Knock.

"Kagome?"

Another knock.

"Kagome?"

She flipped around in her bed to lie on her stomach and she grunted. When the noise did not cease, she snatched her pillow from under her belly and covered her heat with it. She was not a morning person. Really, who was? She kept her eye closed, hoping it was a bad nightmare and the banging noise would eventually go away.

Knock. Knock.

Apparently not.

Maddened, she threw her pillow on the ground and managed to drag her body out of bed. Immediately, the bright light breaking through her curtains attacked her eyes and she raised a hand to shield them. She gave herself a strong push, making it on her feet before yanking her body in direction of the door.

As soon as she was close enough to reach it, Kagome wrapped her fingers around the handle and opened the door. On the other side was her smiling mother with her head tilted to the side.

"Good morning."

"Morning," Kagome said politely before walking back in direction of her bed.

Maybe one person was happy in the morning. She did not understand why though; mornings were evil. Kagome huffed as she dropped down on her bed in a sitting position. Her mother tiptoed around her room trying to avoid the clothes and books that covered the floor.

It was a little messy. Unfortunately, cleaning it required effort and energy and she no longer had either of those.

"I have to drive your brother to his soccer practice, so I won't have time to pick up groceries. Could you go for me?"

Kagome allowed her head to drop forward. "Sure, no problem."

"Thank you."

Her mother did not linger and as soon as Kagome heard the door close she sighed and headed for the window. She fumbled with the pink fabric of her curtains and peeked at the world outside. It remained the same while she felt she changed so much. Looking at Tokyo, it was hard to tell two years had passed since the well stopped working.

Kagome could still remember the feeling she experienced when she was unwillingly pulled inside the well and locked away in her own era forever.

She was given no time for goodbyes, no time for decisions. All her friends, Shippo, Inuyasha, they all were separated from her by five hundred years of time and history.

She tried to go back, she really did.

Every single day, for four months, she would jump down that well. To nobody's surprise, she always found herself stuck at the bottom. Every day turned into every couple of days, then into every week and finally into every month. Even though she was certain the well would never work again she jumped in monthly. In case. Maybe she liked to unnecessarily make herself suffer.

She spent the first month completely heart broken. It was not until the third month that she began visiting the outside world – a place that was not her bedroom qualified as such – and started to live again. At first she went to school, hung out with her friends, pretending the last year of her life did not happen.

As time went by, it became exhausting to ignore such an important part of her life. It was only after much thinking that she realized she had to accept what she lived through and had come to terms with the fact that it was now gone. It was not easy and it required much time but after two years she could say that she felt better.

Of course she missed them, him, but she no longer suffered the way she used to. In the end she was aware that Sango and Miroku had each other and were probably looking over Shippo. Inuyasha had to be fine as well. He was not the aggressive, untrusting hanyou he used to be. She had no doubt he found someone to make him happy, someone who accepted him.

Sadness pinged at her heart but she ignored it.

Kagome also changed during those years. She was no longer the same girl who fell down the well three years ago. She would not go as far as saying she was a woman but she grew up. The world was no longer exactly as she used to see it but it was still filled with wonders to discover, experiences to live and people to meet. She just had to find those experiences and wonders.

It was not exactly as if she had a budding social life at the moment.

During her traveling year, she collected her share of bad grades. Because of that, her friends ended up applying to high end universities while she was left behind with very few options. On top of that, there was also the fact that she was needed around the shrine. Her grandfather was not getting any younger and Souta needed to focus on school.

Kagome pulled herself out of her thoughts by fully opening her curtains. No time for dwelling on her thoughts, she had work to do apparently.

She quickly took off her pink and yellow checkered pyjamas and exchanged it for a medium size yellow t-shirt and a pair of shorts. She grabbed the first elastic she found and quickly tangled her long hair into a messy bun. Satisfied with her look, she headed downstairs.

