Disclaimer: I do not Inuyasha or any Inuyasha characters (silently weeping in the corner)

Youkai Hear Isn't Always Good

Kagome's eyes opened to find no one in the dim hut. She double- checked, but there was no one there; so she made her way outside and saw Sango and Miroku in the distance, seated by a fire. Kagome retrieved a blanket from Kaede's hut and went to them.

"Kagome! You're better!" Once again, she was attacked by a little ball of fur.

"Hai, Shippo. I feel much better." She looked to the older ones, shakily inquiring, "What happened to me?"

Miroku was the first to answer. "Kagome-sama, you don't remember? You fainted. Inuyasha caught you before you hit the ground and brought you to Kaede's."

"Inuyasha? Where is he?" Kagome felt terrible. 'I can't believe I was so mean to him. I should apologize.'

"Well, you know Inuyasha. He went off on his own somewhere." Sango said, but never looked up from polishing her boomerang.

Kagome thought for a moment. 'Hmm… this will give me the perfect opportunity to go back home. I could use some more time away from Sengoku Jidai. And some time away from Inuyasha.' "Everyone, I'm going home- don't tell Inuyasha. I'll see you in two days." Waving, she left for the well.

As Sango and Miroku watched her go, neither could shake the feeling that she wasn't going to make it home. A certain hanyou had a habit of turning up before she could get there…

"You think she's going to make it?" Miroku whispered to Sango as he inched closer to the exterminator.

"Not a chance. He's probably waiting there for her." Sango kept her eyes on Hiraikotsu. However, they snapped to the monk when she felt something on her rear.

A definitive SMACK rang through the forest.

Miroku was now sporting a red handprint on his face while Sango went back to work. Shippo, on the other hand, had gone to sleep after Kagome came.

Kagome kept looking behind her and quickened her steps. 'It's so close. I should run.' She was now stared over the side of the well. "Now or never. I better hurry up." she thought aloud.

She put her legs on the side of the well, closed her eyes, and jumped, feeling herself float. Suspicion dawned a few seconds later, and she looked up, expecting to see the roof of the well house but finding sky instead. 'Nani? I'm still in Sengoku Jidai?' It was only then that she noticed something was holding her. Turning, she met the stare of an extremely irate hanyou.

"Where the fuck do you think you're going? You just woke up. You should be resting." The look in his eyes made Kagome wish she was back in the hut; Inuyasha was pissed off. She thought about sitting him before realizing he would break his arm on the lip of the well.

"Inuyasha, I have to go home. I'll rest there. Let go of me." She wriggled futilely against his grip.

"You're not going anywhere. We have to talk." With that he picked her up and leapt into the trees.

When they were at an acceptable distance, Inuyasha sat on a high branch, loosened his grip on Kagome, and turned her to look at him. After what felt like hours of mutual staring, he decided to break the silence.

"Well, are you going to tell me or not?" He tried to keep a harsh tone but knew he sounded more concerned than angry.

"Tell you what?" 'I'm totally clueless here. What is he talking about?' "Inuyasha, are you feeling ok?" She put the back of her hand on his forehead, checking for fever, but he tossed his head, displacing the hand.

"Don't fuck with me, Kagome. You know what I'm talking about. I find you in the woods with Kouga and you pass out after he says he's sorry. What the hell is going on?"

At a loss, she decided on a little white lie. "If I tell you will you let me go home?" 'I bet I can bargain my way out of this.' After all, she did need rest, and to get away from Inuyasha; and she knew that wouldn't happen was if he wasn't satisfied with her answer.

"I was talking to Kouga about me getting angry at you; he said he was sorry that I was upset, and then he..." a bout of vomiting interrupted her. "Inuyasha, I need to go home. I don't feel well."

Inuyasha knew he couldn't keep her there, and didn't want to see her get sick. He picked her up again and ran back to the well, dropped her safely in, and left to sit and think.

'Feh. I don't care what she does. I don't believe her story, but why the hell is she lying?'

"Mama, Jii-chan, Souta, I'm home." No one answered; assuming they were still asleep, Kagome showered, then lay on her bed.

'What is going on? Why does Inuyasha suddenly care? He wants to be with Kikyo, I know that. But why do I still care? I'm supposed to be happy. I have a guy who loves me even though he has a twisted way of showing it. I'm going to have a baby. I'm going to have a baby. I'm going to have Kouga's baby. I have to talk to Kouga. I probably hurt his feelings when I yelled, but was I wrong? Inuyasha will hate me when he finds out… what am I going to do?'

Kagome let sleep save her from her thoughts for the night. She never noticed the hanyou outside, watching her sleep through the window.

Inuyasha couldn't help but stare. She looked so peaceful- but she could wake up and see him. He dropped down and ran back to the well.

The next day when Kagome woke, she didn't feel any better than when she had gone to sleep. 'I thought a good night's sleep would make me feel better, but it didn't. Maybe I should go back Sengoku Jidai and talk to Sango.' Kagome hastily replenished her supplies and jumped in the well. When she got the other side she made her way to where she left her friends the day before.

