Inuyasha ran his hand through his long silver hair as he stood in front of a large, adobe colored house with red chignles. Inuyasha let out a breath and stuck his hands into his pockets, walking up to the door. He hesitantly reached his hand out and rang the doorbell. Inuyasha waited for a couple minutes, then the door was thrown open, revealing Miroku, whose eyes were half open, his hair messy, looking like he had just woken up. Miroku rubbed the sleep out of his eyes and looked at Inuyasha.
" Waht are you doing here?" Miroku grumbled.
" I-uh...I just...I cam to say--" Inuyasha stuttered.
" Didn't you say enough yesterday? Or do you still have more?" Miroku leaned against the doorframe with his arms crossed.
" I'm sorry, okay. I was an ass and you probably hate me. Hell, I hate myself. I had no right to say those things. If I was you, I would have hit me in the face. You know what? Go ahead, hit e. It's the least I can do to make it up to you. Inuyasha paused, " Well, maybe not in the face, I mean, I am a model, so..aim for the arm. Please? Just dont hate me anymore."
Miroku stared at Inuyasha for a few seconds before laughing, " Ah, man. I don't hate you."
" Oh...well thats good." Inuyasha smiled.
" I'm just disappointed in you." Miroku opened the door wider, and motioned for Inuyasha to come in.
" Hey, i get enough of the crap from my dad." Inuyasha smirked.
" Oh, spekaing of your dad. He's having Christmas dinner at there house and expects you to be there, since you are in town and all." Miroku said.
" What?" Inuyasha's face fell.
" Yep, you heard me. Everyone'll be there." Miroku smiled.
" No, no, no, no, no. Kikyo's coming in for Christmas. I can't have her and Kagome in the same house. Here," Inuyasha pulled out a hundred dollar bill, " I'll pay you to get me out of going."
" Yash, I'm not--" Miroku started to say, but was interrupted.
" Just think of the money as a gift. Please?" Inuyasha begged.
" Inuyasha, I can't just...Hey! Wait a minute! You already owe me $2,000! You can't give me gifts until you pay that off!" Mirokuexclaimed, remembering the money that he had loaned to Inuyasha.
" Is that what this is about?" Inuyasha asked boredly, as he pulled out his checkbook, " Do you want your money back?"
" No! That's not what...wait, you've got the money?" Miroku asked.
" Yep, I always had it."Inuyasha fished in his pocket for a pen.
" If you had the money, why'd you need the loan?"
"I didn't. I just wanted to see if you'd lend it to me. I've been borrowing increasing amounts from you ever since you lent me fifty buckn junior year. It's just a little experiment to find out where you'd draw the line." Inuyasha explained as he wrote the check.
" You're...You're trying to measure how much I value our frienship with money?!?" Miroku asked increduously.
" Hey, that's two grand. You have nothing to be ashamed of," Inuyasha held up the check, " So what do you say? You make one little excuse and I give you one big check."
Miroku pocketed the check, " Fine. Thanks...Now be a grown up and either tell mommy and daddy that you don't want to spend Christmas with them, or I will personally pick you up and take you there.
" What do you mean? You just said---" Inuyasha frowned.
" I lied. I've been lying to you inincreasing amounts ever since I told you you'd look good with a mustache five years ago. It's a little experiment, you know, to see where you'd draw the line." Miroku smirked.
1 hour later
Miroku shut off the tape and pulled out another one. For the past half hour Inuyasha and Miroku had been watching home videos from the times that Inuyasha had been gone.
" And now, we've reached the preparation for my wedding." Miroku held up a tape and put it into the VCR.
On the screen appeared Sango he pregnancy almost barely noticible, sitting in a dress shop flipping through a magazine.
" And here's the bushing bride-to-be, waiting patiently to see the dress she has chosen for her bridesmaids." Came a woman's voice from behind the camera.
Sango looked up and smiled, " Ayame. put the camera down." Sango shut the magazine, " Kagome! Hurry up!"