The kitchen was empty which meant everyone left already. Since even her grandfather was missing, Kagome could only assume he went to Souta's practice. Of course, he did not go there to encourage his grandson but mostly to convince him that being a monk was a much better career choice than being a soccer player.

She shook her head softly before grabbing the envelope her mother left for her on the counter. Inside was money to cover the cost of groceries along with the list of items she wanted. Kagome took her keys, shoved them in her pocket, and prepared herself to confront the scorching heat that awaited her outside. In a few months she would be able to drive instead of walking.

The blinding bright sun burned her as soon as she stepped outside, forcing Kagome to glance down at the ground to protect her eyes. She dashed down the many stairs as fast as possible, only to find herself exhausted when she reached the last one. Her lack of exercise during the past two years was beginning to show.

Though it was still a bit early, Tokyo was bright and alive. The streets were filled with cars and the people were out walking around, doing the errands, and enjoying the convenience of the modern era.

The wind was gently blowing against her skin, twirling her wild hair as she kept walking towards her destination, somewhat oblivious to her surroundings. She was but a street away of the grocery store when suddenly she heard a whimpering, whining-like sound. Kagome stopped dead in her tracks and began glancing left and right, looking for the source of the noise.

She was about to assume she hallucinated it when she heard it again.

Kagome snapped her head to the left and quietly approached the little park. She lingered around the bushes knowing it was where the animal was hiding. Careful, so as to not scare it, she parted the bushes slowly and peeked inside. Kagome found herself gasping at the unexpected and strange sight in front of her; a wolf.

What in the world was a wolf doing in the middle of Tokyo?

At first, her instincts were telling her to run away but before she had a chance to do that, she realized the wolf did not even care about her. Instead, it was peering down at a deep wound on its front left paw. Saddened, Kagome crouched down to get a better look at it. A normal person would be terrified but she saw worse monsters in the Feudal Era. Plus, she had good experiences with wolves.

She immediately noticed blood was tainting the brown fur of its paw and the grass around it. Before she had a chance to lean forward, the wolf began sniffing and raising his head. She froze into place when his gaze met hers. The animal had the deepest blue eyes she ever saw. She wanted to back away but instead a feeling of familiarity enveloped her.

"Stay here," she whispered, hoping the wolf could understand her.

There was no way she was getting that wolf out of the bush but she refused to leave it there in pain. She rose to her feet and scanned the area rapidly until her eyes landed on a pharmacy. She did not think twice before running in the direction of the store, ignoring all the cars coming her way. She pulled the door open violently and headed down the first aisle she saw.

Bandages? Would it even hold? She at least needed something to disinfect the wound! Wait – was that safe to use on animals? She did use some of those things on Inuyasha, Kouga and Shippo. They were… somewhat animals.

Once she gathered the items, she dashed for the cashier. It was not until she laid the items on the counter that she remembered; she only had the money her mother gave her. She was supposed to get groceries with it but… this was an emergency. Feeling a tiny pinch of guilt, she took the envelope out of her pocket and handed the money to the employee.

She quickly shoved the change back in the envelope, grabbed the handles of the plastic bag and rushed outside. She prayed nobody found the wolf or that he did not run away. He was not dangerous; if he was he would have attacked her by now. Right?

As soon as she pulled the branches of the bush apart and saw the wolf lying there, she sighed in relief. Kagome did her best to squeeze herself inside the small, constrained area. She laid the products on the ground (20) and glanced up at the wolf just to make sure he was not going to bite her head off or anything.

Strangely, all it did was stare at her. Kagome took a deep breath before focusing her attention back on its paw.

"This is going to sting," she said, despite the fact that he could not understand her.

She poured the liquid on his wound and nearly jumped in fear when the wolf growled. Kagome winced as if it was her only way to defend herself in case the wolf decided to attack. However, the seconds went by and nothing happened. She dared to open her eyes only to find the wolf with his eyes closed, probably waiting for her to proceed.

