26.Family Duality
Inuyasha sat awake starring at a sleeping Kagome, he found himself doing this most nights now wondering about the pup growing within his beloved mate. There was also a since of anxiety that he just could not shake, Inuyasha was positive it was the lecture given to him from Mrs. Higurashi before they left Kagome's time, it was actually nearer to a threat than lecture, the woman practically cornered him one evening in the storehouse.
"You know Inuyasha Kagome is still in all rights a child, just because she is almost of legal age doesn't make her an adult. You are asking her to be not only a wife but also a Mother, and she may not be ready. But she loves you, as I do, what I am asking you to remember she is still young, and she will overwhelm easily. When it is time for the baby to come I want her home, with me. Her age puts her a some risk as well and the less time she spends in the past the better, now, Kagome will not want to leave her friends there, but you must convince her otherwise. Do you understand?" The normally happy woman had a look on her face of all seriousness, it unsettled the hanyou greatly, Kagome's mother was essentially afraid for her daughter.
"Listen, Kagome is my mate, an' Kaede can handle birthing our child. Don't worry." Inuyasha tried to shrug off the look, not thirty minutes prior to this they were making wedding arrangements, Mrs. Higurashi seemed elated then.
"Like the old woman handled Kagome when she nearly bled to death when your ex-girlfriend shot her with a arrow?" Kagome's mother's eyes narrowed, the defiant stare stunned Inuyasha stealing the words from his mouth, and his stomach flipped as if he had been punched.
Inuyasha felt as if the woman had just punched him in the gut with the force of one hundred men, simply with the mention of Kikyo. "I…I…that wasn't supposed to happen." The hanyou whispered hoarsely, his tongue suddenly felt thick, sticking to the roof of his mouth.
They stayed in Kagomes time for nearly 10 days, since the chat he and Kagome's mother had the woman had not brought the subject up again. Yet Inuyasha did get to experience some of Kagome's 'magical' technology; his mate would not leave until they saw the pup, so Inuyasha was present when he witnessed a tiny miracle, the heartbeat via sonogram of his two-week-old pup, and the sight left him speechless and Kagome and her mother in tears. Inuyasha lost his train of thought as Kagome rolled to him snuggling up against his body, her hand trailing across the muscles of his chest. Inuyasha took her hand in his kissing the open palm, she sighed hugging him tighter, a sleep induced smile on her lips, as Kagome slowly began to stir, her happy dreams interrupted.
Yawning, Kagome's eyes fluttered open; an even bigger grin adorned her lips at the sight of her hanyou. "You're watching me again? Inuyasha, relax, I am not going anywhere, I promise." Kagome tenderly kissed his chest drawing a purr from the hanyou. "You need to sleep Inuyasha, you must be exhausted."
"I need nothing but you Kagome, sleep is meaningless, I just have to keep you two safe, and closing my eyes is no way to protect you both." Inuyasha sat up pulling on his white shirt, as Kagome's arms came from behind him to tie it in place for.
"You're going to go out in the middle of the night pacing around your fathers castle like some lost spirit, why? Why can't you just relax?" Kagome flopped back to the futon her eyes locked onto the back of Inuyasha's skull. "We aren't in danger anymore Inuyasha, Naraku is dead, and the jewel is safe."
"I don't know why, I just have this feeling, I thought maybe because Kouga was here, but the pack had returned home, … I don't know, it's just if I let my guard down something will happen. It always does." Inuyasha slipped into his haori and grabbed Tetsusaiga. "Go back to sleep, I won't be far away, I swear."
Kagome deeply sighed and rolled to her side, her back to him. "Inuyasha, please, you need to loosen up, or you are going to be a nervous wreck by the time the baby is here you know."
Inuyasha paused at the open shoji, hanging his head, he hated leaving her like this, Kagome was probably right, and he was just being paranoid, but there would be no sleep for him this night. Add another in a long list of restless nights. "I'll be back."
The door slid closed, and Kagome flipped to her back now wondering if she would be able to get back to sleep. Fortunately within ten minutes she was snoring softly.
Inuyasha paced toward the damaged wing of the castle, still being repaired from weeks ago when Kagura first attacked, the gaping hole in the castles side was mended, and the new beams were up all looked stable. Inuyasha made his way to the outside, the remainder of the sakura stump where he found Rin's once lifeless body was still there, and Inuyasha knelt down still being able to smell the blood of the child and the scent of the powerful youkai from across the sea. Maybe that was why he was still so unsettled; they never found the woman's body, yet there was really no time to search the surrounding area. Naraku's forces bore down upon them so quickly after that brief encounter with Sesshomaru's Mother.
