AN: An update, as promised! Seven pages of pure, unadulterated fluff. The plot shall return next chapter. So will Sango and Miroku. And more fluff. And… no cliffhanger! Ta-da!

Drake220: This one has more fluff… Em and I wrote it on the bus to Toronto. Sad that we can write and still have it legible, ne?
CowgirlUSA: He just didn't know if she was okay or not. That's all.

Chapter Twelve: The Heartbeat

"Kagome?"

Kagome was fast asleep. There was a drop of blood on her forehead which he quickly wiped away. Her eyes were peacefully closed, her breathing light and peaceful. He couldn't help but smile. She looked so sweet and innocent when she slept.

Knowing she wouldn't go anywhere, Inuyasha placed his head gently on the ground. He slipped off his fire-rat robe and wrapped it around her. He smiled again. Kagome was going to be okay. He knew she was. He could feel it.

Opening his hand, he looked down at the wedding band he held. He could respect Kagome's need for a space… so he wore it on his pinky, as it was the only finger on which it could fit.

Inuyasha quickly collected firewood. He didn't travel very far away from Kagome. If Kagome—when Kagome woke up, he wanted to be there for her. Within no time at all he had built a small fire, enough to light the area as dusk fell and to cast a bit of warmth. Inuyasha nestled down in front of the fire.

She blinked once, and smiled. She saw red, and you know that moment in between wakefulness and sleep, when your soul that has been traveling returns to your body? That's how she felt when she saw red. Kagome thought she was at home under the bed covers.

Another look around though, revealed she was in a forest. "Inuyasha?" she asked softly.

Kagome was laying behind him. He was blocking the light of the fire from her eyes so she could get some more well-deserved rest. Hearing her voice, he retreated and leaned over her, slowly pulling back the jacket he had wrapped around her so he could see more of her face. He grinned down at her, finding her eyes lively. She looked so cute when she just woke up. Her hair was tousled, her face flushed. Even her yawn was cute.

"Hey Kagome," Inuyasha said softly. His ears twitched and his gold eyes slowly searched her face to make sure she was okay. "Are you feeling any better?"

Kagome nodded, but rubbed her temples all the same. Her head felt stuffed with cotton. She could feel the leftovers of a migraine. "Yeah… I think so. But," she paused to look up at his concerned face. "I don't remember it all."

"You had some… jewel in your forehead. It was affecting you, controlling your memories. He pursed his lips and his ears flattened. "You said some pretty damn cruel things, Kagome…"

Kagome ignored him. There was something more important that she had to k know. "Did you force yourself on Kikyo? Did you rape her?"

Her question took him by surprise. His hand flinched away from the red robe wrapped around her. "What? I already told you…" He stared at her a moment, his gold eyes slowly narrowing. He had to remind himself that she couldn't remember everything. It wasn't her fault. "I never touched Kikyo!"

"Is that the truth?" Kagome asked, turning her head away and staring at a dead tree trunk. "I can't tell the lies apart anymore. I've been told so many."

"Why would I lie to you?" Inuyasha pointed out. He idly began to brush her hair, trying to sooth her down. "The jewel told you lies, Kagome. Not me…. okay, there was the one I told you about before…."

"You do realize that you are admitting to lying to me, right?" Kagome asked simply. "I… before I tell you something, I…" Kagome breathed in deeply. "I need you to be honest. Tell me the truth. Everything."

He stared at her and sighed. Inuyasha wrapped his arms around Kagome, lifting her into his lap. "When I was aboard the pirate ship, I never took girls like the other pirates. It was disgusting. I hated it. But what could I do? Fight an entire ship of demons? Go against everybody? Fight Sesshomaru?

"And then I met Kikyo. Someone brought her onboard and I wanted her. She was a priestess. I don't know how they managed to catch her." He pursed his lips as he thought, his voice tightening. "I didn't even just want her. I didn't want anyone else to defile her. I fought the demon for her. And I won. I never touched Kikyo, Kagome." He grinned wildly. "Kikyo wouldn't have stood for it. You've seen her. She's rather cold, that one. We began to conspire, but Sesshomaru found out. That part, I think you know."

Kagome actually found herself cuddling in his arms. There was a truth that hung with his words that eased her remaining headache away. "Kikyo put the shard in me," she admitted. "She told me… you forced her. And I'm sorry. I just couldn't help remembering how we met, I suppose. She looked so pained. I believed her."

Inuyasha nuzzled her dark hair. "I know. I'm not blaming you, Kagome. Don't worry." He held her tighter, watching the fire. "I have some pretty questionable things in my life, Kagome. We're going to be parents soon. It's better that we ask these types of questions now, don't you think? Is there anything else you want to ask me?"