Even if this was not a wild beast, his behaviour struck her as odd and Kagome could not prevent herself from arching an eyebrow. This wolf was very obedient, more obedient than she thought it should be. Could his injury really make him so defenceless? She was not about to complain but it struck her as odd nonetheless. Chasing the thought from her mind, she grabbed the bandages and began wrapping up the wolf's injury. Once she was done, a satisfied smiled appeared upon her lips.

"All wrapped up!" she told the wolf as she made it back up.

She peeked around and noticed the area was fairly empty. "I guess this is your chance. Be careful," she said as she watched the wolf slowly limp out of his hiding spot.

He peered at her, his eyes longing for something before he turned his head away from her. Kagome could do nothing but stand there as she watched it walk away and made sure nobody caught sight of him. She still could not explain how he made it in the city like this since there was no forest or any area he could have come from. Maybe it was how he got injured; he strayed too far from home.

A sigh rolled off her lips as he disappeared from her sight and she was then promptly reminded of the task that brought her outside in the first place. She could no longer get the groceries her mother asked her to. Though she did not use all the money; maybe she could get at least a few items.

As Kagome walked away all that remained in her mind were those blue piercing eyes.

Why did they seem so familiar?

-U-

His speed definitely suffered from his injury but it was nothing that would prevent him from getting to safety. From where he was, he could see his house and his only goal was to get there. Of course, at the moment he was slightly distracted. He saw her. As soon as he glanced at her face he believed he was hallucinating; how could she possibly be alive five hundred years later? But the more he looked at her, the more she spoke… he was forced to realize it was true.

There was also that divine scent of her. That could not be mistaken.

The events that just took place filled his mind with questions. Though his main goal should be to get home before he stupidly injured himself again. Afterwards, he would focus on finding her. Although… was that a wise idea? Maybe leaving her alone was best but he could hardly help himself! It was her – after all this time…

He wanted answers and he needed to see her in his actual form, not this wounded wolf shape.

As the wind blew through his dark brown fur, he rushed to his front door, hoping to make it without arousing suspicions. He slid through the side panel and relief came over him as he entered his home. Mere seconds went by before he regained his actual form. As he grew in size, the bandage she wrapped around his left hand ripped open.

It dropped to the ground, completely soaked in blood. Kouga, who was now completely bare, bent down and picked it up. As he held it tightly in his hand, he headed for the couch and grabbed the clothes he left there earlier. He quickly slipped on his black t-shirt along with a dark grey pair of boxers that was covered by jeans. His hair was as long as ever, freely cascading down his shoulders.

Kouga glanced down at his hand, where the wound still visible, and scoffed.

Kagome.

She sure was one of a kind. Nobody else would dig through bushes, looking for an injured animal. Nobody else would help a dangerous wolf regardless of the risks. Not once did she stop to think that he might hurt her. He would not have, obviously, but if it were another youkai there instead of him…

"Hey Kouga! You're back."

Ginta bolted in direction of Kouga only to have his nose assailed by the scent of blood. He came to a halt before quickly quirking an eyebrow as curiosity settled in. "What happened to your hand?"

"It was just a scratch," Kouga said dismissively.

Truth was, he should not have gone for a little walk. He usually did it once a while but today turned out bad. Day walks were his favorites, and he knew how to be discreet, but he missed a trap today and ended up injured. Since he was far from home when it happened, he decided to hide and wait for his wound to heal. Because of his youki, it would have taken an hour at the most.

It was then that she found him.

Unfortunately for him, he had no idea where to find her. All he knew was that her name was Kagome and she was a miko. That did not help much since mikos no longer existed, or if they did, they did not know they had that kind of power. Also, Japan was a big place and many women shared her name. Of course, there were means of finding people in this day and age that did not exist back then.

"Ginta, do something for me. Search the area for a Kagome."

Ginta's eyes widened. Surely Kouga was not referring to who he thought he was. Yet, it had to be her since they did not know any other Kagome. "Sis? But how-"

Kouga nodded with a smirk beaming on his face.

