{• Damned Deed •}
.•°.Chapter 36: Nearing Rearing. °•.
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Everything started to go by so quickly that before I knew it I was almost due. In a short period I was certain that we'd be a complete family. Well, not complete. We'd never be complete without our first born but… as complete as we were going to be. It would be Inuyasha, me, and our child.
And everything would be magically better, I actually started to believe that. I was certain our child would be born into a safe world where Inuyasha could protect us all. I guess in hindsight that was silly of me. I should have known better.
I should have seen a lot of things coming, though.
"I really want you to stay back," Inuyasha insisted as he glanced over his ever so pregnant wife a couple times. His eyes landing on her extended belly mostly before he carried on with what he always said. "I'll check the well, you stay with Miroku and Sango. Seriously, Kagome."
"I will," she muttered as her eyes shifted over to the home of their friends. She only hinted towards wanting to come with him but she knew better. For the safety of their child, she had to stay well within the barrier. It was just annoying most of the time.
How she longed for Naraku to be dead and their worries to be withered down to things that a normal couple got to concern themselves with - like, what's for dinner, when will her husband work again, where would he go, and when would he be home. Not when or if a horrific monster would try to kill them and their unborn child. No… that wasn't fair.
They had lost enough already, it wasn't fair that fate made them go through all of this, too. The thought of it all could make her cry, but that also had a lot to do with the fact that lately anything even slightly emotional could make her tear up - or get really mad, it just depended. When her hormones settled down after the pregnancy ended she would be ever so grateful.
"You alright?" Inuyasha dragged out, letting his golden gaze glance over his abnormally quiet wife. Usually when he was about to walk her the final steps to their friend's front door and go off to the well se would constantly talk. It was out of nervousness, and not always about something important, but she'd chatter away. This time something was obviously on her mind, and the glaze over her eyes made him think it was an unpleasant thought.
"I'm fine," she assured him with a weak smile as she reached up to place a hand on his cheek. "I'll miss you."
"I'll come back, just like always."
That's what he always said… and then I'd enter Miroku and Sango's home and try not to worry my head off while he was away with all the possibilities. With all the what ifs that drove me crazy. All the what ifs that could no longer make my head hurt… at least back then I had hope.
That hopes gone, and that's all my fault.
She wasn't sure how long he was gone, her eyes had been stuck on the window watching the clouds that moved by and attempted to try to decide what they looked like. It was silly but it helped keep her mind off things. She was safely in her friend's home, both of which were home, Miroku was taking a nap and Sango was making lunch for her children, so she was alone.
Until Kohaku came rushing in with a strange look on his face, one that made her bend a brow and ask, "what's wrong?"
"Inuyasha... he," Kohaku slowly started as he looked away, "it's not good… you better come."
That's all it took for her to get to her feet, with mild difficulty from her size, and follow Kohaku out of the house as fast as she could go. Worry made her heart pump so quickly that she was certain it would pop right out of her chest as her eyes continuously scanned forward in hopes of seeing her husband.
"Kohaku, what's wrong? What happened?" Kagome questioned time and time again as they rushed forward but all he did was shake his head and wave her forward. She barely even noticed when she crossed through the barrier to exit the village. Did he get attacked? Was he hurt?
All her thoughts were focused on her husband, not her own well-being and thus not that of the unborn child that she was meant to protect. When they were just a short distance into the forest outside of the village she stopped. Something was wrong - obviously - but there was something more going on there.
"Kohaku," she stated sternly, "where's Inuyasha?"
He was in front of her with his back to her, but she could tell not only from his silence but his stance that he wasn't alright. Then there was that slight shift in his aura… all of which made her start to take a couple of steps backwards. She was so stupid. So blind. She knew right then that she shouldn't have come.
The disgusting chuckle that tore out was so familiar, so sickening, that her heart sank as she placed both her hands on her bulging belly as she continued to go backwards. It didn't take long for the monster that managed to make her life miserable to come into sight, right in front of Kohaku, who he walked up to and patted on the shoulder.
