AN: Hey! So we're back with another chappie... This time, things get even darker... more complicated... What new twist will we throw at you? What nightmare will haunt your dreams? Can you withstand the waiting...? Well, of course you can! Cause you knooooow you want to read what happens next! tee- hee And don't mind if I say so myself, but things only get better.

Thank you to everyone who reviewed, please keep on reviewing, we love to read what you have to say... So once again, thank you! PoF and I are delighted you are enjoying our story, and appreciate your reviews – So keep 'em up!

What else do I have to say? I dunno. It's kinda hard to think running on two hours sleep, so I suppose I should just go to bed... But how can one sleep when they have such a lovely Inuyasha trapped in a cage? Though, if he is trapped in a cage (my cage) does that mean PoF and I own the rights to him...? Hmm... Perhaps, but till we figure that out, this was a disclaimer.

Enjoy the new chapter! Don't forget to review!

Chapter Three

As Darkness Gathers

Inuyasha began to count back on his hands. She had been taking Sango's potion all the time, since they had arrived back on land. That meant that... the ship. She had to have gotten pregnant on the ship. "Eight months," he told him. Eight months and he was going to be a father. There was a sudden smile on his face that only being a father could create.

'I'm going to be a Daddy.'

Miroku looked up from his feet to glare at him. "You don't have to gloat - and wipe that stupid look off of your face," Miroku muttered then stopped mid fly zipping to blink idiotically at Inuyasha. "You just NOW figured that out?!"

"Pardon me for not having my wife tell me that she was with child!" he roared. "Fuck, she gives me shit when I forget to tell her I go human once a month and she's fuckin' pregnant for a month and neglects to tell me." The smiled that had annoyed Miroku was wiped away as he lingered on that thought. Why hadn't she told him? Did she not know the best way to tell him? Was she afraid of his reaction?

What if he was afraid that she would question who the father was? If their child was conceived on the ship, then it might mean....

Inuyasha didn't care about that though. He didn't care who the father was, as long as Kagome was the mother. Yet the last time he had tried to explain this to her, she had thought he was insulting her, and had gotten his ass kicked rather thoroughly in the process.

Miroku spied on Inuyasha, so did Miroku's horse. "Hey, why the long face? Your wife is pregnant. You're married. And aren't 11 years old. Things look good. So why do you look as miserable as I feel?" Miroku asked then chewed on the inside of his cheek. "You forgot to tell her the human bit?" Miroku asked letting out a long whistle. "How was the make up sex?"

"Well, you saw the crack in the ceiling for yourself," he said, rubbing his wrists and without a lot of pleasure in his voice. He managed to put on a weak smile for his friend. Inuyasha wished that he could voice his concerns to Miroku, but this was a matter more for man and wife than friends. He handed the reins back to Miroku.

"After we get back, I'll buy you a cigar and drinks to celebrate. I promise."

Miroku watched Inuyasha suspiciously, before turning his attention to bags on his horse. "Go talk to her," Miroku said pouring the contents of his bags onto the ground. "Oops. I dropped stuff. Damn. This will take me a while to clean up," Miroku said monotonically, then pointed at the house. "Send Shippo out here, I'll give him some candy and I'll show Kaede my monk wards to place around the house. You and Lady Kagome can talk," Miroku offered his friend then sat on the ground. "This instead of a wedding gift," Miroku said examining a gold coin he found on the grass. "If I were you, I'd be glad. My wife carrying my child," Miroku said thinking back to Sango, seeing the sutra pages didn't help either. "A son," he whispered to himself, lost in memories.

"I am glad," he said, his black eyebrows knotting slightly. Did Miroku really think that he wasn't happy to learn he was going to be a father? He just wanted to know why she hadn't told him. He patted his friend heartily on the shoulder. "Thanks, Miroku."

Going into the house, he told Shippo that Miroku was giving out sugar and the next thing he knew there was a whirlwind running by him. He didn't need to tell Kaede anything, she already seemed to know what was going on, and smiled at him as she walked by.

Inuyasha stood in the doorway behind Kagome. His gaze was piercing, though his eyes seemed too disheartened to really be angry. When he said her name, it cracked from sadness, but he wasn't sure if it was from a painful or a happy sadness. "Why didn't you tell me?"

Kagome turned from the table, her hands full of supplies. Looking at him and seeing the look on his face, Kagome turned her attention back to the saddle pack. "Tell you what?" she asked softly, her voice lost of all of the strength and backbone it usually possessed. How she didn't want it to come out like this, or now... Swallowing, Kagome couldn't stand the feel of his gaze on her. But she was too frightened to turn around to look at him.

