InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ A Royal Birth: Sequel to His Little Girl ❯ Pieces of a puzzle ( Chapter 21 )

 

 

“Forgive me Lord Toga,” Mintomaru said to the inuyoukai he had once called friend. “But how is this possible?”

 

“My return you mean,” Toga said as he held his youngest grandchild in his arms trying desperately to soothe her crying away. “And by the way Minto, we are or at least were, far too good of friends to have any need of formalities,” Toga admonished gently.

 

“You've been dead two hundred years pup,” the lion taiyoukai said using his old nickname for his friend.

 

Toga gave his friend a look that was clearly saying `well, duh' as he stood from where he had been seated in front of the fireplace within the main library. Makia was simply inconsolable. The pup had been brought to him moments before, just half an hour after being fed her breakfast and changed into a dry diaper and clean furs. She didn't seem or smell tired but she wouldn't stop crying at all.

 

“Makia you've been fed, you're not soiled and you don't appear to be tired,” he tried to rationalize the five day old pup as he walked the room with her, bouncing her lightly in his arms.

 

“She wants her mother,” Mintomaru said as he watched the inuyoukai that was a good three centuries younger than he trying to console the tiny hanyou pup.

 

“I know,” Toga said as he grew near to the golden lion youkai in his pacing. “But until my son says otherwise, Kagome is on bed rest and is only to be bothered to feed her pups and eat her own meals, aside from that she is to rest and sleep.”

 

“Why had her condition been allowed to get this bad?” Mintomaru asked the single question having weighed heavy in his mind since he had caught the woman when she had collapsed in front of him the day before.

 

Toga gave a heavy sigh as he sat down, reclaiming his chair near the lit fireplace as he held the wiling pup. Mintomaru reached over to his friend for the pup and took her into his arms when the inuyoukai held her out to him. He brought his tail up and swished the fluff on the end of the thin tail over the tiny pup's form watching as her cries grew softer and her tiny hands reached out to in curiosity.

 

Kagome,” Toga began slowly. “Is the kind of woman who has always taken care of everyone else around her and has always enjoyed doing so. She rarely, if ever, asks anything for herself.” Toga sighed and dragged a hand over his face, letting it cover his mouth for a moment before dropping it to his rest on his thigh. “She has always wanted to be a mother and has been a mother to Shippou ever since she and Inuyasha came upon him in their travels after his father had been killed by the Thunder Brothers.”

 

“Ah yes, Hiten and Manten. Those two were a couple of very power hungry pups.”

 

“So it would seem…Kagome also acted as a mother to Rin whenever my sons' packs would cross paths during their travels. She took it upon herself to bandage the injured, nurse the sick, comfort the troubled, after awhile the group came to depend on her for it as she allowed no one else to.” Toga sighed sadly and gave a soft chuckle as he found that Makia had fallen asleep in Mintomaru's arms while playing with his tail, the fluff on the end held tightly in her tiny clawed hands.

 

“Kagome,” he continued on, “would always treat her wounds last, after everyone else had been tended to and bandaged, no matter the severity of them. She rarely told anyone if she was ill or tired, always - always putting herself last, never asking for help. Now I've come to find that my daughter is afraid to ask for help, afraid to admit when things have become too much for her to handle. Afraid that in admitting she needs help, that it would make her a bad mother or a bad mate. She has often said to me that if her own mother could raise she and her brother on her own that she should be able to care for her own pups considering that she has a mate. But what Kagome over looks is that, as she told me, she was seven years old when her father died and already at that time enjoyed taking care of her younger brother. And from what Kashu has told me, at that age, Kagome was already a very self sufficient child. Kagome, on the other hand, has four pups of her own as well as Inuyasha's pup and is pregnant again. She needs help but will not admit it nor ask for it when she does. She's also a miko, a very powerful one at that and has been using her powers to shield her exhaustion not wishing to worry anyone. The question now is…how do we make her understand and believe that it is more than alright to ask for help? And more importantly, how do we convince her that she will not be a bad mother if she does ask for help?”

 

“Hmm,” the lion youkai mused as he looked from his worried friend to the tiny pup that lay sleeping in his arms. “I think…” he began slowly as Toga watched and waited for an answer, “that you're all missing the most important element here.”

 

“And that would be?” Toga asked calmly though underneath it all he was growing increasingly impatient.

