Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha, nor am I making any profit from this story.
When they first met, Kagome would never have guessed that they would have ever have been able to figure out how to work together. They constantly spat and picked at each other's sore spots. Kagome brought up Kikyou often, out of bitter internalized jealousy. Inuyasha worked to prevent her from going home, out of seizing internalized fear of being left alone. Eventually, they stopped getting in each other's way and settled into an easy and happy rhythm. It wasn't like they ever came up with a team plan, or even discussed what was going to happen once they managed to complete the quest for the shards. For the two of them, it was as if they would always be a team, always working together.
Miroku used to question Inuyasha's motives once the jewel was complete and he was able to become a full demon at last. What of Kagome then, he would ask his hanyou friend. Inuyasha would not answer the question, nor entertain any notion that Kagome would leave him. It didn't make sense.
Sango pointed out flaws in the plan that was never discussed. Kagome had a home to go to; she wasn't from the feudal era, nor should she be expected to stay there. Kagome would quietly ponder the older woman's words, fear seeping into her bones and worry eating at her heart and mind. What would she do once the jewel was complete? Kagome never had an answer for Sango's queries, but any concern she had would flee from her mind once she saw the fire rat robed man.
Shippo had begged Kagome once to promise to stay with him forever. It was after a particularly grueling fight, which only ended due to Inuyasha's transformation. Kagome had pulled him back to himself, placing herself in direct harm's way, but knowing the danger wasn't fully there. Inuyasha had spat and turned away from Tessaiga, uninterested and unwilling to accept the sword in his hands. Kagome had been able to coax him into an embrace, which was when she pressed the sword flush against his back. After coming to his senses, Inuyasha had returned the embrace for a long moment, but no one spoke afterwards.
Shippo had crawled next to Kagome and pleaded, "Please don't ever leave. We're more than a team now. We're family, and we need you here!"
Kagome's heart broke, not knowing how to console the young boy, and well aware of the three other sets of stares watching her. Inuyasha was above her in the trees, but she could sense his fear from what happened that day weighing down on all of them. Miroku watched with a curious mind, interested in knowing what the outcome of such a plea would be. Sango watched with heavy eyes, understanding the promise Shippo was pleading for would not be one Kagome could readily give.
But Kagome kissed the top of the red hair, and murmured, "No matter how far away I may seem, I'm always with you. We're a team, Shippo, and we're a family. Nothing will ever change that."
The jewel's cruel tricks separated the team, Kagome stuck in her time and Inuyasha distance from everyone else. It took many weeks of coaxing before Inuyasha entertained the idea of entering the village, and even longer before Inuyasha would eat dinner with Sango, Miroku, and the inconsolable Shippo. Sango confided in Miroku late one night in their martial home that she had always feared everything would fall apart without Kagome. Kagome had brought them together, and now that she was gone, who would keep them that way.
Miroku gently reminded his new bride of Kagome's promise. That she would always be with them.
The team grew even with the large absence of Kagome. Inuyasha came frequently into the village once the twins were born, fascinated by their squishy faces and bizarre noises. Although he refused to hold them until they were nearly a year old and able to force their affections on to him, Inuyasha was an ever-present existence in their lives. Shippo was more cheerful with the older boy around, gleefully practicing his magic to Inuyasha's annoyance.
Miroku and Inuyasha became the dynamic duo of the group in regards of demon hunting. Sango took her responsibilities as a mother extremely serious and would threaten both of the men with bodily harm if she had to leave her babies to save them. A threat both men took very seriously.
The twins were just at a year when Inuyasha and Miroku first had difficulties on one of their trips. The lord of the castle they had visited was over taken by a demon without a form, who utilized the armies of the lord to the fullest extent. Unwilling to harm the innocent soldiers, Miroku had taken on serious harm, loosing enough blood that Inuyasha was fearful he was watching his friend die.
The demon possessed lord realized that the only weakness the duo had was the want to protect human life. He started to kill the soldiers, using their bodies to barricade himself away from the Tessaiga's blows. Inuyasha continued to march on, his anger fueled by the needless killings.
"Stop Inuyasha," Miroku had weakly grabbed the man's sleeve and clung to it. "If we try to pursue him, more will die."
Inuyasha growled out his frustrations, turning on the injured man. "What do you suggest then? We've got no time left; you're too injured to keep going!"
"If only Kagome was here—" Miroku started but was cut off.
"Well she ain't and I sure as hell wouldn't want her to see this shit!" Inuyasha threw Tessaiga down and barreled into the mass of bodies to use his fists to beat the demon down to submission, and Miroku was able to expel the demon moments later.
Miroku's wounds were tended to while Inuyasha assisted in digging graves for the fallen guards. Neither man spoke of what happened, nor did they acknowledge the tension that had risen between them.
They were gone for almost a full week longer than expected, and Miroku knew he was going to be in trouble with Sango when he got home. Hoping to minimize his own heartache, Miroku risked an apology to Inuyasha on the trek home.
"What I meant, my friend, was that we needed the whole team there to be successful. I didn't mean to hurt you by bringing her up." Miroku was careful to not say Kagome's name, knowing it was a sore spot for his friend.
"I know what you meant, bozo. If she was there those people wouldn't have died. She would have come up with a way to stop it before it got that bad." Inuyasha's knuckles turned white as he gripped Tessaiga with all his might. "But it's better she wasn't there. I wouldn't want her to see those things ever again."
Miroku hummed an acknowledgement but spoke no further. It was Inuyasha who finally finished his thoughts. "Besides, she's safer over there. That's all that matters."
