Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or any of its characters.
...
Month 5 Part 1
"Are you sure about this?" Kagome asked Rin.
"Positive. We need space and I've been putting this vacation off for far too long." she said at the entrence to the airport terminal.
"Sesshomaru's such as ass." Sango said her arms folded across her chest.
"Have fun in South America." Kagome hugged her cousin and Rin smiled.
"I've always wanted to go."
"Don't forget to bring home tons of suviniers." Sango said relenting her angry pose as she smiled and hugged her as well.
"Definately not. I love shopping." Rin said smiling. For some one who's boyfriend just proved how much of an ass he was, Rin was extraordinarily happy, at least according to Sango.
"See you in two weeks." Kagome said hugging her again.
"Buy guys!" Rin said waving buy as she walked away.
"Why does she get a vacation?" Sango asked as they left.
"Because hair stylists make more than baby sitters." Kagome smiled at her. All of her shirts were too tight now and she looked fat to people on the street.
"I really need to re-think my proffesion." Sango grumbled.
"You couldn't change and you know it." Kagome laughed. "The second you told the kids they would all give you big, watery, puppy dog eyes and you would melt like butter."
"Bite me." Sango said meaning she lost the argument.
"Kagome."
Both of them turned at the bass voice.
"Sesshomaru." Sango said darkly.
"What's up?" Kagome asked the ice-cold man whose back was ram-rod straight.
"I called Inuyasha and he said you and Sango were seeing Rin off at the airport." he said in his emotionless voice.
"And what of it?" Sango asked darkly.
"Off where?" he asked.
"She went to South America." Kagome said. "I heard she has a counsin or something over there."
"What?" Sesshomaru said his cool slipping a little.
"Oh. There she goes." Sango said smirking as a plane flew over the glass roof with the special 'ffffooo' sound planes made.
"Rin..." Sesshomaru said watching the plane fly into the sky.
"Bye, Sesshomaru." Sango said with a special cruel happiness in her eyes.
"See you at that business dinner." Kagome waved him bye sweetly. "You know that wasn't Rin's plane." She said to Sango when they were out of earshot.
"But does he?" Sango asked smiling evilly.
Sesshomaru was still standing in the same spot, looking up at the dot that was the plane. A cousin in South America. Surely he hadn't hurt her enough to make her move away, right? He hadn't even done anything wrong. Had he? She was gone. She just bought a plane ticket and flew out of his life.
What the hell was wrong with him!?
"Bailed? Like litterally bailed?" Inuyasha asked putting some files away.
"South America is what a little birdie told me." Miroku said taking Inuyasha's much more comfortable chair in his home study and turning from side to side.
"I can't believe she would just run." Inuyasha shook his head.
"Oh she didn't." Miroku said opening and closing the drawers aimlessly. "My birdie says it's a vacation. Two weeks but not for good. The birdie also mentioned something about not telling Sesshomaru or I would have my eyes pecked out."
Inuyasha laughed. "I seriously like Sango." He closed his files and turned back to the desk Miroku had taken over.
"Yeah. She's amazing."
"Those hearts are back." Inuyasha said as Miroku's eyes went misty.
"You can't sit there and hate on my hearts. What about yours?"
"What about mine?" Inuyasha asked sitting on the couch between the bookshelves. "I don't go all spacy and goo-goo eyed, remember?"
"So you can sit there, and not lie to me, and say you don't go goo-goo eyed over Kagome?"
Inuyasha's face went red. "Come on, Miroku. We have a contract. You should know, you made it."
Miroku rolled his eyes. "Come on, man. Open your eyes!"
"What?" Inuyasha asked looking at him unhappily.
"That girl obviously feels more for you than a contract! She's staying in your house, sleeping in your bed, and carrying your child. Do you see a pattern here?"
"It's not going to last." Inuyasha said. "We both knew that. It's a temporary thing we both know will have a very nice and understanding ending."
