Incomplete

- Chapter Thirty-Nine -

Miroku meandered down the road into town with Inuyasha at his side, each of them carrying a basket laden to the top with freshly caught fish. The two of them had grown a great deal closer since Inuyasha's transition into human form. There were times when it still shocked the monk how different the hanyou and human versions of his friend were. And while there were times when he missed the hanyou in him, he had to admit that Inuyasha's human side was growing on him. Miroku winced as he re-adjusted the heavy basket slung across his shoulder. He had to admit there were still times when he found himself longing for his friend's sharp claws, lightening quick reflexes, and inhuman strength.

Kagome and Kaede waved to them from the village that wasn't more than a couple hundred feet away now. Miroku felt an warm sense of nostalgia as they rounded the last bend in the road before the village. While not one person from their group was from this place originally, except for Kaede of course, they'd each decided to make it their home. The rest of the village had accepted them in time, welcomed them even, and with each day, month, and season that passed it felt more and more like home.

"Wow! You guys did great!" Kagome exclaimed as they drew near. Her eyes went wide at the sight of the fish piled high in their baskets and she clapped her hands with excitement.

"Keh, it's easy enough if you know what you're doing," Inuyasha said as he set his heavy basket down. "This guy wasn't much help though," he teased with a tilt of his head in Miroku's direction. "Spent most of the time complaining about how cold the water was."

"That's hardly fair," Miroku interjected as he set his own basket down. "Not all of us are as impervious to the cold as you are."

Kaede gently cleared her throat and gave each of them a warm smile, "Well I thank ye both for your hard work today. Our village is lucky to have such talented hunters providing food whilst we wait for the fields to grow."

Miroku turned a smug look at Inuyasha, which he returned in kind. Just then his eyes darted to somewhere behind Kagome's head and he moved to put himself between her and the kemari ball headed directly for her head. He caught the ball easily and glowered at the group of kids who'd inadvertently kicked it their way.

"Be careful!" he shouted amid their sudden chorus of apologies and bows directed at Kagome.

Kagome waved them off with a light laugh, "It's fine! No harm done."

Inuyasha expertly bounced the kemari ball on one knee, then the next, before sending it back their way with a well placed kick. Kemari ball was a game reserved for nobility, but he'd taught the children how to play some weeks earlier to keep the youngest ones occupied during the spring planting. They'd taken to the game immediately and hadn't stopped playing it since.

The children grinned and exchanged glances with each before one stepped forward, an older boy named Hikaru. "Can you teach us some more kemari ball tricks?" he asked.

Inuyasha scoffed, "Of course! I've been playing kemari ball longer than you've been alive."

"You should do it, Inuyasha," Kagome prodded gently with a nod in their direction. "I bet they could learn a lot from someone who knows kemari ball as well as you do. And it might be a good chance to make some new memories, ya know?"

Inuyasha sent a quick glance back at her over his shoulder. He knew exactly what she meant, of course. Kemari ball had always been associated with a lot of negative memories for him, times when he'd felt ostracized and unwanted as a child because of who and what he was. Maybe she was right. Maybe it was finally time to leave the past in the past and create some fresh memories.

"Yeah," he replied as a slow smile spread across his lips. "Yeah, that's a good idea."

Kagome waved him off as he ran over to teach the group of eager-eyed youngsters the expert tricks he'd acquired over the years. They couldn't have learned from anyone better. Though they likely didn't realize it, their new kemari ball instructor had been playing since their great-great grandparents were alive.

"You know, I never thought I would see the day where Inuyasha would adapt so easily to living in a human village," Miroku remarked as he watched his friend patiently instruct the village children on how to bounced the ball from one knee to the other. "He's really made an effort to fit in here."

"Yeah," Kagome agreed with a nod of her head. "He really has."

She was glad the others were starting to notice how hard he'd been trying. Living among others was new for him. For most of his life he'd lived alone and in many ways living within the village still made him deeply uncomfortable, but with each day that passed he was shedding more and more of that old life and embracing his new human existence. Still, it had to be difficult for him. Change was never easy, and change on this scale after so many years...?

"Here, Kaede, let me help you with that..." Miroku stepped in to help Kaede place the barrels of fish in the storehouse to be salted and smoked. When he returned a few short moments later his brow was furrowed in a curious way.

"What is it Miroku?" Kagome asked with a curious lift of her brow.

The monk looked around slowly, then up at the sky. He shook his head slowly before his brow furrowed deeper with concern.

"I sense a demonic aura," he said quietly so as not to alarm the other villagers. Kaede returned to their small group with a grave look and a nod of her head, "Aye, I sense it as well. Best alert the others."

Kagome's expression sobered instantly and she nodded her head in understanding. Miroku set off to find Sango and Shippo while Kaede went to locate Rin. Kagome made her way to the kemari circle to alert Inuyasha. She almost felt guilty interrupting him. He genuinely seemed to be having fun showing off and playing kemari ball with the children.

He turned as she approached and sent the ball flying the moment he saw the tense expression on her face.

"What is it, what's wrong?"

The eager ears of the children standing around them perked up and Kagome smiled kindly at them so as not to worry them.

"I need to talk with you about something. Can you walk me to Kaede's hut?" She grabbed him by the hand and gently pulled him away from the group of prying eyes and ears. He went willingly, following her down the short road to the old miko's hut.