"I don't know. I guess we'll find out."

Oh yes, he could still remember the day he kidnapped Kagome and claimed her as his woman. Man, could she slap. Gosh, he was such a foolish cub back then. He thought that if he kept insisting, she would eventually give in and be his. Boy was he wrong. After a year, he finally understood that it would never work and he gave up on her.

He did leave it open ended though.

She was everything he wanted, or at least he thought so back then. He threw himself at her constantly, taking every rejection as if they were an invitation to try harder. And Kagome… she gently and softly turned him down each time even though he probably annoyed the hell out of her. Though she never technically said no. She did, however, stutter, mumble, slap shim…

Yeah, it was like a no.

"I'll get right on it," Ginta said with a pinch of excitement going through him.

He still did not figure out how this was possible but…Kagome? Even though she did not mean to Kouga the same thing as she did five hundred years ago, she was still pack and a friend. She helped them more than once and he would be thrilled to see her again. Plus, she was someone who was there when all hell broke loose.

Kouga could not wipe the smirk off his face. He could not help but wonder how she would react when he would show up at her door. Kagome was known for her very expressive reactions and this one he would not miss.

He walked over to his couch and plopped down. He could not believe how many things they had to talk about and share. There was also everything he accomplished since he last saw her. The world was quite different from back then especially for youkais. They were no longer able to roam freely and had to resort to hiding.

Really he did not mind it that much but sometimes it was nice to be himself.

Anyone that was not pack or youkai, he had to lie to constantly. It was going to be a nice change to talk to someone without hiding himself or babbling about a fake identity.

"Well, I got a list."

Ginta appeared in the living room and walked in direction of the couch where he took it upon himself to sit beside Kouga. "I was able to find about ten Kagome in the area."

He handed the list to Kouga, who almost snatched it from him. His blue eyes scanned the paper rapidly, trying to find something that could differentiate a name from the others. Age was not much help since he never knew how old she was and all he had was an estimate. As he desperately tried to detect a detail, he found himself reading an interesting piece of information.

Higurashi Shrine.

Anyone could live on a shrine but the chances that his Kagome lived there were fairly high. Kouga decided it was worth a shot and folded the sheet of paper so that he could see only her address. His smirk grew in size as he rose from his seat. He would go pay her a little visit soon. There was no point in going now since she was probably not home yet.

Now that it was real and possible, he felt nervous. Kagome was about to see him in his actual form. Last time she saw him he was a rugged wolf and he had changed since then. Also, they were friends, in the past, which was a status he was happy to have but it did not change that he liked her for a long time. Even now she was still as beautiful and sweet as the day he met her.

This was going to be nothing more than a meeting between old friends but he had a feeling her dazzling smile could still get his heart racing. Though he was no longer the stubborn, wild pup running on hormones he was back then.

After all, he already saw her and all it did was make him happy. Kouga met different women during the past five hundred years and Kagome was not like any of them. It was strange to think she remained so pure in such a corrupted world. Perhaps it was why she was always so noticeable.

Hopefully, he was not associated with any bad memories. Kouga was unable to explain why she was alive and what happened to her which meant he would be careful. There had to be an explanation but he could only hope it was not a bad one. He knew she disappeared, or at least it was how the hanyou explained it.

It was not even a real answer. Inuyasha just said those three little words; Kagome went home. No matter how much Kouga pestered him about it, Inuyasha never gave him more information. Back then it did not made much sense, but Inuyasha was so gloomy, even unwilling to fight that Kouga stopped pushing the issue. However, he was now beginning to understand. He maybe had an explanation but he would not go into crazy theories until he spoke with Kagome.

"Are we going now?"

Kouga shook his head. "No, we're not. But I will be going later."

He knew there were probably excited to see the girl they used to call sis but he did not want to overwhelm Kagome with the presence of many people. It would be best if he went alone for the first meeting.

