"He knows, Kagome. He knows our secret."

Kagome's eyes grew wide in terror as well. Kagura's words sounded in her ears.

"No," she breathed, locking eyes with Inuyasha. The fear she felt reflected in his amber eyes as well. "How? How could he know?"

"I don't know," he responded. "He's up to something, and I don't like it one bit. I promise you Kagome: I'll protect you and our baby with my life."

Inuyasha's terror had turned to rage. His normally arrogant but nonchalant countenance had changed to reflect his inner venom. He'd hated that half-demon spider for some time now, but those feelings paled in comparison to the loathing Inuyasha now felt.

He let out a low growl. "If that bastard comes near you, I'll shred him to pieces with my bare hands."

As Kaede entered hut, she was appalled at the scene laid out before her. Inuyasha bore a vicious sneer on his face, and his claws were bared. One could aptly compare him to a wild animal who was about to strike at cornered prey. Kagome appeared to be paralyzed with fear, white knuckles clutching the poor abused blanket and scarcely breathing.

"Inuyasha!" Kaede yelled out with a ferocity never seen by the group. Sango, Miroku, and Shippo looked to her with alarm and then turned their gaze to their fellow traveling companions.

"Have ye no decency? No compassion? I was unsure how ye would react to such news, but never would I have predicted such a reaction from you. I thought ye cared more for the girl."

"Kaede, what?" responded Inuyasha, perplexed. What's gotten into her?

Kaede's fist came down upon Inuyasha's head.

"Ow! Kaede, what the hell?"

The priestess drew a sutra and prepared to attack with it. She was surprised with how protective she suddenly felt over Kagome. "I have known ye for many years, Inuyasha, seen what ye are capable of. But surely, even you must understand that you had a part to play in this. Ye cannot blame Kagome!" Kaede's sutra landed with exact precision onto Inuyasha's forehead. The half-demon's head slammed into the floor.

"You dumb old hag! I wasn't trying to hurt her!" came his battered voice from the floor.

"Oh, Kaede, please, it wasn't anything like that," spoke Kagome for the first time since the group had entered.

"Heh," laughed Shippo under his breath. "He's had it coming for a while one way or another."

"Shippo!" growled Inuyasha from under the weight of the sutra.

Miroku and Sango looked from Inuyasha to Kaede and then to Kagome. "Yes, Kagome, please tell us what's going on. I'm sure that Sango and Shippo are as confused as Lady Kaede and I."

Kagome's face flushed once again, but this time, the girl did not look down or fidget with her blanket. She stared proudly at her friends and said with a big smile, "I'm having a baby!"

Sango, Shippo, and Miroku stared speechlessly for a moment. Shippo broke the silence, "...a baby? But...how?"

Sango hastily pushed the fox demon aside so as to avoid any embarrassing questions for Kagome and went to hug her friend. "That's such wonderful news for you, Kagome! I'm so happy for you."

"Yes, Kagome, congratulations!" Spoke Miroku, who had recovered from his shock as well. "I take it Inuyasha is the father?" he asked with a chuckle.

"Hey! What the hell is that supposed to mean, Miroku?" yelled Inuyasha's muffled voice, face still stuck to the floor.

"Oh, nothing meant," Miroku chuckled and winked at Sango who smiled in return. "I suppose then that congratulations are in order for you as well, Inuyasha."

"Humph," came from a disgruntled Kaede. She remained by the door, arms across her chest, eyes closed. Kagome noted with amusement that her current demeanor was incredibly similar to a certain half-demon that she knew. "Still, Inuyasha, none of this explains why ye bared your fangs at Kagome."

"I told you already, old woman, that's not what happened! Now someone get this damn thing off of my head!"

Kaede grunted in disapproval but leaned down and removed the sutra. Inuyasha sat up rubbing his head where it had made contact with the floor. He glared at the priestess then looked to Kagome. He took her hand in his own, caressing her skin with his thumb. He looked up to the group with a solemn but resolved look on his face and spoke, "Naraku knows about our baby. He's toying with us, and I don't know what he's planning. But if he's smart, he won't lay a finger on Kagome."

Kaede started at this revelation. "Naraku? What could he possibly want with a baby?"

Miroku spoke soberly, "more than likely, he wants to use the child as a means to manipulate and hurt Kagome and Inuyasha. A way to further corrupt the Shikon Jewel."

Sango nodded in agreement, thinking of her own brother. "A cruel game of sorts," she spoke.

"Right," nodded Inuyasha. "Which is exactly why we can't let Naraku get anywhere near Kagome. I think that the safest place for her may be back through the well."

"No way!" yelled Kagome indignantly.

"I'm not going to discuss it, Kagome," Inuyasha hissed. The half-demon had once again crossed his arms across his chest and was looking away with closed eyes and a set jaw.

"Then we don't have to discuss it. I'm not going back."

"Yes, you are," Inuyasha gritted through clenched teeth.

"No, I'm not," ground out Kagome.

"I'm not sure who's more scary," squeaked Shippo, who was hiding behind Kaede.

"Inuyasha," spoke up the elder priestess, "might it not be better for ye to stay with Kagome?"

Inuyasha opened his eyes, "well, yea…"

Miroku, picking up on were Kaede was going, chimed in. "And will you really be able to sit idly by in Kagome's world while we battle with Naraku?"

"No way in hell am I letting you handle him without me. Naraku's mine," seethed Inuyasha.

"So, it's settled then!" exclaimed Kagome happily. "Inuyasha stays with me, and I stay on this side of the well!"

"Hey, wait a minute!" Inuyasha yelled, realizing that he'd been duped. "I didn't agree to that!"

"Inuyasha?" asked Kagome.

"Yea?"

"Sit, boy!"

"Awwwwwwwwwhhhhhhhhh!" Inuyasha face-planted to the floor of the hut for the second time this morning. "Kagome, whyyy?"