"Even now, when I'm standing right behind you, you won't tell me..." he muttered softly. Inuyasha walked right up to her and spun her around so that she looked at him. His face became even gentler, and the grip he had on her shoulders became barely noticeable. He stared at her eyes, terrified of what she might tell him. "Kagome, if I'm going to be a father, I would have liked to have heard it from your mouth first. Is it true what Miroku says? Are we truly going to be parents?"

Kagome couldn't help the rosy color that touched her cheeks. Feeling nervous, she bit on her lips nervously and slightly shaking took his hand from her shoulder and flattened it over her flat stomach. Lowering her lashes, Kagome's fingers caressed down over his hand pressing it tighter against her abdomen as she nodded her head, bobbing it up and down. She was too afraid to say anything, so instead she just passed her finger tips over his hand, enjoying how warm it felt and hoping that the life in her could feel it as well.

"Kagome. . . ." Her name was filled with wonder as he stared at her stomach. 'It's so hard to believe that there's a life growing inside there!' He felt his hands start to shake. 'I really am going to be a father.'

Inuyasha suddenly picked Kagome up by her hips, holding her tightly as he laughed out loud, spinning her once. He didn't want to hurt her or scare her. Inuyasha kissed her swiftly, thinking that he had never loved Kagome so much before. He didn't stop kissing her as he muttered 'thank you' to her, and found himself ready to cry as the words continued to run through his head. They were going to have a baby.

Kagome was giddy with pleasure and happiness, burying her face in the crook of his neck, Kagome closed her eyes feeling the tears sting and cling to her long lashes. "So... You're happy about this?" Kagome asked smiling sheepishly when he stopped spinning her and just pressed her close to him, so that her middle was touching his. "Inuyasha?"

He nodded fervently. His fingers stroked her hair, as his tears of happiness rolled down his cheeks. He wiped them away quickly. "I haven't been this happy since we got married," he admitted. "Oh, Kagome, why didn't you tell me sooner? Why in the world would you have thought that I was going to be happy about this? We're going to bring a new life in this world together."

Kagome shuddered and stepped back from his embrace, hugging herself. "Because you aren't happy here. Because we aren't settled. Because we've only been together in life a month. Because you are a demon who was appalled at first to find out he had married not to mention what your reaction would be at a child. Because we weren't planning on it. Because of a million and one different doubts I had?" Kagome whispered feeling sick and pressing her hand to her stomach reflexively, almost protecting it. "Because you might want to return to the other world, and I didn't want anything standing in your way if you decided to," Kagome added, straightening her back and keeping her chin up and looking tall. If he had decided to leave, she would have raised the child alone, not boggled him down with an heir. "Because I'm a damn idiot?" she added at last, letting the air out of her lungs in a rush.

"But you're my idiot," he said gently. Inuyasha took her hand and sat down, pulling her back close. He leaned his head on her abdomen, already imagining that he could hear the heartbeat of a new life. "Kagome, why in the world wouldn't you think that I'm happy here? And I was never appalled at being married, merely surprised, and terrified that you would kill me for my ignorance."

He stared up at her, his eyes no longer soft at the topic of going back to the demon world. "Nothing would ever make me willingly go back there, which is why my brother had Sango kidnapped. I belong with my wife."

"And I belong with you." Kagome whispered sitting down on his lap, kissing him. "That's why I am going with you." She said enjoying the relief that swept over her. "Well, as for killing because of ignorance..." Kagome looked down at his hand patting her stomach and couldn't help but laugh. "You know, the rest of me is growing jealous of the attention my stomach is getting," she whispered without thinking then leaned her forehead against him. "If it wasn't for your ignorance none of this would've happened..." Kagome said, her fingers massaging the base of his ears. "And I'm sure Miroku is feeling the same way you are for me, for Sango; we should be going."

Inuyasha nodded in agreement, but he did not let her go, instead taking the opportunity of silence to kiss her soundly. She was not only his wife, but the mother of his children also, yet nothing about her hand changed. Her lips were still warm under his, their touch still familiar and welcomed. Lifting his head, he kissed her nose, and her cheeks. Inuyasha knew that Kagome would want to go with them, not only because they made a good team together, but also because Sango was her friend. He was about to ask her to stay, simply because he would feel better having asked it, but he stopped before the first word got out. It wasn't necessarily safer here. Inuyasha preferred being able to protect her, as he had so gladly promised to less than a day after he had taken her from her house.

He released her, but still hovered close. "Almost done packing? How much stuff are you planning on packing, woman?"

