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

Laughing Moon

My sweet Hikari,

I can't believe how much you've grown in only a month! You are so beautiful and precious. There has never been a baby more beautiful than you! Oh, and your tiny little ears are so adorable it is all I can do to keep from touching them all the time! Everyone comments on how much hair you have already.

Your father and I have an ongoing battle with putting bows in your hair. I keep putting them in and he keeps taking them out. To be fair, it's because he says YOU keep pulling them out so you must not like them. But they are so adorable in your hair! When you get a little older we will likely have to use bows or hats to hide your ears when we go to visit Grandma. Of course she adores your ears, but in the future (where I came from) people do not usually have ears like yours and your fathers, and we like to keep a low profile. Well, we try at least. It will all make sense when you are older.

Sweetie, there will be times when your father is going to drive you up the wall. He can be very overprotective to the point of smothering at times. But you just have to remind yourself that he does it because he loves you and is worried about you and wants to keep you safe. You may have to remind yourself over and over. And over.

Speaking of when you get older, you are going to go through some changes once a month. They might be a little scary at first, but it is perfect normal. You are probably going to feel confused and maybe angry, but that is perfectly normal. If you have any questions or worries, you can talk to us any time.

We are always here for you.

Your Loving Mama

It was entirely possibly that Inuyasha would not live to see his daughter's one month celebration. She might kill him before the party.

He was sweet. And she loved him. But his over protectiveness was really beginning to get on her nerves. Honestly she never felt better in her life, but he still treated her as if she was going to break apart at any moment. She tried to remind herself that he was a bit freaked out because she had almost died... well, technically she DID die, but she didn't think he really needed to know that just yet. Or ever really. Is not bringing up a subject a lie of sorts?

Kagome took a deep breath and jumped.

Inuyasha and Hikari would be waiting for her on the other side. She smiled at that thought.

This wasn't Hikari's first trip to the future. It was her sixth. Her first trip was a couple of weeks after she was born. It had been a fight to get Inuyasha to let Kagome out of the hut for more than a few yards, even though she was perfectly fine. But that was okay with her. A couple of days after she... er... woke up and Inuyasha was back from his wild goose chase (she reminded herself to thank Sesshomaru again for that, otherwise she'd be confined to the hut for months!) they oh so carefully moved them into their own hut. Inuyasha had built it himself. It was... an interesting hut. But it had been important for him to build it. He had made it to surprise her as a wedding gift.

Their home wasn't IN the village, but it was near it. Near the well. But also quite well hidden. The hut looked much like a tiny one room place from the outside. There was a tiny porch with a free standing porch swing that he must have snuck over from her time. The room inside was quite cozy with a fire pit and windows on every wall. Every wall except for the back wall.

The back wall was actually the side of the mountain. Inuyasha had spent untold hours digging out part of the mountain to create sleeping chambers and a play room. In case of attack, there was a rock that would seal the cave (if you knew which tiny rock to pull to create the chain reaction). When that rock falls, it causes another section of the wall to open into an existing set of tunnels. One tunnel led to an inside hot spring that was vented through holes that reached the top of the mountain so suffocation was not an issue. The other tunnel led to an escape route that would take them to the other side of the mountain. Unlit torches as well as flashlights were at the mouth of the tunnels and at a few spots in between. The tunnels emptied into a place near the river where there was a small boat hidden nearby.

Apparently her husband was taking protecting his family very seriously.

Not only had he thought of all the possible ways they could be killed and how to prevent that from happening, but he also was actually thoughtful enough to bring her things that would make her feel more at home. He had a bookshelf with some of her favorite books, and some picture books for the baby. He brought her a bed, a real bed with a mattress and everything! He brought her hand held game machines with battery packs (he said they were for her, but her brother had gotten him addicted to games too), board games, stuffed animals, and tons of paper and crayons for Shippo.

Thinking about it made her forget why she was so irritated with him.

Oh right, the fact that he was still treating her like she was made out of glass. Unfortunately thinking about her home made her lose her steam and she shrugged it off. He loved her and was just worried. It had practically become her mantra all month long.

The first trip to the future Inuyasha and carried her while she carried Hikari. They didn't jump though. They were concerned that their daughter would not be able to pass. So they went slowly and Shippo came along to make sure that if she didn't pass that he would watch her. Luckily things went off without a hitch. All three passed harmlessly through, Hikari giggled the whole way as if she were being tickled. Her mother had been overjoyed. She was shocked at how well Kagome was, and thrilled. She doted on her daughter and granddaughter and showered them all with love and lots of cookies.