A very pregnant, very angry Kagome stormed out of a dressing room wearing a peach dress with a brown sash tied around her, right below her chest, " Sango! I have two asses! I'm huge!"
Sango looked shocked then frowned, " You're pregnant. You have evry right to be huge. Hmm...maybe this isn't the best dress."
" Gee, ya thinkg?" Kagome turned around, revealing a large brown bow that was made from the ends of the sash. It had about three layers of tule on top of it and was wider than Kagome.
" Ok, ok. Ayame, turn off the camera and help me look for another dress. Kagome, calm down. You don't want to hurt the baby. Now, move people!" Sango commanded then added, " And Kagome? Tak off that dress. You look like a giant peack cobbled and it's making me hungry."
The last image on the screen was a shoe flying towards Sango.
A couple of seconds later, another image pooped up. Sango was sitting in a salon chair in sweats. Kagome was standing behind her, doing her hair.
" Alright, alright! Lets see 'the do'." Ayam'es voice called cheerfully and Sango shook her head, smiling nervously.
Sango rolled her eyes, " I don't see why I need to look all fancy. I'm not trying to impress anyone, I already have a man. Kagome on the other hadn..." Sango wiggled her eyes suggestively.
Kagome just rolled her eyes and pulled out the hair spray." Like he'll even show."
" He? He who?" Ayame asked from behind the camera.
" Her husband, Inuyasha. And I just so happen to think that he'll show." Sango soughed as she inhaled some hairspray.
Kagome stopped spraying the hairspray, " Well, I think someone'd been breathing too much hairspray. Inuyasha is not coming. He's a self-centered, egot--"
Miroku shut off the tape and rubbed the back of his neck, laughing nervously, " Well, that's about it. I don't have anymore with a lot of Kagome and the kids in it. You'd have to talk to Mrs. Higurashi or Kagome."
" Yeah, that's work so well. I'm sure Kagome would just love to have me over. And Mrs. H would be just as ecstatic." Inuyasha said enthusiastically, then frowned.
" Don't worry. I'll go with you. I'm sure the big, bad mother-in-law won't hurt you." Miroku joked, "Let me just leave Sango a note."
" Where is Sango? I haven't seen her yet." Inuyasha asked as Miroku scribbled a quick note.
" She's working at the diner. Her and Kagome brought the kids with them to give me the day off from baby-sitting. Now lets go." Miroku smiled.
5 Minutes Later
Inuyasha slowed down in front of a tall hill. On top was a shrine. It was small, yet cozy looking. Leading to the front door was about 200 steps. Inuyasha let out a breath, " So where's the elevator?"
Miroku smiled and started amking his was up the steps, Inuyasha next to him. After a few minutes, they had finally reached the top. Inuyasha hesitantly rang the doorbell.
Inuyasha stood next to Miroku, strangely nervous as he waited for the door to open. After a few seconds, and old man wrenched open the door.
" Hey, Mr. Higurashi!" Inuyasha greeted Kagome's grandfather awkwardly.
Mr. Higurashi's eyes narrowed and he gripped the broom he was carrying. In one swift movement he lifted the handle and hit Inuyasha in the legs, knocking him to the ground.
" Whoah! Are you crazy, old man?" Inuyasha growled as he covered his head to protect himself from the hits he was recieveing.
" You leave right now!'" Mr. Higurashi yelled and slammed the door shut.
Inuyasha sat on the ground, gritting his teeth in anger, " I did NOT deserve that!"
Miroku chuckled as Inuyasha stood up, wiping himself off. Inuyasha reached up and rang the doorbell again.
This time a younger, yet still old woman answered the door.
" Well, well, well. I was wondering when you'd show up." The woman glared then looked at Miroku, " Nice to see you Miroku. And you..." The woman pointed to Inuyasha, " You have some nerve showing your face around here."
" I know, I just--" Inuyasha started.
" I don't have time for your excuses. What do you need?" Mrs. Higurashi asked rudely.
" We wanted to watch your home wivdeos from when Inuyasha was gone. He just wants to be a good dad, get to know his kids. You understand, right Mrs. H?" Miroku smiled sweetly.
