Disclaimer: I think I've already made my point clear, ne?
Title is from my favourite band at the moment. Ladies and Gentlemen, I present to you: NICKELBACK!
Chie: To answer Btittany's question (Single spark): How Shizuki couldn't tell Kagome was pregnant but Kayade could? Simple: As being inu youkai and all, naturally Shizuki DID detect from Kagome's scent that she's pregnant. Shizuki just didn't pay it too much attention because she's not interested in Kagome. And since at that moment Kagome was very much clinging to Yorukawa Rennosuke, Shizuki assumed that the baby was theirs.
ALSO! This chapter includes panicking people. Kagome and Sesshoumaru might be a bit OOC, but please try not to mind it that much... After all, Kagome's in kind of a shock and panic-state... And Sesshoumaru's just desperate and "why me"-ish... Anyway, you'll laugh. Then you'll cry. Then you'll hate me. But I hope that you'll still be able to continue reading this fic.
Chapter twenty – Learn the hard way
"Wh- WHAT! What do you mean we're stuck?"
Sesshoumaru winced as the woman's loud shriek hurt his sharp ears.
"I suppose it means that we can't get out of here. Just keep it calm."
"Calm? I'm perfectly calm," Kagome answer, her voice teetering at the edge of panic.
Sesshoumaru sighed. Out of all the people, why...?
"Oh Kami!"
Sesshoumaru winced again.
"Would you mind keeping your voice down," he groaned.
But the woman obviously didn't pay attention to him.
"I'm too young to die!" she wailed, helplessly clinging to the metal pole.
"You will not die," Sesshoumaru replied calmly, annoyance flickering on his pale face. "We are just stuck here, that's all."
"Stuck! We're stuck! Oh Kami I don't want to starve to death..."
Sesshoumaru sighed rather heavily.
He muttered under his breath something that sounded like: "Ningens and their hysterical behaviour..."
"KYAAAA ! I'LL DIE!"
Her loud scream hurt him so much that he flinched.
"SHUT UP," Sesshoumaru roared.
The panicking woman fell silent. He watched as she trembled. Without the support of that pole she'd probably had collapsed to the floor. Tears began to form in her eyes and their heavy salty scent filled the air that was surrounding them. Sesshoumaru inhaled deep and for some reason it made him feel a tad bit sad.
The miko broke down into sobs and with one rush movement let go of that pole and landed with a muffled thud against Sesshoumaru's chest. Her small fists grabbed tightly the cool material of his shirt and she buried her head in his chest. She was trebling and sobbing.
Sesshoumaru stood there, frozen, not knowing what to do.
"Kagome..." he whispered softly.
"I don't want to die here! I don't want to die..." his delicate ears picked up her muffled wailing.
He sighed.
"You won't die, Kagome."
"I'll die in here... It's over... Everything's over... Tell Kayade that she can have my clothes... And tell Souta that he will have Shue... And tell..."
"You won't be dying," Sesshoumaru replied louder.
But Kagome didn't listen to him. She went on and on, babbling that gibberish of hers. After six and half minutes of listening to that – he had tried to shut his ears but it didn't seem to work – he was growing rather desperate.
"Kagome, please, calm down..." he cut in.
"Since I'll be dying here anyway it doesn't matter anymore, does it?"
"Kagome..."
"Nothing matters anymore, right? So I might just as well tell it to you..."
Kagome tilted her head back so that she was looking into Sesshoumaru's amber eyes.
He looked frustrated. She had still tears in her eyes.
"Sesshoumaru..."
"Yes?" Please tell me that she's calmed down and is herself again...
"I love you!"
Sesshoumaru's eyes widened in shock. Had he just heard –
"I love you," she sobbed out again.
"Uh, Ka – umph!"
Her tongue boldly invaded his mouth.
Sesshoumaru gripped her shoulders and pushed her away.
"Kagome, calm down now, will you! You're in some kind of shock, you have no idea what you're saying and – "
"I know perfectly well what I'm saying –"
"You're dating Yorukawa now, so –" he cut in angrily only to be interrupted by her again..
"I only date him to make you jealous!"
For the first time in his life, Sesshoumaru was out of words.
Since... when...
'Your plan seemed to work,' the inner demon muttered. 'Congrats.'
