Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha, but I do own his incredibly cute son, Makoto.

Chapter 7: Surprises

"Maybe you should go get some rest. We've been talking all morning and it's almost lunch time. I'll find something to eat and you just stay here." Makoto gave her a warning glare with the last two words as he slipped outside. The hot midday sun shone down on him as he took off both his outer and under haori and made his way back to the fishing pond beside the hut. A quick dip for fish sounded nice anyway. Unlike his father, he loved the water. Makoto jumped right in, a splash sending water all the way to the roof of the hut. Diving down, he was able to catch two good sized fish right away. They squirmed in his grip, trying desperately to get back into the water below, but Makoto's claws grimed them tighter as he threw them to the bank shook the water out of his ears. That was one thing about having inu-hanyou ears. It was very easy to get water in, and very hard to get water out.

He figured two more of the same sized fish would be enough for the two hanyou. The water felt great in the heat of the day, so he was a little reluctant to get out. The noonday sun was shinning against the water, causing rippling glows on the tree canopy above and across Makoto's broad chest and facial features. In no time he had caught the other two fish, all of which laid wriggling on the bank. The deed done, Makoto leaned back and floated atop the pond, letting the sun beat down on his glistening bare chest with little if not any worries upon his thoughts. He felt like he could stay out there just like that all day, but twenty minutes later from the time he left the hut, he shook himself off and carried the four cleaned fish into the hut. Mindlessly he stuck the fish on sticks and built a fire in the pit and started cooking. "Hey, Kita! Fish is on!" he yelled to the back rooms. His ears swiveled towards the doors.

Suddenly Makoto's senses were highly alert. He raced to his room and slid open the door. The only thing in there were unused bandages, herbs for her wounds, and a slept-in futon. No Kita. He raced to the other side and pulled back the door. His parents' room was untouched, their faint scent the only thing lingering in the room. Makoto growled as he raced out the door sniffing angrily. That complete moron! Does she really think she can get anywhere the way she is!She'll be killed in seconds by any youkai close enough to smell her! Stupid wolves. And Okaa calls me and Oyaji stubborn. Keh. Wait till she meets Kita, if Kita lives long enough.

Trees flashed by as Makoto picked up the she-wolf's trail through the forest. Jumping logs, shrubs, saplings, and burrows at a lightning speed. It wasn't that hard to follow her scent, and didn't take long to catch up with the girl. Makoto skidded to a stop in front of a large oak, dust swarming in the air around him. Kita was sitting under the tree, breathing heavily with her eyes closed tight shut. A few of her wounds had reopened and had started bleeding through their bandages. The smell of it was almost enough to blow Makoto off his feet. "Kita, I thought I told you to stay in the hut!" her soft green eyes opened to reveal the pain and sadness coursing through her body and Makoto sighed. After all, he got his Okaa's soft-heartedness. "Look, just stay with me until you're better. Okaa-san will be here in no more than a week now, and she'll be able to heal you better than I can."

One week… Kita thought through her clenched teeth. If she could be heal by the miko in one week, that would leave her plenty of time to make it back to her master. But what if the lord of the western lands had already warned the inu-hanyou and miko of her attempt with his son? Even though it wasn't really her, it was her body Master had been using. But then again, her little excursion today proved she wasn't going anywhere any time soon on her own, not like she was. Kita nodded her head, clenching her fists in defeat. "A-alright. One week." She started to struggle to her feet, helped by Makoto's arm looped in her own. She squealed as she felt herself being lifted off her feet and thrown into Makoto's strong outstretched arms. She tightened her own arms around his neck. He was carrying Kita bridal style back out of the forest and into the hut.

It amazed Kita how he was so willing to help her, even after she ran away from him. It was nice to have someone running after her without the intention to kill her, or hurt her in some way. But how long would that last? If he knew, it he only knew all the things she had done, all the people she had killed or at least caused the death of, if he only knew she was a fraud and a murderer, what would he think of her then? He defiantly wouldn't be taking care of her or carrying her as he was. Makoto. Maybe if they had met before, in a different life maybe, then they might have had a chance to be friends, maybe even more than friends. But Kita couldn't bring herself around to think of such ludicrous fantasies. She couldn't afford to fantasize about things that would never be, not when her own life wasn't hers anymore. She had to admit though, she didn't know what was worse; staying with the wolves in her pack or staying with her Master.

