That Night At the Inn
Gender
Kagome was sitting out front of Keade's hut. She smiled down at her stomach, she was now four months pregnant and her stomach had started to grow bigger. She lovingly rubbed her belly as the cool, crisp October breeze blew the multicolored leaves around. Kagome was in such a stat of peace at the moment that she didn't notice when Sango sat down next to her. "Kagome are you ok?" the slayer asked concerned "Do you need anything?"
Kagome smiled toward her friend. "No, I'm ok Sango." Then the young miko looked at her slightly rounded stomach with a small frown. "I don't know why InuYasha insists that the baby is a girl."
Sango chuckled. "Maybe that's what he's hoping for." Kagome shook her head. "No, he says that it IS a girl, not that he WANTS a girl." Sango but a finger to her chin.
"I don't think dog demons can smell weather it's a boy or a girl."
Sango then smiled at her friend. "Does it matter? What do you want?" Kagome shrugged. "I don't care, as long as he or she is healthy."
"That's a wise answer." The two women turned to see the newest addition to their group. At first when Kikyo had joined the group Kagome had been a little apprehensive.
She knew that Kikyo was hurt by her pregnancy but since then Kikyo had made sure that Kagome ate healthy and had gave her monthly examinations so that they could check the progress of the baby.
"How are you feeling?" She asked as she sat down in front of the young mother- to- be. "I'm ok." Kagome said as she glanced to her left to see InuYasha coming from the direction of the well.
OOOOOOOOOO
InuYasha had gone through the well to see Kagome's mother. Since the incident a few months back mama Higurashi had been nervous to have Kagome in the feudal era but InuYasha had promised his mother-in-law that he'd check in with her whenever they weren't traveling.
InuYasha was reflecting on his visit as he walked toward the hut. Mama Higurashi had said that she wanted to take Kagome to see a healer and check the 'gender' of the pup, whatever that is. And birthing classes? There where places that taught a woman how to give birth?
InuYasha came up to the hut to see his mate sitting against the hut with Sango at her side and Kikyo feeling around her stomach. Had it gotten bigger?
"Hey InuYasha!" Kagome said happily as he came closer. It still made his heart pound when she looked at him with that smile. Like he was the greatest thing she'd ever seen.
Instead of answering her he smirked and asked gruffly. "How's the pup?" Kagome smiled as Kikyo looked up to the half demon. "The child seems fine. Kagome's belly has begun to grow." InuYasha knelt by Kagome and placed his hand on the swell of her belly. Suddenly InuYasha felt something, like a slight pulse under his hand. He looked to Kagome's stomach with an arched eyebrow when his wife gave a soft gasp. "Oh He's kicking!" Kagome squealed as she felt her child move inside her.
InuYasha glared at Kagome. "You mean she." Kagome gave a playful smirk. "What can you smell the gender?" InuYasha blinked. There was that weird ass word again. "What the hell is gender?" he barked. Kagome giggled as the other two women were looking at her with questions in their eyes.
"InuYasha, gender is the sex of the baby." That might not have been the right words to use to explain.
"WHAT THE HELL DOES SEX HAVE TO DO WITH MY PUP?"
Kagome gave a full out laugh at the horrified look to her lover's face. "Inu-InuYasha, when I said the sex of the baby I meant weather it's a boy or a girl." InuYasha cocked his head to the side.
"What makes you think that I can smell that?"
"You keep referring to the baby as a girl," Sango said. "We were wondering if you could smell it or something like that."
InuYasha shook his head. "No, but I know that the kid's a girl." Kagome looked confused. "How?" InuYasha shrugged as he turned his nose in the air with his arms folded in his sleeves. "I just know. Anyway, your mother made an appointment for you at ten in the morning. Said they could tell us it's a girl."
Kagome smiled as an idea came to her.
"Ok, how about a bet?" InuYasha's ear flickered in the woman's directions and he opened one of his golden eyes to glance her way. "What kind of bet?"
Kagome stroked her stomach thoughtfully as she thought. "If the baby is a boy you… can't hit Shippo for the rest of my pregnancy no matter what he does to you."
InuYasha thought. "Ok, and when she's a girl?" Kagome looked around trying to think of something for him. Her eyes landed on the subjugating beads at his throat. "I'll remove your beads."
InuYasha pretended to think on the deal. "Alright, deal."
Then InuYasha looked up to the three women. "That reminds me, your mother wants us back in your time tomorrow morning and for us to stay the night. She said something about 'birthing classes' after the appointment with your healer?"
Kikyo looked confused. "Women in your time have to be taught how to give birth?"
Kagome felt her face heat up in embarrassment. "No, the classes are more for fist time parents, and they just teach what to expect, how to breathe when you go into labor, and relax and teach the fathers to not freak out."
