BlueMoon Goddess: Merry Christmas everyone! I'm back with another chapter! I hope everyone is having a good Christmas, despite what is going on now.
Disclaimer: I don't own InuYasha, its characters (except the OC's) or the story 'The Tycoon's Convenient Bride…And Baby' by Shoshanna Evers
Summary: After their friends go missing, Inuyasha and Kagome plan to raise the child as their own. However, their friends will stipulates that the baby can only be raised by a married couple. So the only solution would be for him and Kagome to marry for the sake of the baby. And he'll keep his attraction to her at bay. It's just a marriage of convenience, but Kagome's unexpected feelings for him have her thinking.
Inuyasha sat in the lushly appointed restaurant near Central Park West and stared at the white linen tablecloth beneath his wineglass. His brother was late, as always. How the man had become successful as a businessman, despite his complete disregard for punctuality, was beyond him. Especially when he always got on Inuyasha's case for being late for certain functions.
"Are you ready to order, sir?" The waitress asked, refilling his water glass.
"I'm still waiting on someone." Inuyasha said, looking toward the front door. "Two someone's, actually. My wife won't be here for another half hour or so, but my brother should be here shortly. In the meantime, I could go for another glass of bourbon."
His brother waltzed in at that moment, guided to the table by the hostess. Already his older brother was drawing the attention of every woman in the restaurant. Who could blame them, he was a good looking, knee-length silver-haired man with pale skin, golden eyes he and Inuyasha had inherited from their father. Not to mention the wealth his work had acquired attracted a lot of single willing females. Of course that included the occasional gold-digger as well.
"Sesshomaru." Inuyasha said, politely. "Glad you can make it."
"Where is she?" Sesshomaru asked, looking around the restaurant.
Damn. He hadn't told him why they were meeting for dinner, but it seemed he'd already gotten his information. At least he'd have some time to warm him up to the idea before Kagome finished up with work and met them.
"I heard you eloped." Sesshomaru said abruptly. "Tell me that is not true." His gaze fell on Inuyasha's left hand, where the platinum ring shone brightly. "For God's sake, Inuyasha."
"It's not what you think." Inuyasha said, already feeling on the defensive. The waitress came back and they ordered their entrees since Kagome told him she'd already have eaten by the time she got to the restaurant.
"I thought you were smarter than that." His brother took a sip of his water before continuing. "Getting married was a foolish move."
"I had no choice." Inuyasha said. "When Miroku and Sango went missing it was the only way I could keep his children out of the foster system."
Sesshomaru's jaw tightened. "Please tell me you did not bring children into this debacle."
"I had no choice." Inuyasha repeated.
"You had every choice in the world. You could have let someone qualified to parent children raise them. You did not have to get married. You chose to. It was yourchoice, not something fate handed you."
Inuyasha could see the truth in his brother's words. He'd been a happy bachelor with zero intention of settling down. Why had he chosen to take on a wife and children? Yes, he had wanted to help his friends. Yes, he loved those kids, but there was something about Kagome that had made him want to rise to the challenge. If it had been any other woman in the deal, it would've been a no-go. But for Kagome? He'd practically jumped at the chance.
Sesshomaru glared at him. "What do you even know about that woman, anyway? She could take you for all your money. Demand alimony. You have gotten yourself legally bound to someone for the rest of your life, without even consulting me first."
"If I'd consulted you first, you would've talked me out of it. Which is why you weren't consulted. Besides, I've known Kagome for years since she's best friends with Miroku's wife. Plus, you've met her as well."
"I have talked to her briefly, at parties over the years. As far as I'm concerned, she's a stranger, albeit a stranger who is friend's to your business partner."
Inuyasha took a sip of his bourbon. It tasted too good to be wasted on him right now, when he was so worked up he could barely focus on his dinner.
The waitress brought their steaks, cooked exactly the way he liked it. Inuyasha sliced a thin piece, admiring the pink center and the pan-seared perfection. Perhaps he could focus on dinner, after all. He hadn't eaten steak in ages in an attempt to keep his arteries healthy.
"Please tell me you at least had her sign a pre-nup?" Sesshomaru asked him.
"Yes, of course I did. Everything's in place for when we split."
