Kagome tried to ignore her husband as he continuously circled her in his usual dog-like manner, occasionally sniffing her tentatively. Finally, she couldn't take it anymore. She set her book down and sighed. She hated doing this to him now that they were married, but sometimes he left her no choice.

"Sit boy."

He hit the floor, but not as hard as when she was mad at him. He cursed under his breath. Why hadn't he gotten her to take the beads off when he had the chance?

"What was that for?"

"Being annoying. Why are you smelling me?"

Inuyasha got off his stomach and crouched in front of his wife.

"You smell funny."

Kagome rolled her eyes. "Gee, thanks. S—"

"No! I meant…you smell…different. Are you wearing perfume again?"

"No. I told you I wouldn't. Why do you assume I'd break my promise?"

"I didn't. It's just…you smell funny."

"Sit!"

Inuyasha groaned as he tried to get up again. She'd been having weird moods lately, almost as though Kikyo was involved. She couldn't have been, though. Kikyo had moved on when Inuyasha had finally admitted she was dead and refused to go with her.

Which reminded him…it was about time for them to go back to the feudal era. Their system was that they lived in Kagome's time with Shippo but visited Miroku, Sango, and their children about once a week. At first, they had been worried that the well would close up, but their concerns weren't needed.

Once Kagome agreed, Inuyasha heaved himself over the side of the well. Glancing back, he saw a nervous look on his wife's face before she delicately followed.

'I probably just imagined it,' he told himself. Nevertheless, he hugged Kagome to himself as they went through the time warp, almost squashing Shippo between them, but he didn't protest.

When they landed, Shippo was the first one out of the well. Inuyasha held his wife at an arm's length.

"Kagome…is everything okay?'

She looked up at him, smiling a small but very real smile, which made Inuyasha grin as she nodded.

"Everything's fine. Better than fine. C'mon. I'll bet Sango's got food waiting."

Inuyasha nodded, still smiling, and hurried ahead of her to climb out before reaching back in to pull her up.

Miroku frowned when he saw them, though his wife and children immediately embraced Kagome. She squatted and laughed as she hugged both of the young boys and then the girl to her, before she stood to greet their mother. Inuyasha watched from aside. This, he had decided a long time ago, was the way to live: wonderful wife, amazing friends. He was proud to call of it his own.

"Kagome," Miroku implored with a serious expression. "May I speak with you for a moment?"

She nodded and followed him, but Inuyasha growled in his chest.

"Are you sure it's a good idea to let those two alone?" he commented to Sango. "I don't like it."

"Don't be so jealous all the time," Sango scolded him. "Miroku's not the womanizer he once was. I trust him. And surely you trust Kagome, right Inuyasha?"

"Of course I do!" he exclaimed defensively. He growled again. "I just remember how your husband is…or was, if you're naïve enough to—"

"INUYASHA!"

The dog demon winced, grateful that only Kagome could "sit" him.

When they returned, Miroku looked relieved and Kagome was giddy. Inuyasha almost growled again. If Miroku had done anything to her…

Inuyasha could no longer be angry when Kagome walked up to him, put her arms around his neck, and kissed him before giggling and twisting away from him. His concerns dissipated, he chased after her, a devious look in his eyes.

She stood still, giggling. He was just about to tackle her to the ground—smirking, arms out, and six inches away—when Kagome calmly stopped him.

"Sit."

He looked up as she kneeled in front of him. "What was that for?" he snarled.

Without a word, Kagome nodded towards the kids. Inuyasha's eyes widened as they traveled to see Sango's face. That would not have been good.

He exhaled heavily as he stood up, glaring at Kagome, who only smiled at him. He couldn't resist and ended up grinning in return before leading her into Sango's house.

In the middle of the night, Inuyasha woke, sniffing at the air. Being in his arms with her face in his chest, Kagome woke too.

"What's wrong?" she asked drowsily.

"Blood." He leaped up and through the doorway. Miroku was there, staring into the woods.

"I feel a demon's presence. Do you smell anything?"

Inuyasha conveyed the scent. By then, Sango was by their side while Kagome stood at the entrance behind them.

Poising himself to leap, with his hand on Tetsusaiga, he smirked. "All right. Let's go kick some demon butt. Kagome?"

His smug expression vanished when he looked over his shoulder to his wife. Kagome looked hesitant.

"Kagome?"

"I—"

"Perhaps Lady Kagome could stay and watch the children."

"Fine," Inuyasha growled at Miroku's suggestion. "We gotta get goin'. That smell's getting stronger."

He leapt away, and Sango and Miroku followed on Kirara while Kagome looked on before going back into the hut and gazing wistfully at the three small sleeping forms.

"What is up with her?" Inuyasha growled under his breath. "It's not like her to stay so far away from a fight. Usually I have to force her to get out of the way."

Somehow, he didn't like this, especially not with his train of thought. Something was going on with his—his—Kagome. And he needed to know what it was.

His fight wasn't quite up to par because of his lapse of focus, but he didn't regret it at first.

"So that thing is retreatin', huh? Guess it got scared," Inuyasha chided smugly, but his mood changed when Miroku's eyes widened.

