Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or any of its characters.
So here we go. Month 2 of our pregnancy. I would have it be known that I personally have never been pregnant. I'm doing research to get the entire month by month feel down for mommy dearest but it's better if it comes from real people. So if you guys could do me a favor, if you've ever been pregnant write something you experienced that's not exactly textbook. I also need info on doctor visits and what happened during them. Your help would be much appreciated! Thanks a lot before hand.
Now, this chapter, I'm sorry to say, is not dedicated to my readers this time. This chapter is solely for Baby-B-Doggie-ear-lover911-5! It's her birthday and as a present, she requested this chapter be updated!! I have no problems with this, thought I'll probably be late because a month takes time to type'-.-....Anyway!!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY and enjoy this chapter because it is just. For. YOU!!!:D---Smiley face!!!
Month 2
Kagome hummed to herself as she arranged the pretty pink orchids in a vase. Inuyasha had given them to her as a conception present. She had laughed but taken them and was even now putting them in her and Inuyasha's room.
"Nice." Sango smiled looking at the dazzling pink plant. "He got you those just for getting pregnant?" Sango was leaning against the wall watching over Kagome protectively.
"Yeah. And this ring." Kagome held up the ruby set in silver on her right ring finger. "He's so happy. He was whistling as he went off to work this morning."
"Most guys run whimpering, your guy buys you jewels and flowers." Sango rolled her eyes.
"Speaking of guys..." Kagome said nonchalantly while moving a flower just slightly.
"No. No. And no." Sango said flatly.
"I didn't say anything!" Kagome laughed standing up and walking over to her friend.
"You were about to tell me I should at least speak with him.No!" Sango slouched grumpily.
"Come on, Sango." Kagome patted her shoulder. "He's not that bad. He's very sweet. He was even raised in a monastary. He has to have learned some good lessons there."
"I said no. When will that guy give up?" Sango pushed herself off the wall and left the room, mumbling darkly the whole way.
Kagome rolled her eyes and followed her.
"He really wants to see you again." Kagome continued talking over Sango's grumbling. "You should have heard him talking about you."
"No, thank you." Sango gripped walking down the large staircase.
Kagome followed with a special smile on her face and a particular twinkle in her eyes. Sango ignored her and marched into the dining room where Tatsiki was setting down the empty plates for their lunch. "Hey, girls." he winked at them.
"Tatsiki. Tell Kagome that when a guy asks you to 'bare his child' what he means is 'let me in your pants'!" Sango said stopping in front of him.
He chuckled. "Oh, no! I'm not getting into this one." He shook his head and left the way they had entered.
Sango threw up her hands and stomped into the kitchen. "Max! Jiji!"
Kagome still followed, smiling benevolently.
"Max! You're on my side, right?" Sango asked knowing they could easily hear her when she was in the dining room.
"Uh..." the pastry chef froze. "I think I left something in the oven!" He dashed out through a side door.
"That only works when the oven isn't in the room!" Sango cried after him.
Jiji chuckled and Sango ran to his side where he was wiping off a counter. "Your with me here, right?"
"Nope." he said happily.
Sango groaned in frustration. "Why is no one on my side!?"
"Because they're all taking bets and you lose all your money if you get involved." Kagome said jumping up onto her favorite spot on the counter.
"Bets?" Sango repeated dangerously. "What bets!?"
Jiji whistled and followed after Max with Sango grounding her teeth behind him.
"Just listen to what he said." Kagome said with the infinite patience of one who took care of children all day.
"Kagome. The guy's a freak!" Sango said as if her friend were slow.
"He is not." Kagome said. "He's a good guy who just wants to get to know you."
"We said-what?-a total of three sentences to each other apiece?" Sango sunk to the floor. "Then I smacked him upside the face. Smacked him! No sane man would want to get close to you after that."
Kagome smiled at her from her superior position.
Sango glared stubbornly with her knees up to her chest and her chin on her arms.
She sighed. "Okay. What did he say?"
Kagome leaned forward and spoke softly, "He said that you were beautiful and that any woman who could put that much strength behind a single slap was not only worth knowing, but worth cherishing."
Sango couldn't think of a reply.
"Yes!" Kagome threw her hands up in victory with a large smile on her face.
Myoga sighed and lowered his head in shame. "What kind of world is it when a smart man of years like me is beaten by such a young woman in a game of strategy?"
Kagome laughed and Tatsiki laughed.
"Here, love." he said giving her the water she had requested. "Maybe you should retire, old man."
Myoga glared at him. "How dare you speak to your elders that way?" Tatsiki laughed teasingly as Kagome's cell phone went off.
Kagome crawled over to the coffee table where it rested.
"Hello?" she answered. "Guys hush!" she called pointlessly behind her.
"Hey, sweetie!"
"Mom!" Kagome sat up happily.
"Old geezer!"
"Whippersnapper!"
"Dust bag!"
"Little boy!"
"Guys!" Kagome called at them as they yelled playfully at each other.
"Are you busy, huney?"
"No." Kagome plugged her free ear. "The guys are just goofing off."
"Oh, Inuyasha?"
"No, uh," Kagome giggled at the thought of Inuyasha acting like that, "no he's at work."
"Well, I wanted to call you. I haven't heard from you in a while."
"Yeah, sorry." Kagome said ashamed as she climbed to her feet and left the room as mahjong pieces started flying.
"So I guess you took Inuyasha's proposal?"
