Inuyasha stared up at the looming wooden structure with its slightly faded red paint. The look on his face was nothing short of skeptical. "Are you sure this is a good idea? I mean... this is a shrine."

Kagome restrained the urge to roll her eyes at him. They'd had this conversation twice already. "It isn't anymore. The torii are still standing, but it hasn't been an actual shrine for probably... a hundred years or more."

"But your family..."

Kagome pulled on his sleeve to stop him short, spinning him to face her. "Inuyasha, you have to remember that this isn't the time you're used to. I'm not saying that that kind of prejudice doesn't exist, but I think you'll be surprised by my family. I warned you about Jii-chan, but my mom and my brother are going to love you. You know why?"

"Keh," he replied stubbornly, though she could see the tiniest of smiles at the corners of his mouth.

"Because I love you, you baka," she said, laughing, leaning up to kiss him quickly. "Now stop pouting like that and let's go. Sota will eat everything before we get up there if you don't hurry." The threat of not having any food was enough to get him moving and he lifted Kagome into his arms so he could bound up the stairs instead of letting her walk up all of them. They were late as it was, not because of his waffling, but because Kagome had been dissatisfied with every outfit she tried on and had been cleaning the apartment all day for no apparent reason.

Inuyasha knew better than to comment on any of that, but he had taken note of it as odd behavior. Kagome was not a messy person by anyone's standards, but she had been overly cleanly the last couple of weeks. He really only noticed because he always seemed to be in the way when she was trying to clean something so he got snapped at to move. After the confrontation she'd endured in the street the week before, he had been walking on eggshells, worried about upsetting her too much. He also knew he was not the king of patience, and if she kept up the attitude, he was going to end up saying something he didn't really mean.

At the top of the lengthy set of stairs, Inuyasha stood in awe for a moment. After all his protests, Kagome was right. In a little pocket of complete normalcy stood her family's house. House, yard, garden, even a net with a soccer ball left out in the side yard. The thing that seemed the most out of place was the very familiar presence of a sacred tree. "That's how you knew where I was. There are only a few and you knew it wasn't this one," he said in a hushed tone, staring up at the leafy branches of a sacred tree that dwarfed the one he had been restrained on. He gently let Kagome down on her own feet. "They're all connected."

"I know. At first, I thought maybe you were trapped inside it somehow. A lost soul. I grew up under this tree and it made sense that being near it so long allowed me to connect with a trapped soul within it." She smiled. "The reality was much better," she whispered, squeezing his hand. The inuhanyou fought down a blush at her statement. He stood, just feeling, for another moment before he sighed out his tension. Kagome was right. If she was so kind, there had to be a reason behind it. Her family couldn't be completely awful.

Inuyasha was pleasantly surprised by how right that was. Her mother was exactly what mothers were supposed to be like. She welcomed him with a smile and hugged her daughter with a laugh and an extra squeeze. She was about the same height as Kagome with short brown hair, smiling brown eyes and little smile lines at the corners of her mouth. She still looked incredibly young to be the mother of a twenty-eight year old woman, and Inuyasha could definitely see that she had been - and continued to be - a beauty. He could see the resemblance, but he could tell Kagome more likely took after her deceased father.

"So you're the guy, huh?" Inuyasha could tell by the young man's tone that he was trying to sound tough and protective. He couldn't blame the kid for trying to intimidate him. If he had a sister who was bringing home a man, he'd probably do the same thing. Unfortunately for the lanky kid, he was not just any man, and not entirely human. "Sota," he said by way of introduction.

The tough guy act was ruined by his sister scooping him into a hug and laughing. "You've gotten even taller!"

"Sis, you just saw me a couple months ago."

"So stop growing so much!" Mrs. Higurashi gave him a look while her children were preoccupied, teasing each other and laughing. He couldn't read the look exactly, but something about it made him wonder. She had made it seem like there was something he should be seeing but wasn't catching. "This is Inuyasha," Kagome told them, her eyes glowing with pride as she looked at him. He was a little undone by the emotion in her gaze, still stunned by how much and how easily she loved him. How easy it was for her to show anyone around them that she wanted to be with him.