 

“Weakness,” Mintomaru said only to be met by his friend's blank stare. “Kagome is afraid of admitting that she needs help because in doing so it shows, or in her eyes, proves that she is weak. If she is so weak as to need help then how good of a mate to a very powerful taiyoukai can she be? And more importantly, what kind of an example will such a show of weakness provide for her pups?”

 

“But she is not weak in asking for help,” Toga nearly growled finally letting his frustration show.

 

“Yes, we all know that, but she does not. If one were to ask me, I would say that her need to be strong occurred or began when she was a child and overtook the care of her infant brother while allowing her mother to grieve.”

 

“So she's been doing this, hiding her `weakness' and caring for others with no thought to herself nearly all her life,” Toga said softly as he sat back in his chair and began to understand.

 

“Yes, her fear of being weak would not be nearly as strong were this a recent development.”

 

“Kami! Why didn't I see this before?” he asked his friend and advisor.

 

“Because you're inside the situation Toga. One cannot see what the lake looks like from the shore when they are standing in its waters.”

 

“Damn,” Toga sighed as he rubbed his hands over his face. “How do I fix this?”

 

“You cannot,” he said and his red-blue eyes were met by his friend's sharp sun kissed gaze. “Lady Kagome's fear cannot be so easily set aside or driven or talked away. The only one who can assuage her fear is the one who put it there in the first place. The first one who needed her to be strong when they themselves could not be.”

 

“Kashu, her mother.”

 

“Indeed.”

 

 

 

 

 

“Tiyeko take your sons,” Kashu said to her mate as she passed the energetic hanyou triplets to her mate.

 

“What no kiss?” the kitsune warrior asked as he stepped into the chambers he shared with her only to have his arms suddenly full with three tiny squirming bodies. “That was not a kiss,” he grumbled in response to the peck on the cheek that the woman gave him as she passed by.

 

“Well that's all you're getting right now,” Kashu said as she hastily disrobed and donned her red silk bathing robe. “I am tired and am going to go relax in the hot spring.”

 

“I could join you,” he purred seductively at her. “

 

It had only been one week since she had birthed the triplets he sired and her body had already trimmed down and reshaped itself making her all the more desirable to him. He didn't know if it was the way her own body was or if her slim toning was in thanks to the youkai blood he now shared with her because they were mated.

 

“No you can't,” she said as she slipped on the slippers to go down to the bathing chambers in. “You have to watch your pups,” she giggled and kissed each fluffy copper head of her hanyou pups before leaving the room.

 

Tiyeko looked down at the happily squirming and yipping pups in his arms. He still didn't know which one was which, they all looked and smelled completely identical. This would make things quite interesting, if not a bit troublesome as they grew older.

 

“You three are not making it very easy for me to have fun and my own play time with your mother,” he grumbled and scowled playfully at his pups.

 

The kitsune's scowl dropped away easily and was replaced with a happy smile as he jogged over and bounced onto the middle of the bed with the pups squealing happily in his arms. Tiyeko held the pups and nuzzled their fluff covered heads before setting them on the bed and watching as they squirmed around happily, crawling over top one another and yipping and mewling at one another as they did so.

 

The kitsune looked down upon his pups with a bemused smile. He hadn't ever thought that he could ever be this happy, this content. It seemed to him that his life had turned into a dream and he wondered if he were sleeping. He hoped to the kami he wasn't because to wake from this would be a death for him. Deciding not to worry about such things anymore, Tiyeko lay down beside his pups and gathered them all under one arm, curling them up close to his chest he fell into a peaceful easy sleep.

 

 

 

 

Kashu moaned in delight as she slipped into the naturally heated mineral waters of the hot spring and lay back against the large smooth boulder in the center of the deep spring. For now she would just relax, just enjoy the atmosphere of this spring. There was a peace here in this era that she had never found in the one that she and her daughter were born in. Thinking about her life as she closed her eyes, she wondered if perhaps ever action, every trial in her life had been meant to lead her here. This moment, this era, it felt like home. Hearing a soft knock at the door of the hot spring she turned on the rock and leant against it, her arms hugging the top of it as she wondered why the person didn't simply come in.

 

“Mamma,” she heard her son's voice call from outside the room. “Can I come in?”

 

“Souta,” she breathed out as she stared at the door in shocked happiness.