Kagome nodded and said, "Yeah. I guess I did." She leaned against the wall in the empty front hall as the shouts echoed from the living room.
"So, how is it going?"
"I'm pregnant!" Kagome squealed.
Her mother squealed with her. "Oh, baby, that's great! I'm so happy for you!"
"As soon as we have our first sonogram I'll bring you a picture." Kagome told her as a stray mahjong piece flew into the room and clicked softly across the floor.
"That's wonderful. I can't wait to see my little grandbaby!" she coo'ed.
Kagome laughed. "Yeah. I'm so nervous." Kagome placed a hand over her baby. "It seems so unreal."
"Well it's only been a month, darling. Give it some time. I could hardly breath when I found out I was pregnant with you."
"What happened?" Kagome asked interested.
"Oh, well...Me and your father didn't plan on having you. We were still getting used to being married. You had time to prepare and a chance to choose. I went to the doctor, I was worried because I was tired all the time and I was nauseous. I just couldn't believe it when he said I was pregnant. I was even close to denying the sonogram he used to try to convince me. I didn't really believe until I felt you kick for the first time. That moment was magic, when it finally hit me that there was a little person growing inside me. The wonder that I was creating a precious little life. I made your father feel you and how excited he was before it was nothing compared to how he was afterwards."
"Oh, yeah?" Kagome smiled, picturing it all very easily in her mind.
"Your brother we did plan for though. Even then the magic was overwhelming."
"I can't wait." Kagome smiled.
"I was thinking, sweetie, would you mind if I came to visit?"
"That sounds great, mom!" Kagome was suddenly excited about talking to a woman who had been pregnant before. She gave her directions and hung up with a smile on her face.
"You dried up prune!"
"You muscle bound meathead!"
"Hah! You're just jealous!"
"Of what? There ain't nothing to be jelous of!"
Kagome sighed and shook her head and walked back in to break the children apart.
"Thank you, doctor." Kagome said and hung up the phone. "Well that's it. My sonogram is set for the 15th!"
"Yahoo!" Tatsiki and the others cheered.
"Miss?" Myoga walked in the room.
"Yeah?" Kagome smiled at him.
"Master Inuyasha called and said he will be working late tonight" he bowed slightly to her.
Kagome sighed. "Aww. Oh, well. I guess it can't be helped. Did he say why?"
"A meeting with the board of directors." Myoga said. "I heard you say your sonogram is scheduled?"
Kagome nodded her smile returning. "I'm excited. Inuyasha said he was going to be there..." She trailed off her voice sounding unsure.
Myoga patted her shoulder. "He will be. This child means just as much to him as it does to you. He's going to want to be there for everything."
Kagome nodded at his reassurance. "Oh, Myoga, my mom said she was coming by today."
He nodded. "Oh good, a chance to show her how high you've climbed. Shall I put on the whole, 'butler trick' make her gasp in awe?"
Kagome laughed and hugged him. "You're sweet. "
It was around noon when Kagome was watching The Wizard of Oz, an old classic favorite of hers. The Lollipop Guild had just started their song when the door opened.
"Huh?" Kagome got up and walked into the front hall. "Inuyasha!"
"Hey." he kissed her.
"What are you doing home? Myoga said you were working late." Kagome asked taking his briefcase and coat from him.
"I was but the meeting was canceled. Then my other appointments were canceled," he said making his way into the empty kitchen, "and I soon found myself with nothing to do, which is very odd. It probably wont last long and I'll probably be swamped tomorrow, but I decided to come home."
Kagome smiled and set his stuff on the counter as he took a covered bowl out of the giant refrigerator. "Mmm. Curry."
"Want me to heat it up?" Kagome asked.
"Nah. I can work the microwave." he pushed the bowl into the box and turned it on. "Do you know how much fighting it took to get that put in here?"
Kagome laughed. "I can imagine."
Inuyasha walked over to her and put his hands on the counter behind her, caging her in his arms. "I wanted to see you."
She smiled and blushed.
"I can't get you out of my head." he spoke as if he was talking to himself and he was looking at her curiously with his head tilted.
"That's good. I am going to be the mother of your child." Kagome tilted her head up to his.
Inuyasha bit his lip and looked down at her stomach. A grain of rice. He had looked it up today on his computer. A baby in there no bigger than a grain of rice. The thought of it was awe inspiring.
Inuyasha smirked at her and, with a sudden ferocity, started kissing her with the same sense of desperation that a starving man would a buffet. Kagome gasped but couldn't do anything but hold onto his shirt as he drove her wild.
Without pause, Inuyasha thrust his hand up her shirt and pulled it up to reveal her breasts wrapped in their lacy undergarment.
He grunted in satisfaction as he pulled it down and fondled them lovingly.
Kagome threw back her head and cried out. Inuyasha took that moment to begin kissing the taut pink nipples that had peaked at his touch.
"Oh, my!"
They both turned at the small cry.
"Mom!" Kagome cried and covered her chest.
"Aw, sis. Gross!" a 17 year-old Souta said from behind his mother covering his eyes.
"Well, this is awkward." Her grandfather said in his cracking voice while scratching his head.
Kagome turned around with a scream and began adjusting her bra to recover her breasts.
"We'll just wait in the other room, shall we?" her mother said turning and walking out.
There was a moment of strained silence between the two lovers.
Inuyasha drew his hands through his hair, "One hell of a first impression."
"Did you forget we were coming, darling?" her mother asked when she walked back in the room.
