InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Til Death Do Us Part ❯ The Reconciling ( Chapter 20 )

Disclaimer: You know the deal. This is getting redundant. ::holds up sign:: I don't own Inuyasha. That right is exclusively reserved to Rumiko Takahashi and crew.

AN: Hey people. No I'm not dead. Lol. One word: college. I'm having a double shot of life on the rocks so updates will be really slow from now on. Balancing partying and studying and trying to find time to sleep is no joke. Anyway, hope you like the update. I kind of wrote it in a rush since I haven't updated in a month and feel kind of bad, so forgive any mistakes and whatnot. I know you all are wondering about the origins of Kikyo's child, but fear not, all will be revealed soon since the story is starting to wind down, so stay tuned.

Big thanks to Kimmie for taking time out to edit while being busy herself. And thanks to all of my reviewers for giving me feedback and telling me how much you like the story. I love you all! Enjoy!

Dawn Sweetie: Thanks for the review and tips for my story. I would gratefully appreciate it if you helped beta my stories since my current beta doesn't have enough time in her schedule to edit my stuff. Email me and we'll talk more. Thanks!

Thyran: First off, I always appreciate constructive criticism in regards to my work. When you said that the merger is complete and to stop dragging the story out, I would just like to tell you that perhaps you should reread the homecoming since I describe in detail why the merger is only partially complete and the loop holes that are incorporated within it. Everybody is entitled to their opinions, but you really should read up on things before you try and justify your claims.

The Reconciling

Click. Click. Click. Click. Click.

Sesshoumaru arched a silver brow in response to the relentless tapping of his brother's claws against the oak table in the dining room hall that were currently waiting in for the child in question and his mother so the DNA testing could be put under way.

Click. Click. Click. Click. Click.

"Would you desist with that infernal racket," the taiyoukai glared icily at the hanyou.

"Keh. This is my house. I can do whatever I damn well please," Inuyasha grumbled irritably, but stopped tapping his claws nonetheless, his eyes shifting to his Rolex for the umpteenth time that morning. "She's an hour late."

"You think?" Sesshoumaru countered dryly.

"Damnit!" Snarling, Inuyasha jumped up and flung the chair he had been sitting in into the opposing wall furiously, the expensive piece of furniture shattering into tiny pieces of splintered wood. "That bitch isn't coming because she knows that kid is a fucking fraud," he growled, his fangs glinting sharply in the mid morning light as he physically restrained himself from tearing the entire room to smithereens with his bare claws. "I don't have time for this shit. I need to see Kagome now!"

"Have patience whelp," Sesshoumaru said lowly, his growing annoyance with his brother's impudence belying his words. "Now sit down and at least have some respect for Dr. Shizumo for coming all the way out here to clean up after your misdoings."

The older inuyoukai chuckled at this. "Oh, no need for such dramatics Sesshou. I'm all too familiar with Inuyasha's mannerisms and bouts of frustration. I have been conducting you alls check ups since you were pups."

"We would like to bestow our deepest apologies for the delay in the procedure," Sesshoumaru offered evenly without the slightest undertone of contrition.

"No need to apologize. I'm sure the lady's probably having some car trouble or stuck in traffic."

"Keh. Not fucking likely." With a scowl firmly etched into his face, Inuyasha sat down in another chair. He had been feeding off of his anger ever since he and Sesshoumaru talked yesterday. It gave him something to focus on other than the emptiness and depression that his soon to be mate's departure left him in. His anger high tapered off at the thought of his love and quickly sent him descending into yet another vortex of muddled emotions.

`Kagome.' His chest tightened with a pain comparable to none, his ears atop his crown drooping against his scalp. He missed her presence so much it physically hurt, but what hurt him even deeper was that she didn't understand that even if the child was his, they hadn't been together at that particular time so it wasn't as if he betrayed her or did anything wrong, other than get together with the bitch that had tore them apart in the first place. If anything, he was the one that should be angry at her for abandoning him when he needed her the most. She high tailed it out of there as soon as something went wrong instead of sticking by his side like a mate was supposed to.