 

Her son's voice had been a sound from the heavens to her. Calling out to him she bid him entrance and watched with eyes that widened at his appearance as he slipped into the room. Her son had hip length silver white hair like Inuyasha and his brother, and his eyes were the brilliant amber of the dog clan as well and when he smiled uncertainly at her she saw his fangs. She looked down at his hands and saw his claws where he had once had rounded, blunt and chewed off human nails. It was then as she looked at his hands that she saw the color of his crests. They were blue, like Toga's, she thought. But how had this all happened?

 

“How?” she asked not realizing that she had spoken aloud as her now youkai son moved closer to her.

 

“Toga mamma,” her so said simply as he came to the edge of the spring and then moved to sit down with his back to her to offer her privacy.

 

“You need a bath to Souta, or have you had one?” she asked as he turned his head to look back at her.

 

“No,” he said and stood and disrobed when she held her hand out for him.

 

Souta climbed into the hot spring and found himself immediately wrapped up in his mother's arms. The woman kissed his head and held him close, pulling back when she heard the question in his voice when he called her mamma.

 

“What is it Souta?” she asked gently still marveling at the changes.

 

“You're nursing, I can smell it,” he aid and then blushed as he looked away. “How come you're nursing?”

 

Kashu smiled as she turned her son around and began to wet his long hair so that she could wash it for him.

 

“You're a big brother now Souta,” she said as she gathered the scented herbs and natural soap into her hands and lathered it before putting it into his very long hair that hung water logged and heavy.

 

“Can I - can I see them Mamma?” he asked as he looked back over his shoulder before looking away quickly. “I mean,” he looked down at his clawed and striped hands, still marveling at the changes. The colors were Toga's but the markings looked like Sesshoumaru's, making it obvious that he was a son of Toga, and since his mother had no stripes or crests, he had gotten his from Toga. “I know I'm different now. I don't know how it happened but -”

 

“That never mattered to me,” Kashu said as she hugged her son, her arms crossing around his shoulders and over his collar bone. “Not once, I love you Souta, no matter what you look like. You could be running around with an arm growing out of your head-”

 

“Mo-om,” he groaned while giggling.

 

“-and I would still love you.”

 

“What is its name?” he asked as his mother rinsed his hair.

 

“Their names,” she said with a chuckle. “You have triplet brothers.”

 

“Triplets?!” he asked his eyes wide and a big bemused smile on his face.

 

“Yes triplets. Identical too, Tiyeko says that he can't even tell their scents apart. Their names are Benjiromaru, Keitaro, and Hiroshi. Although, I'm beginning to think that my mate named them for what he wanted them to be. They're such trouble makers already.”

 

Souta and Kashu laughed at that and then as his mother finished bathing him and he moved to get out, Souta looked back at her with a worried frown.

 

“Mamma…why's Kagome on bed rest? No body will tell me why,” he said as he looked at her and watched her face grow confused and then very concerned.

 

“I don't know sweetie,” she said as she began to wash her own hair, the length of it now down just past the middle of her back. “Have you tried asking Inuyasha?”

 

“I can't find him, and when I try to sniff people out I…” the boy looked down and blushed in embarrassment. “It almost hurts to smell that much, I get a headache. I don't know how to sort scents yet.”

 

“Hmm, you're still learning. I'll try to find Toga later and talk to him ok?” she said and watched as he looked up at her with hope in his eyes.

 

“Ok. I really want to see Kagome and - Mamma,” he said his face falling and becoming sad and distant. “I didn't tell you…”

 

“Tell me what?” she asked as she finished washing and got out of the spring, Souta turning his back to giver her privacy.

 

“About grandpa,” he said and looked up to see that his mother had come in front of him her red silk bathing robe tied in place around her damp form.

 

“What about him sweetheart?” she asked as she knelt in front of her son and cupped his snowy white striped face in her hands and looked into his sun golden eyes muted by sadness.

 

“Grandpa…grandpa died mamma,” he said ash he sniffed and struggled to keep the tears from his eyes. “I woke up and went to get him up and he was dead…he had died in his sleep mamma.”

 

“Oh honey,” she moaned and hugged him close. “And you were all alone.”

 

“It was weird mamma I - I remember a man…with a tail…he had blue eyes. I think…I think he found me…I think he brought me here, but I don't remember.”

 

“Hmm, we'll have to ask someone. We need to thank whoever it was for taking care of you.”

 

“Mmhmm,” Souta said and yawned widely as his eyes drooped.