Striding to the castle wall following the blood scent, Inuyasha knelt down into the snow digging his clawed hand into the frozen ground bringing up the still sanguine stained earth. Sniffing at the soil, then tossing it down as he stood the uneasy Inuyasha leapt to the top of the wall breathing in all of the scents realizing the blood trail ended at the wall, not on it or over it for that matter, it simply vanished. The unnerving presence that there was still danger around his family chilled the hanyou to the bone, as he sat crouched upon the wall he pulled out the black and white picture of his pup from its hiding place in his sleeve. The image made him smile one again, here was proof that he was meant for something better with Kagome, bad feeling or not.
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Kagura awoke as the sun rose, she stood in the doorway of the master suite watching the morning snow fall in the tranquility of the garden, the kimono she wore fluttering in the cold breeze, her arms wrapped around herself as she smiled, still feeling as if she was living in a dream.
Her lord Sesshomaru lay watching her, his xanthic eyes locked on her calming form, this woman, once his enemy, now sharing his bed, but was he to allow her to share his heart as well? There had been many fleeting lovers, yet this vixen searched out long hidden emotions, sentimentality was for the week, and these conflicting impulses between his heart and mind complicated everything. By the Kami's he was even finding it easier to tolerate his pathetic half brother and his pitiable back of humans. Perhaps it was the miko's invisible influence, she would bare Inuyasha a child, something Sesshomaru never wished for, yet after the years with Rin, he found himself wondering if Kagura would bestow upon him an heir as well. How was one supposed to go about asking such a thing? He was the great Taiyoukai, why should he even have to ask?
"Do you take pleasure in this one's company lady?" Sesshomaru sat up in his bed, his silken hair messed, fell loosely around his shoulders, his clear saffron eyes watching her every diminutive body movement.
Startled, Kagura turned to him; a smile ornamented her lips, the cold zephyr dancing through her ebon hair. "My Lord these have been the happiest days of my life. I thank you, you have given me my life back, and there is no way I could ever repay you. I adore each moment you allow me to be in your presence milord Sesshomaru." Kagura closed the shoji, and returned to the foot of the futon. "Why do you ask?"
"You wish to repay this one's benevolence?" Kagura nodded, kneeling on the bed next to him. "There is a way." The wind youkai had a curious look on her face, as she took Sesshomaru's right hand in hers. "You will be mate to this one, and mother to the next Taiyoukai."
Outside in the hallway a tremendous clatter of breaking dishware and moans echoed into the youkai's chamber. Jakken lay in a debris field of broken cups and remains of the teapot, the steaming liquid in a puddle beneath him.
"What was that?" Kagura whispered the question, her mind still stunned after the statement of Sesshomaru.
"Jakken, he is of no concern. What do you say lady?" Sesshomaru's brows raised, surely Kagura would accept, what youkai female would not wish to be the mate to one as powerful as himself.
"Of course milord." The smile returned to the lips of the wind witch, her ruby eyes alight with excitement; this moment was too good to be true. "I would be honored."
"As you should lady." Sesshomaru heard Jaken's movements from beyond the wall and the giggling voice of Rin approaching. "Jaken, enter and bring Rin."
The girls footsteps came running toward the room at the mention of her name, Jaken pushed himself up surveying the damage he caused with a moan.
"My lord?" Jaken groaned out wearily.
"Yes milord?" Rin entered, the girls ever-present grin lighting up the room.
"You will respect this one as mate to your master, Jakken you will assist her and the other with whatever need they desire." The smile on Rin's face seemed to become even wider which seemed near impossible, yet it did, and the joy washing from the girl actually made Sesshomaru happy, not that he would show one bit of feeling, the Taiyoukai had shown enough feeling this morning enough to last him a decade. "You are pleased Rin?"
"Oh yes milord, I have loved the company of a castle full of people Lord Sesshomaru, especially Makkura and Shippo. I have friends for the first time in my life," Rin noticed the hurt expression on Jaken's face. "Master Jakken I did not mean that you and milord were not my friends, it was just Makkura and Shippo are more my age."
"It is settled then, the wolf pup Makkura may stay if he wishes, the Kitsune would be highly doubtable that he would leave Inuyasha's pack. But if you need friends you may have the pup." Rin yelped in excitement and leapt upon the bed and into Sesshomaru's arm enthusiastically hugging him, nearly tackling Kagura in the process. "What has this one become?" The youkai whispered under his breath, hugging Rin back briefly then setting her to the floor. "Go both of you."
