InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Dream a Little Dream of Me ❯ Pieces of Home ( Chapter 4 )

A/N: This chapter is a bit longer than the rest. Each one has been longer than the last, so I don't know if this tendency will continue or if they will shorten back off after this one. Eh, it's all good. Just a warning anyhow.

 

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Disclaimer: Don't own it, never will.

 

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Chapter 4: Pieces of Home/Daddy Dearest

 

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At first Kagome found working in the fields quite a chore. Sango, even pregnant, was still in better shape. After all, she did have to lug hiraikotsu around everywhere, not to mention dragging Miroku from a few places of ill repute after knocking him on the head. Now though she actually enjoyed the work, not the least because it was finally getting her some more muscle. More than that she just enjoyed being able to be out in the free air, feeling the sun shine down on her face, feeling the soft breeze blow her hair, being able to smell the sweet scent of the sakura blossoms - and yes, even the rice and dirt itself.

 

She even began to enjoy the fact that she could catch a glimpse of Inuyasha out of the corner of her eye, perched in a large tree. She always found this quite puzzling and amusing - him loving trees so much while being an Inu. It'd seem more fitting for a Neko youkai.

 

Nonetheless, he was typically the only non-human around them whey they were out in the fields. There were other workers, of course, but the youkai themselves did not seem so fond of socializing with ningen. She knew there were other youkai close by though, she could feel their auras. Probably just another guard against any escape attempt made. They sure were fierce about protecting their little village secret.

 

Still, she wondered why Inuyasha was chosen to be the one who had to interact with the humans. Shippo had said it was something about him being a hanyou, but Kagome didn't understand what that had to do with anything. He was quite the mystery to her, but something she was terribly glad of because it gave her something to ponder and keep herself from getting too bored. He certainly was an…interesting personality. He was harsh and rude as all get out, but there seemed to be something else to him - something she couldn't quite figure out. She looked up at him and shrugged. Since she typically loved puzzles so much she thought she would go insane here without them, but here she had the grandest one she'd ever come into contact with laid out right in front of her.

 

“Oi, wench! What'ya staring at? Get back to work!” Inuyasha groused from `his' tree. Kagome bent back over to do her work, squelching her sudden desire to throw a large clod of dirt at the hanyou. She was just beginning to contemplate what the possible consequences would be if she gave into the childish desire when she heard a shrill voice…

 

“KAAAGOOMMEEEE!!??!?!”

 

She turned to see a petite figure running toward her. She squinted, using her hand to shield her eyes from the glaring sun. She still couldn't tell who it was. The figure was nearly right in front of her now.

 

“Yumi?!” she cried incredulously. Starting off at a run she wrapped Yumi in a giant hug, the two of them hurtling down from the force of it into the rice paddies at their feet. Kagome could swear that from over her shoulder she heard a “Feh” of disgust - or was it curiosity? - coming from a tree, but she just ignored it.

 

“Yumi,” she cried, pulling her friend to her feet, “you're alive! And here! When you disappeared all those months ago we searched for weeks, but finally gave you up as dead!”

 

Yumi grimaced. Seeing the tears dripping down Kagome's face she hugged her again. “Well, now you know my secret,” she laughed darkly.

 

“Seems like Sango and I butted in on your disappearing act too.”

 

“What? Sango's here too? What about Miroku?” asked a shocked Yumi. She'd been taken aback just finding one friend here, let alone two or three.

 

“No,” sadly replied Kagome. “Miroku was at the shrine while we were out. I'm sure he has no idea what has happened to Sango and I.”

 

“Oh my…poor Sango. Poor Miroku!”

 

“Yeah, Sango's taking it pretty hard. Especially with being pregnant and all…”

 

“Pregnant!” exclaimed an indignant Yumi. “She's pregnant and they're split up! How arrogant can these--”

 

“Hey Yumi!” interjected Kagome, glancing at Inuyasha's tree. “Why don't you tell me what happened to you and what you've been doing since you got here?”

 

Yumi thankfully picked up on Kagome's quick change of subject and she herself glanced around them. “Well, I was out practicing my archery with old Kaede, but she can be so dull! Drilling, discipline, practice, ugh! So I just wanted to have some fun. I spotted a wild boar in the bushes and took off after it. Kaede called after me, but I just ignored her since I could run faster than her,” she said sheepishly. “I just wanted to bring home dinner myself instead of waiting around for Sango or Miroku or one of the other village men to bring it in.” Kagome couldn't help but giggle a bit at the younger girl's enthusiasm and naïveté.