As much as he wanted to hate her or even be resentful of the fact that she blamed him for something that was entirely had been out of his hands, Inuyasha found himself unable to summon up the slightest smidgen of umbrage towards her. He was spent of housing hatred towards the girl who held his heart and pretending that she didn't mean anything to him. She was his world. He sorely missed her smile, her scent, her beautiful eyes, and her company. A low whining sound that he wasn't even aware he had produced sounded from the back of his throat.

Sesshoumaru rolled his eyes at the hanyou's dismalness. It was truly a pathetic sight to see the son of a great taiyoukai Inutaisho reduced to some sniveling fool. But then again, he had never experienced the lost of his mate and he'd make damned sure that nothing would come between Rin and himself. Already regretting the uncharacteristic comforting words that were about to spill from his mouth, Sesshoumaru sighed inaudibly before speaking. "Inuyasha, do you remember what I spoke of yesterday? If this girl is truly the one you are destined to be with, she will not be easily swayed form her love for you under any circumstances, including the fix you are undertaking now."

"What if she doesn't come back?" he asked uncertainly, doubt overshadowing his words.

"Give her time to cool off. Like I said yesterday, if your love is strong enough, she will return regardless if the child is yours or not. She may even be back by this afternoon. Now stop moping around here like some weak, heartbroken fool. I am tired of seeing you continually wallow in your own misery."

Inuyasha clenched his teeth at his brother's weak portrayal of him. Damnit, he wasn't weak. "Keh. Stupid bitch. I don't care if she comes back or not. I don't need her. I don't need anybody," he lied, unable to convince himself or anybody else in that room.

The shrill melody of his cell phone sounded loudly from his pocket. He hurriedly rummaged in his cargo pants for the mobile device in hopes that it would be Kagome saying she was on her way back now. Inuyasha pulled the phone out and frowned upon seeing the unknown number flashing on his screen. "What?"

"Do you always answer your phone in such an uncouth manner?"

The hanyou visibly bristled at Kikyo's sultry tone. "Where the hell are you? We've been waiting here for over an hour for your ass," Inuyasha growled discounting her question altogether.

"For little ole me? You shouldn't have." He could practically see her smirking on the other end of the line.

Inuyasha gritted his teeth and tried to keep his temper in check. "Where are you?"

"Sorry sweetie, something came up at the last minute and I won't be able to come until 7." That won't be a problem will it?

The last of Inuyasha's patience snapped. "Listen you fucking-"

"And since I don't have time to listen to your maniacal tirade of foul language, I will be on my way. See you then, Inu." She hung up before he could get out another word.

Dr. Shizumo winced at the colorful language that spewed from the enraged hanyou as he flipped the phone shut. The young Takeda had without a doubt inherited his father's temper. "Inuyasha, what seems to be the problem?"

"She won't be here until 7 for reasons unknown," he ground out through clenched teeth. So unless you have other plans for today, I guess were not going to find out if that kid's mine or not."

Dr. Shizumo stroked the tuft of hair that grew out of his chin with a thoughtful expression. "Let's not be too hasty. I may have an opening this evening. Let me check my schedule." He pulled his leather briefcase into his lap and began delving through its contents.

Inuyasha waited with baited breath as the older inuyoukai pulled out a black notebook and began sifting through the pages. Dr. Shizumo was a renowned youkai doctor that was recognized for his practice in over thirty countries. It was a miracle in itself that he had had time to come over at 9 in the morning to conduct a menial paternity test. The Takeda family had countless connections that gave them many advantages when it came to getting what they wanted. But even that had its limits.

"Ah, you're in luck. My 7 o'clock cancelled yesterday so I will have just enough time to stop by here, administer the test, and be back in the office just in time for my 8 o'clock appointment."

The hanyou let out the breath he had been holding. The sooner they got this thing over with, the sooner he could return to life before Kikyo had so boldly made her appearance. "Thanks doc. You're a lifesaver."

