Chapter 45

Kouga smirked, walking away from the building. Everything was set and ready, just waiting for the perfect timing. He had researched explosives for quite some time, learning how to safely make and handle such powerful devices.

It had taken time getting what he needed. Most of the supplies were easy, clay, wires, but the rest had to be found and bought. All under the table so no one suspected what he was doing. Now his plans were coming together, the bomb in place, and just waiting. Three hours and fifteen minutes.

Kouga smirked, causing the people walking past him to give him a wide margin of space. He was wicked and sinister, giving off an evil vibe of malice. He cared not. He wished he could sit around and watch the aftermath, but he couldn't.

He barely even stopped to set the explosive, instead choosing to throw it into a bush by the front doors as he walked past. No one noticed, or even saw. Soon enough, his next two targets would be killed, and all in one go. It was perfect, and nothing could ruin the high he felt as he walked away.

…

Sesshomaru sighed, looking at his youngest brother from across the table. Miroku had gone to pick up Naomi and brought her and Kagome up for lunch. The four of them were settled down, eating sandwiches from the shop across from the law firm. Touga and Naraku hadn't been able to join them because they were working on a case that both of them had.

Miroku had asked Sesshomaru to call his connections and find out where Mattaki was staying. Miroku had no desire all these years to know where his father lived, and it came as a shock to learn he was staying in the same apartment Miroku had grown up in. Now they were waiting to see if Mattaki was alive or not.

The girls didn't know that, and were chatting as they ate, laughing at whatever their topic of discussion was. Sesshomaru scowled, looking at the two full sized sandwiches in front of Kagome, then turned his attention back to his brother. "How can you afford to feed her?"

Miroku's eyes went wide as he shook his head frantically. It was too late however, and one of the pickles on her sandwich met with Sesshomaru's cheek with a bit of force. Kagome was scowling, pushing her plates away. "I know I'm fat, okay. You don't have to rub it in."

Sesshomaru opened his mouth to say something but flinched as Naomi started to yell at him silently, her hands moving wildly. Now Kagome was tearing up, refusing to eat, and Naomi was yelling at him with her hands. It was just one simple question, and yet their entire lunch had just gone downhill.

"I apologize, Kagome. That was insensitive of me. You are not fat, you are feeding a growing baby, and there is nothing wrong with the large amount of foods you eat." Sesshomaru nodded his head, thinking that was an appropriate apology. Miroku facepalmed, shaking his head as he sighed.

"You do think I eat a lot!" Kagome dabbed at her eyes, sniffling as the tears continued to flow. Naomi started on him once again, and Sesshomaru looked between the two, unsure of what he did this time.

"Kagome, love. You do not eat a lot." Miroku grabbed Kagome's hand, bringing it to his lips to kiss her fingers. "Do you know what I see? I see a woman, who is taking wonderful care of her baby, and all before he is even born. You will be a beautiful mother, Kagome." Miroku let his eyes roam over his wife's body, darkening as they did. "And you look wonderful as well."

"Thank you." Kagome sniffled, but her tears stopped. Sesshomaru wasn't exactly sure what just happened, but he now knew not to mention how much Kagome eats ever again. Maybe he just wouldn't mention anything about Kagome ever again.

Phone ringing in his pocket suddenly, Sesshomaru fished it out, putting it up to his ear. He listened, sighing at the news he received. He had hoped it wouldn't be true, but there was no denying it now. Finishing up the conversation, Sesshomaru placed his phone on the table, and then looked to his brother once more. "I'm sorry."

"So Mattaki really is dead." Miroku wasn't upset. A part of him was relieved that Mattaki was gone. He would finally get peace and quiet away from his past. No longer was any part of him being haunted by it. But still, with Mattaki dead that meant Kouga had killed him.

"Was it Kouga?" Kagome's face was pale, her stomach rolling.

"He was found with four or five bottles of alcohol around him. They haven't done any autopsy, but they are sure he died of alcohol poisoning. They will claim it a suicide. However, we know the truth. Kouga knew of Mattaki's demise before anybody else. We only found Mattaki because of Kouga. That only leaves one explanation." Sesshomaru looked between all of them, knowing that this situation was grave.

Naomi lifted her hands, asking what Kouga would do next. The question they all had tumbling in their minds. Miroku shook his head, grabbing Kagome's hand once more to comfort both her, and himself. "We don't know. There is no way we can find out. Sesshomaru has tried to track his movements, but nothing suspicious stands out. He threatened all of us but hasn't made a move in the week since that happened."

"So, we have to wait, wondering what he will do next and hope it doesn't kill one of us." Kagome was riddled with guilt. If she hadn't come into the picture, nobody but her would have died. She opened her mouth to apologize, but a booming vibration cut her off.

The law firm exploded into a ball of fire, sending a blast wave straight into the café, shattering the windows and sending everyone to the ground. Miroku crawled on top of Kagome immediately, Sesshomaru doing the same to Naomi.

Car alarms were going off, everyone screamed with fear. Sesshomaru looked up first after making sure Naomi was okay, just to see his law firm up in flames. "Father." He stood, running out of the building, a single command left behind to Miroku. "Protect the women, this could be a diversion."

