Disclaimer: Nope don't own Inu Yasha, but can I have him? Please! Booo hooo, she said no. But I'd love'em and hug'em and….mmmm. Oh sorry, guess that won't ever happen. Not until Rumiko Takahashi gives him to me.

A/N: Hey guys, this is just a fic I thought up one day while watching my father and his siblings argue over who had to take care of my grandmother. It was actually pretty sad and rather heartbreaking to watch my own aunts and uncles turn away their mother. You could even see my cousins sticking their noses in the air and refusing to help. In the end it was my father and me that ended up caring for her until the day she died. sob

Anyway, some of this fic might come out first sounding a little cliché but I'm gonna twist in there just for you guys. But this fic will mostly be fluff with a touch of danger. Enjoy!

Reunion

Chapter 1 – Decisions

"Two weeks! No way, mom! Inu Yasha would never let me be gone for that long!" Kagome crossed her arms and shook her head vigorously.

Mrs. Higurashi frowned. "You have an obligation to your family too. You are going Kagome. You haven't gone to your father's family reunion in nearly seven years."

"There's a reason for that, they hate me!"

"They don't hate you, Kagome. They're your family. Look, they even sent us each our very own invitation." Mrs. Higurashi held up four opened envelopes each with a name handwritten on the front. "They even sent gramps one."

"No way! I'm not going! We still have lots of jewel shards to collect and Inu Yasha would never let me be gone for two whole weeks."

Mrs. Higurashi seemed to be ignoring her as she opened one of the envelopes and pulled out a card. "They're not just having a reunion this year. It seems your cousin Shina is getting married while every one is there."

"Hmph." Kagome crossed her arms again. 'Why should I care? Shina never had anything to do with me, except when she wanted someone to torture. She probably just wanted to save money. That money hungry family is all the same.' "So what? I'm still not going!"

"Kagome Higurashi, that is enough! You are going!"

About that moment a handsome young man with muscles like a Greek-god walked in, his little silver dog ears twitching and a puzzled look on his chiseled features. "What's all the commotion about?" Inu Yasha had never seen Kagome fight with her mother before. And Kagome was clearly upset, which automatically put him on edge.

Kagome brightened and returned to her original plan of getting out of going. "I can't go, mom. I already told you, Inu Yasha would never let me be gone for that long."

"Gone where? For how long?" Inu Yasha was baffled with the whole situation. 'Kagome seems scared about something. I'll try to help. After all I can't have her leave me…uh, I mean us.'

"It's only her father's family reunion and it's only for two weeks." Mrs. Higurashi explained.

"Two weeks!" The hanyou's ears twitched. "No way, that's way too long. We have jewel shards to collect."

"Kagome has an obligation to her family as well as you." An idea suddenly struck her mother. 'If I can convince Inu Yasha, Kagome will do whatever he says.' "Kagome needs to see her father's family. She hasn't seen them in seven years. Do you not want her to have anything to do with her family? Are you that selfish young man? Besides, you defeated that Naraku fellow already and you've been searching for the jewel shards for over two years. What is two more weeks?"

Inu Yasha paused. The woman had a point. Kagome should see her family, especially if she hadn't seen them in seven years. He gave Kagome a questioning look. "Seven years?"

Kagome fumed. "I have my reasons." She spun on her mother. "Stop trying to put him in the middle of this! I'm not going!"

Her mother's eyes narrowed. "I wasn't the one putting him in the middle of this, you were! You're going Kagome and that is final!" She stomped her foot for emphasis.

Kagome growled deep in her throat, spun on her heal and stomped up the stairs to her room. For a moment Inu Yasha and Mrs. Higurashi were left alone. Her mom sighed. "Inu Yasha, would you be a dear and try to convince her to go. She really needs to. She hasn't been in so long. Sota and I go almost every year."

Inu Yasha's ears twitched nervously. "Kagome seems like she has her mind made up. It won't be easy. But I guess I'll try." He paused and frowned at the woman. "But I won't force her to do anything she doesn't want to do." With that he headed up stairs to Kagome's room. Slowly he turned the knob, knocking at the same moment, and stepped in cautiously.

"Kagome?" She was seated on the bed, her knees tucked up under her chin with a pillow clutched in her arms. She raised her eyes to his, but didn't move. He took that as an invitation and sat on the foot of her bed, shutting the door behind him. "What's wrong?"

"I don't want to go to that stupid reunion. Those people hate me. I was never good enough for them. My mom shouldn't force me, if I don't want to go." Kagome's frown deepened.

"But they're your family, Kagome. I don't have any family left, unless you count Sesshomaru. They can't be as bad as him, can they?"

