A/N: Sorry about the dely, the chapter didn't turn out like I would have liked yesterday, so I rewrote it. I hope this draft is better, but forgive me if it isn't...this chapter was really hard to write.

I'd like to say a few things about it first...It was a very personal chapter for me. This chapter was written with a certain friend of mine in mind. A similar thing happened to her, and I haven't heard from her since. I didn't know her that well, but we could have been good friends if not for this. I'd like to dedicate it to all girls who have ever been in this situation, and had to suffer for it.

The one thing I don't like about this world is how mean people can be to people like this...girls who chose to have babies instead of taking the easy way out. While I would never end up in that situation if I could help it (Besides my mother killing me, I am a firm believer in waiting until marriage), I do respect girls who stick through all this and have the baby, despite what problems it causes.

Plus, I have been in a few situations like this, having social anxiety disorder and feeling like the world is looking at you and judging. While I have never had it this bad, I know what it is like to have people talk behind your back and try to feel superior about themselves while bringing down another.

And so, to all who have had to go through a situation like this...


Chapter 38: The World Can Be Cruel

I passed into my fourth month of pregnancy without incident; mostly I stayed in the village and at my home, with Inuyasha constantly at my side, never wanting to leave me be, as it seemed. I know there was something bothering him; whenever I tried to talk about it, he would always change the subject.

I remember the looks he gave me when I mentioned how our life with our baby would be after Naraku dies…he would always act nervous around me, and seemed to be thinking much on this. He didn't like talking about us defeating Naraku, though he knew it had to be done before our baby was born.

Even though we wanted this to happen, we weren't in any hurry at the moment; we hadn't heard a word about Naraku's whereabouts, and without anything to go on, there was no point of trying to find him. Even Inuyasha agreed that we should stay behind for a while…he was a bit too much for it, actually.

He was already worried about me at four months…perhaps it was due to my "condition" being more obvious—my stomach had already begun to stick out, and though morning sickness was still there, it wasn't like it had been before. I can even remember the first day I felt the baby move…At first I didn't recognize it for what it was, until it moved again, and then I had that feeling again—that wonderful feeling of motherhood, knowing that a life existed within me.

Inuyasha was happy about it, too. His eyes…oh, they were filled with such joy that it melted my heart whenever I saw them. He was also anticipating the birth of our child, when he would become a father…have a child of his own. He told me so often that he had never expected this in his life, and seeing that wonder and joy in his eyes was more than enough to make me feel my full extent of love for him.

But he did repeat more than once that he wouldn't let our child be born into a world where Naraku still exists. I don't know the reasoning behind this, but I suppose it was because he was afraid of what would happen if I had to fight in the battle. In the end, Inuyasha accomplished his objective…but it wasn't in the way he had meant.


"Arrgh!" Kagome cried in frustration, trying to button up her school blouse over her pregnant stomach. She had (somehow) gotten the buttons fastened over her much bigger breasts, but when it came to her stomach, it seemed that she was one centimeter off. She tried sucking in her stomach, but to no luck; when she breathed out, the one button popped once again.

She wished that the blouse wasn't so tight, then perhaps, like her other clothes, she could have managed to fit it in, but her stomach was growing rounder faster than any other four month pregnant woman she knew of. "You just had to be a hanyou, didn't you?" Kagome muttered, rubbing a hand over her belly, feeling the baby move inside her once more.

At four months, the baby wasn't kicking her insides around yet, but she certainly felt it whenever it moved its legs or arms. Some people said this was the miracle of pregnancy—being able to feel a new life inside you. It was great for the first three months, but now her uterus had seemed to have gotten much larger, and started pinching against her bladder…leading to several runs to the bathroom, and not just to throw up, either.

