Kagome.

She heard someone call her name. She inhaled sharply. Her arms reached out, her feet tried to find ground but she couldn't. She felt like she wasn't neither standing or lying. Then she heard someone's voice again, it was soft like a touch that she felt on her temple, then on her eyes.

Kagome wasn't sure about what had happened but her arms couldn't feel Inuyasha anywhere near. Worried, she opened her eyes. Both eyes, she realized. "What..." she asked confused, touching her face and was convinced that there wasn't any blood nor injured eye.
She then looked around and saw that surroundings were bluish violet. It was a very familiar sight to her.

"I'm in the well?" she blinked.

Yes.

"It's you?" she looked around though knew there would be no one to see. "The spirit of the well?" somehow, she could feel the spirit nod. "How did I get here? Where is Inuyasha? Is he safe?" she squeezed her hands together. "Please tell me he's safe."

You have no need to worry. I sensed that you were in a difficult situation. So I came to help. Little hanyou is now alone but alive.

"But... how...?"

One could say that your spiritual powers called me and I simply answered. I took a hold of your soul and with it I was able to protect you. The vile youkai who attacked you is now in the past, two weeks before the day when your friend's village is burnt. I also returned your eye back to normal.

"I'm not sure I understand but... Can you really do things like that? Can a miko really call you for help?"

No. Only you. We are connected, your soul and my spirit.

"Thank you," Kagome said sincerely. She remembered the spirit's earlier words. "So Inuyasha is alone now?" she asked, a knot in her throat.

Yes. Afraid and confused but he will survive. You know this.

She did but it still hurt.
"What happens now?" Did she have to make her choice now?

Kagome. Your soul is large, that is what I told you. But now I also understand its warmth. I have not felt energy of this kind in decades. One could say that I have experienced a rebirth. That is why I can allow you to make your choice at other time than today.

"Are-are you sure?"

Yes. You can now tell me which time you want to go first.

"So, I can still help Inuyasha and others in their time?" her growing smile was shaky but relieved.

Yes, she felt the spirit's energy brush against her hair.

"I don't know what to say. Thank you, thousand times thank you-"

No need to say those words, Kagome. Go now.

After a moment she said, "I want to go home first," and then she was moving, down and downer until her feet touched the ground. She couldn't believe it was happening, she couldn't believe she was so lucky.

It was a beautiful and warm day as she stepped out of the well house. After her eyes got used to light of the sun, she saw Goshinboku and her grandfather beside it, praying. It all felt like the day when she returned from her first time travel. But this time she wasn't going to cry.

Her grandfather didn't even notice her as she walked to him. His eyes were closed in concentration and she couldn't quite understand what he was mumbling, like always. She smiled. "I'm home, grandpa."

He stopped immediately and turned to look at her with wide eyes. "Kagome?" he asked softly. She gasped when he abruptly cupped both of her cheeks, then pulled her in a crushing hug. "Kagome," he just said again.

"Yes, it's me," she was so surprised that she almost forgot to hug him back. "Granpa, are you alright?"

"You are home," he breathed out.

"I wasn't that long gone, was I?" she chuckled, still confused. Then she saw how the door of her house opened and before she could realize, her big brother was also squeezing her tightly.

"Neechan!" Souta's voice sounded broken as he pressed his forehead against her side. Kagome could only blink and watch as Mrs. Higurashi came outside too, tears on her face.

"Mama?" Kagome's voice cracked when her mother touched her cheeks. She couldn't take her tears.

"Kagome, thank God you're alright. You don't know how worried we were," Mrs. Higurashi swallowed.

Her grandpa finally let go of her though Souta still had his arms linked around her waist. She looked at them, touching her mother's hand. "Mama, please don't cry. What's wrong?"

"Your yokai friend told us that you hadn't returned to the other side of the well," her grandpa told her. Just now she noticed how tired he looked. "That was days ago."

"Inuyasha was very worried", Mrs. Higurashi said. "And when you didn't appear in his time or here, we were afraid that you had disappeared into the well, or something worse," she took Kagome into her arms. "My little girl. You're safe."

Kagome could only hug her back. She hadn't even thought that her family was aware of her situation, that they were this worried. And what about others, what would they do when they saw her? "I have to go see Inuyasha and others."

"That's too dangerous!" her grandpa snapped.

"What if something happens again?" Mrs. Higurashi's voice was firm too.

