The news channel on the television continued to report regarding the mass hysteria that had overtaken downtown Tokyo in the Christmas Eve Blackout. Several storefronts had been robbed pending investigation. The pretty woman talked about suicides and heart attacks and car accidents that had claimed the lives of at least twenty citizens thus far. Rescue workers and volunteers were working to clean the streets as quickly as possible before the New Year. Inuyasha pushed the button to mute the bearer of bad news. The silence called to attention the state of the Higurashi household. The tatami matting was poorly. Human fingers had smudged the walls. A vase had been broken the previous evening and its absence was notable. Energy filled him with the urge to mend so he went outside to join Kagome kneeling at the base of the snowy Tree to thank it and all the spirits who had protected their home.
At least the girl had the sense to have a thick blanket over her shoulders. Her eyes sparkled when she extended her palm.
War came to their pack and they were unprepared but the Tree raised a barrier. Kagome bowed her head. Their entwined hands rested on his thigh. Her shoulder brushed his chest. What would I have done if she died? I would have to steal Tenseiga to bring her back. The agonizing memory of losing his friends in the fire at the temple wouldn't stand to be repeated. He had been in denial then. How could he return to their house in Musashi without his wife?
I love her.
Inuyasha stayed silent during their trip through the Well to Kaede's home. The conversation continued around him. Kagome's voice and smell and presence was enough. If the others made fun that he held her hand, so be it.
I can't bear to lose her.
Workmen came to repair the Higurashi Shrine before the New Year mark. In a blur he and Rin scrubbed their own house spotless before Kagome's special dinner. Their house was full-to-bursting when Kaede, Miroku, Sango, Shippo, the twins, Kohaku and Kilala came to call. Miroku flirted with Kaede. Shippo mocked his sullenness. Sango monopolized her brother's attention. Sake was poured freely. White cake topped with berries delighted their gang. The noise made his home seem small.
"What is on your mind, Inuyasha?" Myouga perched on his knee. Inside the others were sharing stories of their old life on the road. He leaned against the outer doorway witnessing the snow fall from the steel sky. There was merriment inside when Miroku tried to extract a kiss from Sango under the 'spell of the mistletoe' followed by the familiar cry of 'pervert'.
"I'm afraid."
"Of what, young master?"
"I have to protect my family. What can I do to get stronger?"
"But you have already surpassed your father in strength. Perhaps a good-luck present for your heir instead?" Myouga stroked his chin with two arms. He stayed silent but it was an idea that gave him hope. Didn't Father leave me Tetsusaiga and the Robe? Mother left her treasures in a box.
"What about Father's fang?"
"The M-master's fang? But his body is not in this world! The Pearl in your eye is inert. How would you travel there?"
"I am not about to slaughter any humans for their blood if that's what you're asking! Couldn't we make another Pearl?" Being able to present Kagome with a powerful heirloom for their daughter eased his anxiety. He didn't know whether Father would mind his last fang being pilfered but it was for his granddaughter. One day she would need to protect herself.
"I suppose we could make a visit to Hosenki's son but a new Pearl would not be ready for the birth of your child. The demon is only an apprentice, remember."
Somehow the quest for its weapon made the baby seem real. For a moment he could see Kagome in the garden with a dark-haired child undoing her work, pulling up plants and making trouble.
The door behind him opened forcefully. He yelped in surprise.
"Can't a man have time to think to himself?"
"Not when you're keeping poor Myouga out in the cold. It's rude. So come inside. And don't you dare run off." Kagome tweaked his ear. The flea abandoned him for her shoulder. He did consider escaping to the upper branches of the Goshinboku but knowing his wife she would chase him through the snow. Their teasing barely registered in his ears.
Their extra rooms were quickly claimed in pairs. His claws drummed against the futon where he reclined. There was enough water for the morning's breakfast so the women wouldn't need to brave the frosty air. Kohaku was sleeping in the main room so he could man the fire through the evening. Let the flea bite HIM through the night.
The corner lantern was the only light when Kagome removed her hakama for bed. Per her routine she knelt down to brush the tangles from her hair with a black brush. Sakuya's necklace was placed in her lacquered box for safekeeping. The lid made a soft clack when it closed. Gentle hands brushed over the smooth top with pride. Those same hands pushed him with authority to make room.
"Oi," he complained.