"I was able to work my way back into his mind," Naraku explained with a sick smirk, "he's back under my control, so I brought you out here. I wanted to kill you myself. You and your unborn child, that is."
"You bastard," Kagome hissed with narrowed eyes, "leave Kohaku alone!"
"I think you should worry more about yourself than him," he countered as he took a step towards her, slowly she watched as one of his hands formed into something akin to a root, one that looked ever so sharp. Then he slashed it towards her, there was no way she could move quick enough to get out of its way - but in the end that didn't matter.
A sword sliced it in half to protect her, before she even knew it she could see red in front of her. Inuyasha. Of course he'd come, she just should have known.
"Damn it, Kagome," he growled so low that she knew he only meant for her to hear it. They hadn't time to talk about how idiotic she had been before he quickly took of his fire rat robe and pushed it towards her to cover herself. "Stay back."
Stay back meant leaving him, meant going back to the village, she knew that was what he meant but… she couldn't bear the thought of leaving him alone as he fought Naraku. Not knowing what happened to him… not being able to help but she knew that was the best thing to do as he ran forward to start a clash with the monster.
Really, it was the only thing for her to do. She had to keep their child safe and she would only be a burden to Inuyasha if she stayed so she waited until it was obvious that Naraku was far too distracted with Inuyasha's assaults for her to turn and rush back behind the barrier.
Just behind the barrier… so she could stay, watch, and wait for her husband's return. He had to come back to her - he promised he always would. Again, she tried to turn her gaze skyward and watch the clouds as they moved across the sky in hopes of distracting herself from the concern that ate away at her - that made her feel a burning sickness.
But… that didn't help. Not at all. When the clouds disappeared into the night sky she felt a terrible pain pang out through her - why would it take him that long? Why didn't she see any sign of him? Why, why, why…? Her eyes started to water, she felt light trickles of tears fall as she tried her utmost to keep a steady breath.
The only solace she got was the feeling of her hands on her stomach, knowing that their child was safe within her, that she could still feel her kicks.
"Kagome-sama," Miroku greeted, startling her so deeply she gasped and almost jumped. "My apologies, I didn't mean to scare you. What's wrong?"
"Inuyasha hasn't come back," she muttered as her hurt hazels turned towards the forest once more.
"But… when Sango and I noticed you were gone we assumed he had come to get you," Miroku countered with softly furrowed brows.
"N-Naraku attacked," she whispered, unsure if she could speak of it really fully without bursting into tears - which, would have been utterly useless to the situation, she knew.
Really, me just standing there all that time was pointless. I should have gone to Miroku and Sango for help to start out with but… I wasn't smart that day. Not at all. I was an idiot.
No, I am an idiot. I caused our problems. It's my fault that I lost most of his love. A part of him still loves me but most of his love is reserved for another now, for her… and I know it's wrong that I'm so jealous. That I envy her as much as I do but… love isn't sensible and I'm not either.
"I'll go find him," Miroku offered, he only made a small motion towards leaving the barrier before she grabbed his sleeve.
"No, it's too dangerous," she hardly wanted his children to grow up without a father.
He smiled at her as he placed his cursed hand upon hers and squeezed it lightly before he made her release him. "I will go find him," he stated softly yet stern enough that it was apparent she couldn't talk him out of it. A majority didn't want to, most of her wanted him to continue forward and make sure Inuyasha was fine… to bring her home to him.
Thus, that was exactly what Miroku did. Her heart ached all the more when she watched him walk out of sight and within the forest. But not nearly as much as it did when it seemed like an eternity had passed by before she saw the violet eyed monk come out of the forest… with a red coated Inuyasha.
Which was wrong since he had given her his red robe, so where did all that red come from?
Blood… it was blood.
It was all his, too.
She felt faint then, so much so that she almost fell over as she watched Miroku bring Inuyasha through the barrier, but she couldn't. All she could do was stare in disbelief at the sight.
"Is… he…?" she whispered shakily, "is he…?"
"Let us get him to Kaede-sama's quickly," Miroku replied as he readjusted his friend upon his back. "I am sure she will be able to help him."
