CHAPTER SIXTEEN
*
The next morning was cold and gray. When Kagome came out of Kaede's cottage, she found Inuyasha in a heated argument with Myoga and Miroku at the same time. "If you even think about biting the whelp, I'll squash you so hard you won't pop back for a month," he snapped at the flea.
"Lord Inuyasha-" Myoga was spluttering.
"Shut up!"
"All I'm saying is that I enjoyed it when I was little," Miroku said, crossing his arms.
"Not THIS little," Inuyasha said curtly. "I'm not throwin' him up in the air, and that's that."
Kagome picked up the baby, who still looked groggy and a little fussy. She carefully pulled on a little pilot cap she had bought in her own time. After considering carefully, she had cut little holes for the baby's ears. He blinked at her as she tied it under his chin, then yawned. I REALLY want to play with his ears, Kagome thought.
"You find out everything you can about other demons who might be the whelp's father," Inuyasha was saying. "Including Sesshomaru, although I'll bite off my own fingers if he turns out to be it. If this guy ain't the father, we'll be back in a few days -- and I want you waiting for me when I get back."
"Very well, milord," Myoga said gravely. "I'll do my best." The flea hopped off and into the bushes.
"Let's go, Kagome," Inuyasha said. He shouldered the baby carrier, and let Kagome put the whimpering baby inside. Then he glanced at the bulging bag she was carrying. "What is all that stuff? Do you need ALL of it?"
"Yes, I need all of it," Kagome said. "Although maybe you should carry it at times, and I'll carry the baby."
"Not likely," Inuyasha grunted.
"By the way," Kagome added, "do you want to go first or should I?"
Inuyasha stared at her. "First?"
"First with the feedings."
"Feedings?"
"You're going to handle half of them," Kagome said, holding out a colorful plastic bottle. "I'll show you how."
*
The baby slept through most of the day, which Kagome was grateful for. Inuyasha was somehow managing to balance her and the baby on his back. Shippo clung to the back of the baby carrier. "How come he can sleep through all this jumping around?" the fox asked.
"I guess he's getting used to the way Inuyasha moves," Kagome said.
Kirara bounded past them with Miroku and Sango on her back. They were approaching the winding river bordering the mountains; at the peak of one of those mountains was the demon's castle. Kagome watched uneasily as the clouds blew over the mountain peaks, hiding whatever was up there from sight. I wonder what this relative of Inuyasha's is like, she thought.
"A storm is brewing," Miroku said.
"So?" Inuyasha asked.
"So," the monk said, "we should make camp for the night. It wouldn't be safe to scale the mountain if a storm were to strike."
"Feh. We've gotten through worse," Inuyasha snorted.
"WE have. But the baby hasn't," Miroku retorted sternly. "You wouldn't want to expose him to the wind and rain, would you? And don't assume that he can handle it. He may be a demon, but he's still only a baby."
"And what do YOU know about demon babies?" Inuyasha demanded.
Five minutes later, they were setting up camp. Miroku struck up some sparks on the damp wood; Sango and Shippo departed to the river to catch some fish. Kagome paused in her wood-gathering, and glanced over at Inuyasha. He was curled up under a tree, with the baby nestled against his shoulder. The baby was blinking sleepily. His little pointed ears twitched slightly.
A thought struck Kagome. If we find the father, she thought, how is Inuyasha going to feel if he has to give up the baby?
TO BE CONTINUED
*
The next morning was cold and gray. When Kagome came out of Kaede's cottage, she found Inuyasha in a heated argument with Myoga and Miroku at the same time. "If you even think about biting the whelp, I'll squash you so hard you won't pop back for a month," he snapped at the flea.
"Lord Inuyasha-" Myoga was spluttering.
"Shut up!"
"All I'm saying is that I enjoyed it when I was little," Miroku said, crossing his arms.
"Not THIS little," Inuyasha said curtly. "I'm not throwin' him up in the air, and that's that."
Kagome picked up the baby, who still looked groggy and a little fussy. She carefully pulled on a little pilot cap she had bought in her own time. After considering carefully, she had cut little holes for the baby's ears. He blinked at her as she tied it under his chin, then yawned. I REALLY want to play with his ears, Kagome thought.
"You find out everything you can about other demons who might be the whelp's father," Inuyasha was saying. "Including Sesshomaru, although I'll bite off my own fingers if he turns out to be it. If this guy ain't the father, we'll be back in a few days -- and I want you waiting for me when I get back."
"Very well, milord," Myoga said gravely. "I'll do my best." The flea hopped off and into the bushes.
"Let's go, Kagome," Inuyasha said. He shouldered the baby carrier, and let Kagome put the whimpering baby inside. Then he glanced at the bulging bag she was carrying. "What is all that stuff? Do you need ALL of it?"
"Yes, I need all of it," Kagome said. "Although maybe you should carry it at times, and I'll carry the baby."
"Not likely," Inuyasha grunted.
"By the way," Kagome added, "do you want to go first or should I?"
Inuyasha stared at her. "First?"
"First with the feedings."
"Feedings?"
"You're going to handle half of them," Kagome said, holding out a colorful plastic bottle. "I'll show you how."
*
The baby slept through most of the day, which Kagome was grateful for. Inuyasha was somehow managing to balance her and the baby on his back. Shippo clung to the back of the baby carrier. "How come he can sleep through all this jumping around?" the fox asked.
"I guess he's getting used to the way Inuyasha moves," Kagome said.
Kirara bounded past them with Miroku and Sango on her back. They were approaching the winding river bordering the mountains; at the peak of one of those mountains was the demon's castle. Kagome watched uneasily as the clouds blew over the mountain peaks, hiding whatever was up there from sight. I wonder what this relative of Inuyasha's is like, she thought.
"A storm is brewing," Miroku said.
"So?" Inuyasha asked.
"So," the monk said, "we should make camp for the night. It wouldn't be safe to scale the mountain if a storm were to strike."
"Feh. We've gotten through worse," Inuyasha snorted.
"WE have. But the baby hasn't," Miroku retorted sternly. "You wouldn't want to expose him to the wind and rain, would you? And don't assume that he can handle it. He may be a demon, but he's still only a baby."
"And what do YOU know about demon babies?" Inuyasha demanded.
Five minutes later, they were setting up camp. Miroku struck up some sparks on the damp wood; Sango and Shippo departed to the river to catch some fish. Kagome paused in her wood-gathering, and glanced over at Inuyasha. He was curled up under a tree, with the baby nestled against his shoulder. The baby was blinking sleepily. His little pointed ears twitched slightly.
A thought struck Kagome. If we find the father, she thought, how is Inuyasha going to feel if he has to give up the baby?
TO BE CONTINUED