 

“Anyhow, I kept after it for what seemed like hours. I realized that I had just spent my last arrow since I hadn't stopped to pick up any of the ones I missed the boar with. So I decided to return home to deal with Kaede, who I was sure would be furious with me, but I was lost. I had never seen such a place! I just wandered around until I fell asleep and then I woke up here. Ever since I've just been working the fields,” she ended. “So what about you and Sango?”

 

Kagome then retold her and Sango's own adventure, making sure to leave out any reference to her strange miko activity. As she finished, the two just sat there and smiled at each other.

 

“Well,” began Kagome, “we'd better get back to work before either of us gets in trouble.” She squeezed Yumi's hand. “I am so glad to see you again Yumi, even though it had to be under these circumstances. It's like you came back from to life! I'm glad to know I have another friend here.”

 

Yumi smiled and squeezed Kagome's hand back. “It's good to see you too Kagome. Take care! I'll see you around!” And with that she was running off back to her own assigned area for work.

 

Kagome turned, a soft smile on her face. She glanced up at Inuyasha and then continued on in her work, still dazed from a reunion she hadn't thought possible until she herself went to the underworld.

 

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Inuyasha squirmed in his tree. Why did she keep looking at him? It was like she knew he was eavesdropping but didn't even care. Humans still confused the hell out of him, no matter what anyone else thought. Especially their emotions - such unpredictable things. Youkai didn't go in much for emotion. That's actually one of the reasons he'd been assigned human duty. The other youkai figured he could `relate' to the humans better being hanyou. But he was only half human after all, and hadn't even really grown up around humans - or not any good ones at least.

 

He supposed maybe it was easier for humans talk to him though - easier to `understand' something you hate than something unrecognizable - easier at least than talking to Sesshomaru. Inuyasha snickered at the mental image of ten ningens pouncing on his haughty half-brother, pawing at him with a load of questions.

 

Still, while the youkai were somewhat respectful of the human life, they still thought it disdainful and dirty to work with them - so that's where his true value really came in. Better for the humans - they weren't as intimidated and could better `relate' or whatever they called it, better for the youkai - they didn't have to dirty their pretty little hands, but somewhere in the mix he was getting screwed.

 

He growled again, this time loud enough for Kagome to shoot him a curious glance. He cut off the growl and once again thought about what he'd heard as he'd been eavesdropping on her conversation earlier. Damn girl, he thought. Why do I give a shit what she thinks about and talks about anyhow? But the thoughts didn't leave him and he continued his ponderings well into the night.

 

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Kagome noticed a change in Inuyasha after that. He wasn't around as often and would disappear for hours at a time, but was always back by nightfall. He still had to stand watch outside her and Sango's room every night, but that almost seemed to make him more jittery. She wondered if the noise was what bothered him.

 

Sango still nightly called out Miroku's name in her sleep. She seemed to have put herself in some type of depression that she was loath to call herself out of.

 

The one thing that really seemed to help in all this was the orphans, especially Shippo. It was as if he sensed something was wrong with her too. He'd been giving her a lot of extra attention lately, even just riding on her shoulder as she walked around the village or as she worked in the rice paddies. She'd have to stop that work pretty soon though - she was already six months pregnant. Being around the kids more would probably be good for her anyhow. They seemed to give her a sense of reality, a sense of purpose and importance that just wouldn't come through doing fieldwork. She was sure those kids were what kept Sango grounded and she silently thanked Inuyasha for the umpteenth time for giving them that job.

 

Still, Sango was paler and thinner that Kagome would have liked. She peaked for about a week when she found out about Yumi and got to see her again, but that soon wore out. Kagome was starting to worry about the health of the baby, and had told Sango as much. Sango had just cried. She certainly didn't want to hurt her baby. Aside from the fact that he was now her only tangible link to Miroku, he was her baby, and she was fiercely protective of her family.

 

Kagome knew that Sango was doing the best she could, but her strength was failing. Sango drew in a shaky breath, then let it out softly, Miroku's name ushered out on her thinner than normal lips.

 

Kagome got up and walked outside. She just couldn't take anymore at the moment. Kami help her, she just felt so helpless! She closed the door behind her and walked a couple steps beyond the room to where she couldn't hear Sango's voice anymore. She knew Inuyasha would be nearby and didn't want to deal with him right now if he had the impression she was trying to escape.