"No. Inuyasha got home early and..." her face went bright red.
Inuyasha, whose face was also glowing, reach a hand forward. "Sorry for the uh...um..."
Her mother laughed and clasped his hand. "Don't worry about it." She said. "I'm fully aware of the process that makes babies. Call me Midori." Nothing fazed her mother, Kagome had to admit. Behind her, Souta gagged.
"Come on, Souta." Gramps said. "You do that like you aren't fully aware of the process by which you were concieved. Your mother and father had..."
"Ah!" Souta covered his ears. "Thanks but no thanks Gramps!"
Kagome and her mom chuckled.
"But Souta..."
"No-o!" He shook his head. "Me and Sis were created in cabbage patches!"
"Well, that's just rediculous. The only way you could be concieved is if your mother and father had..."
"Gramps!" Kagome called out this time. "I prefer to go with Souta's thinking, thanks all the same."
"What?" Gramps asked cluelessly.
Myoga suddenly appeared at Inuyasha's side. "Sir, Kagome's family has come to visit and offer their congratulations."
"I noticed, funnily enough." Inuyasha said still not able to look any of them in the eye. "Um..Welcome, I suppose." he chuckled nervously. "I guess I should have introduced myself sooner, considering the circumstances..." he trailed off not quite sure what to say.
"Let me take a look at you." Gramps walked forward and grabbed Inuyasha's chin. Hepulled him down to his level and turned his face right and left.
"Gramps." Kagome said about to stop him but he released Inuyasha.
"Well, you look alright." but he stilled eyes him with distrust.
"Oh, he's fine, daddy." Midori patted her father on his shoulder and took Inuyasha's arm. "So, you're the owner of Tetsuaiga Inc. correct?"
"Yes. Yes, I am." he nodded as Midori led him out of the dinning room and into the living room.
Souta followed with his hands behind his head murmuring some thing about being scarred for life with Kagome and Gramps following him.
"I'll just bring some tea." Myoga walked off with his eyes shinning with mirth.
"Well, that was embarrassing." Kagome said after closing the front door behind her family.
"Should have stayed at work." Inuyasha agreed.
It had taken Souta approximately 10 seconds to find the game room after the start of the house tour, and approximately an hour to get him out of it when it was time to go. Midori had laughed every thing off, assured every one that every thing was fine, and had made Inuyasha fall in love with her. Gramps had eyed him distrustfully all night grumbling once or twice about how in his day blah blah blah...
"Well, you can't say it wasn't a lasting first impression." Kagome laughed weakly and made her way to the living room.
"How about, next time you warn me? Huh?" he asked following her.
"You were going to be at work, what was to warn?" she asked sitting on the couch.
Inuyasha laughed weakly. He sat down next to her, they both knew nothing was going to happen tonight. The mood was officially killed
"Well, I suppose you can meet my family next." he said making her laugh. "We can arrange to be half-way there on the sofa this time. My mother will squeal, my father will puff out his chest with pride, my brother will get all haughty and some how make it sound like he's better than me at it."
Kagome laughed and leaned against his side. "Let's make it on the floor."
"Hey, Inuyasha." Kagome said watching him from her position on the bed.
"Yeah?" he said absently while buttoning his shirt. He was getting ready for work and Kagome liked to stay up and watch him and talk to him.
Right now she was naked with only a sheet covering her body leaning against the headboard.
"I was thinking about the other day, when you talked about meeting your family."
"Yeah, what about it?" he asked sitting next to her while her put on his socks and shoes.
Kagome crawled over and began kissing his neck. "Well, I was thinking, that maybe I should meet your family. After all, it will be their grandchild too."
He turned to her. "That sounds like a good idea. I'll call them later." He kissed her nose and stood up. "Have anything special planned for today?"
Kagome shook her head. "I'm kind of tired. I think I'll sleep in."
"No work today?"
"Nope.
"All right. Good night." he leaned over her when she had lain back down and lingered over their kiss good-bye. "I'll see you when I get home."
"Bye." Kagome said checking out his ass as he left.
Happy, and sleepy, she rolled over and went back to sleep.
She woke up to her cell phone going off. Groggy, she reached over and patted the bedside table a couple times before finally getting her hands on it.
"Hello?" she answered, still sleepy.
"Kagome, you're not still asleep are you?"
she smiled at Miroku's familiar voice. "It's still morning silly."
"Kagome, it's noon."
She opened her eyes and looked at the clock. "Wow. I don't remember sleeping that much since high school."
"I heard pregnant ladies get sleepy." he said.
"Yeah. So what did you call for?" she scratched her neck.
"I wanted to ask about Sango."
Kagome smiled at his dedication. "I'm working on her."
"I was wondering, can I have her number?"
"Swear it's not from me?"
"Of course!"
Kagome repeated it to him and hung up. Then she groaned and dropped back on her pillow. "I don't wanna get up!"
"Hello?" Sango answered her phone from her modest apartment.
"Sango?"
"This is her."
"It's me. Miroku."
Sango cried in frustration. "What are you, some kind of stalker? How did you get this number any way?"
"I have my sources."
Sango growled. "Oh, I'm going to kill her." She hung up and ignored the next call.
But when her message box was blinking, she couldn't help but listen.
