Angel: Sadly I wrapped up 'Forbidden Love' and I'm now moving on to my 'Just Sex?' rewrite. I got alot of mixed reactions about how I ended it but I think it balances out the story.
Inuyasha: What's that supposed to mean?
Kouga: Duh, she's not going to tell you, you have to read it.
Angel: -claps, obviously impressed- You surprise me everyday Kouga!
Inu: -shrugs- A slug is more surprising.
Kouga: What's that supposed to mean.
Inu: It means you're lame.
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 now 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 Fourteen: Reality Strikes Again
Kagome was quiet the whole ride back to the shrine, her eyes never left the printed picture from the ultrasound. A hand on her shoulder startled her and she couldn't help but notice the concern in Kouga's eyes. "Are you going to be ok?" he asked softly.
She shook her head slowly. "I-I knew it was there, but now..." she looked down at the picture again, "it's real."
His hand moved from her shoulder to the hand closest to him. "I want to make this work Kagome, not just for us, for the baby."
"I do too, but I don't know how to be in a normal functioning relationship. The two relationships I've been in have been crazy! The only relationship I saw that worked was my parents... I think my mom and dad were the two happiest people I've ever seen. Dad used to say that he knew he would marry mom from the first time he set eyes on her..." Kagome sniffled. "I really miss him. He always wanted me to go to college and make something of myself. If he could see me today he would be so disappointed... I'm 15 and pregnant, the epitome of a perfect daughter right..."
"He wouldn't be disappointed in you Kagome. Everyone makes mistakes and he would understand that."
Kagome shook her head and wiped away the tears. "I don't want to talk about it..." Kagome looked at the image in her hand and looked back up at Kouga. "Come inside with me. I want to tell my mother and I want you with me."
Kouga kissed her hand. "I told you I would do this with you. I'm so glad you're ready now because I'm tired of keeping secrets."
Kagome looked away. "Me too," she whispered softly.
As they reached the front door Kagome looked at Kouga and he squeezed her hand reassuringly. She took a deep breath and walked in the door. "Kagome?" she heard her mother call from the kitchen. "Honey is that you? You're just in time! I got off work earlier then I thought so I made your favorite, Baked Chicken with potatoes and onions."
"Mom..." Kagome started softly as she walked into the room, clutching the ultrasound image in one hand and Kouga's hand with the other.
"Oh! Kouga, I didn't see you there, let me set another plate out."
"Mom," Kagome said forcefully. She sighed when her mother looked at her. "Can you come walk outside with me?"
Her mother gave her a knowing look. "Sure, give me a minute to get dinner out of the oven."
Kouga and Kagome sat on a bench underneath the tree while they waited for her mother. "So, I take it that's like mother-daughter code for 'I need to talk to you about something really important.'" he said.
Kagome smiled. "Yea, after dad died it was hard for mom and I to talk so we would just go on walks and get everything off our chests. It became our special time together, but lately everyone has been so absorbed in their own lives that there is no time for walks anymore."
Kouga nodded. "My father and I had something like that when my mother died, but work got in the way. Lord Sesshoumaru always needed him for something so it got pushed to the wayside."
Kagome leaned against him and wrapped her arm in his. "I've never asked you about your mother..."
Kouga looked at the ground. "I don't talk about it much... She was killed by a rogue demon slayer. Not many exist in this day and age, but there are still those who believe we don't have a right to be here. The slayer followed us for months and meant to kill all three of us but after he killed mother... When they found him he was nothing but a bloodied and beaten body, they couldn't even tell who he was. After that father threw himself into work, that's why we moved to Tokyo."
"I'm sorry."
"Kagome, are you over here?" her mother called as she walked toward the tree.
"Right here mom," Kagome replied. Kouga put an arm around her shoulders and she smiled at him.
Her mom sat down on the bench across from them and looked at Kagome expectantly. "What did you want to talk about dear?"
Kagome stared at her mother silently for a long time. Kouga nudged her gently and she gulped. "Mom, I, um... I have something to tell you and I don't want you to be mad at me."
"Kagome, whatever it is you know you can trust me."
"Remember when Kouga took me to the hospital a couple months ago?" Her mother nodded. "Well, I didn't exactly tell you the truth about what happened, and I kind of talked the doctor into telling you a white lie too... The truth is I'm pregnant."
Kagome flinched waiting for her mother to yell and scream, but what happened next made her even more afraid. She looked up at her mother and saw a smile. "I was wondering how long it would take you to tell me," she said quietly.
"How long have you known?"
"A while."
"How did you know?"
"Call it a mother's intuition."
Kagome looked down at the image in her hand and reached it out for her mother to take. "Here, this is your grandchild."
Her mothers eyes filled with tears. "My baby's baby," she whispered as she ran a finger along the image. "It's beautiful."
Kouga cleared his throat. "I just want you to know that I plan to help Kagome in anyway I can. This is my mistake too."
"Then I hope you take very good care of her and the child."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Kagome asked.
Her mother sighed. "I've been waiting for the right time to tell you..."
"Tell me what?"
"Kagome I'm very sick. The doctors say I have about a year before my liver shuts down completely and I have a very rare blood type so they are having a hard time finding a donor. I'm not on the top of the list for my type either."
Kagome was speechless. It felt like her heart weighed 2 tons as it fought to keep beating. Her breath was trapped in her lungs and she was starting to feel light headed. Kouga's hand squeezing hers was the only thing keeping her from slipping away. "How long?"
"I've known for about 6 months... I didn't want to tell you because I didn't want you to worry about me. You're young and you have enough to deal with."
Kagome narrowed her eyes in anger, Kouga was sure that if they could turn red they would have. "YOU DIDN'T WANT ME TO WORRY!? You didn't think I should know that I might lose my mother forever!?"
Kouga placed a calming hand on her arm. "Yelling isn't going to solve anything, please calm down."
"I'm sorry, I just don't get it, how can you know for 6 months and not tell me? All the times we've sat and talked like this and you didn't even think to mention it to me?"
"Kagome, you have no idea how many times I wanted to tell you. I was just afraid that you would stop living your life because of me and I don't want that."
"I just... I don't want to lose you mom, you and Souta are all the family I have left."
"Well, now you have Kouga and the little one. Don't worry about me, there is still a whole year to find a donor." Her mother smiled and handed her the image back. "Now let's get inside and eat before dinner gets cold."
"Go ahead," Kagome said quietly. "We'll be inside in a few minutes." Her mother nodded and walked back to the house. Kagome's shoulders shook as she sobbed into Kouga's chest. "Why? Why me?"
Kouga ran his hand through her hair. "I'm so sorry. I wish I knew what to say but I don't. All I can say is don't lose hope maybe they'll find a donor in time and everything will be ok."
She laughed bitterly. "Hope? I gave up on hope a long time ago." With that she got up and walked into the house.
--
Inuyasha: You're so mean to poor Kagome.
Angel: Eh, it's what I do best.