time. "No running in Grandma and Grandpa's house." Then he grinned mischeviously. "Unless only Grandma's home."

Traitors! Kagome thought, glaring at the two kids. Sesshoumaru raised an eyebrow at them, and no doubt he was making a mental note to question her later on.

"What do you have to say for yourselves?"

The two looked down at their feet, obviously ashamed of their actions. "We're sorry, Grandpa."

"We won't do it again!"

"We won't run in here again."

Sesshoumaru nodded in approval, and the two smiled. Kagome shook her head at their innocence, and waited for the other shoe to drop. "Your parents will be informed, and you two will be paying for a replacement."

"But Grandpa!" One of them shouted. "We apologized."

"You have." Sesshoumaru acknowledged. "But a mere apology does not fix anything. When you make a mistake, you must make restitution for that mistake as well."

The younger one started to protest, but the older one nudged him and jerked his head towards Kagome. She smirked as she realized the older one's plan. Simultaneously, the two pups rushed to her with a chorus of "Grandma!"

Kagome knelt down and embraced the two pups, a small smile on her face. "How are you two?"

They looked up at her, crocodile tears falling down their faces. "Grandpa is being mean to us!" The older one whimpered.

"Very mean!" The younger one emphasized.

Kagome struggled to control a smile as she looked over at her mate. "Is that so?" Sesshoumaru saw the laughter in her eyes, and a smirk crossed his face as he watched her work. "Well, I'll be sure to tell that to your parents when your grandfather informs them of the vase you broke."

The crying stopped immediately as the two jumped back. "Grandma!"

Kagome shook her head. "The two of you head on home." She ordered. "If you're going to try to manipulate someone, you'll have better luck with your parents."

With grumpy expressions, the two children fled the room, already making plans to get in their parents' good graces. Kagome stood, and turned to her mate with a smile. "Why didn't you wake me up?" She asked.

Sesshoumaru waited patiently as Kagome crossed the room and wrapped her arms around him. He responded to the gesture and rested his head atop hers before he answered. "You needed the rest. As a human, you need more than I do."

Kagome shook her head with a smile. "You just like dealing with annoying grandchildren, don't you?" She smile grew at his look of resigned acceptance to his fate.

"I was attempting to keep them quiet." He admitted, so softly she barely heard him. But she did, and she kissed him in response.

"Ew!"

"Old people love!"

"My eyes! They burn!"

Kagome whirled to see her eldest son and his pack, which included himself, his ryuuyoukai mate, and his three children, had entered the Main House. Yukio, upon entering and finding his parents kissing, had proceeded to crack up as the youngest members of his family protested their ancestors' actions. Sesshoumaru growled in warning, silencing most of the protesters. One eyebrow raise later, and the offending pups rushed to hide behind their parents.

"You really have to teach me that one day." Kagome groused.

Sesshoumaru smirked and pulled her closer to him. "It is an alpha thing."

Kagome sighed and turned to Yukio. "Everyone from your side here?"

"Yes, Mom." Yukio answered. "I spoke to Kimi about five minutes ago, and she should be here with her pack in a few moments."

Kagome nodded, then smiled as the twins, all of five years old, became annoyed at being ignored for five minutes and pounced on their father. Kagome felt a small ache of loss, remembering the days when Yukio himself would pounce on his father. A nuzzle at her neck forced her to look up at her mate, who gave her a worried look. Kagome shook her head and smiled sadly. "Just wishing." She whispered, so softly that only Sesshoumaru had a prayer of hearing her. "Nothing important."

Sesshoumaru tightened his hold on her, having a very good idea what it was his mate wished for. To be honest, it was a wish of his own as well. But even if she were to be healed, Sesshoumaru would never again allow her to take such a risk with her health. While a pup would indeed be a blessing, his mate was far too important to risk.

"Mother, Father." Miyoko's usual cold greeting forced Kagome out of her sadness.

"Miyoko!" Kagome shouted, rushing forward to embrace her eldest daughter. Miyoko rolled her eyes and returned the embrace. While she may not share her mother's exuberance of emotion, she was very tolerant of her mother's displays. Kagome, in turn, had learned to read her daughter as she did Sesshoumaru. It had allowed them to form a truce of sorts.

Sesshoumaru was now behind her, and he nodded his own greeting to his daughter. Miyoko released Kagome and bowed in respect to her father. Then she gestured behind her to where her umahanyou* mate and their son waited. "As you both can say, my pack is with me. We are ready to proceed when you are."

"We're just waiting on Kimi and Markendeya." Kagome answered. "Keiji's group is meeting us there, and Rin and Shippou's brood is going to be there later."

"Kimi has arrived!" The shout made Kagome turned with a laugh as her youngest daughter bounded into the room.