His words made Sesshomaru pause causing him to place his fork and knife on the table. "You are having problems so soon? You have only been married for a couple months and you already have plans to split up?"
"Yeah, we really only married to satisfy the terms of the will." Inuyasha explained. "We'll probably get legally separated—" when Miroku and Sango come back, he almost said. But as far as Sesshomaru knew, they were gone forever. "Um, and have joint custody of the kids, like how some of your clients do."
"I would advise against joint custody. In most cases it turns out horribly for both parties. However," He suggested. "you don't have to be married much longer. Just adopt the children, make it official, and then you can get out of it."
"I'm confused. Didn't you say joint custody wasn't a good idea?"
"For some of my clients, it isn't, but those children involved with my clients were their blood, not just an obligation."
Those children weren't just an obligation. Not girls and Mizu had become a huge part of his life. Inuyasha would always be there for them, even after Sango and Miroku returned.
If they found them.
He shook his head. He couldn't worry about them now. He was already doing everything in his power to find them. And if they did manage to find them, alive hopefully, he and Kagome would be done. But that thought didn't sit well with him at all. Getting to spend this amount of time with her made him see that settling down with a being married with a wife and children weren't so bad. Apart of him felt bad for thinking this, but he did hope they didn't find their friends right away. This way, he could stay with Kagome and enjoy this time with her.
Just then, the hostess arrived, showing Kagome to the table. Both men stood. She looked beautiful, as always, still dressed from work in her navy blue skirt suit and heels. Her long ebony hair had been brushed free from its usual clip, and she'd painted her lips with something glossy that made her look right at home in the posh restaurant.
"Ms. Higurashi." Sesshomaru greeted, taking her hand in his and giving it a light shake. "Nice to see you again. My condolences for your loss."
"Good to see you, too." Kagome replied, neatly ignoring his sympathies as Inuyasha pulled her chair out for her to sit.
She'd never gotten a chance to get to know Sesshomaru. She only met him a few times at various functions, and from what she knew about him, he was rich, handsome, and a very private guy.
"So Ms. Higurashi," Sesshomaru started, "Never would I imagine that you and my idiot of a brother would be married."
"I don't think anyone could've guessed I'd be marrying Inuyasha." Kagome admitted. "Not even us."
"So how could you marry each other, if you two hated each other?" Sesshomaru asked.
"Hated each other?" Inuyasha asked. "What makes you say that?"
"You two did not really get along from how I always saw you interact. In fact, I can recall a few occasions when you embarrassed yourselves to the point of being escorted out of certain functions. Not to mention that after a few months ago, you two avoided each other like the plague. So you can imagine how strange this situation is."
Kagome had to admit, Sesshomaru had a valid point. They never got along for as long as they knew each other. Every time they saw each other they would always bicker and even get into verbal matches. She could actually remember the times they have gotten kicked out of places because of the way they acted. The only times they actually were cordial to each other, where Kagome could recall, were Miroku and Sango's wedding, the kid's birthdays and of course their little tryst. Though Kagome certainly wasn't going to tell Sesshomaru that.
"Your right." Kagome said. "Though after so many years of knowing each other, we have managed to get along for when we need to. Besides, I had once warned myself away from Inuyasha. I knew that I was too good for him."
Inuyasha squeezed her hand under the table and grinned at her as Sesshomaru let out a small chuckle. Apparently she'd said the right thing, although saying that she had warned herself away from Inuyasha was a major understatement.
"You picked a very smart one, Inuyasha. She certainly knows better." Sesshomaru said.
Kagome's cell phone rang and she reached into her bag. "I'm sorry." She said to them, as she stood. "I have to take this. It might be the nanny."
Inuyasha stood as she answered the call. "Is everything all right?" He asked. "Are the kids okay?"
The line buzzed with a bad connection, and Kagome put her hand up to silence him. "Who is this?" She asked, not willing to hang up just in case there was an emergency at home. She kicked herself for not programming the sitter's cell number into her own phone, since she'd figured they'd be home all night and she had the home number. What if something happened at the penthouse and now the sitter was outside, trying to call from her cell?
"Mrs. Takahashi?" A male voice asked. "Is this Mrs. Takahashi?"
