I want to take a second to explain my writing methods, as I feel it needs to be said. I don't generally write to receive reviews, but I'd be lying if I said I didn't look forward to them and use them as motivation. This story seems to be generating less interest than Courtship, which I think has to do with the angsty start. When I create a story, I dream up the resolution scene (happy ending) first. Then I create a scenario that will lead up to that ending, trying to make it as plausible as I can. Often, I set up a sad or troublesome situation which requires the characters to go through some pain, because I feel it makes the happy ending that much more rewarding.
This is the last chapter to have mostly angst and seriousness for a while. After this there will be some minor fluff spread throughout the story. Unlike Courtship, which was a story about showing love, this one won't have any dramatic romance until the end. Sorry, but that's just the way it's going to have to be. However, I did promise this to be an Inu/Kag fic and it will be. Please have faith, and keep reading!
Chapter Five.
The sun was already up in the sky when Kagome opened her eyes the next morning. She groaned, looking at her alarm clock, and then sighed. Eight o' clock. Time to go and face the music. Rolling out of bed she almost stepped onto Buyo, prompting an annoyed hiss from the fat feline.
"Sorry Buyo. You really should find a better place to nap." She quickly dressed herself in some of her more conservative clothing, ignoring the heat she knew would greet her outside the walls of her home. She was vaguely aware that it was her mind's way of protecting herself from future rape, even though she knew she had nothing to fear from Inuyasha. After all, she reminded herself, she knew better than to go pouncing on a horny demon ever again.
Coming downstairs to the kitchen, Kagome greeted her brother with a tousle of his hair, which annoyed the little boy immensely.
"Sit down, honey, breakfast is almost ready."
"I'm not hungry, Mama. Just going to grab some ramen and head out."
Higurashi-san sent her daughter an icy stare, giving Kagome pause. "Sit down, young lady. You have two bodies to worry about now."
Souta glanced from his mother to Kagome, chopstick in his mouth. "Two bodies?"
"Souta dear, why don't you go eat in the living room today? Kagome and I have some women's things to discuss." The boy needed no further encouragement, quickly scooping up his bowl and tea cup to rush into the other room. "No running in the house!" Higurasha-san called after him as she came to sit before Kagome, placing a bowl piled with food in front of the girl.
"I know you are eager to get back, and I'm not going to stop you. We already discussed your plans and I have agreed to help you. However, I will not let you continue to be so reckless with your health."
Kagome dropped her head in shame. Her mother was right. She had to grow up if she was to pull through this situation, and she had to do it fast. Looking up again, she smiled at her mother and began to eat her breakfast.
"That's a good girl," her mother praised her. "Now then, before I forget, I had the pharmacy drop off a selection of vitamins for you to bring back with you." She deposited a small yellow bag in front of Kagome, and began going through its contents. "This one is folic acid, which really is more helpful before you conceive but I figured better late than never. This larger bottle is a calcium supplement. It's not really necessary just yet, but the doctor suggested you might as well get started on them now. And Kagome, try to stay away from caffeine, it just counteracts the calcium."
Kagome nodded, suddenly finding her appetite and barely listening to her mother's words. Higurashi-san seemed to recognize this, and frowned.
"Kagome, this is very important. If you were going to stay here, I would keep track of this stuff for you but you've decided to go back –"
"You agreed," Kagome replied, deadpan.
"Yes, I did. It would be difficult to explain your condition, and for that reason alone I am allowing you to return. However, I still expect you to return to visit as you promised." Taking her daughter's hand in her own, she softened her features. "The circumstances are awful, and the timing less than ideal, but that is still my grandchild you carry. I want you both to be safe and healthy. Please, Kagome, try to take this seriously."
Focusing all her attention on her mother, Kagome spoke in an even tone. "Believe me, Mama, no one takes this more seriously than I do. No one."
Accepting her daughter's words, Higurashi-san dropped her hand and replaced the bottles into the bag. "They all have directions on the back," she finally sighed. "Just remember to take them faithfully and I guess you'll be ok. Oh, and before I forget –" she reached over the table to a pile of books, pulling one from the top, "I had my friend, Noriko, bring over this book from her last pregnancy. It's full of advice for the various stages and symptoms. Might help you to read through it when you have time."
"Arigato, Mama. Please thank Noriko-san for me." She quickly finished off the last of her breakfast and stood up again. "Now I really do have to go, Mama. I'll be back for that first exam on Friday."