"What, no new boyfriend on your arm?" Kagome teased as Kimi grabbed her in a hug.

"Why would I bring one of my toys to something so important?" Kimi asked. "They might think they mean something." She turned to Miyoko and attempted to pounce on her. "Miyoko!"

"If you touch this Miyoko, you will find you no longer have anything with which to touch me." Miyoko's voice whipped out.

"You're so mean to me!" Kimi protested. "You're so mean to your imooto*-" Kimi cut herself off as she pounced on Miyoko, enveloping the older girl in a hug and bounding away again before Miyoko could disembowel her. Miyoko snarled and started forward, but her mate's hand on her shoulder stopped her short.

"Come on, Omae*." The umahanyou soothed. "Do not let her goad you into a fight." Miyoko took a deep breath and calmed, allowing her mate to wrap his arms around her. She shot a half hearted glare at Kimi before returning to the indifferent mask that was so reminiscent of Sesshoumaru.

Kimi pouted. "Aw, I wanted a good fight."

"Kimi, stopping baiting your sister." Kagome warned. Sesshoumaru smirked before he could stop himself, and he received an elbow from his mate as punishment. "They get this from you, you know. You and InuYasha."

Sesshoumaru shrugged. "Competition is healthy."

Kagome scowled, but let the comment slide. Instead, she turned her attention to the last of the wings, where Markandeya and Koneko arrived with their newborn pup. Kagome lost interest in her bickering the instant she saw the newborn. "Hello, Ayano." She cooed, reaching down to accept the baby from Koneko. "How are you, you gorgeous little thing?"

"I'm quite well, thank you." Markandeya answered. "And excited too. Can we go yet?"

Koneko whacked her mate upside the head. "Honestly, you're a five year old. Ayano is more mature than you are."

Markandeya pretended to moan. "Woe is me! To be stuck with such an abusive-" Whack! "I mean controlling-" WHACK! "I mean terrifying-" WHACK! "I mean lovely and beautiful mate."

"That's what I thought you were saying." Koneko answered, patting her inuhanyou's head right between his ears. Miyoko smirked at her little brother's behavior, and Yukio rolled his eyes. At this point, Koneko and Markendeya's antics were practically an everyday routine, so nobody really bothered to comment on it.

Now that everyone was here, Kagome couldn't help the butterflies that were spawning in her stomach. Another soft nuzzle to her neck, while appreciated, did nothing to calm them. Sesshoumaru took his youngest grandchild from Kagome and handed her back to her parents. "It is time."

His words calmed her a bit, if only because of the confidence in those words. "Alright." Kagome announced. "Let's get going."

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Later-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sakura Higurashi stared at the old well house for several minutes. If she stared long enough, she could imagine the door opening, her precious daughter running down the steps, yelling "Sorry, sorry, InuYasha was being a pain! He wouldn't let me come home until I threaten him with Ramen!"

She sighed. It had been nearly two months since she'd seen her daughter, and one month since the well had suddenly erupted in white light before subsiding. Before then, when she'd gotten close to the well she'd feel as though it was humming to her, telling her that her daughter would be returning. But when the light had flashed, the humming disappeared. Sakura was faced with a reality she didn't want to face: either the well had closed, or he daughter was. . . no.

Sakura shook her head. She couldn't think that. She couldn't believe that. Kagome was alive, and she would find a way to come home. She knew she would.

"Sakura!" Sakura turned to see her father running to her. "There's guests."

Sakura nodded and followed after him. I have a family to take care of. I can't be stuck in the past. "Welcome!" Sakura called with a bow as she greeted the guests. "Welcome to our shrine."

"It is an honor to be here." Sakura noted the voice was very calm, and yet searching. As if it were scenting for any sign of falsity.

She rose, a smile on her face. "I hope you enjoy your. . . Kagome!"

The woman in front of her blinked, then a small scowl decorated her face. "No, I'm sorry. My name is Nishinoshu Kimi."

Sakura bowed, a blush decorating her face. "I'm terribly sorry, Nishinoshu-san. You remind me of someone I know."

The man chuckled, obviously amused. "Please, do not worry Sobo. Kimi is often mistaken for our mother."

Sakura stared at him. "Your. . . mother?" She whispered.

Keiji nodded, but his answer was cut off by a shout. Sakura recognized it immediately as belonging to InuYasha. "Geez, Kagome! What are you freaking out about?"

"Keiji and Kimi are already here!" Sakura's heart nearly stopped at hearing that voice. "Mom's gonna meet them, and they're gonna do something stupid before I have the chance to explain everything!"

"Well who's damn fault was that?"

Sakura heard a thump, and the familiar form of InuYasha flew into the courtyard.

