All At Once: Chapter 3

Summary: Overcoming the loss of the ones she loves, rape, and an unexpected pregnancy finds Kagome just barely holding on. Will Inuyasha be there for her? Or someone completely unexpected? Or will she be alone to watch her world start to crumble all at once?

Disclaimer: I own nothing

'Thought'

Flashback

"Talking"

While in the hospital, Kagome was briefed on the man who had raped her. She did not wish to know his name, or really anything about him. The only information that mattered to her was that he was certainly dead. After this was confirmed she tuned the law out. She did not want to be bothered more and simply fell asleep.

Kagome was released two days later; after she found out that the rapist was STD free. Her bruises were already starting to disappear. When Kagome and Souta stepped out of the hospital they each reached for each other's hands. Kagome looked down to Souta, while he looked up to her, a look of lost confusion noticeable in both of their eyes.

They both wondered what they were going to do next, but neither saying anything out loud. Kagome led the way down the street and into a local eating establishment. They took a seat in the corner, a cozy booth, and both ordered water. They sat across from each other, but didn't make eye contact. Instead, they sat in silence, listening to the busy hustle around them. Everything seemed so normal, like nothing had ever happened. How could they just continue on with their lives?

Kagome broke the silence, "You...you weren't there?" A fresh wave of grief came over Kagome but she swallowed it down, for Souta's sake.

"I was at a friend's house," was his simply reply. Kagome did not push him, she had no reason to. The waitress appeared shortly after with their water. She had on a friendly smile and asked if she could get them anything else. Kagome wasn't the least bit hungry and she knew Souta felt the same. She replied with a polite "no."

"Where are we going to go?" Souta suddenly asked. Kagome had thought about that non-stop while she lay in her hospital bed. She still hadn't found a suitable answer. Now that she was 18, Souta could legally stay with her. But that still didn't solve the question as to where they were to go.

Many thoughts ran through her head, but one stuck: Feudal Japan. Wouldn't that be the most logic? Kagome was sure that Souta and herself would be safe there. Then she thought of all the times she wouldn't be there, when she would be out searching for shards. Could she leave Souta at the village? The risk of having Naraku find out she had a younger brother was possible. If he did find out this bit of information he could easily capture Souta. Would she be able to live with herself if Souta was harmed? Would she be able to handle anymore emotional abuse? She decided to think about it for a while.

The thought of Feudal Japan brought her thoughts to Inuyasha. He would be coming to her era soon. She could not let that happen. The only other option would be for her to go over there sooner or later. She wanted to choose later but knew that if she did things wouldn't turn out pretty. Inuyasha would become over-protective and probably not let her out of his sight. But she really didn't want to answer his questions. She didn't want to go over what happened, especially the part that specifically harmed her. How would she be able to tell them?

Kagome was stuck, between what needed to be done and what she wanted to do. If she did go over to Feudal Japan she didn't want to leave Souta. He was the only family she had right now and she felt she needed to be with; he was all she had left.

'Oh man, what am I going to do? I can't leave Souta here all alone, but do I dare take him into Feudal Japan?' A thought occurred to her, maybe she should ask Souta what HE wants to do; that would make sense.

So, finally, Kagome replied, "I don't know for sure, Souta. But I need to get back to Feudal Japan to make sure Inuyasha doesn't come to our era. I will tell him that something really important happened and that I need to stay here for a while. So, you could either come with me, or stay with a friend if you want. It's up to you." Kagome looked down to the table and began unraveling the silverware as she spoke.

Without a moment of hesitation Souta answered, "I'm going with you."

Inuyasha was fuming.

'Over a week! A week! What could she be doing that was SO important for her to be gone a whole damn week?'

He paced the hut floor; the constant thud beginning to annoy the other inhabitants. The occasional "Feh" was heard but otherwise the hanyou fumed silently.

