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Chapter 22: Realization
The night had been a long one as the four of them stayed in Kouga and Tamako's chambers. The only one that got any real sleep was Tamako, though, as the other three were on edge and alert. Her bandages had to be changed at least once, which Kagome had done skillfully.
She'd only woken up in small breaks, muttering random things or yelping and whining in pain. In which, Inuyasha soothed her back to sleep. He almost refused to let anyone else take the duty. And, sometimes Inuyasha would even glare at Kouga or the other wolves who tried to come near her. He was being protective. She was his pup, and she was hurt. His baser instincts, even though dulled being in his human state, were still there. Protect his pup. Thats all he could think about.
As the sun began to leak through the small openings of windows of the den, she stirred again against her fathers chest, still curled up as much as she could be in his embrace.
The rush of demonic power flowing through her veins didn't completely wake her as the change took hold of her body. She still needed to heal. Her abdomen had nearly been ripped in a hole, even a half demon would have to recover from that. But it would take a lot quicker with her demonic blood. In all honesty, if she had remained a human for many more hours, she would have bled out.
The sun was up for a few hours before she started to stir against her fathers chest a bit more. Opening her eyes just slightly, the golden chocolate orbs their normal color now. "Otou?" she asked softly. Each time she'd woken up through the night, she'd asked the same question in a pain-induced strain.
Just like he had all night, Inuyasha sat up a little when he heard her voice, rubbing her arms. "I'm here, baby. Right here." he said, looking down at her face.
Her eyes looked up to meet his, a small smile dancing across her lips. "Good." she said slowly. Cuddling up close to him, she moved her fingers to rest on his arm. "What...what time is it?" she asked.
Inuyasha shrugged. "Doesn't matter. Almost lunch time I think." he said. Though, he had not moved to eat breakfast at all that morning. Though, hearing his daughters stomach growl a little, he chuckled. "Someone sounds hungry." he said.
Shifting in her fathers lap, nodding. "A little..." she muttered.
"I'll get you some food." Kouga declared before standing up.
It was Kouga's voice that brought her mind back to where she was. Glancing towards her mate slowly, blinking a little in realization and smiling to him. "Thank you, koi." she said gently, seeing him nod his head before he headed out to get them some food.
Kagome sat up at her daughters movements, smiling a little. "Hey there. You gave us quite a scare last night..."
Tamako nodded a little. "I'm sorry, mama." she said, not making any movements to leave her fathers embrace. Looking up at her dad, chewing on her bottom lip lightly. "I...I'm sorry, Otou..." she told him.
"You've nothing to be sorry for. It was my fault. I wasn't here to protect you like I usually am. It was my pride that stopped me from seeing you." he answered.
She only smiled, moving her head to rest more on his shoulder. "Lets just agree...its both our faults." she compromised. Her father only nodded to her, knowing he would not win that fight.
Shifting to sit up a little on his lap, she winced, feeling the slight ache. The wound had healed up nicely and had stopped bleeding hours ago. But, she still needed to recover.
Thoughts went through her mind, remembering the information she had shared with Kouga just yesterday afternoon. Fear quickly found its way through her, fearing what had happened to her unborn pup.
Sensing her fear, Inuyasha looked down at his daughter. "Whats the matter? You're okay, I won't let a thing happen to you, I swear." he said.
She shook her head. "It...its not that..." she said, glancing towards the door. "K-Kouga..." she whined. She hadn't told her parents about the pup yet, and she'd hoped that Kouga had kept his mouth shut last night.
As if on queue, Kouga walked back through the door carrying a few plates of food. Offering one to his mate, he'd brought three. One for his mate, and one for each of her parents. Lightly handing Kagome her bit of food and sitting Inuyasha's by him.
When he offered Tamako her food, she reached out to grab his wrist, looking up into his eyes. "Kouga...is it..?" her question trailed off.
His cerulean eyes averted his mates, still holding the plate to her. "I don't know. Eat, okay? We'll find out soon enough."
"Find out what? What are you talking about?" Inuyasha asked, a growl coming from his throat. He did not like not knowing what they were talking about.
Biting her bottom lip, Tamako looked at Kouga, shaking her head. "Do not lie to me. You know." she said, a growl coming from her own throat. "Tell me!" she demanded, her fingers not letting go of his wrist.
