Disclaimer: The characters of Inuyasha are owned by Rumiko Takahashi, but this story belongs to me

Chapter Seventeen: Spies

Day Twenty – Eight

The youngest member of my family seems to be abnormally attached to the doll. Unfortunately, I think that maybe I am too. People have to keep reminding me that she isn't really real. I sometimes talk and sing to her when she isn't crying, just because it is a comforting thing to do. I used to be concerned about what would happen to the family member when he loses Mikomi as a companion of sorts. Now I'm beginning to be concerned about myself too.

Now in addition to worrying about boys, homework, college, the future, and fighting demons (metaphorically speaking of course), now I also have to worry about my sanity. Gee… Thanks a bunch.

Then again, I have seen my mother kootchie koo the baby, so maybe the insanity is actually hereditary. Or maybe it is contagious. Just a thought.

This project is awfully close to being completed, and believe it or not, I'm beginning to miss the baby already. It has been kind of nice to have someone to hold and cuddle and take care of. She makes me think that maybe this is the missing piece in my life. Maybe that's why I had such a hard time leaving her with the babysitter.

Or maybe I really have gone insane.

Kagome sighed heavily, tempted to erase the last line she just wrote. Am I going insane? She looked over at Sango and Miroku, who were both cooing over the electronic baby. She snorted in amusement. At least I'm not alone in the land of the insane.

ooOOooOOooOOooOOooOOooOOooOOooOOooOOooOOoo

"This is what I want."

She blinked for a moment, unsure of what he was talking about. It seemed an odd thing for him to blurt out all of a sudden. "What do you mean?"

"This." He looks down at the baby she is cradling in her arms, brushing his fingers across the doll's bald head softly. "I want this. I want to see you holding our baby one day. I want the crying in the middle of the night, the lullabies, the tiny hand holding mine. I want a family." He paused slightly. "With you."

Blushing, she looked away. Her heart was thundering in her chest. Could she dare to believe him? She wanted to. With all her heart and soul she wanted his words to be true.

"Be serious," she scolded.

Taking one of her hands in his, he turned her to face him. His eyes more solemn than she had ever seen them.

"Never in my whole life, have I been more serious." He took a deep breath, tightening his hand around hers gently. "I know you will not believe me, but I will spend the rest of my life proving it to you. I love you."

She gasped at the admission. Never, not once, had he said those three words to her. She had guessed… had hoped… but never thought he would say those words to her. To be honest, she didn't think any man would ever say those words to her with that look in his eyes. Her heart fluttered as she realized something. She believed him.

"I… I love you too…"

Tenderly he brought her hand up to his lips, brushing them against her skin.

The slight rustling in the bushes nearby caught his attention. He strained to listen, but was only greeted with silence. He shrugged it off, after all, there were more important things to be thinking about.

She loved him.

"What is he saying now?" hissed Kagome as quietly as she could.

"Shut up, idiot!" Inuyasha whispered back. "Do you want them to hear us?"

"Sango's crying though. What did he say?"

Inuyasha pushed Kagome's head down to the ground before she could peer over the leaves and covered her mouth as Miroku's gaze swept over their hiding place. When he returned his attention back onto the blushing and teary eyed Sango, the dog demon let up his grip a little. He brought his head close to the miko's so he could keep his voice quiet, but so that Kagome would be able to hear him. The monk suspected them.

"Later," he whispered the promise.

She glared at him and opened her mouth, but he put his hand over her mouth again. He glared back, then quick as lightening he scooped her up and stealthily stole away. He kept his hand over her mouth until they were out of the humans' hearing range. Naturally he took the scenic route. And that, of course, involved a series of leaps and jumps and lots of speed. Finally he found a secluded spot and let her go.

For a moment it looked like she was going to 'sit' him into oblivion. Then apparently she remembered that he had some juicy gossip to share and her face lit up in excitement.

"Well?"

Inuyasha smirked sadistically and leaned lazily against a tree. "Well what?"

The girl was practically dancing in excitement. "What did he say? What did he say? Why was Sango crying? Tell me!"

He crossed his arms over his chest nonchalantly and shrugged. It was difficult keeping a straight face as the girl grabbed the front of his robes and began shaking him, demanding that he spill his guts. It was an odd phrase for her to use, considering every time his guts were spilled she ended up crying and blubbering over him. Women. He'd never figure them out.

"If you get all squealy they'll know we've been spying on them," he warned.

Her grip on his clothes eased up, though he noticed that she didn't let go. Her eyes were bright and she was leaning close to him. With her head upturned and her neck exposed, Inuyasha began to get a little nervous. She was awfully close. Too close. Well… actually… not quite close enough…

"I promise! I won't get squealy."

With his heart beating so hard it was almost deafening, Inuyasha leaned in a little closer than necessary, his mouth only a breath away from her ear. "He told her that he loved her," he whispered.

Kagome squealed.