 

“Tired sweetie?” she asked and watched as her son nodded tiredly as he blinked slowly.

 

“I've felt tired ever since I woke up like this, like maybe my body hasn't caught up yet or something,” the boy said as he yawned again.

 

“Well come on then,” she said and stood wrapping an arm around her son's shoulders and leading him from the bathing chambers. “You can sleep in our room ok.”

 

“Ok.”

 

 

 

 

 

“Sesshoumaru, I'm fine,” Kagome nearly growled as her mate pushed her back down to lie upon her pillows. “I can do things for myself - what are you doing?” she asked as she watched her mate lift a piece of sushi off the plate with the chopsticks he held in his hand.

 

“Feeding you,” he said as he narrowed his gaze on her. She was being particularly frustrating today. “Now eat,” he commanded as he brought the food to her lips.

 

“Sessho-mmph,” she narrowed her storm blue eyes at him as he caught off her words of protest by stuffing the sushi in her mouth.

 

“You will eat and then you will rest. The pups have been nursed and changed -”

 

“And I am their mother,” she growled around the sushi before swallowing it and steadying him with an angry glare.

 

“And you are on bed rest.”

 

“Damnit Sesshoumaru! I am not a weakling!” she growled angrily and watched as her mate sighed and set the tray aside before looking at her. “What?” she snapped at his hard stare.

 

“You need rest. You have run yourself ragged and you will be on bed rest until I say otherwise. There will not be a discussion on this matter Kagome,” he said in a voice that dared her to argue.

 

“I am their mother,” she growled as she was slowly beginning to feel that she would not be able to sway him.

 

“Yes, you are their mother, but you need to rest.”

 

“I'm fine!”

 

“No you are not!” he nearly shouted at her. “Why are you fighting me on this? I do this for your own good Kagome. You need rest and if I must have Shinta prepare a tea for you to make you sleep then I will. But one way or another Kagome, you will get the rest you need.”

 

“Sesshouma-”

 

“No,” he said his voice hard. “I will not be swayed on this, the matter is closed.” The taiyoukai closed his eyes and took a deep calming breath before looking upon his mate again. “Kagome…you cannot even walk to the bathing chambers on your own without needing a balancing support. If it is the visiting royals that you worry about, then do not. They know of your condition, considering that you collapsed in Lord Mintomaru's arms. They have been made aware that you are on bed rest and not to be disturbed.”

 

He watched as she grew still on the bed, her face growing pale and her eyes growing wide. Kagome felt her breath catch in her chest and her blood run cold. How could he do that? How could he make her weakness public like that? Why did he tell everyone? Now they all knew of her incompetence as a mother, as a mate! How could he do that to her?!

 

“Get out,” she said her voice eerily calm and her breathing growing ragged as she tried to stave off her tears.

 

“What?” Sesshoumaru asked as a confused frown marred his face.

 

“Get. Out.”

 

“Kagome,” he said as he grew concerned, what had caused such a sudden change in her mood?

 

“Get out!” she said again her voice growing louder and almost panicked.

 

“Kagome,” if he could just get her to listen to reason.

 

“Get out!” she growled again as she moved away from him and slapped his hands away when he reached for her. “Get out! Get out! Get out! GET OUT!” she yelled her anger unconsciously calling her miko powers and burning Sesshoumaru's hand when he touched the skin of her arms. “Get out! She screamed again and watched as he finally got up and left with a tired sigh.

 

Sesshoumaru left the room clenching his jaw against the pain that her purifying powers had caused when he burned his hands as he touched her. He knew she hadn't meant to hurt him but at the same time he didn't know what had made her so distressed. It wasn't good for her to be so distressed. He could hear her sobbing from where he stood outside their room and immediately opened the door to go back inside, calling her name as he did so.

 

“Get out!” she screamed and he saw the pink glow surrounding her that seemed to seep from her skin due to her miko powers.

 

Sesshoumaru blew out his breath in frustration, shutting the door and leaning against the outer wall as he tried to calm himself. It would be of no use to talk to her now. Why was she crying? What had made her so upset? he asked himself as he walked down the hall. She was so mad at him but he didn't understand why and for some reason he didn't think it had anything to with his own insistence that she be kept in bed.