Miroku groaned in frustraition. Sometimes, his friend was as sharp as a tack. Especially in business. But when it came to love, Inuyasha could give a brick wall a run for it's money.
"Inuyasha, one way or another you are going to be connected to this woman for the rest of your life."
"I know and so does she."
"No she doesn't! I bet you money Kagome considers this a real relationship. You two just jumped ahead of the regularly schedualed program. Either that or you through the program completely out of whack. Either way, she still considers this a relationship."
"And it is." Inuyasha agreed, getting up to pour himself some brandy. "It just happens to be 1 part business."
"My ass!" Miroku cried jumping up. "There is no way you can look at me in the eyes and tell me that's what you think. There is no way you can look at Kagome and tell yourself that's what you think!"
"That's what it is, Miroku!" Inuyasha said glaring at him. "Now drop it!"
"Inuyasha-"
"Drop it!" He said again and left the study, slamming the door behind him.
"Uh...Kagome?" Jiji said tentively.
"Yes." she sang, a bright smile on her face.
"Don't you think that's enough icing?" he eyed the two layered chocolate cake warrily. It had been piled high with thick white icing that was at least an inch deep at this point.
"Nope." she said popping the 'p'.
"Honey, let me just...take...that..." there was a brief struggle over the icing desprencer.
"What are you two doing?" Tatsiki asked as Jiji came out victorious holding the icing.
Immediatly, Kagome eyes watered up and she looked up at him. Big, doe eyes and an extended stomach, heavy with child, it was an impossible combonation for Jiji to resist.
He sighed heavily and gave her the icing eliciting an excited, "Yay!" from her.
"I'm 68 years old and being pushed around by a pregnant girl who can't wiegh more than 108 pounds." Jiji groaned making Kagome and Tatsiki giggle.
"Sweetheart." Max cooned walking into the kitchen, his arms laden down with brown shopping bags. "I brought you a present." He pulled out a case of fresh strawberries.
"Oooh!" Kagome said abondoning her cake to grab them. Jiji took the moment of weakness, and took the icing away and left before he could be conned out of it again.
Kagome didn't notice because she was busy washing the strawberries to put them on the cake.
"Does this mean the sweet cravings are back?" Tatsiki asked laughing and Max took some strawberry glaze out of the bag.
Kagome stuck her tongue out at him as Max took out some sprinkles.
"Kagome said she wanted a fully loaded cake with strawberries and sprinkles and way too much icing." Max said smiling. "Who am I to deny her?"
"Says the desert chef." Tatsiki rolled his eyes. "But that's not why I came back here."
"It's not?" Kagome asked overloading the overloading icing with big, bright red strawberries. "Than why did you?"
"I have some good news." he said leaning against the counter next to her and stealing some icing off her cake. It didn't make much of a difference.
"Ooh. Tell me, tell me." Kagome demanded taking the glaze from Max's hands and spreading it on top of the strawberries.
"I have a date tonight." he said in a sing-song voice.
"No way! Who?" Kagome asked happily giving him a congratulations hug.
"His name is Ryu. He's so sexy." Tatsiki practically purred.
"Oooh. Where did you meet? What's he do? How sexy exactly?"
Tatsiki laughed. "Drop dead, sinful as expensive chocolate sexy." Kagome purred at the image. "Thick brown hair, the kind you can just dig your hands into, muscles like a...a..muscular guy." Kagome laughed. "That's not the point. We met at that bar, Transended, I personally think that's some kind of gay joke but I can't prove it. Besides, it's a gay bar so...Anyway, we both got trashed, somehow went home with each other, woke up, didn't even know each others name, but..."
Kagome laughed out loud. "That's a story to tell your grandkids."
"No one said we would be having kids together." Tatsiki winked. "And at least I know a great surrogate to carry them though." He rubbed her belly and Kagome blushed.
He noticed.