The second trip happened only a couple of days after the first. Her mother had made her promise. She had also made them swear to take pictures at least twice a day every day so she could watch Hikari grow up. The third and fourth trip all happened a few days after they got back from the second trip. They kept forgetting one thing or another at her mother's house. But Kagome suspected it was because her mother was more than happy to take over diaper changing and it was Inuyasha's day to be in charge of that. The stockpile of new flavors of ramen might have something to do with it as well. The fifth trip was just a few days ago when they had run out of diapers. They discovered quickly that they would much rather put up with making frequent trips to the future for the disposable diapers than to keep washing them out. Not to mention the fact that they would have to bring used ones back in trash bags since it wouldn't do for archaeologists to find the remains of 500 year old diapers.

"Took you long enough," complained Inuyasha as he carefully pulled her out of the well.

"Oh hush."

He didn't give up possession of Hikari when they left the well house. By now she knew that he wouldn't give the baby up until they had entered the house. it was kind of cute really. Like he was using her as a shield. See? Look. Cute baby. Don't kill me because I took your daughter from you. Peace?

As always, her mother was at the door with a smile and a camera. It was like they had been gone for months, not days.

Kagome suspected that Inuyasha was more than happy to make trips to the future because he felt that their daughter was safer there. Less chances of being devoured by a stray demon. Though after taking Hikari out for a walk in her stroller, he quickly changed his mind. Any thoughts he had of leaving his mate and pup in the future while he battled in the past went out the window as soon as the first car zoomed by them. The present had its own dangers. Every human male was an enemy out to steal his family, or hurt them. Every female was jealous of Kagome and wanted to do away with her and snatch away their baby. His paranoia could be a little much some times. She had to remember to have a talk with Souta about the kinds of movies he watches with her husband.

"Hi Mama!"

Kagome hugged her mother (who seemed to have gone all out decorating the house for their celebration). She wasn't tooooo insulted at how quickly her mother hugged then let loose so she could pluck little Hikari from her father's arms.

"Hello sweet angel," she cooed to her granddaughter. "Oooh look at my sweet widdle baby! Who's the sweetest baby in the world?"

Well, obviously it was Hikari.

Kagome let her yellow backpack drop by the door. It used to be filled with school books, now it is filled with diapers and wipes. Cute little baby bags did not hold up well in the past. The backpack was just more handy to lug everything around. Strollers were a little impractical as well. Kagome grinned, remembering the school assignment she had forever ago when she and Inuyasha went to go look at baby items and priced them. He had taken it so seriously. Every item they looked at he gave careful consideration of how well it would stand up in the past. Turned out he was right on most of them. Still, the fact that he had been so thoughtful and protective of their baby, even when she was just imaginary, made her feel all warm and gooshy inside and she loved him just that much more.

"What?" asked Inuyasha when he caught her staring at him. Then he caught HOW she was staring at him and his cheeks began to turn pink and he turned away. She wondered if he would ever get over his shyness. It was as adorable as it was sometimes infuriating.

"I would love to babysit for you if you two would like to take a walk or something." Okay, so apparently her mother hadn't missed the staring either.

Too embarrassed to take her up on the offer since she would know why they took her up on the offer, they both hurriedly declined. Kagome shot an irritated look to her husband. She had declined because she was just too embarrassed for her mother to think that they were... well, doing what they would be doing. Problem was, Inuyasha still treated her like she was going to break at any second, so she was lucky to even get a kiss out of him.

Kagome continued to fume about it as they sat and had lunch then the far too elaborate cake for a one month celebration. Or most weddings for that matter. Then Kagome began to plot how to get Inuyasha to pay attention to her in 'that way' after watching romantic comedy movie on the television. As night fell she decided that she would ask her mother to babysit after all. Then take her husband and ... what was that? Someone was gasping. She turned to see her mother staring wide eyed at the sleeping baby.

"Look!" her mother whispered.

Kagome and Inuyasha (who had been watching her with an annoying increasing worry over the course of the day) looked into the crib where Hikari had been resting. She opened her beautiful blue grey eyes. Her face scrunched up in confusing, and her eyes suddenly started shifting. The grey faded to gold, and the blue to brown. They were the color of dark honey. Her hair seemed to shimmer, then the silver disappeared as it was engulfed by black. Her ears were human, and at the sides of her head instead of on top.

Then she began to cry as if her heart was broken.

"Her senses are dulled," Inuyasha explained as Kagome gathered up her daughter in her arms and began to bounce her gently and pat her back. Inuyasha wrapped his arms around the both of them. "She can't see even half as well. Her hearing has faded dramatically. Her nose only captures a fraction of the scents." He spoke softly, gently. "She feels like she has gone nearly blind and deaf. She's scared and feels alone since she can't sense us like she used to. Hold her close, Kagome. Let her smell you."

Kagome held her daughter close, feeling panicked and tried not to cry herself. Inuyasha looked like his heart was breaking. His daughter was scared, and there was nothing he could do.