"Not that I can think of right now… but if I ever do, I trust you to answer them." Kagome sighed and took his hand in hers. She shifted it through her clothes and guided it to her stomach. "I only wanted to protect our baby."

"Our baby," he repeated. Inuyasha kissed her hair. She was warm and alive in his arms. "You did a wonderful job protecting our baby, but I worry about you. You were spending all your energy on the baby."

Kagome shrugged. "Any mother would do that for her child," she pointed out. Breathing in deeply, she clenched his hand forcefully. "I…" Tears welled in her eyes. "My body wasn't being motherly though. My body was trying to get rid of the baby. In my heart, I didn't want it to! So I had to use my strength to keep our baby alive in me."

"Kagome," he murmured, kissing her hair again. He scent filled him, drowning out the smell of the fire and of the dirt beneath him. "I'm so proud of you," he told her fondly. The hand laying on her stomach lifted and he brought her chin around so he could see her. "Go back to sleep, Kagome. Rest now. I'll protect you and our baby."

"I…" Kagome blushed. "I don't want to go back to sleep. There's time enough for that later. Right now, I just want to be with the man that I love. No sick lies or delusions between us. Is that wrong of me?" Kagome asked, staring up at him, wide eyed.

Inuyasha laughed. "No, Kagome. I don't think that's wrong at all. But… um…." This time it was his turn to blush. "Are you sure that's a good idea. I mean, Kagome…." His ears flattened again. "You did accuse me of forcing myself on you too, after all."

"But I was wrongly accusing you. I know you, Inuyasha. I know you, in here." She pressed her hand to her chest, over her heart. "I was under a spell. I was talking nonsense. You never forced me—alright, maybe our first night was slightly pressured, what with your demand that we do it in every room, but never anything bad. Isn't it enough that I was running to Sesshomaru to convince you I wasn't in my right state of mind?" Kagome asked while she caressed his cheek adoringly.

Grinning at her, his hands slid under her tattered shirt to finger the claw marks ripped into them. "I think you were given a good reason to go to Sesshomaru," he pointed out, looking more than just a little sad at the recollection. "It was Naraku, you know. I could smell him on you. He has shape-changing abilities."

Kagome picked at her cuticles nervously. "I still feel bad about it, though. If I wasn't using so much of my power for the baby, I might've been able to fight off the spell."

"And maybe you wouldn't have been able to fight it off," he said, looking dubious. Inuyasha held out his hand. The wedding band on his pinky glowed bronze in the firelight. His gold eyes were sad.

"You said that this spell wouldn't have taken a hold of you if it wasn't or the darkness in your heart already there. You said I was the cause of the darkness, Kagome."

Kagome didn't know what to say for a long time. She couldn't even recall saying that in the first place. "Well," Kagome paused. "I suppose that this is true to a certain degree… about any girl who falls in love." Kagome smiled sheepishly. "Does that make sense at all?"

Slowly, he shook his head. "Not really."

"What I mean is, every woman in love has darkness. Will he always love me? Never leave me? Does he have someone else in his heart besides me? Do I make him happy? Those are all darknesses that lay in love."

He was left a little speechless. He didn't know what to say. Eventually, he smiled and pulled his wife closer in his arms. "I do love you, Kagome, even I may be too prickly to be able to do with pretty flowers or kind words."

He kissed her gently. His eyes drifted closed as he kissed her, running his lips along hers and tasting her with the tip of his tongue. He let a little sigh at her taste. It was his Kagome, all right. "You had me so worried, Kagome."

Kagome held him, cuddling him close to her chest. Kagome was trying to comfort him. "I know. I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize," he said, nuzzling her neck. His lips caressed her skin as he trailed kisses along her neck. He slowly began sliding her off of his lap, unwrapping the coat he had placed around her. Inuyasha paused and spread the coat on the ground. He kissed her deeply again, his tongue slipping between her lips as he guided her down with his body.

As she lay down, Kagome noticed the budding flowers on the ground around them. Wrapping her arms around his shoulders, she brought him down close to her. "How could I ever fear a man who kisses so sweetly?" she murmured against his warm lips.

As their kisses deepened, Kagome found herself more and more breathless. "Inuyasha," she gasped between their kisses. "I can't breath" Kagome's cheeks were flushed.

"Then don't," he answered, and kissed her again. This time the kiss was short as he quickly removed her shirt. He lifted it over her head, supporting Kagome with his large hands.