"It's headed back to the village," Miroku pointed out, referring to their home.

"The kids!" Sango exclaimed.

"Kagome…!"

Kagome crouched over the three children, her back exposed. She tried to calm them, knowing that one day they would be facing demons like this as exterminators. She attempted rushing them out, knowing that she had to be careful. She couldn't let herself get killed, and she couldn't let the kids get hurt.

"Eek!" she squealed. The demon was coming right at her as she held her own over the kids, almost cowering. "Inuyasha…" she prayed.

"Yeah?"

She looked up, turning slightly and smiling, and the kids cheered as they saw Inuyasha push the demon off track with the Tetsusaiga. With his Wind Scar, he killed the demon as it tried again to get to Kagome.

With the demon gone, Inuyasha spun angrily on his wife.

"If you had just come with us, you wouldn't be in this mess!"

Kagome was taken aback, but quickly rebutted.

"Well someone had to watch the kids!"

"Are they at it again?" Shippo whined as Sango's three-year-old daughter tugged on the skirt her mother had changed back into.

"Mommy? Why are Uncle Yasha and Auntie Kagome fighting?"

"Don't worry," Miroku assured flatly. "This is normal for them."

"Why couldn't Sango? They're her kids!" Inuyasha screamed.

"Don't bring Sango into this! She was much more helpful than I would've been!"

"I'll believe that. And you didn't even have a bow to protect yourself!"

"Well I thought you could keep one demon away. Guess I overestimated you."

He decided not to let her see how much she had injured his pride, especially with the doubts that had been embedded in his head since a couple weeks before when she had begun acting strangely. "I'm good at what I do. You're the useless one!"

Kagome's lip quivered and Inuyasha's anger melted to guilt as her eyes watered.

"SIT BOY!"

She spun on her heels and stormed into the woods.

"I don't see what her problem is," Inuyasha huffed as Sango distributed soup to her family.

"Are you worried about her?"

"Feh," he commented indifferently, but the churning in his stomach told a different story. 'She sure has been gone a while,' he thought.

"You're married now, Inuyasha," Miroku reasoned, "You don't have to pretend like you don't care anymore."

Inuyasha glared at him. Almost immediately, though, he sighed, hanging his head, and then standing, a hand on the hilt of his blade.

"I'm gonna go find her. Watch Shippo, would ya?"

Without waiting for an answer, he left, and he smiled when his dog-ears heard the conversation between Sango's innocent three-year-old and Miroku.

"Is he going to apologize to Auntie Kagome?"

"Yes. He's not the idiot he once was."

"I'm glad. She's always happy with Uncle Inuyasha. And I like seeing her happy."

All he heard for a couple seconds after that were the sounds of the forest, as he walked through it, but that noise was overcome by sobs as he smelled salty tears.

"Kagome?" he greeted softly as he approached her at the well. He had never been good at this, but he hoped he wouldn't screw this up too badly.

"I'm sorry, Inuyasha. I am useless. I was just…I'm so scared."

He wasn't positive what she was scared of, but he knew he wanted to take care of it for her. He hugged her to his chest. "No, Kagome, you're not useless. You know I say stupid things when I'm mad. I didn't mean it. I'm sorry."

He took in her scent again, finally able to distinguish why it was so familiar. She smelled the way she only smelled once a month, almost like she was in heat, but she also smelled like him, even more so than usual. And he heard something under the sound of Kagome's heartbeat. It was faint, but strong in its rhythm.

He pulled back and looked down at Kagome in disbelief. She met his gaze with fear.

"K-Kagome?"

"Inuyasha?"

"Are you…?"

He trailed off, looking wide-eyed at her stomach. Kagome followed his gaze. With her head down, she turned her eyes up shyly and nodded. Inuyasha blinked a few times, mouth open. Kagome cast down her eyes once again.

She choked down a sob as Inuyasha let her go, and gasped in surprise as he wrapped his arms around her and pressed her to himself as tightly as physically possible.

"Kagome…pups! Our pups! I'm so happy, I…"

He pulled back again, having smelled her tears.

"Kagome? What's wrong?"

She looked up, smiling. "I was…scared." She laughed. "I guess I shouldn't have been. I just…I thought that you wouldn't want him…or her…since I'm human and all…"

"Kagome…" He looked down at her in an awe-filled horror. Then he chuckled. "You idiot."

"Huh?" She looked up, confused. She would've been angry had his gaze not been so filled with love.

"That's crazy! I love you." She smiled as he put his forehead to hers. "I chose you as my mate. You think I would've done if it bothered me that you were human?"

She smiled and snuggled closer to him, putting her head back to his chest.

"If anything," he said, his voice soft and thick with emotion, "you should be the one who doesn't want 'em. I mean…"

"Inuyasha! What are you talking about? I love you! Wasn't I the one who asked you to stay the way you were when we finished the Jewel? I'm excited, Inuyasha. I'm still a little nervous, but…I can't wait."

Inuyasha smiled and kissed his Kagome. Then he gently placed his hands on her stomach.

His own little hanyou…