'I doubt she means that, after all what I – '
'She might be hysterical but she's not insane, Sesshoumaru. Use your nose. She means it.'
Sesshoumaru swallowed. It felt as if a large chunk would be stuck in his throat.
'Pal,' the inner demon stated gloomily, 'we're falling for her.'
'No', Sesshoumaru answered sighing, 'I guess we've already fallen.'
The inner demon fell into a silent shock.
"Kagome, please. We can talk about this later," Sesshoumaru said gently. "Just calm down for now."
"Oh come on, Sesshoumaru," she breathed in his ear. "I'm dying here, so you ought to at least make my last moments enjoyable..."
To his horror Sesshoumaru noticed that the miko's hands were opening his belt.
'Okay, she's lost it!'
'I think she's right, Sesshoumaru, you ought to make her last moments – '
'You say that just because you're a desperate horny bastard! I need you to co-operate with me now – for once!'
'Wow, you ask me to co-operate with you? How can I help you, my dear other self?'
'You know any way to bring her back to her senses?'
'Hmmmh... Well... Try slapping her?'
Not getting any better ideas, Sesshoumaru did as he was told to.
He caught her right before she fell onto the hard floor.
'Well that was just splendid,' the inner demon muttered heatedly.
'What are you complaining about? It was your idea,' Sesshoumaru growled.
'Yeah but you hit her too hard, idiot!'
'You suggested it!'
'Yes! Suggested! I wasn't screaming to you: "Slap her, Sesshoumaru, slap her!" was I?'
'Oh shut up...'
'What are we going to do now?'
Sesshoumaru gave out a strange sound – it was something in between a groan and a sigh.
'I have to admit that I have no idea...'
When Kagome came to, she didn't immediately remember the past events.
Where am I? It is dark in here. Wait! Is this floor? No, this feels softer, as if.. Warm... That's so warm.. Like.. Oh shit!
Her eyes shot open and first thing she saw was a pair of amber eyes which gazed down at her.
"Are you feeling any better?" the demon asked a frown on his beautiful face.
"Yeah. I'm okay."
"I'm glad."
"Ummm... Sesshoumaru-sama..? What happened? Where are we?"
'Yup. You hit her WAY too hard.'
'Shut up.'
"We're in a subway-train. There was a little earthquake and we are now stuck in here."
"Oh... I remember now..." Her voice trailed off and a few moments later she blushed rather heavily as she remembered how hysterical she was.
"Erm, Sesshoumaru-sama?"
"Yes?"
"I'm so, SO sorry."
"About what?" he asked. Sesshoumaru looked at her flushed face and inhaled her scent. Nervousness and embarrassment.
"About.. ehh.. about.."
"You don't have to apologize," Sesshoumaru cut in. "You were not yourself back then."
"Thank you", she said, eyes downcast. Then she raised her head and flashed him an unsure smile.
Sesshoumaru reached out with his clawed fingers and gently brushed a raven lock of hair behind Kagome's ear. The blush on the woman's face deepened and she tried to get up – though she couldn't, Sesshoumaru was keeping her down.
"Stay right where you are."
"Umm.. Why?"
"Because I feel comfortable like this."
"Can I at least sit up?"
He nodded and Kagome rose into a sitting position taking a quick look in the dim train-compartment around them. Sesshoumaru was sitting on the floor, his back leaning against the white wall. She had been resting in his lap and now secured herself up, moving in to a nicer position, leaning her back against his chest. She had no idea why Sesshoumaru insisted keeping her in his lap, but if that was the case, she had absolutely no complaints!
Sesshoumaru wrapped his arms around her form and at first she stiffened. But soon her eyes fell shut and she sighed.
"Are you not good there?" Sesshoumaru asked.
"No, on the contrary," she replied, a smile on her face.
"Good," he breathed out. He lowered his head to rest on hers and buried his nose in her hair, inhaling her scent.
She was now positive that her face was burning red and her heart beat so fast that she was afraid that it would burst out of her chest. There was also a nerving tenseness in her lower abdomen. The tension only intensified and she couldn't help squirming.
"Is everything all right." Sesshoumaru asked, his breath fanning the skin on the side of her neck.
"Yea, for a while I just – "
And then it hit her. It all started from her lower back, the burning twinge of pain moving on to her abdomen, making the pool of tension to boil. She had to hold her breath because the sudden pain was so strong that it prevented her from breathing.