"What's going on?" he asked under his breath once they were far enough away to not be overheard. "Is something wrong with the baby?"

Kagome shook her head but smiled at the realization that this was the first concern was whether she and the child were okay.

"We're both fine, but Miroku detected a demonic aura nearby. He's gone to find Shippo and Sango and Kaede's looking after Rin. I don't know if it means us any harm or is just passing through, but we thought it best to be prepared."

"Good thinking," he agreed. "What I wouldn't give to have my hanyou senses right about now. Whatever happens I'll protect you. You don't have to worry."

Kagome smiled up at him and gave his hand a squeeze, "I know you will. Thank you."

They'd nearly reached Kaede's hut when Rin's sudden jubilant cry of "Lord Sesshomaru!" brought her feet to a sudden halt. A tingle of awareness crept up her spine as she turned in muted shock to see the Lord of the Western Lands standing a short distance behind them on the road. He looked as perfect and regal as she remembered him, not a hair out of place. She longed to run to him but her feet remained rooted to the earth, not willing to trust the scene her eyes were showing her. Was it possible? Had he truly returned for her?

Rin's sandals slapped against the hard pack dirt of the road until she was standing directly next to Sesshomaru. He glanced down at her and asked if she was well. She confirmed that she was very well and all the moreso for his arrival. "I knew you would come!" she assured him, her face practically beaming at the sight of him.

This seemed to please him, and he turned his eyes on her next. Kagome's breath halted, her lungs refusing to draw breath. Sesshomaru's golden eyes shifted between her and Inuyasha, then lingered on the place where their hands remained clasped. Kagome quickly released her hold on Inuyasha's hand and took a tentative step towards her mate.

"Are you really here?" she asked before taking another step, then another. Why wasn't he coming to her? Why hadn't he already swept her up into his arms and kissed her? What was he waiting for?

His gaze settled on her belly, her condition apparent now to anyone who saw her. She still had several months to go, but the child growing within her had made its presence known to the village sooner than she would have liked. She was still fielding questions about it, and concerned looks from some of the other women.

Inuyasha had suggested some weeks earlier that they could raise the child together and become a family but she'd neglected to give him an answer. She'd certainly toyed with the idea. It would provide her some small measure of security in an otherwise dangerous time. And she knew he'd be a good father. But could he ever truly be okay with raising his brother's child? Could he be the partner she needed him to be?

The questions and doubts had circled endlessly through her mind for weeks now, but with Sesshomaru standing before her they all faded away. She felt the weight of uncertainty lift from her shoulders and exhaled with relief at finally being relieved of the burden of not knowing. Sesshomaru had returned for her. She could finally (finally!) tell him the good news and they could be together as a family.

Except that wasn't what happened at all.

Instead his eyes narrowed and he turned his back, leaving the village the way he'd arrived. Rin glanced between them in apparent disbelief and ran after him.

"Lord Sesshomaru, shouldn't we wait for Kagome?"

The Lord of the West continued his purposeful retreat and Kagome felt her vision begin to fade. He was...leaving? After all they'd been through to be together he was just going to walk away?

"Sesshomaru wait!" she called after him and jogged a short distance down the road before having to stop to catch her breath. "Please wait. We need to talk!"

He stopped in his tracks and glanced back over his shoulder at her, his features twisted with annoyance, "My mark still burns on your shoulder and I return to find you carrying his child?"

His words were like ice, each shard cutting her deeper than the last. An alarmed "What?!" was all she could manage to blurt out. He didn't trust her? He really thought she'd…?!

The strength swiftly left her body as defeat overwhelmed her and she knelt down on the road. If he couldn't even trust her, what was the point in continuing this fight? If he didn't know within his heart how deeply she loved him by now, how could she ever possibly string the right words together to make him understand?

"Come Rin," he commanded. "It is time to go."

His voice sounded exactly as deep and eloquent as she remembered. She'd waited months to hear that voice and the sound of it brought tears to her eyes. Frozen in place, she watched helpless and speechless as he retreated with Rin in the direction of the Western Lands. For a long moment she simply stared, wondering if perhaps she was trapped in a particularly vivid nightmare. But Inuyasha's muttered 'keh' from behind her made her realize this was no dream.

She swallowed down the sudden taste of bile in the back of her throat as Inuyasha's strong hands helped her to her feet. It was a long moment before she could look him in the eye or convince her mouth to form coherent words.

"Why...why didn't you tell him the truth?" she blurted out.

His eyes went wide and he replied just as quickly, "Why didn't you? You know he'd never listen to me."

Her mouth opened and closed, trying unsuccessfully to form some kind of retort, but her mind was whirling about in a panic without any sort of rational thought. All she could focus on was Sesshomaru - finding him, explaining the situation, telling him about their child. Sesshomaru needed to know the truth. He deserved to know the truth, didn't he? She had to make him understand that she'd never chosen Inuyasha over him and never would. Somehow, whatever it took, she must make him understand!

As she walked, her body drew her westward and a sense of panicked desperation took over. Her feet surged forward until she was running, ignoring Inuyasha's concerned shouts from behind her. She picked up her pace, tearing through the forest at the edge of the village like a wild boar. The branches lashed at her face and arms, but she didn't care. She had to find him, to explain, to make him see reason.

She wouldn't stop until she'd done that. Heaven itself couldn't stop her now!