He didn't look at her, sighing a little. He'd been trying to comfort her, even just for a little while. Shaking his head in his answer. She instantly seeming to understand what he was saying. Fresh tears started to well up in her eyes as she looked at him. She turned to her fathers chest, hiding her face and letting out a hard cry into him. Her fingers let go of Kouga and found home in gripping tightly at her fathers haori sleeves as she cried, her entire body shaking it seemed.
At the beginning of her tears, Inuyasha blinked, hugging her a bit more. "Hey hey hey, shh, shh, daddys right here." he said. Shooting a glare towards Kouga. "What the fuck did you do to her? What were you two talking about?"
Sitting the plate down by Inuyasha, Kouga crossed his arms across his chest slowly. "We discovered yesterday that she was carrying our pup. Her scent had only just begun to change...I found out yesterday morning."
With the sound of her mates words, it only made Tamako cry out harder against her father.
To say Inuyasha was shocked was to say the least. Looking down at his daughter, holding her slowly and rubbing her arm. He couldn't be angry at the fact that the wolf had gotten his little girl pregnant. Not with her crying so hard against his chest. He'd never heard cries like that come from her lips until now. And he didn't like it. Ears pinning down against his head, moving one hand up to rest on the back of her head. There was nothing he could say to ease her pain, and he knew it. That also caused a twinge within his own heart. He could not alleviate his pups pain. He'd always promised himself he would protect her from pain. But, how was a father supposed to protect his child from pain like this?
"It was my fault...if I'd only stopped it..." Kouga said through gritted teeth, looking down.
Hiccuping a little as she cried, reaching to wipe her eyes, shaking her head. "Don't." she just said. Before he could protest, she continued. "Just don't. Its not your fault.." she said. Slowly looking up at him, tears soaking her eyes and cheeks, keeping one cheek against her fathers chest. "Did you kill him?"
Nodding a little to his mate. "He did not get away alive." he confirmed.
"Good. Because I'd have to kill him." Inuyasha chimed in, looking down at his daughter. Reaching to wipe her eyes slowly. "You should eat. You've got to regain your strength. Did you even eat yesterday?"
Shrugging gently, sighing. "A little..." she mentioned, looking at the plate Kouga had brought. Gently reaching to take it, picking at the food a little, her eyes closed just halfway.
Sighing a little, looking at her. "Don't play with your food. You should eat."
Keeping her eyes down on her food, biting her bottom lip a little. "I know. I can't help it daddy..."
"Just leave her be, Inuyasha. Give her time." Kagome told him. Leaning forward and brushing Tamako's hair out of her face. "Do you want to take a nice hot bath? I know that usually makes me feel better." she suggested.
Shaking her head. "Maybe later." she told her mother. Looking up at her father and smiling weakly to him in a smile that did not reach her eyes. "I'll be okay, daddy." she insisted.
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Tamako had been rightfully depressed since her recovery. She spent too much time staring off into space with long, heavy sighs and sad eyes. A few days had passed, with Kagome and Inuyasha staying at the den for their daughter. Kagome had insisted to be there for her to help her through everything.
Her relationship with Kouga was almost different now. He walked on eggshells around her to not upset her, which in turn would upset her hanyou father.
She hadn't even left the safety of the den in the last few days. So, when Inuyasha went to gather his daughter for lunch, he was surprised to find the chambers empty with no sign of her. Finding her scent, he followed. Slowly walking out of the den and hopping down, glancing over as he saw her sitting there on the grass. Walking over to her, he moved to sit next to her, looking at her face. "Hey, kiddo. You okay?"
Nodding meekly to her father, glancing up at him and giving him a small smile that was finally starting to reach her eyes even in the smallest. "Yes daddy, I'm okay."
"I'm not convinced.." he said, moving his hands into his haori sleeves. "What're you doin out here?" he asked curiously.
She only shrugged. She'd been sitting hugging her knees to her chest. Slowly lowering her legs and leaning her hands back on the grass. "I missed the smell of the grass in the wind. I can't hide forever. Well, I suppose I can, I'm sure Kouga would let me stay within the den as long as I wished. But...I just can't hide forever." she said, glancing towards her fathers face. "I just know I can't hide. I can't be afraid of what'll happen if I go outside. The world is dangerous, yeah, but I cannot let those dangers keep me from living my life."
Blinking a little at her speech, he smiled. "You sound wiser than your years, little Tamako. Since when did you get so big?"
Smiling to him, laying back on her elbows, tilting her head back. "Mm, I think you are to blame for that, Otousan." she said, looking up at the sky.
