Disclaimer - It's not mine. Never was.
Okay, I just wanted to thank everyone for their reviews. And I have a few special words for a few people.
Filling in the Blanks
Miroku and Sango continued to push their way through the paths that led back to the village they had spent so much time in in the past few years. They were headed back to Kaede's village to visit and give the news of their soon to be wedding. The path they were on was worn, but they knew the location well. After climbing over the hill they were on, Kaede's village would be in sight. They had picked Shippou up along the way, and he was bouncing around the path, urging them to go faster.
"I want to see Kagome." he whined.
"Shippou," Miroku said gently. "Kagome may not even be at Kaede's village. We are not sure of that, yet."
"She'll be there. I know it." he said, with all the finesse a child could muster. Sango smiled down at the kitsune and patted his head.
"If Kagome is not there, we can always send her word by way of the well." she said with a smile.
"I know." Shippou said. He bounded up ahead of them, then stopped suddenly and sniffed the air. He had picked up Kagome's scent on the evening wind, and he had noticed that it was different. He also could tell it was mingled with Kouga's. He frowned, shaking his head in confusion when he picked up the foreign smell intertwined in her sweet smell. He suddenly realized what it was. 'Kagome's pregnant!' he thought, shocked with the revelation. 'Kagome's pregnant! Oh, man, is Inuyasha going to catch it now! I wonder if he knows yet?'
When Sango and Miroku caught up with them, they stopped to look out over the top of the hill and down into Kaede's village. Shippou had grown quiet, and Sango quickly questioned what was wrong.
"Shippou, is everything alright?" she asked. The kitsune frowned and put his hands on his hips.
"Kagome is here." he said. "I can smell her."
"Well, I thought that's what you wanted." Miroku said, looking down at the kit. "You don't seem to pleased now. What is it?"
"Kouga's with her." the kit said.
"So, what's wrong with that?" Sango asked.
"Ummm, well…" the kit stuttered. "Nothing is wrong, exactly. I just think we need to get to the village, and quick. I have a feeling Kagome has something she needs to tell us." He took off down the hill after that, bounding away as fast as he could towards the hut in the center of the village. Sango looked at her soon to be husband and frowned.
"Is it just me, or do you get the feeling something is not quite right with Kagome at the moment?"
"We shall find out when we see Kaede." he said. "Let us go now." Sango nodded and walked down the hill with Miroku, wondering what could have possibly happened to her friend this time.
When they finally got to the hut that Kaede called home, they were not too surprised to see Kagome sitting on the floor of the hut, sipping a cup of tea.
"Sango!" Kagome called out, getting up from her spot on the floor. "How are you?" The demon exterminator smiled at Kagome's exuberance. "What brings you back here?"
"Well, Miroku and I wanted to come see how everyone was doing, and give you some good news, and we thought we'd bring Shippou along also. He seemed to miss you an awful lot." she answered. Kagome looked around and saw the little kitsune standing near the door, looking at her with a curious glint in his eyes. Kagome smiled at him and held open her arms, like she always had.
"Shippou." she said with a smile. "How have you been?" The little kitsune looked at her and shook his head.
"I'm fine, Kagome." he said quietly. "How have you been?" Kagome shuddered when she noticed that the little boy's eyes focused on her stomach. 'Oh, boy.' Kagome thought suddenly. 'How am I going to explain this to him?'
"I'm fine Shippou. Now, where's my hug?" the little kitsune suddenly gave a bright smile and leaped into the girl's outstretched arms. He snuggled down into his surrogate mother's arms and sighed contentedly.
"I missed you so much, Kagome." he said quickly. "I love living with my family, but I miss you so much. Do you have to go back to your time? You could come live with me and momma and poppa." Kagome smiled and looked at the little boy. He always did have the habit of speaking very fast when he got overly excited. She hugged him and let him climb up onto her shoulder and burrow into her hair. Miroku smiled and pulled Sango to him, his arm around her waist. Kagome watched the two and waited for the inevitable slap Miroku was about to receive, but when it didn't come, she shook her head in confusion. Shippou looked at his surrogate mother and smiled. He had figured out what was going on between the two humans not long after they had picked him up on the way to Kaede's village. Kagome turned to the little boy with a confused look on her face.
"Uh, Shippou, did I miss something here?" she asked. The kitsune smiled and looked back to the exterminator and monk.
"That was the good news we wanted to tell you, Kagome." Sango said with a smile.
"You decided to quit bashing Miroku's head in every time he touches you?" she asked, eyeing the lecher's now healed hand. Sango grinned and Miroku scowled at her playfully.
"I am offended, Kagome." he said sternly.
