A/N: Apparently, from my school nurse, I am suffering from exhaustion after I passed out in math today. (I had the urge to scream O RLY?) It's not related to the amount of work I'm getting, its because I have a sleeping problem where I can't fall asleep unless its completely dark, the bed is just soft enough, I'm at the right temperature, I'm not hungry or have to go to the bathroom, and there can't be any sound around my room at all. I'm a very picky sleeper.
I seriously need a weekend. For once, I just want to finish my fanfiction in peace without my schoolwork or exhaustion getting in the way!
Chapter 42: The Road North
That morning, Inuyasha and I left for his time in a happy mood. We had been able to see our baby, the child that would be due in little less than four months…We both felt the blessing of parenthood, and the overwhelming anticipation of our soon to be baby.
When we left, it was with smiles, with me waving happily back to my family, supposing that we would go back to our home in the Sengoku Jidai for a while. It seemed that we had even forgotten Naraku, wrapped up with our baby plans and the thought of our life together.
But the second we set foot on the grass outside of the well, I knew that something had changed. It seemed like the air, which had been filled with the feeling of spring, now had an ominous quality. Something was about to happen soon, something that would change everyone's lives as we knew them.
So when I climbed out of the well, little did I know that was the last time I would ever go back in such a joyous mood…
"Kouga, what are you doing here?" Sango asked, glancing the wolf youkai warily. "Weren't you with your pack in the north?"
"I was," the wolf prince replied, "But something has happened….Something urgent."
Shippou stared, beginning to shiver in fear. "Naraku?"
Slowly, Kouga nodded, with a grave look in his eyes.
"What happened?" Miroku asked instantly, his eyes curious.
"I'll tell later," the wolf told him, glancing around. "Once I make sure Kagome's safe. Where is she, anyway? Her scent's not in the village."
The prospect of Kouga meeting up with Kagome now led to a problem. Sango and Shippou glanced at each other with worried looks on their faces. "You see Kouga…there's something about Kagome that you should know…"
This alarmed him. "What? Is there something wrong with Kagome? Is she sick? Is she hurt? Did that bastard dog do something to her?"
Sango could already feel the pressure of explaining the situation weigh down on her. She glanced, pleadingly, and the monk and the kitsune, who shook their heads abruptly. Yep, this one was placed all on her. "Well…not exactly, Kouga…you see—"
"Hey, what the hell are you doing here, wimpy wolf?" Inuyasha yelled, breaking through his friends to glare at his rival, thankfully releasing Sango from having to be the one telling him.
"Oh, Inuyasha, you're here…" Miroku muttered, glancing behind them. It seemed that Kagome was jogging—as much as a pregnant woman could jog—to catch up to him. He sighed and prepared for the explosion that was likely to occur once Kouga caught sight of her.
But for now, the wolf saw nothing, and continued to glare at Inuyasha. "So you're still here, mutt?"
"Of course I'm here, bastard! You think that anything could take me?"
"I remember a certain rat youkai that nearly did take you," Kouga smirked, not having forgotten their last encounter.
The monk piped up, "A rat youkai nearly killed you, Inuyasha? Do tell, this must have been a rare sight indeed!"
Whirling around to glare at his so-called friend, the hanyou roared, "It was because of the poison, damn it! If that damn thing hadn't tried to hurt Kagome—"
Kouga cut in, "Oh come on, don't be blaming Kagome for your weakness, mutt."
"It's true! If she hadn't run out in our battle and caused it to go after her, then I wouldn't have ended up in that position would I?"
Kagome came up next to him, elbowing Inuyasha in the chest and yelling, "Who said you could blame that all on me, huh?" It was then that she noticed the wolf was staring at her. "Kouga-kun?" she asked, wondering why the look in his eyes was filled with hurt, looking betrayed.
It was then that she remembered the obvious curve of her stomach. Glancing down at it, she felt herself blush. Oops…
Then Hell broke loose.
Kouga charged at Inuyasha, gripping him by the throat and slamming him down against the ground, hard. "What did you do to her?" he roared, his eyes wild.
"You bastard…" Inuyasha glared, trying to pry the youkai's hand off his throat.
"Kouga-kun!" Kagome cried, running after them. "Kouga-kun, stop it!"