Kagome turned in his arms to look at the table, his arms encircling her from behind. She couldn't help enjoying the intimacy, the feel of his arms around her stomach, his chest pressing into her back. Kagome leaned back enjoying the sensation. "Will you still care for me when I'm fat?" Kagome teased, knowing the answer but still unable to keep the usual question out. "But we're not calling the baby Sesshy Jr. as you offered." Kagome warned jokingly. She thought they had reached some silent agreement, he didn't ask about Sesshomaru and pushed the thoughts of him out of his head and she never asked about Kikyo, not letting her heart betray her with jealousy. "And I'm not packing that much, food and weapons. Alright, I guess we don't need this much," Kagome muttered then looked down at his locked arms about her waist. "You gotta let me go so I can change my clothes."

Inuyasha breathed in deeply, almost as if it was a sigh. He slowly let his arms fall to his sides. He watched her walk upstairs, not able to take his amorous eyes off his wife. Before she completely disappeared upstairs, Inuyasha called out her name, and smiled at her. "Thank you." And before she could ask what he was thanking her for, he had disappeared into some other room, going to retrieve their tools so that he could fix the front door of their house, not content to leave it hanging from one hinge.

Miroku arrived at the door with Kaede and Shippo, plus his horse. "Ok. The dumb grin is back. I take it everything is well once again?" Miroku asked, edgy to start out.

He only nodded. He wanted to tell the world that in eight month's he was going to be a father, but he didn't want to brag about it to Miroku. Instead, he went about fixing the front door. "Miroku, you never know," he said. "You could still get a son first."

Naraku leaned back in the throne, his fathomless eyes empty. "So, the Priestess is expecting," Naraku said in his soft, but powerful rumbling voice. "You've done well, Kanna," he said looking down at his eldest creation and young sister. The alabaster girl held the mirror in her soft small hands and shook it, causing the scene to change to that of the monk talking with the half-breed. "And as expected, they are heading this way," he said, a cold dry smile pulling at the ends of his lips.

"Her soul is huge and pure, almost rivaling my evil," Naraku mused aloud, Kanna standing there like a doll, not blinking just holding her mirror showing him the other world. "And now a babe... That power will only grow," Naraku said watching the dopey look of the proud half-breed father. "How pathetic."

Standing up, Naraku's long black hair glided down his back all the way to the small of it. His armor shone and looked dangerous, almost as though its cleanliness was evidence of how much blood had once drenched it. "How does it feel? Being discarded for another?" Naraku asked in his cold, yet ringing around your nerves voice as he turned to the stunning woman sitting beside his throne. "He's mated with another. After killing you," he said, a darkness sparkling in his eyes. "Kikyo."

She lifted her head from her knee as she knelt beside him, her hair tied back with a bow and her clothes that of a priestess. Her skin was pale, her lips tight. Kikyo's eyes were those of a woman lost, clinging to a rage that slowly grew stronger with each passing day.

Kikyo licked her lips, as if she was not used to speaking. She wanted to lie and say that it didn't hurt at all. And in a strange way, it didn't. It burned, but it did not hurt her. "It makes me mad," she answered, her voice strong an enunciating each word, as if speaking of Inuyasha was speaking of something vile and hated. "He has wronged me in many ways, and I will repay the favor tenfold." She paused. "But, my Lord, I cannot help but feel pity for the girl. Inuyasha will cast her away the same way he did to me."

"True." Naraku played the game as he reclaimed his seat. "But he mated her. Took her to be his bride and she is now ripe with his child," Naraku said then looked compassionately at Kikyo, although there was no sign of warmth or kindness in his gaze. "He simply took you, with nothing to repay you for. He used your body, toyed with your soul and then killed you. Do you remember those last hours of pain?" Naraku asked then motioned to Kanna who jiggled the mirror again, this time to show the scenes that took place years ago. They focused on her, what she was going through, her screams piercing so loud the mirror shook, and only showing her torment for a fraction of a second, his long silver hair gliding past the mirror. "He has wronged you, and I have returned you."

She lowered her head again, closing her eyes tightly. She wanted to press her hands to her ears to keep her from hearing her screams, but they seemed too heavy for her to lift. Even if she could block her ears, it would do no good. They still rang inside her head. The events of her demise were shaky, all she could really remember was the pain. She woke up in a cold sweat sometimes, and expected to see her blood covering her naked body, the pain was still so fresh.

She could learn to hate his bitch too; she could learn. "Aye my Lord, and for the chance at avenging my death, I thank you. If you did not rescue me as I fell, there would be nobody to give Inuyasha the death he deserves."