Kouga glanced down at his watch and tilted his head to the side. He would give her an hour or two.

-U-

"Kagome, where are the sweet potatoes?"

She cringed as she entered the kitchen. Right, she forgot to mention the little incident. "Well you see… there was an emergency."

This was going to make her sound slightly insane but Kagome knew better than to lie to her mother, not that she had any reason to. It was not like Miyu could not understand. Kami knew her mother put up with a lot during her travels and Kagome could most likely get away with many things. If one person would not classify her as crazy, it was her mother.

"I had to buy some medical supplies to help an injured wolf."

"An injured wolf?" her mother inquired as she dropped the empty plastic bag on the counter. "Is it okay?"

Kagome could not stop the smile that reached her lips; her mother's reaction was almost expected, yet surprising at the same time. "I think so. I wrapped up his paw but then he left. I don't know where he's from or where he was going."

"Wolf around here? That's pretty strange. I don't think that's ever happened before."

Kagome offered a shrug. She found it just as strange.

"Oh well. I'll pick up potatoes on my way," she said with a smile. "Dinner will be ready soon."

"Great, I'm starving."

Another advantage of being home all the time, instead of traveling, was that she did not have to worry about meals. Instead of ramen every night, it was delicious home cooked meals. A sigh rolled off her lips; she really had to stop comparing both eras. It was unhealthy and it was not helping her move on.

Kagome turned around ready to head back to the living room when all the sudden Souta walked inside the house with a puzzled look on his face.

She raised an eyebrow, curious. "Something wrong?"

"Yeah, with Grandpa," Souta said as he slipped his shoes off. "He's outside mumbling to himself."

"Well, he is getting older."

She was not trying to be rude but it was the truth. For years now their grandfather told tales of the past except now he was beginning to lose track of them and… apparently talking to himself.

"He's even throwing that weird sand around."

Kagome smiled out of nostalgia, the past still haunting her. She remembered perfectly when her grandfather used to bury Inuyasha under powder and spells while screaming youkai! The only positive thing that came out of that was that they now knew that in case of emergency they should never use her grandfather's spells.

She pinched her lips together and almost smiled at the memories. She was tempted to glance outside, as if a part of her was hoping to find Inuyasha standing there, grumbling and threatening her grandfather. She took a deep breath with every intention of stopping herself but her feet moved nonetheless.

One look would not hurt.

Kagome tilted her body to the side to get a better view of her grandfather.

It came as no surprise when she saw him standing alone, talking to himself, with a broom in his hand. She was about to pull away when she suddenly noticed a strange shadow. She frowned before moving forward, trying to determine what it was. It looked… like the silhouette of a person.

"Mom, I think grandpa is yelling at someone," Kagome said stunned.

She heard her mother sigh, though she still sounded happy. "Who is it this time," her mother asked as she kept chopping the vegetables.

Kagome shrugged her shoulders and shifted uncomfortably, a weird feeling surrounding her. Again, that shiver of familiarity washed over her. She pressed her lips together as she dared to take a few steps outside. Something was tickling her skin and she knew she had to go and find out who it was by herself.

Her breathing was hectic and her heart was pounding so loud, it filled her mind and shut out every other sound.

It was not until she was near that the light finally exposed the person standing near her grandfather. At that moment she did not hear her grandfather's insane ramblings or the way he was throwing sand around. The only thing that had her full attention was him. Those piercing blue eyes she knew, tanned skin and dark hair wrapped up in a ponytail.

She did not even question it and she did not even think she was insane. This could only be Kouga.

Well, dark shirt, jeans wearing Kouga.

"YOU! YOUKAI! BE GONE!" her grandfather screamed as he reached inside his little pouch, ready to attack the youkai again. Why did all the youkais come to his shrine?

It was then that Kagome snapped out of it and rushed to grab her grandfather's arm. "Grandpa, stop. He's a friend."