"Yes, this is she." She didn't recognize the number or even the area code. The line buzzed again, and she stood, walking toward the front of the restaurant where it would hopefully be quieter. "Hang on."
Standing by the maître de, she glanced back at Inuyasha and Sesshomaru. Inuyasha was standing and coming toward her, concern creasing his face. "Can you hear me?" She asked the person on the other end of the line. "Who is this?"
"Your husband wasn't answering his phone." The man said apologetically. "This is Captain Turner. We…we found Sango and Miroku."
The phone slipped through her fingers and fell to the restaurant floor just as Inuyasha reached her side. She grabbed Inuyasha's shoulder for support as he bent down to pick up the phone.
"They found Sango and Miroku." She said, her voice barely audible above the din of the other diners.
Inuyasha took the phone outside, seemingly determined to find out what was going on. As for herself, Kagome could barely move. She watched Inuyasha pacing the sidewalk in front of the restaurant, the cool night air making him stand with his arms crossed. Or perhaps he stood like that because he was upset. They'd found their friends. That's why they'd done the search, right? To find them. But part of her had hoped Sango and Miroku were tucked away safely somewhere. If they'd been out on the sea all this time…the thought made a sob hitch in her tight throat.
Maybe it would've been better to keep the hope alive. To always wonder if perhaps her friends were living happily on some desert island somewhere in the middle of the ocean, like the Swiss Family Robinson. She'd felt in her gut that they were alive. Now she knew otherwise.
Inuyasha burst back into the door and walked past her, calling over his shoulder to her. "I'll pay the bill and tell Sesshomaru what happened. You stay there."
She stared down at her trembling hands. The hope was vanished. Her friends were truly gone. Perhaps now, if she let well enough alone, she could find the closure she needed and she could adopt the girls and Mizu as her own, knowing she wasn't infringing on Sango and Miroku. Kagome hadn't stayed on the phone long enough to find out, but certainly Inuyasha knew if…
He came back to her, holding her arm as he escorted her outside into a waiting yellow taxi cab.
"So—" She started, her voice catching in her throat. "So what do we tell the girls?"
"What do you mean? Didn't the Captain tell you that what happened?" He replied.
The tears she'd been keeping in for so long spilled down her cheeks. "I…you took the phone from me." She whispered.
"Are you okay?" He asked.
"Not really." She admitted. "I suppose…at least this way we'll be able to have a proper funeral. Bodies to bury. A gravestone for the kids to visit when they're older."
Inuyasha grabbed her hand, surprising her with his touch. She tore her gaze away from the city lights flowing past the taxi cab's car window and looked at him.
"You don't understand." Inuyasha said. "They were found alive. They were found on a small island a few miles out. They're going to be okay, thanks to you. The search plane saw a signal they sent out, and alerted the search boat, who went and got them."
Alive?
Kagome gasped, crying even harder now. Although they were tears of joy. She'd known they were alive. She had felt it in her soul.
"Are they…are they okay? Really okay?"
"I don't know all the details. Though according to the Captain, they seemed okay. They're going to the closest hospital to be evaluated, anyway."
"Where were they found? What's the closest hospital?"
"Cabo. They were out in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, apparently. Over two hundred miles outside where the previous search had been." Inuyasha shook his head. "I don't know the details about what happened. I feel like an idiot! I could've had them rescued so much earlier if I'd had your conviction."
"You couldn't have known." She said softly. "But I'm glad you took a chance on paying for more people to help."
"Let's go home and pack. We'll take the kids with us, since Miroku and Sango want to see them, of course."
"Are there flights now? Really?"
He grinned at her. "He's my business partner. I'm pretty sure this counts as a business trip, and we have access to a private jet. Hope you like flying."
She was going to have her friends back…and it was thanks to Inuyasha believing in her enough into looking for people everyone else in the world had given up on.
Inuyasha pulled back away from her kiss.
"What's wrong?" She asked, confused.
He looked uncomfortable. "Nothing's wrong, but you don't need to do that, you know. There's…there's no reason for us to be married anymore."
His words hit her like a slap in the face. Of course, with their friends able to reunite with their children, there was no need for her and Inuyasha to continue with their marriage. They could get legally separated and divorced as soon as possible.
