A/N: Um, yeah, when I said I wouldn't be able to update unless it's once a week, that's referring to the next story. This one will still continue to be as it always is, I was just giving a warning because trying to crunch in all these projects I slacked off might mean a few missed updates. If you want to know about the next story, I will be placing stuff on my website about that, since there's no room to crunch it in these author notes.

Anyway, that story is (as always) an Inu/Kag romance. Like this one, it will also revolve around drama. (Though I do write drama, I have an idea floating around my head for an action/adventure, but that probably won't even be in consideration until a year from now.) It will also be very long, but not as many chapters, just a lot of words. And once a week updating. The plotline is, however, quite different than anything I've ever done before. And if you think I was evil before, then you ain't seen nothing yet.


Chapter 34: New Life

"Kagome? Kagome, are you here?"

With that voice, Kagome instantly stopped talking to turn towards the curtain separating the hut from the outside world. Glancing back at Sango and Miroku, she said, "It's Shippou-chan."

"Shippou?" Sango asked, "At this late of an hour? What does he want?"

Shrugging, Kagome set Inuko down before getting up and going to the door. There, as she suspected, stood Shippou. Even though it had been six years since she first met him, the kitsune hadn't aged a day. But she could tell that mentally, he had changed. He still liked to play the baby, though now with Inuko and Sakura, he was fitting in to the role of big brother. But with what he had seen over the years with the fight with Naraku, some of the innocence had left his green eyes, and he was much less inclined to be the mischievous spirit he once was.

Since Naraku had been defeated, he had been living and helping out Kaede, but sometimes, he would come and help with Inuko, knowing that some days, with all that had gone on, Kagome needed someone to watch him when she became too lost in her memories.

Kagome wasn't a person to wallow in sorrow; she had another life she had to be happy for. But some days, the pain and grief would be too much for her, and she never wanted Inuko to see her crying.

Sighing to clear her head of such memories, Kagome knelt down next to him. "Shippou, why are you here?"

She noticed his eyes were sad, looking like hers on some occasions. "I…I couldn't sleep," he answered. "You said that I could come by if I needed anything and…"

Kagome smiled, "I understand, Shippou-chan." After another pause, she asked, "Did you have a bad dream?"

The kitsune nodded. "Yeah…it was about…that day…" With his words, Kagome instantly felt her gut clench. Yes, that terrible, horrible day…that day that no one in that room would ever be able to forget. Though it had been hardest for her, she knew it had been hard for everyone else as well, to see her in such torment, such despair…

Shaking her head slightly to clear herself of such thoughts, for now, she continued to smile back at him. "Well, come on then. I was just telling a story." As she gestured towards the room, Shippou seemed to just notice that Sango, Miroku, and Inuko were in the room as well.

Kagome sat down and resumed her place, while Inuko crawled into her lap once again. It appeared that the three year old was getting tired, as he didn't say as much anymore, just looked up at his mother and listened while she spoke.

"What story is Kagome telling?" Shippou asked, while sitting down next to Miroku.

"The Tale of the Hanyou and Miko," the monk said with a smirk.

"The Hanyou and Miko…" Shippou thought for a moment. "Have I heard that one before?"

Smiling at him again, Kagome told him, "I believe you have." It took him a moment, but with her words, it dawned on him. He sat up straighter and looked more inclined to listen.

"Mama's the best storyteller," Inuko said, before the adults in the room gave him a soft chuckle.

Laughing, Kagome replied, "I don't know about that, Inuko."

Shippou supported him. "Yep, Kagome always had the best stories. Now come on, I want to hear the rest!"

And without a second thought, Kagome obliged.


"Are you feeling well enough to leave yet?" a worried Inuyasha asked Kagome. They had made it back to Kaede's village, and she was lying on a pallet in Kaede's hut, having begun her dizzy spells nearly the instant they reached the village once again.

"Yeah," she replied. "My stomach's starting to calm down."

"You say she gets dizzy spells?" Kaede asked, chopping up various herbs to make a medicine for her.

Inuyasha nodded, "And her stomach's been upset for a while…almost two weeks now."

"Two weeks…" Kaede seemed to give that some thoughts as she added the herbs to the boiling pot above the fire. "Seems like quite a bit of time to just be sick."

Kagome turned her head to glance at the aging miko. "I know, that's why I wanted to go home for a while…since there might be a quicker cure there."

After stirring the pot for a little bit, still looking puzzled, Kaede poured a bit of the liquid into a cup and handed it to Kagome. "Here, drink this…If it is what I think it is, it'll help."

