My Girl

by Foayasha

Disclaimer: The epic of Inuyasha, while wonderful, does not belong to me. Thus I cannot, and do not, claim to own any of the characters in this short story... oh man, I wish I could take credit for the Big Bad Wolf.

ShagsTheDustmop tytytytyty

I skimmed this last night, so I could post a bit earlier today ^_^

My Girl Chpt 9 - Name of Mother

Kagome kissed Aimi on the forehead, while she rest peacefully in her bed. She had spent the entire afternoon playing with Shiori and Shippo at the park, and was exhausted. Her mother didn't mind though, considering it would finally give her the time to file all of the paperwork she received earlier from Hojo's estate attorney.

Settling down on the floor with a stack of paperwork, she started sifting through the mess. Occasionally she would find an item that was interesting, so she would pause in her sorting, and skim it. The file that she was given was hefty, but at least organized, so she was able to separate the contents into her own filing system pretty easily.

The task was fairly bland, and before she knew it she was day dreaming about a certain silver haired school teacher. Her smile was wistful as she remembered the perfect birthday he had given her with her daughter. Even with the troubles she had faced, she felt like the luckiest girl alive, maybe she should buy a lottery ticket.

He hadn't called her in several days, was it more like a week? She didn't want to pressure him; he had done such a nice job with Aimi and the party, and was so considerate. He had even confessed that he loved spending time with her. She sighed happily remembering how he had also said her and Aimi were both wonderful, and he enjoyed spending time with both of them.

Oh, bliss.

Maybe she should call him, see what he was doing? Since she hadn't seen him in awhile, she was feeling a sort of withdrawl... but then she reminded herself that guys don't like clingy girls. She could wait until he was ready to see her again. She assumed that was why it was taking so long for him to call her again.

Her happy smile faltered for a moment. Maybe he hasn't called because she had scared him away? Was she too forward about Aimi? Maybe she shouldn't have pressured him into saying how he felt about both of them, as a pair. She just wanted to be sure, she thought before nibbling a nervous lip.

Maybe he was avoiding her? Maybe he thought she was too pushy, or too emotional? Shaking her head, she dismissed the notion. He was happy, he told her so himself. Although, after dinner began that night he had be less talkative; he acted like he had something else on his mind.

Damn it. Why did she have to have doubts? They never did her any good, she should just relax. Inuyasha was a mature adult; he wouldn't have lied to her about how he felt about Aimi and her. He said he enjoyed their company, and that was that. Nodding her head, she focused back on her chore.

The pile was almost completely sorted, and now she was looking at some photocopies from Aimi's adoption. No big deal, she had seen them all before. That is what she thought - until one document in particular held her interest for more than a moment.

The page was a simple small rectangle; she actually had the original in her possession, stored in a safety deposit box. It had only a few detailed items printed on it, and at one time she had read it carefully, practically memorized its lines. 'Practically' being the key term here, sometime over the past five years she had forgotten the specific details.

[~~~]

Certificate of Birth

This is to certify that the following is an extract from the registration on file within the Vital Statics Agency concerning the birth of:

Name: Aimi Itou
Name of Father: John Doe
Name of Mother: Kikyo Itou

[~~~]

She stared in awe of the document for an extended period of time. She remembered the first meeting with Inuyasha, the feeling of familiarity she had when he mentioned the name Kikyo. How could she have totally forgotten that it was Aimi's natural mother's name?

That meant… that… means…

Kagomes dainty fingers rose to her mouth to swallow a gasp, shock overwhelming her. How could she have been so blind?

Inuyasha… Inu…

She's from an Inu line, like my own…

How was it possible?

Her scent is a dead give away…

Had he known?

Adoption is practically forbidden…

How would he react?

If I were to have any pups, they would look like Aimi does…

Tears had begun to form in her eyes.

I don't know what it is about that girl…

Were they happy tears?

Probably the Inu in her…

Or were they sad tears?

