That Night At the Inn

Doctor

"You never did tell me your name, dear." Naraku smiled charmingly as Kanna nursed the woman's wounds.

"Seitekina." she said in a monotone. She hadn't been feeling well since Naraku had taken her heart from her chest. True, him holding it meant her body was kept alive despite the extensive damage. But her body, her soul, felt hollow and empty. All her emotions were deadened slightly. Even the love she had held for her mate was slightly dimmed.

The only emotion that wasn't, was the need for vengeance upon that half demon scum. That hatred enabled her to survive anything.

"Seitekina." he repeated. "How pretty. How are you feeling?"

"Better." she spoke softly. This castle the man called his home was filled with some kind of thick, poisonous gas. It wasn't in this room so she could stay alive but she knew she was completely surrounded by it.

"Are you able to talk strategy?" Naraku asked politely. If there was one thing he was good at, it was being charming. He always knew how to get exactly what he wanted.

Seitekina was laid out on the floor, completely nude. However, the look wasn't attractive. Her skin that wasn't ripped away was burned and nearly destroyed.

It almost made Naraku nostalgic.

He knew she was a succubus and that sexual energy was her food. But, considering she hadn't had sex in a long time, she was probably starving. He had been contemplating what to do about it. No human would lay with her as she was, a demon might accidentally hurt her by being too rough with her delicate body. He supposed he could have a pair mate before her, let her gather energy that way. But, as he understood it, that method required using a bit of energy first. She didn't have any to spare.

That left him only one option.

But that could wait.

First...

"I have many enemies besides the half demon InuYasha." he started. "If you help me with them, I'll-"

"No deal." she said sharply. "Unless you can bring my beloved back, there's nothing you have that I want. That demon or his mates are the only things I want. Preferably both."

"You mean the woman called Kagome." Naraku told her. She was adamant. And, unfortunately, she was right. He had nothing she wanted. He had shown her the jewel he had collected so far but she had been unimpressed. He had her heart, but killing her wouldn't be a punishment. Not really.

All she wanted was those two damn people who gave him such trouble.

"Very well." he acquiesced. "Kagome and InuYasha are yours to kill. But, as I said, they are not the only ones after me. Now that you have a bit of my scent on you, they'll all be after you as well."

"Your point?" she asked as Kanna finished rubbing salve on her ravaged flesh.

"My point is that I have a plan that, if you follow, will give you your revenge." he finished.

She thought it over for a moment. Naraku watched her consider what she wanted and weigh it against what he was asking.

Finally, she said, "Very well. I'll follow your orders for now. But if it doesn't get me closer to killing those two, I'll just tell your enemies where you can be found. And, I'll need you to get something for me from a friend."

Naraku chuckled a bit at the threat. He had no doubt she would carry it out, but if she thought he was that easy to find, she was sadly mistaken.

"Name what you need and it shall be yours. Now," he reached up and began undressing as Kanna left the room silently, "you need energy."

She nodded and spread her legs the best she could.

XXXXXXXXXXX

"That was completely uncalled for." Miroku chastised Sango as they walked through the blast sight, looking for the blood trail Kikyo had described.

"What was?" Sango asked, her focus on the ground.

"Telling Kikyo like that." he said firmly.

"I didn't hear you complaining then." Sango was completely sure of her decision.

After hearing their words, Kikyo had fallen silent before waving them away, in a bit of a daze.

"I wasn't going to call you out in front of her." he said, getting a bit frustrated with her. "For one thing we're trying to keep this pregnancy a secret from Naraku. Kikyo has already given him jewel shards she took from Kagome, what makes you think she wont hand him this information."

Sango rolled her eyes. "She's not going to tell. She hasn't fallen that far."

"And it wasn't her business, as you said." Miroku continued. "She didn't need to know and if she did InuYasha should have been the one to tell her."

She shrugged carelessly. "Oops."

"And, if you just had to tell her, you could have done it with a bit more tact." he finished. "You were quite cruel in saying it that way."

"Why do you care?" she asked sharply. "What has that woman ever done for us?

"Sango, that isn't fair." Miroku said. "Kikyo is a lost and hurt soul who-"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah." Sango snapped. "I've heard it all before. How come nobody ever sympathizes with Kagome in this situation? She hurts just as much about these things."

"Yes, but-"

"No 'but's!" Sango cut him off angrily. "Kagome is our friend, not Kikyo. We need to be on her side, not Kikyo's."

"You are on Kagome's side." Miroku pointed out. "I am on InuYasha's. Or do you think he doesn't deserve that?"

"Don't be ridiculous." Sango turned away from him and went back to searching.

"And if InuYasha knew what you did, he would be quite angry and put out." Miroku continued.

"Miroku-"

"Furthermore," he raised his voice over hers, "Lady Kagome, bless her heart, knew what she agreed to when she came back to InuYasha's side all that time ago."

"Miroku."

"And," he spoke over her again, "what you did was just wrong! You need to stop being such a-"

"Miroku!" Sango shouted over him, shutting him up.

"What?" he asked.