The doctor chuckled and stood. "That is why I pursued this career. Well then, I'll be on my way."

"I'll show you out," Inuyasha mumbled and waited until he had gathered his belongings before walking to the foyer.

"Don't look so gloomy, pup." He gave him a reassuring smile before walking out the door. "I'm sure things will work out for the best in the end. I'll see you at 7 sharp." Patting the hanyou's shoulder in a gesture of sympathy, Dr. Shizumo stepped through the threshold of the door and began making his descent down the stairs and to his SUV.

Chest heaving slightly, Inuyasha somewhat reluctantly closed the door and put a clawed hand over his heart to offer some form of alleviation to the aching organ. `I had no idea missing her would hurt this much.' If there was one thing he had learned from this experience, it was not to take love for granted. Pushing down the heartrending feelings and emotions, Inuyasha set his gruff facade back in place so as not to appear vulnerable and went back into the dining room, so caught up with his feelings that he missed the set of emerald eyes peering at him inquisitively from the top of the stairs.

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Crap. That single word could vividly albeit vaguely describe how Kagome's day was going from the moment she had opened her eyes that morning. She had awoken with a killer headache that without a doubt been induced by her skirmish with the crazed neko youkai that had attempted to kill her the day before. The scratches she had obtained after being roughly heaved out of a window stung like hell while she showered and had turned into ugly, red blemishes along her skin. Later on, Koji had dragged her downtown to the police precinct to make a formal statement, which took entirely too long for her liking.

And on top of the physical pain that accompanied both the unsightly bruise on the side of her temple and the scrapes over various parts of her body, she was in an emotional state of turmoil. Her mind was a befuddlement of confusion, bitterness, anger, and hurt, and was all geared toward the sudden development concerning Inuyasha's assumed bastard child.

Kagome inwardly flinched at the thought, her hands unconsciously tightening around the strap of the Prada purse that sat in her lap. She had a right to be angry. After all, he was the one who admitted how much he loved her, even when they weren't together, and how he couldn't bring himself to enter a serious relationship with another girl.

`But a one night stand doesn't really qualify as a relationship,' she mused morosely, her throat constricting at the notion. He had every right to go and pursue his sexual desires with whomever he wanted, whether the strings were attached or not. `But with Kikyo of all people?'Her stomach turned in repulsion and distaste.

"Were here," Koji said breaking the silence that had enveloped the car for the duration of the ride from the police station to her home as he pulled the silver Benz to a halt.

Kagome offered him a watery smile before getting out. "Thanks Koji-san. I really appreciate you going downtown with me to make the statement."

He gave her a toothy grin. "No problem. Unlike your mouthy spouse, I actually don't mind escorting you anywhere."

She stiffened at the mention of Inuyasha as a horde of unwanted emotions she really wasn't ready to deal with and she had tried to suppress were brought unbidden to her awareness. Forcing back the torrent of feelings, Kagome struggled to keep her typical pretense of affability from slipping and kept the smile glued to her face so as to appear not unaffected by his words. "Thank you again Koji-san for the ride. I guess I'll see you later then."

"Just give me a call when you're ready to go back."

"Bye." Kagome got out and shut the door before walking up the paved cement path that led to the front door of her parent's four story home. Not feeling like putting up with her family's inquiries, which they no doubt harbored after she refused to tell them a thing about what had happened between Inuyasha and herself yesterday, Kagome chose to take the back entrance instead of the front where they were probably waiting for her return. With her heart laden with indescribable burdens that she was trying unsuccessfully to put in the back of her mind, she quietly walked up the wooden steps of the abandoned deck and to the sliding glass door.

Blue eyes surveyed the interior of kitchen through the glass before entering. Upon seeing that it was empty, Kagome slid the door open and stepped inside. Maybe if she hurried, she would be able to make it to her room without interference from anyone.

"What are you doing?"

Kagome jumped and whirled around at the same time, her heart beating a mile a minute. "Souta! You scared me half to death."