I can't help but want to be there…

What was she going to do?

for her…

After staring at the papers for a while, endless thoughts fueling her hesitation, she finally broke out of her shock. She attempted to reign in her fears and think about the situation rationally.

Inuyasha was her daughter's natural father. He had made that stupid comment about 'coitus', and how it doesn't mean he had selected a mate. That also means he could have been sleeping around, fathering bastard children.

Oh Gods, he was an idiot. It was entirely possible that he could have fathered a child and been unaware if Kikyo neglected to tell him. Aimi, his daughter.

Her doubts returned with the force of a mack truck, causing her to whimper quietly. Why hadn't he called after their little party? Maybe he had lied, and this was his way of letting her know that he really wasn't comfortable?

She really didn't want to think that; ever since they had begun dating, it was like she had died and gone to heaven. Each day was filled with joy for her, and she found happiness around every corner. Nothing could bring her down. But now for the first time in weeks, she felt apprehension, fear and despair.

What if he really didn't want to be a part of Aimi's life? Should she tell him what she had just discovered? Of course, it was only the right thing to do; the poor man had no idea that he even had a child. She bolstered her nerves, and picked up the phone to call him.

Her fingers hesitated on the receiver. He hadn't called her, and it was nearly a week later. Maybe he really didn't want to see her. She felt the painful sting of tears filling in her eyes, surprisingly more painful than the tears she shed when Hojo said she was leaving her. Could she really go through with this?

Inuyasha had a right to know, if he didn't already know. Did he? He would have told her if he had realized. How could he have kept a secret like that from her? No, if he knew, he would have told her for sure.

She had to call him, tell him what she discovered, and deal with it from that point. It wasn't a matter of the two of them dating or not. He had a right to know that her daughter was also his daughter.

His natural daughter. A life that he helped create. He helped create Aimi's life. For some reason, that made her care for him even more.

With a heavy hearted sigh, she pressed the final number to dial his home and waited for him to receive on the other end.

"Hello, Kagome?," he said as he answered the phone.

"Inuyasha, hi, how are you?" she mumbled, feeling foolish for even including such pleasantries.

"I'm fine, how about you?" he sounded apprehensive as well. That wasn't boding well for her.

"I'm alright. I was just going through some paperwork, and I thought I should let you know something I discovered," she began slowly. She really shouldn't be doing this over the phone, she just realized. When she found out, she felt like she should tell him right away. That was the right thing to do, right?

"Oh, some of your paperwork concerns me, huh?" he replied. She could tell he was trying to make a joke, but at the same time he still sounded like he was scared. Could it be possible that he already knew something? No, no… I must sound nervous too, it's just rubbing off on him.

"Yes, it concerns you, and," she paused for moment, and then with her last breath she whispered the name of her daughter.

"Aimi? Alright… Uh.. er, hmm..." there he goes again, being nervous. Why is he nervous? Please Inuyasha, don't be nervous… it only made her think that…

"Yes, I found her birth certificate today," she said. His silence caused the fear within her to contort into a vicious anger, building with the force of a typhoon. "Her mother, her name was Kikyo. Kikyo Itou. Your ex-girlfriend. And since you were so positive that she was Inu, but have yet to locate a dog who –"

"Just stop Kagome, you sound upset," he said calmly. However, he didn't continue. What was he playing at?

"Inuyasha? You need to hear this because I think that –" she began, but her heart tore in half when he cut her off.

"You're right… I already know, I think I am Aimi's father."

No… he knew, but…

"So you did know," she groaned, her throat constricting her breath. Tears started to stream down her cheeks, pooling upon the photocopy of the document in question.

"You knew," she whispered, despair her only companion. "You knew… but you didn't tell me? How could you?"

"Kagome, I wanted to tell you, but –" he began, sounding exasperated.