This is the kind of stuff they never bother to tell you about in health class…she thought, tracing a circle on the bulge in her belly, calming her child down. The gynecologist said that it could feel when she did that, and would soon, if not already, be able to hear her voice. She smirked to herself when he told her that. If their baby had its father's ears, then it was probably already able to hear her voice and more. But they weren't able to tell much of anything on the last ultrasound, much less if it had any hanyou traits, so they would have to wait until her five month visit to determine if she could have it in a modern hospital or have to have it in the Sengoku Jidai.

Despite the loss of ears this would mean, Kagome and her mother both preferred her to deliver in a modern hospital, with the convince of doctors there if something went wrong. But Inuyasha, mistrustful of doctors ever since the gynecologist tried to get Kagome to have a pelvic exam her last visit (Inuyasha had gotten close to shredding the doctor to ribbons when he learned what those words meant) so while he was overprotective and did want Kagome to be safe, he did place more trust in Kaede and her abilities rather than the doctors of her time.

I guess I'll find out soon, Kagome thought, smiling while rubbing her stomach gently. She sat down on her bed, and continued tracing circles, feeling her child wiggle in response.

The door creaked and opened, revealing Inuyasha. The minute he saw her, he couldn't help but smile slightly, his eyes twinkling again as he kneeled down next to her, to meet her eye to eye. "How's the pup doing?"

Glancing back at him, Kagome corrected, "The baby's doing fine, Inuyasha…It's just a little excited today, I guess." As if right on cue, she felt it move once more, and Inuyasha put his hand on her stomach as well.

"Something wrong with your shirt?" he asked, when he noticed a button was undone.

She shook her head, "No, but I can't seem to get it over my stomach," she answered, showing him how she couldn't quite get the button through the hole.

The hanyou looked at it for a moment before ordering, "Stand up." She did, and he grabbed the button and the hole, trying to force it in. After a minute of trying, even when she sucked in her stomach as much as he could, he had to admit defeat or rip her blouse trying. "Geez, woman, you're getting fat."

"Sit," she ordered, and a slam was heard a second later. Kagome stepped over his body to look in her mirror, her bottom lip sticking out in disappointment. "You should know better than to call any woman—especially a pregnant woman—fat, Inuyasha."

Getting up and growling, he muttered, "Well, you always tell me to tell the truth, so I am, what's the big deal?"

Kagome whirled around and glared at him, "I am not getting fat, Inuyasha!"

He pointed to her protruding belly. "Then what would you call it, woman?"

Fists clenching as she tried not to sit him, she hissed, "I would call it pregnant, and leave it at that." She turned back to the mirror, to look at herself. She couldn't deny the overall truth—she was indeed beginning to get fat. Now it was getting visibly noticeable, where instead of the change being something that only those who knew her very well saw. "I don't understand it," she told him. "According to Mama, I'm not supposed to be this big already…it's really weird."

Inuyasha stood up next to her, and put one arm around her shoulders. "That kid's a hanyou, Kagome…There's not much you can do about it. A hanyou pregnancy's going to be hard on a human."

She leaned back against him. "I guess…"

The hanyou couldn't resist as he added, "Besides, you're not that fat yet, you've still got a long way to go before you're huge." Kagome wanted to sit him again, but he said the comment semi-sweetly, even kissing her on the check.

Turning back to him, she muttered, "Why do I love you again?"

He grinned, pulling her into his arms, "Because I'm strong, I protect you, I love you, and I'm so good looking that you have to restrain yourself from jumping me."

"Baka," she whispered, just as Inuyasha lowered his lips to hers. Even if he was rude, stubborn, and on some occasions, selfish, he could still be her sweet hanyou when he wanted to be. One of her hands reached up to rub his ears, and then he really began to show her how much he loved her. Kagome found herself with her back against the mirror, Inuyasha pinning her to it, attacking her neck with his lips, the only barrier in them getting closer was the bulge of her stomach…

"Kagome?" her mother asked, walking into the room. Inuyasha and Kagome froze, with wide eyes in the same position they had been moment before—Kagome with her back against the mirror, with Inuyasha leaning over, his face right at the junction between her neck and shoulder, but with the appearance of her mother, all mood had left the room.