"Inuyasha, sit down. Lady Kagome will return when she sees fit." Inuyasha glared at the monk before tearing out of the room. He jumped into a nearby tree and immediately into another one. When he came to the Bone Eater's Well clearing a smell hit him harder than any demon he thought possible. He jumped an amazing distance and landed on top of the well. He was so consumed in a rage that he didn't realize Kagome's brother was directly below her. Kagome released a surprised gasp before looking up into two very accusing golden orbs.

"What the fuck did you do?"

Kagome hoisted herself out of the well, but instead of looking at Inuyasha she looked at the top of her brother's head. Inuyasha growled as she ignored him. He grasped her shoulders, none too lightly, and turned her so she faced him. Inuyasha's sensitive nose easily picked up the change in Kagome's scent. He brought his nose closer to her, almost as confirmation of what he already knew.

"How the fuck could you mate with someone? How could you betray me?" Kagome slapped his hands away and helped her brother out of the well. He knew that he should disappear-and fast. He quickly stood a couple feet behind his sister. Kagome turned on Inuyasha.

Kagome's eyes pricked with what she knew to be tears, her fists clenched into tiny a menacingly low voice she said, "Don't you dare talk to me like that. Don't EVER accuse me of doing ANYTHING like what you are thinking. You have NO idea what happened to me, and it's obvious that you don't CARE. SIT SIT SIT SIT SIT SIT SIT SIT SIT SIT SIT."

One after another, she screamed out Inuyasha's hated word. Her rage engulfed her body at his accusations. HOW could he accuse her of such a thing? Could he not sense that something inside her was broken? She fell to her knees and began to sob. Kagome's body racked itself over and over again. Souta came to her side and tried his best to calm her, after a while she heard her friend's soft words. She gave in to her exhaustion and fainted.

Kagome was moved into the small hut after she had fainted. Her friends were all curious as to her behavior and what Inuyasha was accusing her of. Sango, Miroku, Kaede, and Inuyasha sat around her body as Souta told them of the massacre that had taken place before they had came to Feudal Japan. He told them of their losses and of Kagome being hospitalized. The gang felt Kagome and Souta's pain and offered their condolences. Inuyasha, however, had left after the story was complete, in a state of rage.

He decided that Kagome didn't know she was expecting, how was he to break it to her? He screamed his anguish and ran as far away as he could. He began ripping trees into pencils. (AN: Haha, joke! Sorry.) A large area was cleared of its tall trees, but that didn't stop Inuyasha. He began to hack away at the fallen trees. The plush grass beneath him was destroyed with fallen branches and dead birds. He wanted revenge, revenge on the man who had done this to HIS Kagome. Off course this would be impossible; Souta had said the man was dead. All he could do now was support Kagome.

'I should have been there! It's my entire fault, she needed me and I wasn't there!'

Inuyasha hated himself; he loathed himself, for not being with Kagome when she needed him. Why had he not gone after Kagome when she left?

During the story Sango was so dismayed that such a horror could befall her best friend. It also made her wonder what Kagome planned on doing next. Did Kagome bring Souta here to start over? Was it possible that they would live here, in this era? She knelt by her friend and cried for her.

Sango was sort of in a daze beside Kagome when said girl woke up. She opened her eyes slowly, soundlessly. She took in her surroundings and then looked at her weary friend-who looked almost hypnotized. She rubbed her head and massaged her temples before propping herself up on her elbows.

"Sango? Are you ok?" Sango snapped out of her trance and looked down at her friend. She bust into tears and hugged her friend.

"Oh, Kagome, I'm so sorry. Do you need anything? How are you feeling?" Kagome gave a weak smile at her friend's concern. Sango was like the sister Kagome never had, and Kagome was grateful for that, because she needed a sister now more than ever.

"Sango, I'm lost. What am I supposed to do now? Souta is my responsibility now, how am I going to support him?" Kagome began to sob and Sango embraced her. She wished she could take away Kagome's pain. She did not deserve any of this. Sango pulled away but kept a hold on Kagome's shoulders. She then brushed away her sister's tears.

