Chapter 18

Winter's Bitter Chill

The lights danced in front of his eyes as he let the loneliness seep into his bones, causing him to lose the game again. Sota let the controller fall from his hands and hit the floor as he leaned back against the couch, tired of playing video games.

Where was his sister, Kagome? She hadn't been home in nearly eight months, and it bothered him deeply. It bothered all of them. If she didn't come home soon, she would miss his graduation from middle school, and he didn't want his sister to miss it.

"Sota?" Mrs. Higurashi peered into the room, curious about the sudden quiet, and then joined her son on the couch. "What is it, Sota? What's troubling you?"

"Where is she, mom?" He asked, not looking at her. "Where's Kagome? It's been too long since her last visit home. She's not in trouble, is she?"

"If she's with that demon, of course she's in trouble!" Grandpa Higurashi growled as he passed into the kitchen.

"She's with Inuyasha," Mrs. Higurashi reassured, giving her son's shoulder a nice pat. "And because of that, she'll be just fine. Inuyasha won't let anything happen to her."

"But...it's been almost eight months, mom...Winter is almost over now..."

"I know, Sota, but I'm sure she's alright," Unfortunately, inside, she was torn apart. She couldn't shake the feeling that something dreadful had happened, and her daughter's ever extending absence was starting to trouble her deeply. Kagome, where are you?

Kagome looked up from the book she was reading as Shippo bounded into the room, still a little wet from the snow he'd shaken himself free of before he'd come into the eyrie. "Tassle and I were having a snowball fight," He said cheerfully, looking over to where Daemonar was now sleeping. "Did you two have fun?"

"He was a little cranky about not being allowed to go outside, but he got over it after I promised to read to him," Kagome smiled as Shippo jumped into her lap to examine the four month swell of her stomach. "Has the pup moved yet?"

"Quite a bit, actually," Kagome said dreamily, watching Shippo reach out to touch her stomach. "Do you think Inuyasha knows if it's a boy or girl?"

"If he is, he hasn't done anything to indicate that." Kagome shrugged, looking back down at her book. "Did you and Tassle have fun?"

"Yup! He even showed me how to make a better din in the snow than I had already made." Shippo's excitement suddenly diminished and his expression turned serious. "Kagome..."

"What is it, Shippo?"

Something was bothering the kitsune, she could see it.

"When the pup is born...will you and Inuyasha forget about me?"

"What? Of course not, Shippo! How could you even think that?" She set her book aside and pulled him to her chest, hugging him. "Shippo, we could never forget you, and you know that."

"But once we get back home you'll go through the well again..."

"And I will come back," Kagome promised, patting his head. "Besides, I'm going to need your help with the pup. You were a great help with Daemonar today, Shippo, so I already know you're going to be great with this pup,"

Shippo's mood lightened and he hugged her. "Ok, Kagome-mama!"

"Oh lord," She rolled her eyes. "Lucivar, Daemon, and Saetan have all been calling me that lately. Have you adopted the phrase as well?"

Shippo nodded, grinning, as Marian stepped into the room, shivering. "It is freezing out there," She grumbled as she shrugged out of her cloak and called in the basket she'd filled at the market. "Have you eaten?"

"Not since breakfast," Kagome admitted, able to withstand another woman's disapproval of that fact more than any males. Speaking of males...

"When are Inuyasha and Lucivar due back?"

"Before dinner," Marian said as she moved towards the kitchen. Which meant that the males were due back at any moment, also meaning that she had better have a quick snack to avoid too much fussing. But, of course, that would be a lost cause, because they would both be fussing no matter how much she and Marian did or didn't eat.

"Snarly males," They grinned at each other at the realization that they'd both said it at the same time and burst into hysterics.

Inuyasha and Lucivar were both warmed by the sound of mirth from the kitchen and moved quietly to investigate. Marian was so distracted that she didn't even feel the rush of dark power as Lucivar came into the house, and failed to notice him when he and Inuyasha flanked the doorway into the kitchen, both wearing lazy, arrogant smiles.

"Care to share what you two ladies seem to find so funny?"

"No," They said at the same time and burst into laughter again, both of them plopping pathetically into chairs at the table.

"Must be a really amusing subject," Inuyasha said as the two males approached the table. "If you share, we'll share,"

"Share what?" That perked the women's interest a little bit. Lucivar called in a small box and waved it tauntingly at them, grinning that lazily arrogant smile again.

"Is that..."

"Fudge...?"

