Disclaimer: The characters of Inuyasha are owned by Rumiko Takahashi, but this story belongs to me.

Mama Vs Inuyasha

Dear Baby,

You are a very special baby, and will grow up to be a very special person. You are a child not only of a half demon and a miko, but also a child of two worlds. Yeah, it can get kind of complicated. But don't worry, we will tell you the whole story of how we were able to cross time and meet. Technically I crossed time first and met him, but that is a long story.

Most people don't really have to think too much about where their babies will be born. Generally it is the hospital where the doctor they had been seeing sends them. Though some choose to give birth at home with a midwife instead. And there is this really interesting underwater birth thing I heard about. Your father and I have to decide between a hospital and... a midwife of sorts. A miko actually. Kaede. By the time you read this you will know just who Kaede is and why she is important to our family.

But we also have to decide WHEN to have you. No, not scheduling a birth (Though I would appreciate it if you didn't decide to be born in the middle of the night or the wee hours of the morning. Try for late afternoon, sweetie.). Do we have you in the time period I was born in, or the one your father was?

I'm sure that we will be happy no matter where or when we choose.

I love you always,

Mama.

"No."

"Be reasonable, Inuyasha."

"NO."

"You must listen to reason!"

Inuyasha growled. "I AM reasonable, Mrs. Kagome's Mama! The answer is no!"

Usually gentle hands slammed down on the table, making Kagome jump and spilling some of her hot tea on the table. Inuyasha glanced at her briefly, assured himself that the liquid hadn't touched her, then went back to glaring at her mother. She tried to keep from smiling at him for his concern. But the middle of a fight was not the time to start going all gooey. Besides, this was serious. This was going to affect the rest of their lives. And she was being forced to make a horrible decision. Her head started aching and she lost her appetite… which was pretty amazing since these days she was always voraciously hungry. She pushed away the plate of cookies her mother had set before her only moments before the discussion started. Of course, it hadn't taken long for the discussion to turn into arguing.

"She MUST have the baby here!"

"She's having the kid in the village!"

"She'll be in pain! She needs a doctor!"

"I trust Kaede!"

The growl of frustration didn't come from the dog demon. Kagome looked at her mother in surprise. She had never seen her this frustrated and angry before. The only time she had been anything but sweet and serene was just after her father died. Even then it wasn't anything like this! It was like watching one of those wildlife shows where the mama bear is defending her cubs. It was, well, a little scary actually.

"The baby will be safe here!"

This time it was Inuyasha who growled. "I can keep the pup safe!"

Mama clenched her jaw, closed her eyes, and fisted her hands. It was a familiar stance. It was like looking in a mirror actually. It was how she tried to keep her temper from getting away from her and saying something (or doing something) that she might regret. Who knew that she got that from her mother! When she opened her eyes, her mother forced a smile onto her face and hid her hands under the table.

"I know that you are capable of keeping the baby safe," her mother said with her familiar calm. "But there are demons in your era."

"You got a problem with demons?" Inuyasha visibly bristled. Ouch. This wasn't going to be good. "My father was a demon. Shippo is a demon. Kirara is a demon. You got a problem with the demon blood in my veins? The same blood that runs through the baby's blood?"

"Mama isn't saying that demons are..." Kagome stopped talking for a moment, then looked at her mother doubtfully. "You aren't saying all demons are bad are you?" she asked.

Her mother shook her head. "Of course not, Kagome!" She blew out a breath, got up, and poured herself a cup of tea and topped off Kagome's cup. Then she inhaled slowly and looked across the table at them with a serious expression. "I understand that there are good demons and bad demons, just as there are good people and bad people. But the demons in your era are more dangerous than the people here."

"Kidnappers and murderers live in our era, Mama," Kagome reminded her as she blew on her hot tea before taking a sip.

"You have demons that breathe fire and eat people."

"Guns are in our era! Anyone can get one!"

"Demons who breathe fire, Kagome! And eat people."

Kagome shook her finger at her mother. "You can't use the same example twice just by rearranging the words!"

Her mother gave her a real smile that time. Small, but real. For a moment her eyes were warm and soft once more. But only for a moment. With hardened eyes she turned to Inuyasha and gave him her full attention. Then she started playing dirty.

"Have you given any thought to Kagome's safety?"

"What?" exclaimed Kagome and Inuyasha simultaneously. Inuyasha added a few swear words. Somewhere in there could be heard the words "keep Kagome safe" and "rip out the guts of anyone who tries to hurt her" and some other vague threats. None Kagome hadn't heard before, but her mother probably hadn't. Turns out Kagome didn't have to be worried how her mother would take the outburst. The woman was looking downright smug.

"Do you know how many women died in childbirth in the feudal era?"

"MOTHER!"

Ignoring Kagome's cry of protest, the older woman continued. "And what if something were to go wrong with the birth? You don't have the medical technology available to keep a baby alive if it comes too early or there are complications! Kagome came too early. There was so much blood... blood everywhere. We barely got to the hospital in time. I almost lost Kagome when she was born! She was barely bigger than your hand... I don't want to lose my grandbaby because there was no one there to put her in an incubator and keep her lungs working for her!"

"Mama..." Her tone was softer this time. Inuyasha looked horrified. Whether or not it was from the slightly hysterical tirade or from the tears running down her mother's cheeks, she wasn't sure. "Mama... I'm doing fine. The baby is going to be fine."

