A/N: Sorry I haven't posted anything in a very long time. No, I didn't die. I'm alive, see? Alive! I've just been really busy, but I finally got around to editing this chapter. Keep in mind that I originally wrote this story a long time ago, and I have a lot of revision to do. I hate revision. Just writing stuff from scratch is so much better.
Anyway, the long-awaited chapter three! Thanks to those of you that reviewed, I really appreciate it. On with the chapter!
I. Don't. Own. It. OK?
Love and Joy
Chapter Three
Not Alone
Kagome slowed her pace as she walked through the trees. Biting her lip, she tried not to think. She'd been trying not to think too hard ever since she'd found out. Because the truth was…she was scared. Really scared. It had been worse before Inuyasha knew. Now that he knew, well, at least that particular worry was gone. But still. Still…
Kagome shook her head. She had to think about it. She couldn't block it out forever. She thought the words to herself, forming them with her lips as she did so.
I'm pregnant. Pregnant. I'm going to have a baby.
I'm eighteen!
And back came the old recurring thought. She was eighteen. Just out of high school, practically! There was a part of her that yearned for this, but she didn't want to think about that. She didn't want to yearn for it. This is it. When I give birth to my child…my whole life changes. I'm no longer a child, but a mother. I'll have a child to support. To care for. To love. The loving I can handle. The rest… "I have no clue what I'm doing!" the miko screamed aloud. There was no reply except for a gentle chirping high up in a nearby tree. Kagome exhaled loudly.
I want the life that I have. It's perfect. I never thought it could be more perfect.
But I'm so confused!
Things used to be easy…back then. Back when we were hunting for Naraku. But when that all ended…
Kagome thought back. The day Naraku died seemed so very long ago…and yet…and yet, there was a part of her that felt as though it had happened just yesterday. The same, ornery, contrary part of her that was never right. Usually…sometimes…
Kagome took a deep breath.
She remembered it all so clearly. It had seemed like just an ordinary battle with Naraku. While Inuyasha was distracted, hacking away at the tentacles threatening to encircle the group, Naraku struck. He used the power of his nearly-complete Shikon jewel to posses Kagome. His plan had been to end it the very same way it had started. With the power of nearly the entire impure jewel on her, Kagome turned her bow on Inuyasha. It was a blur from then on. Sango, Miroku, and Shippou yelling, Inuyasha screaming her name, her hand drawing back her bowstring, her mind a happy, hazy blank. And then…
Why?
The thought had hit her like the arrow currently pointed toward the man she loved.
Why should I do this?
And then her mind came back.
Colors swirled. She tried to keep her balance as the darkness threatened to overwhelm her.
"Kagome!"
Inuyasha's voice brought her back. She blinked. Her grip on her bow loosened. She ignored the pounding of her skull, Naraku's voice hissing indistinctly in the back of her head. A silly thought occurred to her.
Kikyou's dead…it's my turn now. Will Inuyasha be shot by every woman he's ever loved?
And then the anger washed over her. It was the anger that saved her.
Naraku is despicable. Inuyasha has never known anything but suffering. Why must Naraku do this? Why? I will not let any more pain come to Inuyasha. I love him. I love him more than anything else on earth. And that is enough!
And, her eyes burning, Kagome turned toward Naraku. He didn't even have time to register her sudden change of target.
"I will not hurt Inuyasha!" she cried aloud. "And neither," she drew back her bowstring again, "will you!"
And she fired.
There was another whirl of colors, screaming, a bright flash of light…
She collapsed.
oOo
Kagome paused in her walking, trying to remember what had happened next. When she had awoken, she was lying in Kaede's hut. The rest seemed like a hazy, painful blur. She gave Inuyasha the completed jewel, which had somehow been around her neck when she awoke. She knew that he had attacked Naraku one last time as he saw her arrow flying toward him. They had defeated Naraku together. But it was he who had coveted the jewel. She didn't want it. It was up to him to do what he liked with it.
And then she had waited. The waiting had been excruciating. What would he do? Would he become a full demon? Would his heart still be there when she next saw him? Would he even be there? He could go to Kikyou, if he wanted to. The jewel could do that. The jewel would grant his heart's desire. So what, wondered Kagome, could that be?
Eventually he did come back. He looked the same as ever. Kagome remembered launching herself into his arms. He smiled.
"What did you do?" she asked.
And then he told her.
oOo
Kagome gritted her teeth. She was still angry. How could he…how could he…?
But the truth was inevitable.
The jewel had granted the deepest desire of Inuyasha's heart.
The desire to be with Kagome forever.
It had shortened his life.
It had kept him a hanyou, while giving him the lifespan of a human so that they would age together. So that they could have a life together. Inuyasha had known what the jewel was doing…and he had let it. He had given up hundreds of years of life…for her.