Naraku smiled tightly, narrowing his eyes into thin slits. He almost looked beautiful like that, but dangerous too. The most beautiful creatures were the deadliest after all. His voice wasn't warm, or soothing, but it did coil around the person, it wrapped itself like a serpent around those weak spots that ran like hairline cracks through the person's soul and fed on them. And right now, watching the demised Priestess, Naraku could see those cracks grow, the pieces of her soul shake.

"No. There wouldn't be. And he deserves to die. Doesn't he?" Naraku posed the question, he didn't move when he addressed her, just remain estranged as always: careless and statuesque. "But it won't be you to give his physical body the death he deserves, for all the pain he has caused you. Do you want to let him die so easily?" Naraku asked, a cold flick of his eyes at Kanna and the mirror shook again showing her mangled corpse. "No. That wouldn't do. Would it?"

Kikyo hissed softly when she accidentally saw her corpse. She switched her eyes to Naraku instead, and a voice whispered in her mind. For too long she had thought of ways to make Inuyasha pay for his torture, and the news of his child opened up a whole new area of pain and play. "No, it wouldn't. But, King Naraku, if I went after his whore and their child, then..." Her words slowed and her face looked more like a child trying to understand than it did a priestess who was staring the devil in the face. "Then might their deaths be a good place to start?"

"Wondrous. You would torment his soul, kill him from the inside until it burnt his body apart," Naraku encouraged. How he loved it when his pets figured plans out for themselves, he thought sarcastically. "But you may not kill her. I'd like you to bring her here," Naraku said then turned his attention back to the mirror, watching again as he talked to her softly before her death.

"How he toyed with you. You were his mouse on a string. Look, listen to those sweet words... And then to simply kill you.... He took the Priestess as his wife within a day of her capture. Did he ever offer that to you? Can you remember?" Naraku asked his lips a thin line. "It is amazing that a skull can break like that," he murmured aloud, the scene of her corpse flashing over the mirror once more.

She shuddered. Kikyo could recall some of the things that he had said to her. Her eyes looked clouded as she recalled when she had woken up, finding a handsome young man with silver hair and glowing eyes staring down at her. She had stared back, and did not even twitch when she saw that he was a half-demon. They had not moved until he slowly blinked and moved away from her, leaving the room as she wondered what had just happened.

Nobody had made her feel like he had. His quiet personality reflected hers. They would often sit and merely stare at each other. But then he had told her that he was going to let her go, because he cared about her too much to watch her die. But apparently "letting go" meant something different to Inuyasha than it had to Kikyo.

Her eyes were hard. "Can I at least pay back the favor that he did to me? I won't kill her, but can I at least show her firsthand what that bastard did to me?" Her hands tightened. "Perhaps he may not find her screams as pleasing as mine."

Naraku enjoyed the aura a once dead Priestess gave off, especially when it grew black and corrupted. Motioning Kanna over with the flex of his fingers, Naraku's gaze urged Kikyo to study herself in the mirror. "You have nothing left to show," he said looking at her reflection beside her. "He took her in the same bed he professed love to you. He took her maidenhead after the lock of hair you had bestowed him was tossed carelessly in his room. He took this Priestess and mated her in both demon and human fashion as your body rotted and your soul suffered in limbo before descending into hell, never to find peace. And then he seeded her womb, and I brought you back to this world. For a soul with unfinished business can never move on," Naraku said smoothly, his voice as cold as ice.

His eyes were as black as night, black as pitch; his heart fouler then the foulest witch. That was, had he a heart. "You may do as you wish to her, the one who looks so much like you, but whom did not meet your same fate. As long as you bring her to me whole. I wish for her powers," Naraku said matter-of-factly. "He has replaced you like a thrown away mutt," Naraku said, his voice relentless. "It must hurt."

Suddenly she seemed to realize that it did hurt. The fire burned her, screaming for attention, hungrier than a starving demon and a hundred times as fierce. "All I ever wanted was somebody to love me as man is made to love a woman. And I died for the mistake I had in falling for that horrible creature, that half breed!" She slid off the ground, standing up on legs which were still someone shaky. "It hurts more than all the pain he gave me in death. But I swear that I will make him hurt more."

Naraku nodded to this new found and blooming hate in Kikyo, taking slow sips of her hate and anger. "What will you do?" he asked, motioning for Kanna to stop showing them pictures in the mirror.

"I shall make her think he hates her. I will make her think he deserted her. I will strip away her love for him until she hates him as much as I, and hates me as much as him. And so, should Inuyasha show up, he will find no loving wife to comfort him; only a girl made a woman by his too-eager hand. And she will blame all her pain on him, because he did not come and save her." She smiled cruelly. "I will rip out his heart."