"Oh yes, of the finest quality," Again, the arrogant smiles from both.

Kagome chewed on her lower lip as she studied the box, wanting fudge very badly at that moment. Anything and everything that was listed under the junk food category was something that, at the moment, she wanted to gobble up.

"Don't you want some?" Inuyasha asked, running a clawed finger down Kagome's cheek.

"Of course I do..."

"Then what's so funny?" Lucivar asked, grinning down at Marian who also wanted a piece of that delightful sweetness contained in the purple and gold box.

"What's that?" Shippo inquired, jumping onto Lucivar's shoulder to examine it. "FUDGE!"

"That's right," Lucivar said smugly, opening the box and breaking off a piece to give to the kitsune.

"It's still warm!" Shippo declared, devouring the mound of warm chocolate sweetness. Both women whimpered in disdain.

"Cruel..." Marian.

"Arrogant..." Kagome.

"Males!" Both girls chimed in together again, but didn't feel like laughing this time. Instead, they gave their males woeful looks and pouted at them.

"Nope, that's not going to help you,"

"Oh fine!" Kagome gave in. "We were laughing because we agreed on something that's so blatantly obvious that it's a wonder you could even ask!"

"Ooh, they do get feisty when they're riled," Inuyasha grinned, purring at the way Kagome snarled at him.

"I told you," Lucivar vanished the box of fudge, making the women whimper again. "I tell you what,"

"If you suggest a compromise, I'm going to dent your head with a skillet," Marian grumbled, giving her husband a narrow-eyed stare that could singe the hairs off of Kaelas' back had he been present. Lucivar just smiled.

"Of course we're going to compromise. Now, if you two finish your dinners completely, and I mean completely, nothing left on your plates, you'll get a box of warm fudge for yourselves."

"That won't be a problem for me," Kagome said flatly. "I'm eating for two, remember?"

"Which is why you have to finish a second plate,"

"Prick," Kagome muttered, folding her arms over her chest. Inuyasha just smiled at his mate as she bristled, insulted and annoyed all at the same time.

"How about you give us our fudge now or you won't be getting dinner tonight? How's that for a compromise?" Marian snapped.

"Well, then what would everyone else do for dinner?" Marian and Kagome both glared at Daemon and Jaenelle as they filled the doorway.

"Hell's fire! Fine!" Marian moved to start cooking dinner while Kagome continued to scowl. Miroku and Sango had both joined as well. But Lucivar and Inuyasha didn't seem surprised to see them.

"You two suck," Kagome muttered as she pushed her way out of the kitchen, intending to curl up on the couch and read some more of that book that Marian had lent her before sneaking back into the kitchen to steal that fudge from Lucivar while his back was turned. "I'll show you what I think about your damn compromise."

"Psst, Kagome!" Shippo crawled into her lap, taking care to make sure no one noticed him too much. "Here,"

She grinned sweetly as Shippo handed her a small piece of fudge that he had cleverly taken from his own mound of it. "Thank you, Shippo,"

"I'm gonna go give the other one to Marian while no one's looking," Shippo said deviously, scampering back into the kitchen. Kagome quickly devoured the fudge, savoring the warmth of it, the sweetness of it, and opened her eyes to see Inuyasha crawling over her on the couch. "I saw that,"

"Of course you did," She said innocently, swallowing the last piece before he tucked another piece into her hands. "Oh, Inuyasha, but isn't that against the compromise?"

"Not if you don't tell Lucivar about it," He kissed her, sharing the fudge with her, grinning as his fingers danced over the swell of her stomach, feeling his pups immediate response. "I think he approves."

"He?" Kagome studied Inuyasha for a moment, unsure until he just gave her that infamous arrogant smile.

"Well, I'm not calling the pup 'it' so get used to hearing me refer to the pup as he instead."

"It's a boy, isn't it?"

"How should I know?" Inuyasha asked, kissing her again, his silver hair tickling her neck. He felt the weight of the book she had been holding fall against his thigh and glanced down at it with narrowed eyes. "What is that?"

"Nothing," She reached for it but he was faster, and snatched the book up so that he could read the title. "Oh god, this isn't one of those books that I'm going to have to hear you crying over, is it?"

"Maybe," She moved to snatch the book back but he removed it from her reach and read the summary in the cover.

"Oh great, you'll be teary eyed by the time you reach the fourth chapter."

"Actually, it's the tenth chapter that I got weepy over, and it was only for a minute. Give that back! I want to finish it!" She reached for it again, pausing in astonishment.

