DISCLAIMER: *looks around and holds up Kouga Plushie* this is all I own *watches plushy disappear* And it isn't even real….
AN: Thank you to all who reviewed.
Lily *sorry not a lot of time for whole name*: Still an awesome name. And about the updating soon… How bout a week? *grins*
Shade: Your such a faithful reviewer *pokes* I'm glad your around.
Zonza: The best? O.o *huggles* ARIGRATO! YOUR SO COOL!
A Silver Heart
Hot Springs Fun (Part 7/12)
By Wyltk
"Sesshoumaru?" Rin asked curled against his side her head resting over his heart.
"Yes, Rin?" a content growl ran through his chest as he gently ran his claws through her hair.
"What do you think about the girl, Kagome?" Rin whispered her eyes dropping sleepily as she tried valiantly to stay awake to talk.
"I don't know. She's the boy's surrogate mother in both of their minds. The boy wouldn't stop yelling when she left. He only settled down when he smelt her scent coming back. And she has the Friend necklace. That means she did something to help a demon at sometime."
"She's been running for so long. All because of a mistake our pack made."
"Yes. I hope Inuyasha knows how to handle the situation correctly."
"Inuyasha? You're leaving it up to him?" Rin sat up looking down at him her forehead furrowed.
"You don't trust him with the job?"
"Well, yes I do trust him but usually you handle things like this. He doesn't even like to handle this stuff, does he?"
"No, but with her it's different. He brought her here, he wants to handle the situation. Besides, couldn't you tell? He likes her."
"Inu males are so confusing." Rin said pouting as she settled back on Sesshoumaru's chest.
"We shouldn't be, my dear, after all it's always the women that control us."
Rin laughed and gave a blissful smile up at her mate. Thoughts of their coming child filled her head and she nearly glowed with the thought as they both settled down to sleep.
"Something's different, mate. What are you hiding?"
"Nothing love." She whispered snuggling closer to him, breathing deeply.
"Night Sess-chan"
"Goodnight Rin."
~*~
"Kagome!" Rin exclaimed as she walked into Inuyasha's chambers. Inuyasha growled softly, one hand keeping the wide awake Kitsune occupied and the other resting protectively around Kagome.
"Go away." He demanded lazily obviously not fully awake yet. In seconds he was though as Rin smacked him upside the head and nudged Kagome lightly, picking up Shippo as she did so.
"Hmm?" Kagome hummed sleepily before finally realizing where she was and opening her eyes to see Rin staring down at her with Shippo carefully in her arms. Further inspection revealed Inuyasha had disappeared from the room without a trace.
"Come on Kagome! Lunch is done we can eat and then go down to the hot springs! I even have a clean Kimono for you and Shippo!" Rin exclaimed with a large smile.
"Lunch?" Kagome questioned as she moved forward slowly.
"Yes, we let you sleep in. And Inuyasha took care of Shippo while you slept. I believe he's been awake for quite a while. After his bath you'll probably be able to lay him down for a nap." Rin said with a bright smile and Kagome smiled back slightly.
They made it out of the room to find the fire pit deserted, low embers still glowing. Two bowls of something or other were left full for them by the dying fire place and three more bowls were next to the water bucket already washed out.
Kagome grabbed one bowl and Rin sat down beginning to feed Shippo with a motherly smile. Kagome watched her with her own smile. The women seemed to have already fallen in love with Shippo.
Once finished they quickly rinsed the bowls and Kagome picked up Shippo were he had been playing on the floor and Rin picked up the basket with a blanket and three new pieces of clothing, explaining, the blanket and basket was for Shippo if he fell asleep.
They quickly made it out of the cave and were starting down the road through the inu-village. But as they passed through people started to bow lowly two them, most of them smiling. Kagome smiled back at them politely and turned to Rin with a small, confused smile.
"Are they bowing because of your mate's and your status?" she asked her brow furrowed as they finally broke through the homes of the demons and started for the forest.
"Partially." Rin said eyeing the necklace around Kagome's neck without her notice.
Kagome looked around in awe as they came upon the hot springs. The actual hot springs we're only slightly farther then the river though she wouldn't have wanted to travel here at night unaccompanied by someone who could at least do some sort of fighting. The said hot springs were larger then any of the others she had ever seen. Surrounded in a semi-circle of rocks, almost protectively.
Rin looked around carefully for any signs of another person. Kagome smiled slightly at her extra precautions and quickly started to undo Shippo's kimono to give him his bath first. She quickly cleaned him up and slipped the child into the basket already cleared and waiting for him. Almost before she had placed him down he was half asleep and Rin had put up the 'sign' that women we're using the hot springs in case it was a man who came to use them.
It was only seconds later when they heard someone coming through the underbrush and Kagome and Rin both jumped into the hot spring both having stripped down. Both blushed furiously as they waited to see if it was a guy who had stumbled upon them, only relaxing when Sango broke through the brush.
"Sorry, just wanted to know if I could join you?"
"Sure!" Rin smiled at her and motioned her in. Sango smiled and quickly shed her clothes gathering a few rocks and placing them carefully by the spring before sinking into them with a blissful sigh.
"Rocks?"
"Oh, they're in case Miroku followed me. He's this lecherous monk who thinks spying on women is honorable." Sango growled though Kagome noticed her eyes found the situation more amusing then anything else.
