Disclaimer: Wow, what a great idea. I could own Inu Yasha. Shoot, Rumiko Takahashi already does.
A/N- This is the last chapter, so sad. Love my reviewers. Big hugs and lots of thanks.
Epilogue
"Grrr, what is with this thing?" The young man's golden eyes flashed with frustration.
"Calm down." A pair of gentle hands rubbed his shoulders. He had sensed her long before she spoke.
"I am calm! These things won't fasten!"
The woman turned him around, muffling a giggle, and began to fasten the toggles of his shirt. "Don't be so nervous. Today will be the best day of your life."
"I can't help it." He sighed deeply.
She looked up at him, her chocolate eyes peering deep into his soul, just as they always had. "You love her, don't you?"
"More than my own life."
"That alone will give you the strength to face anything."
He smiled. "Thank you, mother."
Kagome smiled at her son, who looked so much like his father when he was human. The only differences were that his eyes remained that amber tone and he smiled much more. "You're my son, thanks are never necessary." She rose up and kissed his cheek. "We love you, 'Denkou."
He hugged her, burying his nose in his mother's hair. Being part demon had served him well over the years. He had inherited his father's keen sense of smell, hearing, and eyesight. And now he used them to take in all that was his mother. "I love you, too."
She drew back, concern in her eyes. "You will be careful, won't you?"
He smirked and Kagome was reminded of Inu Yasha when he was up to something. "Me? I'm always careful."
Kagome felt her heart speed up. "'Denkou, don't tease your mother. You'll give me a heart attack."
He chuckled. "I'm sorry. I promise to be careful. Besides, Uncle Miroku would kill me if anything happened to Shinkuha."
"Hey kid, you ready?" They turned to see Inu Yasha standing in the hut's doorway. He gave his son a smirk. "What's wrong? Scared?"
"Inu Yasha!" Kagome scolded.
"No, I'm not scared, just….nervous…that's all." Inu Denkou looked away from his father.
"Feh, why? This was your idea."
"Inu Yasha, leave him alone. Like you weren't nervous on your wedding day?" Kagome eyed him sharply.
"Feh, of course not, I'd been waiting on it for six months." He found the grass suddenly interesting and turned his back on them. "They're waiting on you, kid." He looked over his shoulder at the sixteen-year old boy that reminded him of Kagome when he smiled. "It's time to change your life forever, my son."
Inu Denkou moved to stand beside his father and Kagome felt the tears well in her eyes as she looked at the two men. Yes, her son was a man, at least here in this time he was. In the solitude of the hut the two embraced. Her heart melted as she watched them. It was strange to look at them, almost mirror images of each other. Inu Yasha was older and his son had black hair, yet they were the same. They were the same height and build and they shared the same amber eyes. Even their ages seemed close. Inu Yasha had always aged much slower than the average human, because of his demon blood. But since he and Kagome mated, he had noticed that not only did his aging quickened ever so slight, but Kagome's had slowed to a point that matched his. They now both looked barely in their twenties and they were sending a son into the world that looked nearly their own age.
Kagome closed her eyes against the welling tears. She heard her husband speak to their son. "Go. We'll be right out." She opened her eyes to see Inu Denkou's receding back. Inu Yasha embraced her. "What's wrong, Kagome?"
"I don't know, I guess I'm just scared of letting him go." She buried her face in his chest and let the tears fall.
"We have two other pups and one on the way." He placed a gentle hand on the tiny swell in her midsection. "They'll be enough to keep us busy. And besides, it's not like we'll never see him again. He'll come home, you'll see."
She continued to cry silently. "But he's different. He was our first, and we fought so hard for him."
"And he's happy. That is what we always wanted." He kissed her brow. "He loves you, even if he is taking a mate…wife…" He groaned. "Feh, human traditions. Demons-"
"He's not a true demon, he's mostly human. And Shinkuha is human. Would you ask Miroku and Sango to allow their daughter to just be his mate? No. Anyways it makes them happy, so just let it be."
"Feh, you wouldn't have objected to just being my mate."
Kagome smiled. "No, I wouldn't have, but I didn't care as long as we were together."
He smiled and kissed his beloved deeply. "We better go. They'll be starting soon." Kagome nodded and they left the hut together. Taking their seats in the first row, Kagome took the toddler with silver hair and blue eyes from their second born. She was twelve years old with raven hair containing silver streaks and blue eyes. Their third child was nearly three, he resembled his father most of all and, in Kagome's opinion, he was the most spirited and stubborn too. Neither child bore their father's ears though, but Kagome felt that the child within her would posses the charming characteristic.
Kagome tried to settle the toddler on her lap, but he fussed and squirmed, wanting to run around like normal. Inu Yasha finally took to the pup and sat him in his lap. The tiny boy knew better than to anger his father and so quickly settled. Inu Denkou stood beside the headman, head bowed in thought. When the sound of a flute began to play, his head shot up and he looked toward the end of the aisle.