To that, all she could do was nod her head.
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It was his back for the most part, there were wounds all over it, that was where most of the blood had come from that stained his white undergarment to the point that she felt she would just throw it away and get him a new one. It was beyond repair.
But he was alive. That was what was important - so very important. Both her and Kaede worked on him to make sure he got the best treatment, that he would surely get better. All waited anxiously for him to wake up, to reassure them all that he would be just fine.
One of the things she hated most of all during that time of waiting was explaining what had happened to her friends… to watch the sorrow seep deep into Sango's eyes at the knowledge that her brother was responsible for luring them into the trap. That his mind was once again lost to that monster.
"We'll get him back," Miroku had whispered to her as he squeezed her hands.
Then there was the waiting again, while he slept on his front in their futon, she sat beside the best with her legs laid out straight and her body propped up with her hands behind her. Her hazels constantly scanning up and down his ointment covered back. Those wounds were her fault…
When he finally stirred some her heart lightened just a bit, "Kagome…"
"Inuyasha," she whispered back as she reached out to place a hand on his shoulder, "I'm right here. We're safe… all three of us."
"Good," he muttered before he finally pried his golden gaze open to look over his wife and verify what she said was true.
"What happened?" she softly inquired as she placed her hand back on the ground to support herself.
"We fought for a while longer before he retreated," he answered simply, he probably would have shrugged as if it were nothing if not for the fact that it hurt when he moved. "I must have passed out…"
"Miroku went and got you," she explained, "I was so worried."
"You shouldn't leave the barrier," he grunted harshly.
"I know," she muttered with a deep frown, "I'm sorry but Kohaku said that there was something wrong with you and I… I just wasn't thinking. I'm so sorry."
"Just," he stopped to sight, "don't let it happen again."
"I swear I won't."
That seemed to satisfy him, since he just gave a weak nod against the futon and reached out his hand to place his hand on her rounded stomach. Quickly she rearranged herself so that most of her weight could be supported by one arm so she could place a hand over his. She was so thankful that he was there… that he was alright.
"I was so worried that you'd never get to meet our child, that I'd be all alone." Such thoughts had filled her head since she left his sight. "Inuyasha, you can't protect us if you are dead."
To that he scoffed, "I'll never die."
His cockiness was welcomed, it was reassuring, so she found the power to smile and stroke his hand with her thumb. For a while, she just relished in the silence, in the peace that surrounded them even if it was just for a short while. But then she decided that they needed a lightened subject to make both of them feel better.
So she said, "I think we are having a girl."
"Why are you so sure about that?" he inquired with a cocked brow.
"Just because we had a boy last time."
"That's not how it works," he countered, "it's not a boy-girl-boy-girl type of thing."
"I still think we're having a girl," she insisted with a smile, "why do you think we're having a boy?"
"Just 'cause," it wasn't scientific or anything, he just had a gut feeling. At least he wasn't trying to give some lame-ass excuse like she was.
"Would you rather have a boy or girl?" She inquired with a tilt of her head.
"I don't care either way," as long as the child was safe, healthy, and always with them then he'd be perfectly happy regardless of the gender.
"How about this? If we have a boy, you can name him, and if we have a girl, then I get to name her," she suggested.
"Fine, yeah, that sounds like a good idea," even though, if they did have a boy, he would never knew what to name him. He supposed he had to start thinking up names.
"I…" she cautiously began, trying her utmost to resist a smile. She wasn't sure if she should say it or not but she did. "I can't wait to hold her… I never got to hold him."
Him being the son that we never got to see. The one that I never got to hold. The one I wish I did get that chance every single day. I miss him. Is that possible? To miss someone I never really got to know? Someone I only ever get to see once? But... he was a part of me for so long.
A/N: Thank you for all the reviews. I appreciate all of them, long or short. I am sorry it took so long for this chapter to get out and that it's so short. I hope you enjoyed it anyway and that you are still enjoying the story. Anyway, thank you everyone for reading Damned Deed and sticking with it even though the updates aren't the best.