Disclaimer: Don't own it.
"In the Crossfire" by: Jesia
Chapter 10: Happy Birthday, Sakura
"Inuyasha . . . Sakura . . . !" the young woman moaned painfully in her sleep, her raven black hair soaked with sweat and matted to her pale, flawless skin. She whimpered and sobbed, shifting and jerking violently under the sheets. Her large, teddy bear brown eyes snapped open and hot tears immediately began spilling out. The woman wept and sobbed loudly and sat up in bed, hugging her knees.
When Kagome's crying fit finally subsided, still shivering, her eyes fell upon the empty space in bed beside her. "Inuyasha . . ." she whined. Kagome's eyes once again welled up with her salty tears, causing her vision to blur.
She cried for the man she loved.
She sobbed for the daughter she'd lost.
She wept for her friends caught on the other side of the mystic well, which no longer worked.
For today was her one and only daughter's fifteenth birthday, the most important birthday a young girl in Feudal Japan could have . . . and she wouldn't have her mother there to guide her.
A glorious spring morning . . . It all felt like such a dream. Holding hands and all smiles, a young teenage mother and her hanyou husband walked side by side to the Bone Eater's Well. Baby Sakura slept peacefully in Kagome's arms, not a care in the world.
"I'm sure Mom can't wait to see Sakura-chan," Kagome commented, smiling absently as the warm sun lit up her youthful features. "Ever since she found out I was pregnant she's been so excited . . . I'm relieved that she's being so supportive."
"Me too," said Inuyasha. "Kagome . . . I love you so much." The trio halted in front of the well. Inuyasha gently clenched his wife's shoulders and locked his golden amber eyes with her own chocolate orbs. They stood there for a moment, drinking it in as the spring breeze gently tugged at their long locks.
"Kagome!" a familiar voice cried. Sakura's infant puppy ears twitched. The said woman directed her gaze to Shippo, who was bounding over to her. Kagome giggled and carefully handed her bundle of joy to Inuyasha, allowing the kitsune to jump up to her for one final hug before yet another departure from the Feudal Era. "I'm going to miss you," the kit whined, nuzzling his face into her collar, taking in her comforting scent.
"Don't worry, Shippo-chan," Kagome assured him, patting his back softly. "We'll be back in a few days. My family is really anxious to see Sakura-chan too, y'know."
Shippo leaned back, away from his adopted mother's security and warmth, and nodded in understanding. Hopping down from her protective hold, he motioned for Inuyasha to follow him for a private word. Kagome giggled, finding the kit's gestures ultimately adorable. Inuyasha groaned and grudgingly followed, his daughter still safely in hand. Kagome smiled, watching the two only a few yards away. 'I'm so glad we've become a family.' Her fingers grasped the mystic pink orb hung 'round her neck . . . It was finally complete.
"What is it, Shippo? Kagome and I need to get going. Her family is expecting us," Inuyasha explained impatiently.
Shippo motioned for Inuyasha to kneel down to his level on the ground. The hanyou inu did so begrudgingly. The kit grabbed a fistful of the halfling's silver locks and shook them violently, his expression becoming serious. "You better take good care of Kagome," he growled in his best adult-like voice. Shippo's emerald eyes then fell upon the baby sleeping in Inuyasha's arms; his face softened. "Sakura too . . ." he added, getting a closer look at his adoptive sister, then stepping back. "I finally feel like we have a family now, and I don't want you to mess it up!" Bounding away back towards Kaede's village, Shippo left Inuyasha that morning with a stunned expression plaguing his normally indifferent face. "Don't worry, Shippo," he whispered as he stood, his features softening at the kit's concern. "I won't let anything bad happen this time. There's no more Naraku to screw things up." He smiled down at his bundle of joy as her ears twitched and a tiny yawn escaped her drooly mouth. Inuyasha's own ears perked up when suddenly an unwelcoming shriek scraped them harshly. He whirled around. Kagome was gone . . . and there stood Kikyo in her place. His eyes widened in disbelief. "What?" "Inuyasha," the undead miko spat out his name rather disdainfully. "You've defeated Naraku, and I commend you for it. But, it is time once again for you to suffer. You will feel my pain." A familiar pink glow emanated from her palm. "The jewel!" he gasped. "Kikyo, what are doing?!" "You will never see your love again, Inuyasha. You will forever suffer, as I have. She is back where she belongs: down that wretched well. Good bye, Inuyasha." And with that, the priestess disappeared in the mist. "No, the well must still work! The bond I shared with Kagome must still be able to—." He ran the short distance to the well and jumped in, carefully clutching Sakura in his hold and closing his eyes. When he opened them he quickly leapt up, only to find himself still in the Feudal Era. Sakura began to cry.
"That bitch."
"I'm sorry, Sakura . . ." Inuyasha said, hugging his daughter in attempt to comfort her. Sango, Miroku, Shippo, and Shunusuke all looked on with saddened faces, speechless. "I love you, and we'll be okay. I've been trying all these years to get down that well, but to my knowledge it still doesn't work." He could smell tears welling up in his daughter eyes; her hurt was painfully obvious. "Happy birthday." Inuyasha pulled out a gift from behind his back and handed it to her. Her eyes, filled with tears, questioned him.
The others continued to look on. The entire household had gathered on the living room floor to hear the tale and celebrate Sakura's birthday. She carefully opened the box to reveal a photo album and a golden, heart-shaped locket with her name written in Kanji on it. "Your mother put together what she calls a 'scrapbook.' There are pictures in there of times before you were born, and some from after. She also bought this locket for you when we found out you were going to be a girl." He smiled as he recalled the memory. "She was so excited."
Sakura's tears became joyful ones; she smiled and hugged her father tightly. "Thank you, Daddy."