The shirt fell away, revealing the sight of her stomach and her breasts. Inuyasha leaned back, allowing himself a moment to marvel at her. Inuyasha smirked a little, slowly shrugging out of his own white shirt. Grinning, he climbed over Kagome, feeling the heat from her nearly naked body. His silver hair fell over his shoulder, brushing her skin.

He looked down at her, puzzled. "Have I told you how beautiful you are?"

"Not today you haven't." Her blush deepened. Shuddering at the cold wind of the demon world, she looked up at him under heavily lidded eyes. "Warm me up, Inuyasha, warm me with your love."

"You're crazy," he growled affectionately. Shaking his head, Inuyasha licked her stomach, kissing her breasts. He let his fangs glide around over the curve of her breasts, teasing her. His affectionate growl deepened. He could feel himself hardening at the very thought of Kagome, at feeling her body shudder under him from please. "I want you, Kagome."

Kagome opened her eyes. Trembling fingers caressed his chest and face. Her other hand passed through his hair. "Well, I am yours to have," Kagome pointed out, gesturing to the ring on his finger.

He looked down at it. "Are you going to take it back?"

"I'm going to have you put it on me again," Kagome whispered. "Marry me. Again." She narrowed her eyes at him. "Unless you don't want to."

"I'd do it in a heartbeat," he promised. Inuyasha winked at her, slipping the ring off of his finger and sliding it unto hers. "But this time, Sango and Miroku are not going to be allowed near the bar." Raising her fingers, he kissed her fingertips. Dropping her hands, he laced his fingers in her hair, kissing her again.

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Afterwards, the fire had been reduced to smoldering embers. Inuyasha reclined on his back, his eyes watching the dying fire as he held Kagome. His fingers stroked her long hair and he felt incredibly satiated. It was like every limb in his body was heavy and numb, foreign feeling.

Kagome moved a little in his arms. Inuyasha smiled. His brain still felt incoherent. "Hey," he said warmly. "How are you feeling? You worried me when you feel asleep."

Kagome blushed and tried to hide under her long dark hair. She felt suddenly very self-conscious and just wanted to hide. "Yeah…I usually don't fall asleep. I guess I was more tired than I thought I was."

"I thought you'd fallen asleep because you had gotten bored."

"Yeah, well it was pretty repetitive."

"Repetitive?" Inuyasha stared at her like he was hurt. Which, of course, he was. He had thought it had been pretty damn good. Judging by how many times Kagome had… called out for God, he'd thought she reciprocated the feelings. Apparently he had been presumptuous. His ears twitched, and he was glad her head was on his chest so she couldn't see his face.

"I thought it was rather nice. I mean… that thing you did? With your hips? Wow!"

Kagome beamed and caressed his abdomen. She liked running his fingers through the small patch of hair leading down from his belly button. It was as soft as the fur on his ears. Kagome was fighting back her giggles as his heart rate picked up. He didn't get her joke. "Thank you. It was spontaneous. I really liked how you did that bit and managed to hold my hands at the same time. Um… maybe repetitive wasn't the best word after all…"

He looked down at her, suddenly smirking. "Was repetitive your way of describing the insert and thrust movement?"

"Well," Kagome thought about it. "No, because you were also changing pace much more than usual. Maybe it's because in the demon realm, your powers are more… pronounced."

This time he arched an eyebrow. "Powers? What do you mean 'powers'? I have powers in the bedroom?"

"Go to sleep."

His grin was positively devilish. "I will. As soon as you do something for me, Kagome."

Kagome stared, aghast. "See? How is your stamina holding out like that? No… Inuyasha, I'll be sore and we need to move on in the morn…"

"Not that," he growled. He ran his fingers over her lips, slowly shifting until he could see her face. "You spent your energy on our baby. I, regretfully, just took up a lot of your remaining energy. But like you point out: I'm still full of it. I'm still wide awake, Kagome. And I want you to bite me, Kagome."

She stared at him, touched. She'd forgotten he wasn't as lecherous as Miroku. With a soft smile touching her lips she shook her head. "No… I'm sorry. That you for worrying about me, but I'm fine."

"Kagome." He said her name warningly. "You protected me. Let me help."

"Our baby is fine, thought." Kagome snuggled up to him. "I love you. And right now our child and your wife are leaning on you for protection. So… you need all of your strength."

He kissed her forehead, his hands running along her body as if to reassure her. "I'm going to be able to protect you just fine, Kagome." His hands brushed her neck as he looked at her scar. Since the spell had been broken, the scar had had come back with a vengeance. It was brighter and deeper than Inuyasha could remember. "Even if it's just to deepen our bond."

Kagome looked up at him lovingly. "But… I'll be fine by morning. Our bond is strong enough," she reassured him, kissing the palm of his hand.

