After the Battle
Chapter 13: If and When
Disclaimer: You're asking me if I own Inuyasha… Come on, use some sense.
a.n: Don't ask me where the title came from. I seriously just pulled it out of my ass.
n.n() Happy reading!
Kagome stumbled sleepily through the forest, determined to find Inuyasha and Kei. She tripped several times, and almost fell onto a large rock, but she still kept on. Finally after an hour or so of slow moving, she wound up in about the same place Inuyasha had been earlier. She was more alert then he was at that time though, and smelled the smoke.
"Where there's smoke there's fire…" She said aloud to herself, and picked up her pace.
(A/N: Hehe, I'm sorry for all of you who are also reading Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events number 10)
Kei couldn't believe what she was hearing. Her father, who she had just met, had another child that he didn't know about? How could this be possible? The girl, Keki, looked only a few years older than her too. Did that mean that Inuyasha was cheating on her mother? The feudal times were so much more confusing then back home. Maybe things would have been better if she had stayed where she was... She tuned out of her own thoughts in order to catch the rest of the conversation.
"When you… Naraku… killed me I must have been pregnant," said Kikyou, eyes sparkling as if she was reminiscing. "When you brought me back to life I had the child secretly. I didn't want to put you into even more grievance over the loss of Kagome… I know what that did to you." She said tenderly, her eyes never leaving Inuyasha. He shifted uncomfortably, and looked at Keki.
"Why… did you wait until today?" He asked, his eyes drifting to Kei. Kikyou sighed deeply.
"You finally came to visit me. You haven't been here since that night you brought me back to life… That was one of the happiest days of my life…" Kikyou trailed off, and for once pure happiness shone through her usually dark eyes.
"That wasn't… wasn't good though. I was lost, and you were there. I would have fallen into anyone's arms that night, Kikyou." Inuyasha said with his eyes on Kikyou, an apologetic look on his face.
Kikyou looked down, and Kei could see a cold sadness filling them, as if her soul was shattering inside her very being. When she looked up again, all traces of that former sadness were gone, and instead left with a cold acceptance.
"Yeah, you're right. It was the same for me too…" Kei could tell she was lying, but Inuyasha just smiled weakly.
"That's good, I guess. I'm sorry that I haven't come visiting very often. I've been busy…" He trailed off.
Kikyou suddenly turned around and faced away from Inuyasha. He didn't seem to notice until she spoke.
"Well, I guess you'd be busy, I mean Kagome came back, with your daughter. I guess that just makes me irrelevant again. I'll have to wait until Kagome leaves you again for you to pretend to appreciate me I guess." She snapped, and walked off toward one of the huts. Keki approached Inuyasha slowly, and looked him in the eyes.
"All this time I've been without a father, and when you finally come to see me I learn that you don't actually love my mother? She's talked of you so long, all your great battles and all the things you do and see. I thought you'd be more." She said slowly, and then followed her mother into the hut.
Inuyasha stood with his feet rooted to the ground, stunned. Kei imagined it was because he just found out he had 2 daughters and both said nearly the same thing to him. She stood slowly and went to his side.
"Inuyasha… I'm sorry for what I said before…" She said, hastily trying to apologize, but he wouldn't meet her eyes.
"No, I deserved it. You're right. Keki…" His voice cracked, and he wouldn't finish the sentence, but Kei understood.
Kagome stumbled toward the fire until she got close enough to see the people by the fire. She sighed in relief when she saw Inuyasha and Kei standing with their backs turned toward her.
"Inuyasha!" She called, and ran up to him and wrapped herself in his warm embrace. She noticed he gripped her tighter than he had since she came back, this time feeling like he would never let her go. Something must have happened between them out here. She noticed he was still in his human form, and when she looked into his eyes she saw shock.
"Kagome… how'd you get here?" He asked quietly. She could tell something was wrong by the tone of voice he used. She looked toward Kei for an explanation, but Kei wouldn't meet her mother's eyes.
"Inuyasha… where are we?" She asked, finally looking around at her surroundings. This place seemed almost familiar and so did the many women who walked around in the shadows. She looked up to see Inuyasha staring at her solemnly.
"This is Kikyou's village. She just told me something… a huge something. She had… had my child." He said quietly, his eyes flickering nervously.
"What… how? You… with her? When?" Kagome stuttered when she was able to find her voice.
"Kagome… it was before I ever met you. It was when I was with Kikyou, before she was killed. When I brought her back I guess the baby was still alive…" He trailed off, and looked back into Kagome's eyes. "She never told me… until tonight."
Kagome sighed quietly, and took a deep breath. It was before he met her. It was almost as if a huge weight was lifted off her shoulders.
"I thought… while I was gone…" She cried, and flung herself back into his arms.
"I'm so sorry I left. I was trying to be brave… I was doing it all wrong… I would give anything for the last fifteen years back. I'd give anything at all." Kagome sobbed.
"You know I would too." Inuyasha whispered in her ear, and kissed her softly, both forgetting Kei was still standing there.
When thy finally separated, Kagome looked around, finally remembering Kei.
"Kei! I'm sorry you didn't know your father for so long… I can't believe I never dared to go back… Thank you so much for the continuous nagging about Inuyasha…" She said, and then smiled when she saw tears beginning to form in her daughter's eyes.
"Don't mention it." She whispered, smiling at her happy parents, finally reunited. "I think I'll spend the night with my half sister. It would probably be best to leave you two alone." She added, smiling impishly. She then had to duck quickly to avoid the stick Kagome flung at her head and walked away laughing towards the hut.
Kagome looked at Inuyasha with a hint of passion in her chocolate eyes. "Remember what happened the last time you were human?" She whispered seductively, and grabbed his hand. Inuyasha looked around, rather puzzled.
"Wasn't that when… Kei?" He asked, blushing. What did Kagome mean by that? Suddenly, it came to him, and he followed Kagome a bit faster through the woods…
a.n: Yay! I'm sorry if this chapter seems kind of thrown together, I wanted to have the fastest update that was humanly possible! I thank you to all of my reviewers, but I don't have time to go online and thank everyone specifically! Sorry!
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Oh yeah… As you can tell, it kind of ended in a part where there could be a lemon. I'm wondering, does anyone want a lemon? It will only be like Pepsi Twist (a hint of lemon…: P) because I've never written one before and don't really want to do a really hardcore one… lol. If you want one, I'll give you a small one… Like VERY small. If you don't want one, I won't make one; just tell me what you think! n.n