He gave her a toothy grin. "Sorry sis." He craned his neck to see behind her as if looking for someone. "So, where is Inuyasha? At the hospital, he said he would take me to play laser tag next time I saw him."

Kagome stiffened, but kept the smile on her face. "He's not here right now."

Souta's face fell, the look of disappointment obvious in his chocolate eyes. "Oh. Is he going to come by later?"

"Not that I know of. I'm going to my room." She sidestepped her brother and headed up to her room.

"Why isn't he with you? Did you two have a big fight or something?" The boy asked doggedly pursuing her down the hall, noticeably not taking the hint that she wanted to be left alone.

"We had a disagreement." Without another word on the subject, she began her ascension up the staircase.

"It isn't anything serious is it? I would hate it if you two started hating each other again. Inuyasha is so cool. Don't you think he's cool? Do you think I could come over some time and hang out with you guys? I'm so glad you married someone as cool as Inuyasha instead a dud like that Hojo who used to keep coming around here." So caught up was he in his reverence of the dog eared hanyou that he missed the tension bunching in the older girls shoulders until it was too late. "Do you think Inuyasha-"

"Enough!" Kagome snapped, reeling around to glare at her taken aback brother. "I'm tired of hearing about that stupid hanyou! I came here to get away from him, not to listen to you rant on and on about how he is so great! Go tell somebody who cares because I personally don't want to hear anymore!" As soon as the words left her mouth, she immediately regretted them, the expression of pure shock and hurt reflecting brightly in his eyes was enough to make her heart cry.

"I'm sorry sis. I didn't mean to upset you," Souta mumbled looking downward and turn and ran off before Kagome could say anything else.

"Wait! Souta!" Kagome felt like ramming her head into a wall. This was really not her day. With yet another problem added to her seemingly endless heap of hindrances, she reluctantly retreated to her old room. Closing the door behind her, Kagome let out a heavy sigh and sank onto a nearby couch. She was emotionally and mentally exhausted. Her emotions were tangled and jumbled into one big mass of confusion that not even she could sort through and discern, ensuing in her headache evolving into a full fledged migraine.

Kagome sighed and rubbed her temples with the pads of her forefingers, which practically did nothing to help alleviate the pain in her head. Should she be angry at him? Should she discount the entire situation altogether since technically he didn't do anything wrong in terms of faithfulness? But how could she be around him without thinking about what he did and whom he did it with, not to mention the baby that would make things even more complicated. And it hurt her like hell that she wouldn't be his first or be the one to have his firstborn. She could almost hear the fates laughing at her misfortune for the sake of their own entertainment.

Her eyes drifted to the painted mural of a paradigm of the perfect day that her mother had had orchestrated for the theme of her room on her ceiling. It portrayed fluffy, white clouds floating obliviously amidst the endless blue sky, creating the ideal embodiment of solace and contentment for all those who gazed up at it in all of its glory and magnificence. It was so simple, and yet so multifaceted with its manifold layers and intricate patterns. It was, in a sense, perfect.

`If only life could be so simple, so perfect', Kagome thought wistfully, bringing her hands behind her head in a more lax position. `In a perfect world, there would be no bastard child, no Kikyo to complicate things with her half truths if any at all, and parents who handled their own business instead of relying on their children to solve their problems.'

`But this isn't your dream world, Kagome,' a small voice echoed from the depths of her mind. `And sooner or later, you'regoing to have to face facts and act like a rational adult instead of running away from all of your problems.'

Kagome frowned. `I am not running away. I just needed a little time to think things over away from Inuyasha and everybody else.'

`Sounds like running away to me,' the voice remarked in a deadpanned tone.

The sudden tapping on her balcony doors jolted her from her mental debate and back to reality. `Inuyasha?' Lifting her head off of the cushion, her eyes fell on the green eyed wolf youkai staring back at her through the glass. Both relief and disappointment struggled for dominance within her.

