Sand Dunes

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha.

A/N: This is the sequel to 'Life Without Him'. Although this story can stand alone, it will refer to details from my previous story. I will try to explain the incidences in detail and explain their occurrence to the best of my abilities but to fully understand their history, read the LWH. Thanx!

Oh and Sayo is Kagome's mum. And Amane is Kagome's dad… in this fic that is.

Now on with the story...

Chapter 1: Dad.

Inuyasha sighed. He loved the feel of waking up next to Kagome. She was currently snuggled next to him, her face buried in his arm and one arm draped lazily over his chest and stomach. She was so incredibly warm, he never wanted to move but the rays of the sun were already peeking through the window and Inuyasha was not one to sleep in. Dawn, for him, meant waking up.

He slowly nudged Kagome and pried her arms from his torso in an attempt to free himself, but it didn't work. She stirred and then and tightened her hold on him before dozing off again. Inuyasha squirmed, trying to free himself form her death grip. Kagome tightened her hold on him even more…wait, did he just hear her growl?

He grinned at that. It appeared that Kagome was acquiring more and more of his traits without even realizing. He suspected that her carrying his child played a role in it.

He made some shushing noises and then managed to free himself, but not before he had to put a stuffed dog in place of himself for her to hold on to. She grabbed it and held it next to her warm body, moving to occupy the vacant warm space on the bed.

He grabbed his haori and fire rat pants and put them on, blushing furiously when he remembered just why he didn't have them on in the first place. He eyed Kagome's clothes lying in the corner of the room and then picked them up, draping them on the back of her chair neatly. He didn't realize that even though he was rubbing off of Kagome, just how much she was rubbing off on him.

He sighed contentedly and then proceeded to go downstairs with a smile on his face.

He was very happy the way his life had turned out. Naraku was dead, the jewel was completed and Kagome was mated to him. Not to mention that he had finally decided the course of his life… which was still unknown to Kagome. It was a surprise for her… from him.

He was going to move to the modern era, but it was going to be difficult. This world was much more complex than he could begin to fathom… but he was willing to learn so that Kagome would be happy. She wouldn't have to leave her family and he wouldn't have to face the problem of the well closing and him never getting to see her again.

"Good morning Inuyasha." Sayo (Kagome's mother) greeted him warmly. He tilted his head slightly in greeting and then sat down on one of the chairs in the kitchen.

Sayo had finally managed to accept him as son-in-law and was slowly coming to terms with her daughter being mated. However, there was one thing that bothered everyone in the family – Inuyasha sharing a room with Kagome. Kagome was not 'married' to him and being mated meant nothing to the humans of this era. And she could not be married since she was 17 and it was 'illegal', whatever that meant, and supposedly couldn't be married until she hits 18.

Sayo almost had a heart attack when Inuyasha had told her that she was to be a grandmother soon. Kagome's grandfather had almost purified Inuyasha.

Not that the old man could purify me. Inuyasha thought with a snort.

"My, my you're up early." Sayo exclaimed good-naturedly. Inuyasha crossed his arms and leaned back in the chair putting on an air of indifference.

"Keh! I always wake up at dawn."

"I see. What would you like to have for breakfast Inuyasha?"

"Ramen."

"Oh of course, how silly of me to ask."

Inuyasha raised an eyebrow at his mate's mother's statement. "I do eat other foods."

"Of course you do." Inuyasha smiled at that.

"But Ramen beats everything."

Sayo laughed. A soft, airy sound that filled the room and Inuyasha noted lazily that Kagome looked a lot like her mother, but her hair was different. Sayo's were curly and brown while Kagome's were raven-black and wavy. He liked Kagome's better. But then again… he was biased.

One of Inuyasha's ears swiveled towards the doorway to the kitchen as he distinctly heard the pitter – patter of light feet. He knew it was Sota because he was the lightest in the family.

"Good…" Sota yawned loudly, "morning."

"Sota… you know you should cover your mouth when you yawn." Sota shrugged and took a seat beside Inuyasha.

"So… big bro… can you play that new game with me today?"

Inuyasha scowled. Sota beat him every time they played one of those damned games on his damned console. "Beat it kid… I'm not in the mood."

"You're just saying that 'coz you always lose." Sota smirked. Inuyasha blinked.

That brat!