"I wanted you to know that for some reason I can't stop thinking about you. I admit the way I did things was wrong and I want to chance to redeem myself. I normally have much more tact and I want you to know, that even though being in your pants would be...amazing. I had no intention of making you think I was a pervert. Just wanted to know if we can hang out some time, not even a date, a outing between friends. And just so you know, I'm rich"
Sango gapped at the phone like a beached fish. "Rich? Did he just..." She growled and called him back.
"Hello?" he said innocently.
"Rich? Really? What kind of girl do you take me for that you think I'll go out with you because you're rich!"
"I didn't actually. I just knew saying that would get you to call me back. And it worked."
Sango heard the self satisfaction in his voice and hung up wishing she could slam down the phone.
"Ah, look who has returned to the land of the living." Tatsiki said as Kagome descended the steps.
Kagome smiled. "Yeah. I fell kind of naseaus though."
"That's normal, sweetie." He kissed her forehead. "Feel like throwing up yet?"
"Not yet. I think I can hold that back for a while yet."
"Good." he wrapped and arm around her and walked her down to the kitchen. "Let's go get you some crackers."
Inuyasha rubbed his eyes and punched the button on his desk that connected him to his secretary. "Call my father for me, would you Hijiki?"
"Sure thing, sir." her happy voice said back.
He leaned back and stretched.
"Son?"
"Dad."
"What do you need?"
"I was calling to tell you about my search for a mother."
His father laughed. "Get your ass kicked?"
"No, actually her sonogram is scheduled in a week."
There was a surprised silence during which he knew his father was exchanging a surprised look with his wife. "Really? That's interesting."
"Yeah. Her name's Kagome. She said she wanted to meet my family." he started going through one of the files on his desk.
"Well, that's great dear." his mother said and he knew he was on speaker. "We'll fly up in a week."
"How are the Bahamas?"
"Fabulous." His mother said and he could see the stars in her pretty eyes. "I'm having a wonderful time. So is your father."
"Retirement is good." he agreed.
"You said it." his father laughed. "Especially when one can retire young enough to enjoy it."
"Your 60." Inuyasha pointed out.
"Inuyasha!" his mother cried.
"Not you mom. I know you're only-what was it?-23?"
She laughed and his father said, "Hey! What am I, a dirty old man?"
"Thank you, sweetie." His mother said.
"A wise man always remembers a woman's birthday, but never remembers her age." he said back philosophically.
"We'll be up in a week to meet the girl." his father abruptly changed the subject.
"What's she like, dear?"
Inuyasha leaned back in his leather chair and smiled softly. "She's the best. Smart, funny, pretty, she gets along well with every one, and she loves kids."
"Ooh." his mother said. "Sounds like you really like her?" There was some thing odd about the way she said it that made Inuyasha raise an eyebrow.
"Sure. She's awesome."
"Well, we'll meet her in a week." his father said. "See you then, son."
"Bye sweetie."
"Bye." Inuyasha scratched his head. "What was with that question?"
"A week?" Kagome repeated."
Inuyasha nodded. They were eating dinner. "I guess they want to see the sonogram picture."
"From the Bahamas? Wow. I've always wanted to go there." she said.
"I'll take you some day." he promised spooning soup into his mouth. It was Myoga's special brew and Myoga had figured that he might as well make enough for two. At least Inuyasha's stomach wouldn't be a problem.
"Really?" Kagome asked her eyes brightening. "Thanks!"
He shrugged and smiled at her. "Excited to meet my folks?"
Kagome nodded. "Definitely. Excited to see our baby?"
"You know it."
Kagome took a deep breath and tried not to be impatient. The doctor would be here soon.
Inuyasha sensed her impatience and squeezed her hand. "Don't worry."
"I'm not worrying." Kagome said. "I'm just excited. I want to see it."
Inuyasha nodded in agreement as the doctor rolled a machine with a TV monitor on it into their room.
"Hello." he said happily.
"Hi." Kagome said.
"Ready to see your little one?" he asked with a kind smile that Kagome took and immediate liking to.
"You bet." Inuyasha said.
"Lift up your shirt, mommy." he winked at her.
Kagome was nearly giddy with excitement as she did what she was told.
"This will be cold." he warned before pouring the clear jell on her stomach.
Kagome jumped slightly as the cold but otherwise was fine.
He lifted the little thing that almost looked like a scanner at a store and said, "Let's take a look."
He touched it to her skin and moved the jell around, his eyes on the screen and his tongue between his teeth as, every so often, he would look down and click a key on the keyboard.
"An-n-nd. There you are. Say hi to mommy and daddy, little one." he froze the picture and turned it to them.
They both inhaled at the sight.
A small round, black, oblong circle with a smaller white sphere inside of it was frozen on the screen.
"Oh, Inuyasha. There it is." Kagome said hardly believing that was inside her.
Inuyasha was enraptured by the screen and didn't notice.
The doctor started pointing out the various features of the very simple picture but Kagome couldn't hear him.
Her eyes and heart were glued to the tiny white sphere.
A baby. Her baby. So small, not even shaped yet and yet...
It was hers. So tiny and so perfect. Flawless. She was sure Inuyasha was asking the doctor a question but she couldn't hear them, she was deaf. Blind and deaf to all but that little creature she was creating.
One part Kagome.
One part Inuyasha.
Completely itself.
Kagome reached out a hand as if to touch it but the doctor turned off the screen.
She made a small sound of protest and he chuckled.
"Don't worry, mommy. I'll get you a copy made." he promised and wheeled the machine back out.
"Inuyasha, did you see it?" she asked stupidly but she was still in awe.