Rin skipped to the shoji beaming. Jakken had turned a pallid gray/green color as the shoji closed behind Sesshomaru's two vassals, one ecstatic and the other upset to near illness.
"Master Jakken you do not look well?" Rin squatted down a bit to look him eye to watering kappa eye. "Are you crying?"
The Kappa blew his nose into his sleeve, wiped his eyes with the other, taking a deep breath before answering the girl.
"I am not crying you infuriating child, I'm just… just… happy for milord. He has chosen a mate," Jakken leaned over closer to Rin whispering. "no matter how foul of a woman he has chosen."
Rin straightened up, her beautiful smile turning into a definite frown. "Master Jakken, that is not nice, an' I like Kagura, she is very pretty, and she helped us all with Naraku. Even if she tried to kill Kagome and Lord Sesshomaru's mother." Rin stopped her talking for a brief moment. "Alright maybe she was bad once, but now she is worthy to be milord's mate, whatever that means. All I care about is that Makkura can stay here with us if he wants, I can't wait to tell him."
Jakken let out another painful sounding moan. "Why must it be a smelly wolf, they shed all over the place, and my allergies! Oh why milord did you have to say yes to the wolf?" Jakken whaled then turned to truly painful screeches as the vassal realized he had unwittingly stepped into the prior mess he made with the masters morning tea, his feet finding the pottery shards quite efficiently.
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Awaking alone now days in truth upset Kagome, and she was alone once again rolling over to the place where Inuyasha should be, only to find it empty, and the bed sheet cold. Sighing with frustration Kagome's eyes opened to the frosty morning, her only company was her stomach that growled, since being pregnant she had become an eating force to be reckoned with, even if the hunger should come later on in a normal pregnancy. Kagome's Mother was quick to point out that this was not a normal pregnancy being that her child's child carried the quarter youkai genetics. The tough part was being so hungry and nauseous at the same time.
Kagome groaned and put her bare feet to the floor a shiver creeping through her body, instinctively she wrapped herself in the bed coverings for warmth as Kagome made her way to her overstuffed backpack; her Mother really went overboard this time, but it had to be the unconscious thought of impending grand motherhood. Kneeling rifling through her backpack Kagome pulled out a sweater and jeans, realizing how alien she felt on this side when she was without her uniform, which matter of factly, had become more like a second skin, but now the tiny skirt refused to fit with the bloating that comes with the first trimester off pregnancy. Plopping down on her rear Kagome smiled rubbing the now slightly swollen area of her abdomen.
"So are you a boy or a girl? Do you have your fathers eyes, and my nose?" Kagome giggled, she remembered her science classes, her baby had more in common with a tadpole right now rather than a human, considering the pup was only the size of a pea. Lacing her fingers over her tiny bump Kagome gazed down lovingly, the bond was getting much stronger between the two, she whispered to her pup. "I hope you're a girl."
"You will be a wonderful mother Kagome, I actually feel a bit envious of you and Inuyasha."
Kagome jumped, being startled by the soft voice of her best friend, as Sango entered the room. "You scared me Sango. What are you doing wondering around so early this morning? Miroku irritating you already?"
Sango shook her head 'no' and knelt down on the floor next to Kagome. "No, he is still sleeping, and I wanted to come see you, we really haven't had much time alone since everything happened."
"How about we go to the hot spring? We always have our best heart to hearts there, plus no men to bother us." Kagome smiled warmly hugging Sango.
"Well I do not know about the privacy, you know Miroku, and you have lost the power over the 'sit' command with Inuyasha." Sango pulled back from Kagome, her hands neatly in her lap.
"Oh, I don't need sit any more when I can use intimacy against him, and withholding that with a male makes them jump through hoops of fire for you, haven't you tried it with Miroku?" Kagome got to her feet grabbing her clothes and soap from her bag.
Sango turned beet red, covering her face with her hands in embarrassment. "Miroku and I haven't, well, you know…"
Kagome's eyes widened to saucers, and she nearly fell over from shock, Sango stood up quickly going toward the door. "Sango stop! You mean you two haven't done, well, how could you not? I figured after Naraku's demise we would all be celebrating, oh Sango I'm sorry I didn't mean to embarrass you."
"It's okay, I'll meet you in the outside spring in a few minutes." Sango rushed from the room, still deeply self-conscious, her eyes to the floor, bumping into Inuyasha on his way in. "Sorry." Sango squeaked out, hoping the hanyou did not notice her flushed appearance.