Kagome sighed. "No, they're not as bad as Sesshomaru, but nearly. They don't try to kill me, at least not out right. But I still do not want to go."

Inu Yasha could see past the exterior of anger to the fear and pain that lingered under the surface and even in her scent. "What happened?"

Kagome paused and looked away. "I don't want to talk about it."

Inu Yasha decided he'd use a tactic that worked in the past, guilt. "Why not? Don't you trust me?"

Kagome's head shot up. "Of course, I trust you."

"Then tell me what the problem is, maybe I can help."

Kagome sighed. She sat up and leaned her head on his shoulder. "All right."

--FLASHBACK—

Kagome sat at a park picnic table, swinging her eight year old legs. She had her hair pulled back in a bow and she munched unhappily on a hot dog. She felt so alone and tired. Five children approached her, three boys and two girls.

"Well, there you are. We've been looking for you." Taro, an elder cousin of eleven, propped a foot on her bench.

"Taro, why do you insist on speaking with her like she's worth it?" Shina, the eldest female cousin of ten spoke with distain in her voice.

"I am worth talking to. I have lots of interesting things to say." Kagome defended herself.

The five children snickered. "My mother says Uncle Tokui gave up his inheritance to marry that pathetic woman. I can't believe he even had children with her." The younger girl, Kado, was about nine and she wore a white dress with sparkly sequence around the collar.

"My mother is not pathetic." Kagome glared at the other girl.

Chi, a boy of ten, snickered. "I think you made it mad, Kado."

"Watch out, don't get too close to her. You'll probably catch something." The youngest boy with short scruffy brown hair put his hand on Chi's shoulder.

"Yeah right, Gyou, like I'd get close enough for that."

"Hey, Kagome, why do you even bother coming to these reunions? You just embarrass the rest of us. You and that scrawny baby brother of yours are a mark on our family's good name." Taro frowned down at Kagome with a bit of malice.

"There you go again, Taro. You always try to talk to her, like she actually understands anything you say." Shina turned her back on the girl. "Well, now that Uncle Tokui is dead, maybe we won't have to put up with them any more."

"Yeah, my father said that Uncle Tokui is better off dead than having to deal with those foil little people." Gyou pointed out.

"You stop talking about my father like that!" Kagome climbed off the picnic table and stomped her foot, putting her hands on her hips.

"Did you hear something, Kado?" Chi asked as he too turned his back on Kagome.

"Uncle Tokui was an idiot giving up grandfather's inheritance for that skinny little piece of trash." Shina didn't see the attack coming as Kagome pounced on her from behind. The two children rolled around on the ground, slapping and pulling hair and biting. Shina cried out as Kagome got a good hold on one of Shin's arms with her teeth.

The shriek brought the attention of the adults. The two children's mothers broke the fight up. Both girls had a number of scratches and bruises to show for their efforts. "What is going on here?" Shina's mother, Kakuzuke, examined her daughter with sharp narrowed eyes.

"She started it!" Kagome squirmed in her mother's arms, still ready for battle.

"Mom, she just jumped on me all of a sudden. I was just talking with Taro and the others." Shina buried her face in her mothers arms, giving Kagome a cold stare at the same time.

"Oh, it's all right dear." Kakuzuke comforted her daughter and then turned her gaze on Kagome's mother. "Iki, you need to keep those little filthy heathens under control and away from my daughter!"

"But I didn't-" Kagome started.

"Kagome…" Her mother knelt down and whispered in her daughter's ear. "Apologize Kagome. I don't care what happened, but you have to apologize. It's wrong to fight."

Kagome gawked up at her mother, her bottom lip trembling. "But they…"

Her mother continued to whisper. "I don't care what they did. You will apologize. They're your family, Kagome - your father's family. If you won't do this for me, do it for him. Please."

The last word was what struck Kagome's heart. Her mother's heart-felt plea made the child tear up. She nodded and took a few steps forward. She bowed low. "I'm sorry for fighting with you, Shina." She put her hand out for a peaceful handshake.

Shina gave Kagome another cold glare and turned on the water works. "Mommy, my arm hurts."

Kakuzuke stuck her nose in the air. "Come on dear, let's go get you cleaned up." She pulled her daughter away from Kagome and her mother. The crowd dispersed and the adults went back to gossiping and passing news, but as they left each gave Kagome and her mother looks of distaste and distain.