"Kagome…"

"Yes?" she asked all-too innocently. She began sucking on his index finger.

Inuyasha groaned. His eyes drifted closed as his senses were overloaded with the warmth of his touch and the softness of her lips. He knew that there had been something he was going to say…

She tried to resist the temptation, but couldn't. He had just corrupted her far too much. Rolling over to lay on top of him, she kissed his neck, leaving a tiny mark in the form of a hickie at the base of it.

Moaning under he, he held her closer, wanting her to do it again. His eyes closed. He just wanted to enjoy the touch, scent, and taste of her. He moaned her name again, urgently demanding her. He wanted her. He wanted her in so many ways. He had had intimacy and a physical union, and now he wanted everything else she had to offer him. God, he wanted her.

Seeing the same emotions cursing through him, Kagome kissed him again, sucking harder until her teeth joined in to draw blood.

He shuddered with pleasure. A feeling of elation took over him, slow and warm and welcomed. His head felt fuzzy. His fingers entwined in her black hair. He all but clutched her against him as she slowly suckled the blood from his body.

Moaning against his throat, Kagome moved her hair away from the other side of her neck, wanting to convey to him what she wanted.

Inuyasha was all too willing to oblige. He nipped playfully at her neck, rubbing his nose along her jaw line, searching for the warmest spot on her neck, where the blood flowed closest to the surface. He sucked on her in long, strong pulses, grazing his teeth on her skin. He even bit her, and quite hard, but not enough to draw blood. He didn't want to take her energy…. Not yet, anyway.

Kagome snuggled against him lovingly. She could tell he was doing a cover up of drawing blood, but then again, she knew why and it seemed to warm her heart. Drinking a bit, just enough to get Inuyasha off her case for tonight, Kagome sealed the cut with a kiss. Folding her arms over his chest her head nuzzled under his chin. She giggled, vibrating giggles all over from the raw energy coursing through her veins.

"Now can we sleep?"

"Yes, Kagome," he purred in her ear. He nestled down on the ground, Kagome in his arms as he continued to listen to her breathing. "Now we can sleep."

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Kagome stared up at the sky above them, her skin still feeling too sensitive to the touch. As though her eyesight was better, Kagome could make out all the things in the darkness, her hearing could pick up all the silly sounds around them, but all of her senses without exception were focused on him. "Inuyasha…

"I don't want to go home yet. I might be a Priestess and suppose to be pure and look for what's right, but as I was shown so obviously earlier... I have left that path for something different, and I don't want to let what that Naraku and Kikyo did to me go over so easily.

"When we met you had told me that you were going to help your brother take over your rightful throne again, get rid of Naraku, well," Kagome paused before turning to look at him, her mouth a thin line, still very red from Inuyasha's blood. "I can't let an evil creature like that stay in power. I'd have to chose one of the lesser evils." Kagome whispered and pressed her hand to Inuyasha's cheek, loving the feel of his breath on her skin. "We can reclaim your land as well. I know that you hate him being in your mother's home."

"We'll have to work out a truce with him," Inuyasha pointed out, agreeing whole heartedly. He snuggled closer to Kagome, laying his head over her stomach so that she could play with his hair. "Otherwise we'll just be giving him more power, and then he'll come after us… all of us, again." Kissing her stomach, he realized that this meant Myoga had betrayed him. So be it. Inuyasha was too happy to be able to say anything about his father's advisor going to work for Naraku. "What would appease my brother?"

"Appease your brother?" Kagome asked dryly thinking about herself dead and shuddered. "I think offering him your strength, which is obviously not to be put aside lightly should be a bargain chip enough." She said and looked up, startled for a moment by the owl staring down at them. "My power for healing the land? Just the very notion of more power added against Naraku?" Kagome asked, then thought about it. "I don't suppose he'd be happy finding out he'll be an uncle?"

His ears twitched. He stared at her a moment, his hands tracing her sleek muscle, still not quite believing that a child was growing in there even though…. "Kagome," he said, his voice not above a whisper as he would terrified to break the quite spell that had wrapped around their life-filled clearing. "Kagome… I can hear our baby. I can hear their heart…"

Feeling warm and fuzzy, Kagome cuddled close to him and closed her eyes. "You can hear?" Kagome asked through a yawn. "That's nice." She murmured already lost in sleep as her hand continued to stroke his hair. "Do you hear a steady beat?" Kagome asked lightly, still in light slumber.

"It's very steady. And soothing, too. It makes me think that the baby's healthy, and happy. Just like us." He lifted his head and kissed his wife before indulging himself once more to listen to the sound of his son or daughter's heart

To be continued...