InuYasha blinked then looked to Kagome. "Why I'm not going to be there." Kagome smiled. "Well in my time, it's actually very common for the fathers to be in the birthing room if they want."
Sango and Kikyo had shocked looks on their faces. Men in the birthing room? But that is forbidden; the birthing room is a woman's sacred place where men are not allowed.
Kagome nodded her head at the surprised looks of her friends. "My dad was in the birthing room when I was being born… until I started crowning… he fainted after that." InuYasha scoffed. "What kind of man faints at a little blood? I bet child birthing ain't no worse then gutting an enemy."
Kagome gave the hanyou an eerie smile.
"Ok. Then why don't we go on through the well and we'll see just how 'not so bad' child birthing is."
InuYasha smirked. "Fine!" then he reached for Kagome's hand to help her up. "We'll be back the day after tomorrow." Then hanyou said as he picked his woman up in is arms and made a beeline for the well.
"My InuYasha seems a little… eager doesn't he?" the two women looked behind them to see Miroku standing behind them with a dreamy smile on his face. Kikyo and Sango exchanged a look. Since Kikyo had joined the group the three women had actually become friends.
"Would you like the honor or should I?" Kikyo asked in her monotone voice. Sango gave an evil smile as she lifted Hiraikotsu. Ever since Naraku had made his threat toward Kagome and her unborn baby Sango had not had Hiraikotsu out of hand's reach.
"I've got it. You sit back and watch the show." Then the slayer lunged at the perverted monk.
"NO WAIT SANGO DON'T BE RASH! I DIDN'T MEAN ANYTHING BY IT! PLEASE!"
(THWAK!)
Miroku ended up on the ground. Unconscious. With swirly eyes.
Kikyo looked down at the monk. "We are sure he is a monk… right?"
Sango shrugged as she leaned against Hiraikotsu. "I'm not convinced."
OOOOOOOOOO
InuYasha jumped from the well with his wife in his arms as the light faded. Kagome had said that her father had passed out when she had been born. Only a wuss would pass out when his pup was being born. I mean it's not like childbirth could be any bloodier then when Sesshomaru had pushed his hand through his chest.
InuYasha sat Kagome on her feet then followed her inside. "Hey mama!" Mama Higurashi came into the kitchen as her daughter called. "Oh welcome home dear. I didn't think you'd be visiting today." Kagome smiled as she hugged her mother.
"Yeah I kind of have point to make. Where is that video daddy made while I was being born?"
Mama Higurashi looked between her daughter and son-in-law with complete understanding. "Its under the TV sweetie. Make sure he lands on a cushion."
InuYasha was confused as Kagome dragged him into the living room where they found Grampa.
"Ah back so soon my boy?" the old man greeted. "Hello Kagome how's the baby?" Kagome smiled. "HE's doing fine gramps." Kagome replied as she gave her hanyou a smug look.
"Feh."
Kagome got on her knees in front of the television and pulled out a black rectangle with a white sticker on the front.
"Oh that's why your back." Then the old man got up. "Well I think I have to go sweep the temple." InuYasha watched as the old man left the room rather fast. What's his deal? InuYasha wondered.
Kagome put the black thing in the TV.
"Ok InuYasha," Kagome said as she put her hands on InuYasha's shoulders. "You take a seat here." Then she sat next to him and pushed play.
As the video started InuYasha saw a woman that looked kind of like Kagome covered in sweat and grimacing and groaning in pain as a doctor coached her through her labor.
"That's mama." Kagome whispered.
Suddenly a man appeared on the screen.
"Kagome if you are watching this years from now. I want you to know honey this is the best day of my life!"
"That's daddy." She said.
"Ok Mrs. Higurashi the baby is crowning." The doctor on the tape said. "Oh let me get a look. I can't believe my little girl is… wow that's a… that's a lot a… (THUMP)"
Kagome looked to InuYasha to see that he hadn't fainted but he did look like he had gone into shock.
His eyes were wide and unblinking. "InuYasha are you ok?"
"I-I-I didn't know that- how do women not die from that?"
Kagome smiled. "You ok? You look a little green."
"Is he ok?"
Mama Higurashi asked on the tape.
"Yes, he'll be fine happens all the time. Now give one more push and you'll have your baby girl."
InuYasha couldn't take it anymore and as baby Kagome was born he passed out just like her father on the tape.
Kagome looked down at her lover sprawled out on the floor dead to the world. "I guess childbirth isn't like gutting an enemy." She then took the tape from the VCR. "At least he lasted longer then daddy did."
"Kagome would you like something to eat sweetie?" Kagome smiled as she left the hanyou on the floor. "Could make me some ramen please?"