--END OF FLASHBACK—

Inu Yasha stared down at Kagome. 'No wonder she doesn't want to go. These people sound like real jackasses.' A few tears slid down Kagome's cheeks. "Don't cry Kagome." He put his arms around her. 'I hate when she cries.' Inu Yasha was already starting to hate these people even though they'd never met. "Why would your mom force you to go, if these people are like that?"

Kagome returned his embrace. "I've never told her."

He pulled away just enough to look down at her. "What? Why not?"

Kagome sighed, swiping at her tears with the back of her hand. "I've kept it to myself all these years. Mom loved dad a lot and she's had to put up with a lot from his relatives. They talked and snickered behind her back. And I eventually got tired of it. But she's so kind hearted that she either never noticed or simply ignored the comments. Poor Sota is just oblivious to the whole thing. But other than me and Sota, his family is all she has to remind her of him. I don't want to take that away from her."

"So, you still went after that fight?"

"Yeah, I had to for a while anyways. But when I went I kept to myself as much as possible and tried not to talk to anyone." She frowned. "But that didn't always work either. They still taunted me and once Shina and Taro caught me alone and she paid me back for the bite I gave her." Kagome pulled down the shoulder of her shirt and Inu Yasha saw a small scar, he'd never noticed before. It was a strange scar too.

"She stuck me with a nail file, just enough to leave the mark. She said it was a reminder to me to know where I belonged." Kagome began to tremble slightly. "That was the last time I went to the reunion. Inu Yasha, I'm scared if I go back, they'll try to do something worse."

"Then we should tell your mother. Surely she won't make you go, if you're in danger."

Kagome shook her head. "No, I'm not telling her. She has enough to deal with without knowing that." She slumped and laid her head on his shoulder. "I just…don't want to go."

"What if I went with you?"

Kagome flinched. 'Did he just ask to go with me?' "You would go with me?"

"Of course, I'd never let anything happen to you, Kagome. If you have to go and you'll be in danger, then I'm definitely going."

"Oh, Inu Yasha! Thank you!" She buried her face in his chest and hugged him tightly.

The hanyou blushed furiously. A sudden knock on the door sent him off the bed and half way across the room. "Kagome?"

Kagome was blushing, too. But she was smiling now. 'I'll be just fine, as long as Inu Yasha is with me.' There was another soft knock. "You can come in, mom."

The door opened and Kagome's mom stood in the door. She gave Inu Yasha a quick inquisitive glance. "Well, are you feeling any better?"

"Yeah, I guess. I still don't want to go, but if you're going to make me then I'll go under one condition." She paused to exchange a look with Inu Yasha, who nodded his reassurance. "I'll go, only if Inu Yasha can come."

Iki looked from one teenager to the other. She sighed. "All right, if that is what will make you come and make you happy, he can come. Would you mind bunking with Sota or Gramps?"

Inu Yasha nodded, but looked regretfully at Kagome. "I'd feel better, if I were near Kagome."

Kagome blushed deeply. Iki flinched. 'Did he just ask to sleep with my daughter?' "The sleeping arrangements can be better decided once we get there and see how the hotel rooms are set up." She shook a finger at both of them. "I realize you're practically adults but no funny business you hear." With that she left the room and two very confused teenagers in her wake.

Inu Yasha's ears twitched in utter bafflement. "We are adults. And what does she mean 'funny business'?"

When he looked at Kagome, she turned ten shades of red and buried her face in her hands. "Don't worry about it. At least she let you go."

"Feh, whatever. So, when are we leaving for this reunion?"

"Mom said we'd be leaving the day after tomorrow."

"Well, I'll be back then." He started toward the window.

"Where are you going?"

"I need to let the others know that we'll be gone for a while." He paused as he slid the window open.

"Okay, but you might as well come back by morning. We'll need to go shopping to get you some clothes."

That made him frown. "Why do I need clothes? What's wrong with what I have on?"

"Well, if you're going to stay in this time, those clothes will just make you stand out, so you need some modern ones."

"You're not going to make me wear weird clothes like yours, are you?"

"Hey, my clothes aren't weird. Just be back in the morning, okay?"

"Feh, fine. I'll come back in the morning." With that he hoped out the window and to the mini-shrine.

Kagome stepped to the window and watched him as he entered the small building. 'Inu Yasha was very accommodating this time. I wonder why. Maybe it's because we don't have Naraku hanging over our heads anymore.' She sighed, closed the window and climbed into bed. 'Tomorrow will be fun. I get to see Inu Yasha in modern clothes.' The image of Inu Yasha in tight blue jeans and a black t-shirt that revealed his arms and contrasted with his silver hair swirled in her head. 'Mmm, yep, definitely fun.'

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A/N: Hope you guys liked! Don't forget to review!