Disclaimer: Both Ranma ½ and Inuyasha belong to Takahashi Rumiko-sensei. Honestly, if they were mine do you think I'd be posting fanfiction on them? Yeah right! I'd publish it and actually make money! Too bad. AN: This is a pure Kagome/Inuyasha fic. Of course there is a bit of reincarnation so the whole 'Kagome/Inuyasha' idea may be a little skewed…. Comments are very, very welcome (I live off of them! They are my bread and butter!). If you have anything negative, flames included, please offer ways that I can improve the story. I do not need useless insults and the like. If you don't like it please tell me why. That's all I ask. Now, on with the show!

Prior Claim

Sessha-chan

Chapter one

In Which the Protagonists Meet

The day was beautiful. The sun was shining, the clouds non-threatening, the people panicking and trying to run. Kagome headed towards what everyone seemed determined to avoid at all costs. She had been out grocery shopping when the panic started. By the sounds of the destruction up ahead – and she hoped that she was wrong for once – it sounded like youkai.

She really hoped not.

Without any warning registering on her battle alerted senses a body crashed right into her, sending them both flying. Kagome groaned as the person on top of her scrambled to his feet, cursing very loudly and with such fluidity it would have made Inuyasha proud.

Nope. No youkai, purely human.

"Oh, hey, sorry about that," he apologized then turned to the person that had thrown him, "Darn it Ryoga watch what you're doing!"

"Ouch," Kagome moaned, sitting up timidly.

"You okay?" asked the man.

Kagome nodded slowly. "Could you guys stop fighting? I'll call it even if you do," she begged, cluing in that these two were probably what everyone was running from.

"Ranma! How could you injure a girl!" the other man, Ryoga, demanded. Kagome looked at him, astonished.

"You threw him into me!" She exclaimed with righteous indignation, "It's not like he was aiming to land on me,"

Ryoga had the sense to look properly ashamed and apologized to Kagome. Ranma helped her to her feet. She thanked him but gasped in pain when she tried to take a step.

"What's wrong?" he asked, confused. Kagome tested her ankle again.

She swore under her breath. "Why does this always happen to me? Something's wrong with my ankle," with a grimace she started limping away, despite the pain. She was stopped abruptly when Ranma swung her into his arms without even an 'if you please.'

"Put me down!" she gasped.

"No way," Ranma denied, "You're hurt. Just tell me where you live and I'll carry you there," he said firmly, leaving no room for argument. Kagome shut her mouth and nodded.

"Higurashi Shrine," she said timidly. He looked surprised.

"You live at a shrine?"

She nodded.

"Cool. Later, Bacon-breath," he called to the boy he had been fighting as he took off down the street. Kagome felt a wave of déjà vu wash over her. How many times had Inuyasha carried her in the ancient past?

A sharp twisting pain near her stomach wrenched her from that train of thought. The pain was her first indication that something more than a twisted ankle was wrong. Her breath hitched as another sharp pain seared her nerves and her hand clutched at her stomach.

"What's wrong?" Ranma asked, slowing down.

"I-" Kagome gasped sharply, "Could you hurry, Ranma-san? I think I'm hurt more than I had thought,"

"Sure thing," he put on some speed, breaking into a fluid run.

Kagome clutched Inuyasha's shoulders and tightened the grip she had on his sides with her thighs. The wind rushed by as her hanyou husband and mate ran across the untamed countryside.

Kagome blinked.

Ranma was taking the shrine steps three at a time. It took him no time at all before he reached the entrance courtyard. She directed him to the house and unlocked it from her perch in his arms. He carried her inside and set her gently on a sofa in the living room.

Her stomach clenched again as white-hot pain seared through her entire body. Ranma jumped when she tried to strangle a scream.

"I'll call a doctor," he promised. Kagome grabbed his shirt, gaining his attention.

"My doctor's number," she gasped sharply in pain, "on the fridge. Tell him Kagome needs him here now!"

He nodded and scurried to the kitchen. It took him a minute to locate the right phone number and the handset for the telephone but he quickly dialed the number. It rang twice before someone picked up.

"Kagesaki,"

"Hi, I'm calling for Kagome. She says to tell you she needs you here now," Ranma relayed somewhat apprehensively.

"Kagome-sama? Has something happened to her?" the doctor demanded, growling.

"She got caught in the crossfire of a fight and had someone tossed into her,"

The growling increased, startling Ranma, and the line went dead. Ranma frowned at the handset he was holding, thoroughly confused.

Another strangled cry brought him back to the living room, and Kagome's side, before he even realized he had moved. She clutch blindly at his hand as he sat beside her, helpless to anything.

"Inuyasha!" she sobbed brokenly. Ranma winced as she tightened her grip on his hand again and he was sure he heard some bones break.

The door bell rang.

"It's the doctor," Kagome said weakly, letting go of his hand. Ranma nodded, not asking how she knew, and let the doctor in.

He waited in the kitchen as Dr. Kagesaki did his job. After a couple of tense minutes he peeked into the living room. His eyes widened at what he saw.

Kagome was glowing a bright blue, her aura infinitely more pure than any he had come across in his entire life. Dr. Kagesaki was kneeling over her prone body with his hands over her abdomen, muttering constantly under his breath. Kagome's aura spread like a gentle liquid over the doctor and crept across the floor until the whole room was shrouded in pure, blue mist. She suddenly relaxed completely and her aura retreated. The doctor put a hand to her forehead and sighed, standing.

"How is she?" Ranma asked, stepping into sight.

"Both her and the child will be fine," Dr. Kagesaki said, running a hand across his own damp forehead. Ranma felt his stomach drop and an invisible hand tighten around his throat.

"Child? She's pregnant?"

What had he managed to do this time?