"I will help you through this, Kagome. You know I am always here for you. It is possible for you and Souta to remain here, in Feudal Japan." Kagome didn't think she had anything left in the other era, but that Souta had so many opportunities there. He could finish his schooling and continue his life. But, couldn't she as well? Why couldn't she pick up where she left off? Not to mention the shrine. It was legally hers and she couldn't just abandon it. If she and Souta stayed in this era it would be as though they had been wiped away from their world completely.

"Sango, I don't know what to do. Souta doesn't belong here; I have to take him back to his time. Then again, if I do take him back to our era, where are we to go? I can't go back in the shrine…it…I can't…oh, Sango!" She put her head in her hands and tried to calm herself down. Kagome looked at her friend and took deep breaths. She had to be strong; her little brother was her responsibility now.

Sango hugged her what she knew in her heart to be her sister and thought it over for a bit. "I think it would be best if Souta returned to his time. You should go with him; you need some time away from shard hunting. Is there a family friend that you can go to?" Kagome nodded and replied, "Yes, yes there is. Thank you so much Sango. I guess I only have to tell Inuyasha now. Oh god, Inuyasha! He was so mad!"

Night had fallen when Inuyasha came back to the hut. Kagome had awakened since he had left. Souta was resting beside her. Sango was kneeling down beside Kagome and talking in whispers to her. Kagome looked up to see Inuyasha. She inhaled a deep breath and looked at Sango, as if for courage. Inuyasha heard Sango whisper, "Go, it'll be alright." He furrowed his brow and looked to Kagome, who had stood up.

After a while Kagome said quietly, "Inuyasha, do you think we can talk outside, it won't take long." Inuyasha looked at her thoughtfully.

"Of course, Kagome."

They had found a tree to sit under. It whispered age-old secrets in the slight breeze. Kagome was quiet for a while, thinking of how she should word what she wanted to say. She knew Inuyasha wouldn't let her out of his sight now that he knew what had happened. Kagome then took in a deep breath and turned to looked at him.

"Inuyasha, Souta and I need to return to our time. It's best for him to stay there, at least until I can figure out something more permanent. I will come back once we have something settled over there." She prayed he would allow her.

"The hell ya are! You aren't going anywhere! You and Souta are staying right here. Why don't you just stay here where you know I can easily protect you?" Kagome sighed. She knew this was going to be hard, why did she always seem to give him the benefit of the doubt?

"Inuyasha, Souta has school! I can't keep him from his education. He doesn't belong here. I don't belong here! Why can't you try to understand?" Kagome's voice began to quiver and Inuyasha knew she would soon begin to cry.

"No, don't cry! How am I suppose to protect ya if you aren't here?" Kagome looked into Inuyasha's eyes, which made him squirm. Kagome tried to smile, but it came off weak.

"We will be safe where we are going, we will be staying with a family friend. We only have a month until school will be out. I will be graduated and can focus on completing the Shikon no Tama. Souta can stay with a friend and visit on weekends. During that month I can get a job and earn some money to support us. I can't be selfish and keep Souta here, he needs an education." Inuyasha looked at her, he need to tell her-now.

"Kagome, I can't let you out of my sight. Not now that you are…," why was it so hard for him to tell her? Oh wait, because it would alter her life even more.

Kagome knotted her eyebrows together. Inuyasha was acting different, and it wasn't necessarily a good thing. What was he talking about?

"Inuyasha? What do you mean? Now that I'm what?"

Inuyasha glanced at her and then found the grass extremely interesting. His sharpened claw dug rivets into the hard, brown soil. Bangs covered his glistening eyes. Why had this happened to his optimistic, loving, and innocent Kagome. The word formed in his mouth, then he rolled it around on his tongue.

"Pregnant."

Thank You to everyone that has started to read this story! I really am grateful! Please, drop me a review! -mel