Kagome winced slightly, remembering her anger when he'd first told her. How could she have let him do that? She loved him, wanted, needed, to spend her life with him, but…not on his own life. She would never have wished for him to shorten his life for her. But he did. Because it was what he wanted.
Kagome understood. But she still didn't quite forgive him.
oOo
After that, life became normal. Scarily so. Kohaku's death had been unpreventable during the battle with Naraku. Sango, Miroku, and Shippou were living in Kaede's village for the time being, along with Inuyasha and Kagome. Miroku and Sango continued to skirt unnecessarily around their feelings. Inuyasha and Kagome did not.
The group continued to travel. It was what they did best. There was very little point to their travels…for a while. But in time, the news of their defeat of Naraku spread. Messengers started showing up at the village, requesting that the group go to exorcize a castle, or another village. They always went together, even when only one of them was really needed. It felt odd not going together. The group had become a family of sorts over the years. A dysfunctional family, yes, but a family nonetheless. They continued to share one large hut in Kaede's village. They traveled together. Even Inuyasha didn't complain.
Well, actually, he did. But his only complain was that he never had any privacy with Kagome. But they had her era for that. Part of Inuyasha's wish was that the well remain open. Kagome continued to go through it for several months, needing to finish up her education. And then it ended. She graduated. That was one of the happiest nights of her life.
It was also the first night she spent with Inuyasha.
After that, things changed. Kagome knew she couldn't go to college. She continued to go back and forth between the eras, but her life was in the feudal era now. She couldn't bear to be apart from her Inuyasha for another four years. And so they were never apart.
The group accepted the change in the relationship. Only Sango knew just how far it had gone, for Kagome had rushed to tell her, blushing furiously, the very next day. It was fairly obvious that Miroku had guessed, as well. He had experience in these matters. He could probably tell.
Inuyasha refused to leave Kagome's side. He slept sitting up, as usual, with her head in his lap. When she went to train with Kaede and Miroku, trying to learn how to harness her spiritual powers as she never had time to while hunting for Naraku, Inuyasha kept watch. Sometimes they took long walks at night, just talking about nothing in particular. This time was bliss.
Eventually two exorcisms were required at once. Sango, Miroku, and Shippou agreed to take care of one while Inuyasha and Kagome took care of the other (after some encouragement from Inuyasha, of course). This was the second time they slept together.
Kagome reached the edge of the woods and smiled. If it weren't for that snake demon terrorizing that village, my child would never have come into existence.
She looked down, and was surprised to find that she had rested her hand on her belly. So I'm happy. I'm too young, and unprepared, but I'm happy.
"Kagome-chan!"
Kagome looked up as Sango walked over to her.
"What took so long?"
"Sorry." Kagome smiled at her friend. "I was…remembering."
Sango smiled back. "Oh."
Kagome kept her eyes trained downward as Sango led her to the group's hut. She stretched out her back and sat down on the floor, facing Sango. The taijiya's eyes were worried.
"You're scared, aren't you?"
Although Sango phrased it as a question, Kagome was sure it wasn't. Sango knew.
"Yes."
"Why?"
This wasn't really a question either. Kagome knew that Sango understood. She also knew that Sango was purposefully trying to get her to talk about it. And so she did.
She told her everything. Her worries about her age. About caring for a child. About money, food, life. About love.
When she was done, she looked up and met Sango's eyes. The demon slayer smiled.
"You're not alone, Kagome."
"What?" This wasn't what Kagome had been expecting. She looked up in surprise.
"You have all of us. Inuyasha, of course. The child's not just yours, Kagome-chan. It's his too. And I know that he will make taking care of it his priority. And you have us, too. Miroku and I will do everything we can. We're like…its aunt and uncle, or something. And Shippou, when you tell him, will be ecstatic. You know he will. The baby will be like his younger sibling." She met Kagome's eyes. "You're not going to do this alone. We wouldn't let you."
And somehow, Sango had said just the right thing. Kagome blinked at her friend, fighting back the tears that she knew were there. And then she hugged her.
"Thank you, Sango-chan," she whispered. She could feel her friend nod.
"And as for your age…well…here, it's perfectly normal. I know in your era you're young, but here, no one will bat an eyelash. I'm unusual, that I don't have kids yet, and I'm nineteen. And seeing as the two of you mostly live over on this side, I really don't think your age will be a problem."
"Sango-chan…"
The girls broke apart. Sango smiled, giving her friend a little push toward the door. "Now get back to Inuyasha before he has some kind of panic attack in your absence."
Kagome laughed gently.
"Sango-chan…thank you…
A/N: Please review, reviews keeps me revising, even though I'd much rather just start over. Flames, as usual, will be disregarded, as they are childish and silly. Thanks a lot! I'll try to get chapter four up as soon as I can.