"I didn't know," her mother whispered, looking at Inuyasha with great sympathy. She touched his head, then went down to the kitchen. Kagome would bet anything that she would be back with ten kinds of ramen and all his favorite treats.

Inuyasha picked her up, baby and all, and walked across the room to the rocking chair. He sat down with Kagome in his lap, and together they rocked their daughter. They took turns telling stories, singing, or humming. Anything to let Hikari know that they were still with her. Her mother did come back in a short time later, with ramen and lots of treats.

Souta had peeked around the corner nervously.

"Can I come in, too?" He came in when Kagome nodded. "Is she okay?"

Kagome didn't know quite how to answer that question. Instead she tried to give her brother a comforting smile. The worried uncle came to brush his niece's hair.

"What happened to her?" He didn't look up to see Inuyasha's wary look. "Come to uncle Souta. That's a good girl. Who's a pretty baby?"

Hikari quieted for a few moments, then began to wail again. Reluctantly Souta returned the little girl to his sister. After a few minutes of nervous pacing, Kagome told him to sit down or leave. So he left. Only to return with his computer. He hooked it up so he could do his homework in the baby's room. Her grandfather came in soon after under the premise that he wanted ramen too, and began telling his own stories.

They took turns holding the baby, assuring her that her family was still there with her. No sooner was she comforted by one family member that she started screaming for another. She was confused and scared, and there was nothing Kagome could do to calm her child. She felt helpless and sick to her stomach. The sound was tearing her up from the inside. When she wasn't holding her daughter, she was being comforted by her mother or by her husband. It was when she held on to Inuyasha that her pain increased. Inuyasha had suffered what their child was going through. But he had been alone. Scared and alone. She began to understand a little better why he protected them so fiercely.

"I love you," she would keep telling him, "And you'll never be alone. Ever."

Inuyasha would pat her head, then hug her back (if no one was looking) before going to fetch his daughter from whoever happened to be holding her at the time. He didn't speak much during the night. Perhaps he couldn't.

"You used to call this the laughing moon," her mother said after Souta and her grandfather had fallen asleep. Her grandfather had gone to bed, but her little brother was camping out curled around his laptop. "You would tilt your head to the side and say that the moon was smiling and laughing."

"It's the waning crescent moon," yawned her brother sleepily. "Looked it up."

Kagome looked down at the tear stained cheeks of her daughter, then at her stressed out mate. "If you tilt your head the other way it's frowning, though." How would she survive this devastation every month? It was breaking her heart. Even now her baby girl was hiccupping with crocodile tears falling. The near hysterical screaming had finally faded (to a quiet whimper, which was almost worse), her own tears had not yet stopped. Too bad Inuyasha's parenting book didn't cover this. She would have taken any advice she could get.

"We will find a way to make it a laughing moon." Her mother got up and kissed her on the head. Then kissed Inuyasha's head as well.

"We'll take you to the movies on those nights," Inuyasha told his daughter as he pat her back and looked lost at her heart broken whimpers. "It's way too loud in there anyhow with hearing like ours. And too smelly. Or maybe those amusement park things. Your human time will be the only time it will be bearable."

"Maybe the mall, too."

"Don't talk crazy talk, Kagome," he said.

"She will love the mall."

"She will not."

"She's a girl! She's born to love a mall!"

"Don't be so stereo... steropic... ster..."

"Stereotypical," supplied Souta sleepily.

"Yeah," Inuyasha snorted, "Don't be so stereotypical. And put that bow down right now!"

"But it matches!"

"She doesn't like it"

"It's so cute!"

"Put it down! Hey! No! Stop it!"

They both turned their heads when Kagome's mother shushed them. She nodded towards the baby, who had finally calmed down and was looking from parent to parent. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief. The silence even had grandpa scurrying into the room looking slightly panicked. But when the fighting stopped and things got quiet, the crying and screaming soon followed.

Never were Kagome and Inuyasha so happy to see the dawn.

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Hey Pup,

Don't forget that your human time of the month is to be kept secret. It can be dangerous if anyone finds this out. You don't have the strength you have as part demon, and your senses are dulled. You will be vulnerable. So don't tell a soul! Except for your mama and me, you can tell us anything.

Oh, and Shippo. It's okay if he knows.

Miroku and Sango too, you can trust them. Kirara knows...your grandma knows, your great grandpa, your uncle Souta... But that's it! No more. Oh, Miroku and Sango's kids will probably know. And Myoga, the demon flea will figure it out.

But that's really it.

Your human part isn't anything to be ashamed of, you know. You just have to protect yourself the best you can. Not that I'll ever let anything hurt you, but it is always smart to be prepared.

Daddy

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Author's Note: I'm sure I had something important to say... but for the life of me I can't remember what. But I did want to thank everyone for your reviews. I do appreciate them very much. You guys really make my day!