Both had red faces and Inuyasha leapt away and jumped over to the other side of the room, scooting as far back away as possible, while Kagome simply tried to straighten her outfit up, completely mortified. "Did I come at a bad time?" Mrs. Higurashi asked, but not completely surprised at the scene she had encountered—after all, she could have walked in on a lot worse.

"Uh…no, Mama," Kagome said, fidgeting a minute before trying to button the hole across her stomach once more.

Her mother glanced at her efforts. "What's wrong with your button?" she asked, coming over.

"It won't go." Her voice was strained as she continued the effort, pulling and pulling until she heard a small ripping noise. She stopped instantly, not wanting to make the shirt unwearable.

"I don't think you'll be able to wear that Kagome," her mother told her, looking at her with a small look of pity.

"Then what am I supposed to wear?" Kagome asked. "They won't let me in to school unless I'm wearing my uniform."

Her mother walked out of the room, but not before saying "Wait a moment." Inuyasha and Kagome both glanced at each other, before she came back in the room, holding another white blouse, though its design was a bit different. "You might have to wear this," she said, holding out the garment, though its design was a bit different. "It's a bit wrinkled, but we don't have the time to iron it."

Kagome held it up. It looked like an ordinary blouse, but a bit bigger. "It's kind of big. Are you sure this will fit me?"

"Of course," Mrs. Higurashi replied. "It's a maternity blouse."

Kagome instantly paled. Her hand's shook for a moment. "A…a what?"

"A maternity blouse," her mother repeated. "Kagome, even if you are in your fourth month, you're going to need to be wearing something different since you can't fit into your regular clothes."

"I can't wear this."

Mrs. Higurashi stared at her with a puzzled expression. "Why not?"

"Mama, I haven't…I mean…" Kagome lowered her head. "I haven't told anyone about…"

"Not even your friends?" she asked.

"Oh, especially not them!"

Mrs. Higurashi sighed, and told her, "Kagome, you have two choices; somehow fit into your regular blouse, or wear this and be less noticeable. It's a bit big anyway, considering that it's made for women who are seven months and up, so you might not show as much."

Kagome paused, before admitting defeat. "I'll wear it."

Her mother smiled, "Then you should hurry up, you need to get to school on time." With that, she left the room, leaving Kagome and Inuyasha alone again.

There was an awkward silence in the room until Inuyasha asked, "Kagome?"

She turned back towards the mirror, trying not to look at him. "Turn around, Inuyasha, I have to put this on."


The bell had just rung as Inuyasha and Kagome made it to her high school, with students rushing to get to class before they were tardy. She turned back to Inuyasha, and gave a sigh. "Well, here I go."

"Yeah…" Inuyasha pulled her into his arms for the second time that day. "Have a good day."

"I hope so." He bent down and gave her a quick kiss, Kagome glad that he did, she needed that right now. Despite that her maternity shirt hid her belly better than her usual blouse, she still felt very vulnerable going into school like this.

When they pulled away, she gave Inuyasha a soft smile, before walking into the concrete building, with her head held high, and her back rigidly straight, showing false confidence. Inuyasha watched her as she left, and then jumped up to sit on the roof of the school building, determined not to leave as long as his mate was in there, with their baby.

Kagome sat down in her chair, and was immediately assaulted by questions from Yuka, Eri, and Ayumi. "Where were you for the past two weeks, Kagome-chan?" Yuka asked, "We were getting worried ever since you had that stomach bug."

Kagome grimaced, remembering her morning sickness which had yet to fully leave her. "Yeah, but it wasn't as serious as I thought…"

"How is your boyfriend?" Eri asked, "I saw him walking you to school."

Ayumi cut in, "That's so sweet!"

Kagome sighed, "Yeah, he's been that way for a while, about a year now."

Yuka gave a romantic sigh, "I had my doubts about him, but he seems to really be wanting to stick with you, Kagome-chan. Who knows? Maybe you'll end up married to him and having his babies and stuff."