Sango was understandably very angry with the two of them, ready to finish her husband off, but realizing that maybe, just maybe, she would like to have him around for a little while longer to help raise the girls, decided against it. Once she heard the very censored tale of what happened, she reached up to hug Inuyasha, who tensely accepted it. She said nothing, and neither did he, but the two shared a quiet understanding of the pain that was had on that trip.
Miroku confessed privately that night his mention of Kagome and Inuyasha's reaction to Sango. She held her husband for a long while in a comforting embrace, before saying, "She's still here with us. We're still a team, and a family."
Inuyasha was distant for a while, and neither Sango nor Miroku pushed the issue. When he finally came back for a small dinner one night, it was the twins who informed their uncle in garbling words that they were displeased in not having seen him for such a long time. Inuyasha let them sit on a leg each and appeared politely bashful at their reproach of his absence.
When the new baby was on the way, Inuyasha spent time with Miroku taking the girls out for strolls or flower picking when Sango needed to rest. Neither man spoke of anything besides the weather and other inconsequential items, except for the one-time Inuyasha confided, "I think she would have wanted to be here and meet them".
Everything felt right again, as if a void that had been eating at all of them was filled, once Kagome came back. She and Inuyasha sat next to each other, their legs touching and hands holding for many days. The twins were absolutely charmed by the beautiful young lady that had entered their lives, thoroughly enjoying the new attitude their uncle had so long as he was by the new lady.
It was also helpful that they had their father's easy-going attitude, easily making friends by simply informing the new person that the friendship was made.
Kagome fell in love with the girls and was beyond happy to take them out to find herbs for Kaede with Inuyasha, in order to give Sango and Miroku quality time with their new baby boy.
Inuyasha only left Kagome for long periods of time to build them a home in his forest. Kaede was the person who told the whole village that Inuyasha was building a home for Kagome, meaning that all the village men with any sort of time on their hands were flocking to help, much to Inuyasha's dismay.
Soon, Kagome and Inuyasha were moving into their home, being frequently visited by the villagers, and trying to settle into being a newly married couple. Kagome enjoyed decorating and organizing their home, and Inuyasha watched her constantly. Everything felt right again.
They fell back into working as a team, tending their garden and preparing meals.
Kagome was nervous and yet excited during their first winter together, warmer than she had ever been. Sango and Kaede had confirmed her suspicions, and now it was just up to her to tell her husband.
"Inuyasha," Kagome called out to the man who was shoveling snow off the roof of their home. "Come inside for dinner please."
Inuyasha grunted and jumped down, crouching to shake off the snow from his body like a dog. Kagome laughed and ran inside to avoid the barrage of snow flying at her. Inuyasha pushed the door aside and readily sat down for dinner.
Kagome passed him a bowl of soup and snuggled close to him. They ate in relative silence, before Kagome finally whispered her secret. "We're having a baby, Inuyasha."
Inuyasha paused in finishing his meal, and Kagome sensed the tension that seized his body. Leaning away from him, Kagome looked carefully at his face. "Inuyasha?"
Not looking at her, he blurted his fears, "Are you happy?"
"What?" Kagome grabbed his arm and tried to get him to look at her. "What do you mean? Why wouldn't I be happy?"
"Because, Kagome, the baby won't be human." Inuyasha still wouldn't look at her.
Kagome took his bowl and set them aside. "Inuyasha, look at me, please." Still, he looked straight ahead. "Inuyasha, I love you for who you are. Why wouldn't I want to have a baby with you? So, what if our baby isn't fully human. Our baby is fully ours, and that's all that matters."
Finally, he looked at her, and Kagome could see how scared he was. "For better or worse," Kagome stroked his face, "we're in this together. We're a team."
Inuyasha closed his eyes and dropped his head to his wife's chest, allowing his emotions to run their course, letting himself finally feel the joy of starting a family.
The pregnancy was fairly uneventful, and the birth went as well as anyone could have asked. Inuyasha filled the role of father instantly, waking as soon as his child made a noise, snuggling the babe close to him. Kagome became rather upset with him, believing him to be monopolizing the baby's attention. Sango assured her that she was spending enough time with her new born, and to enjoy the amount of sleep she was able to get because of Inuyasha's attentiveness.
Kaede reminded her that Inuyasha and she were raising the baby together and needed to work as a team.
Kagome's emotions eventually settled down, and as the planting season started, Inuyasha was spending more time in the fields, helping where he could. Kagome was spending hours with the not-so-little-anymore baby, admiring just how much the baby looked like Inuyasha, from the ears to the nose to the toes. Kagome blew kisses and nuzzled her baby, enjoying her time alone.
Inuyasha came back each day from the field and was eager to hold his child and shower his affection. Kagome quickly made dinner and they took turns eating a few bites of food and holding the baby, who was bound and determined to eat solid foods.
Kagome put a little broth on a spoon and offered it to the baby in Inuyasha's arms, who was so excited at the prospect of eating it that arms were swung around and spilled the liquid across the floor. Inuyasha instantly snorted back a laugh, and Kagome's jaw dropped, before they fell into laughter. Their child was less than amused by not having the broth anymore and began to wail. Kagome instantly scooped up her baby, and soothed the now frazzled nerves, while Inuyasha wiped up the spill.
Holding her child and looking at her husband, Kagome was thankful for all the blessings in her life. Kissing her unamused baby's face lightly, she voiced her thoughts to the man who was now attempting to feed their child.
"If someone would have told me when we met that I would marry you and have your babies, I think I would have punched them in the face."
Inuyasha had more luck getting the spoon into the baby's mouth than Kagome had. "I would have held them down for you," Inuyasha responded, "because that's what teammates do."