"Nice to meet you," he said dutifully, feeling a little awkward. Which drained away very quickly. Kagome's mother and brother were as open and friendly as his mate, smiling and joking as much with him as with Kagome. The only hiccup was when her grandfather appeared from nowhere and stuck a poorly written - and completely ineffective - ofuda to his head. Inuyasha had sat staring at it crosseyed for a moment while Kagome glared at her grandfather. She had warned him this might happen, he just hadn't really been ready for how ridiculous it would be in reality. He had to swallow back chuckles at the determined look on the old man's face and the irritation that made it red when it was clear his ofuda had absolutely no effect.

"Jii-chan!" Kagome burst out. "That is completely unacceptable." Her grandfather shrunk a little under her scolding. "You cannot run around attacking people with ofuda, spelled or otherwise!"

"He's a youkai!" he retorted.

"Hanyou, actually," Kagome corrected. "Not that it matters. What matters is you haven't even been introduced to him yet. You don't know what kind of man he is." That had startled him a little. To have his character be the main focus for someone's judgment, and not his blood, was a strange and welcome shift from the usual. The old man didn't really warm up to him, but the rest of her family more than made up for his grumbles through dinner. Kagome's mother asked general questions about how his classes at the center were going, as Kagome had obviously told them most of the other stories, while her brother was more interested in his abilities as a hanyou. He tried to answer the kid honestly, but tried not to get her grandfather in a tizzy all over again. He didn't want the old man to hate him forever.

After dinner he decided he'd further try to ingratiate himself and offered to help Kagome's mother with the dishes. She smiled gratefully and shooed her daughter off to spend some time with Sota and Jii-chan. They spent several minutes in silence, scraping, scrubbing and drying dishes before she finally made a soft sound of determination. Inuyasha had been waiting for whatever it was she felt she needed to say. "You and Kagome are already mated." It was a statement but she was obviously waiting for confirmation. He replied that they were. "And she knew the full ramifications of that before you..."

"She surprised me, but yes, she knew."

"And the prophecy?"

"You know about that too?" he asked, a bit surprised.

Mrs. Higurashi grinned a little. "With a daughter like Kagome with the kind of power she possesses? I knew about it even before she was born." Her face turned a little sad. "A monk visited me three months before she was due. Her father tried to keep him from speaking to me, but I wanted to know what he felt was so important for me to know."

"A monk?"

She nodded. "I believe he said his name was Iwao. He warned me that my daughter was bound for greatness, but that I must keep her away from any youkai influences." Inuyasha blinked owlishly. Iwao, that bastard! He must have been trying to follow Kikyo's soul and noticed when it reentered the world. "Her father and I had never had any problems with youkai. Our neighbors were kitsune. Later, when they were both born, Sota grew up with their son, Shippo." Inuyasha nodded that he understood and tried to keep his cool. "My daughter being with the person she loved, no matter who they were or where they came from, was all that mattered to me. I only wish for my children to be happy and healthy." She paused and smiled in the direction muffled laughter was drifting in from the living room. "Kagome is happier and healthier than she has been in a very long time. So thank you. Keep her that way and we will never have a problem."

"Then plan on us not having a problem."

She studied him for a moment before a wide grin lit her face. "No, I didn't think we would." Their moment was interrupted when Sota came charging in, a disbelieving look on his face. "Sota?"

"You have never played a videogame?!" Inuyasha blinked a few times.

"Does mahjong on your sister's computer count?" Sota's reaction made it clear that it didn't. He was then dragged from the room and plopped in front of the television and given a rough breakdown of what each of the buttons did before Sota threw him head first into a one on one street fight.