"But what? You're too much of a coward to own up to your own responsibilities? What is it, Inuyasha? Were you lying to me when you said you cared for both me and Aimi?" she started to yell. He started to fumble for his words but she cut him off again, anger seeping into every pour in her body. "Tell me, Inuyasha, did you think it was okay to be with a woman who had a child because as long as it isn't yours you can walk away at any moment? What kind of game do you think this is? Is it acceptable to trifle with the feelings of a mortal, because I won't be around longer than a heartbeat in your eyes?"

Her tears and sobs were clouding her judgment as she yelled at him through the receiver on the phone, "I can't believe this, Inuyasha. I finally learn about my daughter, but then her father turns out to be a selfish, arrogant, childish little boy."

"Kagome, that isn't fair," she heard one of his urgings. "Please let me explain, Kagome! Don't do this!"

"Don't do what, Inuyasha? Give you what you want?" she spat, "That's fine with me, if you aren't sure you're capable of being with me, when you know that Aimi is your daughter, then I know I'm NOT capable of being with you. I don't want her to be hurt by such selfishness."

Her heart was furious, but her mind was telling her she was over reacting, but before she knew it, she had slammed the phone back down to the ground, effectively hanging up on the hanyou.

He didn't return her call. She wanted him too, but it never came.

[:::]

Beep beep beep…

Inuyasha blankly stared at the receiver which he held in front of his face (since he didn't really need to hold it to his ears). The dial tone punctuated each pounding beat of his heart; a red river of blood, methodically flowing, forcing the misery deeper into his gut.

What had just happened?

Did he really need an answer? He knew what happened; his mind had suggested he keep the secret of his daughter's birth from her adopted mother. In other words, he had done something idiotic – again!

Damn it, how could he have been so stupid? Pacing the hall, his loud footsteps reverberating within the hallow walls. He clinched the forelocks of loose hair, tugging at his head dramatically. He had made some stupid, rash, idiotic choices in his life, but not telling Kagome… that really made the top of the list.

He moaned sadly thinking about the destruction he was causing to her heart. She had screamed her head off at him; the blame she threw in his face was harsh and he deserved every word. She hadn't heard any of his pleas; all he wanted was for her to listen to him. He wanted her to see and understand his confusion. His heart was hurting as well and her venomous jeering had poured acid on an open wound. If only she had found out a week earlier, he wouldn't have been in this mess. If only he had told her when he found out…

His splintering heart was aching in his chest as he made up his mind. Wallowing in his self-pity was no longer an option. Not that he had really been doing so, but anyone who could see his house at this moment would come to that conclusion. It was a wreck.

He rushed into the living room, narrowly avoiding the past weeks mess. Strewn about the floor were small piles of unwashed discarded clothing. Every counter, table, shelve, or any other flat surface was adorned with an assortment of ramen cups, disposable ninja food containers and wrappers. His school crates had been knocked over during the weekend, and he refused to set the mess to rights. The television was playing an infomercial for some Made for TV product that he wasn't interested in. The ladies voice only a numbing distraction for the real issues he was avoiding. There wasn't a single item in its rightful place in the living room which made him scowl at the work he would need to do when he returned home.

He carefully maneuvered through the obstacle course, which was his living room, and found the kitchen. He quickly poured a cup of coffee, and collected his keys off the dining table. His coat was found carelessly draped over a lamp on his way out of the house, tugging it on while he gulped down half his coffee, and locking the entry.

After hoping in his car he groaned at his current state of dress, only wearing a pair of worn sweat pants, and a plain white t-shirt. He was relieved beyond imagining when he realized that the shirt was void of stains. His hair, which wasn't normally kept anyways, was teased into knots, but he ran his clawed hands through it while pulling out of the drive. Once he approved of his styling job, he realized he probably over looked the most important detail.

Carefully sniffing the area around him, he tested the air to catch his own scent. It was notoriously difficult to be able to smell your own scent, considering it was an ever present odor. However, on this occasion, he didn't have any issue picking up the foul smell he was current wearing. Well, he hadn't showered for at least two days, and had been in his own filthy house. It wasn't really a surprise.