But he didn't hear her. "Damn you, if you forced her, then I'll—"
Kagome ran next to Inuyasha, half covering him with her body, and then whirling around to look at the wolf with teary eyes. "Kouga, please, stop! Inuyasha would never force me, you know that…I choose to be with him…" she added in a whisper, looking away quickly.
After a moment of staring at her, with a look of sadness in his blue eyes, Kouga released Inuyasha, the hanyou giving a "Keh" and standing next to Kagome. Kouga couldn't help but glance a moment at both of them in envy as Kagome began to check if Inuyasha was all right. Though Kouga had known before that she loved his rival, now there was proof—in the form of Kagome's pregnant stomach—that she had chosen the hanyou over him. Now he had to acknowledge the truth, Inuyasha had won, and he had lost.
Miroku coughed, getting everyone's attention. "So now that we know Kagome is…safe…What were you saying about Naraku, Kouga?"
"Naraku?" Kagome gasped, stepping back a moment, the previous argument forgotten. Naraku…he's back?
After pausing for a moment and glancing around, Kouga told them, "We had better get indoors for this. It's a long story and it wouldn't do for some minion of his to overhear."
"It was only about a week ago," the wolf began, as they all gathered in Kagome and Inuyasha's hut. Though Kouga didn't like it (it smelled greatly of Inuyasha and Kagome--another salt in the wound), it would have to do. "I was at our old den…and the wolves, they smelled something funny. I followed them, and…"
"And?" Kagome gulped, Inuyasha pulling her closer to him for comfort, as it seemed he kept wanting to remind Kouga what was his.
"It was Naraku," he finished, leaving the air with a stillness of fear.
Miroku was the first to speak after his revelation. "You saw him?"
The wolf prince shook his head, "No, but his scent was all over this place…it was so recent that his scent had only been replenished days ago, and it was clear he's been going there for a long time."
"But why would he go there?" Sango asked, "The north could have nothing that he wants…could it?"
"It's remote, and very rocky," Kouga explained, "If you want to hide something, or someone, then the north is the best place to do it."
Inuyasha stood up, making his final decision. "Then we have no choice, we have to go there and kill him before he can get to us."
Kagome turned to look at her mate. Was he really that blind? "But Inuyasha…he's put us in traps before…you don't think this could be another trap, do you?"
The hanyou shrugged arrogantly. "Keh, who cares if it is? I've waited to kill him for so long…and now I'm ready."
"You're being stubborn, that's what!" Kagome yelled back. "Have you forgotten all he's done to us in the past, or about the Curse of the Shikon no Tama?"
Inuyasha froze when he heard her say that. The curse… He hadn't thought about that in a long time…he had wanted to forget about it, but it was true…they had no reason to believe that the curse wasn't still there, or… "We don't know if this curse is real, Kagome…"
Miroku now got enraged, and also stood up, yelling, "Damn it, Inuyasha, can't you see what's in front of your face? I told you that when we went to Midoriko's cave, I saw proof that the curse exists! I don't know what it does yet, but believe me when I say, it is as real as you or me, and if we let this thing get out of hand, it could be dangerous, even deadly to all of us!"
There was silence after his outburst, everyone wondering what could have caused the monk to explode like that. Sango seemed to be the only one who remotely knew what he was feeling. Inuyasha however, just had to ask, "Oh yeah? How do you know it exists? You never told me what you saw in the cave, remember?"
Kagome stared at Miroku, That's right, he didn't…Sango-chan said he never even told her…
She noticed the monk gripped his staff a good deal tighter then usual when he replied, "Whatever I saw Inuyasha, I'll have you know that it confirms what I had thought before—a curse does exist, and it will kill us all unless we proceed with caution."
"And how do you suggest we 'proceed'?" Kouga asked.
"That's why we go kill Naraku," Inuyasha cut in. "That way, he won't be able to use the curse against us…he said something before about not having figured it out yet, and we know he was still trying to gather information. If we go quickly, we can get to him before he gets to us. It's the only logical way."
There was a pause, before everyone nodded, "I suppose that is true," commented Sango.
"Well, if it's the only way, we should be leaving soon," Miroku agreed, "We don't want Naraku to get too far ahead of us." He walked to the entrance of the hut. "I suppose we should gather our supplies, then," and promptly left.