 

Kagome lay upon the bed, her pillow clutched in her arms as she sobbed harshly. How could he do that? Not only had he humiliated her, but he had shamed himself in the same move. She had felt inadequate enough as it was being so tired all the time and now he made it known to any who would listen that she was unfit. He wouldn't let her see her children for anytime at all except to nurse her infants and she hadn't seen Shippou or Rin since her collapse. The only one other than him that she had seen had been Toga and that was only the morning after Inuyasha had nursed her, she had seen no one else since.

 

Kagome lay on her side as she cried into the pillow. He had separated her from everyone, given her children to someone else to care for and right now it didn't matter to her that those other people were friends and family. They were her children and he had given them to someone else that was all that mattered to her. She didn't hear the door slide open and was about to yell at whoever it was that had just made her bed move by sitting down on it until she heard the soft hesitant voice filled with worry.

 

“Mamma?” Shippou said softly as he came up to where she had her face buried in the pillow.

 

The scent of her tears had been strong and that was from outside the room, and now that he was inside it, it smelled like the room had been bathed in her tears. The young fox had snuck in needing to know why his mother was crying. He knew he wasn't suppose to bother her and that Sesshoumaru had said that she was ill, but if she was ill then why was she crying and why did she smell so sad?

 

“Mamma what's wrong?” Shippou asked as he nudged himself up to her and tucked himself under the arm that lay clutching her pillow. “Mamma?” he tried again as he wrapped his arms around her neck and hugged her.

 

Kagome didn't answer, she couldn't answer. No matter how much she tried she couldn't stop her tears. Her arms moved from around the pillow to around her kitsune son as she continued to cry into his red hair.

 

“It's ok mamma,” Shippou said as he tried to soothe his distraught mother. His tiny hand petted her face and stroked her hair. “I'm here now mamma, I'll take care of you.”

 

Shippou's soft assurances only served to make Kagome cry more and after a long while she cried herself to sleep as she clutched her son to her chest. Shippou didn't move away or even try to once she had fallen asleep, instead he kept his arms around her neck and held onto her as he settled down for a nap. He'd take care of her, she was the most important person in the world to him and Shippou had promised himself a long time ago that he wouldn't let anything happen to his new mother. He didn't know why she was upset, and he didn't know why she was sick, no one would ever answer him directly. But now he was here, and now he would take care of his mamma, no matter what.

 

“I'm here now mamma,” Shippou said softly and kissed her tearstained cheek. “I'll take care of you,” he whispered to the sleeping woman as he fell asleep in her arms.

 

 

 

“Sango,” Miroku called to his wife and mate as he lent over her sleeping form.

 

The once human, and now once again inuyoukai monk had woken during the night to find himself once more with silver hair, golden eyes, violet crests and claws. He had lifted his pregnant mate into his arms and carried her into their chambers. Now he lay on his side next to her, propped up on his elbow and his head in his hand as he stroked her snowy white face marked with the crimson crests. He would never tire of her unwavering beauty in either form, human or youkai, she was more than beautiful to him than any word could tell.

 

“Sango my love,” he called to her softly again, a smile in his voice and on his face. “Sango wake up.”

 

“Miroku,” she moaned softly as she began to wake up and he smiled down upon her as he watched her face split with a wide yawn.

 

“Good evening my love,” he said as she opened her violet blue eyes to look up at him.

 

“Evening?” she asked and yawned again covering her mouth with her hand.

 

“Yes evening,” he said and leant over her to kiss the mark upon her brow. “You are so beautiful my mate,” he said and smiled at her, his fangs showing.

 

“You're youkai again,” she said and watched as his face lit up even more and he chuckled at her.

 

“So are you Sango. So is our pup.”

 

“What?” she asked as she sat up and looked at her hands, sure enough there were the crimson markings over snowy white skin and claws at the ends of her slim delicate looking fingers.

 

“It appears, or as Shinta told me happily, that you conceived during our time as youkai after we became mates. The reason your morning sickness was so very bad before is because your - our pup - was slowly changing us back to youkai. If you were to have remained human and carried a youkai pup to term, likelihood was…you would've died during labor.”

 

“But Kagome did it,” Sango said as she sat back against the headboard only to have Miroku lean closer and lay his head in her lap as he stared up at her, his golden eyes burning with love and happiness.

 

“Kagome is a miko though, her blood protects her,” he said as he looked up at his mate. “My beautiful Sango,” he said and lifted a clawed hand to caress her striped cheek. “How did I ever get so lucky as to have you as my mate? It still seems so much like a dream.”