"Eleven o'clock," her mother confirmed. Walking up to her daughter, she sighed. "Take care of yourself, Kagome." She hugged her, and was glad to feel some of the life return to her little girl when she hugged back.
"I love you, Mama. Thank you so much for understanding."
"You're my baby," she answered, tears she'd been hiding shimmering in her eyes. "How can I not be there for you?"
With one last squeeze, Kagome backed up and grabbed her backpack, the vitamins, and the book and walked out the door.
* * * * *
He could smell her the instant she appeared in the well, even before she tossed her ridiculously over-stuffed yellow pack out of the well. Gathering up his courage, Inuyasha hopped down from his watchpoint and approached the well, arms crossed into his haori.
"So you came back, wench."
Kagome yelped in surprise, losing her grip on the well and nearly falling back into it. Inuyasha's firm hand grasped her own, pulling her out of the shaft and onto the grass where he let her fall into a heap of limbs. "I… I didn't expect you to meet me."
"I wasn't planning on it," he responded without emotion. "In fact, I wasn't going to ever look at you again," he added with a hint of loathing. As the young woman pulled herself back up to sit on the edge of the well, he forced himself to calm down. This was still Kagome, and whatever she had done, he'd made a promise. "Sango convinced me to give you a chance to explain. She also told me about the pup."
Kagome didn't know if she should be relieved or annoyed. She chose the former, as he seemed relatively calm about the situation. She hadn't been relishing the conversation, or the sits she'd expected to give him for restraint.
"It's true," she began. "When I was out looking for herbs to heal you with, and Kouga found me, I went back with him to his pack and that's when it happened."
"Just like that, you decided to become his mate, have a pup, Naraku and the tama be damned, huh?"
"Not quite like that," she huffed, suddenly feeling very angry with the hanyou glaring down at her. "I didn't mean for it to happen. I guess I was just…" she paused, not having expected their conversation to take this turn. She'd figured he'd want facts about when and who, not why. "I was scared," she answered truthfully, "and he was there."
"I never imagined you to be so loose, Kagome."
That did it. Who was he to call her loose?
"I'll have you know it wasn't my idea to get knocked up!"
"Oh, so what, did he force himself on you?"
"What if he did?"
Inuyasha's eyes blazed and he leaned in closer. "Did he?"
"Answer my question first, dammit!"
"I'd kill him, that's what. Now answer mine."
No, YOU raped me you baka! Her mind screamed at her, but she held her tongue choosing instead to hold his glare. "He didn't force me."
"And he marked you, apparently, so now you are his for life." He snorted, "but of course that wimpy wolf wasn't enough of a man to protect his own mate, so he leaves you behind for me to take care of. If it wasn't so pathetic I'd laugh."
"What's it to you?" she shot back. "It's not like you staked any claim."
Inuyasha opened his mouth with a ready retort, but held back. "No, and it's a good thing too. I don't need a female who's so weak she jumps into the arms of the first man who rescues her." An ear twitched as he considered his own words. "Though come to think of it, I'm the one who rescued you. He just got you some clothes and a good night's sleep. Ungrateful wench. I knew that wolf was trouble the first time we met him."
"Are you going to let me stay with you or not?" Kagome shouted him out of his thoughts.
"I'm inclined to push you back down that well and have Miroku seal it off," he sneered at her, enjoying the panic in her eyes while simultaneously wondering why it seemed to bother her so much. "But unfortunately, I still need a shard detector and since Kikyou doesn't seem to inclined to do the job," again he entertained himself with her obvious pain, ignoring the stab in his heart the sight caused, "I've decided to let you keep tagging along."
"Fine. Then let's get going."
"One thing, though, wench." He grabbed her arm, noticing the way she stiffened at his touch and putting the curiosity aside for later pondering, "It's your pup, and not my responsibility. If Sango and Miroku want to pamper you, that's their business. I'm having none of it. The first time that whelp gets in my way, you're on your own."
Kagome narrowed her eyes at his tone, wrenching her wrist from his grasp. "Fine. Can we go now?"
"Feh."
Taking that as a yes, the miko stalked toward the village, backpack slung over her shoulder again. She could feel the heat of her anger coming off herself in waves. It wouldn't be good for the baby, even if the thing was still just a small ball of cellular matter. She needed to vent her frustrations and could think of no better way…
"Inuyasha?"
"What?"
"SIT."
* * * * *
A/N: This is, I believe, the only time I've ever had Kagome actually sit Inuyasha in a story of mine. She's threatened it, and wished it, but never done it. Just a little factoid for my loyal readers :-)