Sango and Shippou got the hint filed out behind him, and finally Kouga glanced at Kagome and Inuyasha, sighed, and followed them out as well. After Inuyasha was sure his friends (with the exception of Kouga, whom he considered one of his enemies) were out of earshot, he gathered Kagome up in his arms.
"Things are so different than they were yesterday…" she whispered, holding on to him as if for dear life.
"Kagome," he murmured, into her hair. "I don't…I don't want you to go…you might get hurt—"
"No!" she pushed away from him, to look up into his golden eyes. "I'm going, Inuyasha."
"But Kagome—"
"No ifs, ands or buts, Inuyasha, I'm going!" she stated firmly. "Inuyasha…I need to be with you…and I know you need me, too."
"It's not just you that I'm worried about, it's…" his hand rested on her belly, feeling their child wiggle underneath. No other words needed to be spoken for his meaning to get across.
Kagome sighed, "I know about that, Inuyasha…but I still can't stand not to be without you…especially in this situation."
"Things are different than they were before," he told her sharply. "Kagome, this isn't like what we used to do, years ago. You're pregnant now. You need to be taking it easy. You can't just go and fight—"
"Why not?" she shouted back, "Why can't I?"
The hanyou turned away and shut his eyes tightly. Should he tell her? Now? No…he couldn't bear to let her know…it would break her heart. "You can't use your miko powers, Kagome. You said it yourself, they've been leaving ever since the pup came. Please Kagome, if you insist on going…promise me that you won't do any fighting…"
"But Inuyasha," she protested, her brown eyes filling with worry. "What if something happens to you? What if I'm the only one—"
"No, Kagome!" He yelled, holding her tightly to him, not wanting to let go. "You won't fight…I won't let you come unless you promise me!"
Kagome could feel the tenseness in his grip…he was worried about something. Though she was curious, she knew it was no time to ask. "I promise, Inuyasha."
"Good," he sighed, before pulling away. "Now come on… I doubt that the monk and the wolf will wait for us forever."
She nodded, but she couldn't help but wonder in the back of her mind…what had gotten her hanyou so worried that he was pleading with her not to fight?
"And I even brought pictures, Sango-chan!" Kagome smiled, pulling out the ultrasound pictures as she told her of her latest doctor's appointment while they sat around the campfire that night. Sango and Shippou were listening to her, while Inuyasha and Miroku only half listened, and Kouga…acted like he had fallen asleep.
"Pictures?" the exterminator asked, glancing at the odd photographs.
Kagome nodded, "Remember when I showed you that camera, that can capture images? They can do the same thing, except they use a special tool in order to 'see' the baby…and this is what it looks like."
Sango kept turning them sideways, but all she saw was a dark blob. "This is a baby?"
Shippou jumped up, and glanced at the black and white images. "It looks like a slug youkai…it's kinda gross looking."
"Hey, that's my kid you're calling a slug, runt!" Inuyasha yelled, bopping Shippou on the head for his comment.
"Kagome! Inuyasha's being mean to me!" the kitsune wailed.
"Inuyasha…" Kagome scolded, before turning back to Sango, "That's what a baby looks like inside the mother's tummy, Sango-chan. It's hard to see because instead of an actual picture, they used…um…'magic' to see the different shapes inside."
"Oh…" she said, glancing back down. Kagome couldn't help but notice her friend began rubbing her stomach, as if wondering what a baby would feel like inside, while it seemed Miroku was drawn into their conversation as well…and focusing on Sango.
"Do you ever think about having a baby, Sango-chan?" Kagome grinned, seeing the exterminator instantly blush.
"Well, um…not right now," she managed to say. "I mean, I would like sometime before I…decide whether or not…"
"But you want to have one, someday?" Kagome pressed, noticing that Miroku was now fully interested, and leaning a bit closer, hoping to catch a bit of her speech.
"Maybe…" she replied, hiding under her blush. Miroku seemed particularly happy with her answer, and began humming silently to himself. "B-but it's a big responsibility and I—"
Kagome giggled, "Yes, it is a big responsibility, but overall…I see it as a miracle." Now Inuyasha was listening closely as Kagome started rubbing her tummy in soothing circles, feeling the child underneath begin to calm its frantic movement. "It's a miracle because a baby is something, a part of two people, something that they created…and it's even more unbelievable when it was created through their love. And knowing that I'm going to have a baby…a part of me and the one I love most…it is an amazing feeling…I don't really know how to explain it other than the awe of knowing that that I have created a new life…something to cherish and love always."
