A/N & responses:
Sorry for the whole day's wait. I had car trouble to take care of and writing on a notebook doesn't really work for me anymore (my handwriting is so bad even I can't read it!)
InuGoddess: Unfortunately, it only gets worse from here… but I think I can make this work so we'll see how far I stretch your ability to suspend belief.
Chapter Thirteen.
The weather was unseasonably warm on the gray January day Kagome took her son to play under the Goshinboku. She nonetheless pulled a small bonnet over his head, always careful not to catch on the adorable ears she loved to tweak, and led him on stumbling little legs to the base of the tree's enormous trunk.
Watching as the little boy chased a ball a few feet away, she breathed in the familiar scent of the tree's leaves, reveling in the inner peace its fragrance brought her. Seeing the toddler's frustration, she crawled over to him.
"Where's the ball, baby?"
The little boy's lip trembled, ready to cry, and he pointed to a spot just beyond the small fence that surrounded the tree. Retrieving the toy, Kagome smiled and patted him on the head. "Want to hear mommy tell you a story?"
The toddler seemed to understand the question, nodding enthusiastically and clambering up onto her lap. He stuck his thumb in his mouth and gazed up at her adoringly.
"This is the story about Shippou the kitsune and his first battle—"
The little one shrieked. "Otous'n! Otous'n!"
Biting her lip in agitation, Kagome finally nodded and wrapped her arms more securely. "Okay, Inuharu, I'll tell you about Daddy."
"Your otou-san was the strongest hanyou in all of Sengoku Jidai. So when his full demon brother Sesshoumaru came after him to find the renowned katana Tetsusaiga, he was ready to fight an amazing battle. At first the Tetsusaiga looked useless, rusted piece of metal. I'm the one who pulled it out, because it had a barrier protecting it from demons and people with dark hearts.
"Anyway, Sesshoumaru was very mad that he couldn't wield the sword, so he came after me and your fa—"
"Kagome!"
The miko looked up at the interruption, seeing her mother calling for her from the kitchen.
"Mama?"
"Ayumi is on the phone, she said it's about that job interview…?"
Quickly setting Inuharu aside and giving him his ball, she raced to the house at top speed.
"Ayumi?"
"Kagome-chan, great news! My boss is looking for a temporary secretary. It's only for the next six months, but you'll be working on campus by then, right?"
"Hai," Kagome smiled into the receiver. She was so relieved at the news, her legs turned to mush and she plopped into the chair at the small desk. "Thank you so much, Ayumi-chan. This means so much to me. What time is the interview?"
"Nine o'clock on Thursday. Can you make it?"
"I'll have to reschedule Inuharu's checkup, but that should be fine."
"Good. How is your little cousin, anyway?"
"Oh, um, he's doing well. I was just telling him a story when you called."
"Well in that case, I'll let you go. See you for lunch tomorrow? We can get you ready for the interview."
"Hai, I'll have Mama watch the little one for me."
"All right, Sayonara, Kagome-chan!"
"Sayonara."
Higurashi-san popped her head around the corner and peered at her daughter's smiling face. That particular expression rarely took residence in Kagome's eyes unless the young woman was around her son. "Good news?"
"Hai, Ayumi got me an interview for a temp job."
"Wonderful, Kagome. Did I hear you needed a babysitter?"
"Mm-hmm. Tomorrow for lunch, if you can?"
"That's fine, dear."
Smiling again, Kagome jumped up from the chair and made her way out to the shrine courtyard again. "I'd better get back to Inuharu. He's been crawling so fast lately!"
As she approached the tree, a knot formed in Kagome's stomach. The toddler was nowhere in sight.
"In—Inuharu? Honey, where are you?"
She raced around the trunk of the tree, desperately searching for a sign of his whereabouts.
"Inuharu, this isn't funny! C'mon baby, where did you go?"
"Kagome? What's wrong?"
"INUHARU!"
Higurashi-san glanced around the courtyard, realizing her daughter was searching for the little boy. "Where was he when you left him?"
"Under the tree," Kagome answered, racing quickly toward the shrine steps, fear welling up in her as a million dreadful scenarios played out in her mind. "Oh Mama, how could I have been so stupid!"
With a breath of relief, she noted that the steps were completely empty, meaning he was still on their property somewhere.
Unless…
"Oh Mama, what if he's been kidnapped?"
"Calm down, honey, children wander off all the time. You keep looking out here and I'll check out the house, okay?"
"Hai…"
* * * * *
"Boo…Boo…" Inuharu reached out for the fluffy tail waving in his face, desperately trying to catch the fat feline. As he managed to grab a fistful of fur, the cat screeched and pounced further into the darkness of the well house.
Frustrated with the movement of his current source of entertainment, Inuharu crawled faster, catching up with the cat at the top of the stairs leading down into the well. He reached out again, as the cat jumped across the well. Attempting to stand, the toddler cried out again, "Boo…boo…," and tottered on his shaky legs.
A voice in the distance startled him, and as he turned to look he tumbled down the stairs, and into the well.
* * * * *
Inuyasha sat engrossed in the spellbook Kaede had given him to read. They had all but the last shard of the Shikon-no-Tama collected. He refused to rip the jewel fragment from Kohaku, as doing so would instantly kill the boy. Sango had been too good a friend, and surely such a selfish act would taint the jewel forever.
A cool wind blew past his nose, carrying with it a familiar scent. The hanyou started, dropping the book to the ground and breathing in deeply, confirming his initial suspicions.
After a whole year… what was Kagome doing here now?
Tentatively, he hopped down from his perch in the Goshinboku and raced toward the Bone Eater's Well, wary of being seen. She'd abandoned him, with not so much as a letter or a goodbye. He had no intention of allowing her to corrupt his heart again. Not after the way she'd left.
Who are you kidding, baka? Of course you'd welcome her back in an instant, don't lie to yourself.
Still, this scent wasn't entirely correct. As he neared the clearing, a loud wailing assaulted his ears, causing him to instinctively clamp his hands over them in pain. The noise was definitely coming from the meadow, but he could see nothing.
Lifting a hand cautiously, and squeezing his eyes shut against the noise, he followed the sound until his foot came into contact with a wooden structure. Peering over the edge in doubtful curiosity, he was shocked to find a crying child sitting at the bottom.
"Nani?" A quick debate raged in his mind before he looked around. Seeing no one else in the clearing, he hopped down and landed on firm ground, as was always the case since Kagome had left that night. Apparently the wench had sealed the well, not wanting him to visit her. Still if that were the case, then why was this little thing here?
He reached down and raised the baby up under its arms, studying the little one's red, crying face. He seemed unharmed, if a little stunned and obviously upset. Inuyasha jumped back up out of the well and came to sit beside it, resting the crying baby on his lap.
Sniffing at him, he detected Kagome's scent all over the child.
Why did Kagome bring her baby here, and leave him? That doesn't sound like something she would do. Unless – unless she were in danger!
Jumping up and looking back into the well, he tried to detect the smell of blood or fear, and found nothing of the sort. The toddler was still crying.
"Shh! Quiet down, baka. You're going to make me go deaf."
His voice silenced the child for a moment, but the relief was short-lived.
"WAAAAAAHHHH!!!!!"
"Kuso!"
Inuyasha thrust the child away from himself, his own eyes watering with the pain the sudden wailing had inflicted. He had to get the baby to quiet down, and then he could try to sort this mess out. Securing the little one to his chest, he raced toward the village. Kaede would know what to do about this.