"What? I didn't do anything,"

"Inuyasha..." She grabbed his hand, the book forgotten, and pressed it firmly to her stomach. "He's moving again,"

"I feel him," Inuyasha whispered, nuzzling her nose with his own. "It's probably the fudge,"

"Yes, so give us some more?"

"Nice try," Inuyasha said, kissing her teasingly. "Besides, I don't want you to spoil your dinner. You've got two plates to finish off tonight before you get that promised box of fudge,"

"Yes, dear," She grumbled, yanking the book out of his hands.

"So," Lucivar said as he watched Shippo hop onto Marian's shoulder, his golden eyes narrowed at the kitsune. "You never did finish telling us why you really wanted to stay here tonight,"

Jaenelle smiled sweetly. "Would you want to be at the Hall right now?"

"Why?" Lucivar's eyes were still on Shippo, studying every move he made.

"Well, you didn't want to come back to the Hall when Daemon and I got 'close', so I doubt you'd want to be there while Sesshoumaru and his lady are being obliviously 'close'. Am I right?"

"Yeah, you are. Shippo," He smiled as the kitsune tensed. "What are you doing, Shippo?"

"Nothin'."

"Uh-huh," Lucivar walked up behind Marian, lifted the kitsune off her shoulder and studied him intensely. Marian pursed her lips to keep from laughing as she swallowed the last little bit of fudge that Shippo had presented to her. Noticing the way his wife was acting, Lucivar set Shippo down on the table and turned his wife around to face him, kissing her out of curiosity. He could taste the fudge as he kissed her and gave her a halfhearted, "Tsk tsk," as he broke the kiss. "That's cheating, my little hearth witch,"

She stuck her tongue out at him and turned back to making dinner.

"Well," Daemon said flatly as he shrugged out of his cloak and walked back into the kitchen from the back door. "I think it's safe to say that we're stuck here for a few days. That storm has got a bite to it and there's no end in sight,"

"Wonderful," Jaenelle said happily as she took her seat at the dining room table. The table sat eight, but there was a much smaller table next to it for Daemonar and Shippo, and two bowls of food and water had been set out for Tassle and Kilala close to that table.

"I strengthened the warming spells in the eyrie," Daemon said as he took his seat next to his wife. "Yours are strong, Lucivar, and I mean no offense, but with 12 people-"

"13," Kagome muttered, referring to the pup she carried in her.

"-in the eyrie for the next couple of days, I figured a little more strength put into those shields would add to it,"

"It's appreciated," Marian called from the kitchen. Lucivar just grinned as he took his seat at the table as well.

"I was going to suggest that, actually," He glanced down at Daemonar and noticed the sleepy look in his son's eyes. "You had fun with Kagome today, didn't you?"

He grinned up at his father. "Yup,"

Lucivar glanced at Kagome and laughed at the flustered look on her face. "Did he run you up the walls?"

"No, but he damn sure tried to fly himself up several," Kagome sputtered, shaking her head. "The only peace I got was when I tucked him into a long nap, and that only happened because I told him I would read to him."

"He's seven, what can I say?" Lucivar grinned at her as she glared at him.

"He's definitely your son, that's for damn sure,"

Daemon and Jaenelle burst into laughter and leaned against each other for support. Kagome chuckled, and Miroku tried to hide his smile between his water glass while unsuccessfully reaching down to grope the curve of Sango's bottom, earning himself yet another red mark in the shape of Sango's hand on his cheek. It made Kagome laugh and forget about her growing hunger. She hadn't eaten since breakfast and she hadn't told anyone, but she had the distinct impression that Inuyasha could tell. And if he didn't then Lucivar sure as hell did.

When Marian set the dinner in front of them all and then took her seat next to her husband, they all took a moment to savor the smell of it before they dug in to devour all of Marian's hard work. Not that she minded considering how she dove into her own portion of the meal. She damn well wanted the fudge and she was going to get it. One way or another.

Conversation was light but amusing, until Kagome suddenly went rigid, her eyes narrowed and focused on something through the kitchen doorway.

"Kagome?" Inuyasha reached for her but stopped, his ears twitching.

"Do you hear it?" She murmured, hardly able to breathe.

"Yeah..." Inuyasha rose from the chair, his amber eyes scanning the room.

"Inuyasha, what is that?" Kagome reached for him just as the sound grew louder, closer.