"Your spot is warmer. Why are you so grumpy? Did Myouga-sama have bad news?" The wench stunned him with her blue eyes. If she wants my spot, she can have it. It was a battle worth losing. The ties of his Robe were undone by nimble fingers.
"No news, just talking. How was the party?" The flirtation turned more serious when her fingers dipped into his shirt. He lowered his mouth for a kiss. The sweetness of her filled his heart. He held onto her hair when she shrugged out of her kimono to draw him closer. It was hard to be concerned about their guests with a naked woman holding him.
Kagome, my Kagome.
The proceedings crashed to a halt when scratchy fabric brushed against his skin. White gauze secured with a pin guarded her forearm. Underneath he could smell familiar antibacterial ointment.
"Kagome?"
"My arm touched the pot while I was making dinner, it's nothing."
"Why didn't you say anything? It could get really nasty if you don't take care of it early." He left his wife to fetch the first-aid kit from the shelf in the main room. Kilala lifted her head so he paused to scratch her fur. Kagome was sitting up with the sheets drawn under her arms when he returned. She freely offered her bare arm to his examination. He washed the salve off her arm. Perfect skin resided beneath the bandage.
Inuyasha pivoted her forearm to investigate. The scar from Kohaku's kusarigama was missing. It meant exposing her legs to the cool air but he brought up the covering. His hands only found smooth skin around her ankles. Kagome's little feet were not scared by acid. Not anymore. Kagome's body healed itself.
"Hey!"
Pale arms covered her breasts when he stripped the covers off entirely. His fingers knew exactly where to search for the wound that had been left when the Sacred Jewel had left her body when Mistress Centipede had flung her into the air. He brought the lantern closer to confirm. The puckered skin on her hip had knitted together flawlessly. Exposed in the lamplight, he could find no scars at all.
"Inuyasha, you pervert! What are you doing?" Blood filled her cheeks. He knew her intimately but an exam embarrassed his wife? The storm brewing in her gaze warned him to speak fast or risk punishment.
"Your scars have healed. Did you know? They're...gone."
"Kaede thinks I healed because I have more blood flowing through my body. Because of the baby. Ow!" Kagome pulled her limb back. A bead of blood rose to the surface where his claw had pierced the back of her hand. Barely. Pink human magic traveled under her skin like rippling lava until the fissure healed. "That hurt, you jerk."
"You're healing like me, like a demon." Inuyasha leaned back. His naked wife covered herself with a very feminine huff.
A rap on the wall had him reaching for Tetsusaiga. Tap-tap. He was ready for battle but Sango clearly scolded her husband for disturbing them. Exactly! It's my house, bouzu.
"Let's just get some sleep, eh? You can even have my spot. Here." Kagome slipped her arms through the fabric he upheld. Once she was resettled on the futon he extinguished the lantern. He flinched but said nothing about her cold feet. A long day of cooking and hostessing meant that Kagome drifted off pretty quickly. Kikyo never mentioned the power to heal the self. It must be something specific to Kagome.
The girl was mumbling about school again. What the hell is a trapezoid?
The blackboard at the front of the classroom was covered in material that needed to be copied down immediately before the professor completed the example. Kagome hurriedly flipped to a new page in her notebook. Of course Sara was already waiting with her pencil down for the next module. Logically she realized Chemistry was necessary to be a nurse but it involved so much math! By the end of the hour Kagome's hands were cramping. She rested her forehead on her soft textbook.
I miss Inuyasha.
The stubborn half-demon had waited for her permission to take a trip but she hated the idea of him traveling alone.
"There are no classes tomorrow. Would you like to meet up to study? I heard we have a pop quiz coming from the teacher's assistant." Sara neatly packed her backpack. Kagome was envious of the girl's ability to doodle in class. She has perfect grades, too.
"I have something planned with my mom. What about the day after?"
"That would be great. Here are the copies you requested from the last Anatomy class. Don't let your dog eat them!" The girl handed her a packet with perfectly organized diagrams of the human heart and vascular system.
"You're the best Sara. Honestly. I owe you."
The girl flashed her a peace sign before chasing after the professor to discuss the upcoming practical test. Kagome waited until there was only one other student in the room to slip out of her desk. She hurried home with hope but her husband was absent. It was a relief to sink into her bed to hug his pillow. The woodsy scent clung to the fabric but it was fading.
Two weeks!
Exhaustion made her sleep until her brother knocked on the door to summon her for dinner. She barely cared about the food placed in front of her at the table. Mama reminder her to set her alarm clock for the morning so they could catch the train.