 

“It's not though,” she said softly as she blushed at his words. “Miroku,” she nearly whispered his name as he sat up and kissed her pouty lips.

 

“Mmhmm?” he said as he kissed her cheek and then her neck as she giggled softly.

 

“Why did you,” her question was cut off when he kissed her again.

 

“Why did I what?” he asked as he kissed her brow and pulled her into his arms as he sat back against the headboard next to her.

 

“You could have had anyone. Any woman, why me?” she asked him after spending many nights and days turning the question over in her own mind.

 

“Are you not happy with me Sango?” he asked softly though in truth knew that wasn't her reason for asking.

 

“It isn't that Miroku, it has never been that,” she assured quickly. “I just…sometimes I wonder…are you…happy with me?” she asked and turned her violet eyes up to his golden ones. “I'm not like other women,” she said and looked down at her clawed hands still fascinated by the change. “I'm not soft or overly feminine. I'm stronger than most human men, I have more muscles and scars then softness or curves and I'm not willing to be the normal submissive housewife and-”

 

“Sango, never again,” he said his voice soft as it held a gentle sternness.

 

“What?” she asked and looked up at him.

 

Miroku's eyes were firm but gentle and she suddenly had the impression that he was rebuking her.

 

“Never again,” he repeated as he cupped her cheek in his hand and stared at her with a firmness that belied his normal teasing demeanor. “I never again want to hear you compare yourself to another woman like that. You are beautiful,” he said and kissed her sweet mouth. “And special,” he kissed her again, “and I have loved you since the moment I laid eyes on you. You are my angel Sango; I can only be blessed to love the perfection you have given me. Your scars,” he said and took her sleeping kimono off her shoulders as he kissed each and every scar he found no matter how tiny, “are beautiful to me, precious to me. Every white line attests to your strength, your courage, you spirit. After traveling with you I could never be happy with a simple woman again. You Sango have ruined me for all other women. If you were ever to turn into one of those `other women' I would do whatever I could to bring you back to me.”

 

Miroku smiled and sighed wistfully as he moved the lightly blushing woman to sit in his lap. He kissed her neck and held her in the circle of his arms as he leaned his head back against the wall behind the bed. One arm remained around her shoulders as the one wrapped in front of her dropped to her softly rounded belly. One couldn't even see that she was showing very much but the toughed bump was there none the less and he stroked it all the same. Her kimono had fallen open to rest loosely around her hips during his perusal of her scars and she now sit in his arms, bare breasted and topless as he stroked the snowy skin of her abdomen, the crimson crests wrapping around her stomach and ribs.

 

“Do you know,” he said with a smile as he rubbed her stomach, “that it was your temper, your fire that attracted me to you?” Sango shook her head as a bemused grin crossed her face. “It was. When I first met you and saw your fire, you passion, your strength and spirit, I just wanted to hold you Sango and let your fire burn me to ashes. When you agreed to travel with us, when you joined our pack,” he said as he chuckled at his new inu way of looking at things. “I couldn't believe my luck. You Sango have blessed me more than you know and now,” he laughed happily. “Now Sango you carry my pup inside of you and I can't wait to meet her.”

 

“Her?” Sango asked in wonder.

 

Miroku smiled brightly and hugged her close. “Yes her, the scent of the pup tells that she is female. Why are you crying?” he asked when she sniffled and tears fell from eyes the color of the midnight sky.

 

“Because…I've never been so happy. You make me so happy,” she sniffled and tried in vain to wipe her tears away though more fell. “I love you Miroku,” she whispered and kissed him tentatively as blushed shyly.

 

“As I love you Sango,” he said against her lips and then kissed her deeply as he scooted them both down the bed and proceeded to make love to her.

 

 

 

 

“I don't see why she has to be so difficult!” Sesshoumaru fumed as he paced in the private library as he conversed with his father.

 

“My son,” Toga said as he held the sleeping twins in his arms, his younger son having come to claim his daughter hours before. “She is afraid,” he said not having told the others about finding Kagome asleep with Shippou tucked in his arms when he had taken the pups for their evening meals.

 

“Afraid of what?” Sesshoumaru growled remembering to keep his voice low as he held the sleeping Rin in his arms and watched his father holding his sleeping twins.

 

“Have a seat Sesshoumaru,” the elder inuyoukai said as he moved to the large pillow near the fireplace and laid the sleeping pups down in its pillowing softness.