Sesshoumaru felt the woman stiffen in his arms. Something was not right now.
"Kagome?"
"It hurts."
"What?"
And then, as suddenly as it had occurred, it was gone.
"N- Nothing."
Sesshoumaru quirked his eyebrow. He didn't quite believe her
Kagome relaxed again and snuggled closer to Sesshoumaru.
Time passed in the darkness of the train when they just sat like that, close to one another.
Kagome had nearly forgotten about the sudden attack of the pain when it returned. This time it was sharper and it hurt even more. It was like someone would have thrust a knife in her lower back and stabbed her with it several times. A knife that was burning her inside. Once again this pain expanded into her lower abdomen. Kagome couldn't bite back a whimper as she doubled over.
Sesshoumaru's accurate demon senses were yelling at him. Something wasn't right now. He could tell that she was frightened and that she felt very uncomfortable, as if something would be hurting her.
The pain was all over her. She was so intently wrapped up in that pain. It was impossible to breath. It was impossible to think. It was impossible to do anything else than just dwell in that burning sensation... It hurt so much that she hoped she would just die.
Few droplets of sweat appeared on her brow. Distantly she felt Sesshoumaru's large hand soothingly stroke her hair.
She took a deep breath once the pain had again vanished suddenly. She got up from Sesshoumaru's lap and started to pace between the rows of seats.
"Want to tell me about it?"
"A pain you couldn't imagine just suddenly hit me... And after awhile it faded away. Then it happened again after sometime."
Sesshoumaru frowned.
"That's odd."
"I know... I've never felt like that before."
"Do you have any hunch of what could be causing it?"
"No, I – " She shrieked and fell onto the floor. She panted heavily, resting on her knees as the same pain engulfed her once again. Sesshoumaru was in an instant by her side but she didn't notice.
Although this time something was different. This time...
The pain faded.
"Sesshoumaru," she breathed out, her voice filled with fear.
She whimpered and fell against him, sobbing.
"Kagome, what is it?" he asked sharply.
"It's the... I'm... My.. My water just broke."
Sesshoumaru's eyes shot wide open. It took some time before her words got through.
"Kagome... You're barely on your fourth month."
"I know!" she wailed and buried her face in his shirt-covered chest.
"I'll call the doctor," Sesshoumaru said gravely, soothingly caressing her back with long strokes.
He took out his mobile phone and dialled Doctor Usugi's number as fast as he could.
"Kira-san, it's emergency," he said the moment she picked up.
"Who is this," mumbled the Doctor's sleepy voice.
"It's Sesshoumaru."
"Lord Sesshoumaru? You know it's not even 3 am yet..."
"Kagome's water just broke."
Kira was immediately up.
"What?"
"Kagome's water just broke," Sesshoumaru repeated. "And I think she has had three contractions now."
"It's way too early for her to give birth," she mumbled to herself, her voice telling that she was startled. "Where are you now?"
"Stuck in a subway-compartment on Touzai-line. I think the last station we passed was Gyoutoku."
"Oh no... The earthquake from earlier, is it? It woke me up... All the power's out."
"This isn't good!" Sesshoumaru growled.
"I know. Now, I need both of to calm down and relax. You stay there. I'll come there as fast as I just can."
"All right – "
"If the interval between contractions decreases to something like every minute or two, then call me again. I'll be on my way there."
With that, the otter-demon-doctor hung up.
Sesshoumaru focused completely on Kagome again. She was lying on the floor. Sweat was glistening on her forehead and she had closed her eyes.
"Kagome," Sesshoumaru called out gently as he kneeled down next to the woman.
She opened her eyes. She saw he had a frown on his face and worry glimmered in the depths of his golden eyes.
Kagome flashed a smile and extended her hand. Her fingers brushed Sesshoumaru's cheek.
Not saying anything the male pulled her head into his lap.
"I'm sorry," she whispered.
Sesshoumaru took her hand in his.
"I failed."
He knew she wanted to say more so he stayed quiet, waiting for her to speak up again.
"Even though I knew all the time... That you wouldn't want to have anything to do with a hanyou pup... With my pup... Somehow I still always believed that you could grow to love the child. But I have failed even in bringing him to the world properly."