"Where were you, oneechan?" Souta asked. His eyes were curious but Kagome saw the tight line of his mouth and as his sister she knew that he had been close to crying. As much as she wanted to go through the well and meet her friends, she had to be patient and tell her family everything. She wasn't going worry them anymore.

"The well was tired," she started, ruffling Souta's head.

It took couple of hours before they let her go. Her grandpa was actually thrilled with the idea of the well having a soul, he said that he had always known it and now he could watch Kagome go with a peace in his mind as he knew that she had a guardian. Kagome's mother pointed out then that her daughter had two guardians, Inuyasha and the spirit of the well. Kagome was pleased to hear that and she saw that Mrs. Higurashi was also ready to let her go. She promised to come back tomorrow at the least, to get her supplies.

After saying goodbyes, Kagome ran quickly to to the well house, her heart racing as she thought about Feudal Era. Her breathing returned back to normal as she stood there and stared inside the well. It looked dark but not any different.

She gave its edge a firm squeeze, like putting an end to her anxious thoughts, then she hopped over it. She kept her eyes open the whole time, saw how the bottom never hit her but vanished and how her body floated and floated until in few seconds it was over. Somehow she was so surprised to feel ground under her feet that they broke down under her and she fell on her rear.

She looked up and saw a blue sky. Staring at it, because of a sudden impulse she called out, "Inuyasha!"
She wondered would a little Inuyasha or adult one peek over the edge and see her, or no one. But she didn't have to thought about it long. She heard running and there he was, looking down at her. A grown up inu hanyou, his eyes yellower than ever, face handsome instead of cute.
He was back and so was she.

"Kagome," he said with a hoarse voice. Kagome smiled and didn't wait for him to do anything more - she started to climb. He didn't help her at all, not even when she was close enough the edge and for him to reach out his hand. But she didn't really care. Because she had been so afraid for him until now, there had been a doubt in her mind that he hadn't survived after all, that he had died because she had abandoned him. But there he was now, in front of her.

"Hey," she smiled as she stood there and watched him watching her.

He frowned. "'Hey,' you say? Where the hell have you been-?" a growl was forming in his throat and he took a step towards her, then stopped suddenly.

"Inuyasha?" she asked. His face looked distraught and his eyes turned wider and wider until he hid his face from her. "What's wrong? I'm sorry I made you worry but- Inuyasha, listen to me," she took a step towards him since he looked like a scared wild animal who was going to flee.

"Damnit," he murmured, pulling out his hair. "It was you," his eyes locked with hers.

"Me?" she repeated. She tried to find the answer from his shocked face then realization hit her. "You... you remember?"

Her words didn't seem to help him at all as he rubbed his temple, turning his back to her. "What the hell is happening? Everything is just suddenly coming together..."

"Are you alright?" she was feeling almost as shocked as he looked. She hadn't even had time to consider what would happen if Inuyasha recognized her from his childhood. Or had he always known? Kagome reached out her hand but before it could touch his shoulder, he grasped it into his.

"Don't. Give me a moment," she heard him say. She felt bad for him. She had never seen him so upset.

After a few seconds' consideration she bent her fingers, not really careful with his claws, and intertwined her pinkie with his. A touch between them which felt like it had happened yesterday and still so long ago. She felt how Inuyasha froze but he didn't pull away. His harsh breathing moderated and he turned back to her with much more calm face. "Kagome," he said gently and her heart beat quickened when he squeezed her pinkie. "You..." he pulled her a little closer. She saw his ear shift towards west and the movement moved also her heart. She somehow missed his child-self, when she could carelessly stroke his ears as she wanted. Now she had to restrain herself.

Inuyasha sighed softly. "Others are coming."

"They are?" she asked, mostly happy but a bit disappointed.

He nodded. "They were worried about you."

"Were you?"

"Stupid question," he huffed. "We'll talk about this... thing later. Now you're gonna tell us were you where this whole time!" his voice rose at the end of the sentence and he quickly grabbed her arm. "Are you hurt?" he just now realized to ask.

"But... Inuyasha, I was with you," she explained slowly.

"What?"

"I was with you. The well took me to the time when you were a child. I thought you remembered!"

"I do but..." he frowned, clearly not following. So was this the reason why he remembered it all so suddenly? His memory didn't open until he saw her again, after she had changed the past dramatically. Maybe he had closed it off in his head. Or then the memory of our time together back then just appeared into his head? She didn't really understand it herself but she would explain it to him and the others as well as she could.