When they reached the hut, Kita smelled the fish cooking on the fire and her mouth watered with hunger. Makoto chuckled when he caught Kita staring at the fish, and handed her the biggest one. She gratefully accepted the offering and downed the fish in no time, Makoto handing her the second while he started on the fourth. Finishing up, he put out the fire and slid open the doors and windows throughout the hut. The heat of the day was smoldering, even in the shade. Makoto stood and offered Kita his hand. "It's too hot just to sit around all day. You like swimming?"

Kita nodded and grabbed hold of Makoto's hand, pulling her up and into his arms once again. The water was slightly warmer, but still felt rather nice to both the hanyou. "Makoto?" Kita questioned from the bank where she had her feet in the pond. "What's your family like? I mean, what are they really like?"

Makoto thought. "Well, it's kind of complicated."

"Please?" Kita really wanted to know more about the family her Master seemed so intent on getting rid of.

He sighed. "Well, Okaa-san came here through the bone-eater's well, just a few yards from that tree, Goshinboku." He pointed to where Goshinboku stood above all the other trees. "She's from 500 years in the future, a place called Tokyo. You've heard of the Shikon-no-tama, haven't you?"

"The jewel of the four souls. It's suppose to bring great power to anyone who bears in, right? It was shattered into shards years ago."

"Yea, that's the one. My Okaa was the bearer of the jewel, and the one who shattered it as well. She met Oyaji when he was pinned to Goshinboku, and released him from the spell that bound him there."

Kita looked up intently. "He's the one that was tricked by that fiend, Naraku, right? The one from the legends?"

"Legends? Jeez, don't tell Oyaji he's a legend. That'll really go to his head. But, yea. He and a miko named Kikyou were tricked into betraying each other by Naraku. After Okaa released him, they both traveled collecting the shards. First they came across Shippou; both his parents were killed by the Thunder Brothers, strong youkai that had increased their power by using shards of the jewel. After that, Shippou started traveling with them. Later on they met Miroku, and from what I've heard he was quite a womanizer back then. He was collecting the jewels and hunting Naraku to…"

"To rid his family of Naraku's curse, a hole in his hand that grew and threatened to implode on him just as his father and grandfather before."

"I guess that's part of the legend, too, huh?" Kita nodded. "Well, after that they met a youkai exterminator, Sango. She was tricked by Naraku into believing Oyaji had slaughtered her village, but eventually she realized the truth. After that, it's pretty much it."

"What happened to the jewel? It doesn't exist anymore, does it?"

"Nah. When Oyaji was killed by a dragon-youkai named Suoh, Okaa used the completed jewel to wish him back. It disappeared and that's that."

Kita slipped further into the water and edged toward Makoto. "What's your Oyaji like?"

"Keh. He's a nice guy, a little rough around the edges, but who wouldn't be with the life he had before Okaa. After his Otou-san died, his Okaa-san was killed, and he was left to fend for himself. They never told me much about it. Never really wanted to know, but I kind of get the picture. Until he met Kikyou, he had no one. You kinda tend to get a little rough when you're on your own like that."

Kita's green eyes faded and her head fell. "Yea. You tend to get that."

Makoto could sense the she-wolf's distress instantly. "Hey, sorry if I said something wrong."

"No, I asked you to tell me. Thank you, Makoto." She gave a meek smile.

"Look, we both have been stuck up in that hut for the past few days, right? So…why don't I take you for a run or something? I can show you Goshinboku and the well. How about it?"

Kita nodded vigorously. "Yes."

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

InuYasha placed one of his clawed hands on Kagome's forehead, and the other on his own. "Yep. You ain't goin anywhere, wench. We're staying here until that fever breaks." He forced her to lie back down on the futon and covered her with his haori.

"InuYasha, what about Makoto? We said two weeks. If we're not there in a few days, he'll start to worry."

"The others are going to go on ahead. You are going to go back to sleep and not worry about anything. It's for your own good, as well as the pup's, Kagome. Sesshomaru is calling for a healer from the human village again. She'll be here any minute." InuYasha rubbed his hand down the side of Kagome's face, cupping her cheek and giving her a quick kiss. She sighed against his lips and crossed her arms in a pout. InuYasha cackled and rubbed his nose on her stomach.