"Are you going to unlock the door or are we just going to stare at each other all day?" Ayame smirked from the other side.

Somewhat reluctant to leave the warmth and comfort of her sofa, Kagome got up and walked over toward the French doors to let in her friend. "What are you doing here?" she asked with a confused smile. Once she had unbolted the doors, she stood face to face with the red head.

The amusement that had danced in her sparkling green eyes dimmed to something that bordered seriousness, which was strange since it was rarely that the wolf youkai, being the free spirit that she was, ever carried any semblance of somberness. And it instantly set Kagome on edge, taking her friend's solemn mood as a sign that something awful had happened. "Is everything alright?" she questioned, panic beginning to seep into her voice.

"Kagome, you need to go to Inuyasha," Ayame stated matter-of-factly.

Panic was instantly taken over by indignant anger. "I don't mean to be rude or anything, but what ever happens between us is our business," Kagome said stiffly. "Thanks for your concern, but its nothing I can't handle." She stepped back into her room and began closing the doors when the other girl's hands grasped the edges with an iron clad grip, effectively preventing her from shutting the doors.

"Look outside of your selfishness Kagome. If you did, you would see how badly you're hurting him," Ayame growled in a low tone, eyes flashing with quickly rising anger.

"How badly he's hurting?" she reiterated incredulously. "Well none of this would've ever happened if he'd kept his pants on!"

"What kind of mate are you, if you can't stand beside him and be there to support him in his darkest hour?" Ayame yelled back heatedly.

"Why does everything have to be about him? What about me? How am I supposed to stand beside him, when he's the one being unfaithful?!"

Ayame let out a short bark of laughter that held no hilarity and shook her head. "Would you listen to yourself for a second? While we're on the subject of unfaithfulness, let me point out a simple fact, the only one who's being disloyal here is you. Instead of remaining devoted to the one you love, you turn tail and run at the sight of trouble. So what, he had a one night stand that resulted in a bastard pup being produced. That is his business. You two weren't together at the time, hence you have no reason to believe that this, in any way, has something to do with you. It is a part of his past and he will deal with it accordingly. Now, stop letting your own selfishness cloud your judgment. I know you're hurting, but just think about how he's feeling. Kikyo shows up with his supposed pup and then you leave him to fend for himself without any moral support whatsoever. He's lost, confused, hurt, angry, and probably burdened with guilt beyond your imagination at what he's done both to himself and to you."

Kagome felt her resolve dissolving, until all that was left was an inexplicable sinking sensation that made her aware of how stupid, childish and selfish she had been towards her husband. He had pleaded to her to stay with him and she had just walked out like it wasn't any of her concern, thinking that he had betrayed their love for one night of passion when the true origin of the child wasn't one hundred percent known. All she had been thinking of was herself and how she was going to cope with this turn of event, not even giving a second thought to how he must be feeling or going through.

Kagome suddenly felt sick to her stomach on the guilt trip Ayame's words sent her on and the truth of it all. Letting go of the door handles, Kagome turned and went back inside to sit down on her bed, the extent of her stupidity finally dawning upon her. "You must think I'm a horrible person," she said putting her face in her hands.

Ayame offered her a half smile as she came to sit down beside the other girl and put a comforting arm around her shoulders. "Not at all. We all make bad decisions; it just takes somebody to point us in the right direction. You've done so much for me, I feel honored to return the favor."

A listless smile crept upon Kagome's face. "Thanks Ayame, for pointing out how much of a jerk I've been."

"No problem," the wolf youkai grinned, slapping her on the back. "Now, are you ready to confront your demons? Oh, wait, I mean your half demon?"

Kagome hesitated to answer, conflicting emotions battling it out on her face. "I don't know. What should I say? How do I apologize for doing something like that?"

"You'll know when the time comes," Ayame reassured her, standing and pulling her to her feet. "Or, you can think about it as we drive back home. Whichever suits you better. As they say, there's no time like the present."