Miroku watched as Sesshomaru ran into the flaming building, Kagome in his arms. Naomi was on her knees, hands covering her mouth as she sobbed silently in worry for the male she loved. Police showed up quickly, ambulances in tow. Miroku helped both girls up, seeing they were bleeding from the shattered glass. He led them to an ambulance, having both Kagome and their baby being checked over to make sure they were okay.

His heart was pounding, waiting for both his brother and father to come out of the building. When the fire trucks arrived, he quickly told them that there were three people inside, and two had been in there during the initial explosion.

It seemed like hours, but it was really just a few minutes. Finally, Sesshomaru and Touga appeared. Touga was bleeding, and Miroku wanted to run to him, to make sure he was okay, but he couldn't leave the women. Sesshomaru helped him onto a stretcher, and he was loaded up into an ambulance, Sesshomaru jumping on with him.

They were taken off just as another body was being pulled out by two firefighters. Miroku could barely recognize the form of Naraku, but he was moving and still alive. The sound of Kagome calling his name reached his ear and he spun to her, seeing she had an oxygen mask and a wrap around her belly.

"It's the baby, Miroku. He is in distress." She had tears in his eyes, and he climbed into the truck, sitting beside Naomi. Grabbing Kagome's hand, he stayed out of the way, while keeping her fingers pressed to his mouth. He couldn't even think straight with what had happened.

…

An hour later had Miroku sitting in the waiting room with his family and a distraught Kagura. Izayoi was trying to comfort the woman, but she was just as upset. Kagome, Touga, Sesshomaru, and Naraku were all being looked over, and none of them had heard anything about what was happening.

"Fuck, Sesshomaru!" InuYasha stood, bringing all of their attention to the male that was walking to them. He had bandages over his hands, his neck, and what appeared to be his chest. It was hidden beneath his shirt, but there were bandages wrapped around his shoulders.

Naomi ran to him, not noticing as he winced when she wrapped her arms around his waist. Even in pain, he hugged her tightly, kissing the top of her head. Izayoi hugged him more gently, but still had tears in her eyes.

"Where is Kagome?" Sesshomaru looked to Miroku, who closed his eyes and looked away.

"The baby was in distress. They took her back to find out what was wrong. We are still waiting on news about her, your father, and Naraku." Izayoi was still standing close to Sesshomaru, glad to know she still had all three of her sons. Now she just needed to get Kagome and Touga back and her family would be complete.

"I had to choose." Sesshomaru looked up to Kagura, his eyes haunted. "I'm sorry." Kagura let out a sob, and Sesshomaru looked away.

"He was alive when they got him out of the building." Miroku swallowed the bile that formed in his throat. He was alive, but he had been burned beyond recognition. There was still a good chance Naraku wouldn't survive.

"Do you know anything more?" Sango was holding both InuYasha and Miroku's hand, scared for one of her best friends. Naomi and Kagome had become sisters to her, and the baby that was her nephew was in danger.

"They know an explosive was thrown into the bushes. They have no idea who did it. Though, we all know. They did say, the bomb messed up. The explosion was far smaller than it was supposed to be. Had it gone off correctly, we would have all died." Sesshomaru closed his eyes, thinking of the what if's. The moment Kouga was handled, he was going to make Naomi his wife.

"The Taisho family." A doctor walked out, causing everyone to stand. He looked at a chart in his hand, flipping a page. "Naraku Webs. He was the dire of the two inside the building. He is alive, his vitals stable, but he is still in critical condition. His entire body is burned, meaning he was right by the blast. He is lucky to be alive. He will need many skin grafts and extensive therapy if he survives."

"Can I see him?" Kagura walked up to the doctor, tears in her eyes.

The doctor sighed, annoyed to be interrupted but motioned for a nurse to lead her to Naraku. When they were gone, he flipped another page, moving onto the next one. "Kagome Taisho. She is fine. A few cuts and bruises from broken glass. It is baby Taisho that is having the problem. He is still in distress, though those levels have decreased a bit. The blast of the bomb was too much for the baby to handle. He should be fine, but we are keeping the mother here for observation until his levels are back to normal. No, you cannot see her. Until the baby is fine, she will not be allowed visitors. We need to keep her as calm as possible."

The doctor looked to Miroku, rolling his eyes at the glare he was receiving. Ignoring him, he went on. "Touga Taisho. He is awake, and very loud. He had suffered from a few minor burns, but nothing too serious. We will keep him overnight for observation, but he will be cleared to return home tomorrow. Yes, you can all see him. I know it would be nearly impossible to keep all of you from going up there anyway."

The doctor turned, heading towards Touga's room. Passing a door, Miroku couldn't help but to look inside, and his feet stopped. Kagome was there, asleep on a bed. She still had tubes feeding her oxygen, multiple monitors on her belly. The monitor beside the bed would occasionally turn red with an alarm, but immediately return back to normal. It was the baby's heartbeat. His son's heart rate was too high.

Grabbing the door handle, he prepared to open it, but was stopped when an iron grip grabbed his wrist. He looked down to the doctor, narrowing his eyes. The doctor pushed Miroku back by his arm, shaking his head. "Try to go in there again, and you will be escorted from the premises."

