Angel: Well my eye is pretty well healed up. You can imagine the looks I got walking around the grocery store with my husband who is substantially bigger then me . . . I hate it when people look at you and you can just feel the pity oozing off of them, they don't know the first thing about what happened but they like to think they do.

Kouga: Yea! I like that one lady who handed you the card for the women's shelter!

Angel: Ugh, yes, it was funny too how she thought she was being discrete by slipping it in my hand when my husband had his back turned. She kept looking at me and then at my son like she was trying to tell me to get help before he got hurt or something.

Inu: Imagine the looks you would have gotten had you told her you had been in a fight at a bar.

Angel: Probably the same look I got from everyone else that judgmental, 'you're too old to be getting into fights at a bar' or 'you have a child to worry about, you shouldn't be fighting with people in bars' look. Sheesh people I'm 21, you should be happy that's the only trouble I'm getting into!

Inuyasha: Hey, can we get on with the story already!?

Angel: -rolls eyes- Sir, yes, sir!

Angel's Disclaimer: Sadly I do not own any characters in this story except Chad, and maybe a few others later. They belong to Ms. Rumiko Takahashi and if I owned them Sesshoumaru would be locked in the hall of Bishis for eternity so no fan girl could get drool on his perfectness, except me and Inu!

Inu's Disclaimer: As she said, I don't own any characters. If I did, then in the series Inuyasha and Kikyou would be together, who should be burning in the deepest pit of hell. And that Sesshoumaru would be mine.

Things Change
by Wick3d Ang3l & InuTaiyoukaiGal
Chapter Thirteen: One is the Loneliest Number

It had been two weeks since the big blow up and Kouga had been true to his word. He called every day to ask about the baby and had no other contact with her. He even started sitting across the room from her in the classes they shared. Kagome sighed as she walked home alone again, looking up to see his car drive by, wondering if he ever conflicted with himself over whether or not to pick her up. She was still so confused, every day she talked to Inuyasha but it didn't change the fact that her life had gone to hell in a handbag. She knew now that she didn't want Inuyasha back, nor did she want Houjo back, but she wasn't sure how to tell Kouga she cared about him and wanted to try again.

"Kagome, that doctor, Angel I think, left a message for you," her mother said as she walked in the door. "She said you have a check up tomorrow at four o'clock. Is there anyone who can give you a ride? I have to work late."

"Yea, I'll call Kouga," she replied heading toward the stairs.

"Why would Kouga take you? I didn't think you two were dating any more."

"We aren't, but . . . it's complicated mom, we'll talk about it later. Right now I just want to lie down."

"You've been tired and sick a lot lately honey, are you ok?"

Kagome wanted to break down then and there. She wanted to scream at her mother that she was not ok and would probably never be ok again. Instead she smiled at her. "I'm fine mom, just a little wore out I guess. School has been tough with exams coming up."

"Well, ok I guess," her mother said skeptically. "Dinner will be ready in an hour, I'll have Souta come get you."

--

After dinner Kagome sat on her bed with the phone in her hands. She glared at it for a long time before finally dialing Kouga's number. "Hello?" came his voice from the other end.

"Kouga, it's me," she said softly.

"What is it? Is something wrong?"

"No, I just wondered if you could take me to the doctor after school tomorrow."

"Uh, I guess. I was going to g-- Nevermind, what time is the appointment?"

"It's at four but I'd like to leave right after school, maybe we can stop and get something to eat," she said in a questioning voice.

"Yea I guess . . . I'll buy. I have to go, just meet me at my car."

She started to say goodbye but heard the line go dead. Her tears burned in her eyes as she tried to keep her cool. I made this mess . . . she kept telling herself over and over, but it didn't change the fact that it hurt.

--

"Kagome!" Inuyasha called jogging to catch up to her after school. "I was thinking of going over to Geno's, do you have to work? I can give you a ride."

"No, he's letting me have some time off to deal with my messed up life. I don't go back until next week." Her voice sounded distant and cold.

"Well, do you want to stop and get a mocha with me then?"

Kagome turned her head slowly and looked at him as if she just realized he was there. "I can't, sorry. I have a doctor appointment."

"Oh, ok . . . Do you need a ride?"

"No, Kouga is going with me. Thank you though." With that she walked away.

Kouga was leaned against his car when she got outside. She couldn't help but notice how sexy he looked, it was casual day and he was wearing a pair of dark wash, form-fitting jeans and a thin, black long sleeve shirt that fit to his sculpted body. Looking down at herself she frowned. At 8 weeks pregnant she couldn't fit into her normal jeans very well so she was uncomfortable and she had to wear a loose-fitting shirt to hide her tiny belly. All day people had given her strange looks, probably thinking she was getting fat, she cringed at the thought. She swallowed a lump in her throat as she walked toward him and forced a smile. "Hi," was all she could muster when she reached him.