Mrs. Higurashi studied Inuyasha for a second before stepping aside adn welcoming them inside silently.
Inuyasha followed Mr.s Higurashi into the living room, " I'll get all the movies with Kagome and the kids. You two just make yourselves at home."
Inuyahsa sat in a chair and tapped his fingers against his knees. Inuyasha looked up at Miroku and attempted to make small talk, " Sooo...when did you find out Sango was pregnant?"
Miroku smirked, " Hmm, it was just before the marathon she was training for..."
Flashback
" Well, doc." Sango started as she sat on the doctor's table. " My, joints have been feeling really lose, and lately I've been getting sick a lot. Maybe I'm overtraining. I'm going to run a marathon in a few weeks, so I'm running about ten miles a day, but if anything I'm gaining weight."
" Lift up your arms." Sango did as she was told and shot a confused look towards Kagome, who shrugged her shoulders.
The doctor pressed a stethoscopeto her stomach and pulled a machine over, a machine that was oddly familiar to Kagome, " You have a parasite."
" What? Like tapeworm or something?" Kagome asked.
The doctor ignroed her and told Sango to lie back. The doctor placed a part of the machine on her stomach, " You can put your arms down now Sango."
" Can you do something about it?" Sango asked worriedly as she sat up.
" Only for about a month or so. After that it becomes illegal, except in a few states." The doctor explained.
" Illegal?" Sango questions as Kagome stepped forward and squeezed her hand.
" Don't worry. Mnay women learn to embrace this parasite. They name it, dress it up in tiny clothes, arrange playdates with other parasites..."
" Playdates?" Sango asked, confused.
" Yep. Congratulations. It's perfectly healthy." The doctor handed a small picture to Sango and smiled.
" Oh, my God." Kagome said then smiled, " You're pregnant!!!"
Kagome hugged Sango and jumped up and down excitedly as Sango stared at the picture in shock, with tears in her eyes.
End Flashback
As Miroku ended his story, the door opened and Souta walked in, " Mom! I'm home...oh, hey guys."
Inuyasha and Miroku smiled as Souta sat down
" How was work, Souta?" Mrs. Higurashi asked as she added five more tapes to the already large stack.
" Mom, I clean bedpans at the hospital. Lets save thirst seconds out of each day and assume that it sucked until further notice." Souta said as he opened a bag of chips and began to eat them, " What are you doing, Mom?"
" She's getting out the videos of Kagome and the kids so Yash can watch them." Miroku explained.
" Oh...hey, I have the birthng video from Ami!" Souta said and Inuyasha looked at him strangely, " Ewww. gros. It's only shoulders and up. I had to do a video project for school. Mom, put that one it. It's actually pretty funny."
Mrs. Higurashi looked at a few tapes before pulling one out and placing it in the VCR. The screen was black for a few seconds until it turned on, showing a very pregnany Kagome walking towards the front door. She opened the door adn Miroku smiled outside.
Miroku patted Kagome's stomach and walked in, " Hey tubby."
Kagome narrowed her eyes and hit him in the shoulder, " Shut up. I'm not fat. I'm pregnant."
" Uncel Souta! Uncles Souta. Look at me!" Keitaro's voice yelled and Souta turned the camera to show Keitaro, who was jumping up and down on the couch.
" Whoah,. Look at you go!" Souta exclaimed as he filmed Keitaro.
A few seconds later there was a crash and Kagome screamed. Souta turned the camera and pointed it at Kagome, who was clutching her stomach.
" We gotta go to the hospital. Now!" Miroku yelled and the camera shut off.
A few seconds later, the screen came to life again, showing Kagome, sweaty and yelling, while clutching Sango's hand in her own.
" Drugs! Give me tghe drugs!" Kagome yelled as she gritted her teeth in pain.
" No, Kagome. We can't now. Besides, medicines will only mask the pain." Sango explained as she patted Kagome's forehead.