"Look." Sango pointed to the blood trail that, once found, was quite obvious. It led further into the forest.

"Oh..." he deflated a bit. "Well, let's go."

Sango rolled her eyes and shook her head as they started following it.

XXXXXXXXXX

"Lord Sesshomaru, look!" Rin held up the fish she just caught in pride.

"Rin!" Jaken, who stood safe and dry on the riverbank, snapped at her. "Lord Sesshomaru has no time for your meaningless fish."

"I wasn't talking to you, Master Jaken!" Rin told him.

Sesshomaru was sitting beneath a tree, watching them because they were the only things moving.

As the two of them started arguing, Sesshomaru looked away into the sky.

It had been a while since he had found any sign of Naraku.

There had been a rumor about some kind of explosion not far from where he was but he knew better than to go check it out. Naraku didn't cause explosions, at least not close enough that it might potentially harm him. The man was such a coward he probably couldn't actually use a weapon if he had one.

That such a useless creature constantly evaded him caused Sesshomaru no end of annoyance.

When he looked back over at his wards, Jaken had somehow been tricked into fishing while Rin sat on the riverbank, her fish still cradled in her arms.

"-how you do it!" Jaken finished saying. However, when he went to grab the fish, he slipped, fell, and came up coughing with a face full of mud.

Rin laughed at him as she stood up and ran to Sesshomaru's side.

"See, my Lord?" she held it up for his inspection.

It was actually a good sized fish. More than enough to feed her.

"Good." he nodded.

"Can I build a fire to cook it?" she asked sweetly.

"Hurry up." he told her. "We're leaving again shortly."

"Yes, my Lord!" she beamed as she set her fish down lovingly before running off to father a few sticks.

Jaken, sputtering and coughing, climbed out of the water, shaking the water off himself. "Worthless little-"

"Jaken." Sesshomaru didn't raise his voice. But, then again, he didn't have to.

"S-Sorry, my Lord." Jaken looked away, afraid he had angered Sesshomaru. His master got strangely protective over the little human chit. "Wh-where shall we be heading next?"

Sesshomaru thought it over for a second. "We'll continue east."

"Very good, my Lord." Jaken nodded in agreement.

"What's in the east?" Rin asked, coming back to them, her arms full of twigs and sticks.

"That would be where that worthless InuYasha keeps a home." Jaken informed her, his voice superior.

"Wow, really?" Rin looked impressed at his knowledge. "But why are we going after Lord Sesshomaru's brother?"

Taking a second to think about how much trouble he would get in for referring to InuYasha as 'Lord Sesshomaru's brother', Jaken said, "Well, he might have some clue I suppose. He hunts for that Naraku as well."

"Jaken." Sesshomaru's next warning made Jaken flinch as if Sesshomaru had struck him.

XXXXXXXXXX

"So, why were you concerned about the baby again?" the doctor asked as they watched the perfectly healthy pre-baby on the sonogram monitor.

"Oh, no reason." Kagome lied smoothly. "Just, mother's nerves kicking in already I guess."

Beside her, Mama Higurashi smiled, supportive of her daughter.

"Well, the baby is perfect." The doctor assured her. "Would you like a picture?"

"Yes!" Kagome said immediately, not caring how eager she sounded at that.

"All right, I'll have one printed off in a sec." he smiled at her. "Are you feeling all right?"

"Perfect." Kagome assured him as he put a paper towel on her belly so she could wipe off the jell.

"Well, if you need me, I'm always here." he patted her arm comfortingly. "You feel like something is wrong, just call. Or ask your mom, I'm sure she'll be happy to help."

"Of course." Mama Higurashi agreed.

"The nurse will have your picture." he continued, standing up. "Get it from her when you leave."

"Thank you, doctor." Kagome smiled as she sat up.

"Will you need a note for school or anything?" he asked.

"No." Kagome shook her head. She had already visited the school that morning and quit. There was really no point to it anymore.

Quitting hadn't been nearly as hard as she thought it would be. She was sure she would feel remorse, shame, maybe a bit of regret. But no. She had been perfectly happy as she and her mother filled out the necessary paperwork. She knew what she wanted her life to be now and she couldn't wait to start living it.

And today was the end of the third day. She was going to wait for InuYasha on the other side of the well.

Not because she didn't want to wait for him on this side. But she really wanted a quiet moment before they joined her family again.

Besides, she wouldn't stray far from the well. If she felt any kind of demonic presence, she would jump right back in. It would be perfectly safe.

As she and her mother walked out, her glossy new photo of her soon-to-be fetus in her hands, Kagome realized just how close her new life was.

"Oh, my..." she gasped as she and her mom walked to their car.

"What is it?" Mama Higurashi asked.

"I just realized." Kagome laughed in excitement. "It just hit me. I'm going to be a mother. Holy cow!" She laughed and spun in a few happy circles. "This is the greatest day ever! Well, it's a close se...third."

Mama Higurashi laughed. "I know the feeling, dear. Now, let's go. We'll get something sweet on the way home."

"Yay." Kagome laughed as she followed her mother into the vehicle.

And Kagome has her baby's first picture Yay!