"He doesn't know you came, does he?" Rin asked her eyes widening slightly as she looked around again.
"I hope not. I got the new girl in our village to cover for me." She turned her eyes to Kagome and smiled sheepishly, "I know this is rude but I never got to hear your name."
"Oh, sorry. I'm Kagome."
"It's nice to meet you." Sango smiled at her and Kagome smiled back slowly before relaxing farther into the water with a soft sigh.
"It's been so long since I've gotten to soak." Kagome sighed and Rin smiled over at her quickly explaining, at Kagome's nod, what Kagome's last two year we're like. Sango listen attentively sharing a shocked look at what the girl had gone through to save the small Kitsune.
A rustling broke over their reflective silence and again Rin and Kagome ducked low but Sango didn't hesitate, grabbing one of the rocks she had gathered she threw it at the bush. A loud thump followed by "the sky is falling" sounded from the bush. The girls watched as a man, dressed in the purple robes of a monk, fell unconscious out of the bushes.
"Welcome to the perverted mind of Housi-sama." Sango said going over to the pack she had brought and bringing out some tough looking strips of cloth. Quickly she tied Miroku's wrists behind his back and tied his feet equally as quick. This didn't seem part of the normal routine because Rin rose one delicate eyebrow at Sango.
"I told him if he spied on me again I'd tie him up by his ankles," she grinned mischievously at the other two, "wanna help?"
It took seconds for Kagome to put her pants and her shirt back on and climb a tree to a branch around ten feet off the ground, much to her companion's amazement. She shrugged and motioned for them to tie Miroku to the long piece of cloth she had brough up, which they were going to use to hoist him.
"I was on the run for a year or so. You learn to climb trees quick." She explained and grinned as they quickly tied Miroku up and hoisted him slowly, Kagome guiding him so he didn't bash into the tree. Once there Kagome raised an eyebrow at Sango.
"Tie him to the branch or leave him dangling?"
"Oh tie him to the branch, but next time he dangles!" Sango yelled up and she quickly grabbed the second long piece of clothe and turned him so he was facing away from the hot springs, before lashing him to the branch securely.
It was only a few seconds later when they left Miroku, looking like a half unraveled mummy, to go finish soaking in the hot springs talking like old friends now that their mischief had been completed.
"Well, I heard someone has some good news." Sango smiled breaking the companionable silence they had lapsed in after awhile, "Anything you would like to share Rin-chan?"
"Inuyasha told you." Rin spoke rolling her eyes sky ward at Sango's nod.
"Congratulations! Do you know when your little one's due?" Sango asked and Kagome smiled at Rin with a knowing look towards Shippo.
"I think six months. Or the equivalent in demon time."
"When are you planning on telling Sesshoumaru?" Sango asked, Kagome laughed at Rin's sour look towards Sango, slowly getting into the spirit of the light hearted teasing.
"Telling me what?"
All three girls screamed and ducked into the water, Rin sending a slight glare at Sango knowing she would have to tell now. Inuyasha, who had followed his older brother unknowing where he was going, turned a solid red color and looked anywhere but at the three girls, namely Kagome. Of course not looking at them made him see Miroku perched in a tree, now wide awake though gagged with cloth, struggling on the branch. He smirked and waved up at the monk but other wise ignored him, lest he suffer the wrath of the three women to.
"Nothing Sesshoumaru." Rin tried in a last ditch effort and was rewarded by an unmoved stare.
"Rin."
"Fine," she sighed heavily, "I'll meet you up on the hill after we are all dressed."
Sesshoumaru nodded and grabbed his brothers arm as he whistled his eyes now tightly closed to keep away any temptation of looking. Once they were out of eye sight, the girls got out quickly drying off and dressing.
"He'll never let me leave his side again." Rin moaned as she moved a brush through her hair.
"Sorry Rin."
"That's alright Sango, how were you to know?" she asked and gave her a reassuring smile as Kagome picked up Shippo, still sound asleep in his basket.
"See you later Sango."
"Bye Rin, bye Kagome." Sango said and waved them off before walking away from them, and the struggling monk.
Kagome and Rin trudged up the hill slowly parting when Kagome found a rather large piece of land just outside the village and decided to stay there in the sunshine for a little while. Also allowing their newly laundered clothes to dry. She managed to wave slightly at Rin who smiled lightly and continued up the hill.
Rin, once at the top of the hill was wisked into a remote spot on the mountain almost without warning as Sesshoumaru stared down at he curiously. Without the strange maple scent she had been smelling like for the past few weeks he could tell something about her scent was off. He stared at her curiously circling her as he sniffed.
"Hello Mate." She spoke softly and he blinked stopping in front of her. He brought her face in between his hand looking into her face with an emotionless expression.
"What is it you haven't told me?"
"I'm… well… I'mpregantandI'msorryIdidn'ttellyou!"
~*~
Kagome managed to spread their clothing along the hill and sat down Shippo curled in her arms instead of the basket. She smiled as his back paws kicked unconsciously against her stomach so he could find a more comfortable place in her arms. After finally settling he gave a large yawn one curled fist coming up to rub his eyes before falling back down as he continued into a deeper sleep.
It was only a few minutes later, she had just started to dose off herself, when she heard a low howl coming from the distance. She jumped up letting a small sound escape her throat before she backed into a rather comforting chest.
May the speed of the wolf go with you,
Megaera Wyltk