"Let's worry about that when we have Miroku and Sango safely back home." He said, suddenly all business again. "There's no time to deal with paperwork right now. We have a flight to make."
Paperwork—meaning, their marriage. Emotions warred within her. Joy that her friends were safe. Relief that she was now free to choose who to marry. Agony that it would not, could not, be Inuyasha.
Mere hours later, the jet stood waiting on the tarmac for them, seeming to glow against the dark night sky.
"She's fueled up and ready to go." The pilot said, as Kagome stepped up the metal staircase to the small aircraft.
"Thank you." She replied, although she imagined the update was more for Inuyasha than for her. Still, she couldn't help but be impressed. She'd never flown in a private jet before.
The interior reminded her more of a modern living room than a plane. Huge white leather reclining chairs with cup holders were situated facing each other, the better to run in-flight business meetings, she imagined. One chair had an infant car seat already strapped in place for Mizu.
"I'm glad you remembered." She whispered. She'd been so overwhelmed with packing for the impromptu excursion that she hadn't given herself any time to think about what a great father Inuyasha had become to the kids. Not that it mattered now. Now that the kids would have their real father back.
"We'll be in Cabo by daybreak." The pilot said. "The weather is looking good, so I don't anticipate much in the way of turbulence."
"Thanks for doing this on such quick notice." Inuyasha said.
The pilot grinned. "You're the boss. And I'm happy to have the privilege of bringing you to see Mr. and Mrs. Morrow. Such a miracle."
A miracle, yes. If that wonderful miracle came with the sad after-effect of leaving her on her own again, so be it. Giving the girls and Mizu back to their parents was worth it. No matter what, Kagome was still their Godmother. She'd always have a place in those kids life. But she no longer had any excuse to stay in Inuyasha's life.
And damn if that didn't hurt.
Sunlight shone through the small windows lining the aircraft's walls. Kagome shifted in her reclining seat and stretched, raising the seatback to be upright. They were landing. The girls and Mizu continued to sleep soundly, thank goodness. She could give Mizu another bottle and a diaper change when they landed.
"How'd the flight treat you?" Inuyasha asked.
"Best flight of my life, once the kids got settled." She said, surprised at the realization. "It was so easy to sleep with these chairs lying completely flat."
"Good." He said, sounding pleased. "We'll need to be well rested for the day ahead. I've got a car meeting us to take us straight to the hospital."
Right away? They wouldn't even have time to freshen up a bit first? She shook her head. Why was she procrastinating on seeing Sango and Miroku? She couldn't wait to be reunited with them.
"They want to see the kids." Inuyasha said, pulling her out of her thoughts.
"Of course." And of course this was how it would have to end for them, she'd known that all along.
"Oh, I asked the housekeeper to water the roses for you while we're gone." He added.
"Thank you." Her voice broke unexpectedly. He'd remembered.
The pilot's voice came over the intercom into the cabin. "Welcome to beautiful Cabo San Lucas, Mr. and Mrs. Takahashi. The weather is eighty-five degrees Fahrenheit and sunny. Enjoy your stay."
'I only have a few more days of being Mrs. Takahashi.'She had to make them count.
Kagome wished she could take Inuyasha's hand as they navigated down the halls of the large, Americanized hospital where their friends had been taken, but her hands were occupied with steering Mizu's stroller and he had both girls on each side of him. They entered the building under a sign that said Emergencia, hoping to find out where the couple was recuperating.
"Buenas dias." Inuyasha said to one of the nurses, his accent not bad at all, at least as far as Kagome could tell.
Since when did he speak Spanish? He said some more stuff in Spanish, but when the nurse responded, she spoke in English, as if she could tell that Kagome couldn't understand what was going on.
"We are so pleased to be able to care for Señorand SeñoraMorrow." She said, in heavily accented English. "Their story is truly miraculous. Every newspaper is here."
"Every…newspaper?" Kagome asked, confused.
"Si, Señora." The nurse responded. "Being a victim of the turned-over cruise ship and surviving on an island until help arrived is big news."