"I don't think Sota anticipated how quickly Inuyasha learns," Kagome murmured to her mother where they were standing by the doorway, watching the two young men mashing on the buttons of their controllers. Her mother smiled. "I take it grilling went well," she teased.

"I did not grill him!" her mother gasped.

Kagome giggled. "I know Mama, I know. He was worried you might though."

"Any young man would." She paused. "He makes you happy." It was not a question.

"Very. It might have been destined or fated, or whatever, but that doesn't make me appreciate him any less."

"Your father would have liked him very much." Kagome smiled a little crookedly in response. "He would be so proud of you, Dear."

Kagome's tears, though few, distracted Inuyasha from his game, making him lose to Sota. He'd beat the kid several times in a row, but the loss mattered little if his mate was crying. He dropped the gaming remote and turned to check on her, forgetting it completely. "Kagome?" he murmured as he came up to her, glancing at her mother who was giving him a sad smile.

"I'm alright. We were just talking about my dad, that's all." He nodded, touching her arm gently to let her know he was there even if he didn't exactly feel comfortable hugging her in front of her family. More because he was worried they'd feel weird about it than because he did.

Kagome gave him a warm smile, seeing how much he wanted to comfort her in his eyes but knowing he wouldn't want to show too much affection in front of her family. "Can I speak to you two for a moment?" Kagome's mother motioned into the kitchen. They followed, concern in Inuyasha's eyes. "Since the mating is already official, I think it's best that you make it official with the state too, just to make sure there's no doubt." Kagome gaped at her mother like a fish.

"Did you tell her?" she whispered to Inuyasha.

He gave her an exasperated look. "No, she asked me and I wasn't going to lie. Did you not want her to know?"

"It's just awkward." Inuyasha rolled his eyes at her.

"I know it's been a long time, but I have been married, Kagome. Been a newlywed, even," her mother teased.

"Mama!" Kagome whined. Mrs. Higurashi chuckled. "It's not that I didn't want you to know, I was just waiting for the right time to tell you. You hadn't even met Inuyasha until today."

Mrs. Higurashi motioned for them to sit down at the table. Once they were settled, she took a deep breath. "Traditional marriage under 'human law' may seem like a moot point after a mating bond has been made, but having the government recognize your union will afford you more protections than without it." Kagome opened her mouth to say something but shut it when her mother spoke again. "It doesn't have to be anything fancy or expensive, but I think your family would appreciate the recognition too."

"Of course, Mama but..."

"I imagine right here under the sacred tree would be very lovely..."

"Mama!" Kagome finally gained her attention. "That's all fine, but don't you think that Inuyasha and I should... discuss it first?"

"Keh. What is there to discuss? Your mom's right. We're already committed far beyond the law, but the state can help keep you safe." He took a slightly pained breath. "How do you think my mother got by after my old man died?"

Kagome nodded slowly. She knew that his parents had been mated and that they had registered their marriage as well. She also knew that some youkai had tried to prevent his mother and him from receiving anything from his father's estate, claiming his older half brother had the right to everything since he was born of a youkai marriage and was his father's oldest and only full-youkai son. When he was younger, human and youkai laws were not as in sync with one another as they were now and so his mother had little recourse outside of what the human authorities could enforce based on what the youkai authorities had already conceded.

"And really, the ceremony would only have to be for your grandfather's benefit if it wasn't something you were interested in, Dear. He would handle the whole thing better if he felt you were united under the eyes of the kami as well as the law." Kagome resisted the urge to roll her eyes. It wasn't that she didn't want to have the kami recognize her relationship with Inuyasha, she just didn't think the traditional ceremony was necessary for that. If the kami disapproved of them being together, she imagined it would have been far more difficult for them to come together in the first place.

"It's not that I'm against it, Mama, I just don't think it needs all the pomp and circumstance. But if it will make you and Jii-chan feel better, then I guess there's no harm in it." She looked over at her mate. "Are you sure you're ok with this?"

