A/N: 2nd post today because I've just been that prolific and 'cause I couldn't bear not to share some hope with you after last chapter. Happy number 60, everyone!

On with the show…

…

Chapter 60

On the way home from the doctor's office, Kagome and Sesshoumaru were quiet, lost in their own thoughts; they found each other's hands every time he finished shifting gears. They had just left the highway and turned on to the main road when something flew through the air into the street and a child ran out after it. Sesshoumaru slammed on the brakes and narrowly avoided missing the young girl, who couldn't have been more than four and turned to look at him with large, terrified, brilliantly blue eyes. She was hauntingly familiar and Sesshoumaru instantly realized who she looked like with her mass of unruly black curls, pouty lips and fair skin. She stayed frozen in the lane until Kagome hurriedly unlatched her seatbelt and got out of the car to see if she was alright. Spooked, the girl took off, heading for a large, gated building, clutching her doll to her chest.

Kagome looked at Sesshoumaru helplessly and he shouted, "Get in!" When she was in and buckled up, they turned into the drive and hurriedly made their way to the building. The sign over the gate read "Morningside Orphanage." He pulled into a spot near the door and before he even had the car in park, Kagome was out and running for the entrance of the dark, stone building. He quickly followed her and they found the Headmistress's office.

Kagome was overly emotional and loud in her explanation of what had just happened, but the Headmistress was able to piece together the relevant parts. It was easy to guess which child they were talking about, but finding her to make sure she was alright would be problematic until mealtime as she liked to hide but was always hungry so never missed a meal. She was able to surmise what had happened as well. Children could be horrible little bullies and did not take well to what was different, and that little girl was most definitely different. She assured the couple that if the girl hadn't been struck and had run all the way back here, she was clearly well, but they insisted on staying until they found her and spoke with her.

"Well, that is an issue, I'm afraid. The girl does not speak."

"She is mute?" Sesshoumaru asked.

"No, indeed. Rather, she has suffered a trauma and now refuses to talk. She has been here a month and the social workers have been unable to reach her. The first thing you'll notice about her is those eyes of hers, so full of pain and betrayal. She will not let anyone touch her after what happened and the other children are not kind to what they do not understand, no matter how we try to teach them otherwise."

Kagome knew, knew the moment she had seen the girl's eyes, but needed to ask, "What did he do to her?"

The Headmistress didn't notice that Kagome seemed to know who had hurt the girl, instead replying, "Her father liked to drink, they police said. Her mother was a battered woman and cowed to him in his violent rages. One night, he got very drunk and got bored hitting his wife, so he starting kicking his daughter. He broke her ribs, damaged her kidneys, even knocked out her front teeth. When he was done, he told his wife to come over on the couch and have sex with him. Apparently he never bothered shielding the child from such activities. She refused, so he grabbed his broken daughter from the floor and raped her instead. His wife, insane from the repeated abuse and afraid of his reprisal, let him."

Kagome had tears streaming down her face and looked to her mate. When he nodded, she demanded through the lump in her throat, "We want to adopt her."

"My dear, I'm afraid she's unadoptable at this time. I'm sorry."

"Why not?! She's just as good as anyone else!" she said indignantly. Sesshoumaru stood and stepped behind her chair, pulling her shoulders back against him and lending her his strength.

"I can see the story has upset you, but you must understand, it is not a question of her worth, but of her sanity and health. By law, we cannot allow an unstable child to be adopted. Think what could happen if she turns out to be more than her new parents can handle and they return her, how much further she will be traumatized if she thinks she is unworthy of love. Rin is a very special girl, but she nearly died and now needs intensive therapy before she can have any hope of adoption."

"What she needs is love."

"And I assure you she will get that one day, but not until she is healthy. Until then we do what we can for her."

Kagome turned and looked up at Sesshoumaru with her pain-filled eyes and he knew if anyone knew what the little girl needed, it was his mate. "Are the children allowed visitors?" he asked.

"Well, it really doesn't happen, but I don't see why not as long as the visits are supervised and cause no detriment to their emotional well-being."

"If we cannot adopt her, we would like to come to visit her, to be her friends, since it sounds like she does not have any," he said.

"I will admit I harbor the same doubts as I would an adoption for such a venture. If she throws a tantrum or never opens up to speak, you may stop coming and further injure her." She looked into Kagome's wounded, desperately pleading eyes and experienced a chill at the similarities to the child in question. The demoness in front of her was the very image of the girl grown. Perhaps she was looking at a kindred spirit, someone who shared the girl's pain. Maybe the gods had arranged for them to find the girl? They certainly seemed sincere enough, and the look of determination in the male's eyes…she dared not question it. "Alright, I'll agree to supervised visitation on a trial basis. Any time after breakfast and before supper. The child is not currently attending classes as she can't seem to focus on the lessons anyway. She sees the court-appointed social worker every day before lunch for an hour, so that time is reserved. Now, if that sounds acceptable, perhaps you would like to meet the girl first?"