One she calmed down, Inuyasha told her about the rest of the conversation. The dog demon sat on a nearby boulder to watch as Kagome shouted happily and spun around with giddy laughter. It was good to see her so happy and full of energy. The assignment had been difficult on the girl. Most of the month she had been tired and more cranky than usual. There had even been a couple of instances when one member of their group asked if she might be under some sort of spell. Or possession.

He wasn't safe for long though. Soon enough she was grabbing his hands and spinning him around too. Since no one else was around to witness the outrageous display Inuyasha let her.

All too soon she let go of his hands, clasping her own in front of her. It was the same pleading posture she often struck which never failed to get her what she wanted.

"Let's go back! Please?"

Inuyasha looked away, hoping the pleading wouldn't affect him so much if he couldn't see her. Part of him wanted to go back and listen to the rest of Miroku's speech, the other part of him wanted Kagome getting some rest before she collapsed.

She was supposed to have gotten sleep last night. It was the night with no moon. And since he was human and wasn't going to sleep anyhow, he offered to watch Mikomi. But Kagome insisted on staying up with him. She claimed it was to catch up on her homework, but Inuyasha knew better. It was because of him. She didn't want him to be alone. Luckily there were no attacks, so Kagome did her homework and Inuyasha had taken care of the baby. A couple of times she dozed off, but she had no real sleep.

He felt guilty over keeping the exhausted girl up, but he couldn't find it in him to force her to go to sleep. He enjoyed the company too much. It was one of the rare occasions that he and Kagome were together when he didn't have to share her with Shippo or Sango or Miroku or her mom or Souta or her nosy friends from school. It was just the two of them, and he couldn't bear to let it go.

However, the dark circles under her eyes worried him.

"You should be sleeping. Isn't that what you've been complaining about all month? No time to sleep? Well, now you have it. They're watching Mikomi for the afternoon and YOU are supposed to be sleeping." Still refusing to look in her direction, he sounded stern. Strong, like a rock, and just as immovable. "Get some rest, wench."

"Pleeeeease?"

Okay, he couldn't actually see her… but he could still hear her. He could actually hear her batting her eyes at him. The cheater! To make things worse, she was using THAT voice! That awful please-don't-break-my-heart-it-would-hurt-my-soul-forever voice. He should have known that her voice was just as powerful as her eyes. The girl played dirty.

As he sped away towards the clearing where they last saw Miroku and Sango, he wondered just how the girl managed to get people to do her bidding without using a lick of magic.

Oh well, at least she was happy. A happy Kagome means no 'sits'.

Generally.

Besides, Inuyasha was curious as well. He was glad that Shippo was off with Kaede instead of being underfoot. The kit had a way of seeing things a little too clearly and had no inhibitions about sharing information. Right now the dog demon would prefer to keep his secrets for just a little bit longer. Once he was more sure of himself and the situation then things would be different… like maybe in a century or two.

"Isn't the clearing off to the right?" asked Kagome as they veered off to the left.

"They moved, probably right after we left." He turned his head so that he could see her face, keeping his smile to himself. He couldn't help but be proud of the fact that she was able to tell exactly where they are, even though most humans would be lost in the sea of trees. Was it her power? Or had she spent so much time in the forest with him that she was able to recognize landmarks? It didn't matter to him, but he was a little curious. "They didn't get far. But you have to stay silent from here on out. Not a word. Not a sound." Kagome nodded in understanding.

Luckily, Miroku and Sango hadn't gone far. They were sitting near a river with a waterfall. Inuyasha scoffed, they think the waterfall will cover their sound. He knew it wasn't exactly polite to eavesdrop on friends. But he was just watching out for them. And for Mikomi. And for Kagome. After all, if something happened to Mikomi, then Kagome would have to go to school for another year to graduate from high school. The hanyou only had so much patience, and he didn't think he that he could survive waiting another year.

Once their positions as sentries was secure, he let himself relax a little bit and focus. His ears twitched back and forth, getting a smothered giggle as a response from the girl beside him. He twitched them again just for another response.

"I love you," he whispered to the miko at his side.

Kagome's eyes opened wide, her mouth hanging slightly open. Stunned. She tried to find her voice, but couldn't seem to locate it. The only sound she could manage was a tiny little squeak. For a moment she thought that her heart had stopped.

"You are the only woman I have ever loved."

The word 'Kikyo' came to Kagome's mind, but she couldn't get it past her lips. Though her mouth was moving, there were no words coming out. It was probably for the best, since very likely she would just babble before she could make a coherent sentence. Unfortunately he was not looking at her, so he could not see the question she was trying so hard to ask.

"You are my heart. You are my reason for living."

Kagome's hands trembled slightly as they reached towards him.

"You are my light."

His golden gaze was locked into the distance. Biting her lip, Kagome turned her head slowly to follow the path his eyes were taking.

"I love you. Please, do me the honor of becoming my wife."

