CHAPTER THREE
*
The silence that fell was as cold and heavy as an avalanche. Inuyasha blinked, trying to take in what he saw. The baby in Kagome's arms looked just like him, right down to the tiny pointed dog ears. Sango inched closer and hesitantly touched the baby's face, as if to reassure herself that it was real. "This is the baby you found with the dead woman?" she asked. "A human woman?"
"Exactly," Miroku said. "And I'm quite sure it was hers. There was a distinct resemblance."
Sango glanced over at Inuyasha, then at Kagome. The girl from the future era was staring at the baby, still apparently stunned by her discovery. Absently she raised a hand and stroked the tiny ears. The baby whimpered softly, batting a tiny clawed fist at Kagome's fingers.
Miroku crossed his arms. "Well?" he asked grimly. "Do you have anything to say, Inuyasha?"
"Huh?" Inuyasha said absently, still staring at the baby.
"Inuyasha," Miroku said heatedly, gesturing at Kagome. "It's terrible enough for Kagome when you have any dealings with Kikyo. She had accepted that, even though it hurts her whenever you do. But THIS -- this is far worse. How could you do this to her, after every-"
"Hold on a minute!" Inuyasha said, snapping out of his trance. "What, you think I... you think that I... you think that little whelp is MINE?"
"It seems fairly obvious," Miroku said sternly.
"Well, it ISN'T." Inuyasha bristled. "What makes you think that it's mine?"
"The dog ears, silver hair and claws," Miroku said.
"So?"
"So, I don't think there are many dog-eared young men wandering around the domain," Miroku said, sitting down on a rock. "In fact, you are the only one we have seen so far. It makes identifying paternity rather easy."
"It's not mine!"
"So you say. But the evidence is in front of your eyes." Miroku sat back. His dark eyes had an unusual expression of disapproval in them. Normally he condoned much and condemned little -- but he had expected better of Inuyasha, especially with Kagome. They might not officially be together, but Miroku knew that Inuyasha cared about Kagome. When she was troubled, so was he. At least, he thought, I could have sworn that he cared about her...
Inuyasha was growling outright now, his hands curled as if he were about to rip something apart. "I don't know who the kid's father is, but he isn't me. I never saw him before."
"Technically it isn't really necessary to 'see' the child," Miroku said dryly. "Only the mother."
Before Inuyasha could erupt, Sango quickly stepped in front of him. "Miroku, I think you should give Inuyasha the benefit of the doubt."
"THANK you," Inuyasha said tightly. "And just 'cause the kid has dog ears doesn't mean I'm the father. I never did... anything for that." He stopped, flushing slightly. "I ain't the only dog demon in the world, if you haven't noticed."
"Well, who do you think is the father?" Miroku asked.
"I don't know! I don't keep tabs on that sort of thing. Maybe it's Sesshoumaru's -- ever think of that?"
Miroku sighed. "Do you have any idea of how stupid that sounds?"
A slightly desperate edge was coming into Inuyasha's voice. He clenched his fists, as if he were going to hit something. "Dammit, I'm not the father. I know he looks like me, but there's no way he could be mine. So I'm that rotten, am I? None of you guys trust me, apparently."
With that, he turned and stalked away into the woods.
TO BE CONTINUED
*
The silence that fell was as cold and heavy as an avalanche. Inuyasha blinked, trying to take in what he saw. The baby in Kagome's arms looked just like him, right down to the tiny pointed dog ears. Sango inched closer and hesitantly touched the baby's face, as if to reassure herself that it was real. "This is the baby you found with the dead woman?" she asked. "A human woman?"
"Exactly," Miroku said. "And I'm quite sure it was hers. There was a distinct resemblance."
Sango glanced over at Inuyasha, then at Kagome. The girl from the future era was staring at the baby, still apparently stunned by her discovery. Absently she raised a hand and stroked the tiny ears. The baby whimpered softly, batting a tiny clawed fist at Kagome's fingers.
Miroku crossed his arms. "Well?" he asked grimly. "Do you have anything to say, Inuyasha?"
"Huh?" Inuyasha said absently, still staring at the baby.
"Inuyasha," Miroku said heatedly, gesturing at Kagome. "It's terrible enough for Kagome when you have any dealings with Kikyo. She had accepted that, even though it hurts her whenever you do. But THIS -- this is far worse. How could you do this to her, after every-"
"Hold on a minute!" Inuyasha said, snapping out of his trance. "What, you think I... you think that I... you think that little whelp is MINE?"
"It seems fairly obvious," Miroku said sternly.
"Well, it ISN'T." Inuyasha bristled. "What makes you think that it's mine?"
"The dog ears, silver hair and claws," Miroku said.
"So?"
"So, I don't think there are many dog-eared young men wandering around the domain," Miroku said, sitting down on a rock. "In fact, you are the only one we have seen so far. It makes identifying paternity rather easy."
"It's not mine!"
"So you say. But the evidence is in front of your eyes." Miroku sat back. His dark eyes had an unusual expression of disapproval in them. Normally he condoned much and condemned little -- but he had expected better of Inuyasha, especially with Kagome. They might not officially be together, but Miroku knew that Inuyasha cared about Kagome. When she was troubled, so was he. At least, he thought, I could have sworn that he cared about her...
Inuyasha was growling outright now, his hands curled as if he were about to rip something apart. "I don't know who the kid's father is, but he isn't me. I never saw him before."
"Technically it isn't really necessary to 'see' the child," Miroku said dryly. "Only the mother."
Before Inuyasha could erupt, Sango quickly stepped in front of him. "Miroku, I think you should give Inuyasha the benefit of the doubt."
"THANK you," Inuyasha said tightly. "And just 'cause the kid has dog ears doesn't mean I'm the father. I never did... anything for that." He stopped, flushing slightly. "I ain't the only dog demon in the world, if you haven't noticed."
"Well, who do you think is the father?" Miroku asked.
"I don't know! I don't keep tabs on that sort of thing. Maybe it's Sesshoumaru's -- ever think of that?"
Miroku sighed. "Do you have any idea of how stupid that sounds?"
A slightly desperate edge was coming into Inuyasha's voice. He clenched his fists, as if he were going to hit something. "Dammit, I'm not the father. I know he looks like me, but there's no way he could be mine. So I'm that rotten, am I? None of you guys trust me, apparently."
With that, he turned and stalked away into the woods.
TO BE CONTINUED