Shippo was already close to them, running and calling her name. Sango and Kirara came after him, Sango in her casual clothes and Kirara in her kitten form. Miroku came at last, his staff with him. Kagome was so glad to see them all.

"Kagome!" Shippo jumped into her arms and she hugged him tightly. "I was so scared that you had left for good!"

"You know I wouldn't do that," she petted his hair. "I could never leave you."

"See, brat? You worried for nothing," Inuyasha said.

"You're the one to talk," kitsune glared at him. "You were as panicked as a scared rabbit."

Inuyasha came awfully close to slap his head but Kagome covered Shippo, grinning like a silly.

Sango gave her a hug after checking that she was uninjured. "Kagome-chan, I was so worried about you! Where have you been?"

"In the past," she told truthfully her. "It's a long story but I promise to tell you everything."

"We are eager to hear," Miroku smiled warmly at her. "Welcome back. I am glad you're alright."

In Kaede's hut Kagome started with how she had meant to come to Feudal Era and the well had transported her to a different age but to meet a very familiar face, in minor form. Shippo found it funny when she told about the small hanyou but Inuyasha didn't have time to get mad as Shippo suddenly said that he would have liked to play with him back then. That made Inuyasha stutter in his amazement.

Others were interested if Inuyasha remembered anything of this and he told them how he had just recently had a flashback about that time. Kagome tried to explain to them that time indeed wasn't a simple thing to understand. Maybe Inuyasha had had those memories before or not but he had them now and that was what counted. She had been partly afraid that she had changed something horribly wrong but was revealed to see that they were all the same. The group and Kaede agreed. Then Kagome told them about the actual spirit of the well and Yoichi. After that her throat was impossibly dry.

"Very interesting story," Kaede pondered, giving Kagome a cup of tee. "I always knew that you are a very special miko but this suggests that you are something much more."

"Thank you, obaachan. But I think I just have a very fat soul," Kagome smiled shyly and glanced at Inuyasha. He was still sitting like a mute, in his thoughts since she had stopped telling about her travel. He looked so grown up, a man going through his feelings. Her feelings instead were conflicting at that moment. During the sweet days she had spent with child Inuyasha, she had only wanted to protect him, now it felt odd for her to want to kiss him this much.

Inuyasha's surprisingly intense gaze broke her line of mind when he raised his head towards her, catching her stare. She watched as he stood up then heard him grunt, "Come with me, Kagome."

"Okay," she said carefully, eyeing at others. Others, expect Shippo (Miroku was grasping his tail to hold him down), seemed to understand that Inuyasha wanted to talk only with her.

"C'mon," he told her though she wasn't even far behind. That meant he was grumpy. Kagome could only wonder why.

He didn't lead her in the forest, only by the outskirts of village. There she let herself fall into long grass, relaxing her legs and body. She didn't regret at all meeting small Inuyasha but it had been unsettling when she couldn't know for sure would she ever get back. Now this was safe, this was her place and Inuyasha hadn't gone anywhere. He was with her.

"Let it out, Inuyasha," she chuckled when he was hovering over her and not sitting. "Didn't you want to talk?"

He let out an irritated sound after collapsing beside her. The sun was just setting down and the simple view of the simple village and its simple huts was beautiful. She wouldn't have minded if they didn't talk at all.

"I remember now," he began. "that I was so scared and lonely after you left. You just disappeared suddenly and I even thought you were dead. I didn't know what to do," Though his eyes were on the view ahead, Kagome was looking at him as he spoke.

"I'm sorry. I didn't want to leave you alone. I was so worried that something would go wrong and you wouldn't survive."

"Keh. Dummy," he said it like there was nothing more to say, he said it with smile.

That gave her courage to lean slightly on his shoulder. "Did you see Yoichi anymore?"

"No," he said quickly and her throat closed up when he unexpectedly pushed her away from him. He had never done that, not so harshly. Then she saw his face and it was angry. "What is so damn special about him anyway?"

"What? What are you saying?" she asked breathlessly. "Yoichi was on our side. He was our friend that short time."

"Yeah, I know," he snorted without a trace of humor. "I was there. I saw. Close friends, you and him."

"Could you speak so that I could understand too?" she was getting annoyed. Only a few could do that as fast as him.