With the help of Inuyasha, Kagome lifted her head to drink the bitter liquid. It was a bit hot from being over the fire, but its taste seemed to be enough to make her stomach want to churn again. But after several minutes of lying down, she felt the dizzying sensation recede. Her stomach didn't seem to be flip-flopping anymore, and for the first time in days, she didn't feel like having to run to a bush every five minutes. "Hey, I think it's working!" Kagome said, with Inuyasha looking greatly relieved.

But Kaede was the only one without a smile on her face. "I thought so," she murmured to no one, before glancing back at the girl on the pallet. "You might want to go back to your world quickly…while the remedy does work, it won't hold up forever."

"Yeah, we'd better get out of here before you end up puking on me, woman," Inuyasha muttered, before standing up and extending his hand down towards her. "Come on, Kagome."

Kagome only glanced at his hand, and then back at his face for a moment before extending hers and taking it, allowing him to lift her up as if she was lighter than air. When she was up, Inuyasha wrapped an arm around her to steady her as she stumbled for a moment. "Easy, you're not quite well yet."

"I know that!" she retorted as they left the hut, walking along. Though Kagome didn't like feeling completely dependant on him—he had taken her backpack as well—with the way she had been feeling for the past few days, she didn't care.

Kaede watched as they left and continued talking heading towards the forest as if nothing was wrong, but she knew that they would not be so carefree when they both learned the truth behind Kagome's mystery illness. And speaking of her illness…she glanced back at Inuyasha, before a small smile to herself formed on the miko's face. "I see…" she murmured, before turning and walking back into her hut.


The minute they walked into the Higurashi home, Kagome stumbled and felt the world spin once more. Though she had been feeling better thanks to Kaede's herbs, it seemed that her sensitive stomach didn't like time travel. Instead of greeting her mother like she normally did, the minute she smelled food cooking in the kitchen, she ran for the first bathroom she could find.

"Kagome?" her mother asked as she saw her daughter run for the bathroom, Inuyasha following after her as well. She followed their trail until she saw Kagome huddled over the toilet, Inuyasha holding back her hair while occasionally scowling at the smell or the noise.

When Kagome had finished, her mother asked, "You're sick, Kagome?"

"Yeah…" she exhaled, wiping away the beads of sweat that had formed on her forehead. "I think I caught a bad stomach bug."

Her mother seemed to think about this for a moment before saying, "You should go get in bed, Kagome. I'll bring some food up to you later."

At the mention of food, Kagome felt her stomach churn again. "Uh…no…I'm not that hungry, Mama…I don't want any food." Inuyasha helped her up and ushered her up the stairs to her room, while all the time her mother began to ponder Kagome's "sickness".

When she came up the stairs and into Kagome's room, Kagome was already in her bed, with Inuyasha faithfully beside her, holding her hand. It was then that she noticed how pale Kagome looked, and she knew she must have been sick for some time.

"How long has this been going on?" she asked, while Inuyasha glanced back at Kagome, clearly worried.

"Two weeks," he replied, to which Kagome nodded.

"Two weeks…" her mother whispered to herself, lost in her thoughts, before continuing, "And besides that, do you have any other symptoms, Kagome?"

Kagome's hand moved to cover her rather upset stomach. "Sometimes I get really dizzy…and my, um…" Both she and Inuyasha had to blush as she waved her hand over her chest area, her mother nodding in understanding. "They hurt."

"I see," Mrs. Higurashi answered, thinking again for another moment. She stood up before going to the door. "I'll make you some tea downstairs, that might help for your stomach. Inuyasha, could you come with me?"

"Um…" he glanced back at Kagome, unwilling to leave her, but her smile told him she would be fine. "Sure." And he followed her out.

Once they were down in the kitchen, and Mrs. Higurashi filled the kettle with water, Inuyasha asked, "Do you know what's wrong with her?"

She paused for a moment, before turning back to him. "I might…but it is only a guess right now."

"Will you be able to help her?" Inuyasha demanded, the worried look he had never leaving his face.

Kagome's mother replied in honesty, "If it is what I think it is, then it will pass in time. But I don't think its serious, just natural."

Inuyasha didn't know what she meant by the last statement, but if she assured him Kagome would be fine in time, then that was enough for him. Of course, he'd like to find some way of making her feel better sooner, but if this was all he could hope for, then it was enough.

"Inuyasha…I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you to leave for a while," Kagome's mother said, pouring the water into the teacups.

"What?" he asked, instantly alarmed. "Why?"

