That Night At the Inn

Deal

"Oh..." Kagome gasped quietly. She had known she was in an explosion, she had seen what the blast had done to InuYasha's back and knew, logically, all the forces involved. But seeing Tessaiga, the Iron Crushing Fang, the very blade she had seen block cannon fire mid-air without a scratch, seeing such a blade with such trauma was just downright scary. Tessaiga had taken the brunt of the damage, and seeing how much it had taken, how much it had hurt the sword, sent chills down her back.

InuYasha sighed and put it back in its sheath. "Here." he held it out to Kagome.

"But..." Kagome started to protest even as she took it.

"I can't use a cracked blade." he said. "But, even cracked, Tessaiga will provide a great barrier for you. It's more useful in your hands than mine at the moment.

Kagome nodded and slipped the sword into the belt made from the long sleeves of the robe.

"That must have been one terrible explosion." Sango said in awe.

"What'll you do now?" Miroku asked.

"The same thing I was doing before." InuYasha said, completely sure. "I'm taking Kagome home."

"But Tessaiga..." Kagome started.

"I know." InuYasha nodded. "I'll take you home first, then go see Totosai. I think Myouga is with him right now and I need to tell him about what's happening anyway. It should only take about three days for Totosai to fix it."

"He wont be happy when he sees what happened to Tessaiga." Sango said thinking about how protective the demon was of his blades.

"Like I care." InuYasha said. "He'll fix it and that's what's important. What about you two? What are you going to do?"

"Well, since the explosion wasn't Naraku," Miroku said thoughtfully, "I guess we'll go to the village the body was taken to so I can purify it."

"I thought the villagers said the body was human." Sango said, slightly confused. "How did you guys not notice a human around?"

"Human?" Kagome repeated.

"I don't remember a human." InuYasha said. "The only other person there at the time was the demon who tried to kill us. The mate of that damn incubus I killed."

"A succubus?" Sango repeated. "Well, they do look a lot like humans especially when they've been burned beyond recognition."

"We'll make sure it was the succubus." Miroku said, cutting off InuYasha before he could demand to know whether it was her or not. "Don't worry. Just get Kagome home."

InuYasha nodded his thanks before kneeling and letting Kagome climb on his back. He wasn't stopping this time until she was safely on the other side of the well.

"Be careful." Sango smiled at her friend. "We've left Shippo at the village. He might still be at the well."

"Alright." InuYasha knelt them leapt up into the sky away from them.

Miroku sighed. "I have a bad feeling, Sango."

"Me too." she said. "I really hope Kagome stays safe. Don't tell him I said so, but InuYasha really deserves a bit of happiness. I think this will be good for him."

Miroku nodded in agreement. "If we can keep her and the baby safe, I think InuYasha will be able to find happiness. And if we can't..."

"Let's not think about it." Sango smiled bravely. "Kagome will be fine if InuYasha has to shed every drop of blood he has to keep her that way. Now lets go see if that body is human or not."

Miroku nodded and followed her out of the clearing and towards the village.

XXXXXXXXXX

"I love you." Kagome said as she snuggled closer to InuYasha's warmth.

"I love you, too." he smiled a bit. They were getting close to the well and Kagome was trying her hardest to not ever let go of him.

Not that he minded at all.

Kagome nuzzled his neck, breathing in his scent. She didn't really have any symptoms of pregnancy yet, but she was ready for them.

She was only a teenager but she was ready to be a mother. After all, she practically lived here in the Feudal Era and girls here had babies younger than her all the time. It wasn't unusual for her to be pregnant right now. It would be in the future, but not now.

Now all she had to worry about was the baby in her belly and the man in her arms. And that was good enough for her.

InuYasha was feeling...strange.

Not bad, just...strange.

Had it really been only about a week since he had discovered his whole life was changing? He had a mate and a pup on the way and a bright future ahead of him if only he could keep them both safe.

This was never something he could imagine in even his wildest dreams.

Half demons didn't breed. No one wanted to breed with a half demon. Kagome was the only human he knew that would ever get close enough to want to. Even Miroku and Sango stayed with him first because of Kagome and second because he protected them. Their friendship grew from that.

He couldn't help but think about his father for a moment.

Would his father be proud of him? He had left him his Tessaiga to protect the humans around him and that was what he did even at the expense of his own health. Would his father be happy that he had a human woman for his mate?

And what would his mother think? His mother would love Kagome; they would get along so well. Both were so kind and loving.

His parents would approve of his mate he concluded. How could they not? Kagome was perfection.

He landed gently beside the well and let Kagome off before standing up.

"You alright?" he asked turning and putting a hand on her cheek.

"I'm wonderful." Kagome smiled as she leaned into his touch.

Shippo was nowhere in sight, he must have still been at the village.

"You should go." Kagome smiled sadly. "Get Tessaiga fixed."

She went to grab the sword but InuYasha stopped her by grabbing her waist and pulling her close. "Not yet. It's not the most important thing right now."

Kagome smiled a bit and leaned into him.

"I'll go to your time with you." he said turning them to the well. "I need to speak with your mother. Does she know?"

Kagome nodded as he climbed up onto the lip and pulled her into his arms.

"Is she angry with me?" he asked suddenly feeling insecure.

Kagome shook her head no. "Mama is really happy. She'll really want to see you. Souta is excited too."

"And your grandfather?" he asked noticing she had left the old man out.

Kagome hesitated. "Gramps...well...He'll come around. He's just a bit shocked.

InuYasha sighed and jumped them into the well. There was a flash of blue light and they were gone.

XXXXXXXXXX

"Thank you for coming, Sir Monk." the village headman welcomed Sango and Miroku gratefully.

The unknown woman hadn't been buried yet. With Miroku around to do the blessing, they would finally be able to put the girl to rest.

And Sango would be able to confirm whether or not it was a demon or a human.

"No problem at all." Miroku smiled. It was a smile that Sango knew meant she and Miroku would somehow end up staying here for free that night. "We're happy to do it."

"It'll put the village's mind at ease to know her soul is at peace." the headman said as he directed them to the room the body was resting in. "She's right in there."

"Thank you, sir." Miroku nodded his thanks and he and Sango entered.

They had covered the body in white death kimono and lit some incense to cover the smell of burnt flesh.

Sango went around to one side and threw back the death cloth without apology and observed the body while Miroku said a few silent prayers for the poor person.

"InuYasha was standing upwind of her." Sango concluded. "Otherwise he would have noticed her presence."

"So you're saying...?" Miroku prompted.

"This isn't the succubus." Sango replaced the shroud. "This woman was human. The succubus must have survived."

XXXXXXXXX

Those bastards, she thought as she nursed her wounds.

How dare they survive? They killed the man she loved and yet they still clung so dearly to life. They didn't deserve to live.

They would die for killing her mate. They would die and suffer in the most horrid ways she could manage.

As soon as her body healed.

It was hatred and spite that kept her heart beating after taking the worst of the explosion. Hatred and spite and the burning desire for vengeance.

"Vengeance, huh?"

The woman jumped and looked around at the voice. How had anyone found her? The inn her love had so toiled to create had been closed and looked completely rundown now.

"Don't worry, I am a friend." a man came out of the shadows, his red eyes flashing in understanding and his long black hair flowing down his back. "I, too, bare a hatred for InuYasha. Perhaps, we can come to a deal."

"What sort of deal?" she asked.

Naraku smiled, knowing he already had her in the palm of his hand.

And Now Naraku appears. Isn't that just peachy? Wonder what kind of deal is gonna be made (she asked sarcastically) as if we don't know. Please review and thanks for reading.