"And what is this?" he asked running a finger down her cheek. "Dearest, your blushing. Don't worry, a gay guy can have sex like no other. Expecially me. I wont enjoy it but you would." When she didn't laugh like he expected and her blush didn't fade he thought harder. "Unless...Maybe you're only interested in the current father of your children." Her blush got hotter. "I can't believe it! You are! You're in love with-"
He stopped as Kagome slapped a hand over his mouth.
"Shh! Don't say that outloud. The walls have ears." she looked around suspiciously.
Tatsiki smiled at her knowingly as she moved her hand and turned her attention back to her cake. Which she began eating with a fork and no plate.
"Oh sweetie, that's so great." Tatsiki said rubbing her back. "Really. I'll just have to find another beautiful, amazing, perfect woman to bear my future children for me and my future husband." he kissed her cheek and left with a smile.
"You should probably get a plate." Max said putting away the rest of the groceries.
Kagome sighed and stuffed more of the strawberry drenched, icing overloaded, double layered, chocolate cake in her mouth.
"I just don't know what to do, Max." she said stiring the icing and glaze together with her fork. "I mean, sometimes I think he feels the same an others...What do you think I should..."
Max looked up at her when she suddenly stopped talking. "Kagome? What's wrong?" he asled slightly worried.
She brought her hand up to her belly. "It...moved..." Her voice was so thready Max couldn't hear her.
"What? Kagome, is something wrong with the baby?" he moved forward, slightly scared.
"It moved. Max, it moved!" she said touching her belly in excitement.
"Really?" His face broke out in a wide smile. "Let me...No, no wait. The dad should feel first. Inuyasha should be up in his study."
Kagome nodded and nearly ran out of the kitchen leaving her cake behind.
"Inuyasha!" she yelled almost running up the stairs. She was still being careful because of the growing baby in her belly. "Inuyasha!"
She burst into his study making his jump.
"What? What? What?" He said leaping from his chair and running to her side. "What's the matter."
"Feel. Feel." Kagome fubbled for his hand and brought it to her stomach. "Feel?"
"Feel what?" he asked.
"Hold on....Hold on....There! Did you feel it?" she felt the baby move again.
He shook his head. "Is it moving?"
Her face fell slightly. "Yeah. Can't you feel it?"
He shook his head and she sighed. "Well, I did."
He smiled at her and pulled her into his arms. "That's great, Kagome. That's wonderful. We should celebrate. This is a big moment. What do you want to do? Anything?"
Knowing he was just trying to cheer her up, she smiled at him. "Well..."
"Mmmm!" Kagome moaned happily after shoving the spicy chicken in her mouth.
Inuyasha laughed at her and looked to his right at the large aquarium full of brightly colored fish swimming around waving seaweed, and pretty collored fake coral rocks. A dragon in red and black decorated their tables and chairs and the aroma of Chinese food was everywhere.
"The baby is loving this." she said happily eating a bite of sweet and sour chicken.
"I don't think it can taste anything." Inuyasha laughed taking a sip of the soup he had chosen.
Kagome took a sip of her own and put it down to eat another piece of spicy chicken.
"You don't know that." she said, her eyes bright. "Besides, he's wiggling. He began wiggling after I ate the cake too. Maybe he likes food."
"I think I'll get along well with this kid." Inuyasha laughed eating some of Kagome sweat and sour chicken.
She smiled at him happily. "I know you'll get along well with him. Love of food or not."
Kagome had two plates of food, all of them different, in front of her, and a bowl of soup. Inuyasha, however, had two bowls of soup and three plates. Kagome said at least she had the excuse of eating for two. Inuyasha hadn't said anything but shoved more rice in his mouth.
"We should start thinking about making the nursery." Kagome said, smiling as she began eating her own rice. She tasted it, poured some of the sweet and sour souce on it, and took another bite. She nodded and continued eating.
"I guess so." he answered getting a slightly dreamy look in his eyes. "I wonder which room we should use."
