Tension Builds

Inuyasha was hungry; sitting in Goshinboku just watching and waiting was boring but he wouldn't miss this time for anything. Shippou who for once was keeping him company was grinning at the obvious signs and winding the hanyou up enormously, but he was faster now and also knew the signs of the impending bonk to the head and dodged.

Inuyasha could only do this mainly at night while his mate was asleep, or she would have stopped him, using Sesshoumaru if she could. His brother and he had a good relationship now but they would still spar and the elder would play both Inuyasha and Kagome against the other albeit in good humour now. This time, not long before Kagome would return through the well, was wonderful ammunition to the Daiyoukai and he had extracted all sorts of fairly good natured promises from Inuyasha to keep the boy's secret spying activities away from his mate.

But in fact, the elder brother sympathised with the younger one, and it didn't matter how long Kagome had been mated to Inuyasha, there were some things a human just didn't understand about Inuyoukai nature. The fact that Inuyasha felt even more protective of the young and as yet unmated Miko than he had done before the well sealed; that he saw her as vulnerable now from an almost paternal but not quite, viewpoint having daughters now, it was as if Kagome were in two roles.

Kagome didn't doubt that Inuyasha felt this way and she certainly didn't ridicule him, but she couldn't empathise. To her it was a sad time that she remembered too clearly sometimes, but she had returned and they had a wonderful life together. But for Inuyasha his protective instincts were not to be denied and they drove him, a little too much she felt sometimes.

Besides which, he remembered how things had been for him on the other side of the well during this same time. He had refused to give up hope that Kagome would return even when the others had started to. Again this was partly his Inu nature, but he was also pining deeply for the girl, and Inuyasha could still feel the pain of separation if he thought back. Kagome didn't know all this; it would have upset her if she knew just how often he had been alone mentally if not physically.

In fact had it not been for the frequent visits of Sesshoumaru to see Rin and also to encourage him, Inuyasha might have left the village to return to the lonely life he led after his mother died. Likely he would have become suspicious of all as their lives progressed normally, only returning to test the well again. There were times he could still almost taste his despair, when the desperation had been at its height, times when only Miroku or Sesshoumaru had helped him through.

So although the sibling rivalry continued in a far friendlier manner now, Inuyasha had a lot to be grateful for, in the improving relationship he was starting with his brother in the past. In fact it was only a hundred and fifty years later that Inuyasha formally recognised his brother as Alpha over his own family too, and went to live at the Western Palace. Sango and Miroku were long gone by then of course, as were their children, and the world was changing; so the two brothers were finally united in more than their already by then, firm friendship.

That was enough reminiscing, Inuyasha thought as Shippou watched him, the kitsune never teased the hanyou over his memories, as he too remembered and could understand; but once the thoughtfulness had passed, Inuyasha was once again at his mercy. Inuyasha's stomach growled again, it was nerves and excitement he told himself and it would do well to shut up. There was enough excitement at home as it was with Kagome and this they could all understand too.

Once her younger self went through the well, the older version could test for the right time to re-appear to her family and introduce them to the grandchildren. There were a couple of pups who were still young enough to appease grandmotherly tendencies to spoil and could delight her with their pretty puppy ears.

So while Rin and Kagome shopped and planned for the grand reunion and the introductions to the by now large and extended families, Inuyasha, Shippou and sometimes Sesshoumaru kept well out of the way and haunted the shrine. With not too long to go now Inuyasha was finding it even harder to stay calm and so he wasn't allowed by Sesshoumaru to visit the shrine unless he or Shippou was with him.

Of course Shippou was beside himself with amusement, that he was charged with babysitting his father-in-law and didn't let Inuyasha forget it. He and his mate, who was Inuyasha and Kagome's eldest, had soon found out they were as bad as each other as the little girl was growing up, and it was a natural and inevitable progression for the two to become mates. Shippou often teased Inuyasha saying that she was more kitsune than Inu.

But for all that, Inuyasha had never regretted allowing his adopted son to become his son-in-law; Shippou was a good mate to their daughter, a good father, and had proved a responsible adult. In most things, he could be relied on; this of course was the reason why, Sesshoumaru had asked him to be here with Inuyasha in the first place.

Inuyasha was nervous, so much hinged on Kagome and her desire to see Inuyasha again and why Houjou had made the hanyou nervous; in fact, why everything made him nervous. He was secretly afraid that Kagome would move on; it had permeated his thoughts in the past and also since the well had sealed in the future. No reasoning worked in the long term to convince him that his mate was still with him, to dispel the true depth of his insecurity, and it wouldn't until she vanished back to the past.

Inuyasha's stomach rumbled loudly causing a great grin to split Shippou's face, which suddenly turned to horror as his mate's father leapt to Kagome's window and lifted the sash letting himself in to sit quietly on the floor. The nostalgia he felt was great and he breathed in the virgin scent of his mate to be; thinking how very young she was, as he looked on her sleeping face. She didn't change much in all the years, but maturity always leaves its mark, Kagome here and now was only a very young woman.

He wanted to kiss her, but even he knew that would be a big mistake, Kagome had a sixth sense about her where he and their pups were concerned and would wake, no matter how good Inuyasha's concealment. So he did what he came for, he knew that Kagome always kept crisps in her bag and although this was a new one, as she had left the old one at Kaede's, Inuyasha had come to be very familiar with it too.

As he rummaged around inside, he heard the rustle of the crisp packet and started to leave with his plunder, but he heard a sudden sad sound as Kagome called his name. She was in her waking sleep and thought herself back in the past with the familiar sounds of Inuyasha searching her bag. As she started to come too properly and sit up, Inuyasha had to think quickly, he mustn't be discovered at any cost.

The answer came and he grinned evilly as he picked up Buyo and tossed her at the bag. The indignant cat got a scratch in, but it worked and all Kagome could see when she put on her lamp was a disgruntled cat meowing crossly and glaring at the window. She stared at the cat for a long while before turning the light off again.

But there was no need for Shippou to threaten Inuyasha with Sesshoumaru's retribution for his reckless excursion; his father-in-law's ears were plastered already to his head as he could hear the heartbroken Kagome calling his name as she sobbed into her pillow.

"Perhaps this will put your mind to rest as to whether the child wants you or not Inuyasha; enjoy your crisps." Sesshoumaru said, appearing suddenly and rebuking his brother before he left with Shippou, knowing that Inuyasha would now spend a miserable night overseeing his young mate-to-be.

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