Sighing, Mrs. Higurashi explained, "If she is sick with what I think it is, it might be better if she heard it first…Besides, I don't think you would like to sit through a discussion on…womanly topics, would you?"

The hanyou turned bright red just thinking about it. "No…But will Kagome really be all right?"

Smiling, she said, "I'll take care of her. When she comes back, I promise she'll feel better."

Inuyasha paused for a moment before asking, "Can I go say goodbye?"

"Of course." With her permission, he immediately bounded up towards Kagome's room.

"Inuyasha?" Kagome asked, as he sat down next to the bed again, grabbing her hand once more. She noticed the uneasy look in his eyes. "What is it?"

"Your mom says that I should go for a while."

She sat up to glance him in the eyes. "Why?"

"She says that she'll be able to take care of you, and it would probably be better if I wasn't here when she had a 'talk' with you or something," he answered.

Reaching for his face, Kagome traced his cheeks, trying to keep him there a little bit longer. "And you're going to go back?"

"Yeah," he replied, running his lips over her fingers, before glancing back up at her. "Just try to feel better. I want to take you up on our promise when we get back." A grin formed on his face, and Kagome smirked as well, knowing he was definitely holding her to her promise once she felt better.

"Okay. See you in a bit." Inuyasha kissed her softly before he left her side, going to her door and taking one last look before leaving. He hoped that she would return within a few days, but if she didn't, he might just have to come back and get her…

Once Inuyasha had left, Mrs. Higurashi came in, sitting in the same chair across the room that she had sat in before. "Mama…Inuyasha said you wanted him to leave because you were going to have a talk with me…what's this about?" Kagome asked, sitting up in bed, but the remaining covers covering her lower half.

"I just wanted to ask you a few questions that I wasn't sure he would be to keen on hearing," she replied, honestly. "I know how he is, and he would probably be most uncomfortable if he had to hear such things."

"Oh…What are you going to ask me, Mama?"

After another pause, Mrs. Higurashi folded her hands in her lap, asking, "Kagome, when was your last period?"

Kagome turned away slightly. How did she knew her mother was going to ask her that? Besides, she didn't like thinking of that right now…because with all these odd things going on, it led her to think something else…something else that was impossible. "Last month," she replied after a slight pause.

"You haven't had it yet this month?" Kagome had hoped her mother wouldn't press the subject, but it appeared that she would press it all she pleased.

"No."

Her mother sighed for a moment, before closing her eyes, lowering her head and resting her hand on her forehead…like she was stressed about something. Kagome hated that look on her mother, it gave her a bad feeling… "And Kagome, I know this is personal, but I have to know this, all right? When was the last time that you and Inuyasha…" She didn't finish. She didn't need to.

Kagome turned bright red, and sunk down in the covers. "Mama…" she whined, hoping she wouldn't have to reveal that tidbit of information to her.

"Please, Kagome, this is important," she stressed.

After a minute, Kagome muttered in a small voice, "Last month…We've been too busy lately."

Glancing back at her daughter, she asked, "And you were responsible, weren't you?"

"Yes, I was!" Kagome snapped, blushing fully scarlet now. And she hated the way her mother was looking at her now, as if she felt sorry for her. She would give anything to get that look off her face and to keep those worrysome thoughts out of her head!

But just to clarify, Mrs. Higurashi added up the facts for her, "Kagome, you've been sick the past two weeks, been getting dizziness, your breasts are tender, and you haven't had your period yet this month?"

Kagome looked away, her face hidden in her hair, but she nodded. With a sigh, her mother said, "Kagome…you know what this can only mean, can't you?"

Oh yes, she did know. Ever since she had begun to count up the symptoms, and add it to the strange coincidences, she knew there was a place this could lead. But it was a place she desperately didn't want to go, a place that she knew she couldn't afford to go…not now. "It doesn't mean anything!" she yelled into her sheets. "I was responsible, I made sure I took those pills, there's no way it could be that!"

Kagome continued to fist her hands in her sheets, her head resting against her drawn up knees. It's not true…It can't be true…I'm not…But the facts still pounded relentlessly in to her head. She didn't notice her mother left the room until she came back in. Hearing her door being opened again, Kagome glanced up at her. "Mama…?"

"I suppose you're right, Kagome," Mrs. Higurashi told her. "I know that the coincidence of your symptoms can mean nothing, but there is only one way to tell…" And with that, she handed her a small, rectangular box. Kagome looked down, and her gut clenched. It was a pregnancy test.