Silent tears rolled down her cheeks.
"Kagome, you don't have to be sorry," he said quietly but yet firmly. "It is not your fault. None of this is."
"Then why," she asked, her voice rimmed with pain. "Why is this happening?"
"I don't know," he answered. His left hand still held hers while he ran his right hand through the miko's hair.
Contraction came again, making her flinch and yell.
Sesshoumaru held on to her, whispering soothing words into her ear.
Time passed, with them lying close to each other, Sesshoumaru trying to calming down the crying woman. But as the contractions became more frequent and there still was no sign of Doctor Usugi, the tables started to turn. When the interval between the contractions was every minute or two, Sesshoumaru took out his mobile phone.
"What the hell is keeping you," he growled immediately when the woman picked up.
"I was just about to call you. Since I live quite near the Kagurazaka-station I figured if I try to get in and then follow the Touzai-line up the where you are... But I can't get in."
"Kagurazaka? That's too far away from here."
"I know that, okay? What's wrong with you now?"
"I'm frustrated. Is there really nothing you can do so that you could be here in five minutes?"
"I'm sorry, but that's impossible."
"But the pup will be born soon!"
"Then you must aid Lady Kagome in the labour, my Lord."
"Me!"
"Is there anyone else in there to help her?"
"No, but – "
"That's what I thought. Now, give the phone over to Kagome."
Inwardly cursing he passed the phone on to the miko.
"H-hello?"
"Hi Kagome-sama, it's me, Doctor Usugi."
"Oh, hi."
"How's it going?"
"Uhm.. Quite well. Save for that I'm stuck in a subway-compartment and about to give birth although I'm barely on my fourth month..."
"Well assuming that you can still joke you must take this rather calmly," Kira congratulated.
"There's no point to panic, this is all natural, right?"
"Exactly," Kira smiled. "Now, I needed to warn you in advance."
"About what?"
"About Sesshoumaru. Between demons it has always been strictly forbidden for males to be present when the female is giving birth. And all the males – no matter the character, the specie or attitude – always become nervous in a labour."
"You mean Sesshoumaru would be nervous?"
"No, I'm actually quite sure that he'll panic."
"What!"
"In a situation like yours everything seems hopeless. He's the only one who can help and he doesn't know how. For males, giving birth to a new life is always referred as something mystical, it makes them very nervous. And then, also we have to consider Sesshoumaru's natural demon instincts. The smells are weird, the sounds are disturbing him, he will be confused. So I want you to be ready for that. You have to be strong for you both. Can you do this, Kagome-sama?"
"Yes... Yes, I can do this."
"Good. Now give the phone back to Sesshoumaru-sama. I need to give him instructions."
Kagome gave him the phone and watched the demon closely. It was true; he wasn't quite his calm self now. And then came a contraction again and she concentrated only to herself. She was calm all the time. This was in her nature. Giving birth to a child was something that every woman knew automatically how to do it.
He felt helpless, and it was not a feeling he enjoyed. The smells were unfamiliar to him and it unnerved him. Only scent he knew was the coppery tint of blood – and that didn't ease his mind at all. The mix of all the aromas together was nearly making him sick. He could very well tell that she was in pain and yet he couldn't help at all. He paced around and hoped that a miracle would happen and Doctor Usugi would suddenly appear. Males shouldn't be around females giving birth. It was unnatural! Sesshoumaru had lived long. He had travelled a lot. He had seen more than any other living being... but nothing, nothing had prepared him for this.
"Sesshoumaru," Kira's voice called, "what's the situation now?"
"Too many unfamiliar scents."
"Sesshoumaru," Kira replied more firmly, "how is Kagome doing?"
"She's sweating.. And hurting.. And I can't take her pain away," he whimpered.
Males, Kira sighed to herself, rolling her eyes.
"And how is the pup doing?"
"I don't know and I don't want to know. Come to take me away from here!" he whimpered again.
Oh great. So he was panicking. And it seemed that his hold of his inner demon was weakening.
"Can you see the pup yet?"
"You want me to LOOK at that!"
"No, you have to. Now stop being a cry-baby and be a man."
"If I acted like a man I wouldn't be here at all," he snarled.
"You should co-operate with me, Sesshoumaru. You're the only one who can help her."