She extended Kagome a box of tissues, which she took whole and proceeded to dry her eyes and face and blow her nose. After several moments, she had composed herself and handed the box back to the woman. They all stood, and, after finding a waste can, the couple followed the Headmistress in search of the child.

…..

Sesshoumaru sent out a wave of youki to summon his father as soon as they made it to the garage. He was going to get answers. They entered and removed their shoes before finding Toga and Inuyasha in the den. Izayoi and Shiori were in the kitchen making dinner.

"So she wants me to tell you about her? That is very much like her. She never could deal with people's reactions. Come get settled and I'll tell you of Inari Ōkami," Toga said.

"Kami?" Inuyasha and Kagome said at once.

"She is a goddess?" Kagome asked, eyes wide.

"It is true, then?" Sesshoumaru asked.

"Oh, yes, it's true. Dr. Inari Nensei is not named after the goddess of fertility; she is the goddess of fertility. But it is a closely guarded secret, you must understand. Only her office staff and myself knew until now. She called and bid me tell you because she has a thing about coming out about herself, mostly to do with not enjoying groveling."

"How is it that you come to be in a goddess's debt, Father?" Sesshoumaru asked.

"In 1468, during the Ōnin War, her greatest shrine, at Fushimi in the West, was burned to the ground. There was no interest in rebuilding as money was scarce at the time and many were starving. They felt Inari-sama had turned her back on them."

"My own birth was because of her aid. My parents had trouble conceiving and went to her for assistance. She blessed them and four months later, delivered me from my dam. She warned them that I would be their only child, but they were too grateful to care. So you see, when her shrine in my own territory, a much celebrated pilgrimage site and known for its festivals honoring her, was destroyed, I knew I had to rebuild it. It took 30 years, but we made it even better and it remains a landmark to this day. Because of my faith in her and my gratitude and devotion that caused me to rebuild her shrine, she blessed me with her own undying gratitude."

Inuyasha just had to ask, "So why don't you have litters of pups and for that matter why did your one die in childbirth? Where was her gratitude then?"

"Inuyasha!" Kagome hissed. "It doesn't work like that and you should know better. You cannot question the will of the gods or fate."

"Besides, son, I would not have had you if my one had lived," Toga added.

"Or I could have been full blooded and had a real relationship with my brother and not gotten picked on to hell by everything that breathes," he griped.

"Yasha, your mate is hanyou. Have you thought of that? And your struggles with Sesshoumaru, while unpleasant, caused him to have the revelation that brought him to his full power. Besides, if you were well adjusted, you wouldn't have latched on to me and I might never have introduced you to your mate or met my own. Trust me, I'm the last person that likes the whole "everything happens for a reason" deal because some of us don't just get the short end of the stick, we get beat with it, but you could go mad just thinking of everything that would change if you changed one thing in a timeline," Kagome insisted.

Sesshoumaru had been lost in his own thoughts and came to a realization. "Father, if she is a goddess, what does that make her kit?"

"Oh, Shippou-sama? He's a demigod. He was created from her tears. Ages ago, she cried tears of loneliness and they fell to the leaf-covered ground. From under the leaves arose an infant kit and she has cared for him ever since."

"Father, the kit blessed Kagome."

"My gods…"

"What does that mean?" Kagome asked.

"Child, Shippou-sama is the undergod of fertility. His mother has other priorities as you know, namely rice, agriculture, foxes, industry and worldly success, but his sole focus is fertility. He may yet be a child, but he has the full powers of a god. Tell me, what inspired this blessing?"

"Well…" She looked to her mate. "Was I wrong in thinking they knew us from before?"

"Hn. It is a safe assumption that the goddess and her kit knew our former selves."

"OK, so first, he knew me, almost called me 'Chitose,' and then when I healed the little bump on his head, he hugged my tummy and said, 'Bless you.'"

To his son he asked, "When is her next fertile time?"

"If she remains on a human cycle, November 5th, but the goddess said she will be changing over to a youkai heat cycle in the next year."

"Better make sure to ravish her good that week, then," Inuyasha interjected.

"Indeed," Sesshoumaru said, looking to his mate who echoed the hope in his eyes.

…..