Inuyasha looked over at Kagome with concern on his face, and then spoke to the nurse. "I don't want reporters and cameras interfering with their reunion with their children. I need you to make sure they are nowhere near their room."
"It's already arranged." She replied. "We didn't wish for the reporters to interfere with Señorand SeñoraMorrow's recovery as well. They've been instructed to wait outside."
"Gracias." Inuyasha said.
Kagome's pulse raced as they followed her down a maze of brightly lit hallways and up an elevator to the east wing of the hospital. Having Inuyasha by her side felt so right. Was this the end? Did it have to be?
"Are you ready?" Inuyasha asked her.
"I've been waiting and hoping for this moment since the night you told me they'd gone missing." She said truthfully.
"Don't worry." He said, his voice unnaturally cheery. "You won't be stuck married to me much longer."
"That's not what I meant." It must be what he meant, though.
They'd arrived at the right door. They knocked and stepped inside. Sango and Miroku each lay in separate narrow hospital beds on either side of the room. The curtains had been pulled open, allowing the bright sunshine into the sterile-looking room.
A bag of IV fluid hung on a tall metal pole near Sango, dripping clear fluid into her arm. Her skin, normally a beautiful warm but light color, had tanned a bit. She looked beautiful, because she was alive, and she was smiling at Kagome and Inuyasha from her bed.
"Oh my God." Sango said, surprise filling her voice. "You're here. Miroku, wake up. They're here!"
Miroku sat up in the hospital bed and grinned his classic huge smile, his teeth gleaming white against his overly tanned face. "Thank God."
"Mommy! Daddy!" Saki and Sachi yelled excitedly, as they ran to their beds and gave them a huge hug.
"Daddy, are you okay?" Sachi asked her father. "Did you get hurt while on vacation?"
"Oh girls, mommy and I got into a bit of trouble, but we're fine."
"Mizu." Sango whispered, tears rolling down her face. "Can I hold him?"
Inuyasha lifted Mizu out of his stroller and gently placed him in her mother's arms. The baby smiled at Sango, snuggling into the thin white hospital sheets around her.
"I've missed you so much." Sango cooed, kissing Mizu's downy head. "I thought I'd never see you again." She burst into tears.
Miroku got up and swung his legs over the side of the bed, grabbing the IV pole, and carefully brought it over to his wife's bed to see his son.
Kagome looked at the IV poles skeptically. "So you're really both okay?"
Miroku still looked the same. Besides the slight tan, and the fact he looked like he got a bit leaner, probably from spending so many days on the island. They must have eaten well, from whatever they could find.
"Don't worry, Kagome." Miroku said with a laugh. "They're just rehydrating us or something while they keep us overnight for evaluation. We're both fine."
Tears filled her eyes and she ran to his bedside, wrapping her arms around him, being careful of the IV tubing. "I knew you were okay. I'm curious on how you guys managed to get to that island."
"It's a long story. I'll save it for another time." He said. "We're lucky your plane spotted us, because I'm not sure how long we would've lasted on that island. Though I must admit, it was pretty nice living out my Blue Lagoon fantasy."
Both Kagome and Inuyasha groaned in disgust. "C'mon, they're children in the room for God's sake."
"Too much info, Miroku." Kagome agreed.
Miroku picked Mizu up and hugged him tightly, while the girls went to Sango to give her hugs. "And the thought of you and your sisters kept us going, little man." Miroku told Mizu.
Kagome felt completely overwhelmed with emotion. Seeing her friend's return was wonderful on its own, but witnessing them reunited with their children after being away for so long, she hastily wiped a stray tear from her cheek.
A small part deep inside Kagome felt the acute pain of losing the instant family she'd had the chance to be a part of. She pushed that part down even deeper, hiding it beneath her joy that Sango and Miroku were alive and well and able to resume full parental duties.
And as much as she'd enjoyed caring for her godchildren, what she'd miss most of all was being married to Inuyasha. She'd known going into it that it would only be temporary, but now that the time had come…
Inuyasha took her hand in his, as if he sensed her feelings. He still seemed so guarded, though, so clear in his statements about their relationship coming to an end. Somehow, despite her best efforts, she'd gotten completely enmeshed in their marriage, while Inuyasha hadn't. Had she imagined the bond forming between them? Was the emotional connection they'd formed totally one-sided? Inuyasha was so hard to read. She wished she could understand him based on his actions and not his words, since they were so at odds with each other. He made love to her passionately one moment and talked calmly about getting a divorce the next. What was going on in his mind?