" Fine! Mask it!" Kagome yelled, " Give it a cape and let it fight crime, I don't give a damn. Just give me the fucking drugs!"
Souta laughed, then Kagome reached out and smacked him in the head. The camera clattered to the floor, the screen black.
Then, Kagome's face was on the screen again and Souta's voice said, " Kagome, you are so lucky this didn't break. If it did, your kids would be orphans right now."
" Shut up, Souta." Kagome said tiredly as she waited for her baby to be brought to her.
" Souta, don't threaten your sister." Kagome's grandfather threatened from his place beside Kagome.
A nurse dressed in purple entered the room, smiling, with a small bundle in her arms.
Kagome smiled down at the baby when it was placed in her arms and looked up at Souta, " Come see your niece, Uncle Souta."
The camera moved forward and focused on Ami.
" Oh, you're a looker you are. Just like your mom," Kagome's grandfather said off the screen, " If you ever need advice, you talk to me. I'll always be there for you. Until you're a teenager and you talk about boys...and the reifer."
" Grandpa!" Kagome yelled as Souta zoomed out and laughed, " Don't talk to my daughted about reifer!"
Inuyasha smiled as the tape ended. He reached up quickly adn wiped the tears from his eyes before anyone noticed.
" Uhh, Mrs. Higurashi? Do you think I could borrow these for a little while? I'd like to watch them and maybe copy some, if it's alright with you."Inuyasha asked after he cleared his throat.
Mrsw. Higurashi smile, having seen the tear that had ran down Inuyasha's cheek before he had wiped it away, " Take all the time you need."
Inuyasha smiled and put the tapes into a bag. He stood up and smiled, " Thanks for your time. Godd bye, Mrs. Higurashi."
" Goodbye." Mrs. Higurashi said as she followed him to the door, " Oh and Inuyasha?" Inuyasha turned around, " Call me Kaori from now on. Mrs. Higurashi is way too formal."
Inuyasha smiled and shook his head yes before he and Miroku made their way down the steps.
Kaori shut the door and rushed to the phone. She dialed a number and after a few rings, it was answered, " Izayoi? You were right!"
" I'm always right ,dear. Now what happened?" Izayoi answered on the other end.
" He just showed up to watch some home videos of Kagome and the kids. If you would have seen his face..Oh, I swear he was crying. I'm sure of it!" Kaori exclaimed excitedly.
" I know, dear. Hopefully, they'll be back together in no time. We just have to work on Kagome. God knows that girl can and will hold a grudge." Izayoi sighed,
" Don't you worry. I know my little girl and she's still just as in love with Inuyasha as she was the day they married. It'll just take some time to get her to open up again, but if anyone can get them back together, it's us. Now I'll call you tomorrow. We need to start planning. Bye." Kaori hung up the phone and smiled.
" What are you planning mother?" Souta asked from the doorway, scaring Kaori.
" Souta! You scared me half to death!" Kaori placed a hand over her heart, " Stop eating thos shipd. Dinner's almost ready."
" You didn't answer my question." Souta pointed out.
" Hmm? Oh, Izayoi and I were just talking about Christmas dinner. Nothing special." Kaori smiled while Souta just stared at her, " What? Don't you believe your own mother?"
Souta smirked, " I've kown you and Auntie Izayoi long enough to know that when you two 'lplan' something, it's never 'nothing special'" (A/N: Izayoi isnt really his aunt, he just calls her that b/c Izayoi and Kaori were best friends their whole life, close enough to be sisters)
" Oh, Souta. You are imaginative. It was just two old friends discussing a Christmas dinner, nothing more, nothing less." Kaori smiled as she stirred some sauce on the stove.
" Whatever you say, Mom. Whatever you say. Just don't drag me into any more of your little experiments. I've learned from experience that you two can be sneaky and manipulative."
" Sneaky and manipulative? Us?" Kaorie shook her head, " You're crazy!"
" I got it from you're side of the family, just look at Grandpa. Oh, and make sure you're not too disappointed if whatever you're 'not' planning doesn't work out." Souta smirked and left the room.