"I did. He didn't look like much yet but..." Inuyasha exhaled with a big smile on his face.
Kagome wiped off her stomach the the paper towels she hadn't noticed the doctor had placed on her stomach and pulled her shirt back down.
Then she stared at her stomach. So small and yet so powerful.
A couple minutes later he walked back in with a small photo of her beautiful little circle.
Kagome took it and stared at it as if she would devour the picture.
"Another month and we get another picture." Kagome said still looking at her little fetus.
Actually, Inuyasha wasn't even sure it was a fetus yet. It still looked like a dot to him. "I can't wait." he said. Maybe this one will be more human shaped.
"Inuyasha? What do you want? Be honest!" Kagome asked suddenly.
He looked at her in surprise. They were in his car being driven back home by his driver, a young kid who worked when he wasn't at school as he was paying for college with this job and his friend took over the other times for the same reason.
"What do I want?" he repeated a little confused. "Human, preferably. Why, do you have some thing else in mind?"
"Haha." she said dryly. "No. I mean do you want a boy or girl?"
"Why, do you make to order?" he asked laughing.
"I just want to know." Kagome said trying not to smile.
He leaned over and kissed her cheek. "When a man gets a miracle, he doesn't demand how it comes, he takes it and thanks the gods."
"No avoiding. What do you want?" Kagome pressed, determined not to be deterred.
"I'm not falling for that." he said sitting back. "I'm not expressing interest either way just to have it be born the opposite and you think I am dissapointed."
"So you dohave a preference!" Kagome said.
"Of course. Human, like I said."
Kagome rolled her eyes and let the subject drop.
"Mom!" Inuyasha said in surprise after opening his front door.
"Inuyasha!" she ran into his arms.
"Hey, my boy." Inutaisho walked out of the living room. "What took you so long? Your mother hasn't shut up about 'where's my baby?'"
"Dad." Inuyasha said his voice warm.
"Oh, is this her?" Izayoi spotted Kagome.
Inuyasha nodded and held out his hand to her. Kagome smiled and took it and he pulled her to his side. "Mom, Dad, this is Kagome Higurashi. Kagome, this is my mom, Izayoi, and my dad, Inutaisho."
"Hello, Mr. And Mrs. Takahashi." Kagome bowed her head formally not knowing how they would perceive her. After all, she was getting paid to have Inuyasha's child.
"Dear, don't be so formal." Izayoi wrapped her gently in her arms in a hug that reminded Kagome of her own mother. "You're family now."
"Yes, I finally have a daughter, kind of." Inutaisho hugged her after his wife in an embrace that wasn't familiar to her. Kagome's father had died when she was young so she didn't have any memories of a father's embrace. But she supposed her own would have given her the same sense of protection and security. "And a grandchild on the way as well."
"Why am I not surprised you had a kid before your brother?" Izayoi asked Inuyasha.
"Where is Sesshomaru?" Inuyasha asked back.
"Traveling." Izayoi said. "Business. That hotel chain of his is doing wonderful."
"Hotel chain?" Kagome asked from inside Inutaisho's large arm that he had kept around her.
"Didn't Inuyasha tell you?" Inutiasho asked. "His elder brother Sesshomaru own a chain of very fine five star hotels. Perhaps you've heard of it? Tensaiga."
"Wow." Kagome said her mouth opening. "He owns that hotel?" Tensaiga hotels were favorites of movie stars and foreign diplomats. They were fabulous and luxurious and Kagome had always thought that staying in one would make her feel like a princess.
Inuyasha shrugged in indifference but his parents glowed with pride.
"I didn't know you had a brother." she said.
"Half brother." Inuyasha corrected.
His father laughed. "Yes, you should be very familiar with the process in which he was born. I did the same thing Inuyasha is doing now."
"A surrogate?" Kagome said in surprise.
He nodded. "That was before I met my precious Izayoi." He finally released Kagome to hold his wife and the look in his eyes made Kagome want to sigh. Such a beautiful, blazing love for the woman and her eyes were full of stars as she looked back. "Sesshomaru was intended to inherit my business but decided he wanted to run hotels instead, so Inuyasha got it."
"Well, what are we doing in this drafty hall." Izayoi asked suddenly breaking the eye contact with her husband. "Let's have some tea in the blue sitting room, it was always my favorite. Myoga!"
The old man instantly appeared. "Yes, Madam?" he said much more formal to the elder Takahashis.
"Bring us some of that tea I brought back from the Bahamas. It's fabulous."
"At once, Madam." he bowed and disappeared into the dinning room.
Kagome laughed as Izayoi caressed her belly. "Oh, it's the most fabulous thing ever, dear." she promised. "You're going to want to put lotion on your belly now, it avoids stretch marks."
"Oh, yeah?" Kagome looked at her flat stomach.
"What are they doing?" Inuyasha asked his father from across the rooms.
Inutiasho watched as Izayoi created a circle around her belly with her hands and Kagome nodded with her eyes wide.
"Talking about the pregnancy I would assume." he said as Izayoi did the same circular motion but to Kagome's belly.
"Wow, I'm going to be that be that big?" Kagome asked thinking abouther ruined figure.
Izayoi nodded. "It gets to the point where you think you are going to pop. You'll miss the sight of your feet, you'll wander around in flip flops because anything else is too hard to put on, walking will be a pain in the butt, and you'll have to pee every ten seconds."