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Twenty minutes later as she walked down the hall leading to Inuyasha's room, Kagome was still no closer to coming up with an acceptable apology for just running out on him like she had done. She bit her lip in query upon coming up to his closed doors. Her hand clasped around the cool, golden handle, but for some reason was unable to open it. Why was she so nervous? This was Inuyasha.

Her hand still refused to obey the mental command to pull the handle to open. Her brows tugged together.

`You're afraid,' the voice in the back of her mind taunted her mockingly.

Was she afraid? But what was there to be afraid of?

`He won't forgive you for walking out on him. If the baby is his, then things will not be the same as they were before it entered the picture. He will always have a connection through the child to Kikyo,' the voice went down a list of possibilities, each one causing the dread that sat like a rock in the pit of her stomach to grow heavier.

Kagome shook the negative thoughts from her head and focused on the task at hand. `Here goes nothing.' Pushing down on the handle, she gently opened the door and poked her head in timidly. "Inuyasha?"

Dead silence answered her inquiry.

Opening the door further, Kagome stepped in, her eyes widening slightly in moderate shock. The room had been complete refurnished from the last time she had been in it. Red and gold was the main theme of the room, complete with a polished oak dinette, a matching red and gold sofa with a love seat, and new tapestries that were decked out in the finest of silk she had ever seen.

Pushing her enamors aside for the moment, or at least until she had a chance to talk to the hanyou, Kagome headed out for the balcony, where she knew he liked to go when he needed to relax or think. Her heart fluttered with a mixture of anticipation and nervousness and happiness when she saw him lounging casually in a chair outside, his feet propped comfortably on the tiny table a few feet away. Though she could only see the back of his head, she knew by the telltale flicker of his ears in her direction that he knew of her presence.

"Come. Have a seat," he broke the silence and gestured to the chair beside his own with a wave of his clawed hand.

Unsure of what to say, Kagome obediently followed his instructions and sat down in the plush chair. A brief silence followed her action as they both stared out over the balcony to watch the setting sun splay a multitude of colors and hues out over the sky. Kagome glanced at him out of the corner of her eye and was neither surprised nor shocked by the blank expression on his face. Her heart fell a little at this.

"Why did you come back?" he asked in a quiet voice, his bland tone betraying none of what he felt, his eyes never leaving the horizon to look her in the face.

"I guess you can say that I realized that I had made a mistake," she answered softly, her gaze shifting so that she could fully look him in the eyes, even though he gave the impression that he wasn't paying her the slightest bit of attention. "After I heard what Kikyo said, the first thing that popped into my head was that you had betrayed me and all of our trials and tribulations we endured and overcame were in vain. I was bombarded with a million thoughts and feelings all at once. At the time, all I could think of was how this was going to affect me. I'm sorry, Inuyasha. I was supposed to be there for you and I wasn't." She looked down at her hands that lay splayed on her lap, a bittersweet smile playing at her lips as a wistful glint flashed in her eyes. "I guess I'm not mate material after all."

Silence weighed heavily in the air once she had finished talking. A slight breeze sieved through her hair as she waited more or less patiently for him to respond, the teasing, light wind doing nothing to lift her spirits. Kagome felt her throat closing up and tried to repress the tears that were beginning to sting the back of her eyeballs, taking his silence as a bad sign. Angling her head so that he wouldn't be able to see the pain on her face, she directed her gaze out towards the sunset, not bothering to wipe away the solitary tear that trailed down her cheek.

Her heart fluttered in surprise within her chest when she felt a calloused finger reach out and capture the tear before it could drip off of her face. Inquisitive blue eyes turned to meet the soft, golden eyes of her husband, who was kneeling in front of her. "I don't ever want to hear you say that you're not mate material," he murmured with a half smile, his palm cupping the side of face as his thumb caressed her cheek lovingly. "You are a wonderful mate. You're patient with me even when I'm acting like an asshole. You're gentle, kind, and so beautiful. Kagome," he stood and pulled her to her feet, his arms snaking around her waist and crushing her to his chest in a bear tight grip, "you are the best thing that has ever happened to me."