Her smile faded. "Yeah…maybe…" she whispered, while her hand, almost on instinct, slid over her belly.

There was no more time for talking as the teacher walked into the room, and began teaching. Kagome was forced to think of other subjects as the clock ticked on, minutes becoming hours. It seemed that though she was worried about having to go to school with a bigger belly than she had before, things were turning out fine. Already noon, and no one had said anything. Maybe it would be okay.

But that was too much to hope for.

During mathematics class, she felt that dizzy sensation she had been feeling for months. Oh no, not now…please not now! she begged, but her stomach wouldn't follow her command. Her stomach began to churn, the world began to spin, and she knew if she didn't run soon, then she'd have bigger problems on her hands.

Kagome shot up, covering her mouth, "Excuse me, Mr. Yamaguchi!" she yelled quickly, before sprinting out of the classroom while her classmates stared, and headed for the bathroom. Thankfully, she made it into the restroom just in time.

She finished emptying her stomach in the empty bathroom, before collapsing on her knees and leaning against the wall of the stall, taking deep breaths. "Why here? Why now?" she moaned, covering her round belly exposed by the position she was sitting in. Kagome didn't realize that she was talking outloud as she spoke to her stomach, "You're too much work, you know that?" She took another deep breath, clearing her mind. "I don't care what Inuyasha thinks…being pregnant is too much work."

With that, she heard a gasp from being her, and Kagome whiled around, her hand still on her stomach, her eyes wide as dinner plates. There, standing in the bathroom, were Yuka, Eri, and Ayumi. Her face paled. Oh my…What have I done?

Kagome stood up slowly, hand still on her stomach, removing it once she was standing up, facing them. "Yuka, Eri, Ayumi-chan…What are you…?"

Eri stepped forward, "Mr. Yamaguchi said we should see if you were okay, Kagome-chan."

Kagome turned away, her heart feeling like lead. It didn't help that now that her shirt had been slightly ruffled, her round belly was now revealed. "Isn't it obvious that I'm fine?"

Yuka stared at her, unable to move her eyes from Kagome's rather prominent midsection. "But Kagome…you're really…?"

"Pregnant?" she asked, eyes glancing back towards her friends. She wished they didn't have to find out, but now that they knew, there was no use in keeping the truth now. Her eyes lowered to her stomach. "Yes…"

"And…your boyfriend?" Ayumi wondered.

Kagome nodded. "It's his."

There was another silence, in which the tension was so thick it could be cut with a knife. Kagome knew why she was such a spectacle; while in the Sengoku Jidai, women were already having babies much younger than she was now, most girls in her time were discouraged from having a boyfriend until they were in college. She knew she was probably the only pregnant teen in her whole school.

"How…how did this…How did this happen?" Yuka asked, gaining sympathy in her eyes.

Kagome sighed, leaning against the wall, her stomach sticking out more prominently now. "This is what happens when you start fooling around with boys, Yuka-chan, didn't they teach you that in health class?" She knew her comment was slightly mean, but for once, she didn't care, she had more than enough of what she could handle for one day.

Ayumi walked up to her, glancing back at her stomach. "How old is it?"

"Four months," Kagome replied, glancing back down at her belly. "But I've only known about it for three."

"So when you had that stomach bug…" Eri trailed off.

"That's right."

"Can I…um…" Ayumi looked a bit embarrassed; she even turned a bit pink. "Can I touch it?"

Kagome couldn't help but smile…at least her friends weren't immediately abandoning her. "Sure."

Ayumi tentatively touched her fingers to Kagome's stomach. At that moment, the baby decided to move slightly. "Wow…" she said, her eyes looking on in awe.

"But if you're only four months, then how come your stomach's so big?" Eri asked, she and Yuka coming closer as well. "You look like my mother did at six."

Kagome shrugged. This wasn't something she was going to be disclosing to them. "Who knows."