Kagome frowned. "You're really worried, aren't you InuYasha?" He nuzzled deeper in response. "I know you didn't want me to have another pup because of the strain a hanyou pup puts on me, but Makoto's all grown up. I don't have a baby anymore."

"I want another pup, don't ever think I don't. But it's not worth losing you, Kagome. Just promise me you'll take it easy and not put to much strain on yourself." He pulled her into his arms and held on tight. "I never want to lose you. I need you."

"I promise."

There was a soft knock on the door, Sango opened it and peeked in. "Sorry guys, but the village healer is here. Should I tell her to wait?"

"No, send her on in. Thanks Sango." She looked at InuYasha. "I'll be alright. Go on. I'll send Sango when we're all finished here."

Reluctantly, the hanyou left just as a red-haired villager in her mid thirties entered the room followed by Sango. He gave the exterminator a glace that told her 'take care of Kagome', Sango nodding knowingly.

"Hi, I'm Nami." The woman tossed her flame-red hair over her shoulder and dropped her bag beside Kagome's futon, plopping herself down to her knees. "So I guess you're my patient, huh? I don't know all that much about hanyou births, but I'll do what I can." Kagome nodded and smiled politely. Nami was a little peppier than she and Sango were use to. "So what seems to be the problem today?"

"Just a little under the whether, that's all." Kagome replied.

"I think she overdid it a bit these past few days with the traveling and wedding; and this morning she woke with a bit of fever." Sango chipped in. Kagome nodded, approving of her explanation.

Nami sighed. "Well, let's take a look, shall we?" she pulled a few instruments from her bag and set to work; poking and prodding just as the last healer Kagome visited had done. Kagome jumped a bit when she pressed on a particularly tender spot on her abdomen. "Hurts?" Kagome nodded. Nami's eye brows furrowed as she pressed around the miko's abdomen a few times, finding the tender spots and other painful places around her stomach. "Has there been excessive movement lately with the baby?"

"Yea. It's moving a lot more than my first had. It hurts a lot more too; more force behind the kicks."

"What about the past few days, maybe just these past few hours? Have you had any cramps or stomach aches of any kind?"

"Um, yes. Yesterday morning I had a small stomach ache."

"Well, Kagome-sama, I have good news and bad news." Kagome grabbed Sango's hand and squeezed tight.

"Wha-what is it? What's wrong with my pup!"

"It's going to be fine. Your…pup… is a little overactive, which is probably common for a hanyou pregnancy, but your human body isn't constructed to put up with that kind of stress. Now, what you have is a simple cold and you shouldn't worry too much about it, but it is affecting you more than it normally would. So until your fever breaks and I say its okay, then you are to remain in bed. After a few days I'm sure you'll be well enough for the trip home, then its bed ridden for you until the birth. I've been told that you are a miko, and in that case I push that you do not use any of your energy until the pup is weaned at the very least. Don't use any of your energy in excess."

"She'll be alright though? Kagome and the pup?" Sango looked up worryingly.

Nami nodded with a goofy smile. "Kagome-sama, and both pups."

Both pups… both pups…both pups…Something about that phrase didn't sound quite right to Kagome. Both…pups… She sat straight up and glared at the healer as she was putting her instruments back into her bag. "BOTH PUPS?" her eyes were wide.

"Why yes. Both pups. That's the good news. The most probable reason that this pregnancy is harder is because it's twice the strain as the first. I'll be back in two days and check over you again." She bowed as she stepped out the door. "Kagome-sama. Sango-sama. Good day."

For the next few minutes Kagome just stared out the window, idly rubbing and patting her belly. In six weeks she was going to have not one, but two newborn pups to tend to. Two pups. Her and InuYasha's pups. Two. Not just one. Two. Twice the work, twice the love, twice the pain, twice the worth. It was going to be a bigger risk for her. Way bigger, bigger than she thought even Nami had realized. She knew her body, she knew she could take a lot more pain than any women her age in her time could take, but she also knew after Makoto's birth some of her strength had left her permanently. Kagome had a feeling InuYasha knew also. He was almost attuned to her body as much as she was herself.