A light blush painted Kagome's cheeks in reaction to the warm sensations that were being generated within her stomach, the heavy scent of spices and pure masculinity doing numbers to her insides. "So, you aren't mad at me for selfishly abandoning you?" she inquired hesitantly.

Inuyasha buried his nose in her silken locks and inhaled deeply; still unable to fathom the extent to how much he had missed her in her short absence. "It's not totally your fault. If I hadn't screwed up in the first place, we wouldn't even be in this position right now. Do you forgive me Kagome? If this kid is mine, will you stay by my side?" he asked quietly peering uncertainly down at the woman in his embrace from beneath his thick bangs.

Kagome melted into his hold, her arms winding around his neck as she stood on her tip toes. Her lips hovered dangerously close to his, her breath a feather light caress over his lips before tentatively pressing against them fully. It was meant to be an innocent display of forgiveness and a sign of her undying love for him, but it quickly escalated into raw, animalistic hunger.

It was as if gasoline was running through his veins and the second that he felt her soft lips against his, a single flame had ignited the fire scorching through his blood. He had tried to contain the deep seated need to throw her onto his bed and take her right then, tried to suppress the passion that was welling up within his body, but with her lips gently massaging his, the inhibited yearning he had forced down for the past week came back full force.

Inuyasha deftly slid his hand up her shirt and maneuvered underneath of her bra to delicately trace the curve of her breast with one clawed forefinger, and growled in satisfaction when she gasped. Taking advantage of the situation, Inuyasha slid his tongue past her lips and into her moist cavern that was wet and waiting for him. Tilting her head back with his free hand for better access, he deepened the kiss, his finger rubbing the hardened nipple of her flesh.

Kagome moaned into his mouth, the feelings and sensations he was eliciting within her setting her body on fire for him. She whimpered when his finger retracted from her bra, already missing the erotic rubbing action of his digit against her flesh. Her breath caught when his hand slowly trailed down her stomach to the waistband of her jeans. Torn between the pleasure of his oral assault on her mouth and the torturous feel of his claws as they grazed past her lower abdomen and into her pants, Kagome felt dizzy with bliss and lust all at once, her senses becoming overloaded with a mixture of emotions that were driving her wild with longing.

Inuyasha suddenly froze, his ears swiveling in the direction of the setting sun.

Still caught up in the heat of the moment, a frown tugged her lips downward when he unexpectedly withdrew his hand from her pants and disentangled himself from her arms in favor of looking out beyond the horizon, his body posture stiff with tension. Reining her desires for the moment, she placed a hand on the hanyou's shoulder in confusion. "Are you alright, Inuyasha?"

"Get in the house, Kagome," he growled lowly, his fangs lengthening and protruding, his eyes taking on an unsettling profoundness that had her stomach tying itself in knots.

"Why?" she asked uneasily, her gaze sliding past his form and over the balcony to see what was setting him on edge. She gasped in shock at the horrifying sight that had gathered in the distance and was rapidly approaching them at breakneck speed. Oni. Hundreds of thousands of the disgustingly ugly creatures were flying straight for them, their masses blanketing the sky with their bodies and cloaking the horizon in total darkness.

Kagome felt tendrils of trepidation snake up her spine. This was definitely not good. Something bad was going to happen. She could feel it calling out to her like a sixth sense; the forebodingness of it all lingering thickly in the air. Her hand instinctively sought out her husband's as a means of reassurance. "Inuyasha, what are we going to do? Should we call for help?"

Golden eyes hardened in stubbornness. "No. They're just a bunch of mindless oni. I can take them all by myself." He wrapped his arms around her frame and pulled her close. "Besides," he murmured nipping her ear lobe, "I can protect by myself. I don't need anybody else's help to guard what is mine."

Kagome allowed herself to relax in his comforting hold, his words ringing soothingly in her ears. But it did nothing to quell the apprehension that was gradually building up into full blown panic.