"What about your boyfriend?" Yuka questioned. "Does he know?"

Folding her arms over her chest, Kagome smirked a bit. "Oh yes, he knows…" She glanced down at her stomach once more. "Once the baby's born…he wants us to be a family."

All three of her friends gasped. "A family?"

She nodded, "Yeah, he said that once some things are…sorted out, he'll even try to find us a place to live." Well, more like build one, she silently added.

"You know, you never told me how old he is, Kagome-chan." Ayumi said, and the other two nodded in agreement.

"Er…" Try around two hundred or so. "He's out of school."

There was another silence, before Kagome decided that was enough about her private life. "Shouldn't we go back to class?" she asked, straightening her blouse so her stomach was mostly covered once more.

"Yeah, we should. Mr. Yamaguchi will be even more worried," Eri spoke up. As they all headed for the door, as if nothing had happened, Kagome stopped them.

"Wait…" they all turned to her. "Guys…about this…" her hand drifted over her midsection so they all knew what she was talking about. "Please, you can't tell anyone…"

All three of her friends looked at each other. "Of course not, why would we do something like that?"

At their reply, Kagome couldn't help but smile. She had told her friends, and they didn't hate her or scorn her for it. "Thanks...really, thank you for this."

"No problem!" Ayumi said, as she escorted Kagome back, walking next to her, close enough that if something were to happen, she would be nearby. But Yuka and Eri hung back, whispering to each other.

"I can't believe this…Kagome, pregnant?"

"I know…I always thought she was the goody goody type, not the type to—"

"It was probably her boyfriend's influence, I knew he was a bad boy."

They turned a corner, where they didn't notice the other student taking a drink from the water fountain as they continued chatting. "Still…she's only in eleventh grade…how's she going to keep up with school like this?" They kept walking, still discussing this new, mind-boggling thought, while the student glanced back at them, curious to what they said.


Kagome was eating lunch with her friends, eating a double order since her pregnancy always made her hungry, when it happened. Two boys with trays walked past her, talking, "So, did you hear about that second year student?"

"Yeah, I hear that she's pregnant already."

"Wow, she's got to be really easy…I wonder if she'd give me a taste if I asked her?"

Kagome turned white as the two boys continued laughing, and she looked back at her friends, a shocked look on all their faces as well.

"I didn't say anything, Kagome-chan." Ayumi told her, Yuka and Eri nodding in agreement.

Kagome sighed, closing her eyes for a moment. "Well, its only two people, and they don't exactly know who it is, so I guess its no big deal, right?"

"Right…" though they were a little less confident than her.


There were more rumors as Kagome wandered around school. She opened the door into the locker room and heard some of the changing girls talking. "So, I hear one girl from class 2's pregnant," A girl with short hair said.

"Pregnant?" Another asked. "And most of us don't even have boyfriends yet…wow, she must be a total slut."

Gasping in disbelief, Kagome turned away from the room, slamming the door behind her, and ran down the hallway, her heart racing. It's all right…no one knows who I am…not many people know…it'll be fine…

But the day only got worse, getting back to her class after she had skipped her PE period was torture. The minute she walked in the door, everyone, including the teacher, turned to see her, and look, specifically at her belly. Even though the shirt was big, if you looked close enough, you could see there was a definite bulge.

The student's eyes stared at her, and Kagome could do nothing more but turn and run, wanting to get away. No, I won't be ashamed! she told herself. This is Inuyasha's baby, something beautiful made from our love…I'll bear it for him, but…

Things only got worse and worse as rumors spread throughout the school like wildfire. "Hey, it's her, Kagome Higurashi!" one third year boy pointed at her, while the others turned to see. She tried to keep her head down, but her body began to shake.

"Whatever her boyfriend gives her must be good, if she's saddled with a kid already!" Another boy muttered, while the rest continued to laugh and jeer at her.