Kagmoe took a deep breath and shook her head. "Wow."
Izayoi patted her hand. "Don't worry dear, the end result is well worth it. The moment you hold your tiny little baby in your arms and see him looking up at you for the first time," Kagome could tell Izayoi was no longer seeing her, but the past when she had held Inuyasha for the first time, "every thing else just melts away and those nine months or so were more than worth it."
Kagome smiled and tried to picture her baby. A little girl with Inuyasha's eyes or a tiny boy with her nose. The image in her head was pure magic.
"Now what are they doing?" Inutiasho asked this time as both girls looked into the distance with dreamy smiles on their faces.
"Who knows?" Inuyasha shrugged. "We got our sonogram today."
"Oh yeah?" Inutaisho took a drink of tea.
"Yeah. Cute little circle I suppose. Kagome was more impressed than me."
"I understand." Inutaisho nodded. "You're excited but it really hasn't hit yet, huh?"
"I guess." Inuyasha sighed.
"It's normal. I promise. Your mother told me she was pregnant and I was blown away. I took all the steps, saw every sonogram and watched it grow each month, but it wasn't until that first kick..." he sighed at the memory and took another drink. "Your mom came waddling in the kitchen, her face just glowing, saying she felt the baby move. She grabbed my hand and put it to her belly." He shrugged. "At first, nothing happened and I thought maybe it was just gas she felt but then...you kicked." he chuckled. "It was a mean little get-the-hell-off-my-stomach kick, too. At that moment...I don't know. Things just clicked and suddenly you were real to me."
Inuyasha looked deeply into his mostly untouched tea. "Maybe that's all I'm waiting for too."
"Wow." Sango looked at the circle in the light of the daycare center. "That's all it is, really?"
Kagome nodded. "Isn't it perfect?"
"Perfectly circular." Sango said handing back the photo. "I'm not trying to be mean." she said seeing Kagome's crestfallen face. "I'm just in a bitchy mood. Miroku wont stop calling me and speaking of which; I have a bone to pick with you."
"Whatever about?" Kagome asked too innocently.
"You gave that man my phone number! How could you? You know I don't want to talk to him." she said trying not to sound too mad. Some of the kids here cried just by hearing some one being mad.
"I have no idea what you are talking about, however, if I did I would say: I think you two are a good couple. I don't know, some thing just clicked when I saw you two together. Why don't you give him a shot, huh?" Kagome put her precious picture in her purse. "He's a really good guy. He sent me conception flowers, too. A huge bouquet of roses and a personalized card. That's probably because hallmark doesn't make 'happy conception' cards. but still..."
Sango shook her head and crossed her arms stubbornly. "He calls me every day. Leaves me a long message. He doesn't even care that I never call him back. I don't know why he doesn't just give up, the relationship would never last."
"You don't know that. Isn't that why we get into relationships in the first place? To see if they last?" Kagome said echoing Sango's earlier words.
Sango laughed and shook her head. "I hate you."
"I love you, too." Kagome smiled.
Sango sat her groceries on the counter and picked up her phone, knowing what she would find.
She sighed at the 1 missed call sign and called the voice-mail.
"You have one new message." The recording said. "Press 1 to..."
Sango cut it off by pressing one. She began putting up her groceries.
"New message from 555-4572. Recieved: March 18th, 2009." There was a slight pause them Miroku's voice filled her ear. "Hello, beautiful. How was your day? Mine was fine. That insurance fraud case went well, I won. Insurance company is going to have to pay through the ass now. I was walking down the street earlier, going to my car, when I saw this necklace. It reminded me of you for some reason. Strong and vital, yet beautiful and vibrant. I couldn't help myself, I bought it. I hope one day I get to see you in it. Hope the rest of your day goes well. Bye."
Sango couldn't help but smile. "He bought a necklace for a girl that can't stand him." She had to stop and laugh for some reason. The entire thing was just too funny.
"Bye!" Kagome waved off Inuyasha's parents. They had stayed with the couple for a while, the entire time Izayoi tried to impart as much pregnancy knowledge as possible, but now they were heading back to their vacation. This time to the Alps.
"I like them." she told Inuyasha.
"You seemed to get along with my mom great." Inuyasha agreed.
Kagome nodded enthusiastically. "She was great and your father was amazing."
"Yeah. They're great. But honestly," Inuyasha pulled Kagome into his arms, "I've missed having you to myself."
Kagome laughed as he was already pulling her shirt up. "Desperate much?"
"You know it." he growled and slammed her against the door.
"This is boring." Kagome whispered to him.
Inuyasha nodded. "I don't know why I come to these things."
She nodded and tried to keep her eyes open.
Just as Inuyasha had thrown a party to collect business, so had another business tycoon. This man was an art seller. He collected and traded various pieces of rare and expensive art. Statues, paintings, sculptures, and the modern art Kagome was so confused by all passed through his hands to other collectors.
They were in an art gallery now, looking at the various paintings and trying not to snicker at some of the things they saw but were otherwise just bored.
"Isn't there anything else to do?" Kagome asked.
"We could go neck in the garden." he winked at her and Kagome felt her body begin to heat up.
"Isn't there anything non-sexual we can do?" she corrected herself with a smile.
Inuyasha shrugged. "Yeah, necking would be bad because I know some hot-shot old business owner would see us and get offended."
Kagome laughed and moved them into the glass vase room.
"Inuyasha?"
They both turned at a voice.