"I was thinking that one across the hall." Kagome said taking a sip of water, she didn't allow soda anymore. A little over-protective of her baby, maybe, but she felt it was better to be safe than sorry. "You know, that ugly guest bedroom done in mustard yellow. Jiji said he was going through a weird period when he chose the colors. I still can't believe the guys on staff did most of the designing."
"Really?" Inuyasha asked, his voice flat and his eyes matching it.
Kagome didn't notice and kept talking. "Yeah, so we could redo that ugly job, Jiji cheered when I talked it over with him. He says it was a mistake he has regretted for years and wondered why no one bothered correct it."
"You talk with them a lot." Inuyasha said, almost coldly but it still didn't penetrate Kagome's bubble of happiness.
"They're great guys. I love them like brothers or uncles in Jiji and Max's case. Too old to be my brothers in any case. Anyway, it's big enough for all the toys we'll get him or her. And it's right across the hall from our room so one of us can get to the baby easily when they cry."
"Our room..." he repeated quietly.
"Plus it's close to the staircase so Tatsiki or one of the others can watch him, or her, when we're out or something. Speaking of which, that dinner banquent was fabulous. I think it went rather well. You're older clients seemed particularly happy that your 'settling down'." She laughed at the words and didn't notice the chill from across the table or that Inuyasha had stopped eating. "I kinda liked Mr. Ohun, the president of Ohun Motors, the one with the rediculous beard. He's funny. He keeps saying that he's going to steal me away from you." She looked up and finally saw the expression on his face. "What's wrong?" She smiled again and laughed. "Oh, don't worry he wont. I'm all yours." She laughed and took another bite.
"What are you doing?" he asked at last, his voice distant. It was like a stranger asking why you were doing something they thought was strange.
"What?" Kagome asked confused. "What's wrong? You're acting weird. Do you have a fevor?" She reached across the table to check his tempurture.
And he slapped her hand away.
Her smile fell and her eyes got wide in surprise. "Inuyasha...?"
"What are you doing?" he asked a little louder. "'Our room'? 'Settling down'? Kagome, we have a business contract." he said slowly as if she were hard of hearing. "So our relationship has gone a little farther than we meant it to, it was bound to happen when you didn't do the conception by a medical procedure."
Kagome's mouth was partially open and she found her limbs still and unresponsive. Inuyasha's hands were shaking so he clenched themn into fists; it only made him look mad. And that trembling was nothing compared to the shaking going on inside.
"It was never meant to last, we both know that. It's not 'our room'. It's 'my room', you're just living in it for a while. A baby needs a father and mother with a good relationship so I was happy to know we would end on good terms but if you keep up this 'we' and 'our' stuff, it's not going to. Accept that this isn't anything more than business with a few perks Kagome. Think of it almost like friends with benefits. But that's all!"
There was tense silence for a moment as the words hung like a foul stench in the air.
Calmly, Kagome put her chopsticks down and bowed her head and put her hands together as if she were praying. "Thanks for the meal." she said formally. Still calm, she picked up her purse and stood up.
"Where are you going?" Inuyasha asked.
She didn't look at him. "South America."
"Wha..." Inuyasha started but she was already walking away, her head held high and her back straight and proud.
Kagome knocked urgently on the door. She had been standing there for five minutes and at one point it had begun to rain. She was soaked through and her hair hung limp around her shoulders. She was cold and shivering and her calm was wearing off. She was going to break soon and she didn't want to do it outside in the rain.
She banged her fist again and this time a voice cried out, "I'm coming! I'm coming! Hold your horses, geeze. Now what's...Kagome? Kagome wha'ts wrogng? Sweetie come in your soaking wet." Sango's hair was messy, probably from being called out of bed in the middle of the night, and she was wearing a silk green robe with a gold dragon stitched on the front.
"Baby, why are you all wet? What happened?"
Kagome sniffed as the first tear escaped her eyes. "I'm sorry Sango I just...I had no where else to go...I...I..."