Chuckling a bit. "Shoulda told me. Worst thing I ever did, letting you grow up."
Nodding, giggling. "Yeah. I used to love riding on your shoulders and having you carry me. I guess I'm too big for all that now." she said, sighing softly as she moved her elbows so she plopped back down, looking up at the sky a bit more.
Watching her, he nodded slowly. "A little bit. But hey, it was part your fault. You could have just...stopped." he teased, attempting to hear her laugh again. She hadn't laughed in days.
He got his desired response, a giggle came from her, looking up at his face. "Yeah yeah, I suppose we're both at fault here." she said. Shifting to sit up again, leaning back on her hands, looking down at her lap. "Would you...would you have been happy?" she asked seemingly randomly.
Blinking in confusion. "Happy about what?"
"If I'd told you I was carrying a pup." she clarified, her eyes looking up at her father. "If it wasn't...gone. Would you have been happy?"
"Keh, of course, so long as you were happy with it too. I might not show it all the time, but...when you're happy, I am too. I just got...pissed that wolfboy could make you happy. Before he started coming around, you only felt safe when I was with you. You cried and threw a fit whenever I would leave. Remember when I tried to leave you with Sango the first time? You kept begging me to not leave you, come back. It broke my heart to leave you that day. And...when the wolf came around, all of a sudden I wasn't the only one you felt safe around..." he admitted, looking down at his lap.
Smiling a little at her fathers speech. Leaning up and kissing his cheek softly. "But, you're my one and only Otou. Kouga didn't replace you. I just...made room in my heart for both of you. I love you both in different ways. I just wish you two could get along. I know you've been forcing it for days now."
Nodding, he glanced at her and smiled. "What can I say. I don't like any man that steals my daughter. No man is good enough for you, dear Tamako. Not even the most powerful daiyoukai in the world would be good enough. I'm not even good enough...I couldn't believe it was me that helped make you. I never even dreamed of having a family before. I'd been raised with no family, starting to believe the mean things that humans and demons had said about me. How something so perfect can be made from me, Kami only knows."
Shifting to lay her head on her fathers shoulder, closing her eyes halfway and blushing. "I'm not perfect daddy..."
"Keh, you're perfect to me." he declared, glancing down at her.
She smiled a little, glancing at him. "I know. But...know I make mistakes, daddy. I can't help it. Okaa says I'm a lot like you..." she started, looking forward a little. "I think thats a good thing, though." she said with a smile. Shifting to sit up on her knees and looking at his face.
Glancing at her face, shaking his head a little. "You sure being like me is a good thing?" he asked. Reaching his arm to bring around her waist, tugging her to sit on his knee, looking up at her.
Leaning against him and nodding a bit, leaning her head back against his shoulder and looking back up at the sky. "Yeah...I think so." she said.
After several minutes, a small pout formed over her lips. Upon seeing this, Inuyasha sighed softly. "Whats the matter?"
Shrugging a bit, keeping her eyes up on the sky. "Its just...you and Okaa will have to go home soon. Okaa is the miko of the village...she can't be gone for long. And...and I'll have to stay here. Its...weird here sometimes. I mean, I like it, I do. But...I miss you and mama." she said, slowly glancing up at him. She was definitely a daddy's girl. She'd only really gotten her mother back a few years ago. Those years she spent with just her and her father had turned her into a daddy's girl.
Smiling gently, looking at her. "Yeah I know. But hey, I'm not that far away. You can always come back with us you know..." he suggested.
Nodding slowly, closing her eyes halfway. "Yeah I know. But...I'm a mated woman now. I belong with my mate..its just how its supposed to be. Its why I haven't seen Rin since Uncle Sesshy came and got her..."
Gripping her a little, he shook his head. "Don't worry, I'm not going to just let the wolf keep you here away from us. You can come home any time you want for any reason. If you live there or not, its still your home." he said.
Smiling slowly hearing her father, looking up at his face. "I know." she said. "Daddy...tell me the Goshinboku story again."
Her random request made him chuckle. "Again? Kami I think I told you that story a million times growing up...don't you know it yet?"
"Yeah, but I like the way you tell it. Pleaseee daddy? I'll cry." she asked sweetly, sounding like the six year old kid she used to be.
"Fineee..." he said. Bringing her close to his chest, resting his chin on the top of her head as he started telling her the same old bedtime story he used to tell her, about when he'd met Kagome while he was pinned to the Goshinboku.
