Chapter 24

The Pup

"Inuyasha, I have to walk, please,"

"Kagome..." He paused and let her down from his back, wrapping his arms around her.

"Just...just for a little while," She insisted, leaning against him.

"Careful," Inuyasha urged as he lead her along. "Are you sure, Kagome?"

She nodded, swallowing hard as she walked beside him. Her legs had gone numb after a while and she just needed to walk for a little bit. Marian had said that moving had helped her a lot during her labor with Daemonar, and it would probably help her out a bit, too. She just needed to be able to do something. Inuyasha was close to panic, she could tell. They weren't going to make it to the hall in time, there just wasn't a way.

No, the pup was coming and would be here soon. The contractions were getting closer, harder. "Inuyasha..."

He stopped when she tensed and let her ride out the contraction before he started to move again. He didn't want her walking but she seemed to feel better because of it. "Just tell me when you get tired, all right?"

"I will, Inuyasha," The thunder over head made her jump but she kept walking, Inuyasha right beside her, guiding her, helping her. It seemed to be doing them both good that she was walking. But they had a long way to go still and not much time at all.

They were both soaked to the bone and miserable, and Kagome's pains were slowly becoming more intense. He'd resorted to carrying her on his back the last few miles but he was growing tired and soon he wouldn't be able to move her anymore.

A rather loud clap of thunder and brilliantly bright flash of light had Inuyasha skidding to a complete stop, his golden eyes darting about his surroundings, searching desperately for some kind of shelter, safe haven, something to allow Kagome to dry off and try to relax a little. Perhaps these pains were just from stress and not labor itself. Everything she'd been through in the passed several weeks because of Naraku and Hakuuyo meant that stress was definitely a factor for the situation. But he could feel his child's discomfort, and Kagome was becoming increasingly more aware of the fact that she was running out of time. But the Hall was still a long way away and without the help of the winds, the winds of power that made travel for the blood from city to city much easier and faster, Inuyasha had been reduced to traveling by foot. The Hall, he estimated from his current location, was around a day and a half trek, running or leaping. Kagome might not have that much time.

She shivered on his back, whimpering pathetically. "Inuyasha...it's cold..."

"I know, Kagome," He murmured, wincing at the weakness of her voice. "I'm gonna find you a place to dry off and warm up. There's bound to be something here," He paused suddenly when her nails sank into the skin at his shoulders. "What is it?"

"It hurts..."

His hands squeezed the backs of her legs where he was holding her up on his back to let her know he had heard her, and then turned his complete focus onto finding some sort of shelter. Ten minutes later he reached a small clearing where a battered and obviously deserted shack lay in wait for them. "I'm gonna check this out for us, Kagome. I'm gonna set you down over here, ok?" He was gentle as he set her down on a patch of grass, wrapping the top of his red haori over her. "I'll be quick,"

"Hurry..."

Inuyasha kissed her forehead and leapt off towards the shack, cautiously pulling the door open to peer inside. The roof was leaking in a far corner and there were no lamps for lighting, but a halfway decent fireplace, seemingly still in good condition, was erected near the door. Inuyasha inspected every inch of the shack quickly but thoroughly, deciding, finally, that this shack was suitable enough to house his mate and his still unborn pup. The bed in the center of the room was more of a perfectly good mattress settled on a rotting wooden frame, but with one swipe of his feet he leveled out the frame and watched the mattress plop onto the ground. Surprisingly, no dust flew up because of it. "They must have put spells in this thing to keep it from getting too dirty. Convenient but ironic..." He turned quickly, leaping back into the clearing to gather Kagome into his arms and get her quickly into the warmth and dryness of that shack. Her arms latched around his neck pathetically, indicating just how miserable she truly was.

"I'll have you dried up and warm again in no time, I promise, Kagome," Inuyasha set her down on the mattress and watched her practically melt into it, grateful for it's lack of wetness and promising warmth. "I've got to go get help for us,"

"No, no don't leave me here alone, Inuyasha," She whimpered, reaching for him. He joined her on the mattress, wrapping his arms around her. "I can't move you any more Kagome, you're miserable and it's too much of a risk for you and the pup. We need help..."

"Please..." She whimpered, burying her face in his chest. "There isn't enough time, Inuyasha...you'd never make it to the Hall before..." Her voice trailed off and she shook her head. "Inuyasha, you're going to have to do this--ahhh...!" Her nails sank into his flesh with such a desperation it startled him.

"I'm here, Kagome!" He pulled her close as the pain wracked her body. "I'm here..." When it passed, leaving her gasping in pain and crying, he settled down beside her, cradling her, stroking her arms to sooth her. "Shh, Kagome,"

"I'm so tired..." She whimpered, resting against him. "Inuyasha...if anything happens..."

