It turned out to be easier than she thought to convince Inuyasha to bring her back to the village for the Reverend Miroku and Sango's wedding. She'd had to make some concessions, such as not attending the ceremony as there was no way Inuyasha was going in to a church, but she didn't mind if she could at least be at the reception.

They arrived after dark, once the party was already in full swing. It was being held back in the barn where The Reverend's welcoming ball had been held, those many months ago. Somehow it felt more like years. Kagome slipped her hand in to Inuyasha's as they snuck across the village, giving him a little squeeze. Her heart sang with happiness when he squeezed back.

If Inuyasha had heard what Tsubaki had said to her, he'd made no indication of knowing her feelings. Kagome herself could scarcely believe the witch could see so clearly what she herself had only come to understand. Kagome knew she was in love with Inuyasha. The question remained, did he feel the same?

Once they reached the light of the barn, Kagome tried to remain discrete, staying to the shadows to avoid a display. When she saw Souta lingering on the fringes, she assumed there had been some coordination about her arrival.

"Souta..." She whispered, beckoning him over. When he was close enough she folded him in to a big hug.

"Hey Kagome." He replied, his voice muffled in her shirt as he returned her hug.

"Hi Inuyasha!" Souta cheered once he was released, moving to greet his new hero. "How are you?" He chattered at an uncomfortable looking Inuyasha for a few minutes before Kagome reoriented him.

"Souta, were you waiting for us?" She asked quietly.

"Oh! Yeah!" He replied, "I am supposed to get Sango and the Reverend when you guys arrive. Stay here."

He quickly disappeared into the crowd, leaving the couple to stand together in the shadows. When a boisterous group exited the barn a bit too close to where they were hiding, Inuyasha quickly tucked Kagome close against his side and hid them against the wall. She looked up at him and blushed at his proximity. When he noticed her blushing, he also started to blush, but neither could look away.

"There you two are!" The Reverend called, interrupting the moment. They parted slowly, and Kagome would admit a bit regretfully, to greet her friends.

"Congratulations!" Kagome cheered, hugging them both together.

Sango looked beautiful in a newly sown pink wedding gown with lace adorning the collar and the embellishments. Her long hair was tied up in a complex knot that had Marie's handiwork written all over it. Her veil was pinned in place to keep it secure and it floated around her in the winter wind. Miroku looked dashing beside her in his suit. He kept an arm wrapped around his new bride at all times.

The two looked at each other with a gaze full of such love, Kagome felt her breath catch. In the dark they shared a quick kiss and Kagome clapped her hands together in delight.

"We didn't come all this way to watch you two make out." Inuyasha interrupted. "Give them the gift already so we can leave."

Kagome scowled at him before handing over a box she had wrapped in ribbon. Sango looked at the box in surprise. "You didn't have to give us anything. Your presence here is enough of a gift for me." Sango answered honestly. "When Miroku told me that you sacrificed your safety and almost your life for me...how could I ever repay you?"

"I know you would have done the same for me." Kagome replied, her hand on Sango's arm. "To see you happy and you two together...this is greater than anything I had dreamed." The two friends embraced, the box squished between them.

Sango curiously opened the box, smiling in delight at the gift inside. It was a pair of his and hers handkerchiefs, each embroidered with Mr or Mrs Hiroshi. "Thank you Kagome." Reverend Miroku said, using his wife's to dab one of her tears. "We will treasure them always."

Kagome heard the band start up to play and knew they had taken enough of the couple's time on this joyous occasion. "Get back to the party, you two!" She said cheerily. "Enjoy! Congratulations again!"

The couple opened their mouths to reply, but they were spotted by the crowd before they could respond. Thrown back in to the crush, Kagome and Inuyasha were left alone together in the dim light outside the barn.

"So, can we go home yet?" Inuyasha asked lazily, stretching behind himself to pop his joints.

"Maybe after this song?" Kagome asked him, turning her eyes up to him with hope. "It used to be one of my favorites and I would love to get to hear it."

Shrugging, Inuyasha leaned back up against the barn. Closing her eyes, Kagome let the music wash over her. It was a slow waltz, and she wasn't lying when she said it used to be her favorite. Though she would never tell Inuyasha, it was the song she had always dreamed to have as her first dance with her husband. Thinking about her life now, those dreams seemed very far away.

After the fight with Tsubaki, they had retreated to their cottage to regroup. It seemed that rumours of Kagome's powers had spread to the point where she was more feared than a target. Inuyasha claimed the number of demons in the forest had dwindled and life had settled to a more peaceful rhythm.

The decreasing number of demons also meant that Inuyasha had been around the cottage more often. He would occasionally even spend the whole day with her, helping her with her chores or playing out in the snow. Thinking about the happy memories made her heart swell with happiness.

"What are you thinking about?" Inuyasha interrupted her with his question. When she gave him an inquisitive look as if to ask why he was asking, he gestured to her. "You are glowing."

Looking down at her hands, Kagome did see the faint pink glow that surrounded her body. She could also feel Inuyasha's energy wrapped around her, holding her protectively even when he was standing so far away.

"You." She admitted, feeling brave. When he looked like he didn't understand, she repeated. "You asked what I was thinking about. I'm thinking about you."

He blinked at her in surprise, clearly not expecting this turn in the conversation. "Oh...oh really?"

Smiling warmly, Kagome advanced towards him. For a moment it looked as though he might back away in fear, but he held his ground. When she reached him she placed both her hands in his. In the shadows cast by the door of the barn, she could only barely make out his face.

"Inuyasha..." She trailed off, looking thoughtful. He gave her hands an encouraging squeeze, so she smiled and continued. "You make me so happy. I...never imagined my life could be this happy before I met you. Even though I still don't understand why all this is happening, I am thankful for it because it brought me to you."

"And I..." She took a step further towards him. "...I...I love you."

He looked stunned for a moment before he drew her in to a crushing embrace. "Kagome..." he whispered fiercely.

She smiled in to his embrace, not expecting him to reciprocate her feelings as easily as she could express them. She contented herself to enjoy his embrace, listening to the melody wash over her, thinking that life couldn't get much better than this.

"Kagome..." he said quietly, exhaling in to her hair. "I...My life before you...was...well ...you know not so good but you...you're just...aw shit."

"I'm what?" She teased, leaning back with a grin to lighten the mood.

The look on his face weighed her right back down to earth. Butterflies erupted in her stomach at the intensity of his gaze on her face. When she noticed his attention slip down to her lips, she wet them nervously, and that seemed to draw his attention more.

"You're my everything." He breathed, his hand coming up to cradle the side of her face. "I don't know what I did to get you, but you're mine now."

His face began to descend towards hers as her eyelids became heavy and then close of their own accord. Right before their lips met, he whispered "I am never, ever letting you go."

When his lips touched hers, Kagome felt like her heart was going to explode. Pure joy and love rushed hot through her veins, singing in her ears. As they continued to kiss, she felt as though she was floating on a cloud. When she felt Inuyasha have to tighten his grasp around her, she knew that she had actually been rising up above the ground, riding on the flood of her energy.

When they slowly parted, Kagome settled back down to earth. She shyly slid her hand in to his.

"Let's go home." She said with a smile.

Using her hand he swung her onto his back and took off in to the night.

Meanwhile, back in the barn, all the candles had blown out in the explosion of energy from Kagome and the newlywed couple stared at each other in the dark.

"What just happened?" Miroku asked his wife, using the hand he was holding to pull her closer.

Sango snuggled in to him and smiled when she replied. "Magic."