"We'll be staying at a hotel here in Cabo with you until you're ready to come back home." He told Miroku. "The kids can stay with us so you can recuperate, if you like."
"No!" Sango said, panic filling her voice. "No, I…I want them here." She said more calmly.
"We can ask a nurse to bring in and extra bed for them to sleep in. And bring a bassinet for Mizu along with the kid's essentials, maybe a play pen." Kagome said quickly. She couldn't imagine being in Sango's shoes, not seeing her children for so long and then having to be away from them again for even a second.
"Thank you, Kagome." Sango said, smiling at her children.
Kagome wondered if Inuyasha felt as conflicted about their marriage coming to an end as she did. He didn't show any sadness on his face. No…he just looked thrilled. Happy to have his best friend and business partner back. He certainly didn't seem to care that, with Miroku now officially alive again, Inuyasha no longer held both halves of the company. Not only had he spent a massive amount of money hiring his own private search crew to look for their friends, but when they found them, Inuyasha must've realized he'd lose millions of dollars. But he still did it and he did it all because she had asked him to. He'd never once said anything to show he cared about the money, or the business he'd gained from Miroku's disappearance. All he'd cared about was his friend's well-being…and hers. If she was trying to gauge his feelings for her based on his actions that said a lot. The fact that he'd done something that cost him millions, all for her peace of mind and for his friend proved that, without a doubt.
"Wait." Miroku said, stopping them before they left to give them time to reconnect with the kids in private. "Don't take this the wrong way, but how did you get guardianship of the girls and Mizu while we were missing?"
Inuyasha laughed. "No big deal. We just had to sign a few papers."
Kagome groaned inwardly. Apparently that's all their relationship was to him. Maybe she should pay more attention to his words instead of his actions. If she didn't, she'd have only herself to blame when he was gone and she was left with a broken heart.
"Sign a few papers?" Miroku asked. "To get around the stipulations in the will, you mean?"
"Um…" Kagome said. "Not exactly."
"Gome has Inuyasha's last name daddy." Saki said.
"What?" Miroku asked.
"Yea, when we went out they called Gome Mrs. Takashi." Sachi included.
Sango paled beneath her tanned skin, giving her two friends a look of shock. "You guys got married?"
Kagome nodded, trying to shrug like it was no big deal, the way Inuyasha obviously saw it. Just signed a few papers, la dee da. No biggie.
Miroku whooped with laughter. "Wow, I appreciate you guys doing what needed to be done for the kid's sake. I really do."
"What are you laughing about?" Inuyasha asked.
"Well—it's about time you two realized you were perfect for each other."
Kagome looked at Inuyasha. "Perfect for each other?"
Years ago the last thing she'd have labeled her and Inuyasha was a perfect match. They were more like perfect enemies. Two people who couldn't get along with each other to save their life and forced to interact because their two best friends were a couple. At least that's what they'd been at first. But things were changing, or had changed already. She wasn't sure. Kagome had known deep, deep down she'd always been undeniably attracted to Inuyasha. But she hadn't expected to like him.
"If you don't want to be together." Sango started. "At least you guys don't have to pretend to be married anymore. That must be a relief."
"Yes." Both Kagome and Inuyasha said at the same time, matching each other's flat intonation. She looked at him and he smiled, as if they weren't casually discussing the end of their marriage.
Oh please. It wasn't like it was a real marriage anyway. So why make a big deal of it?
Right?
BlueMoon Goddess: Yea, Miroku and Sango are alive and well! I know some of you were worried that they wouldn't be found. And I hope you guys liked the appearance of Sesshomaru in this chapter and him somewhat acting like a brother to Inuyasha.
Anyway, I meant to mention this before but it'll be a while for the next chapter because, I just got a puppy! She's so adorable and full of energy that she'll take up my time and that means, I won't have much time for getting chapters done. Of course, when she takes a nap and crate training, I can do some writing. And like I always say, until next time! ^_^