"Don't start," He growled at her, glaring at the mass of black hair resting against his chest. "Don't start with that crap. You're going to be fine, both of you are, I promise." She nodded against his chest, snuggling, needing that little bit of comfort he offered her more than anything.

An hour passed by, giving them both enough time to dry off and warm themselves before too much else happened. But Kagome's contractions were closer now and it was only a matter of time before...

"Kagome what was--" but he caught the scent as her water broke long before she could answer. She screamed as the contraction hit her and her nails stung Inuyasha's flesh as she braced herself against the pain. He didn't know what to do for sure to help her but he did the first instinctive thing that came to him. He slid in front of her, taking her hands, making her aware that he was ready for her, to help her, to guide her through the birth of their pup. Her eyes instantly found his and Inuyasha found that tears had lit her sparkling brown eyes. She tried to smile, but the pain was too much and coming way too fast. The pup was on its way and there was no stopping it.

"Kagome..." Inuyasha forgot what he was going to say as he realized that leaving to get help was beyond possible. If he left her alone now, he'd either miss the birth of his first pup or miss the death of both of them. Neither were scenarios he planned to live out, so he would go by his instincts and help to bring this pup into the world and make sure Kagome didn't leave him in the process. She was losing it, he could tell. She'd become pale, sweat soaked and trembling in fear and in pain. He smiled at her, easing her legs up so that her feet rested on his thighs. She'd need, or so his instincts told him, something to brace herself on when it came time to push to those pains. The other details soon taken care of, Inuyasha focused on his mate's current predicament.

"Inuyasha!" Kagome's fingers squeezed his hands harder than he thought possible suddenly and he knew it was time. She screamed in pain, her body feeling as if it were being torn apart. "Inuyasha...!"

"I'm here, Kagome. I'm going to help you as best as I can but you have to work now, ok?"

She nodded hastily, wrenching her eyes closed as she readied herself for the task at hand. Inuyasha, nervous and anxious, waited until that familiar squeezing sensation of her hands on his came again and murmured warily, "Push, Kagome,"

She screamed, but he felt her body tense as she did as he had instructed, giving as good an effort as possible for the first push. It was a horrible sight for him; Kagome's face contorted in pain and agony and extreme determination. Her feet were pressed firmly against his thighs and her fingers, still laced in his, were sweating now.

The scent of blood made his nostrils flare, but that familiar grip made him ignore it. "Push!" He murmured again, this time more urgently. His pup was in discomfort with this, he could sense it, and he knew Kagome wasn't too comfortable either. And with all that she had been through lately, the sooner this was over, the better off she would be. She was in dire need of sleep and food, and the pup was quickly sapping her energy. The demands of the labor on her already weakened body would soon prove too much for her. He just prayed it didn't happen before she successfully brought their pup into the world. She wouldn't die, he wouldn't let her, but she was definitely going to be sleeping rather deeply for quite some time after the pup was born.

She screamed in utter agony suddenly and Inuyasha felt her entire body go rigid as she forced a mighty push. Inuyasha's eyes went wide in surprise. "I think...Kagome, you're almost there!"

The contractions were so close together she barely had time to draw breath between each push until, finally, with one last and forceful push, their pup, their beautiful, glorious first born pup, screamed as he came forth. Finally, her task finished, Kagome collapsed back onto the mattress. Inuyasha was momentarily paralyzed at the wondrous sight, but Kagome was currently drained of energy completely and was in dire need of holding her pup before she allowed that pleasing heaven of sleep to take her. And Inuyasha himself was eager to have her sleep and heal her body so that she would be able to give their pup the attention he would need in the morning.

"Inuyasha..."

"It's a boy, Kagome! You've given us a son..." He finished his job and quickly wrapped his precious newborn son into the red haori that had been covering Kagome's shoulders before her water had broken, then moved as close to Kagome as he could get. She smiled, tears streaming down her cheeks as she felt her son being placed into her arms. Inuyasha's arms were there to support her and she was grateful. Her body was so weak she wouldn't have been able to hold him on her own for very long.

"Inuyasha, he's perfect," Her voice was hoarse, weak, but strong enough for him at that very moment. She'd never looked more beautiful. But she was losing energy rapidly and she was starting to sag against him.

"I'll watch over him, Kagome, get some sleep. You'll need your strength in the morning," Kagome nodded against his chest as he gathered the newborn pup from her arms to allow her to relax. "Sleep, sweetheart,"

End chapter. HA! THAT'S ALL YOU GET! For the next like...two weeks! But I heart you all!