"You would be, wouldn't you monk?" came an aged voice from the back of the hut. The occupants turned around and saw Kaede coming in with a bowl of soup and some leaves. She sat them on the nearby table and greeted the newcomers. After exchanging pleasantries, Kagome turned back to Sango and Miroku.
"So what was the good news?" she asked. Sango smiled and hugged Miroku tightly.
"We're getting married." she said happily. Kagome blinked a few times and shook her head.
"You're what?" she asked. Miroku frowned at the girl.
"Is it that hard to believe, Kagome?" he asked solemnly, thinking she was not happy with their decision. "We thought you'd be happy for us." Kagome's face suddenly lit up with happiness for the two. She ran to Sango and pulled her into a bear hug.
"I am happy!!" she said excitedly. "I just wasn't expecting that!" The girls embraced tightly while Miroku watched them. He glanced over at Kaede and nodded. The old woman had a smile on her lips, but when it turned into a frown suddenly, Miroku became puzzled. He walked over to the priestess and looked at her.
"Is something the matter, Lady Kaede?" he asked. "Why are you look so sad?"
"I am afraid I can not say what bothers me, child." she said. "Although I am very happy you and Sango will wed. It is about time, I might add." Miroku grinned and nodded as he watched Kagome and Sango walk over to him.
"We were about to eat some lunch," Kaede said quickly. "Are you two hungry?" The newly engaged couple nodded and Kaede left to get more food.
She returned moments later, laden with three more bowls of hot soup. As they took their seats, Kaede passed the bowls to each one of them. They sat down and began to eat of the wonderful food.
Sango noticed that Kagome had put something else in her bowl of soup. It looked like the crushed up leaves of a elderberry tree, but she was not sure. She looked at the girl and questions filled her mind.
Elderberry leaves were medicinal leaves usually ingested by women at the beginning of a pregnancy to help keep blood levels up and healthy. 'Why would Kagome……OH NO!!!! She's not pregnant!!!" the exterminator thought quickly. After calming herself a little, she decided to find out what was going on, in a round about way.
"What did you put in your soup, Kagome?" she asked nonchalantly. "It tasted wonderful as it was." Kagome seemed to pale considerably at the question, and Sango was surprised. Kaede remained silent, and Shippou started fidgeting in his place.
"Is everything alright, Kagome?" she asked, full of concern suddenly. "You seem to have become quite pale all of a sudden. Do you not feel well?" Kagome looked up at the girl and nodded. 'I might as well tell them now.' she thought dejectedly. 'I mean, Shippou already knows, what's the harm in them finding out?'
She cleared her throat and looked at the two people sitting across from her.
"There is something I need to tell you." she said sullenly. Shippou gave her a half grin and climbed into her lap, hugging her when he saw that she was about to start crying.
"It's alright, Kagome." the little boy said. "Nothing is going to change with us, I promise."
"What is it, Kagome?" Miroku asked, worried that she was fatally ill or something worse than that.
"Kagome, what's wrong?" Sango asked insistently, moving from her place beside Miroku. She hugged the younger girl and waited for her to answer. Kagome cleared her throat and shook her head.
"I'm pregnant." she said quietly. Sango looked at the girl and shook her head.
"You're what?" she asked, not quite believing what she was saying.
"I'm pregnant." Kagome said again. "And it's Inuyasha's child."
"How did this happen?" Miroku asked. Shippou looked up at the monk and frowned.
"I was thinking that you, of all people, would know the mechanics of a woman getting pregnant." he deadpanned looking up at the monk. Kagome couldn't help but laugh a little at the look on Miroku's face when the little kitsune said that. Kagome stifled her tears and related the story of what had happened to her two friends. They listened intently, wanting to know what would happen to the child now that Inuyasha and Kagome had separated. When the story was finished, and everything put away, Kagome went for a walk with Shippou, while Miroku and Sango took a walk into the woods.
Both the demon exterminator and the monk were worried about Kagome. The girl seemed quite upset about the entire ordeal, but knowing Kagome, she would do what she had to in order for the child to live. They were both surprised when she had sprung the news on them. Sango was positively livid by the time Kagome had finished telling her how Inuyasha had given up all rights to the child. Miroku had had to keep her from stalking out of the hut and going to hunt down the half demon and killing him. Kagome had explained what she knew, and that had calmed the girl down some. Miroku was sure that his intended's temper had not calmed down yet, so he remained silent.
When they were far enough away from the village, he stopped and looked out into the trees.
"When are we going to have children, Sango?" he asked quietly. "You'd make such a good mother, much like Kagome. You always did have a way with children." The girl looked at him and smiled.
"Monk, we won't be having any children until we get married." she said firmly.
