February 3

It was another oddly warm day and Inuyasha and I were sitting outside under a tree. He had convinced me to let him come outside even though he could still hardly move and he was using the tetsusaiga for support. But he said the fresh air would help him get better so I allowed it.

He was sitting with his arms crossed, likely frustrated at his condition. His whole body was still sore and it hurt to move. I know he hated having to be confined to sitting down but I insisted that he rest so he'll recover faster. I sat next to him bouncing Moroha in my arms singing songs to her. Despite the hard act he put on over being hurt, he was still smiling at the sight of our baby's happiness.

Then he felt something biting his cheek and slapped it, making Myoga tumble into his hand.

"Where the hell have you been?"

Myoga glared at him. "That's a nice way to greet people."

"I'm serious. Where have you been? I haven't seen you since Moroha was born."

Myoga sat on his knee. "It doesn't matter all that much where I've been. You wouldn't know who I was with anyway, besides Totosai. Now tell me, what happened to you? You look like something terrible happened."

"It's a long story, Myoga," I said to him.

Inuyasha sighed. "Kagome and I took Moroha for a walk the other day and ran into this crazy-ass demon that was going straight for the village so I killed it."

"And almost died in the process?" Myoga guessed.

"Shut up. I didn't almost die. I just got hurt and…passed out."

"It was very close but I did my best to save him," I said. At that, he put his arm around my waist and kissed me.

Suddenly, Moroha started crying and Inuyasha saw that Myoga was sucking her blood. He pulled him off her and glared at him. "Do you want to die?" he said threateningly.

Myoga gulped nervously. "Of course not, Master Inuyasha."

He rolled Myoga in his fingers as he spoke. "Then don't suck her blood."

I giggled. "Inuyasha, stop it."

He dropped Myoga to the ground. "Serves you right."

"Her blood tastes so much like yours," Myoga said.

"We should go for a walk, Kagome," Inuyasha said. He tried to get up but moved too fast and gasped as he felt a sharp pain.

I sat him back down. "No, we're not going anywhere. You're staying here, Inuyasha. You're still badly hurt, you need to rest."

"But…"

I kissed his cheek. "We'll go for a walk later, I promise. "

He sighed in defeat. "Fine."

I handed Moroha to him to distract him. "Here, take your daughter. She needs hugs from her daddy."

He took Moroha in his arms. "You need daddy hugs, huh Moroha?" She smiled and reached out for him. He kissed her then she grabbed onto his hair and started playing with it.

I ran my fingers through Moroha's black hair that was growing so quickly. She was content to be in her father's arms and I had a feeling this would also keep my husband occupied for a while.

"You know, your father was always very stubborn when he was injured as well," Myoga said with a chuckle. "It took all InuKimi and Lady Izayoi had to keep him still so he could recover too."

I laughed a bit. "They seem to have a lot in common."

"Exceedingly! The same mannerisms, the same sense of humor...the similarities are uncanny, really. Although Master Toga was much less aggressive."

Inuyasha glared at him for that last part (which I think only proved Myoga's point) until Moroha tugged Inuyasha's hair too hard and made him flinch. "Ow!" He removed her hand. "Alright, time to stop playing with daddy's hair." She rested her head on his shoulder and gripped onto his kimono instead.

"You're just like your father," Myoga said with a chuckle.

"Yeah?" Inuyasha asked as he tickled Moroha's foot.

"The way you care for your wife and daughter. He was compassionate just like you are."

"Keh, good to know," Inuyasha said, rolling his eyes. "Wish I had gotten to experience some of that compassion."

"That's enough!" Myoga exclaimed. "One day you'll learn to respect your father. He was…"

"The great dog demon, lord of the western lands, all-powerful, blah, blah, blah," Inuyasha said. He'd heard all of this from Myoga before. "I don't care. I still never got to know him and that's what I'm trying to avoid for Moroha."

"He may not have been there most of your life but he cared for you very much. He died saving you and Lady Izayoi. In fact, it was very similar to what happened to you and your family. He was weakened after fighting the demon Ryoukotsei and finally went down fighting to save you and your mother just as you were fighting that demon to save Kagome and Moroha. Of course, your father wasn't as lucky."

"Mm-hmm." Inuyasha seemed to be more focused on making Moroha giggle than what Myoga was saying which seemed to be getting to him.

Myoga sighed frustrated that the greatness of his father wasn't getting through Inuyasha's head. "Let me put it this way. How did you feel yesterday fighting that demon?"

"How do you think I felt? It hurt like hell!"

"I mean about Kagome and Moroha."

"Oh. Well, the only thing that mattered to me was that they were safe. Their lives matter more to me than my own."

"And that is exactly how Master Toga felt about you."

Inuyasha's face softened a bit but he was too stubborn to let Myoga know that he sympathized with his father. "Whatever," he said with a snort.

Myoga jumped up and down on Inuyasha's knee angrily. "Inuyasha, one day you'll realize what a great man your father was!"

Inuyasha continued to play with Moroha. She held his hand and became fascinated with his claws. He chuckled as she examined his hand then she put his finger in her mouth. He took it out. "Moroha..." She pouted and was about to cry. He smiled and gave her his finger back and she sucked on it contently while he rocked her.

"Master Inuyasha…"

"If something is threatening the two most precious things in my life, I wouldn't hesitate to do anything I could to save them," Inuyasha interrupted. "They're my entire life and I didn't have to think twice about putting mine at risk to save them."

I put my arms around him in a warm hug as he said it and he held me close to him and kissed the top of my head.

"And I understand what my father did."

"You do?" Myoga said in surprise at Inuyasha's sympathy.

"I wish it had played out differently, but I'm grateful."

Again, Myoga looked shocked. "I've never heard you talk like this before. I guess having a baby has changed you. You know, Master Inuyasha, I have a feeling your life will plan out just like your father's."

Inuyasha didn't look away from Moroha. "Now what are you going on about? How can I possibly be like my old man?"

"Well for starter's you look very much like him."

"Well he's my father, what do you expect?"

"You also wield a powerful sword and you married a human woman and had a child with her. Yup, it's only a matter of time before you die."

Inuyasha snickered. "I'm not going to die any time soon."

"Your father died when you weren't even a day old. I'm nearly positive you'll die when Moroha is at a young age."

This time I was the one who rolled my eyes. "Myoga…"

"That's ridiculous!" Inuyasha said. "I may understand why my father put his life at risk but I'm not stupid enough to die that easily! It'll take more than a few stabs in the chest to kill me."

Moroha said something that in her mind meant 'daddy' and Inuyasha hugged her. "I can't die. I promised I'd be there for her, and she'll actually know her father unlike me."

Myoga shook his head. "Nope, I still think you'll die within the next week."

Inuyasha squished him again. "Would you stop trying to predict my death, damn it?" Then he turned to me. "How about we go inside, love? I'm ready for lunch."

"Sure," I agreed as I was getting hungry myself. I noticed him get up too fast and he buckled under the pain so I gripped onto him to support him. "Slow down, honey."

"Stupid injuries," he grumbled as he grabbed his tetsusaiga to lean on for support.

"Be careful, don't want to cause your death sooner than necessary," Myoga said to him.

"Shut up, Myoga!"