Opening the glove compartment, he found a bottle of old cologne, which he normally refused to wear, but opted for Kagome's benefit over his own sensitive nose. The light spritz that filled the compartment of his car, and essentially his upper body felt refreshing. The pungent odor, on the other hand, was rank in his opinion. He eyed the bottle, and remembered that it was a purchase that Rin had gotten him for a gift, Christmas or something, a year or so ago. Hopefully the girl hadn't just sabotaged his chances. Well, worse than he had already done himself.

He pulled to the first stop light, and glowered at the red LED which was keeping him from Kagome. The woman had a right to know, and understand everything that he had come to terms with this past week. It seemed like minutes before the damn thing turned green, watching all of the other cars allowed passing through the intersection except his!

Finally, before he got out the car to dismantle the blasted contraption, it blinked to green, and his mind eased a bit. He couldn't handle this, if he didn't get to Kagome's house, and quick, he was going to go insane.

He growled low at himself, hating what he had done to the woman. It was only a week before he made a vow to never allow anyone to hurt her. Then here he had to hurt her worse than anyone before. She sounded so shattered, but in the beginning she was hopeful. He could tell that she had suspicions, but that she was hoping beyond hope that they were false. That he hadn't kept that important information from her. It was as bad as lying to her face. She hoped that he hadn't betrayed her trust.

But he had.

He was going to fix this; he was going to make it right. No matter what, losing her was unacceptable. She was the mother of his daughter, damn it, he was going to be there for her. Either way, even if after this she still pushed him away, he would still be there for her and Aimi. He was going to make sure the woman never doubted that he cared for her. That he cared for her daughter. His daughter.

He gulped deep in his throat. That exact thought is how this problem all started. Kagome needed to understand that he was just blow away by the possibility of being Aimi's father. He loved Aimi, even when he wanted to deny it, he could tell there was something about her; there was more than just a pack association between them. He knew that she was… a part of him. He just didn't want to accept it. Reality and logic had by passed his very instincts. He was a fool.

He didn't have time to think about it anymore, because before he knew it he had pulled into her driveway and rushed to her door.

[:::]

When she heard the doorbell ring, she felt her nerves tense. She knew who it was; did she want to answer it?

Little did she know, outside Inuyasha was fretting on the same issue. Would Kagome open the door? He so desperately wanted to comfort her, assure her, but he couldn't do it until she let him in; in more ways than one.

"Kagome," he called out to her from the porch. She slumped next to the wall of her foyer, and cried a little more. "Please, Kagome, let me in. I know you're upset, but you don't need to be."

She scoffed at his words, what did he mean she didn't need to be? Didn't she just prove that she did need to be upset? He didn't want his own daughter, damn it.

Inuyasha stood impatiently outside of her house, trying his best to not tear the door directly off the hinges.

"Kagome, I don't know how much longer I can sit out here before I start ripping down the door. I would rather not destroy your door…" he said, really believing is own words. Ruining her door wasn't really a good way to get on her good side again. His youkai was going into a fit, firstly at wanting to be with Kagome, and secondly to see Aimi again.

He had almost lost that battle when he heard her unlock the deadlock, and the main doorknob lock. Slowly she opened it, and he was welcomed to her puffy eyed face. He didn't waste a moment of rushing to gather her in a tight embrace, which she tried to fight off, but eventually calmed.

"Kagome, please, calm down," he coaxed. "You're just misunderstanding the situation. You don't need to be upset; I still care about both of you."

"Then why?" she whimpered into his chest, "Why didn't you tell me when you realized? How long have you known? The whole time?"

"No, I just learned," he whispered into her ear, still attempting to sooth her sobbing. He ushered her into the house, and closed the door. Taking her into the living room, he sat her on the couch, and kneeled before her legs looking deep into her bloodshot eyes. They were still beautiful, he noticed.

"Why, please tell me. Why did you feel like you couldn't tell me?" she pleaded, focusing desperately on her lap.

Glad that she was willing to talk with her, he hurried his explanation.