"Come on, Baby. They will be fine." Izayoi wrapped her arms around one of Miroku's as did InuYasha. Together they dragged Miroku away and into Touga's room. They shut the door quickly, not caring that they slammed the door in the doctor's face.

"I didn't like that doctor either." Touga smiled, but his grin dropped as he saw the worry on his family's face. He counted everyone, eyes widening as he realized who was missing. "Is she okay? Is the baby okay?"

"Kagome is fine, dear." Izayoi had that mothering tone. The one that was telling Touga to drop it. "The baby will be fine too." Walking up to Touga, she kissed him gently, careful of where she put her hands. "I am glad that you are okay as well. Did anyone tell you of Naraku?"

Touga shook his head, and Sesshomaru filled him in. He also told Touga, how lucky they all were to be alive. They spent the next three hours just reminiscing, the need to do so strong. A large portion of the family could have died that day, and at that moment, they just wanted to think of any and all good memories they had.

"Do you remember that time Miroku put glue on the toilet seat?" Touga laughed at the memory while Sesshomaru scowled. "We could all hear Sesshomaru yelling at the top of his lungs, threatening to kill Miroku, but he was stuck. I had to go in and pry him off."

"Thank you, father. I am sure they all wanted to hear that story." Sesshomaru rolled his eyes, holding Naomi in his arms on the uncomfortable couch. InuYasha sat on the other side, holding Sango, while Miroku sat in the middle. Izayoi was in a chair next to Touga.

"Then I was the next target." InuYasha scoffed, glaring at his brother. He still hadn't forgiven Sesshomaru for that prank.

"It was meant for Miroku. It is not my fault you two wore matching underwear." Sesshomaru put his nose in the air, not taking any blame for that situation.

"We all three wore the same. It was what Izayoi bought us." Miroku chuckled. He was glad for the walk down memory lane. It kept his mind from thinking of Kagome and their son. "You have never said how much itching powder you used, but InuYasha was scratching his groin for days. The school eventually began to think he had caught something."

"I wish I would have seen that." Sango laughed, and InuYasha grumbled at her.

The door opened, the rude doctor walking in with two nurses. The nurses walked over to Touga's bed, unlocking it and pushing it to the side instead of the middle of the room. The doctor sighed, rolling his eyes in annoyance. "You will have to share your room. It seems someone won't calm down until we give them what they want. I'll let them give you the report."

The doctor left after that, letting the nurses do their job. They were far sweeter, making sure Touga had everything he needed before going to get Touga's new roommate. The family was left in confusion, until they heard a familiar voice complaining.

"What kind of doctor are you?" Kagome had a finger held out, yelling at the doctor who didn't know who he was dealing with. "You think isolating me will help me stay calm, I can assure you that is one of the most stupid things I have heard. Are you sure you went to school, because it doesn't show?"

The doctor looked at Miroku with a sigh. "You are a very patient man." With that, he spun on his heel, letting the nurses put Kagome's bed in place. When the nurses were gone, Miroku rushed to her, cupping her chin, and kissing her. Her arms went around his neck, and the rest of the family smiled, glad to see Kagome was okay.

"The baby?" Miroku placed his hand on Kagome's belly, careful not to nudge a monitor.

Pointing up to the screen, they all looked, seeing the heart rate of the baby. It was green as it should be. "He is okay. They said they will keep me overnight just to make sure he doesn't have another episode. As long as he doesn't, I should be able to go home tomorrow."

Miroku kissed her once more, the tension in his shoulders finally subsiding. When he pulled away, Kagome looked to both Sesshomaru, and then Touga. "I am glad you two are okay. I was so worried. Especially when the doctor told me of Naraku."

"We are fine Kagome. I will be able to leave the same time as you." Touga reached out, and she took his hand, letting him squeeze it. Izayoi made her way over, kissing Kagome's forehead, tears of relief falling down her cheeks. She hadn't lost anyone in her family. She could have. It was a close call, but they were safe.

Kagome looked down, her hands fidgeting together. "I am sorry. This is my fault. If I hadn't been here, none of you would be in danger. You would all be living your normal life, but I ruined that."

"You didn't ruin anything, Kagome." Miroku still had his hand over his son, his eyes boring into hers. "You saved me. Had you not found your way to me; I am not sure how much longer I could have lived with my past haunting me. You help me to move forward. You are my beautiful wife, the mother of my son. You mean everything to me"

"None of this is your fault, Dear. Don't blame yourself for the actions of others. We love you. You are a daughter, a sister, a wife, and a mother to us. Never will we think you are the reason for this." Izayoi patted Kagome's cheek tenderly.

"Saying it's your fault is like saying you deserved to be beaten by him." Sango shook her head, looking at one of her best friends. "You can't blame yourself for Kouga's actions." Kagome nodded, tearing up, and everyone smiled at her.

"For now, no more talk of Kouga." Touga grinned, holding out his arms. "My family is here, and safe. Let us keep talking of our happy memories, celebrating the life we all still share. The rest will keep until tomorrow."