He growled before launching himself at the ten year old who squealed and dashed out of the room with Inuyasha in hot pursuit.

"Don't break anything dears!" Sayo called out and then pouredsome hot water into a cup of instant noodles for Inuyasha and some cold milk into a bowl of cereal for Sota.

------------------x-----------------

"Bye Mama. I'll see you later today, okay?" She waved back and Inuyasha snorted. Women always acted like going 'shopping' was like traveling to the end of the world. They made huge preparations and then spent hours telling each other how late they will be and how they can reach them. He huffed, Women!

"Bye Inuyasha. Be good!" Sayo called out and watched Inuyasha as he bristled when he was called out to. He didn't like being treated like a kid and he certainly felt weird standing there in 'jeans' and a white 't-shirt'. His ears were covered by a black baseball cap.

"I don't do good." He said pouting. Kagome couldn't resist it; she leaned forward and placed a soft kiss on Inuyasha's protruding lip. Inuyasha smiled against the kiss and then reluctantly let her go.

"Be careful Kagome! Don't over exert yourself."

"I promise Mama."

"Take care of her Inuyasha."

"Keh!"

Sayo smiled as she watched her daughter drive off and then she turned back to go into her house.

-------------------x----------------------

She sighed as she cut up a few more vegetables to add to the stew that she was making when the doorbell rang. She dried her hands on a towel before hurrying to the door.

She opened the door and her breath stuck in her throat.

"Amane?" She whispered.

"Hey love! Didn't think you'd remember me." He said with a smile. Sayo took a moment to look at the man who had left her for another woman all those years ago. He still looked just the same, untouched by the ten years that she held felt every moment of.

He had dark brown hair and sparkling brown eyes. Sayo had once thought that the sparkle in those eyes was mischief and humor but had soon learned that there was more to that… much more. She could only describe his eyes as having a glint of evil in them, a sadistic streak. But he could have fooled anyone else.

"How could I forget? You left me remember?A woman can hardly forget that."

"Sayo, Sayo. Such bitterness after so many years?"

"What did you want?" Sayo said, inwardly thankful that he had arrived after Kagome and Inuyasha had left.

He gestured to the floor and her eyes reluctantly followed. There was a large black suitcase and a hefty brown bag on her doorstep.

"I need a place to stay."

"Sorry. There is no place here for you." She started closing the door when he placed his hand on the doorframe making sure that she wouldn't close it, unless she was willing to hurt him. As expected, she stopped.

"Sayo… I really need a place to stay."

"So this is why you return after so many years to your family? Because you are now homeless?"

"I love you Sayo… I never did stop."

Sayo steeled herself against his words. "You are a liar. You always were. Why would you leave me if you loved me?"

"I was out of my mind. I was young. I made a mistake." He said before suddenly grabbing her and crushing her to his chest. Sayo gasped and tried to push him off of her. "I want to come back."

"I don't trust you've changed."

"Then let me make you believe." He said against her hair and without realizing, she melted into his embrace. It had been so long since she had been hugged like this. She had truly missed him and had hidden her sadness behind a mask of happiness and cheer.

--------------------x-----------------------

"Did you have to buy so much stuff?" Inuyasha grumbled from beneath the bags and bags of shopping she had done.

"Stop being such a grouch Inuyasha. We're home. All you have to do is get those bags inside."

"You use me wench." He muttered before scaling the stairs in one leap and waiting for her on the top. Kagome knew this and she took her time, dawdling on the stairs… stopping at one point to admire a blade of grass that was growing on the side.

When Inuyasha's growl became very audible, she hurried up.

"We're home Mama!" Kagome called out as she entered the house. She noticed the bags on the floor of the living room and wondered whom they belonged to. Did they have a visitor?

"Finally!" Inuyasha spat out as threw the bags down and ripped the baseball cap off of his ears. He sniffed the room. It had a strange new scent in it. It smelt a bit like Kagome but at the same time completely different. For example, apples don't smell like oranges but they both smell like fruits… or something like that.

"Mama?" Kagome called out again and went into the kitchen and stopped halfway when she saw who sat on one of the chairs.

Inuyasha's ears perked when he heard a distinctly male voice and then Kagome squealed.

He went to the kitchen and saw a man who looked a lot like Kagome hugging her. Blood rushed into his vision and he unsheathed his sword immediately.