 

Sesshoumaru sat down slowly and held Rin in his lap. He looked to his father for the answers and nearly growled as he heard the words his father spoke.

 

“Kagome, as both you and your brother have told me, has always taken care of everyone else without complaint.”

 

Sesshoumaru listened closely as his father related to him all of what he knew and of what he had learned from his friend. His anger grew with each word and soon he was growling constantly.

 

“You are telling me that my mate is afraid of me!” he growled dangerously, his eyes flashing red every so often.

 

“No and you need to calm down. You will do no one any good, least of all your mate, who needs your support right now.” Toga's harsh eyes met his son's and he held them until his son turned his eyes away. “You need to be calm about this. It is not you she fears Sesshoumaru, but herself.”

 

“What?” Sesshoumaru snapped as he looked at his father in frustrated confusion.

 

“Many years ago, when your mate was but a child, her father died.”

 

“Yes she told me this.”

 

“Listen before you speak,” his father admonished. “When she was young and her father passed on, it was up to her to hold what was left of her family together. She took care of her infant brother and her mother while allowing the woman to grieve. From what Kashu had told me, the woman does not remember much if any of the time of the first moon after his passing. But what she does remember of it was Kagome cooking meals or feeding and changing her brother. Kagome's grandfather was not with them to offer his support that was left up to Kagome. Your mate first took on the role of caregiver because if she had not been strong when her mother was unable to be, her family would have been torn apart. She instilled the fear in herself in a way. For you see my son, if she had been weak, you never would have met her. So now she fears being weak because she fears that in being so she will dishonor or shame you. Tell me Sesshoumaru, you said she had a bout of temper and threw you out of your chambers. What happened just before her temper?”

 

“I told her not to worry because her pups would be taken care of by others and that all knew that she was on bed rest and not to disturb her.”

 

“That, my son was by far the worst move you could've made,” he said with a sad sigh. “In essence my son, what you told her, was that everyone knows of her weakness and the shame she has brought upon you.”

 

Sesshoumaru gaped at his father in complete befuddlement and disbelief. How could his simple words have said so much? She was not a shame to him, she was not a disgrace!

 

“I must talk with Kashu in the morning, but know this Sesshoumaru, aside from your support and love, there is nothing you can do. Kashu is the only one who holds the power to heal your mate now.”

 

 

 

 

 

“Inuyasha?” Kagura asked sleepily as she began to awaken, not sure if it really was the hanyou standing next to her bedside or simply an illusion her mind cooked up.

 

“They really wear you out don't they?” the hanyou asked Kagura as the youkai woman yawned and woke slowly.

 

“Mmhmm,” she said as she yawned again and covered her mouth with her hand. “They're a handful alright, but what can you expect from youkai and hanyou pups?”

 

“How come it took so long for Kagome to show her exhaustion?” the hanyou wondered aloud as he sat down on the bedside not entirely aware he was doing so.

 

“I don't know,” Kagura said as she looked at the tiny pup in the inu hanyou's arms as she sat up. “Where's Kanna?” she asked as she looked around the room for her sister.

 

“Talking with Shinta,” he said as he looked down at the pup in his arms.

 

Inuyasha chuckled softly as he looked at Kagura. He'd never seen the wind sorceress so disheveled before. Her hair was mussed around her from sleep and her face innocent and young looking with her still present drowsiness. She reminded him of a kitten, all fluff and cuteness with innocence to spare.

 

She ain't innocent though, he thought to himself and a scowl appeared on his face. Maybe not, but what about that thought from the other day, the one where she stood smiling and holding your pup?

 

Inuyasha growled at the voice in his head at the thoughts it produced. No way in hell would he end up like that with Kagura. Seriously, come on here, he thought, I've spent all the time I've known her fighting with her!

 

Yes, but she's on our side now baka, his youkai spoke to him. Look at her…just look t her.

 

Inuyasha did as his youkai bid and was nearly floored by the way she looked. Her ruby eyes seemed like molten copper in the soft light from the oil lamp and the moon coming in through the window. He hadn't known she'd been asleep when he had come down the hall looking for her and Kanna had simply told him to go into the room as she had left to go see Shinta. The wind sorceress's face was flushed with sleep warmth and her shyness at being caught sleeping, especially since she had come back to her room a few hours ago after her bath and had fallen asleep with wet hair, she couldn't imagine how she must look.