"Kikyo." Inuyasha said surprised a big smiled appearing.
"How are you?" she asked and they hugged each other in a way Kagome would have described as very rich and formal.
"Wonderful. I thought you went to America." Inuyasha nearly accused.
"We did but daddy decided to send me back to work with the company here in Japan. He said it would give me good business experience."
Kagome eyed the new girl with a sudden and unexplainable surge of jealousy. Unlike Kagome's black dress, she wore an elegant business suit in peach. It had nice slacks and a pristine white shirt under the jacket. Her hair, which was longer than even Inuyasha's, was pulled back and flowed down her back in a perfectly straight line. She had a dazzling smile and skin Kagome found herself envying. Standing next to her, Kagome felt like a grungy child next to a super model.
"Who's this?" Kikyo asked noticing Kagome.
"Oh." Inuyasha came back to himself. "Kikyo this is Kagome. Kagome, this is an old friend of mine, Kikyo Onee. We went to college together."
"Hello." Kikyo stuck out her hand and Kagome shook it, smiling despite her desire to throw the woman into a fountain and break her perfect manicure.
"How do you do." she smiled with a lot of effort.
Inuyasha stole Kikyo's attention back to him. "So what have you been doing? How long are you back in town?"
"I've been here about a week. Not that long. I've been busy or I would have contacted you. It's hard to change management at a company."
Kagome took this moment to bow out gracefully before she acted on the impulse to shove some thing hot and sharp in her big, brown doe eyes.
She shook her head. No. She wasn't going to think bad thoughts. She knew what this was when she got into the relationship. She was only the one baring his child, nothing more. So they kept the relationship going even though she was already pregnant, so what? It was like a friends with benefits kind of deal. He was aloud to see other woman just as she could see other men.
She walked over to the buffet table laden with rich and bite-sized goodies.
They weren't seeing each other, they even had a contract for their relationship, there was nothing wrong with him getting back with his college girlfriend.
Kagome stopped and looked at the various pieces of food, most of which was on crackers. The she got a whiff of some thing, she wasn't sure what it was but she suspected it was fish, either way it made her nauseous. She fought the urge to gag and backed away from the table.
Right. She was pregnant. She was going to feel sick and certain foods were going to gross her out now.
This wasn't fair.
Inuyasha could see whoever he wanted but as soon as Kagome started to show no man would want her any more. Plus her figure would be ruined and it would be a miracle if she could avoid stretch marks.
She sighed in defeat and decided to go look at the weird modern art again. Most of those artists claimed they were angry and stuff when they made them, maybe Kagome would find a piece she sympathized with.
Kagome sighed and decided those artists were right, no one understood them, especially not if those pieces were a reflection of their inner soul or whatever. Kagome spent three hours turning her head this way and that trying to decipher those weird lumps of twisted metal but couldn't even tell the top from the bottom.
Strangely enough, people actually bought the weird things then bragged about their purchases.
Kagome had shook and her and decided people with money made no sense to her.
Even through all of that though, she hadn't seen neither hide nor hair of Inuyasha since she left him with Kikyo. The building wasn't that large, finding her wouldn't have been hard if he wanted to. That's how Kagome found herself in the back of a taxi after the party was over. She hadn't found him either and she didn't want to be the last person left, so she grabbed a cab.
"Keep the change." Kagome told the wierd looking driver while tossing a couple twenties to him.
"There you are!" Inuyasha came down the steps his jacket off and his hair messed up. "I've been looking every where for you, where have you been?"
"Traffic." Kagome said walking past him. "A taxi driver just doesn't have the same magic your drivers do."
"I meant at the gallery. I tried to find you." he followed her in and the locked the door.
"Guess you didn't look hard enough." Kagome shrugged and leaned against a wall so she could take off her heels.
"Are you okay?" He asked noticing her grumpiness as he rubbed her arms.
"Tired." she said and moved out of his embrace to walk upstairs.
"Is she having mood swings already?" he asked after she had turned the corner.
"No, sir." Myoga appeared at his side. "I do believe that is just a woman who is tired. You did take off before she did."
"I thought she had already left." he protested. "Some one said they saw her looking ill by the buffet and they said she must have gone home sick."
"She's pregnant, sir." Myoga pointed out. "Foods will make her sick some times."
"This is some how my fault, huh?"
"Most definitely, sir." Myoga nodded.
Inuyasha shook his head and followed after her.
Kagome was busy spreading cocoa butter on her stomach and thighs and hips and every other part of her body she could reach when Inuyasha walked in the room.
She heard him knock on the bathroom door. "Kagome? You okay?"
"Fine." Kagome said deciding to put the cocoa butter on her breasts as well. She knew those grew during pregnancy.
"I'm not stupid Kagome, fine in females in never good." he said.
"I'm alright." she said instead putting the lid back on the bottle.
"I'm sorry I left. Some one had said you left feeling sick and I came back to make sure you were okay. I went crazy when you weren't here." he called through the door.
There was a moment of silence then Kagome came out wrapped in a silk bathrobe. "Really?"
"Of course." he cupped her face in his hands and kissed her gently. "I never would have left you there alone. What kind of father would I be, leaving the mother of my child to walk or catch a cab home in the dark?"
Kagome smiled gently. "I thought you left without me."
"Never." he promised and kissed her again. He dropped his hands and pulled her back with him to the bed.
This time, there was no frenzied rush. No hurry to get their clothes off.