Sango, Inuyasha, and even Miroku seemed drawn in to her speech, Inuyasha most of all, knowing that he felt the same way. Kagome glanced up to meet his eyes, and she saw a smile on her hanyou's face, along with his amber eyes lighting up in that loving look they held so often nowadays. But the silence was broken, when Shippou, looking at the pictures asked, "Hey, are those two lumps ears?"
Sango and Miroku both glanced to where he was pointing and both began to chuckle. "Well, Inuyasha, it seems that this child does take after you," the monk laughed, turning back to look at his now fuming hanyou companion.
"Shut up!"
Hours later, once everyone was asleep, Inuyasha came and sat near Kagome, who was lying down, as if asleep, but he saw her shift her position several times. "Hey, you awake?"
She slowly opened her eyes and nodded, "I can't sleep…the baby's kind of restless tonight." She had felt it kick for what seemed like hours on end…and knew that with its amount of activity, there was no doubt that it was Inuyasha's child
Kagome sat up next to him, and he soon picked her up bridal style and carried her out of the camp. "Where are we going?" she asked, yawning.
Her question was answered when they sat down in the woods, out of earshot of the others. Inuyasha held her in his lap, his hands over her tummy. "I've been waiting too long for this…" he muttered, nuzzling her hair and kissing her cheek.
Kagome giggled for a moment, before sighing and leaning back in his arms. "Only four months, Inuyasha…"
"I know…it seems almost too good to be true…"
"But it is, and that's the best part." Kagome paused for a moment, before asking, "So, have you thought of any baby names yet?"
His slight blush gave him away, "No…"
"Oh come on, I know you better than that! So, what have you come up with?"
Inuyasha sighed for a moment, before admitting, "I was…kinda…no, it's a stupid idea…"
"Inuyasha, I want to hear," she begged.
He sighed, "I was thinking…that maybe…if its got my ears then…we could name it…"
"After you?" she asked, smiling.
"Well, if you don't want to, then…I told you it was a stupid idea—"
Kagome cut him off with a kiss on the cheek. "I like that idea, Inuyasha. But what are we going to name it besides Inu- something? Do you have any other ideas?"
This time he answered truthfully. "No."
"We'll eventually think of something." she assured him, before leaning back against him, her hand against her stomach. "Just think, soon the baby will be born, and we'll be together in our hut…raising our family alongside Sango-chan and Miroku-sama's…and this is how it will be, forever…just us, our children, and our happiness."
Even Inuyasha smiled at that, before glancing over to the side, where he saw a cliff. He noticed it was windy out, so he suddenly had an idea. "Get up."
"What?"
"Come on, stand up." Kagome did as she was told, curious, before Inuyasha took her hand sweetly and led her over to the cliff.
"Inuyasha what are you—"
"Shh…" he cut her off. "Hang on a second…" He moved her in front of him, and wrapped his arms around her waist, leaning against her. It took her a minute, but she soon knew what was going on.
Laughing slightly, she thrust her arms out and closed her eyes, focusing on the feeling of Inuyasha's arms around her waist, and the wind blowing through her hair. "We haven't gone flying in ages…"
"It's hard now, with the kid," almost as if the baby knew he referred to it, it kicked against her stomach.
"Remember the first time we did this, Inuyasha?" Kagome asked, opening her eyes and turning back to him, her black hair being swept by the wind and mixing with his silver. "When we thought we would never be together?"
Inuyasha could see the cord of her necklace from where he was standing, and the thought caused him to smile. "Yeah, I remember…I remember that you nearly drove me insane…and you still do…for different reasons, of course."
"Jerk," she muttered, before she felt Inuyasha's arms pull her back into his embrace. She smiled as she looked up at him, and his face smiling down at her as well. "I don't know why I love you,"
"I do…" he murmured, leaning down and kissing her softly, the loving feeling between them intensifying. This was where they belonged, in each others arms, with a baby on the way to remind them of their happiness.
A happiness, which they knew, would last forever.