 

The light silk bathing robe she wore was a silvery white making it nearly see through in the moonlight and making her all too desirable. What was he thinking? Him with Kagura? But as he looked at her, at the way her lips were full and almost pouting, the way her eyes blinked slowly, tiredly as she still was in need of sleep, her short nap not nearly enough to satisfy her, Inuyasha didn't think he'd ever seen anything so beautiful before.

 

Inuyasha had not realized that he had been leaning closer and closer to Kagura as he had sat there lost in his thoughts and was as surprised as she was when his lips met hers. Both gasped and at first he was going to pull away, but the tiny taste of her he had was not enough and he found himself wanting more. The hanyou leaned in closer and kissed her again.

 

Kagura gasped at the first touch of the hanyou's lips on hers and was surprised not only that he had kissed her, but that she hadn't noticed him moving closer to her. Butterflies erupted in her stomach and fluttered about creating the most vexing sensation. What was this feeling? She hadn't ever felt it before. She sighed softly as she felt his tongue brush over her lips and opened her mouth to him gasping and moaning as she felt his tongue push into her mouth and tangle with hers.

 

Inuyasha nearly purred at the sweet taste of the wind witch. She was like warm honey and spring flowers, all sweet and spicy. Brushing his tongue over her lips he was more than pleased when she opened her mouth to him and he slipped his tongue inside her hot cavern. He held Kagura with one arm and slipped the other around her to cup the back of her neck and hold her to him in their kiss as he scooted closer to her on the bed. He felt her hand touch his thigh as she braced herself against him and growled softly in pleasure at the feeling her touch induced.

 

His tongue wrapped around one of her fangs and when she moaned and grasped his haori as she pressed herself closer, it suddenly occurred to him just who he was kissing. Inuyasha pulled back from the kiss and was off the bed in a blur of movement. He turned to the stunned woman and snarled at her before leaving the room and slamming her door behind him as he left. The question on both their minds was the same: What the hell just happened?

 

 

 

 

“I'd prefer it if you stayed with me tonight dear,” Shinta said to Kanna as the child youkai drank down her tea. “I've not made that tea before and am not certain how it will react. I want you to be near should anything happen.”

 

“Are you certain Mistress Shinta, will I not be a bother to you?” Kanna asked her voice whispery soft as always.

 

“You'll be no bother at all child. Now come, it is time for bed,” the rabbit youkai said and led Kanna into her personal chambers. “Tell me Kanna, can you hear anything, can you see anything?” Shinta asked as she lifted the child youkai and tucked her into a spare bed in her room.

 

Kanna thought for a moment and opened her mind as much as she could. There was nothing, no thoughts that were not her own, no images, no visions. “It is quiet,” the girl said in wonder as a tiny smile lit her face for the first time in her life. “It is all quiet,” she repeated as tears filled her baby doll eyes. “I can finally sleep.”

 

Shinta leaned over and kissed Kanna on the brow. She didn't know how old the abyss youkai was but she thought of her as the child she looked like.

 

“Sleep well little one,” Shinta said and stroked the youkai's hair away from her face as the girl slipped off to sleep. Tonight Kanna would be able to sleep the whole night through.

 

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

~=~=~=A.N.~=~=~=

 

My brain go squish, and thank you to all those who opted not to shoot me. I do so hate buying clothing to accommodate extra holes. Oiy and all the flowers I'd have to gather to fill those bullet holes with, the human flower vase I'd be. Yes, yes, I know rather morbid, isn't it? For those of you also reading A Mother for Rin, I'm sorry but I don't know when I'll have that next chapter up, hopefully though it will sometime this week, sorry for the wait.

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

~=~=~=~MM.org~=~=~=~

 

Mew_inchigo wrote: I got very confused about who mated who???, but the story was very nice.

 

Thank you for the compliment and here are the pairings my dear: Kagome/Sesshoumaru, Inuyasha/Maika Inuyasha/Kagura - eventually,, Kashu (Kagome's mother)/Tiyeko, Miroku/Sango

 

For those of you who may be wondering, I don't know and at this point in time don't have any intentions of pairing Keiko and Toga up with anyone.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

~=~=~=~FF.net~=~=~=~

 

To RedOne ~ writer's block, while very frustrating is not something one can always control, but caffeine and chocolate do help. I hope you like this new chapter.