Mkh2 – Oops! You're right, I mixed the two up. I'm not at my home pc right now so I'll have to fix it later, but yes, Inuharu and Kagome *are* supposed to be saying 'otou-san'.
Just to clear up confusion, it's January so the baby is
wearing a little hat. This is part of the whole suspending belief thing, as is
the fact that Inuyasha's being so incredibly dense in this chapter. Chalk it up
to his grief/confusion… sometimes when we're really emotional we miss things
that are right in front of us. Don't worry, he will figure it out on his own,
just going to take time.
Chapter Fourteen.
"So it's okay, right?"
"Aye, Inuyasha, the babe is perfectly healthy." Kaede bounced the little one lightly on her lap, hoping the movement would calm him. "You say you found him in the well?"
"Yeah. It's gotta be Kagome's, but I didn't see her anywhere. Maybe she got tired of it screaming so much…"
Sango watched the scene before her, deep in thought. After all the effort Kagome had gone to in keeping him from Inuyasha, she couldn't believe she'd just drop the baby off without a single word of explanation. "Maybe he wandered off on his own," she ventured.
"Is that even possible? As far as we know Kagome and Inuyasha are the only ones who can use the well," Miroku reminded her.
"He IS their—er—her baby," Sango replied, her face reddening at the slip.
Inuyasha hadn't noticed, as he continued to glare at the noise the toddler continued to make. Even Shippou was losing his patience. He'd tried to make the baby laugh, pulling out all his favorite toys, but succeeded only in making the thing cry louder. For Kami's sake, it was the most unholy racket Inuyasha had ever come across, and that included Naraku's death wail.
"Well if it's healthy, then why is it crying so damned much?"
"Probably misses his mother," Shippou answered.
Inuyasha stomped over to Kaede, coming to kneel in front of the toddler. "Look kid, I don't know where your mom is but I'll go get your father, okay?"
"Um, Inuyasha, do you think that's wise?" Miroku shared a concerned look with Sango, knowing Kouga would want nothing to do with the child and fearing Kagome's secret would be revealed.
"Well I don't suppose you have a better idea?"
Alas, they didn't.
While the small group started planning their next course of action, Inuharu opened his eyes for the first time, his gaze coming to rest on the hanyou. All at once, the howling ceased and was replaced with soft sniffling.
Altogether they stared at him, amazed by the sudden transformation.
"Finally," Inuyasha grumbled, coming to stand. "Now you guys stay here and I'll—"
"WAAAAHHH!!!!"
Shippou cocked his head. "Inuyasha? I think the baby wants you to hold him."
"Nani? That's ridiculous."
"If it will get him to stop crying, wouldn't hurt to try," Miroku pointed out.
Growling at the humans, he sighed and took Inuharu from Kaede's arms. All at once the crying stopped again, and he even cracked a little smile.
"I think he likes you," Sango whispered.
"Stupid baby," Inuyasha growled, staring at the squirming toddler.
Miroku had an idea. "Oi, Inuyasha? Since the little one is so taken with you, why don't you stay behind while Sango-sama and I fetch Kouga?"
"No way, I'm not a babysitter."
Sango smiled conspiratorially and came to stand next to Miroku. "We won't be gone long. Don't tell me you're afraid of a little baby?"
"I'm not afraid, baka. I just don't know the first thing about babies."
"Neither do we, really," Sango answered him smugly. "Just keep him occupied and let him sleep when he's tired and that should be fine."
"I can help you," Shippou piped up, eager to play with the little one now that he'd calmed down.
"See? Looks like the baby will be in wonderful hands. Come on, Houshi-sama. We should get going before it gets late."
"But— what if—hey— MATTE!" Inuyasha called out after the pair angrily as they ran out of the hut, pretending they couldn't hear his desperate cries.
"Damn them," he grumbled.
"You shouldn't curse in front of the baby," Shippou announced.
Inuyasha just glared at him in response.
* * * * *
It was late in the afternoon, and Kaede and Shippou had gone off to find something for the little boy to eat for dinner. This left Inuyasha behind to study him closely for the first time.
He was still quite small, likely due to Kagome's petite frame. His lashes were long and soft, giving him a very angelic appearance. Try as he could, Inuyasha could only see Kagome in this little bundle of life, and none of Kouga. For reasons he didn't dare to dwell on, that pleased him immensely.
The toddler squirmed a bit as he struggled to wake up. Inuyasha sat back from the futon, wondering what exactly he was supposed to do with the thing. He prayed to the gods that he wouldn't start bawling again. He wouldn't be able to handle much more abuse to his ears.
At last the little one succeeded in opening his eyes, their golden depths searching out the red-clad figure next to him. Inuyasha's eyes narrowed in confusion. Neither Kagome nor Kouga had eyes that color. Then again, neither his mother nor his father had puppy ears. Perhaps the color came from the wimpy wolf's ancestors.