He lifted one brow at her. "Just one more way the world knows you're mine," he replied with a nonchalant shrug. Kagome huffed at him but couldn't help the hum of pride and warmth his confidence started in her tummy.

The beautiful day had forced them out of the apartment and out for a walk in the park nearby. Kagome told him it was safer during the day, but he found that no one wanted to bother them with him around. They had been cooped up for several days due to rain and Inuyasha was crawling out of his skin. Kagome was grinning and glowing, more naturally than supernaturally this time, and her mood was infectious. He found a tiny smile hanging about his mouth as they walked the paths through the trees. The city always felt too close, smelled too much like cars and the smell of people. Here, with the rain having washed everything clean, was a small reprieve from the intensity of scents and noise that constantly bombarded him.

"Kaede wants me to come work with her," Kagome mentioned as they meandered. Inuyasha's ears perked up. Her tone implied that she wasn't sure if he would like the idea, but hoped he would. "It would mean moving. The pay isn't any better than what I'm getting now, but the boarding house is free to the employees at the center."

Inuyasha contemplated what she was telling him. Asking me, more likely. It wouldn't just be her moving, they would be moving together. "That sounds like a pretty good deal. But what about the neighborhood?"

Kagome shrugged. "It's really not all that different than here. It's more mixed there than this neighborhood though, so it might be better for us." The community outreach center worked to heal the wounds of the communities where youkai and humans had been butting heads for years. Inuyasha knew what they did was important, but he was a little nervous to let Kagome take part in something that could be dangerous for her. After the youkai had almost attacked her the month before, he had wanted to keep her from the area completely. He had quickly learned that nothing he could do or say would keep her from going where and doing what she felt necessary. "They... they asked if you would be willing to join the team." Inuyasha stopped walking. Kagome realized it a moment later and stopped to look at him. "What's wrong?"

"What do they want me for?" he asked, completely surprised.

Kagome obviously tried not to laugh at him, but smiled. "You're a perfect example of the harmony that can exist between humans and youkai, plus you work with holy people on a regular basis."

"Don't forget mated to one," he muttered. Kagome blushed and nodded. "So what, they want me to be a... mentor or something?"

"Exactly. I can see why. They hope to bring in more hanyou to the center, both to help them and to protect them. You can show them how life can be... how it should be," she said softly, pulling him into a loose hug. Inuyasha shook his head with a small smile and hugged Kagome back. They were in a more secluded part of the park so there was no one to see their affectionate embrace.

Or so they thought.

Inuyasha felt a tingle at the back of his neck before he smelled the person. The growth in reiki obviously caught Kagome's attention just as quickly because she stiffened in his arms. Inuyasha spun to the side and leapt a few feet into the trees at the same moment a small ball of reiki hit the ground near where they had been standing. "Are you alright?" he asked Kagome, checking her over even as he tried to pinpoint the attacker.

"Fine. I don't..." Kagome stopped to throw up a barrier. Much more energized than the first time he'd seen her do it, it was almost instantly a bubble around them. Another shot of reiki bounced off the barrier without affecting it. "What does this idiot think they're doing?" Kagome growled. Inuyasha grabbed her arm when she moved to leave the barrier. "Stay in here, you'll be safe."

"Fuck that, Kagome, I'm not going to hide in here while you go get yourself killed."

"They can't do anything to me. I don't want someone trying to neutralize you."

Inuyasha rolled his eyes at his stubborn mate. "The worst that could happen is I'm human for a few days. Been there, done that." Kagome's eyes narrowed at him. "They could have a weapon. What about... what about the pup?" he whispered in a barely audible voice. Kagome's eyes flew open wide and her hand went to her belly.

"You tell me this now?" she gasped. He blinked at her innocently. Her face turned quickly from surprised to determined. "Fine. We go out together." Inuyasha hesitated, preferring to leave her in her barrier and for him to handle this on his own, but he had to admit that her reiki would be an asset more than his youki would. After the youkai threatened her, he'd been even more watchful and strict with her about her training. He couldn't let anything happen to her. He hesitated another moment before sighing.