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Tamako knew she needed to talk to Kouga since she was feeling better. He was still walking on eggshells around her, barely even touching her. To say they hadn't had sex since the morning before the incident was obvious. And with her parents there, she spent so much time with her father, they were barely alone.
But, that night, she was intent on talking to him about it. She'd been grieving on her own the last few days for losing something they'd only just gotten. But, she hadn't seen him upset. No doubt he was trying to be the big strong man of the relationship.
Once her parents retired to the chambers they'd given them to stay in, she went and took a nice, long hot bath to relax herself. She knew Kouga was on night patrol and wouldn't be back right away, therefore giving her time to relax.
Dressing in her white sleep yukata, pulling her long hair up into a messy bun and pinning it back before walking into their bedroom. Taking a seat on the bed, she leaned back on her hands, waiting for her mate to get in for the night. When he had night patrol she was usually fast asleep by the time he got back. But she was determined to stay up tonight.
Laying back on the bed, closing her eyes halfway, looking up at the ceiling. When she heard him come in, she knew he probably thought she was asleep. So she glanced towards him slowly. "Welcome home, Kouga-kun." she said.
He almost jumped at her words, but smiled to her. "Thanks. What are you still doing up? I'd thought you'd be fast asleep by now." he said. Shedding his leg and arm guards before taking off his sword and chest armor.
Watching her mate get undressed for the night was so erotic and made her body whine for him. But, she would not let that get in the way, not when they needed to talk.
Shifting up onto her elbows, looking at him. "I wanted to talk to you. We haven't really had time alone since...what'd happened." she said.
Coming up to the bed, he sat next to her, looking at her slowly. "Yeah we haven't. But thats okay...you were hurt." he said. Reaching over and brushing her hair from her face. "Kami...I'd thought I'd lost you...when I just found you."
Smiling to him, she sat up slowly, moving to take his hand. "Nope, you're stuck with me. Learn to live with it." she said, leaning and kissing him softly. Closing her eyes into the kiss as she held it, relishing at feeling his lips against hers. They really didn't have any alone time since the whole thing.
Sighing as she reluctantly parted her lips from his, smiling a little and looking at his face. Seeing the look in his eyes, smelling his excitement and arousal, she giggled. "Stoppp, not yet koi. You'll get some, don't worry. Just...talk to me first, okay?"
He gave a playful pout and then nodded. "Alright. If you promise. And...I don't view it as me being stuck with you. You're sort of stuck with me, and my pack."
"Keh, I could learn to live with that..." she teased. She sounded so much like her father with that 'keh.'
Taking in a breath, she shifted to rest her back into his chest, feeling his arms move around her, smiling and looking down at his strong arms. "I'm sorry. I've...been really upset lately. I just...I just wanted that pup so bad..." she muttered softly in her beginning.
He shook his head, kissing the top of her head slowly. "I know, I did too. But its okay, if you want a pup, I'll be more than glad to give you one. Hell, I'd be more than glad to give you several." he said, smiling.
Giggling at his words, she hit his arm playfully. "Kougaaa-kun, sush." she said, glancing back at him. "Are you...okay though? I mean...I was grieving so bad, I didn't even think about how you must feel..."
Nodding slowly, rubbing her arms gently. "Yeah...I'm fine. It broke my heart when the women told me, but...but at least I didn't lose you, and the pup was only barely a few weeks old. We can make another one. And when we do, there is no way you're leaving this den without a good amount of wolves to protect you."
She smiled, shaking her head. "Kouga don't put me under twenty-four hour guard watch. I'm not a child. I can take care of myself. Its just that day was my human night, my night of weakness." she explained, looking up at him and nodding slowly. "But...I wanna wait a little before we actually try to have a pup." she admitted.
This peaked the wolfs interest as he looked down at her. "If..thats what you want, sure. But why?" he asked curiously.
"Well...I kinda wanna keep training with my daddy. I want to make trips home to train with him every few days. I really can't do that with a pup growing in my belly." she explained.
Nodding again, nuzzling his nose against her temple. "Mm, its decided then. But..I'm still a man, Tamako-chan...I need my mate." he said, pulling her closer to him.
Smiling and giggling, nodding. "Ohhh trust me, I know you're a man. We'll just be a little careful." she said, closing her eyes as she leaned back against him. "It'll be easy enough..."
"Maybe for you." he teased, pulling her close to kiss her slowly.
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