"Inuyasha!" Sayo and Kagome both admonished him. "Put that away!"

Inuyasha reluctantly sheathed the sword but did not forego his defensive stance.

"And who might this be?" The man said in a very calm voice but Inuyasha smelt the anxiousness in his scent. He didn't like this 'visitor' who was now standing with one hand draped over Kagome's shoulders.

"I am Kagome's mate." Inuyasha said proudly. That'll teach him to keep his hands off his mate.

The man raised an eyebrow.

"Inuyasha? He's my father. Papa… this is Inuyasha, my umm… fiancé." Kagome told him. Inuyasha relaxed slightly when he heard that this man was her father but his scent still bothered him.

The man's eyes wandered over the hanyou's face, "You are a strange young …" His eyes widened when they settled on his ears. Were those… dog-ears?

Kagome felt there was an explanation due. "Dad… you see… Inuyasha is well… uh…"

"Is it a birth defect?" Amane offered. Kagome didn't like calling his adorable ears a 'birth defect' but she believed that there was no better explanation.

"Yes…a birth defect." She said softly. Inuyasha jerked backwards when the man's hands reached up to touch his ears.

"Keep your fucking hands away from my ears!" He yelled.

"My, my, my. This man needs to learn some manners. Young man, are you not willing to marry my daughter?"

Inuyasha opened his mouth to tell him just how 'married' the two of them were but the look in Kagome's eyes told him he was treading dangerous waters here. "Yes." He said gritting his teeth.

"Then it would be beneficial for your sake that you stay on my good side." He leaned against the counter and tapped his chin thoughtfully. "I am not sure it is a good idea to have my daughter marry a man with … deformities."

"I'll show you deformities." Inuyasha snarled, flexing his claws and Kagome jumped in between them.

"Inuyasha… don't make me say 'it'."

"You wouldn't." He said disbelieving.

"I would and you know it. He's my father, he's only looking for my well being."

"How old are you… Inuyasha?" The man said his name in a way as if remembering it as he thought about it. Although it is common to forget someone's name… he made it sound like an insult.

"Why you…" Inuyasha trembled to slice his claws through the man who stood leaning so leisurely against the counter.

"Inuyasha is… umm… how old are you Inuyasha?" Kagome asked him, realizing that she never knew his age.

"With or without the fifty years?" He questioned her.

Kagome knew that however old Inuyasha is, if she added fifty to it, it would lead to a rather unbelievable number. "Without."

Inuyasha's face scrunched up in concentration and he seemed to be counting. Amane grew more and more interested with the young boy as the meeting progressed.

"I think I am nineteen." He said at last.

"You think?" Amane retorted.

Kagome jumped in, "Inuyasha is an orphan. And yeah… no one really told him his birthdays so he…"

"I see."

Kagome decided that this was a time as good as any to bolt. She kissed her mom on the cheek and then she hugged her father again before leaving for the bedroom to change. Not to mention she was starting to feel queasy. Although she loved the notion of carrying Inuyasha's child... it had her rather sick most fo the time. She was one month into the pregnancy and the morning sickness was taking a toll on her.

I wonder why they call it morning sickness if I can get sick anytime at all.

Inuyasha watched his mate leave with strange satisfaction. At least she wasn't near her 'father' anymore. He decided that if Kagome wasn't here, then he had no reason to stay in the same room as the man and left the kitchen. Hewalked into the living room, plopping down on one of the couches.

Amane entered the room without making a sound, but Inuyasha had smelled him coming.

"I would prefer it if you stay away from my daughter."

The golden-eyed boy turned around to regard him with indifferent eyes. "And what if I don't?"

"I'm afraid you don't have a choice."

"If I don't find a way… I make one. Remember that, Dad." Inuyasha said before he turned to look for the remote.

Amane narrowed his eyes at the young man who sat on the couch pretending that he didn't exist. It was clear to him without a doubt that he didn't like this man. And he would be damned if he let his daughter get married to someone who didn't deserve her.

A/N: Just a reminder, this is a sequel. There might be things that I don't explain well enough since they happened in the previous story. read 'Life Without Him' if you are curious.

Oh and yes... REVIEW!!! Nothing makes my day as finding out what the readers think of my work! Thank you!