"You don't know that..."

Kagome stood up and walked around the table to hug her mother. "The baby is growing healthy and strong. You were there when the doctor said so. I'm doing fine too. We're both fine."

Her mother whispered something, but she didn't quite catch it. "Hmmm?"

Her mother pulled back a little way, looking first at her, then Inuyasha. "What if the baby can't cross time? Will you stay on the other side of the well? Will you keep me from ever seeing my grandbaby? I... I couldn't stand that."

What... what if the baby couldn't cross time? The thought hadn't really occurred to her before. Would she actually have to choose one time over another? What if she got a charm like the one for Inuyasha for the baby? Would that work? Or would she really have to leave her family forever? Would she have to decide where and when to live? She had been so accustomed to being able to be in both times that she never really thought about having to give one of them up.

There was no easy answer.

In the present she had her mother, brother, and grandfather. Not to mention her friends. Grocery stores. Bubble baths. Cheeseburgers and fries. There were doctors with antibiotics and cures to diseases. What if something did go wrong in the birth? What if her child never got to go to school? What kind of education would he or she have living in Inuyasha's era? And... and her mother would never get to hold her grandchild. Their family was so small already. Could she really leave her family forever?

In the past she had Sango, Miroku, Kaede, Kirara, Kouga, Ayame... and Shippo. How could she possibly leave Shippo? In the past living conditions for a hanyou may not be ideal, but at least no one would think he was... an oddity. She may joke that he and Souta watch too much science fiction... but what if scientists really did get a hold of him, and their baby? Or what if the tabloids got wind of there being demons? Would they have to live their lives in hiding?

With an aching heart she held her mother even as she knew what her answer was going to be.

They would live in Inuyasha's time.

She couldn't risk his safety.

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"Let's get out of here, Inuyasha."

He let her take his hand and followed her silently to the well. Kagome had been unusually silent following the fight. She tried to hide it, but wasn't very successful. Her lip trembled and she paused at the door of the well house.

"Can… can we go in for a couple minutes? I… forgot something."

"Keh."

She hadn't forgotten anything. Heck, that hadn't brought enough TO forget! But he followed her back into the house anyhow. He watched as she walked up the stairs, then he followed her up to the nursery, the room that they had cleared out themselves. She went inside and closed the door. He stayed in the hall, a little afraid of going in after her. It was easy to tell that she was on the brink of tears. Her mother was in her own room, already crying.

Tears.

How he hated tears.

Listening to them both crying was literally painful. He flattened his ears to his skull in hopes of drowning out the sound a little.

But the sinking feeling in his heart was getting worse. He hadn't thought about the pup not being able to use the well. He had just assumed that it would be possible, since they both could. Though he was still fuzzy on how that was possible.

He looked around the house and felt like the walls were closing in on him. As quietly as he could he slipped out the front door and jumped into a tree nearest to the window of the room Kagome was in. The pup's room. The nursery.

They had worked so hard on that nursery. They had cleared the room of rubbish and scrubbed the walls and floor. He had even helped Kagome's mama to paint it. Kagome had used these things called stencils to add more paint to the walls after it was dry. She had painted trees. It was supposed to have reminded him of his forest. Kagome wasn't a great artist, but he still loved those trees she painted on the walls. Even the carpet stuff on the floor had been replaced to be green, like grass. His mate had been trying to bring a bit of his forest here.

But could he really live in the future? How would he provide for his family? He had no skills that would help him earn the money he would need in this time period. There were no demons to fight. Souta had joked that he could be a crime fighter, but... could someone really be a crime fighter and be able to pay for a house and groceries?

Kagome had given him the speech so many times about how school was important to get a good job to make money to support herself. But he had no schoolin'. He couldn't take care of Kagome in this time. Or the pup.

And to live in such tiny places all the time! He was used to the open forest. He slept in trees for most of his life! Sure he liked being in Kagome's time... for awhile. But he would be driven insane living here for long. Usually only a couple of days were all he could take before he was itching to get back to the other side of the well.

He heard Kagome sniffle.

His mother had died when he was so young. How could he ask Kagome to leave her mother... her family? But, how could he stand living in such tiny boxes?

Kagome...

He remembered when Sango gave birth. He remembered how much pain she was in, and how much blood there was. He remembered how terrified Miroku had been that Sango and the babies wouldn't make it. Inuyasha felt sick. He couldn't survive if Kagome died in childbirth.

His heart felt tight as he looked through the window at Kagome and the forest she painted, and he said goodbye to his own forest.

They would live in Kagome's time.

He couldn't risk her safety.

Hey Kid,

Don't you dare hurt your mama when you come out!

I mean it.

Just try to be careful. Okay?

Your Pop (Inuyasha)

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Author's Note:

Thank you all for your wonderful reviews. Some of you really know how to encourage a person, so thank you.

For all those who want to know if the baby will be a boy or a girl... well... you might have to wait a chapter or two longer. If I told I'd just spoil the surprise! And don't we all just love surprises?

In my head (and a sketchy outline on the computer) there is a story behind how Ayame and Kouga ended up together. If there is interest in it I will work on it once the current stories are finished, or closer to finished. If not, then I'll keep it in my pile of stories to get around to one day.