"Fine."

Kagome let the barrier drop and pulled Inuyasha to the side as another ball of energy flew past his ear. "Don't lose those, I like them," she told him with a slight smirk. Inuyasha felt a similar smirk lift his mouth despite his anxiety. The pair moved together through the trees until they found themselves back on the path. A pair of men were standing a ways off, arguing. They glared at them when they came back into view and moved as if readying themselves for battle. Kagome didn't think they looked any older than twenty. "What is this all about?" she asked them.

"You're a miko, shouldn't you be destroying that thing instead of making out with it?" Inuyasha simply raised an eyebrow.

"That's the best you two boneheads could come up with?" Kagome tried to hide a smile at Inuyasha's question, surprised a little by his control. "I'm thinking the question you really should be asking is what the hell the two of you thought you were going to do against a powerful miko and her very protective mate," he said with a snarl for their benefit. Still stubborn, apparently, the one with reiki shot energy in their direction. Kagome popped up a shield with hardly more than a snap of her fingers, bouncing the reiki back at its owner. Both men flinched and ducked as the purple energy flew past. "I recommend a quick exit."

There seemed to be a moment's hesitation before they did exactly that.

Inuyasha waited until he couldn't smell them anymore. "This is why I..."

"Stop. We handled it just fine. No one got hurt and no one got arrested." She turned on him almost in the same breath. "And why the hell didn't you tell me before now that I was... That we are..." Both hands covered her tummy and she was staring at him with irritation and elation warring on her face. He smirked at her.

"I figured you knew. You've been acting like it. Doing all that... nesting shit the articles on the computer said you'd do."

"You researched it on the internet and didn't think that maybe you should say something about it to me? Especially since I didn't tell you myself?" Her pitch was slowly rising as she neared hysteria.

The inuhanyou gently took both of her shoulders in his hands and made a point to take a deep breath, glad when Kagome mimicked him without thinking about it. "If I'd known you didn't know, I would have said something, especially if you tried to do something else dangerous. Did you know breeding females aren't supposed to be around cigarette smoke? Or supposed to drink? I mean, everyone did that before." Kagome shot him a wry look. "Well before, no one knew that!"

"I realize." Kagome sighed, leaning her head against Inuyasha's chest. "Now we have to take the jobs. There's no way we're raising a baby in this neighborhood."

"Pup," he corrected without thinking. "Would there be enough space at the building they own?" Kagome wasn't sure and told him so. "If not, we'll find our own place. If I have to work a few jobs..." Kagome smiled in a way that made him pause. "What?"

"I know we'll make it work. We don't have to worry about that quite yet. We'll get you completely comfortable with a computer and phones so you have a better chance with jobs." He scowled a little. "No pouting. You'll teach him bad habits," she said with a laugh. Inuyasha's face melted into a soft smile instead. He hadn't really thought about what Kagome being pregnant actually meant. They were bringing a life into the world. A life that for all intents and purposes shouldn't be possible.

"Keh. What if it's a girl?" he jibed, blinking away what certainly weren't tears.

"Then you'll teach her bad habits." Kagome grinned up at him. "And she'll love every minute of it." His grin mirrored hers.

"I think your mom knew. That's probably why she was pushing the wedding thing." Kagome sighed, leaning against him.

"How did everyone know before me?"

Inuyasha just chuckled. "You're always so worried about everyone else, you don't even notice what your own body is telling you." Kagome stuck her tongue out at him. "Come on. Enough excitement for today," he muttered, keeping his senses open and alert as he directed her back toward the more populated part of the park and toward home.

Note:

Title comes from:

We are such stuff
As dreams are made on, and our little life
Is rounded with a sleep.
The Tempest (4.1.168-170)

William Shakespeare