"Hey," he replied, opening her door for her and helping her into the car. As he pulled out of the parking lot he looked over at her and then back at the road ahead of him. "You look nice today."

"Are you kidding me? I can barely fit into my jeans. I feel like a cow."

"You aren't a cow, why can't you just accept a compliment?"

"Because you're only saying it to break the tension, maybe if it sounded more sincere I wouldn't question it."

"Whatever . . . Where do you want to eat?"

"I'm not really hungry anymore," she said dejectedly.

"Jesus Kagome, what the hell do you want from me!? I'm trying to be nice here, if anyone should be pissed off it's me!"

"I'm sorry, I'm just moody is all . . . I really don't want to fight."

Kouga sighed. "I'm sorry too. I know you have a lot going on and I don't mean to get upset with you."

"It's ok, well here we are, lets go get this over with . . . "

"Can I help you?" asked a receptionist at the desk of the huge building. Angels' office was located in a fertility clinic/birthing center.

"Yes, my name is Kagome Higurashi. I have an appointment with Dr. Saito."

The woman clicked open Angel's schedule and smiled. "Ok Ms. Higurashi, I let her know you are on your way up, just have a seat in her waiting area and she'll be with you shortly."

"Thank you," Kagome said nodding to the woman and heading to the elevator.

When they reached the 4th floor she stepped out, turned down one of many hallways and walked into one of the many doors. "How on earth do you not get lost in here?" Kouga whispered as they took a seat in the empty waiting room.

Kagome shrugged. "After a few appointments I just kinda mapped it out in my head."

A door opened and they both turned to look in direction of the noise. "Well, if it isn't my favorite miko!" Angel said waving them into a room.

Kagome smiled. "Thank you, how have you been?"

"Oh I've been better," Angel replied as she messed with some machines. "Mr. Stick-up-his-rear has decided that I need to take on more cases so I've been seeing patients from other offices here. He says," she stopped and stood tall, using her best deep voice, "'Angel, there is no reason to keep you on the payroll if you are only caring for 4-5 patients at a time.' And I'm his friend for crying out loud! Or well, as close as Sesshoumaru gets to friends . . . Anyway so I've been really busy with these very uninteresting cases, I have one woman who drones on and on about her boring job and boring life when I ask her how she's been feeling . . . Oh wait that's what I'm doing now . . . Oops, sorry! You really should stop me when I ramble like that!"

Kagome laughed. "No, it's refreshing to talk to someone." She cast a sideways glance at Kouga. "I've been kind of lonely lately."

Kouga gaped at her. "Well, maybe you should call Houjo or Inuyasha, I'm sure either of them would be more then happy to keep you company."

She glared at him. "Oh really? Why don't you go see Ashes? I'll just walk home, I'm sure you'd be much happier there then here with me."

Angel shook her head. "Okaaayyyy, well let's just try to get through this appointment without too much blood shed shall we? Kagome lay back, this is going to feel a little cold." She squeezed a little gel on Kagome's stomach and grabbed something that looked like a handheld scanner at the grocery store. She slid it around until she found what she was looking for. "You see that little peanut thing right there?" she asked pointing toward the top of the screen. "That is your baby."

Kagome and Kouga both gasped and Kagome fought her tears. "It's so . . . tiny."

Angel pushed a little harder and moved it to a different position to get a better look. "You see that little flutter in the middle?" Kagome and Kouga both nodded. "That's the heart."

The tears spilled over and she grabbed Kouga's hand. "That's our baby . . . " he said as if it wasn't real until now.

--

Angel: Short I know, but it's a beautiful day outside and I have things to get done!

Inuyasha: Yea right, you just want to work on the epilogue for 'Forbidden Love'!

Angel: That's what I'm going to do tonight. That's why I want to get this chapter out before I get lost in working on that and it's another week before we get this chapter posted.

Inu: I'm glad this story is going along fine. We've already got the sequel planned out.

Kouga: Do I get Kagome back?

Inu: ... No.

Kouga: T.T

Sesshoumaru: I better have an appearance in this the sequel.

Inu: Don't worry, Sess. You will.

Inuyasha: Yeah, Sess! Don't worry!

Inu: ... -punches and knocks out Inuyasha-

Sesshoumaru: Was that neccessary?

Inu: -shrugs- I think it's a new habit.