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Chapter Seven
During the second month of Catriona being here, Kagome had made the announcement that she felt the girls needed to go back to their time so Catriona & herself could get a change of clothes & wash the ones they'd worn in this time. Knowing it would be a longer travel if they walked, Miroku called upon Tanuki who was nice enough to give them all a ride back to Kaede's village. Once at the village Catriona & Kagome said their good-byes to everyone & were escorted by Inu Yasha to the well.
"Thank you for walking us here Inu Yasha," Catriona smiled at the hanyou who was being kind enough to carry Kagome's bag & her own bag that he had pulled through the well. "It was really nice of you."
"Eh, don't thank me, please?" he replied, a slight blush creeping to his cheeks. "Besides, you rubbed my back how many times? I owed you a few."
"Are you coming through to help us out of the well since we'll have all this stuff?"
"If it's what you both want," he replied, stopping at the well. When both girls nodded, he asked, "So, who's going to go first? Because there's no way all three of us, without getting stuck, can get through at one time."
"Why don't I go with Kagome & then you follow since you're able to go through on your own," Catriona suggested, sitting on the edge of the well. "This way, we can leave our bags behind then you come through with them."
"Sounds like a good idea to me," Kagome responded with a nod as she hopped onto the edge & Catriona stood up on the edge being careful not to fall in since it wasn't certain if she could go through without Kagome. The two girls jumped in together & Inu Yasha watched them disappear into the darkness of the well.
*~*
On the other side of the well in the girls' time, Kagome & Catriona had already climbed out of the well & were now waiting for Inu Yasha. After what seemed like forever, Inu Yasha finally came out of the well with something tucked under his arm that neither of the girls could remember leaving behind or taking with them in the first place. "Where did that come from?" Kagome asked, taking her back from Inu Yasha.
"It's from an admirer," he answered, looking at Catriona as she took her bag from him. "And it's for you."
"For me?" Catriona asked as she took it from him when he held it out to her. It was a red silk wrapping that was held closed by a white silk ribbon, but she could feel something was inside. "Is this what held you back?" When he stood by the well & nodded. "Who gave it to you?"
"That's what took so long," he answered. "I'm not allowed to tell you, they said you'd know who it was from."
"Is it from Miroku?"
"Nope. I'm sure you can figure it out," he winked before nodding to Kagome & jumped back into the well.
"Who do you think it's from?" Kagome asked as the two walked to the house where they were greeted by Sota.
"Kagome, Catriona! Are you both okay? You've been gone so long!" Sota said as he ran to the girls, hugging Kagome tightly around her waist. "Mom & grandpa are worried sick about the both of you!"
"It's okay Sota," Kagome smiled as she ran her fingers through the boy's hair. "We're both fine & there's not one thing wrong with us."
*~*~*~*~*~*~*
The dinner that night had been filling to both girls who had gotten used to small, rationed dinners cooked over a camp fire. And they were both tired of ramen, so the food Mrs. Higurashi had made as soon as the girls walked in the door, brought a few happy sighs as the girls rubbed their stuffed stomachs while laying in Kagome's room.
"Your mom cooks way better than my mom," Catriona giggled softly as her stomach growled at her for eating so much.
Kagome giggled at the sound her own stomach made. "I have to agree with you there. No offense to your mom, but she needs to go to a cooking school."
"I definitely hear you there," Catriona giggled.
"Hey, you haven't opened that gift yet, have you?" Kagome asked as she sat up in her bed, looking at Catriona who had set up her sleeping bag on the floor even though Kagome had insisted that Catriona take the bed & she could take the floor.
"Nope, I don't think I have," Catriona replied as she looked next to her under the top part of her sleeping bag to see the gift still wrapped in the ribbon closed silk. "Nope, I haven't... Should I?"
"Um, duh," Kagome giggled. "I think you should. Plus I'm dying to find out what someone gave you."
"Okay, I'll open it," she giggled as she brought the gift out from her sleeping bag & untied the ribbon, the silk falling open to reveal a red silk kimono with light pink sakura flowers dyed into a pattern on the shoulder with white borders around the flowers. "Oh...wow," was all Catriona could say as she sat up out of the sleeping bag & unfolded the kimono all the way to get a better look at it. Under where the kimono once lay was a red sash to draw it closed with. "This is beautiful," she said, running her fingers over the material.
"It is beautiful Cat," Kagome replied. "Now that I know what it is, I'm dying to find out who gave it to you. Inu Yasha said it wasn't Miroku & it couldn't have been Shippo because he never left our sight."
Catriona folded the kimono up the way it had been when she first opened the package & before she set it down, she took the sash from the silk wrapping & took a close look at it. "It wasn't anyone in the group Kagome, that one we both know," she smiled as she set the sash on top of the kimono before she wrapped the silk around it, retying the ribbon. "Whoever had this done, was out of the group. And I think I know who it was, but I'm entirely sure."
"Well who do you think gave it to you?"
"I'm not for sure so I'm not going to say anything just yet, okay?"
"Alright."
"Girls, it's time for bed," Mrs. Higurashi said as she walked into the room. She looked at Catriona. "I hope you weren't too scared in Inu Yasha's time. You weren't hurt while you were there, right?"
"It's okay ma'am," Catriona smiled. "I had a fun time over there & Inu Yasha & the others made sure I wasn't hurt. Sorry if we gave you a scare by not being here when you came back to see if Yash was gone."
"It's alright dear, you didn't intend for that to happen. So both of you, lights out & go to bed. You need a lot of rest for tomorrow."
"What's tomorrow mom?" Kagome asked, laying down in her bed & pulling the covers up to her chin.
"If it's alright with you girls, I'd like for us to go sight-seeing," she smiled. "And if Inu Yasha shows up he could go with us as long as he promises to behave & wear a hat like the last time he went out with us."
"Okay mom," Kagome said as her mother walked to the door, turning off the light. "Goodnight mom."
"Goodnight Mrs. Higurashi," Catriona said as she snuggled into her sleeping bag.