"Avalanche!" Lucivar suddenly leapt to his feet, throwing Ebon-gray strengthening spells on the roof...right beneath the black shields that Daemon had just thrown up. Marian grabbed Daemonar and Shippo and tucked them with her against the stone wall of the dining room, her eyes shining with fear. Kagome and Sango joined her, worried about the looks on the males faces.

"Well," Jaenelle said as she slid down beside them. "That was unexpected."

Kagome wondered how the woman could be so calm at a time like this, but then her wonder turned towards the lack of impact from the avalanche that she knew had just taken place. She could hear the snow falling as clumps of it slammed onto the ground around the eyrie, but she couldn't hear it falling onto the roof.

"What did you do?"

"I created a bubble," Jaenelle said as she looked up at the ceiling. "Once the avalanche stops, the spell I wove into that bubble will activate and push most of the snow away. We'll be buried a little, but the roof won't cave in."

"Kagome, are you all right?" Inuyasha knelt down beside her and checked her over.

"I'm fine," She said quickly, taking his hands to press against her stomach. "We're both fine, we just got a little scare there, that's all."

"Well, it looks like we're going to be here longer than we expected," Daemon rubbed his face, looking to Jaenelle for reassurance.

"You're all welcome," Marian said quietly, fighting to regain her composure.

"Marian?" Lucivar knelt down in front of her, cupping her face in his hands. "Are you ok?"

She nodded, taking a deep breath. "I'm not one for near death experiences,"

"I know, sweetheart," He kissed her forehead, pulling her against his chest so that he could hold her. "How about you, Daemonar?"

"It was loud, dad, but mom had me. What was that?"

"Snow, son," Lucivar looked over to Jaenelle who seemed to be concentrating particularly hard on something. "Cat?"

"The avalanche stopped," She looked to Daemon now. "If it happens again, the bubble will snap up automatically and will push most of the snow away once it stops again. That spell can keep going for two days, so if the storm doesn't let up by then, all I have to do is strengthen the spell again."

Daemon finally turned back to face them and nodded. "It's ok, Daemon,"

"I've never been through an avalanche," He admitted, nerves flaring throughout his body, telling him that they still worked and weren't completely shot.

"They're...interesting," Lucivar grumbled as he rose from the ground, his son on his back. "We might as well check everything out just incase. We can start the fires in the fire places in the rooms being occupied and turn in for the night."

"I'll get started on packing up most of the food for tomorrow. Leftovers are just as good as the original," Marian said as she shook herself and headed towards the kitchen.

"Only when they're yours or Mrs. Beale's." Jaenelle giggled, rising to her feet as well.

"That spell isn't going to drain you?" Daemon asked as he approached his wife, worry dancing in his gold eyes.

"No, the web will hold it just fine. Don't worry, Daemon," She kissed him gently. "Let's go, everyone."

"You're up awfully early," Lucivar rolled his shoulders as he came into the living room of the eyrie and glanced at Sango.

"I'm a light sleeper," She said quietly, staring through the double glass doors into the pure white storm. "It hasn't let up any..."

"Probably won't until later today...maybe," Lucivar could smell the beginnings of a good breakfast and joined his wife in the kitchen, kissing her hair as he ran his fingers over her dark, membranous wings. "Getting an early start?"

"Might as well while Daemonar is still sleeping." Marian yawned deeply as she worked, watching as Lucivar grabbed a mug and poured himself some of the fresh coffee she'd just made. "We haven't been stuck in a storm like this sense...well, yeah," She grinned over at him. Lucivar shook his head as he took a sip of his coffee, watching as Daemon came into the room, looking a little rough around the edges.

"Did you sleep at all?"

"A few hours," He muttered as he, too, filled a mug of coffee. "Jaenelle slept like a log, whereas I kept tossing and turning."

"Something's bothering you?"

"Something's been bothering me since Zhara's ball, prick, you know that."

"We're all uneasy," Marian murmured as she moved to the freeze box to pull out a few breakfast steaks. "None of us really know what to expect next."

"No, which is why I'm bothered by it. They've had plenty of open opportunities to attack, so why haven't they?"

"You think they're waiting for something," It wasn't a question.

Daemon looked over at Lucivar and nodded, sipping his coffee to give himself a moment to think. "They want Kagome's Miko power and Jaenelle's power, right?"

"That's the theory,"

"Then it's obvious, isn't it? What they're waiting for,"

Lucivar thought for a moment, cursing. "The pup. She can't use her Miko powers while she's pregnant."