It was rough awakening to the shrill voice of a clock instead of Inuyasha's voice. The bed was too big without him. Her hand drifted to the edge of the bed but there were no cute dogs ears to tweak.
While her mother was not especially devout, she was determined to visit Suitengū Shrine on the occurrence of her Inu no Hi and Taian. Kagome wore her favorite gray sweater dress with heavy cuffs and cute little shoes with white knee socks. It satisfied her mother's mandates to dress for the season and pictures. Attention embarrassed her but Mama was so happy that she tolerated the weird puns from her brother and grandfather.
Inuyasha is a dog demon. Half, anyway. Does that mean I'll have an easy birth?
Mama ushered her into line to wait for the special pregnancy blessing. Granny Kaede already took me to the shrine to pray, that was way more meaningful than some strange priest waving incense in my face.
"Is she in high school?" The other women were easily five years older than her. She hitched her purse higher waiting for the ordeal to be over. Who cared what they thought?
The ceremony was short. A middle-aged priest recited a prayer for her safety in the ordeal to come. They gave her a box with a bottle shaped like a dog and stickers to decorate its basket hat but there was only one 'lucky dog' she needed. Mama made her pose for a picture with the statue outside where a stone puppy played with a shrine bell while its mother rested. She rubbed the puppy's head and the round emblem of the zodiac dog for good luck. It only reminded her of the new practice of the village women to request rubbing her dog-belly.
It was completely random that Sango got pregnant with twins her first year! I had nothing to do with it. Blame Miroku.
The vendor noted her age when Mama paid for a pregnancy pack. Kagome doubted the power of the priest's blessing on her new maternity belt but her mother was bursting with pride. They stopped at an adorable cafe to have tea and a rest and plan the rest of their day. Her mother snapped a picture of her looking out the window. The waitress only smiled at the catalog on full display at their table. It was their special bonding time while Inuyasha was gone.
"A mother-daughter day sounds nice, Mom."
It was sweet to wander around the modern shops together looking at all the baby paraphernalia. Most of the inventory would be unnecessary living in the Feudal Era but she did purchase a onesie with a white puppy on the front that would frustrate her husband. She steered her mother away from convertible car-seats towards bassinets. Babies slept with their mothers but the beds were too cute to pass up. She knew white was impractical but the portable square bed with lace fabric around the border would be a wonderful place to put Baby while she cooked or bathed. At least until she could teach Inuyasha to hold her. Her mother made a good argument for a special bathtub.
"And special amulets for the window so nothing comes in," Mama instructed the staff-woman.
"Like a burglar? We do not sell home security systems."
"Mooom. Inuyasha would protect me from a burglar! Hey." Kagome followed her distracted mother out of the store. Where is she going? She draped her mother's forgotten purse over her shoulder. Mama ignored her completely to cross the street. A very perturbed car honked at her while she gave chase.
"Mom!"
Her mother stopped outside a fence surrounding a playground. At least a dozen children played on the swings and the levers. It took her a minute to recognize her own preschool. She could remember playing with Eri on a different-colored play set. There was no stopping the elder Higurashi from marching towards the double doors decorated with cute animal paws. It was bizarre to walk the halls of the school where she remembered being so much smaller.
"Dad? A man had a kitty face. Can you come find me? I'm scared."
Kagome stopped outside her old classroom. Drawings of various skill decorated the hall outside. She covered her own belly protectively when she considered sending her own daughter to school. Would she be safe? What if the other children thought she was crazy? What if demons attacked while she was unguarded?
Inuyasha could stay perched on the roof to protect her.
"Higurashi? So this must be little Kagome! How quickly they grow up. Are you considering sending your grandchild here?" A kindly woman with gray hair and round spectacles examined her thoroughly. Her mother was equally unnerved.
Uchida-san.
Kagome existed in embarrassed silence while her preschool teacher brought them example itineraries and pricing. As sweet as her teacher was, she distinctly remembered being punished for screaming at the principal by having her crayons taken away. Numerous sessions with a psychologist. Eyesight solidified her resolve.
The baby will be safer on the other side of the Well. In her father's world. She needs a community that understands and accepts her. It won't be perfect but she will have clean air and playmates and godparents who know how special she is. She will have plenty of cousins to pester. My family shouldn't have to hide who they are.