They were all sleeping when she arrived. Kagome figured this would be a perfect opportunity to talk to Sango, and tiptoed to her sleeping friend.

"Sango- chan, are you awake?"

"Kagome, you're back." Her welcoming smile faded when she saw the worry and sorrow on the younger girl's face.

"Kagome, what's wrong? Wait- come, we'll go for a walk." Sango grabbed Kagome's hand and they walked into the forest. When they were far enough away, they sat down and began to talk.

"Now tell me what's wrong." Sango still held Kagome's hand in a gesture of support.

"He came to see me." Kagome kept her head down.

"Who came?"

"Kouga."

"When? What happened?" Sango could already see tears in Kagome's eyes.

She started crying. "He told me that he purposely got me pregnant, but that he did it because he loves me. Inuyasha showed up when Kouga left, but he knows something is up. He thinks Kouga did something to me because I passed out after talking to him."

Sango squeezed Kagome's hand reassuringly. "Kagome, do you think you really love Kouga? Maybe you were just so distressed over Inuyasha that you thought you loved him. Perhaps you only wanted to love him."

Tears shimmered on Kagome's face. "I don't know, Sango-chan. I think I love Kouga, but it's not the same as how I felt for Inuyasha. Maybe I should just tell Inuyasha about the baby."

"It's your life, Kagome. You do what you think best; but in my opinion, if you still have feelings for Inuyasha, both he and Kouga deserve to know."

They sat in silence for a few minutes. 'Maybe I should I should tell Inuyasha about the baby.'

"Sango, there is a part of me that wants to tell Inuyasha everything and just have him hold me. There is another part that tells me if he doesn't hate me, he'll kill Kouga."

Sango hadn't thought about that. It entirely possible, probable in fact, for Inuyasha to get angry and want to kill Kouga. He already wanted to kill him and he didn't know any of this.

"You're right, but you still need to tell him."

"Hai. Arigatou, Sango-chan." The two girls shared a quick hug before heading back to the others.

Not too far away in the bushes stood a very frightened kitsune, who had been in the unenviable position of overhearing the entire conversation. 'Kagome's having Kouga's pups! Aaaah, this is why I shouldn't listen to other people's conversations!' Shippo dashed out of the bushes he was hiding in only to run into a big red wall.

"Oi, Shippo, what's the rush?" Inuyasha picked Shippo up by the tail and held him in front of his face.

"Inuyasha! Put me down! I have to go get firewood for breakfast." Shippo tried not to panic. He knew Inuyasha would see though him, but he would just have to escape.

He wiggled his way free of Inuyasha's grip and sprinted back towards camp. Inuyasha just stood there wondering why Shippo run away and started after him only to be greeted by a barfing Kagome. 'What's wrong with this girl? Suddenly she's always throwing up.'

"What the hell is wrong with you, wench? Why didn't you stay home?" Inuyasha went to her side and held her hair back for her.

"I wanted to come back. Don't be mean to me, I'm not in the mood."

When Kagome was finished she cleaned her mouth and went back to the others, escorted by Inuyasha. They set out after breakfast- Inuyasha in front, Miroku and Sango behind, with Kagome walking her bike and Shippo in the basket. When Shippo was sure Inuyasha was far enough in front to not hear their conversation he decided to ask Kagome about this pup of hers.

"Kagome?" Shippo used his I'm-so-cute-you-can't-resist-me voice.

"Yes Shippo?" Kagome was putty in his hands.

"Are you and Kouga having a baby?"

Kagome almost passed out again, but instead her head whipped up to see if Inuyasha had noticed the kitsune's question. Inuyasha gave no indication that he was paying attention to anything, so Kagome hissed back, "How do you know that?"

"I kind of heard you and Sango talking. I didn't mean to listen, I'm sorry!" He put on his best cute face and knew Kagome couldn't bring herself to be angry.

She sighed and kept her voice quiet. "Don't worry, Shippo. I know you didn't mean to. Yes, I'm pregnant, and yes, the father is Kouga, but shh, don't tell anyone."

Shippo smiled hugely. "You know when Inuyasha finds out he'll kill Kouga." Kagome tripped over her feet at hearing the young youkai state her deepest fear.

Inuyasha wanted to fall himself. This had to be the first time he hated his youkai blood for giving him such good hearing. 'Kagome and that wimpy wolf? She's having his pup!' He strained to control himself, to hold himself back from hunting Kouga down and slaughtering him. He couldn't let Kagome know that he'd heard… not right now, anyway.

The sun started to set; it was time to make his move. "We'll camp here tonight. Kagome, come with me." he ordered, grabbing her hand and dragging her after him before anyone could protest.

When they were far enough away, he dropped her hand and turned to face her. "I know. I know about Kouga."

Kagome felt her heart stop, and the world turned black.

A/N: I've updated my profile with this as well. This story is over 2 years old and I've had it beta'd twice as well as spell checking and proof reading it many times. Even with all of that, I'm still getting reviews saying I have spelling errors and grammar mistakes. If anyone would like to be the third person to beta this story please e-mail me because I give up and I can't find the mistakes anymore.