Kagome couldn't take it anymore, with a sob, she started running away, anywhere to get away from people and their cruelty. Why do they have to do this to me? All I want is to be left alone! But everyone has to talk about me and say things…

The worst came when she bumped into someone she had hoped not to see. Kagome looked up, and saw Houjou staring at her. Even if he hadn't heard the rumors, he probably knew by feeling her bulge poke into him as she had hit him. "Hi-Higurashi…" he said, his voice strained. No doubt he felt hurt and betrayed, since she knew he had liked her before.

That was when the tears burst forth, and Kagome ran past him, out of the building. She had never run out of school before, but she never wanted to go back into that horrid place again, never…The minute she was outside, a red clad figure jumped off the school roof, looking at her with worry. "Kagome…"

Kagome ran to her lover, burying her face in his chest, tears trailing down her cheeks. "Take me away…"

He stared. Did Kagome just ask him to take her away from school? "What?"

"Take me away!" she yelled, her voice slightly watery as she continued to cry. "I never want to go back again!"

Inuyasha glanced towards the front of her school; it seemed a few adults and students had followed, watching her. "Kagome," he lifted her tearstained face to look back at him. "What is going on?"

She choked on another sob, her heart feeling scarred. "They know…"

His amber eyes got wider. "They…?"

Kagome threw herself at him again, new tears leaking from her eyes. "Oh, Inuyasha! They said…terrible things! About you, me…us…"

At her words, Inuyasha glanced back up at the small crowd gathered at the front of the building. He began growling a low, deep growl. How dare they say such things about Kagome! If Tessaiga wasn't at his side, he was sure hhe would have already been seeing red. "I'll kill them," his voice was harsh, he meant it.

Kagome shook her head, tightening her grip on his haori. "No! Just…take me home…to our home, Inuyasha…"

The hanyou glanced at her, and then back at the few people who had stayed. He growled at them again, flexing his claws slightly, before they got the hint and shuffled quickly back inside. Looking back at his mate with sympathetic eyes, he put his arm around her. "Okay…come on, Kagome, we'll go home."

She turned towards him, keeping herself buried within his protective embrace as they began to walk back to the shrine. "Thank you…" she murmured,her tears beginning to dry.


When they got back to the Higurashi home, her mother spotted Kagome and Inuyasha walking by through the window. She walked out to the courtyard to greet them. "Kagome…Inuyasha-kun…what's going on? Did something happen?"

At her mother's words, Kagome began to tremble and bite back tears. She leaned into Inuyasha, and his arm tightened around her waist. "She needs to go back to my time for a while," Inuyasha explained.

"Why, is something wrong?" Mrs. Higurashi continued, beginning to get worried.

"She just needs to get away from this world and the people in it." Inuyasha left it at that, walking Kagome back to the well, not even bothering to pick up Kagome's supplies. He reminded himself that he would get it later, but for now…he was going to make sure Kagome was okay.

People had said things about him all his life for being a hanyou, he knew how she felt. But she didn't deserve it, not someone as pure-hearted as she was. He remembered the words Kagome had said to him long before, "No one deserves to be treated that way…"

"No matter what people said," Inuyasha murmured to her, hopefully getting her to calm down, "I love you."

"I know…" Kagome replied, snuggling into him closer. "Thank you for it."


Mrs. Higurashi watched them as they went into the well house, still puzzled, before going back inside. She had only been in a minute before the phone rang. She picked up the receiver. "Hello?"

"Mrs. Higurashi?" Asked the woman on the other end.

"Yes, what is it?"

"I'm calling from the school. Your daughter Kagome missed several classes today and left school early."

Kagome's mother sighed, "Yes, I know about it."

There was a pause before the woman asked, "Mrs. Higurashi, is your daughter pregnant?"

"Yes, did the school nurse tell you that?" She had called the nurse beforehand explaining her daughter's situation should something occur.

An uncomfortable silence passed once more. The woman on the other end said nervously, "Well…no, ma'am…It's all over the school."