OOOOOOOOOO
Back in the feudal era Miroku was sitting next to the fire as he nursed his newest bump. "Sango my darling why did you have to hit me so hard?"
Sango glared as she polished her sword. "You were making perverted comments about a pregnant woman. Why do you think?"
Miroku bowed his head then lend back. "I never thought InuYasha would be a father before me." He said. Sango scoffed. "I think the fact they were drunk helped."
Miroku smiled as he watched Sango. They were the only ones in the hut at the moment. Kaede and Kikyo had taken Shippo and Kirara to help gather some herbs. Miroku couldn't help but be entranced at the way the fire played off of Sango's skin. The shadows highlighted her dramatic cheekbones and made her look almost heavenly.
Someday, He thought with a small smile on his lips as he imagined a little girl that looked just like Sango and a little boy that looked like him. Someday.
OOOOOOOOOOO
InuYasha woke up the next morning in a very bad mood.
The fact Kagome had not only proven him wrong but he had fainted as well had not made him very happy.
Then She goes ahead and leaves me there all fucking night.
He grumbled mentally as Mama Higurashi drove them to the doctor's. He glanced in the review mirror at his mate. Kagome had wanted to sit in the back because it wasn't safe for a pregnant woman to be in the front. But he had decided to give her the cold shoulder. That was why he was up front.
Immature? Yes but it made him feel better OK!
"Here we are." Mrs. Higurashi said as she pulled into a parking spot.
The three adults walked into the lobby. InuYasha put a hand on Kagome's back and brought his hand to his nose to ease the scent of cleaning chemicals and illness.
He didn't like the scent of death around his pregnant mate it made him nervous for her health.
"Higurashi Kagome." InuYasha's ear twitched under his cap at his mother-in-law's voice.
"Did I really have to wear this stupid outfit?" he didn't like the t-shirt thing and jeans they were too tight around his chest and legs he felt suffocated.
Kagome smiled as she slipped her hand under the cap and gently scratched his right ear. "I know but you do look nice if that helps." Kagome said as InuYasha leaned into her touch. Kagome had learned pretty fast that he did enjoy his ears being rubbed, especially the base.
"Hmmm, Kagome?" He whimpered as he eyed the doctor that was talking to a couple across the room. "Are you sure it's safe for you to be here? This place reeks like sickness and death." Kagome smiled and kissed his temple. "I'll be fine.
"Dear, the doctor can go ahead and see us." Kagome nodded then grabbed InuYasha's hand and lead him to a room.
"Hello Ms. Higurashi, how are you today?"
Kagome smiled as she sat on the table/bed thing. "I'm fine sir." InuYasha watched the middle aged doctor as he interacted with Kagome.
"So you excited to see your baby?" Kagome nodded. "Yup."
The doctor chuckled then noticed InuYasha. "Oh and you must be the daddy-to-be huh?" InuYasha nodded, "Yeah that's me. So you gonna tell Kagome the runt's a girl or what?" the doctor blinked then looked to Kagome.
"We have a bet going. He says it's a girl I say boy."
"Ah, I see." Then the doctor moved to the strange machine next to the bed and turned it on. "Alright Kagome, lift your shirt for me?"
InuYasha growled lowly as Kagome lifted her shirt to expose her belly. The doctor then applied a type of jelly. InuYasha moved to Kagome's side, not liking another man being so close to her.
The doctor put the handle to the ultrasound machine to the young woman's stomach.
InuYasha looked to the screen when it blinked to life.
"Alright," the doctor said as he pointed out the baby's body.
"Here is his head, and you see there? He's sucking his thumb."
InuYasha couldn't take his eyes off the screen. It was so unreal to see his baby before she was even born.
My baby girl. InuYasha smiled then kissed the crown of Kagome's head.
The doctor then twisted a knob. "And this is the baby's heart beat." Then the fast paced thump of an unborn heart filled the room. Kagome had tears in her eyes as she looked to InuYasha only to see his star struck face.
The doctor made some movements and the picture changed.
"And the moment we've all been waiting for." The doctor said. He then looked to the couple and the older woman in the room. "Ms. Higurashi, I'm afraid you've lost that bet. Congratulations you're having a baby girl."
I am really proud about this chapter. Ok Sombra112 had a name mentioned in one of the earlier chapters. But I suck at picking names, so here are a few I know and I like. So I say we have a contest and whichever name gets the most votes is it. If you have any suggestions then please send them in.
Kanari-Pretty
Inori-Prayer
Kaiya- Forgiveness
Akemi- Bright, Beautiful
Aya- Color
Mika- New Moon (I Think)
Thanks for reading!
P.S.
In reply to a question by one of my reviewers I did contact Sombra112 and ask permission to finish this story. Thanks again for reading.