"Kagome, do you want me to get InuYasha?" Sango was still kneeling next to her. Kagome took a deep breath and nodded. "Alright. I'll be right back." As she left the room Kagome took another deep breath. Twins. She never thought that she and InuYasha would have twins. What would InuYasha think about it? Kagome didn't fear rejection from InuYasha anymore, that wasn't it, but the overprotective hanyou didn't let her go anywhere or do anything without him when she was only carrying one pup. What would he do now that she was having two?

There was a soft knock on the door as InuYasha entered. "Kagome?" he slid in and sat down next to her. "What did she say, Kagome? Is everything alright?"

"She…she said everything's fine. I have a cold, and being pregnant is making it a little worse so we have to stay here until she says it's okay for me to travel."

"What about the pup?"

"It's just a little overactive and stressing my body a little more than I'm use to."

"What did she say to do? I mean, is there anything I can do to help?"

"She just told me not to use my miko powers for awhile. I can't afford to lose my energy in excess. And that I should stay in bed until after the pups are born."

"Keh." InuYasha laid next to her. "I could have told you that wench." He nuzzled her neck.

"InuYasha?"

"Hum?"

"There's one more thing, about the pup."

InuYasha's ears perked and he bolted up. "What? It's alright isn't it? There's nothing wrong, right? What is it Kagome!"

"Well… we're not just having a pup anymore. We're having two." Kagome watched InuYasha's stoic face for any emotion at all. The hanyou just sat with his mouth gaped open and his golden eyes dilated in surprise. "InuYasha? InuYasha?" she shook his shoulders, he remained silent. "InuYasha?"

InuYasha shook his head and slowly come back to reality. "T-t-twins…as in two pups, at the same time!"

"That's usually how they come, InuYasha." Kagome knew she would never forget the look on InuYasha's face at that moment. His eyes seemed to melt like lava, glowing with heated love and compassion. His lips were curled in a crooked smile from ear to ear as they met her own.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Later that night, InuYasha woke to the sound of loud bangs in the hallway just outside the door of his room. Slowly and carefully he lifted Kagome's hand from his ears and untangled her legs from his. With a small smirk, he grabbed Tetsusaiga and quietly left the sleeping miko to see what the commotion was all about. Down the hall, the noises grew louder. InuYasha heard angry voices echo on the stone walls. Two inu were thrashing about in a full-out battle. The smaller inu, InuYasha recognized as Yukio. "Stay away from her!" he yelled at his older opponent. The other inu snarled.

"You married a human! You have disgraced me, you've disgraced Otou-san, you've disgraced us all!"

"You disgrace yourself for thinking Rin is any less a being because she's human!" The older inu grabbed Yukio and pinned him to the wall by his throat. InuYasha decided it was time to step in, but someone else was also lingering in the shadows.

"That is enough, Taku. You have been banished from these lands. Go and return no more."

Taku growled at Sesshomaru's unwelcomed presence, but released his captive. Yukio gasped for air and slumped to the floor. InuYasha offered him a hand which Yukio took graciously. He turned into the room behind him to comfort a frightened Rin. Taku eyed Sesshomaru with great distaste.

"You… you're supposed to be a great leader. You're the one who is supposed to keep his kind out of our line. But you allow it! You allow the half breed and his human to stay here, as welcomed guests! My father had the right idea, he…"

"This Sesshomaru is done with you. Leave."

InuYasha growled as the inu pushed past him and all but ran down the stone steps. He turned to Sesshomaru. "What's going on here, Sesshomaru?"

"Nothing that concerns you."

"If it's putting Kagome in danger, it does concern me!"

Sesshomaru stared at his half-brother, apparently thinking of whether or not he should be told. "It is nothing this Sesshomaru cannot handle on his own. You and your mate will leave as soon as she is able." With that said, he turned and left the red-hot hanyou standing alone in the dark hallway.

"Keh."

A/N:

Hm. I can't believe it. Someone actually guessed it in the reviews. Extra points to orangepencils for getting it right. Maybe I should start giving less hints, then?

To answer a question, the reason for the points? I use to do rewards, but I moved to points. And just like on "who's line is it Anyway" the points don't really matter, but they do seem to get more of a reaction from the reviewers. The more enthusiastic the reviews, the more I can write. SO KEEP THE REVIEWS COMING! Lol.

And to view the points so far, go to:

www dot freewebs dot com / kachiki(underscore)Tsucasa