It was quiet at the Higurashi house until Souta came home. He found her sitting in the Wellhouse with the cat in her lap. Mama was forcefully cheery about their day of shopping but the preschool had left them in a weird mood.
"Hey Sis. Guess Inuyasha's still gone. Why are you sitting in here? Let's go catch a movie or something. Just no chick flicks." Souta scratched Buyo's head. "You can buy the tickets right? I'm broke until next week."
"So you want to go to a movie but you don't have any money?" At least having a selfish teenage brother was reliable. She shoved him a little but agreed. He was desperate to see 'Ninja Space Samurai' based on 'actual' events from the Meiji era. Mama didn't have any objections. It was a decent distraction from her loneliness.
"Two tickets, Ninja Space Samurai?" Souta smiled at the cute girl behind the counter. Kagome was surprised when the seventeen year old clerk actually smiled back at her irritating little brother. His voice did crack when ordering a soda. It took her a moment to register that her little brother was almost the same height. Then he had the nerve to order half the display's worth of candy, a large soda and popcorn 'to share' if she wanted!
That's a lot of money.
The lights in the theater highlighted the gold on her brother's right hand. It was a single piece of hammered gold. Old-fashioned. "When did you start wearing a ring?"
"Grandpa gave it to me for New Year's. It belonged to Dad. Is it stupid?"
"I think it's wonderful, Souta. Really." Kagome smiled. Beneath the teenage bluff was sincerity. The good feeling continued when the lights dimmed and the movie began to play. The bloodshed and cursing on the screen reminded her of Inuyasha who certainly knew the meaning of a father's gift.
"Why is he so obsessed about his father's sword if he doesn't know anything about him? Why does he always try to solve everything on his own?"
"Well, I can sympathize. That's just how men think. It's quite natural that a boy's father is always at the forefront of his mind. It's hard to explain but it can be very obsessive. You think you can at least do what your father can and you hope that one day you'll surpass him. For boys, a father is their most influential role model."
"That's difficult. It would be tough on a guy whose father was great."
Souta talked her ear off during the walk home. It was good to enjoy her brother's company. He talked about getting part-time work 'like Inuyasha' which pierced her fog.
"Inuyasha has a job?"
"I was sure he told you. Grandpa referred Inuyasha to his friends to shovel snow and clean gutters. Just random things. Gramps says the old guys like him because he works hard and doesn't procrastinate."
"What is he doing with the money?" Kagome was immediately worried they might take advantage of her husband who was still learning his arithmetic. It informed his mysterious journey to another province without Miroku but with Myouga. There were larger schemes in progress.
"Maybe he just wants to buy you a present."
Kagome made a beeline for the bedroom once they were home to search Inuyasha's secret hiding place. For some reason he assumed that she never looked under her bed which somewhat offended her. Of course she cleaned under there! Souta sat in her desk chair when she unveiled a discarded shoebox stuffed with money, modern and ancient. Inuyasha did not know how to withdraw money from the ATM so it was earned elsewhere.
Kagome fitted the misshapen top back onto the box that went back under the bed. She lowered the bed-skirt to hide it from Buyo. Is he worried about my tuition or the doctor's visits or the cost of my clothes? We have enough money in the bank for all that.
It was strange crawling into bed to sleep atop Inuyasha's secret stash. She left the window unlatched in the hope that her husband would magically appear by morning. Sara had promised to meet her for an early study session before class. Just the thought of balancing more chemical equations made her anxious. After her test she could go home to the Feudal Era to help Kaede gather winter herbs. Shippo wanted to practice new transformations to 'protect his humans'. The other women had asked her to join a coveted sewing circle. Being invited to Aimi's home was like sitting at the cool table in high school. It sounded quaint but it was a sign of acceptance that would make Inuyasha proud.
A bump woke her up but it was only her mother knocking into her desk chair.
"I was double-checking the latch. Go back to sleep." Familiar hands drew the covers up over her shoulders. Her mother's weight depressed the edge. It was dark but she could feel her gaze.
"I love you, Kagome. That's all. You are a very special girl."
"Thanks?"
"I talked to Grandpa. He is going to put protections on the house." The soft voice was accompanied by motherly pats. "At least until Inuyasha comes home from his trip. All I want is for you to feel safe."
"Ah-hmm. Love you." Kagome snuggled deeper into her pillows. There was a gentle click when her door closed. Only the sudden buzz of her mother's sewing machine prevented her from sleep. She rolled over for her alarm clock.
It's three in the morning!