"Shhh." Sango pulled her into her arms and stroked her head. "It's alright honey, I'm here. It's okay."
Kagome was crying and she wanted nothing more than to hold on to her friend for dear life but she wasn't the only one she had to worry about anymore. "Sango, do..." she sniffed and tried to regain control for a while longer, "..Do you..uh...mind if I use the shower. I need to warm up, you know?"
Sango nodded. "I understand. You know where it is. I'll get you a towel and some clothes."
"Sango? Who was it?" Miroku walked in wearing boxers. "Oh, Kagome. How are...Why are you wet? What's wrong?"
"Go take a shower. Get warmed up. We'll talk when you get out." Sango said looking at Miroku pointedly as she rubbed her friends shoulders.
"I'm sorry. I had no idea...I should have realized..."
"No, no, no." Sango said walking her to the bathroom. "Your my best friend. You can get me out of bed anytime you want, no questions asked." She opened the door and turned on the lights and guided Kagome to the toilet and sat her down after lowering the seat.
With a few flicks of her wrist, she turned on the shower and looked Kagome in the eye. "Take your time. We'll talk later." She kissed her forehead and left, shutting the door behind her.
She followed some sounds into the kitchen where she found Miroku making coffee, decafe for the expecting mommy.
"How is she? What happened?" he asked immediatly.
"I don't know." Sango said before clenching her fists. "But I have a feeling I'm going to kill Inuyasha."
Inhale. Exhale. Inhale. Exhale. Sango repeated in her mind trying to calm her anger.
"He...did....what?" she asked slowly.
Kagome didn't answer. She had been wrapped in a thick bathrobe of Sango's, covered in a blanket, curled up in the corner of Sango's fluffy blue couch, and had been given a cup of warm, thankfully decafe, coffee to warm her up.
Miroku came back in from the kitchen and handed Kagome some ramen he had cooked real quick for her.
"Thanks." she said quietly. Her voice was rough from the crying she had done but she didn't feel any better. She felt empty inside. Like someone had cut her open and emptied her out.
"I'm sorry, Kagome." Miroku said sitting by Sango on the love seat. "It's probably my fault."
"Why?" Sango asked wondering if she would have to kill him too. She would hate to do it because he was such a good man but Kagome was her sister. Sisters came first.
Miroku told them about his conversation with Inuyasha the other day. Kagome looked deep into her half way empty cup as if it held all the anwers of the universe in it and Sango sighed.
"And things were going so well..." she sighed again and wrapped her arms around Miroku's waist. "I don't blame you. Though it was probably a bad idea to introduce him to his feelings so soon."
Miroku hugged her back but looked at Kagome. She was, after all, the one who had been hurt by Miroku's actions.
"It's okay." she smiled at him. "Inuyasha's just an idiot."
"Yeah, and now I have to kill him." Sango frowned. "Making a pregnant woman walk out in the rain..."
"He didn't know it was going to rain." Kagome said, defending the man she loved automatically. "And I left on my own, he didn't make me."
"Still!" Sango said crossing her arms. "He should be taking better care of you."
Kagome shrugged. "I can take care of myself. And anyone else who comes along."
"Says the girl who showed up on my doorstep wet and freezing." Sango growled. "Sorry, that was low. Still, even if he felt no emotion towards you at all, you're still carrying his child. He should have stopped you!"
"To be honest," Kagome said swirling the contents of her cup absent mindedly, "I don't think it's even hit him that I'm pregnant yet. I don't look pregnant, just fat. He's been going through the motions but it's like he doesn't really believe."
"Oh, I'm going to go get my shotgun." Sango growled and Miroku put his arm around her shoulder because he was afraid she would actually do so. He didn't think she would actually kill Inuyasha, but it was amazing what a person could live through.
Kagome sighed and looked away from her friend who was mumbling darkly using words like 'death' and 'castration'. Her eyes fell on the table next to the couch and she recognized Rin's handwriting.