Her slender fingers were wrapped around her grandpa's wrist as she raised her head only to meet Kouga's eyes. He was bearing his… invisible fangs to her grandfather and he was in a defensive stance. Regardless of all that, he did not seem ready to attack. Inuyasha was ready to destroy her grandpa the first time he did that to him… Kouga's control was surprising.

Though what was more surprising was how her grandfather knew Kouga was a youkai when all his features were hidden. Maybe he was not as loony as they thought.

"Kagome, this youkai,"

"Is my friend," she said cutting him off. "It'll be fine, I promise," she added before positioning herself in front of him to make sure he would not try anything again.

Her grandpa grunted and frowned as he glanced at Kouga. His gaze lasted a few seconds before he finally tore his eyes away and sighed. His granddaughter hung out with way too many demons; she needed a few human friends. It was very slowly that he followed her advice and walked away from them. He made a mental note to keep an eye on them.

Kagome stood in the same spot with her mouth slightly open as she stared at him, in shock. A billion questions ran through her mind as he smirked at her, obviously pleased with her reaction. She waited for him to say something but he seemed to remain completely silent. A tiny smile reached her lips despite how stunned she was.

"That has to be the rudest welcome I've ever received," he finally said.

He brushed the sand off his shoulders and shook his head, some falling off from his scalp. He simply walked up, saw someone and asked if Kagome was home. It was then that the old man attacked him while screaming spells and incantation. For a while there, he truly believed this was the wrong house.

Apparently not.

"Hm, yeah my grandpa doesn't like youkais." Kagome scoffed. "I can't believe this… I mean I thought... it was just…"

A youkai in her era. Not just any crazy, wild and dangerous youkai. A friend!

Before either of them could add anything to the conversation, Kagome closed the distance between herself and Kouga. She wrapped her arms around his neck and brought him into a tight embrace. The initial shock of having her body so close to his wore off quite rapidly and he hurried to return the gesture, burying his face in her hair.

This was… her other life. He was part of everything she said goodbye to. The fact that he was standing there in front of her brought hope, though it also brought sadness. Kouga was the only one here, yet he was the only one who did not know about her and her time traveling abilities. She knew what that meant but she did not want to accept it.

Once she pulled away, she put a smile on her face. "How did you know?"

His smirk only grew in size as he raised his hand and showed her his faded injury. Kagome frowned, a bit confused until realization dawned upon her. Oh my god.

"You were the injured wolf." She never saw Kouga in his wolf form before, actually she did not even think he could transform. Though it made sense… after all, Sesshomaru could become a giant dog.

"I knew it was you. Nobody else would stop to help a wild, dangerous wolf."

"You weren't that dangerous," she said while covering a laugh.

"Thank you," he replied in all seriousness.

She shrugged. "Apparently you didn't really need my help. You could have transformed back into your human form."

He nodded, his lips twisted. "Yes, walking around Tokyo naked has always been a dream of mine."

Kagome did not hold her laughter back this time; she forgot that little detail. She also could not believe how easy it was to talk to him. Kouga changed since the last few times she talked to him in the Feudal Era. Kami, the last time she saw him he told her that once she got tired of Inuyasha, she knew where to find him.

Now, he was grown up; he looked like a man. Sturdy shoulders, wide frame and very muscular arms.

All the hopes, all the things she let go of, he brought back. Knowing that he was still alive, that this was possible… she had a million questions burning her lips and she held all of them back.

"We're about to have dinner, you wanna join us?"

He shook his head. "Oh, I wouldn't wanna impose. I was just… I was trying to see if this was really you and if I found the right Kagome. The shrine kinda gave it away though."

She smiled. "Yeah, who else lives in a shrine these days." Only her grandfather was attached enough to keep one. "But please stay. My mom would love to have you over, trust me."

He gazed at her smile and her shiny blue eyes and he knew he could not deny her anything.

"Alright then. Dinner it is."