"You... kissed him, remember!" he spat.

"Oh," she said knowingly which only made him look angrier. "I mean- Well- He kissed me! I didn't do anything!"

"Don't give me that! That's old excuse!"

Yes, it actually was. Because he had wore it out. But she really didn't want to start talking about that so she exclaimed instead, "It's the truth! He wasn't anything more than a friend! And why does it bother you that much anyway?" she was sure that this was the point where he would back away. Even though they had danced around the topic called "feelings for each others", he would never admit that he was jealous.

"It just bothers, okay! Dammit," he admitted, proving her wrong.

"It- does?"

"Yeah," he sighed and her jaw went slack.

Then there was silence.

Inuyasha's temper had cooled down a bit and now he looked just tired, maybe tired from worrying. Kagome thought about her dream again, dream where she had seen him running and yelling her name in the well. She wondered if it was true. She glanced at him and knew she wouldn't dare to ask.

Now that he had said out loud his feelings, it was very important for her to make him understand. "Listen," she started and grabbed his sleeve. "I didn't kiss him, I didn't want to kiss him. I recognize the moment when I want to kiss someone and that wasn't it. It just happened. I'm sorry you had to see it", she tried to find his eyes.

"Yeah. I've seen worse things," he shrugged. "Not like he can do that again. Anyway I didn't see him again after you disappeared. I don't know what happened to him."

Kagome lowered her head, thinking about poor Yoichi who hadn't got as much love as he had deserved. She hoped that he had lived a good life. Or if he died... then I hope it happened without suffering.

Inuyasha brought his face close to her own, peering her eyes, like he often did. "So it didn't mean anything?" he muttered.

"No," she sighed. "Let's not talk about that anymore. He's gone now, we should respect his memory."

"Whatever," he answered, settling down beside her again. His rough push was still fresh in her mind so she didn't move closer to him. "Good that you're okay," his words caught her attention. "I wouldn't have forgiven myself if you had lost your eye. Especially because of me."

"Inuyasha," she said firmly and grabbed him by his hair. Then they were face to face. "Don't say that. It's the other way around. If there is someone I would lose my eye for then it's you. Especially you. Don't you realize that? After everything?"

He blinked. Then she could have sworn that she saw a light twinkle in his always so bright eyes, making them even more amazing. His hand was now big but it hadn't lost its tender touch as he placed it on her cheek. He was slightly shy but she found it nothing else but marvellous. "When you told me about angels I could only think that you were one of them. You saved me like an angel," he traced her cheekbone with his finger and she felt like crying and dying at the same time, she was that happy and her heart beat like a jungle drum. "Thank you. That you were, are with me."

Then there was a hug. The sun disappeared somewhere in the darkness and the warm day was over but even then she didn't let go of him and he still held her tightly. They remembered, her face on his shoulder, his nose in her hair, talked about some things but stayed in their embrace because it was safe, it was natural. They had changed in over hundred years but the feeling had not.

Epilogue

I want to see you, she thinks.

She is now longer, she has changed. But is still the same, thinking of him.

The well knows what she knows. She feels a touch, like a call, opens her eyes and there is sky.

There is goodbyes, tears but this is her answer. She jumps into the blue, towards her choice.

She once again says, Thank you.

And this time the well accepts her words with familiar warmth.

AN:

And that is, readers who have followed this frustratingly long journey till this day, is the final chapter. It's not perfect of course and it took me way too long to write it but I honestly put my heart into it, so there you go.

So there was quite much pondering about this time-thingy and about would Inuyasha remember or has he remembered all along. But this is canon, in it's own way so I wanted him to remember it only when he saw Kagome again. Maybe that seems strange but I once watched a movie where was time-traveling involved a the main character went to the past and did something that removed all the elevators from future. And when she got back, everyone were very confused and asking "Where are all the elevators?" That means the idea of elevator wasn't removed from their brains, only the elevators were suddenly gone. Something like that. If you didn't understand, don't worry about it, time-travelling isn't something you need to get completely.

Yep, there wasn't a freaking kiss. Where have all the good ol' almost kisses gone? Just wanted to point that out if someone's complaining.

But this is goodbye. Thank you for all those you left a review, those have really supported me and I hope you're still out there to read this chapter. I am truly sorry to make you wait this long, this wouldn't have lasted this long without YOU. *sniff*

Keep Calm and Time-Travel!

Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha