InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ A Little Faith ❯ Chapter 14 ( Chapter 14 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

Disclaimer: Inuyasha and its characters are created by Rumiko Takahashi, not me, but the new plots and the original characters (Akiyama, Katsuo, Natsumi, Shin, Isamu and Moriko) are mine. This fanfiction had been written for entertainment purposes only and without intention of infringing upon any copyright.

A/N: As always, thank you for reading and reviewing this story. This is the longest chapter to date and I hope you will like it.

A Little Faith by elle6778 - Chapter 14

“You are with pup.”

Sesshoumaru's words rang ominously in her ears. Out of the corner of her eyes, she saw Inuyasha's red-robed figure bursting into the clearing, skidding to a stop beside them.

“W-what?” Kagome whispered shakily, staring at Sesshoumaru in disbelief as he led her away from the well. Barely noticing what she was doing, she simply went with him. Pup. Surely he did not mean she was pregnant?

Sesshoumaru turned an unreadable pair of eyes towards her. His tone was flat when he said, “You are breeding.”

She blinked dumbly. Breeding. As in pregnant?

Inuyasha gaped. Then his eyes shot towards Sesshoumaru before returning to her. Stepping closer, he sniffed. “It's… It's…” he faltered, turning a pair of shocked eyes towards Sesshoumaru. “Yours?”

Kagome was jolted out of her stupor by a strangled sound coming from Inuyasha, which was soon followed by a sputter, escalating into a full-blown laughter.

Glaring at him, she snapped, “What's so funny?!” The half demon's hysterics grated at her.

Completely ignoring her, Inuyasha choked on his laughter as he pointed a shaky claw at Sesshoumaru. “You… After everything you said about half-demons…” He paused for breath, clutching his stomach before he continued, “And now you go and pup a human wench! A miko at it! Priceless, Sesshoumaru. Priceless!”

Sesshoumaru's eyes narrowed dangerously.

“Shut up! I'm not pregnant!” Kagome denied shrilly. No, this could not be true.

“Breeding,” Sesshoumaru interjected in a detached tone.

Still laughing, Inuyasha taunted, “You're not that much different from father after all, are you?”

“Silence!” Sesshoumaru snarled.

Her heart sped up as panic overwhelmed her. This could not be happening. Sesshoumaru must be wrong. Abruptly, she pulled herself away from him, her eyes flashing with fury. “I'm not pregnant! I don't care what you say. This whole thing is just a weird dream. I'm going home and that's it!”

“You will not,” Sesshoumaru pronounced stonily.

Her expression tightened with determination. If she had to leave by force, she would. Backing away from him, her outstretched arms glowing threateningly, she gritted out, “Watch me.”

Sesshoumaru tensed visibly. “Do not be foolish, Miko.”

“Foolish?! Listen, you arrogant dog! You agreed to let me go,” she hissed, glaring at him.

Jaws ticking, Sesshoumaru declared, “You may have your freedom, but the pup is an inuyoukai and will remain under the protection of the Western Lands.”

“What? I can't believe this! What? If… and IF I'm actually pregnant, you expect me to leave my child here while I go?!” Kagome fumed.

She could not believe he could be so coldhearted. But then again, considering how he had tricked her and Katsuo, maybe she should not be so surprised. Planting her hands on her hips, she glared at him. “First, you didn't do your part in breaking that stupid bond. You're supposed to just have sex with the demoness, right?” Gesturing at the lower part of his body, she continued to rant, “I mean, how hard is it for you to get it to work? You didn't have a problem before!”

“Miko!” Sesshoumaru interjected tersely.

Not far away, Inuyasha let out a sputter of incredulity. “Sesshoumaru… You mean you can't get it up? Seriously…” Breaking off, the hanyou doubled over again, howling in laughter.

“You will silence yourself, Inuyasha!” Sesshoumaru barked.

Inuyasha continued to convulse, but Kagome ignored the hysterical hanyou, keeping her whole attention on Sesshoumaru. His thunderous expression told her that he was less than pleased with her revelation of his inability to perform. She did not care. After all the pain and anxiety she had gone through in the last two days, he at least deserved to be embarrassed publicly. And anyway, it was not as if she told his servants. Inuyasha was his brother.

“You have given your word not to speak of this matter,” Sesshoumaru bit out.

“Oh? And why should I keep my word when you can break yours whenever you like?” she shot back furiously. “Since you can't keep your word, I'm not planning to hang around any longer. Who knows what other lies you'll come up with? I have had enough of it!” she declared, backing towards the well.

“Miko,” he warned, taking a step towards her. “You will remain in the Western Lands until the pup is born.”

“Why should I stay, huh?” she challenged. She would stall him until she got closer to the well, she thought, inching back further.

Sesshoumaru's eyes flickered uncertainly for a moment before the mask slammed down again. “It is unsafe for you to leave in your condition.”

Taking a few more steps backwards, Kagome snorted in disbelief.

Inuyasha finally sobered up. “Hey… Wait!” he called out, his brows furrowing.

Her palms sparked with her miko powers as she inched closer to the well. “Stay back. I mean it!”

Sesshoumaru's expression darkened, while Inuyasha gaped at her glowing hands. When Sesshoumaru took another step towards her, Kagome gritted her teeth and immediately released a bolt of energy at his feet. The taiyoukai simply sidestepped it, his eyes not leaving her.

“What the hell!” Inuyasha yelled, jumping out of range.

Letting out another blast, Kagome spun around and ran.

…***…***…***…

Her sudden flight drove Sesshoumaru into motion, sending him streaking after her. Dimly, he wondered why was she so insistent on jumping into the well. Before she could do so, he clamped his hands around her shoulders, lifting her away from the wooden rim. The miko released a squeal of outrage and then began to strike him with her glowing hands, further inciting his displeasure at the entire situation. How dare she disobey him? Not only that, she had the audacity to attack him with her miko powers.

“You will remain,” he hissed, glaring into her furious brown orbs.

Yes, she would remain until the pup was born, for at the moment, it was not possible to ascertain who sired the pup. They would only know once the pup was born since at the moment, all he could tell was that the pup carried the scent of an inuyoukai.

“NO!” she yelled, her voice laced with desperation as she thrashed violently in an attempt to escape his hold. “I'm not staying here anymore!”

Sesshoumaru tightened his grip, ignoring her wince of pain. “You will cease your struggles, Miko!”

Inuyasha was suddenly beside them, a frown adorning his brows. “Oi, Sesshoumaru! Let her go before you break her arm.”

Sesshoumaru growled as he directed an irritated glance at the hanyou. Inuyasha's seeming concern for the miko's welfare grated at his nerves. He released her arm, but immediately held her around the waist securely. Knowing her, she would no doubt attempt to escape and he had no intention of allowing such an action.

“Let me go!” she shrieked into his ear.

Suppressing the urge to flinch at her pitch, he gritted out, “You will return to the Western Lands.”

“NO!!!”

Struggling ferociously, she attempted to burn him with her pure power once again. Not intending to concede, Sesshoumaru simply ascended into the air with the furious miko secured in his arms.

Glancing down at a dumbfounded Inuyasha, he instructed levelly, “You will follow on ground.”

Without waiting for a response, Sesshoumaru guided his cloud towards the west. It was only then that the miko ceased her foolish struggles for the fear of falling from his cloud. Her resentment was palpable. However, he chose to ignore it. Instead, he focused on returning home as fast as he could while traveling at a speed which the hanyou below could sustain. The notion of siring a pup unsettled him and he needed to meditate upon its implications in the relative peace of his abode.

“Please, let me go, Sesshoumaru!” the miko pled, squirming ineffectively in his hold. “Don't do this. I need to go home.”

“Cease your movements.”

“I'm not pregnant! And you can't tell so early anyway!”

The situation obviously required some clarification. “You carry the scent of an inuyoukai within your body,” he told her evenly. In a few months, he would be able to tell which inuyoukai's scent it was. His or Katsuo's.

“How can you possibly tell?” she snapped, disbelief written all over her face.

Aware of her lack of knowledge in demonic matters, he explained, “Inuyoukai's sense of smell is stronger than most, therefore we are able to detect what most demons could not.” He flicked a warning glance at her. “Should you decide to escape, this Sesshoumaru will be able to track you easily.”

A sputter of outrage broke from her. He tensed as her anger brought her miko powers to the surface. Forcing himself not to flinch once again, Sesshoumaru simply ignored the burning sensation against his skin and sped up. The miko directed another glare at him before she pointedly turned away from him.

The silence which followed was far from comfortable.

He despised the fact that he had gone back on his words. The fact that he had done it twice in just as many days irked him to no end. However, he could not simply allow her to leave without knowing who had fathered the pup she was carrying. It did not matter. Whether it was Katsuo's or his, the pup would remain under the protection of the Western Lands.

When they finally arrived at the castle, the miko had already fallen asleep, obviously exhausted from her previous struggles. Without a word to his curious servants and guards, Sesshoumaru carried her to her sleeping chamber. When she was tucked in securely under the covers, he stepped out and raised a barrier around the chamber. He would not risk her escaping.

Inuyasha was there when he turned around, wearing a perplexed expression. “What's going on, Sesshoumaru?”

The taiyoukai's lips tightened.

Inuyasha was the cause of all this chaos. If he had not allowed himself to be sealed, then the miko would simply be another servant. Instead, the need to bring forth her powers had resulted in a series of events which brought them to this disturbing state of affairs. As it was, there were still a few issues which he needed to settle with Inuyasha.

“Come,” Sesshoumaru instructed coldly as he walked to his study. What he wanted to say to Inuyasha would be said in the privacy of his study. When both of them were there, Sesshoumaru raised a barrier around the space before turning his attention to his half-brother.

“What is going on, Sesshoumaru? This miko…” Inuyasha paused, frowning. “What's her name anyway?”

“Kagome.”

“Why the hell is she so desperate to leave?”

He did not know why the miko wanted to leave so badly, Sesshoumaru realized. Perhaps the unpleasant mess of events which had occurred in the past months had finally taken its toll on her.

Inuyasha frowned in thoughtful contemplation, then his eyes widened. “Wait! You FORCED her?”

Sesshoumaru's eye's narrowed at the hanyou's accusation. He would never lower himself to such a despicable act. Then he tensed as he recalled that he had forced her to rut with Katsuo. However, he did not wish to explain anything to Inuyasha. “We will not speak of this matter.”

The hanyou blinked at him incredulously. Then he shook his head as if to clear it. Taking a deep breath, he asked with a worried frown, “Fine. First of all, this fifty years thing, it can't be real, right?”

Sesshoumaru suppressed the urge to sigh in relief at the departure from the subject of the miko. “This Sesshoumaru assures you that you have indeed disgraced the name of our line for the past fifty years.” he said dryly. “Your actions dishonored our father's reputation. And you shall be punished accordingly for your transgression.”

Eyes bulging, Inuyasha exploded indignantly, “WHAT?! What are you talking about? I didn't ASK to be sealed to a tree.”

Sesshoumaru simply quirked a brow. “Little brother, you brought such fate upon yourself.”

Inuyasha averted his gaze. “Kikyo…” he hissed, clenching his fists spasmodically. “I'll have my revenge!”

“It is not necessary.”

“What do you mean?”

“The miko is dead.”

Inuyasha paled. “D-Dead?”

“Hn.”

“How?”

“Such minor detail does not interest this Sesshoumaru.”

Inuyasha brought a clawed hand up to rub the back of his neck in a gesture of discomfort. When he spoke, his voice was gruff. “Look, I didn't mean to do any damage to father's reputation. I… I just…trusted her.”

It was apparent that it was Inuyasha's human half which had brought this affliction upon him. “Perhaps you would learn from your mistake. However, you will still be punished.”

Inuyasha crossed his arms over his chest. “Keh! You can't force me to do anything,” he declared stubbornly.

Sesshoumaru's eyes narrowed. “Perhaps you wish to be banished from the Western Lands?”

Jumping around, Inuyasha stared at him disbelievingly. “WHAT?”

“This Sesshoumaru does not repeat himself.”

Pointing a shaky claw at him, Inuyasha snarled, “You can't do this Sesshoumaru!”

“The Western Lands do not need someone who refuses to accept the consequences of his actions.”

Eyes narrowing, Inuyasha hissed angrily as he took a step forward, “Why you…”

Sesshoumaru saw his half brother's claws reaching for him long before it came close enough to do any damage. With a smirk, Sesshoumaru streaked to the side. This was what he required, a good battle to release all his tension.

Inuyasha launched into the air, his claws outstretched as he swooped down. Releasing his youki whip, Sesshoumaru snapped the glowing strand at his half-brother, watching with satisfaction as Inuyasha's eyes widened in alarm before he took the hit.

“You are as weak as ever,” Sesshoumaru taunted, knowing that it would irk the hanyou.

Pushing himself to his feet, Inuyasha spat, “Shut up!”

Then the hanyou charged again, slashing his claws back and forth. Sesshoumaru's lips thinned as he drove a fist into the hanyou's jaw. Inuyasha's skills were in dire need of improvement. With that, Sesshoumaru swung around, spinning his whip around him.

An outraged snarl escaped Inuyasha's lips as the whip connected with him, throwing him clear across the room. He crashed into the shelves, bringing the scrolls tumbling down onto him. With a blur of motion, Sesshoumaru was by Inuyasha's side, his striped wrist flexing as he held sharp claws to the hanyou's neck.

“Submit!”

Inuyasha growled at him.

“Cease this foolishness, Inuyasha. Your skills require improvement if you wish to battle with this Sesshoumaru.”

Glaring at him, Inuyasha simply bared his fangs. In retaliation, Sesshoumaru allowed some of his poison to sizzle out of his claws.

Inuyasha's eyes rounded.

“FINE! I'll take the stupid punishment. Now let me go,” the hanyou snapped irritably.

Smirking in satisfaction, Sesshoumaru released his hold on Inuyasha and took a step back. Still glaring at him, the hanyou shrugged his haori into place.

“So what exactly do you want me to do?” Inuyasha asked defiantly.

Sesshoumaru had not thought much about the matter. However, at this very moment, there was one task which he could place upon the hanyou. “You will guard the miko until the pup is born.”

Inuyasha gaped. “What? You're sticking me with someone who looks like Kikyo for what? Five months?”

“Kagome is not your Kikyo,” Sesshoumaru intoned in a tight voice. “You will keep that in mind.”

Inuyasha frowned. “Hey, that pup is yours, right?”

Sesshoumaru chose to remain silent.

Unperturbed, Inuyasha continued, “What are you going to do with her after the pup is born?”

“That's none of your concern.” In truth, he had yet to come to terms with this new development and required more time to ponder upon this unexpected event. Inuyasha's question raised many issues.

Inuyasha crossed his arms and sneered, “Keh! With all your talk about honor and shit, don't you think you should mate her?”

Sesshoumaru stilled.

All of a sudden, the sense of betrayal of the broken bond returned, rolling over him relentlessly. Absently, he realized that he had never been as unsettled in his long life as he had felt for the last few weeks. His lips tightened. No, never again would he subject himself to such a thing. It had weakened him, driving him to peculiar actions and brought him nothing but frustration and distress.

“No. This Sesshoumaru will not mate the miko.”

Not again.

…***…***…***…

The familiar room greeted her eyes as Kagome woke from her slumber. She shifted on the futon until she ended up sitting at the edge, her gaze landing on the pouch containing her uniform and the kimono.

Instantly, the recent events crashed over her, stoking the embers within her until she burned with rage once again. She could not believe what was happening to her. Though she should have expected it. After all, what they had sex without any form of protection. However, Sesshoumaru's high-handedness was completely unnecessary. Why did he have to manhandle her like that? And even though his masked expression, she could tell that he was not happy about the baby. Kagome snorted derisively. Of course he was not happy. He probably did not want it and only brought her back because he thought it was the right thing to do.

Kagome sighed heavily. She supposed that she had no choice but to stay. At least until she figured out a plan of some sort. Then she narrowed her eyes. In the meantime, Sesshoumaru should stay out of her sight if he valued his body parts. She had this barely suppressible urge to mutilate the taiyoukai.

“Did you rest well?” someone asked.

Turning around to find Natsumi staring at her, Kagome forced herself to smile. “I suppose.” The demoness had been sitting here watching her while she slept?

Natsumi did not return her smile. Instead, her eyes clouded slightly as she lowered her eyes.

Kagome sighed. It was not as if she did not know what Natsumi was thinking. That night, it had been clear from the girl's reaction that something was going on between her and Katsuo. Katsuo obviously had not told her about their lack of sexual intercourse. But Kagome knew that it would be hard for Katsuo to explain to Natsumi without going into the full story. And that was the last thing Kagome wanted to do, and Katsuo knew it. They had to find a way to explain it to her.

“Natsumi…” she began as she stood up.

A forced smile appeared on the other girl's lips. “Is there something I could bring you? Otherwise, I will inform the lord that you are awake.”

Kagome shook her head sadly. It would take time before Natsumi felt comfortable around her again, she thought, watching the girl bow and leave. Numbly, she changed her outfit and stepped out of the room. As she walked towards the courtyard, she mulled over Sesshoumaru's unexpected declaration. Somehow, she did not think that he would lie to her about something this important. So she must be pregnant.

Walking past the hotsprings and the rock outcrop surrounding the steaming water, she continued on towards the garden. So what should she do now?

She could always try to escape again, but what would she do once she got home, pregnant with Sesshoumaru's child? Single mothers were not unheard of, so she supposed she could just raise the child with her family's help. But that was hardly fair to the child, seeing that he or she would be fatherless. However, much as she liked the idea of escaping, she knew that it would not be possible, considering Sesshoumaru's threat to literally sniff her out. But if she was very, very careful?

The alternative would be to stay in the Feudal Era with Sesshoumaru and raise the child here. But that would mean that she never see her family again. Did Sesshoumaru really want the child anyway? He had insisted that she returned, but what if he was doing this only because of some misguided sense of responsibility?

“Oi! Where do you think you're going?”

Startled, Kagome jumped a little before looking up to find a red-clad figure crouching on a branch of a tree. “What are you doing up there?” she asked. Then when his words sank in, she frowned. “And since when do I have to answer to you?”

Inuyasha stepped off the branch to land in front of her. Crossing his arms over his chest, he said, “Keh! Since Sesshoumaru decided that you need to be guarded.”

The muscle under her eyes twitched. The nerve of the demon, she fumed. She knew for sure that escaping was out of the question now. Still, Sesshoumaru's continual high-handedness irritated her to no end. “Well, you can tell him that I don't need a guard.”

Inuyasha raised a brow. “You think I want to waste my time following some stinking human miko around?”

Kagome bristled. “I don't stink!” she shot back. Then her eyes widened when she noticed the bruises on his jaw for the first time. “What happened to you?”

“It's nothing.” His tone was gruff.

“Let me have a look at it,” she said, reaching out a hand.

“I said, it's nothing,” he insisted impatiently.

Kagome let her hand drop. “Fine,” she snapped. “I'm offering to heal it, but since you don't need it…” she trailed off.

“Keh!”

Rolling her eyes, Kagome began to walk away, only to find that Inuyasha was just three steps behind her. Rounding on him, she glared. “Stop it! Go away!”

“Get used to it. Because I'm not going anywhere until you give birth to the brat.”

Kagome's jaw went slack. “You mean I have to put up with you for nine months?”

“Nine?” Inuyasha echoed, looking a little puzzled.

She ground her teeth together. “There is NO WAY you'll be shadowing me. AT ALL!” What was Sesshoumaru thinking? This was HIS child, and he could not even be bothered to look after her on his own? Not that she needed him to look after her, but it was the principle of the thing.

Inuyasha raised a brow. “And what are you going to do about it? And don't even think that I'm liking this.”

“Then don't do it,” she gritted out slowly.

Inuyasha leaned close to her, his expression twisted in a scowl. “I said… Get used to it!” he snapped.

“What is going on here?” a familiar voice demanded.

“Katsuo!” Kagome exclaimed, her tension suddenly leaving her at the sight of her friend. Katsuo was some distance away, staring at them with a wary expression. Running towards him, she threw her arms around Katsuo in a hug.

“You're back!” The grey-haired hanyou gave her a smile before pulling away. Then his expression turned sober and he blinked in astonishment. “Kagome… You're...” Katsuo faltered as he gestured to her stomach.

Kagome groaned. Inuyoukai's noses. She supposed that her scent only showed after a few days, seeing that no one had noticed before. And now, everyone would know. “Pregnant,” she supplied, giving him a baleful look.

Katsuo's eyes brightened for a moment, only to be overshadowed by a frown on his forehead a moment later. “But the mating bond…” he began, squeezing her arms gently.

Shaking her head, Kagome opened her mouth to reply only to shriek in alarm when she found herself pulled abruptly away from Katsuo.

“Oi! What the hell do you think you're doing?” Inuyasha snapped, giving her an incredulous look.

Katsuo frowned disapprovingly. “You were shouting at her. Don't do it again.”

“Keh! So what! You just mind your own business.”

The general's blue eyes narrowed. “I only obey Lord Sesshoumaru's command. Not yours,” he scorned.

Inuyasha crossed his arms over his chest. “Just stay the hell away from her.”

“Inuyasha!” Kagome protested indignantly as she rounded on him. “I don't care what Sesshoumaru says. Katsuo is my friend and you're not stopping me from talking to him.”

Scowling, Inuyasha retorted, “If it was up to me, you can do whatever the hell you want to.”

“Fine. That's exactly what I'm going to do,” Kagome shot back.

Inuyasha blinked. But before he could open his mouth to respond, Kagome linked her arm through Katsuo's pulling him away. At least Katsuo was still around to be her friend, she thought irritably.

When she glanced over her shoulders, she found Inuyasha following them with a sour look on his face.

…***…***…***…

“Inuyasha,” Kagome whispered as she opened her eyes to the present world.

Then she sat up in her bed as his image superimposed on a modern version of him. It was the same person she had met in IY Media and Entertainment. His strange reaction made sense now. He must have recognized her from his dreams. She clapped a hand on her forehead, wondering just who else from the past was around in this era.

The sound of footsteps filtered through the open window.

It must be her mother, Kagome surmised as she sat up. She glanced outside, noting that it morning had dawned. It was time for the dreaded confrontation, she decided firmly. Considering how her mother had reacted last time, Kagome knew that she would not like this particular topic of discussion, but she could not continue without knowing the truth.

Standing up quietly, she left her room and padded downstairs. The living room was empty. Her grandfather was probably already in the shrine, and the only sound she could hear was from the kitchen. Steeling herself, Kagome walked purposefully to the back of the house, stopping only when her eyes landed on her mother. Souta was nowhere to be seen, and she surmised that he must have stayed overnight with the neighbors' son.

“Mom.”

“You're up early, Kagome,” her mother said, turning over her shoulders with a smile. “Would you like something to eat or drink before you go?” she asked, obviously thinking that her daughter had an early shift.

Kagome shook her head, wondering how she should broach the subject.

Her mother stilled her movements, as if sensing her dilemma. Turning around fully, she asked, “Is everything alright?”

“Mom…” she began haltingly. “This might sound really stupid, but…” She took a deep breath before she let out the words in a rush, “The two year coma. Did it actually happen?”

Right before her, her mother paled. Alarmed, Kagome immediately ran forward and pulled her mother down to a chair. Wordlessly, her mother stared at her with troubled eyes as she sat down. But her mother's reaction told her that there was definitely more to the story than she had let on.

“Mom. This is really important. You've got to tell me what really happened in those two years,” she urged.

Her mother slumped visibly, and then she shook her head slowly. To Kagome's horror, tears began to shimmer in her eyes.

“I'm sorry, Kagome,” she choked out, putting a hand against her forehead.

Kagome immediately placed her arms around her mother's shoulders. It distressed her that her question had made her mother cry, but she needed to know the truth. “Don't cry, Mom,” she whispered, tightening her arms.

“I don't know what to tell you.”

Kagome bit back the urge to rush her mother. Whatever this was, it was obviously something upsetting. “How about starting at the beginning?” she prompted haltingly.

Her mother's eyes took on a faraway look, and then she sighed heavily. “W-We just didn't know what to do. Souta saw you falling into the well and when your grandfather and I got there, we couldn't find anything. It was like you were never there at all. Your grandfather told us about the mystical powers of the well and for once, we believed him. We kept looking into the well and around it. For two years, we searched for you, while we told everyone that we sent you overseas to be treated for your illness and that you were in a coma.” Her mother paused, wiping her eyes on her sleeves.

“So I wasn't in a coma,” Kagome said numbly. They lied to her. Her family lied to her. Why?

Her mother shook her head. “No. But when we found you by the well, you were unconscious. You've been missing for so long that I didn't want to send you to a hospital, didn't want to let you out of my sight. So I got the doctor to make a house call, you know, Jii-chan's old friend? You woke up a few hours after we found you, but you didn't remember anything.”

Kagome frowned. Things had been rather fuzzy those few days, she admitted. “Why didn't you tell me what happened then?”

“We don't know what to tell you. We don't know what happened. The doctor advised us to let you remember things by yourself. He said that the mind often blocks out traumatic experiences until one could cope with it.”

“I see,” she whispered weakly.

“You're remembering things?” her mother asked worriedly.

Kagome stared down at her entwined hands. “Remember the dreams I've been having? I think they are memories from that two years. I think Sachimaru is really my son.”

Her mother gasped, and then her expression turned wary. “Kagome, Sachimaru is six. If you had him in those two years, he would only be four.”

Smiling sadly, Kagome shook her head. “We don't know how old he is, remember? We just thought he looked about three years old when we found him.”

“Kagome, He's too big to be four,” her mother insisted, a worried frown creasing her brows. “And who is his father?”

Kagome looked down at her hands. It was obvious that her mother thought she was crazy. And Kagome had no doubt that once her mother heard about the rest of it, she would be doubly sure that there was something seriously wrong with her daughter.

Taking a deep breath, Kagome whispered, “Sachimaru is not fully human.”

Silence descended upon them.

“What do you mean, Kagome?” her mother asked quietly.

Kagome forced herself to continue, despite her mother's increasingly anxious looks. “His father is a demon.”

“A demon,” her mother echoed numbly. “Demons are just…stories, Kagome.”

Smiling weakly, Kagome shook her head. “I'm afraid not. There are demons in my dreams and the dreams are real. Not to mention that I've actually met Sachimaru's father just a few weeks ago. He's having dreams too. The same ones.”

“Kagome…” her mother faltered, obviously uncertain how she should continued. Then she asked, “Why are you so sure that they are not just dreams?”

“Mom, I had a physical examination done at the local hospital yesterday. Because I just wanted to check if I'm still… uh… the same as I was before. Something… happened in the dream and I wanted to see if it was true.” Her lips twisted in self-mockery. “Guess what? It seemed that I've given birth at some point in the past. Or at least, something quite large had come out of me.”

Her mother's face crumpled. “Oh, Kagome… But at that time you were only…”

“Sixteen,” Kagome supplied. Thinking back to the dreams, she added, “Actually, it probably happened even before I was sixteen. And that's why I think that the dreams are actually memories and not just dreams, and that Sachimaru's father is definitely not human.”

“But…”

Shaking her head vehemently, Kagome insisted, “Don't you see how strong Sachimaru is? And how fast he heals? It's not something normal humans can do.”

A thoughtful look came across her mother's face. Then a heavy sigh left her. “What are you going to do now?” she asked.

Kagome shrugged. “I don't know. I mean, there's really nothing much to do. The dreams keep coming, so I guess at some point, I'll find out what actually happened in those two years.”

“Talk to Sachimaru's father. He might know something,” her mother suggested.

“No.” Her voice was hard and uncompromising.

Her mother looked confused. “But, Kagome… Why not? I would like to meet the father of my grandson.”

Kagome looked down at her clasped hands. “That's not a good idea, Mom. I don't want him to know about Sachimaru. I don't want him to take Sachimaru away from me,” she admitted in a small voice.

Her mother gave her a stern look. “He IS Sachimaru's father, and he has the right to know. Also, if the dreams are progressing like you said, then sooner or later, he will find out. Don't you think that he would be less angry if you told him before he found out for himself?”

Her mother was right, Kagome thought with a sinking feeling. She should talk to Sesshoumaru, she admitted. Avoiding him was not going to help her get to the bottom of this. But she would rather take longer to find out what was happening rather than risk losing Sachimaru.

Sachimaru.

Only now that it all clicked into place. At that very moment, her overriding thought was that Sachimaru was really her son. Her biological son. A feeling of exhilaration coursed through her as she stood up. Suddenly, she needed to see Sachimaru.

“Thank you for telling me, Mom,” she exclaimed, giving her mother a tight hug.

Her mother's smile was sad. “I'm sorry I kept it from you so long.”

Kagome pulled back to look into her mother's eyes. Seeing the contrition in them, she assured her mother, “It's okay. Don't think about it anymore.”

With that, Kagome climbed the stairs to her son's room. She stood at the doorway, staring at Sachimaru as she had done just last night. He looked so innocent, sleeping curled on his side with a small pout on his lips, while the moonlight glinted off his silver locks. Stepping next to the bed, she bent down.

“You're really mine,” she whispered into his forehead.

“Okaa-san,” Sachimaru muttered as he blinked blearily up at her. “What's wrong?”

Her smile was tremulous. “Nothing. Everything is fine.”

…***…***…***…

Sesshoumaru tapped a clawless finger against the steering wheel as he ran over the events of the past in his mind for the umpteenth time in an attempt to arrive at a suitable method to encourage the present miko to speak.

The dissolution of the mating bond had been handled badly, Sesshoumaru thought with a grimace. On hindsight, he should have considered possible alternatives once he found that he physically could not copulate with the demonesses. He did not understand why it had not occurred to his past self that the betrayal did not necessarily mean one which involved sexual contact.

It would have saved his past self a significant amount of distress. Even now, it pained him to remember his self-inflicted torture, watching the miko interacting with Katsuo and a reluctant Inuyasha. His past self had refused to approach the miko. Furthermore, his past self had been unable to dismiss the feeling of remorse and betrayal that continued to plague him, even as he wondered who had sired the pup.

Sesshoumaru's lips thinned. From what he could recall of his servant's reactions, everyone assumed that the pup was his. Now, five hundred years into the future, Sesshoumaru was certain that the pup was his, and not Katsuo's. But his past self had foolishly chosen not to see it.

Yes, he would admit that he had been foolish in the past, as long as this very scandalous thought remained in the privacy of his own mind.

Sesshoumaru exhaled loudly. The pup called Sachimaru may well be the same one as the one in the miko's womb. He was only uncertain why the pup had remained so young for five centuries. And why was the pup not with him all this time? He did not wish to consider the alternative; that the pup born five hundred years ago did not survive, and this Sachimaru was someone else's pup.

He bit back a growl. Perhaps it was the result of another error by his past self. It was agonizing to watch his past self make one mistake after another but he was unable to change the past, much as he wished to do so.

However, he was determined not to make similar mistakes this time.

He certainly would not make assumptions without proper verification, he decided grimly. This meant that he would need to insist that the present miko revealed what she knew of the past. Such a thing would not be simple, considering what her past self had gone through with him. He should expect this present miko to be distrustful of his motives.

It was imperative that he gained her trust this time.

With that thought, Sesshoumaru exited his car and locked the door. Looming before him was his destination, Tsukuyo Medical. His steps echoed in determination as he strode past the reception into the area designated for paramedics. If she was not there, he would simply wait until she turned up.

The miko would not escape him this time.

A moment later, his ears detected the sound of her laughter. Cautiously, he slowed his steps until he laid eyes on her.

She was standing at the doorway of the staff room, talking to another paramedic with her side facing him. By their own volition, his eyes dropped to her flat belly. Swiftly, he forced his eyes back up. No, he told himself firmly. It would not do to mistake one miko for another, even if one was a reincarnation of the other.

In the distance, he could see the rapid flicker of her lashes just a moment before she tensed. Abruptly, without glancing in his direction, she spun around and began to walk away rapidly.

Sesshoumaru was certain that she had seen him, as her hasty departure from the staff room could mean nothing else. Unconcerned, he simply strode after her, noting with some amusement that she was attempting to walk as quickly as possible without drawing attention. Lengthening his stride, Sesshoumaru persisted until he caught up with her just as she was about to pass a door.

Sensing no sign of life on the other side of the door, Sesshoumaru decided that it would suffice for their discussion.

She released a squeak of surprise as he pulled the door open and maneuvered her into the space. It was only when the door had shut behind him with a final click that he realized just how small the room was. It appeared to be a linen closet and was certainly not designed to accommodate two persons.

Their eyes clashed, and he could see the shock in hers. He bit back a groan when he realized that he could feel every curve of her body against his own. It brought back certain discomfiting memories. In addition to that, it was rather unsettling just how familiar she felt against him. The only thing which was different was the lack of the miko's unique peach scent.

Still, this situation could prove to be beneficial to his cause. After all, she could hardly flee while he was standing between her and the door.

…***…***…***…

Kagome's breath caught in her throat at the sensation of a hard body pressed unnervingly close to her. What was he doing here? And why the hell did he push her into a closet? Oh, Kami, she needed to get away. And fast.

The way his body molded around hers brought forth the dream of their mating. She instantly flushed uncomfortably as the images of their tangled limbs came to mind. Now that she knew that those dreams were not really of her past self, she felt rather awkward facing him like this.

Normal. She had to strive for normality.

“Sess…” Kagome began, and then quickly corrected, “Mr. Taishou.” Hopefully, the formality would keep a distance between them. Right now, she desperately needed that distance. Even though that proved to be a little difficult considering that she was pressed flush against him.

But Sesshoumaru obviously did not feel the same way, seeing the way his eyes remained fixed to hers. It was as if he was trying to look through her. Her lips parted slightly as she met his molten gaze. Or was it something else?

“Miko.”

Flashes of the dream she had a few night back bombarded her mind again, making her groan in frustration. They had done it not once, but twice in that one night. And why was she thinking of this particular dream right now? Her mind could not have picked a worse time. Was she going to dream of their mating every time they met, she wondered, mortified.

Then there was the issue with the bond breaking and him informing her that she was pregnant. Although it had arrived as a surprise in the past, her future self had expected it after the recent revelations. She still had no idea how she and Sachimaru had ended up in the future, and that none of them remembered anything until recently, but she had faith that the truth would surface as the dreams progressed. And she had a feeling that whatever it was, it was not going to be pleasant.

Please, don't let him be here to talk about the dreams. She did not think she could handle it. Feeling acutely uncomfortable, she tried to shift further back, only to encounter hard shelves behind her. Think, Kagome, think! The demon was under the impression that he had mated and then un-mated with her past self and she had to let him believe it.

Calm. Stay calm. “Uh… Can I help you with something?” she forced out.

“Is something bothering you?” he asked instead.

“Heh…heh… Of course not! Nothing at all!” she squeaked, and then closed her eyes in mortification. Great, Kagome. You sounded really calm there. She took a deep breath. “Just a little tired.”

“Sleepless nights, Miko? Disturbing dreams, perhaps?” he asked smoothly as something flashed across his eyes.

This must be his way of asking her about THAT dream. She felt him pressing closer, whether it was deliberate or not, she could not tell. He was so close that she hardly dared to breathe, for each breath would push her even closer to him. Why the hell couldn't he move back just a little?

Then her eyes bulged as a sudden thought occurred to her. Surely he could not be thinking…

“Sesshoumaru…” she began, all thoughts of being formal leaving her mind. “You mated with my past self and everything that had happened, happened with HER. I'm just a reincarnation, remember? None of this has anything to do with me. So, don't think that I'm going to allow you to… umm…” Not knowing quite how to voice her thoughts, she simply glanced pointedly at the place where his body was pressed against hers.

He regarded her contemplatively before he replied, “I did not imply such a thing.”

She laughed weakly. “Right…”

“I did not come to speak about the mating. Nor the manner in which the bond was dissolved.”

Kagome willed herself not to panic. There was only one more thing that he could possibly want to discuss. She suddenly felt cold. If she could help it, Sesshoumaru would never find out about Sachimaru. Actually, she would go out of her way to stop him from finding out about the boy.

Sesshoumaru said, “You are pregnant.”

Her eyes bulged. “I'm most certainly not,” she denied indignantly.

His brow furrowed. “Your dream self,” he corrected testily.

She averted her gaze. There was no use denying it, but so long as she could convince him that it all happened in the past, then he would have no reason to suspect that Sachimaru was around, right? “Well, it was unprotected sex. I guess condoms were not that common five centuries ago, huh?”

She closed her eyes in embarrassment when she realized what had just come out of her mouth. No, she could not possibly be discussing condoms with Sesshoumaru. Compelled by some morbid curiosity, she glanced up to gauge his reaction.

To her astonishment, his lips twitched in amusement. Her jaw dropped as she blinked in disbelief. He has a sense of humor after all. Who would have guessed?

“Do you have a son?”

Kagome felt her heart stop. No, please, she pled wordlessly. It could not come out like this.

The sound of a cellphone ringing saved her from answering.

…***…***…***…

Sesshoumaru was sorely tempted to ignore the ringing of his cellphone. He would not leave the miko until he ascertained if the pup, Sachimaru, was somehow the same as the one the miko in the past was carrying.

However, considering the current state of affairs in the demon community, it would be wise to answer the call.

“Yes?” he bit out.

“We've got a problem, Sesshoumaru.”

Eyes not leaving the miko, Sesshoumaru asked his half-brother, “What is the matter?”

“Some idiot demons are fighting in the streets and the whole mess is being caught on camera. They're not ours.”

“The streets,” Sesshoumaru echoed disbelievingly. Which demon was foolish enough to do such a thing? Exposing their powers to the public was tantamount to suicide. Was this another one of Naraku's schemes?

His voice uncharacteristically grave, Inuyasha continued, “That's not the worst thing. The whole thing is being broadcasted live on the news as we speak.”

Sesshoumaru inhaled sharply. “Where are they?”

Just then, a beeping sound echoed through the room. As he listened to Inuyasha describe the incident, he watched Kagome retrieve her pager.

They needed to do some damage control. “Scramble the news feed. Make sure everyone remains where they are. They are not to draw attention to this incident.”

“A little late, don't you think?” Inuyasha retorted dryly. “Anyway, Isamu left just a second ago with a few others to try to keep a handle on the situation. Like getting rid of the reporters.”

“Hn.” Isamu had always understood the necessity of being discreet. However, Inuyasha would need to play his part as well. “Bring yourself to Tsukuyo Medical. The demons will be there later.”

Inuyasha sputtered and then protested vehemently, “What? NO! I'm not going to-”

Ending the call abruptly, Sesshoumaru turned around to find that the miko had her hand on the door handle. Clamping a hand around her arm, he bit out, “We are not finished.”

She wrenched her arm away from him. “You have to quit doing that. Finished or not, I'm going. I have a job to do.” Squeezing past him, she yanked open the closet door and stepped out.

Exiting right behind her, and ignoring all the curious looks directed their way, Sesshoumaru asked, “Where are you going?”

“Three blocks down towards the east,” she replied absently as she dashed down the hallway.

Sesshoumaru's eyes narrowed. That was where Inuyasha had said the fight was taking place. He was unable to tell how she would react to the scene in the streets as what she would see soon would certainly be demonic injuries.

“Do you know what to expect?” he asked carefully.

She frowned absently. “Of course. You think I can't do my job?”

Deciding to test her, he remarked evenly, “The injuries will be different from what you're familiar with.”

She paused and then gave him a stunned look as comprehension dawned. “You mean they are demonic? I've seen those, remember?”

“Hn.” She was certainly more perceptive than her comparatively naïve past self. However, it should be expected, considering that she was older than the miko she was reincarnated from.

She inhaled deeply, closing her eyes as she did so. Then she opened them to reveal a pair of determined brown orbs. “I'll manage somehow.”

“Hn.”

With that, he inclined his head at her and proceeded to head for the roof of Tsukuyo Medical. He had no intention of joining the human traffic. The urgency of the situation demanded a faster form of travel. When he reached the roof, he instantly transformed into his energy orb and streaked towards his destination.

Barely any time had passed before he arrived, recomposing himself discreetly behind a building before he strode out into the street.

He noted that a small team from Taishou Securities was already there. Although random street fights were not their responsibility, his uniformed security team made an imposing sight as they disbanded the protesting reporters. Unfortunately, the two fighting demons simply ignored them. The crowd was gasping, their eyes wide in astonishment as they continued to watch the battle.

Sesshoumaru felt his blood run cold as his eyes landed on the fight. This was worse than he had thought. Too many humans were observing this and any attempts to cover up the incident would prove to be near impossible.

The two unfamiliar demons lashed out at each other, unconcerned with their audience. The only sign of their demonic heritage were their speed and strength. There were no visible flashes of youki in their attacks, at least none which could be discerned by the human eye. One of then snarled before turning around to pull a lamppost out of the pavement. The crowd gasped and immediately scattered as the demon swung the lamppost around.

Sesshoumaru watched stonily as Isamu and his team ushered the spectators away from the scene. In the distance, he could hear the sound of police sirens. This incident needed to be contained before the police arrived, Sesshoumaru thought as he returned his attention to the fighting demons. Although they were already bleeding from their wounds, they still continued to fight at full demonic speed, fueled by something unnatural. Finally, a particularly heavy blast from both of them resulted in the two demons being thrown apart.

Before they could get to their feet, Sesshoumaru directed a cautioning wave of his youki towards the two fighting demons.

Still sprawled on the ground, they instantly froze. Slowly, they turned to face him.

Sesshoumaru shot a look of warning at them. Then his eyes narrowed as he detected a familiar flash of blue. Akiyama's presence might complicate matters. After all, with everything that had happened recently, he was not certain if he understood where the elemental stood.

Out of the corner of his eyes, he saw the hurried approach of the miko, squeezing past the onlookers with a determined expression set on her face.

Intent on intercepting Akiyama, Sesshoumaru threaded between the crowd, suppressing the urge to simply toss them out of his path. The last thing he required was more chaos. He reached the blue-haired elemental before Akiyama could reach the two wounded demons. The silence was thick as they regarded each other silently. Akiyama should have left Tokyo by now. After all, he had no reason to remain.

“Sesshoumaru,” Akiyama greeted with a curt nod.

Inclining his head at the two demons, Sesshoumaru asked, “You know them?”

Akiyama's lips tightened. “They're mine,” he replied flatly.

Sesshoumaru frowned. This could prove to be a difficult situation. “Why are you still in Tokyo?”

“I have some personal affairs to settle.”

A gasp from the miko as she swept past them drew Sesshoumaru's attention away from the elemental. Kneeling to one side of one of the demons, she was attempting to persuade the demon to let her tend to his wounds. His opponent was being tended by a familiar forest youkai, Moriko. The one who had told Akiyama about the poison antidote.