"I wasn't implying anything. I just wanted to know." he said defensively. "Don't get so upset." Sango sighed and shook her head.
"I'm sorry, Miroku." she apologized. "I just can't believe the bad lunch Kagome's been through lately. I thought once we had finished the jewel, things would be easier on all of us. It looks like I was wrong."
"You can't be right all of the time, love." he said, holding her close to him. "Everyone makes mistakes."
"I just don't think Kagome should have to go through this alone." she answered. "She doesn't deserve this kind of treatment from him."
"I don't think she's going to be alone, Sango." Miroku said with a grin. "From what she told us, Kouga seems to have taken an interest in her even more now that Inuyasha is out of the way." Sango nodded and smiled at her soon to be husband.
"You're right." she said. "Kouga has always chased after Kagome. But with Inuyasha around, he barely had a chance. Maybe now that he's preoccupied with Kikyou, Kouga will be able to get a little head way."
"Kouga is a good demon for Kagome." Miroku said. "He's always been gentle with her, even when he had kidnapped her that one time. I truly think he cares deeply for her."
"I hope you're right, Miroku." she said sadly. "I just hope you're right."
"I hope I'm right too, love." he said quietly. They stayed silent for a few more minutes, each lost in their thoughts about Kagome and her current predicament. "So, when DO we get to start practicing for children?" Miroku asked with a grin, and a playful pat on Sango's rear end. The girl blushed a violent red color and was about to slap the lecherous monk out of habit when he caught her hand and gently pinned her to a tree.
"You hentai!" she said loudly. "Is that all you think about?"
"When I'm around you…yes." he said, kissing her soundly on the lips. Sango gave in and returned the kiss. There was no point in trying to push him away. He'd just come back for more.
When he finally ended the kiss, Sango rested her head on his shoulder. Miroku seemed sated for the moment. 'That won't last long.' she though with a grin. 'At the rate he's going, I'll be happy when we finally get married.'
"I wish Kagome could be this happy, like us." Sango said quietly. Miroku stroked the girl's hair and smiled.
"I have a feeling her happiness will soon show itself." he said. "And I have a strong feeling it will be in the form of a certain wolf prince."
"I hope so." Sango said. "I really do. After all she's been through, she should be happy."
"She will be, love." Miroku answered. "Just give it time. Fate works in mysterious ways."
"Yeah, look how long it took us." Sango laughed. Miroku gave her a treacherous grin and hugged her.
"You know, we could quit waiting and….." he began.
"Don't even think about it, Miroku." she said firmly. "The first time you'll get any will be on our wedding night. Not a minute before."
"But, Sango…." he whined. "That's days away." Sango looked a the frustrated man and smiled coyly.
"Only if you want to wait until we get back to my village. Then we have to wait until a priest can marry us." she said pointedly.
"What?"
"You're so thick sometimes, Miroku." Sango said with a grin.
"I'm missing something, aren't I?" he asked. Sango nodded and grinned, waiting to see if he could figure out why she had wanted to come back to Kaede's village. When he shrugged his shoulders in defeat, Sango frowned.
"Kaede can marry us, Miroku." Sango said pointedly. "She's a priestess after all." Miroku looked like he was a little boy about to get an early Christmas present when her words sunk into his brain. Sango grinned and nodded. She had figured that Kaede could marry them quicker than any other priest in her own village, and had gotten Miroku to come with her to the village.
Unfortunately, she had not figured on running into a distraught Kagome in the process. Sango knew that being married while Kagome was around was kind of cold hearted and selfish, especially after what the future girl had just gone through with Inuyasha. But the two women were like sisters, and Sango wanted Kagome at her side when she exchanged her vows with the lecherous monk.
"So that's why you insisted on coming back to see Kaede." he said, grinning like a madman. Sango nodded and smiled at him. "But what about your father, and mother?" he asked suddenly, remembering her wish to have her father at her wedding.
"We can have another ceremony with them." she said. "It's traditional to have two in my village anyway." Miroku grinned and picked her up.
"You're the best, Sango." he whispered to her. "I love you."
"I love you too, Miroku." she answered him lovingly.
They walked back to the village and asked Kaede if she would be willing to marry them. She agreed to, and Sango asked Kagome to be by her side when they exchanged their vows. The younger girl nodded, accepting her position with her usual exuberance.
But when everything was over with, and the plans were made for the wedding ceremony the next day, no one in the village missed the look of sadness that had clouded over Kagome's eyes.
A/N - Hello everyone. How'd this chappy go. Well, now Miroku and Sango know what's going on. And their wedding is in the next chappy. Hope you guys enjoyed. I'm kinda in a rush at the moment. So, leave me a review if you don't mind. I want to know what you guys think. Later.
A.A.