Kagome looked towards the waterfall, where Miroku was bending down on one knee in front of a blushing demon slayer. Her heart fell and her hands dropped back to her lap. She felt like an idiot. She should have known that Inuyasha was just relaying the conversation. Tears burned in her eyes, but she knew she couldn't let them fall.

But the stupid things fell anyhow.

Inuyasha's nose twitched. He looked at Kagome, horrified at the tears falling down her cheeks. He caught her hand as she was trying to rub them away. She was an idiot if she thought he wouldn't notice. He always knew when she cried. Always.

As quietly as he could (which means totally silently) Inuyasha took Kagome and sped away from their hiding spot… again. He knew he should apologize for something, but he wasn't sure what. Once they were far enough away that no one would be able to sneak up on them and disturb them… or spy on them… Inuyasha finally set her down.

"What's wrong?"

Unable to look him in the eye she sniffled, giving a humorless laugh before answering. "Nothing."

"Liar."

She laughed again, this time adding a smile. "I'm just so happy for them."

Miroku and Sango were going to be married. They would have children. They would be a family. Kagome couldn't get the image of Miroku, Sango, and Mikomi out of her mind. She knew that she was envious. Another tear found its way down her cheek. It was difficult to keep from breaking down and sobbing. They wanted each other. They loved each other. They were going to have a happy ending after all.

Wiping the tear away she took a deep calming breath and realized that she honestly was happy for them, and her forced smile slowly warmed into a real one. They deserved happiness. Both of them. Finally she was able to look her hanyou in the eyes.

"I'm happy for them."

Inuyasha smiled. "Yeah."

Kagome took another deep breath. Her heart still ached. It hurt. But she reminded herself how much she loved her friends and how happy she was for them. Envy is an ugly feeling, and it was difficult to cope with.

"It was a beautiful proposal," she sighed happily as she hopped onto a boulder to sit. "He sure has a way with words."

Inuyasha frowned. "Keh."

Kagome laughed merrily as she swung her legs. "Of course, YOU have a way with words too."

Opening his mouth to make a scathing come back, Inuyasha froze. Kagome liked those beautiful words. She really did. His frown deepened. He didn't know how to be all romantical like that. There's no way he could come up with a speech to practically make her swoon. He had grown up alone and fighting for his life, not exactly time to learn how to woo a mate. Who did he have as his role models with women? Sesshomaru? Ha! Miroku? That man should have brain damage with as many times as he had been slapped, slugged, and pummeled for his perverted sense of romance. He couldn't ask Sango, that would just about be the same as sending a direct message to Kagome that he didn't have a clue. They talk about EVERYthing!

She seemed to like what Miroku said. His first instinct was to tear Miroku into itsy bitsy pieces for having any impact on Kagome's emotions at all, much less making her sigh happily, but that would be counterproductive to winning the girl. Besides, he couldn't say what Miroku said. He just couldn't! Plus she would know in an instant that he stole the monk's words. Talk about ruining the 'mood' that she goes on about.

A pebble bounced off his forehead. Reacting to the attack he drew his sword and growled. His attacker, of course, was a giggling miko.

"What?" he grumbled as he sheathed his sword.

"I asked what Sango said." She tossed another rock at him, which he dodged by leaping into the air and landing beside her.

"When?"

Grrr. "When Miroko proposed!"

Inuyasha mumbled incoherently and looked away.

"Sorry, dog boy, you'll have to speak up. I have pathetic weak human hearing, remember?"

The dog demon growled. "I SAID that I don't KNOW!"

"What?"

"We left before she answered," he admitted reluctantly. Visions of being 'sat' ten feet deep filled his head.

"WHAT?"

Oh yeah, he was in big trouble now.

ooOOooOOooOOooOOooOOooOOooOOooOOooOOooOOoo

Okay, I know that I was supposed to leave the baby with a babysitter with the list of instructions I made up, but I couldn't help but doing a little spying on them. Does that make me an overprotective mother or just a snoop? I'm not sure which would be worse… snooping on friends or being overprotective of a doll made of plastic and electronic components. Sad to say, I'm not really sure which it is.

By any chance are there any extra credit opportunities before you add up the final grade? I know you said that there wasn't, but maybe you forgot about one or two. You do know that if I don't get at least a B that I'll fail, right? That means that I won't graduate! Do you really want me for a whole other year? Think of what it will do to my self esteem.

My future as a well adjusted and productive member of society is in your hands.

Kagome Higurashi

ooOOooOOooOOooOOooOOooOOooOOooOOooOOooOOoo

Author's Note:

Sorry it took me so long to get this chapter out. I think I have the bubonic plague or something. There are four more chapters to go, plus I've been considering adding a side story of The Talk that Kagome's mom had with them in the drugstore.

Thanks for your reviews, they mean a lot to me. Some of you guys are just a hoot and I love reading your emails!