Tears began to fill her eyes as she faced her mother. "Mama…I'm not…"

"It is only a possibility," she assured her. "And if I'm reading everything wrong, then this will say so." She started to smile, but if left as she added, "But Kagome, without it, I was ready to take you down to Ob/Gyn tomorrow."

Gulping and clutching the box in her hand, Kagome left her bed, heading for the bathroom. Glancing down at the test while shutting the bathroom door, she sucked in a breath as she thought, This is my last chance to prove that its wrong…Please tell me that she's wrong…

But as she waited for the results to show, she couldn't help but remember her symptoms once more. She wasn't stupid; she knew what they meant. But she could be wrong…they could all be wrong…if this test said so, then it was just a stupid coincidence…a funny memory to look back at someday. Kagome had taken her birth control pills. She and Inuyasha didn't have their nights alone that often. It couldn't be that. It shouldn't be that. And yet…

Just a stupid memory…she thought, glancing back at the directions on the box. That's right…I'll just look at this and it'll all be forgotten…Because there is no possible way that I could be…

She glanced at the test, then frantically back at the directions, and back again. It couldn't be…It just couldn't be…Her heart began pounding in fear as her eyes opened wider. Tears formed in her eyes as she dropped both box and test wand to the tile floor with a clatter, while she fell to her knees, a hand over her mouth in shock.

Pregnant…

As if on cue, her mother came in to the bathroom to see Kagome huddled on the floor, tears falling down her cheeks. One glance at the test wand told her all she needed to know. "I thought so."

Glancing back at her mother, her already unstable hormones broke free as Kagome launched herself at her, bursting into tears. "Mama…It can't be! It's wrong! It's just a cheap test…it's faulty…It doesn't mean…"

Holding her daughter close while trying to calm her down, Mrs. Higurashi said, "Kagome, I knew from the minute you told me of how you were sick what was wrong. You're probably somewhere in your second month by now."

"But why did this happen?" Kagome whimpered, trying to control her sobs. "I did what I was supposed to…I thought that I couldn't…"

"Just because you take the pill doesn't mean that you can't get pregnant," her mother said soothingly. "I told you before that its not a foolproof thing. I bought this test because I knew it was possible of happening."

Kagome was unable to keep her tears at bay as the reality of it hit her full force. She was seventeen. She was pregnant. It was Inuyasha's baby. And the worst of all—They hadn't defeated Naraku yet. "I'm so sorry, Mama…" she cried, hugging herself across the belly, which she knew would soon get larger with the baby…a thought that only caused her to sob even more.

"What are you saying sorry for?" she asked, hugging her daughter closer. "It's not something you could help."

"I'm sorry for this happening now...I'm sorry I'll have to have this baby…" Kagome bit her lip, blinking tears out of her eyes, while her hand covered her lower belly…where Inuyasha's child lay. "I know I promised you we wouldn't have any babies until I graduated, but…"

"It's all right, Kagome," she whispered calmly. "You can never really plan for these things, as they're not under your control. I'm glad that you were responsible, but this was a possibility that could happen, and I knew beforehand that it might. And Kagome," she took her daughter's hand, smiling at her softly, "You'll make a wonderful mother."

Kagome didn't say anything to that, but clutched her stomach, while slumping down a bit further, taking deep breaths. "Is something wrong?" Mrs. Higurashi asked.

"Just dizzy…" Kagome told her.

Her mother helped her to her feet as Kagome tried to will the room to stop spinning…it seemed that her sensitive stomach had more than enough excitement for one day. "Do you want to go back and tell Inuyasha?" she asked, but to that, Kagome gave a look of horror and frantically shook her head.

"No…not now…I can't right now."

Nodding, her mother replied, "I understand. But do you want to tell him before you go to your first trimester doctor's visit?"

Kagome thought about it for a moment, her hand sliding over her lower belly. "Yes…It's his baby too…and I need him there with me."

After another pause, Mrs. Higurashi said, "Why don't you go back in bed until you feel better, Kagome. I'll bring you up some tea." Her mother left with a smile, but the minute Kagome stumbled back into her room, the reality hit her full force all over again.

"I'm pregnant…" she said out loud, sinking down into a small ball on the floor. "Pregnant…"

Those words were usually said by women who were in the most unfathomable joy. But when Kagome Higurashi said them, they came out dull, numb. And while most women were happy with this news, she could only feel one emotion; fear.

Crisscrossing her arms over her stomach, she thought while a single tear fell down her cheek, with more threatening to spill. I'm pregnant! And what's going to happen now?