Shinjite
Jesia-chan .
"In the Crossfire" by: Jesia
Chapter 10: Happy Birthday, Sakura
"Inuyasha . . . Sakura . . . !" the young woman moaned painfully in her sleep, her raven black hair soaked with sweat and matted to her pale, flawless skin. She whimpered and sobbed, shifting and jerking violently under the sheets. Her large, teddy bear brown eyes snapped open and hot tears immediately began spilling out. The woman wept and sobbed loudly and sat up in bed, hugging her knees.
When Kagome's crying fit finally subsided, still shivering, her eyes fell upon the empty space in bed beside her. "Inuyasha . . ." she whined. Kagome's eyes once again welled up with her salty tears, causing her vision to blur.
She cried for the man she loved.
She sobbed for the daughter she'd lost.
She wept for her friends caught on the other side of the mystic well, which no longer worked.
For today was her one and only daughter's fifteenth birthday, the most important birthday a young girl in Feudal Japan could have . . . and she wouldn't have her mother there to guide her.
A glorious spring morning . . . It all felt like such a dream. Holding hands and all smiles, a young teenage mother and her hanyou husband walked side by side to the Bone Eater's Well. Baby Sakura slept peacefully in Kagome's arms, not a care in the world.
"I'm sure Mom can't wait to see Sakura-chan," Kagome commented, smiling absently as the warm sun lit up her youthful features. "Ever since she found out I was pregnant she's been so excited . . . I'm relieved that she's being so supportive."
"Me too," said Inuyasha. "Kagome . . . I love you so much." The trio halted in front of the well. Inuyasha gently clenched his wife's shoulders and locked his golden amber eyes with her own chocolate orbs. They stood there for a moment, drinking it in as the spring breeze gently tugged at their long locks.
"Kagome!" a familiar voice cried. Sakura's infant puppy ears twitched. The said woman directed her gaze to Shippo, who was bounding over to her. Kagome giggled and carefully handed her bundle of joy to Inuyasha, allowing the kitsune to jump up to her for one final hug before yet another departure from the Feudal Era. "I'm going to miss you," the kit whined, nuzzling his face into her collar, taking in her comforting scent.
"Don't worry, Shippo-chan," Kagome assured him, patting his back softly. "We'll be back in a few days. My family is really anxious to see Sakura-chan too, y'know."
Shippo leaned back, away from his adopted mother's security and warmth, and nodded in understanding. Hopping down from her protective hold, he motioned for Inuyasha to follow him for a private word. Kagome giggled, finding the kit's gestures ultimately adorable. Inuyasha groaned and grudgingly followed, his daughter still safely in hand. Kagome smiled, watching the two only a few yards away. 'I'm so glad we've become a family.' Her fingers grasped the mystic pink orb hung 'round her neck . . . It was finally complete.
"What is it, Shippo? Kagome and I need to get going. Her family is expecting us," Inuyasha explained impatiently.
Shippo motioned for Inuyasha to kneel down to his level on the ground. The hanyou inu did so begrudgingly. The kit grabbed a fistful of the halfling's silver locks and shook them violently, his expression becoming serious. "You better take good care of Kagome," he growled in his best adult-like voice. Shippo's emerald eyes then fell upon the baby sleeping in Inuyasha's arms; his face softened. "Sakura too . . ." he added, getting a closer look at his adoptive sister, then stepping back. "I finally feel like we have a family now, and I don't want you to mess it up!" Bounding away back towards Kaede's village, Shippo left Inuyasha that morning with a stunned expression plaguing his normally indifferent face. "Don't worry, Shippo," he whispered as he stood, his features softening at the kit's concern. "I won't let anything bad happen this time. There's no more Naraku to screw things up." He smiled down at his bundle of joy as her ears twitched and a tiny yawn escaped her drooly mouth. Inuyasha's own ears perked up when suddenly an unwelcoming shriek scraped them harshly. He whirled around. Kagome was gone . . . and there stood Kikyo in her place. His eyes widened in disbelief. "What?" "Inuyasha," the undead miko spat out his name rather disdainfully. "You've defeated Naraku, and I commend you for it. But, it is time once again for you to suffer. You will feel my pain." A familiar pink glow emanated from her palm. "The jewel!" he gasped. "Kikyo, what are doing?!" "You will never see your love again, Inuyasha. You will forever suffer, as I have. She is back where she belongs: down that wretched well. Good bye, Inuyasha." And with that, the priestess disappeared in the mist. "No, the well must still work! The bond I shared with Kagome must still be able to—." He ran the short distance to the well and jumped in, carefully clutching Sakura in his hold and closing his eyes. When he opened them he quickly leapt up, only to find himself still in the Feudal Era. Sakura began to cry.
"That bitch."
"I'm sorry, Sakura . . ." Inuyasha said, hugging his daughter in attempt to comfort her. Sango, Miroku, Shippo, and Shunusuke all looked on with saddened faces, speechless. "I love you, and we'll be okay. I've been trying all these years to get down that well, but to my knowledge it still doesn't work." He could smell tears welling up in his daughter eyes; her hurt was painfully obvious. "Happy birthday." Inuyasha pulled out a gift from behind his back and handed it to her. Her eyes, filled with tears, questioned him.
The others continued to look on. The entire household had gathered on the living room floor to hear the tale and celebrate Sakura's birthday. She carefully opened the box to reveal a photo album and a golden, heart-shaped locket with her name written in Kanji on it. "Your mother put together what she calls a 'scrapbook.' There are pictures in there of times before you were born, and some from after. She also bought this locket for you when we found out you were going to be a girl." He smiled as he recalled the memory. "She was so excited."
Sakura's tears became joyful ones; she smiled and hugged her father tightly. "Thank you, Daddy."
Shinjite
Jesia-chan .