Akiyama stiffened beside him, but the miko's voice drew his attention.

“Let me have a look at it, alright?” the miko chided as the snarling demon tried to escape her hands.

An unfamiliar surge of protectiveness rose within Sesshoumaru at the threat issued by the demon to the frowning paramedic. Like the miko of his past, she did not seem to be afraid of the demon, thus further reinforcing the fact that she was indeed the reincarnation of the fearless miko.

“Keep still!” she admonished as she ran her eyes over the gash in the demon's arm.

Sesshoumaru stepped closer to her, subtly directing a threatening glare at the reluctant demon. The demon instantly stilled. To Sesshoumaru's annoyance, the elemental's attention was fixed on the paramedics instead of the injured demon. The small furrow between Akiyama's brows incensed him further as the water elemental studied Kagome intently.

“Do not interfere,” Sesshoumaru warned under his breath.

Flicking him a sideways glance, Akiyama replied just as softly, “It is you who should not interfere. These two are my responsibility.”

“It appears that your command over them is lacking.”

Akiyama's eyes narrowed. “I will handle it as I see fit, Sesshoumaru. Your concern is not needed.”

Sesshoumaru raised a brow. “Your confidence is reassuring.” His tone was flat.

“Lord Akiyama,” the demon under the miko's care rasped.

Sesshoumaru frowned at the stiffening of the miko's shoulders before she turned around slowly. Then her eyes widened as the brown orbs landed on the water elemental beside him.

“It's you…” she whispered.

Akiyama simply continued to stare at her, his eyes flickering in disbelief. Sesshoumaru had an inkling of why the elemental would react this way at the sight of the miko. After all, he had done the same not too long ago, he thought with a grimace. It was clear that they were all experiencing the same so-called dreams.

Then a groan from one of the demons drew the miko's attention away from the elemental.

Using a tone so low that only Akiyama could hear, Sesshoumaru said, “Allow them to leave with her. They are heading to Tsukuyo Medical.”

Akiyama's eyes cleared as comprehension dawned. With a curt nod, he ordered the demons just as quietly, “Obey her.”

The demons wore an expression of misgiving. However, they inclined their head to convey their assent, not protesting when the miko and her fellow paramedic urged them onto a stretcher. A male demon paramedic, the one called Manten, aided them. Caught up in her task, the miko did not even spare them a glance as she went with the demons into the waiting ambulance.

Akiyama nodded at Moriko, but no words were exchanged. Sesshoumaru knew that they were family friends, and at one point, had been wary of allowing the forest youkai to join his group. However, Shiori had insisted upon it, declaring that Moriko would be a valuable addition to Tsukuyo Medical with her skills in medicinal herbs.

As the forest youkai passed, Sesshoumaru said under his breath, “See to it that they are monitored.”

Moriko inclined her head slightly before continuing towards the ambulance.

Once the ambulance had departed, Sesshoumaru turned to Akiyama. “Do you realize the magnitude of this situation?” His voice was hard.

Akiyama's lips tightened. “They have no reasons to fight each other. I believe they are under some outside influence.”

“And what might that be?”

“Sesshoumaru. Surely you did not think that I would have allowed this to happen if I'd known about it,” the elemental returned icily.

“Where have they been?”

Akiyama nodded at a nearby bar. “They were waiting for me in there.”

Without a word, Sesshoumaru went to the bar, which by now was almost empty due to the commotion. Tilting his head slightly, he sniffed. An odd scent assaulted his senses, one which was familiar and yet different. Out of the corner of his eyes, he saw a frown crossing Akiyama's expression.

“I'm sure you sensed the same thing,” the elemental remarked, his voice hard.

“Hn.” The scent contained a hint of Naraku but something else. However, it was enough to implicate the despicable hanyou. The demon who had been there was obviously related to Naraku. Sesshoumaru's eyes narrowed. The hanyou has a death wish.

Akiyama exhaled his breath with an angry hiss as his expression turned dark. Sesshoumaru was once again reminded of how this demon had managed to overthrow the previous Northern Lord when the elemental's blue youki swirled around him heavily. Much as he despised the thought of admitting it, Sesshoumaru knew that Akiyama was a formidable foe when crossed.

“Stay out of this, Sesshoumaru. I'll deal with Naraku.”

Sesshoumaru gave him a stony look. “Perhaps you require a reminder that this incident occurred in my territory.” Not to mention he had an unsettled business with the hanyou, he added inwardly.

“It is not your problem. Naraku made a mistake when he targeted my underlings.”

“Hn.”

Akiyama clenched his fists. “I think we'll be hearing from the others soon.”

Sesshoumaru knew that Akiyama was referring to. Japan was not the only country which housed demons. China, for one, had their share of demons and spiritual beings. And with the current globalization, there was no doubt that the news of this incident would reach the rest of the foreign lords.

The hanyou would be stopped. However, the problem remained severe even if they disposed of the hanyou. By now, with all the media exposure, the humans would no doubt have their suspicions. That was not acceptable. They had to somehow carry out a major damage control procedure. It had been done before on a smaller scale. This, on the other hand, would require more.

Sesshoumaru glowered at the thought of cooperating with Akiyama again. Seeing that the water elemental was the only one who had the resources to do such a thing, the taiyoukai knew that he had no choice.

“You are familiar with the woman, Sesshoumaru? The paramedic?” Akiyama asked suddenly, his expression guarded.

Retaining a look of mild disinterest despite his surprise, Sesshoumaru said, “Simply a paramedic, I presume.”

Akiyama's eyes narrowed. “You are not fooling me, Sesshoumaru. I suppose you remember Kagome from before?”

Deciding that it would be pointless to deny it, Sesshoumaru simply nodded once.

The elemental stiffened. “Then it is true. The dreams.”

“Hn.”

Not wanting to have anything more to do with Akiyama, Sesshoumaru suppressed the urge to question the elemental about his dreams. He would solve this puzzle on his own. However, he was unprepared for the elemental's next words.

“Then you will be pleased to know that I intend to resume my courtship of the miko.”

…***…***…***…

t.b.c.

…

A/N: (Elle ducks and run!) Yes, the dreams are coming at different speed for each of them, and no doubt Sesshoumaru would wonder how did this particular courtship had even begun. Anyway, I hope you've enjoyed the chapter. As always, please review if you could. Thanks!!