Spring 1561

Inuyasha had been gone on his exorcism trip with Miroku for some time now, and Kagome was beginning to worry. Not in her mind so much—no, logically, she knew that he would be fine. Both he and Miroku were more than capable of handling the low-leveled youkai that usually tried possesses the homes that hired them. But this one was a long journey, so it had been a few days since she'd seen him, and as his wife, it was only natural that she worried.

Night had long since fallen. Kagome was exhausted. Trying to keep up with six children on her own was no easy task. Usually she depended on Inuyasha's superhuman endurance and energy to keep things running smoothly, but with her husband temporarily gone, things were a bit rough. Sure, she could as Sango to help a bit, but Sango had a family of her own to look after, and Miroku was gone as well. So Kagome did the best she could.

Despite her exhaustion, however, Kagome could not seem to fall asleep tonight. She laid there in her bed, staring up at the wood ceiling of her home, wondering how her husband may be doing. Was he safe? Did he make it to the village? Had he exterminated the youkai? Was it big? Small? Creepy? Was he on his way back yet? What if he got injured? Lost?

Kagome shook her head to clear it of such thoughts. He'll be fine, she assured herself. Just fine.

She turned over onto her side and closed her eyes. She tried to listen in to gentle breathing of her youngest child, Moriko, as the baby slumbered peacefully in her basket-bed nearby, hoping the rhythm would help lull her to sleep.

Her listening was interrupted, however, as she heard a quiet pat-pat-pat and the rustling of some nearby fabrics. She turned over and cracked open her eyes to see two golden irises staring at her curiously. For a split-second she thought that perhaps Inuyasha had come home, but then she realized that it wasn't her husband's eyes she was staring at, but her four-year-old son, Yukio's.

"What's wrong, Yukio?" Kagome asked, slowly turning and propping herself up on weary arms. Yukio sat down next to his mother, tightly clutching his tattered red blanket.

"I know Daddy awways sweeps in heow wiff you, but he's not heow, and I fought, maybe you woah lonwee." said the young boy, "And befides, that means he's not heow to pwotect you fwom the monstows, so I fought, maybe I should do it."

Kagome blinking a moment in surprise at her son's honest response, not entirely sure how to respond. Then she smiled and put her arm around the boy.

"Thanks, Yukio. I was very scared of those monsters here without Daddy. I'm glad I have you here to protect me."

Yukio beamed at his mother's words.

"Yo'w welcome, Mommy," he said, wrapping himself up in his blanket and cuddling close to Kagome.

The two slept without worry the rest of the night.