Yawning, the baby rolled over to sit up, and crawled into the hanyou's lap. "Otous'n," he called out, snuggling into the half-demon's haori.
"I think you're a little mixed up," Inuyasha replied with amusement. "But if you don't tell, I won't." He ran a hand over the child's head, grunting at the knit hat his mother had dressed him in. "What is it with Kagome and hats? I'll bet you'd love to get out of that stupid thing, wouldn't you?"
As if agreeing with him, Inuharu sat up straighter and lifted his head up, giving the hanyou access to the bonnet's ties. He fumbled with the tight knots, cursing under his breath when his claws kept slipping around them. Thoroughly annoyed with the failure, he growled and gave up. "Sorry kid, looks like you're stuck with it for now."
"The babe's awake?" Kaede entered the hut, Shippou following close behind, each carrying small bowls of mashed fruits and rice.
"Just now," Inuyasha replied. "Did you find something for him to eat?"
"Yeah, but it looks disgusting," Shippou answered, scrunching his nose in disgust. "Glad I don't have to eat this stuff."
"Well then just be glad and shut up for once," Inuyasha grumbled. "Kaede, do you think you can take this stupid hat off the kid? It looks silly."
"Nay, Inuyasha. It's going to be cold tonight. I think it best we leave him wrapped up."
"Fine." He relinquished his hold of the baby when Kaede came to lift him up. "I'm going to go for a walk, try not to kill the runt."
* * * * *
"I'm sorry Higurashi-san, but that's the best we can do for you."
Kagome clasped her hands onto Inuharu's blanket, bringing it
up to her face as tears streamed down her cheeks. "I'll try to be patient, it's
just that…"
"I understand; I have a son at home myself. I'll be honest with you: finding a one-year-old in a city this size is like looking for a needle in a haystack. But, we'll do our best."
"Arigato, officer." Higurashi-san led the gentleman to the door, and then came to fold her daughter in a warm embrace. "These things happen, Kagome. I'm sure the police will do their best work and bring him home."
"What if they can't find him?" Kagome sobbed. "Or worse,
what if someone does find him and discovers he's not quite normal?" Her eyes
widened, "what if they take him to a military hospital to dissect him like an
alien?"
Despite the situation, the elder Higurashi started laughing. "I don't think that's likely, Kagome. Try to calm down and think this through. No one said we had to stop looking ourselves."
Sniffling, Kagome nodded and started to think over her options. Driving around the city wouldn't likely bring much success, especially since the police had already been scouting since taking on the case. Besides, she didn't want to leave home in the event her child was found. "It's already been twenty-four hours, Mama…"
"If only we had some way to track him," Higurashi-san was saying, idly stroking her daughter's raven hair.
Kagome shot up at her words. "Track him. Right! Mama, I have
to go."
"Go where?"
"If I bring this blanket to the feudal era, maybe I can get some help tracking Inuharu by his scent!"
"Do you think he'll come?"
Kagome stared through her mother to some indeterminate place beyond. "I don't know Mama, but I don't really have a choice. I hope so."
* * * * *
Kagome lifted herself from the well, blinking in the sunlight that seemed all that much brighter with the glaze of tears in her blood-shot eyes. She couldn't help but feel a little more at peace when she took in the once-familiar surroundings. Even in winter the grass was growing, albeit slower and with some bald patches.
Now was not the time for reminiscing. She patted the baby blanket she'd folded in her arms and took off toward Kaede's village, allowing herself the small comfort of gazing at the trees and birds along the way.
She'd made it as far as the village's outmost border when she heard someone calling her name.
"Kagome-chan!" Sango raced up the the young woman and threw her arms around her in an eager hug. "We were wondering where you were!"
"Nani?" she said weakly, surprised by Sango's words.
"When your baby showed up all alone, we were worried. You aren't the type of woman who'd abandon her own child."
"Show- showed up? He's here?"
Miroku's brow scrunched in concern. "You didn't know the
baby was here?"
"Iie… I thought he was wandering around Tokyo. I came here to see if you could help me track him."
For the first time, Miroku and Sango took in the young woman's disheveled appearance and blotchy face. Poor girl had obviously been a wreck.
"Oi, Kagome-chan, we had no idea. We thought you'd left him for us to find because you were in danger or something."
"So he's – he's safe, right?"
"Hai. He's with Inuyasha right now."
"With…Inuyasha?"
Miroku watched the girl carefully, trying to read her emotions. She seemed shocked and more than a little worried. "It's okay, Kagome-sama. He's the one who found the baby."
"Ne, I believe the little one has fallen in love with the hanyou."
"What do you mean?"
Pulling at her arm gently, Sango took off toward the village again. "Why don't you see for yourself?"
