Disclaimer: For the last time, I do not own Inuyasha and the gang!!!!!
Epilogue : My family
"Inuyasha, I swear, if you keep pacing like this, you're going to wear away the floor." shot an annoyed Miroku.
The said hanyou was currently walking back and forth in the common room of his and Kagome's house. It had been one year since their fateful confession under the goshinboku, one year of hardship and trials for the new couple as they settled down in Kaede's village, but most of all, one year of love and happiness. When nine months ago, he had found that his wife was pregnant, he had been extactic, now though he was beside himself with nervousness as she was currently giving birth to their child.
"Dammit Miroku, she's been at it for hours! You can't possibly expect me to behave like everything's alright!" he snapped back.
"Trust me I know how you feel Inuyasha." He began while looking fondly at his own son, no more than a month old, sleeping peacefully in a makeshift bed a few paces away. "But with Sango and Kaede at her side, she could not be in more capable hands." he finished.
He knew the monk was right, but he couldn't help the feeling of helplessness that plagued his soul. Kagome was currently enduring an unspeakable amount of pain and he could do nothing to ease it. He loathed this feeling and it was killing him. "I guess that this is how Miroku felt a month ago when his son was born." Reflected the hanyou.
With a sigh, he flopped down in front of the monk in his usual position, hands in the sleeves of his haori and his feets joined together. "How long did Sango take to deliver Sogiro?" he asked, trying to gauge his wife's birth giving with one he knew had gone well.
"Well if I remember correctly, it took her about four hour. It means nothing though, as the time is always different from one pregnancy to another." answered the monk.
Inuyasha only nodded at this and fell silent. As minutes ticked by, Miroku could see the signs of barely controlled nervosity develop in the hanyou's features. His ears kept flipping in the direction of Kagome's room at every sound. His face was sporting a serene expression, but upon closer inspection, one could see that his jaw was clenched and his eyebrows kept flickering. The monk could not see the hands of Inuyasha as they were in the sleeves of his haori, but he was willing to bet that his claws were currently digging in the flesh of his arms to the point of drawing blood. "He looks like a volcano ready to explode." he reflected before averting his gaze.
The hanyou didn't know exactly how long he had been sitting there, tearing his arms apart with his claws. He was focusing all his attention on the pain in a desperate attempt to prevent his mind from wandering. His battle was brought to an end however when a loud wail pierced the silence. He was on his feet in an instant and he practically flew to the room where his wife was giving birth.
In seconds, he was standing in front of the door and threw it open. He froze at the scene playing in front of his eyes. Kagome was lying on the futon visibly exhausted. Her face was drenched in sweat and she was still panting heavily from the ordeal she had just endured. She was currently holding a bundle of cloths and was looking at it with a look that made his heart melt. The tenderness, the love and also the tinge of maternal pride as she rocked the form gently made him almost feel out of place.
The crying stopped almost as soon as she started her gentle motion. She raised her gaze then and her smile widened at seeing him. "Inuyasha, come in." She whispered in order not to disturb the sleeping form in her arms.
The sound of her voice brought him back to the present and he entered the room, almost afraid of what he would see. "Inuyasha… meet your daughter." She said once he had made his way to her. She then proceeded to lift a corner of the cloths surrounding the child to allow him to get a better view.
When his eyes fell on the form lying in Kagome's arms, time itself seem to stop. He didn't notice when Kaede and Sango left the room, he didn't notice when they closed the door nor did he noticed their footsteps retreating down the hall. All he could see was the two small golden orbs looking at him curiously.
"So tiny…" he murmured marvelling at the perfection layed before him.
With infinite precautions, he started to trace her features with his index. First, he grazed the small dog ears on top of her head, causing them to twich in annoyance. He then slid down one of her still sparse black hair all the way down to her cheek. Upon reaching the corner of her mouth though, she surprised him by capturing the tip of his claw with her lips and starting to suck on it vigorously. She even went so far as to grab the finger with both hands in order to prevent it from fleeing.
He looked in amazement at Kagome who only giggled at her mate's predicament. "Looks like she already loves you." She said, humor evident in her voice.
"Well at least she loves my finger." retorted the hanyou as amused as his spouse. "I swear if she keeps sucking like this, my claw's going to come off." He added only half joking this time.
"What a sight, the mighty Inuyasha bested by a newborn baby." Teased Kagome.
"Anyone with a heart would be bested by such beauty and innocence." he answered simply, surprising Kagome in the process.
"Looks like someone grew up while I wasn't looking." She added after gawking at him for a few seconds.
"Feh! You're one to talk." Answered the hanyou, shooting her a knowing glance.
It was true, she reflected. The life growing in her belly had transformed her. Over the course of the year, she had changed from Kagome the woman to Kagome the mother. She had been so wrapped up in her own metamorphosis that she had failed to notice that her husband had actually undergone similar changes.
"You're right, we've both grown up." She said beaming up at him. "We're not just a couple anymore… we're a family."
"A family…" he whispered softly, shifting his gaze from his wife's shining face to his daughter's innocent one. A myriad of emotions swept over him as he looked at them. He felt proud, he felt happy, he felt content, he even felt a bit anxious, but most of all, he felt loved and he felt accepted.
"Yes… a family." he finally repeated a huge smile creeping on his face.
And as he looked once again at his wife and daughter, he knew he had found his place in the world. He knew he had found his heart's destination.
Author's note: Well that's it people, the end of heart's destination. Thank to all those who reviewed, I'm glad that you liked my story and sorry if it is on the short side. I never really intended to make it into a big project, it was more of a way to test my own abilities. Whatever anyone may say, I'm proud of the result and I'm happy to have received such positive reviews :))). On a brighter note, I started to work on another fiction, which will be much bigger than this one, visit my profile page for the details. I will report my progress regurlarly so stay posted.