He was immediately up on his feet and growling as two figures appeared at the entrance to the shrine. "What the hell, you ass!"

"I have told you repeatedly that cursing at this Sesshoumaru's mate is unacceptable." The silver-haired man answered. Sakura would have been mesmerized by the markings on his face, had she not already been running towards the second figure.

"Kagome!"

Kagome turned, and a huge smile grew over her face. "Mama!"

Sakura slammed into her daughter, and Kagome fell back against the man beside her before returning the hug full force. Both woman had tears of relief and joy falling down their face.

Finally, Sakura noticed the group of people behind her daughter with various degrees of amusement on their faces. She turned to her daughter, who just glared at them. "And what, pray tell, is so amusing?"

"Nothing, nothing." One of them, with white hair and very familiar ears, insisted. "Just thought of something funny."

Another one, who stood beside the white-haired one, sniffed and glared at him. She had grey hair and pointed ears, Sakura noted with surprise. "If that did not work when you were little, what makes you think it would work now, Yukio?"

"Well it could have, Miyoko!" Yukio protested. "I mean, Mom is pretty gullible!"

"You're not helping yourself, baka." Miyoko turned her muddy gold eyes turned to Kagome. "We just find it amusing that there is someone as. . . energetic as you."

Kagome glared, until the man beside her wrapped an arm around her and gave her a peck on the cheek, much to Sakura's surprise. "Can you honestly deny the charge, Mate?"

Kagome's glare centered on the man beside her. "Oh shush, Sesshoumaru!"

Sesshoumaru chuckled and kissed her quickly. "You should explain this before your mother's surprise has undue effects on her health."

Kagome gasped and turned to Sakura, who had been staring in shock. "Kagome, what in the world is going on? Why are these people calling you mother? And who is this man and why is he calling you his mate? And where in the world have you been for the past two months? Why do you look like you're thirty!"

Kagome whirled on Sesshoumaru with a growl. "You said I didn't look a day over twenty-one!"

Another one of the guests laughed, and Sakura noted that he looked like a clone of Souta. "Mom, Dad isn't stupid enough to actually admit that you look older than you think you do. He's got survival instincts, after all."

"Markandeya!" Kagome growled. The man took one look at her and bolted. Kagome chased after him, shouting something about "ungrateful pups."

Sakura stared after her, confusion and frustration on her face. "Higurashi-san?" Sakura whirled to see the man Kagome had called Sesshoumaru standing beside her, a sort of smirk on his face. "Your daughter will be a bit. Would you like me to explain?"

Sakura's manners suddenly kicked in, and she nodded. "Please. Why don't we all go inside and talk?"

"That would be most agreeable." Sesshoumaru answered with a bow. He walked beside her, and as they walked, he began to explain. InuYasha watched him go inside, quickly followed by Keiji and his mate, Kimi, Yukio and his pack, and then Miyoko and hers. InuYasha watched Koneko snatch Markandeya, a smile on her face, and drag him inside. Then Kagome followed them, now that she remembered her mother.

This was one of the times InuYasha felt like an outsider within the family, a place he justly deserved after what he had done to Kagome. But sometimes, he couldn't help but wish he truly belonged with them, instead of being an outsider among his brother's pack.

The door opened again, and Yukio's and Miyoko's pups rushed out, followed by Souta.

"Uncle InuYasha!"

"Uncle Yasha!"

"InuYasha!"

"Uncle Inu!"

InuYasha was plowed down by the combined effort of the four bodies. He landed with an oomph, and mock growled. "Oi! Get off of me, you brutes!"

The pups, used to this, responded by jumping up and down on their favorite uncle. InuYasha growled again, and they screeched and set off running. InuYasha sat up with a chuckle, and stood to greet Souta. "How ya been, brat?"

"InuYasha!" Souta greeted. "I haven't seen you in a while."

InuYasha snorted. "Yeah, well, that's kind of my fault. I'm sure my brother is telling your mom all about it."

Souta's eyes widened. "Your brother?"

"Half-brother." InuYasha clarified, more out of habit than contempt.

Souta took in this information for a moment, then nodded. "I guess I can live with him around."

InuYasha snorted. "I doubt Sesshoumaru would care whether you approve of him. But Kagome might get a bit. . . upset."

The two men shivered, before starting up a conversation about video games, which InuYasha was now an expert on. As their voices rose, they failed to notice Kagome's arrival. "Hey, video nerds!" InuYasha and Souta swiveled at the same time, making Kagome laugh. "It's dinner time! Get your butts in here!"

They started to move when a thought occurred to Kagome. "Hey, grab my grandkids, kay?" Before they could protest, Kagome shut the door again.

InuYasha growled. "She does that every time!"