There was a vision of beauty holding Miroku's arm. Shinkuha resembled Sango mostly, except for the eyes which were violet like her father's. Miroku smiled at his future son-in-law, but the boy never noticed. His attention was fully focused on the young woman. He could feel cold beads of sweat running down his back. And he cursed himself inwardly, knowing his father would pick out the scent. Inu Denkou forced himself not to look at the hanyou, knowing he was smirking at him. Instead he straightened as the pair approached him.
Miroku set his first-born's hand in the boy's, giving him a warning about taking care of his daughter. Miroku, however, was not in the least bit worried. He had seen how protective the boy was of Shinkuha. There was no doubt that Inu Denkou would protect his daughter to the death. Stepping back to his wife, he found Sango clutching a their six year old and crying. She was happy for her daughter but scared at the same time. Miroku put an arm around her shoulders and patted the boy on the head.
The little boy gave his father a pleading look, begging to be released before his mother crushed him. Miroku merely smiled and turned his attention back to the headman. The ceremony was short and sweet and the reception quickly followed.
The four old friends sat and watched the couple dance. Kagome and Sango clung to each other still crying. Miroku grinned at his hanyou companion. "Hey, you realize we're related now?"
"Feh, whatever. You just better hope nothing happens to them, you know how protective Kagome can get with the pups."
"It wasn't my idea that they go to Sango's village, it was Shinkuha's." He watched his daughter laugh as her young husband lifted her off her feet with ease and swung her around a little. "They'll be fine. They're a good team, like me and Sango or you and Kagome."
"That's what worries me. You realize how much trouble we used to get into and still do!"
Miroku chuckled. "I think they're a little brighter than us. They'll be fine as long as they're together."
After the reception, it was time to say their goodbyes. Sango kissed and hugged her daughter tightly. "We'll miss you. Come home to visit soon."
"I promise, mom." Shinkuha said hugging her back. Then she hugged her father. "We'll be back by winter."
Miroku smiled at her, knowing that she would be gone much longer than that. "We'll be waiting when you come." He kissed her brow and hugged her warmly.
Kagome was hugging Inu Denkou with such strength that he could barely move. "Mother, I'll be fine. Please, I can't breathe." She released him tears streaming down her cheeks. He paled. "Please, please don't cry. You know I can't stand that."
"I can't help it. I'm your mother, I'm supposed to worry." She sobbed slightly.
The boy looked to his father pleadingly. Neither of them could stand to see her cry. Inu Yasha put his arm around her waist and a hand on his son's shoulder. "Go and find your place in the world, and then come back to us safely."
Inu Denkou nodded and smiled at his father. "I will." He turned then, and took Shinkuha's hand. "Goodbye for now." He said to Miroku and Sango. The couple started to walk away.
"Wait!" Shippo bounded out of nowhere. He landed in front of the couple panting. Putting his hands on his hips, he stomped his foot. "You weren't just going to leave, were you? Did you forget I'm the one that's taking you?"
Inu Denkou shook his head, raven hair falling over his shoulder. "No, I knew you were there." He tapped a finger to his nose.
"Shippo, where have you been? I didn't see you at the ceremony." Kagome scolded.
The twenty-something year old kit, stuck in a ten year old body, blushed. "I was sitting with Kasai."
"You and that little human girl are getting pretty close." Inu Yasha smirked at his triumph, when the kit turned three shades redder.
Kagome giggled lightly. "Well, you better be off. It's starting to get late. You shouldn't travel too much at night, that's when demons are most prone to attacking."
Shippo crossed his arms Inu Yasha style. "Don't worry, I'll protect them."
The two Inus exchanged a look. Inu Yasha merely rolled his eyes. The kit had never really learned how to fight. He had more faith in his son's ability than the fox's.
Inu Denkou chose to humor his foster brother. "Oh, thank you, Shippo. I know Mother feels much better with you with us."
Kagome smiled at her son's back and winked at Shippo, who beamed like the sun.
"I'll do my best." He pounded a small fist in a small palm.
Kagome smiled broader. "I know you will, now get on your way, you're loosing daylight." The three nodded and began their trek to the slayer's village. Kagome watched for a while, letting the fake smile slip away. She felt so vulnerable, letting her child disappear into the forest. She turned away from their disappearing shadows and buried her face again in her lover's chest. She needed to feel safe, she needed her mate, her Inu Yasha.
The End
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A/N: For those of you that noticed, I did make a boob-boo in the last chap. I called Tenseiga, Tetsuseiga. Sorry about that. Usually I double check the spelling, but I put that one out quick thus the spelling error. My bad! Always let me know this stuff, so I can fix in the future.