Instead, there was a sweet and smoldering flame, a gentle pleasure that washed over her like water, irresistible yet caressing.
He trailed his fingers over her skin as he gently removed the robe.
Kagome took in a deep breath, not a gasp, but still an inhalation from the sweet pleasure it brought.
She threw his shirt off him them trailed her fingers over his chest, memorizing the feel of skin that was very familiar to her.
His lips trailed over her neck and chest, sampling, tasting, enjoying the sweet honey of her flesh.
When he entered her, it was slow and simple. A meeting of skin and bodies that knew each other well yet were so very new. There was no quick and hurried climb, no race to the finish.
He took her slowly and instead of shouts, there were sighs, instead of moans, sweet words.
And for all of that, the peak was even more pleasurable than before.
Kagome lay, wrapped in the warm cocoon of his arms, her eyes closed and her breathing calm. The morning sunshine was gentle on her face and the birds were singing gently.
That was the first time they had made love.
They had had sex before. Hot, sweaty, and rough but they had never had that slow, sweet climb together.
She turned her head and saw his sleeping face.
Sundays were the best because they could sleep in together. And Inuyasha was literally sleeping but Kagome didn't mind. She liked looking at his face while he slept. It was unguarded and peaceful.
She smiled and moved a strand of his hair out of his face. It always got messy and tangled while he slept.
Suddenly, with no trigger that she could define, she felt sick.
With a cry, she threw off the blanket and lept from the bed.
"Wha...?" Inuyasha lifted his head as Kagome ran into the bathroom. "Woh!" he jumped out after her and reached her in time to hold her hair back as she threw up into the toilet.
"Morning sickness." He said as she gagged twice more before lifting her head.
"Ugh...Gross." her eyes had watered up and she moved over to the sink to rinse out her mouth and brush her teeth.
"You okay?" he asked rubbing her back.
She nodded as she brought water to her mouth, swished a few times, then spit it out. "I could have lived without that." she groaned.
He stood by her as she brushed her teeth and rinsed her mouth again.
"Better?"
Kagome nodded and let him lead her back into the room.
"Myoga!" Inuyasha called as he laid her back down.
"Yes, sir?" the old man opened the door.
"Get Kagome some crackers, would you?" Inuyasha asked tucking her in.
"Yes, sir."
"I'm fine." Kagome said as he checked her over nervously.
"Yeah, this is a perfectly natural process." He agreed but he was still making sure she was comfortable.
A minute later, Myoga returned with crackers and some of his soup.
"Lady." he said putting the tray on her lap.
"Thanks for going through this trouble." she smiled up at him.
"No trouble at all." he smiled and left.
She took a sip of the soup and immediately, like magic, her stomach calmed. She sighed and smiled. "Oh, that's good."
"Are you sure you're okay?" Inuyasha asked sitting next to her.
Kagome nodded. "I'm fine." she promised and nibbled on a cracker.
"Huh." Sango said at Kagome's tale. "Morning sickness already?"
Kagome nodded.
They were at Sango's, they had been watching TV but they had both forgotten it in their excitement at being able to talk outside of work.
"That's got to suck." she shook her head. Normally during TV or movie day, one of them would have popped popcorn but it had made Kagome's stomach a little iffy so Sango had canceled that idea and had ordered Chinese instead.
That, Kagome wolfed down.
They sat quietly for a while, each thinking their own thoughts, when Sango said, quite suddenly.
"I'm going out with Miroku."
"What?" Kaogme sat up a smile forming on her face. "Really?"
"Not out with." Sango said blushing. "Not a date either, I just agreed to hang out."
"When?" Kagome asked.
Sango smiled. "It was yesterday. He had left his normal message and..."
Flashback
"...want you to know how much I think of you. Hope to see you soon. Later."
Sango sighed and hung up.
She sat on her couch and thought it over in her mind.
After about five minutes she picked up her phone and found the contact labeled 'Stalker'.
Before she lost her nerve, she hit talk and waited for the phone to ring.
"Sango?" his voice was surprised.
"Not a date. Just to hang out. No touching, no flirting, no stupid questions about baring my child. We're going to see a movie, nothing else. Got it?"
"Yes! Yes!" Miroku said triumphantly. "I agree. I got it! I can't wait."
Sango rolled her eyes but couldn't help but smile.
Normal
"He's so cute." Kagome said thinking about how cute a couple they would be. "I can't believe you called him a stalker."
"He is a stalker." Sango said. "I'm only doing this because you're right about the relationship thing. Well, technically I was right, so I'm just following my own advice."
Kagome frowned and bit her lip.
"What? Feeling sick again?"
"No, it's not that. It's just..."
"Uh-oh. That silence isn't good." Sango said turning her body to face her friend fully on the couch. "What happened?"
"Well, we were at that art gallery, right? He ran into a girl he knows."
"Definitely not good."
"She's so...damn perfect."
"Shit, you cussed. This is bad."
"You should have seen the way he looked at her, Sango." Kagome said ignoring her comments. "It was like he loved her or some thing."
Sango grabbed her friends hand. "True, I didn't see the way he looked at her, but I did see the way he looked at you. "
"It wasn't the same." Kagome shook her head. "I know we're not, you know...together, but..."
Sango nodded. "He's the father of your child."
"I want him to be more than that." she protested. "I want to look at him and know he's mine, just mine."
"Well, you still have 7 months left in the pregnancy. Then 18 years after that, approximately. Who knows what will happen in that time?"
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