"I don't want to help her!"
"So you readily accept that because of you, Kagome might die!"
He whimpered.
"Is she dying? Is she?"
"Most probably if the pup isn't delivered correctly and you refused to help her."
Kira usually didn't lie. But if an emergency occurred, all was fair. And this was an emergency. Kagome's life wasn't in danger at all, but she needed Sesshoumaru to help her.
"I don't want her to die," he whined.
"Then you must help her to deliver the baby!"
"I'll help her! ... But I don't know what to do!"
"Look if you can already see the baby."
Some moments rolled by before he spoke again.
"Yes, I can see the pup's head."
"All right. Sesshoumaru, you have to move over to Kagome and be ready to receive the baby when it comes out. Can you do this?"
"I think so."
"Good. Now, concentrate on her only. Understood?"
"Yes."
One thing was sure. After been through that ordeal, Sesshoumaru promised himself never to look down on a female again.
"The pup's out! I'm holding our pup."
Kagome smiled weakly.
"You ought to tell that to Doctor Usugi," she reminded him. Although giving birth to the baby had took nearly all of her concentration, every now and then she had heard parts of his conversation in phone with Doctor Usugi. She had nearly started laughing. Panicking Sesshoumaru was something... peculiar.
"Hello, doctor Usugi. It's all over now."
"The pup is born?"
"Yes!"
"Good. Now, Sesshoumaru, clean him and wrap him up and prepare yourself."
"Prepare? Prepare for what?"
"The placenta."
"What's that?"
"It's an organ inside Kagome to which the pup is connected and through which he gets his food. It will come out as well quite soon."
Sesshoumaru groaned. Why the females had to be so complicated?
It all was over. For the whole time she hadn't thought about it so much but now... Now she was holding him. Her baby. Obviously the demons developed differently. Kira had told that he barely had any powers or senses, he was blind and he was so small... But from the outside he was almost fully developed. He had all ten fingers and all ten toes, ending up into soft little talons. He was pale and he had a tuft of white hair on his head. And most of all, he was dead. Kagome sniffed and then began to cry. Sesshoumaru was in a second at her side. He picked up the miko still holding their baby.
"Usugi," he said into the phone, "I'll get us out of here. Be ready in your office."
His once cold heart was aching when he watched the miko lying in the bed. It was now 6 in the morning. She had stopped crying hours ago, but after that it had only got worse. Now all she did was to stare at the dead infant and whispering soothing words to him. She had refused to give him up. Usugi said she wasn't going mad. She said it was only natural. Sooner or later she'd let the poor pup go and he could take her home.
"You should be standing over there, by her bed."
"Somehow I still have the feeling that I don't fit in."
"Nonsense. You're the father, are you not?"
Sesshoumaru sighed.
"Why," he simply asked.
"No one knows. Sometimes these things happen without any reason. I have a hunch though... Has she been in a stress lately?"
Sesshoumaru flinched.
"It's more than possible."
"Well then... You are not mated to her, right?"
"That's true."
"I have a theory... I do not have much experience in mikos carrying demons' pup, but... I suppose if she was in a stress her miko blood could have started thinking that the stress was because of the demon child she was carrying. So it decided to make the problem go away and signalled her body to start to labour."
Sesshoumaru nodded gravely.
"And another thing, as you probably noticed. The pup was a full youkai. Although I cannot quite tell why."
"I can," Sesshoumaru said, his eyes still on the depressed little miko.
"It was the Shikon no Tama."
Doctor Usugi nodded.
"That'd explain..." the doctor fell quiet and watched the expression that was on the demon lord's face.
"Just go," she said, hiding her smile. "She needs you now."
Sesshoumaru nodded and walked over to the bed, where Kagome was lying.
"He's so small," she whispered.
"I know."
"I'm so sorry."
"You don't have to be."
"I wish I could just – "
"Kagome," he interrupted softly, "could I hold our pup for awhile?"
When Kagome heard him finally admitting out loud that he was the father of the pup, the tears appeared into her eyes again. She nodded and started crying.
Sesshoumaru sat at the edge of the bed and took the baby in one hand. The other hand he wrapped around Kagome. The woman clung to him, trembling, crying and sobbing.
Kira watched the mourning family for some time. Then she sighed and closed the door. They needed to be alone for now.