"So it's not just me, then?" Souta asked with a groan. InuYasha snorted and pulled Souta away. Maybe he wasn't so much of an outsider as he thought.

Inside, Sesshoumaru held Kagome as she gossiped with her mother. Five hundred years had done little to change her, and yet so much. She had had to watch those nearest and dearest to her slowly wither away and die. And then there was the miscarriage she had had after Markandeya. Then finally, there had been all the turmoil, the fear of discovery, and so much more. She was no longer the naïve girl he had met in his father's tomb. Nor was she the innocent miko he'd saved from that cave so many years ago.

And yet she was so much the same. She still greeted him with a smile whenever he entered a room, and if they were alone, that hello would a tackling hug or a breath-taking kiss. She took away his worries, removed all the evil he had piled up on him, until all that was left was something that he could proudly say was mated to the gorgeous woman in front of him. Sometimes he wondered why she even bothered.

Sakura finally rose and left the room to check up on Souta. The instant she was gone, Sesshoumaru leaned around Kagome and kissed her, putting every bit of feeling he could into one kiss. She returned it whole-heartedly, melting into him until there was not a single bit of space between them.

When Sesshoumaru heard Sakura returning, he regretfully pulled away. Kagome leaned into him, not happy about separating, but understanding. Sesshoumaru pulled back just enough to reach her ear. "Thank you." He whispered.

Kagome didn't understand his thanks, but knew that sometimes, the man in front of her was not meant to be understood. "Anytime." She answered.

Sakura entered the kitchen, and recognized the look on the two's faces. She had had the same look plastered to her own face when her husband had been alive. It was a look of perfect contentment, of pure happiness. . . of love. Sakura sighed softly. While she was not thrilled about all of this, she did realize that at this point, she had no right to say no.

All the same, She thought as she saw her daughter smile at her husband -- mate actually. All the same, she'd done well for herself.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Author's Rant------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sesshoumaru: Is it over?

Kagome: Really over?

Obsessive_Goddess: Yes, it's done.

Horse Wolves: I'm. . . sad.

Obsessive_Goddess: Me too. Me too. [looks around and waves a hand.] Oh, go away you heartless jerks! How could you not be upset that this story is over?

Horse Wolves: They truly are heartless, unfeeling jerks!

Kagome: I say. . . PARTY TIME!

Sesshoumaru: This Sesshoumaru does not "party."

Kagome: Then you will join in the celebration. After all, it's not a real celebration if you're not there! [Sess and Kag leave to go to party]

Horse Wolves: I swear, for people who claim to hate Sess/Kags, they sure do get along.

Obsessive_Goddess: SHH! [clamps hand over HW's mouth] If you say that too loud, they'll find out my evil plan!

Horse Wolves: Wow. . . you truly are evil.

Obsessive_Goddess: Well, for now, that's all. Who knows what kind of inspiration will strike me tomorrow. Maybe I'll be posting a new story?

Horse Wolves: Can we get a small break? I have writer's cramp!

Obsessive_Goddess: But. . . you don't write.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------End of Author's Rant-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Thank you to everyone who favorited this story! My heart soars everyday when I open my e-mails and see my inbox filled with messages from Fanfiction. And special thanks to the people who made writing this story worthwhile: The reviewers!

crusnick . gunslinger and Ed (made me laugh with every review, love you guys!)

NAO-chan33

llebreknit

inu-babe34

Lady Kami of Dreams

Arosdaughter25

Ladybug2009

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ForeverADarkAngel

SheWhoDreamsOfSilverAndGold

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Sysclp

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0oHelloKittyo0

Anemix

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Forbidden-Hanyou

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XxLovesxInuYashaxX

Sesshoumaru fan all the way

Firefame

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If I missed anyone, please let me know immediately. I will happily add your name to the list. You guys mean the world to me, especially when I need a pick me up. Thank you for putting up with this crazy author!

Extra special thanks to RAVEN KUROHOSHI for putting up with my insecurities and giving me advice when I randomly beg for her opinion. I LOVES YOU!

~Serephina of the Kamis~

*

Yukio: Gets What He Wants

Miyoko: Beautiful Child

Kimi: She Who Is Without Equal

Keiji: Lead Carefully

Markandeya: Conquers Over Death (Sanskrit)

Umahanyou: horse half demon

Imooto: younger sister

Omae: my love, as said by males.

Ayano: Love

Nishinoshu: Okay, so "nishi" means "West", "no" mean "of", and "shu" means "lord." Someone pointed out to me how to correctly use "no," so I think I have it right when I say that Nishinoshu means "Lord of the West." Unoriginal? Yes. But I don't see anyone else coming up with anything better, so X-P to anyone who decides to complain about my unoriginality.

Sobo: grandmother, a very familiar address used only by family members.