"Is this from Rin?" she asked picking it up.
"What?" Sango asked roused from her multiple torture contemplations. "Yeah, she said she didn't know your address and asked me to show it to you. I just got it earlier."
Happy to take her mind of her problems, Kagome unfolded the paper and read:
Dear Sango and Kagome: Guess what? South America is GREAT!!! Me and Lina, that's my cousin over here, have been touring all over Brazil. It's an amazing country and so BIG! I've already bought so many sovies that I can't fit them all in my suitcases and had to buy another one. Is that sad? All well. I just wanted to tell you guys how much FUN I'm having. So much that me and Lina have decided to elongate the trip. There's just so much of this place to see and it's not even the entire countinent. Don't worry, I won't tour the whole continent. So Kagome, have you found out what the baby is yet? If it's a girl you should name it after your most favoritest cousin in the whole wide world! (That's me if you didn't pick it up). I've been learning some great new hair tricks down here and I can't wait to apply them at the salon! And don't worry about it, I've left the managing of it to my Number 2. She's a great girl and she'll take care of Rin's while I'm gone. I guess I'm sorry about the abrupt departure but I just couldn't stay. I wont say anymore about it but when you find out why you'll understand. And I just don't mean about Sesshomaru being and ass.
Anyway, (BTW: Lina says hi and she's threatening me with a portable hairdryer if I don't pass it along) about my staying longer, can one of you water my plants for me? I think that's why I started the letter and kind of lost track of my mind...Aw well. See you guys when I get back, whenever that may be. Love, Rin.
PS: Lina says bye too. Lol.
PPS: I think I have a spare key to the house at the salon. I'm pretty sure. Thanks!
"She's so silly." Kagome said fondly looking back up at Sango as Miroku had taken away her empty ramen bowl and was in the kitchen rinsing it out.
"Yeah, well we have other man problems a bit closer to home to work out." Sango said as Kagome put the letter back.
"Strictly business, he said. No problem." Kagome said frowning.
"Strictly business, my ass." Sango rolled her eyes. "If your relationship is strictly business than me and Miroku's is like a polite aquaintence."
"You do go well together." Kagome said as Miroku walked back in. He winked at her, more than grateful for her help in getting Sango in the first place. "Besides, there's no point in being in a relationship if one half of it doesn't consider it a relationship at all."
"So you're just giving up?" Sango cried unhappily.
"No. We have a contract which I'm sure is iron clad, right Miroku?"
"Only a few loopholes honey and none of them are big enough for you to slide through. Sorry." He said sadly.
"What loopholes?" Sango asked.
"If Kagome deems him an unfit father, abusive or something like that, the contract is null and void." Miroku explained. "Just like Inuyasha can do the same to her."
"Wait. Wait. I'm having an epiphany." Sango said smiling darkly.
"What?" Kagome asked looking at her friend with her head tilted in confusion.
"Miroku, dear, you're the lawyer, right?" Sango asked him.
"Yes." He said cautiously not liking the evil gleam in her eyes.
"Would you consider making a pregnant woman walk home, in the freezing rain, at night, slightly abusive?"
"Uh...Well..." Miroku thought about it for a second. "I guess...Maybe...Though I can't really say. I am Inuyasha's lawyer."
"Miroku?" Sango asked, her voice cold and flat.
"Chances are the court would rule in Kagome favor." Miroku said quickly. It wasn't that he was scared of Sango. He was just...cautious. Like trying to handle TNT. Besides, he wasn't at work and it could be considered advising as a friend...
"There you go, Kagome!" she said triumphantly. "Abusive. Contract: Null and void. What do you say? This is your way out of it. You want out?"
Kagome sat there, looking into her emtpy cup, biting her chapped lip, thinking. Sango and Miroku were quite, this was Kagome's decision.
Finally, after a few long minutes, she looked up at Miroku, a determined glint in her eye. "I want out."
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