"Which means they know she's pregnant,"

"Which also means that Naraku might have another Kindred under his control. Hell, it could be anyone at the Hall and we'd never know." Lucivar cursed again, downing the rest of his coffee.

"Maybe," Daemon didn't seem to agree about the inside spy.

"You have another theory?"

"I don't think we have to worry about anyone in the hall being under Naraku's control. Beale keeps his eyes too close to everyone to let something like that slip."

"True. So what do you think?"

"It's been four months since Zhara's ball, and nothing has happened since then. Kagome's pregnant, they obviously know this,"

"Yeah..." Lucivar waited, having already established this with his brother a few moments before. Was he that tired or was he actually going to get to the point?

"We were all in Narkhava the other day, Lucivar. Any number of people could have told the enemy that she was pregnant without even knowing it. If Hakuuyo or Naraku had inquired about it in one of the shops we had visited, I doubt the shop keepers would have thought anything of it."

"You have a point," Lucivar grumbled. "You think we shouldn't have let them go?"

"We couldn't have stopped them," Daemon muttered. "We can't keep them secluded to the Hall, prick. Most of them are snippy as it is,"

Lucivar gave his brother his trademark lazy, arrogant smile. "They wouldn't need much convincing to stay tucked away in the Hall for a few days."

"Then why don't you explain that to Jaenelle? Of course they would all enjoy a few solitary hours with their lovers, but even with this threat of Naraku and Hakuuyo, they can't just drop their lives. We agreed on escorts, and that's the way it's going to remain. If we try to keep them locked away at SaDiablo Hall, we're all going to have a hard time dealing with them. Especially since our darling father has invited the coven back to the Hall for a few weeks once we get out of this snow storm,"

"Ok, so what do we do?"

"We wait, and we take every precaution necessary to keep Kagome and Jaenelle protected. Especially know that we're almost certain that they know about Kagome's pregnancy."

Marian took a seat at the table and sighed heavily. "She's only five months away from giving birth now. Which gives us five months to prepare for whatever attack might come,"

"Yeah,"

"That's not much time to go on," Lucivar muttered, refilling his coffee mug. "Let's worry about it later. There's no point in ruining a perfectly good day." They all gave the kitchen window a forlorn look and gathered at the table to sit and contemplate what they could possibly do while they were trapped inside while the snow storm continued to rage outside.

"We're buried, aren't we?"

"Don't worry about it. Are you warm enough?" Inuyasha bundled Kagome in a thick wool robe and made sure she had socks and her slippers on before he shuffled her towards the fireplace.

"Yes, I'm warm," Kagome rolled her brown eyes towards the ceiling as Inuyasha made her sit down. "Inuyasha, I'm fine, really. Can't we just join the others for breakfast?"

He sniffed the air and shook his head. "It's not ready yet," He sat behind her, wrapping his arms around her shoulders, his head coming to rest at her back. And I don't want you to hear what they're discussing.

"Did you get any sleep?" Kagome asked as she leaned back against him, getting comfortable again.

More than I'll be getting tonight. Inuyasha nodded, snuggling. "I'm fine," Could Naraku and Hakuuyo really know that she's pregnant? Is that really what they're waiting for? What have I done...?

"Inuyasha? Are you sure you got enough sleep? You're really quiet,"

"Just thinking, Kagome," She nodded, relaxing again.

"Inuyasha?"

"Hm?"

"Do you think we'll ever get back home?"

"Of course we will," He grumbled, his arms tightening around her. "If yu think I'm just gonna suck it up and live here for the rest of our lives, you're wrong. We've got a job to finish. Besides, the farther from Sesshoumaru we are, the better,"

"I like it here..." Kagome murmured. "I really do, but I..."

"You want to go home,"

"I miss them, Inuyasha...I miss them a lot,"

"Of course you do! They're your family!"

"So are you,"

"I know that," He kissed her hair, cuddling her. "I know you're homesick, Kagome. I promise you that I'm gonna get you home...one way or another."

"I know you will," She turned slightly, snuggling into his chest to stop the shivering that had overtaken her. Inuyasha didn't ask if she was cold this time, he just merely wrapped himself around her and held her. "Winter has a bitter bite here,"

"Yeah..."

End of chapter. Well, it was longer than most, and I needed to create a little drama. That and I wanted to explore Jaenelle's craft a tiny bit. I would write more to this but at the moment I'm pissy at my bank's lack of intelligence on some issues. Anyway, enjoy, and thank you so much for the wonderful reviews!