"Kagome, I'm so sorry that I hurt you, I really had no idea you were going to figure it out on your own," he winced when she gave him a glare. Maybe that wasn't the best way to start.

"Great, so you learned, and you were just going to keep it from me?" she huffed, how could he be such an idiot? Really, first he calms her, and now here he was, pissing her off again.

"No, I was just so shocked to learn that I was a dad. I mean… You adopted Aimi, you wanted Aimi. Even though I think Aimi is great, I hadn't been expecting to learn that she was my daughter. I just needed time to process everything. I had intended on telling you, I promise.

"I just didn't know how to say it. I was worried," he said, as he mused about his own running imagination. "I just thought you might be upset, to learn that I was her father. I mean, I'm a youkai, and I couldn't even tell she was my own. How could you ever want someone as stupid as that to be the father of your precious daughter? It's pretty insulting really. I wasn't sure what you would think if you learned. I was scared that when you learned the truth... it would end everything between us. That you would let me be her father, but that you wouldn't want to be with me anymore. I don't know Kagome; I was just scared, just like you are now."

Her breathing slowed down, and she finally met his eyes, "Really? You still want to be with us?"

"Of course! Aimi is my daughter. I want to be a part of her life, I always have, since the day I met her. I just didn't know a way to say it before without sounding like a complete perv," he smiled at her. She chuckled in response, the mood lightening slightly.

"And what about me," she ventured, with all the hope she could muster.

"Kagome, I want to keep what we have. I want more than what we have," he urged. "Please don't tell me that you want to give up because of the stupid things I do. I know I do some really idiotic things, but I'm willing to do anything to make it up to you. Kagome, I really like you. I don't want to let you go."

"You're in like with me?" she said hopefully. "You mean, you like like me?"

He chuckled, and leaned in and gave her a gentle tingling kiss. When they broke apart he whispered on her lips, "Yes, Kagome, I like like you."

She smiled brightly, and nodded as she threw her arms around his neck, "I like like you too."

"YES!" the two adults looked up to see Aimi peeking over from the corner of the hallway.

"Aimi! How long have you been awake," Kagome flushed, trying to gather herself together.

"Since Daddy threatened to break our door," she giggled, but finished with a gasp, "just like in The Three Little Pigs!"

Inuyasha flushed at her words. In that moment he felt like someone from above had just walked up and given him a swift kick in the ass.

"And just how long have you known that Aimi?" he said, wondering if he really was a stupid as he felt.

"Since the day you fell out of the tree at the park," she said with an innocent smile. "You just didn't know it yet, so I couldn't say anything until you figured it out too."

Reaching out her arm, Kagome welcomed the girl to her lap, and she rushed to join them. The three shared an embrace, and a contented sigh was felt around the world. Inuyasha took in the scent of the woman he was sure one day would become his mate, and the scent of his daughter.

Kagome sighed into his shoulder, and kissed him on the neck. Things were well and happy now that her daughter could now grow up as a normal child; one with a mother and father. Even if things didn't work out between Inuyasha and her, he would be there for Aimi as a father, just like she would always be her mother.

Aimi was just satisfied that with all her hard work, soon her Daddy and Mommy would get married. Then when she was all grown up, she could get married to Shippo.

[~A:|:N~]

4168

Vocab Time!

I want to do vocab, but really... this chapter didn't need any. So... no homework students.

Alright, so this is the final main chapter of My Girl. I had a lot of fun writing it, and I am so glad that it was positively recepted, even though we can all agree that Inuyasha is pretty dumb. If you didn't catch it at the end, I think it may have been a little vague, little Aimi knew that Inuyasha was her Daddy from the get go. So... that sneaky little girl just worked her magic on him ^_^

If you didn't notice, I am still mid-decision on which story I'll post up next [1] or [2] from my profile. I'd love to know what everyone thinks.

Thanks all for the love you gave, it has been awesome!

-foa

Epilogue coming soon...