"What was all that about? Is she okay?" Inuyasha walked to Kagome embracing his love passionately, lifting her from the ground, and kissing her fully on the lips, Kagome's clothes and soaps landed on the floor. "You get more beautiful every day."
"And you appear even more exhausted every day. Inuyasha I'm worried about you." Kagome met his gaze, her heart melting when he looked at her that way, with a small smile on his lips, she could feel the heat with in her rising, but she had a important meeting with Sango that even Inuyasha could not delay. "Alright before things get to the point where I can't stop and you definitely can't stop I gotta go. Sango needs me." Kagome squirmed her way back to her feet, but she was still happily trapped in his arms.
"I need you." The hanyou lustfully purred into her ear, sending a pleasant electricity through her, igniting each cell within Kagome's body instantly. Kagome smiled pushing herself from his arms. "Now why would you do that?"
"I told Sango I'd see her in a few minutes." Kagome scooped up her things.
"Well what I want to do will take longer than a few minutes." The sly smile on his face made Kagome even more week kneed.
"Gotta go." Kagome waved and sprinted out of the room, grinning ear-to-ear, proud of herself for pulling away from Inuyasha's animalistic desires.
Inuyasha laid down on the futon, a bit displeased with his mates' hasty retreat, but she looked happy, and that was all that was important. Once again the hanyou pulled out the pups picture, staring proudly at the tiny creature that would someday soon be he and Kagome's child, hopefully the first of many.
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Kagome burst into the bathhouse panting still smiling, delighted that Inuyasha had not taken up the chase, but also at the same time a little disappointed that he let her go so easily. Then again Inuyasha must be worn out, Kagome could not remember the last time he slept a full night beside her. Her thoughts were muddled and the call of the hot spring sounded so very lovely. Kagome undressed quickly pulling on her robe going out into the spring surrounded by glistening snow in the morning sunlight.
"Kagome." Sango seemed genuinely relieved that she had made an appearance; well knowing Inuyasha had the tendency to delay her friend very easily. "I thought for sure Inuyasha would persuade you from coming."
"Not today." Kagome shed her robe and slipped into the steaming mineral water, closing her eyes as the warmth seeped into her pores. "I am glad we get a moment to ourselves." Kagome felt her stomach rumble, she had briefly forgotten about the nagging hunger when she was side tracked by Sango, well it would have to wait.
"It seems odd to me, after all of the fighting we have done nonstop for the past few years, then to suddenly realize the danger is over, and there is actually hope for normalcy, it all feels like some dream. Are we really awake, or are we all in some elaborate plot orchestrated by Naraku?" Sango looked unsure of herself, as Kagome reopened her eyes peering at her like she was senseless. "Is it just me that feels like this? I mean I want to be happy, I want to marry Miroku and begin our life, but…"
"But you are unsure of yourself if you can let your guard down long enough to be truly happy?" Sango appeared even more distressed. "You are still blaming yourself for Kohaku aren't you?" Kagome bit her lower lip already knowing the answer her sister would give. Kagome knew full well she would be a mental basket case if she had killed Sota, but at least her time period allowed for psychiatrists'. What was there for Sango but the counseling of her friends and fiancée, and how many times could they all say it wasn't your fault, and you had no choice, if not for you Miroku would be dead. "Tell me what I can do to help Sango, you will cause yourself harm if you continue to blame your self, what does Miroku say about it all?"
Sango began to silently cry, breaking Kagome's heart seeing her like this. "Miroku is wonderful, almost always listening when he is not-"
"Grabbing your rear?" Kagome giggled, as did Sango.
"Yes, he continues telling me that I did the right thing, and that we should marry quickly and begin having children, that raising a family would give me joy in my life of constant fighting, what do you think?" Sango smiled through her tears whipping the few that remained on her cheek away with her hand.
"I think your husband to be is completely hentai, but it's the only way a man like Miroku knows how to be. I think in all honesty he cannot wait to bed you, guess all men probably are. Sorry about my comment earlier, I forget sometimes about how things are so different from my time. I really did not mean to embarrass you." Kagome waded over to Sango hugging her. "You know I'm always here for you?" Sango nodded. "As for Miroku if you don't marry him soon I think his head will explode."
"Do you think Kaede could make me some of those beads of subjection? It would be helpful to keep Miroku at bay. At least till the wedding night." Sango and Kagome laughed, both picturing the monk eating dirt as Inuyasha had done time and time again.
Sango smiled as did Kagome, and for a moment they were at ease with everything.
A/N: I know that it has been a while but the past 6 wks., has been simply frantic for me. Please it there is still anyone reading this R & R.