 

Just beyond the porch she found a moonlit patch of grass and slid to her knees, tears falling in silent streams down her cheeks.

 

“You're worried about your friend.”

 

Startled, Kagome gasped as she turned around to see Inuyasha revealed standing behind her. He looks so different out here alone in the middle of the night under the moonlight - almost like a lost little boy…

 

“Hai,” she whispered shakily, willing herself to not cry, to not show her weakness to the hanyou in front of her. But the dam of tears continued to overflow, it wouldn't be quenched yet. Besides, she thought, why should I care if he thinks I'm weak? Why should I care what he thinks of me at all?

 

He made a movement toward her but then stopped abruptly. “Your friend will be okay. She has a warrior's spirit. Do not worry.” Then with a flash of moonlight reflected on silver hair he was gone.

 

As her tears ebbed, her strength was exhausted and she returned to her futon and fell into a deep sleep next to the friend she cared for so much.

 

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A loud banging on the door woke Kagome in the morning, and she looked over to see Sango also stirring in her sleep. The knocking persisted and if anything seemed to grow louder despite the fact that the sun was just rising. Kagome rose to slide the door open, only to be brushed aside by a nervous hanyou carrying the semi-conscious form of a man. She couldn't get a good glimpse of the man due to the light streaming in, and then her view was blocked by Inuyasha's back.

 

Inuyasha set the man down on the empty futon. As he stood back up to his full height she tore her eyes from him as she heard Sango gasp. Her eyes finally adjusting to the change in light she realized who lay now next to Sango: it was Miroku!

 

Kagome quickly sent Inuyasha a questioning, piercing gaze. He shifted under her eyes. “Why?” she whispered.

 

Fidgeting, he mumbled, “No child should have to grow up without a father.” With that he brushed past her again and was gone.

 

Tears filling her eyes, from Miroku's presence or Inuyasha's actions, she didn't know which, she made her way over to the futon where an unbelieving Sango was cradling Miroku's face. She began to trace all the features of his face with her fingers, whispering to Kagome, “It's been so long I worried I would forget what he looked like.”

 

Sango's voice seemed to be an anchor for him, for at that moment Miroku's eyes fluttered open and he grabbed her hand, placing a long kiss on her palm. Sango began to sob uncontrollably, burying her face in his chest, holding onto him as if she feared he would disappear again. Miroku, for his part, didn't mind this at all. He wrapped his arms around his darling wife, holder her as tight as he could, breathing in deeply the scent of her hair and breathing out promises to protect her and never leave her side again.

 

Kagome wanted to give them their privacy, but after a moment she just couldn't help it anymore. Sobbing herself, she jumped on top of the two; smothering them in the biggest bear hug she had ever given anyone in her life. Finally coming back to the reality of it all once all the tears had been cried, Sango broke away and sat up, Miroku and Kagome likewise following suit.

 

“Miroku,” she choked, still catching her breath, “how…how are you here? How did you make it to the youkai village?”

 

“Hmm...the youkai village you say? Well, I think that explains a bit more, especially why it was impossible to find word of you two. That leaves me with quite a few questions, but I suppose I owe you an explanation first,” he said smiling, rubbing the back of his head.

 

~ * flashback * ~

 

When Sango hadn't come back that night Miroku had been worried. At least Kagome was with her. If either got hurt the other would be there to heal and protect the other. Still, it was getting dark out. He decided he couldn't wait any longer and set out to find his wife, unborn child, and friend.

 

He stayed out all night. The only hint of their presence he ever got was a sudden flux in miko energy, but other than that the night was quiet. After not finding anything he was sending himself into a frenzy, until he thought that maybe while he had been out the girls had made it back to the village. This in mind he ran back as fast as his legs could carry him.

 

Arriving there he found that no one had come back, and there was no news to be heard. Exhausted, both physically and emotionally, he laid down in his hut. He only allowed himself about two hours of sleep and thirty minutes of meditation to focus his senses before he set off again. He kept up the same regiment every day for the next week, spending all day and night searching, coming back to the village to see if there was any news and to sleep for a couple hours.

 

After a week though, he knew. Sango and Kagome were in a situation where they could not return to the village on their own. He knew he had to go and find them, to save them if he could, and if not then to die trying to find his beloved wife. With that he bid farewell to the village, telling them he would not return until he had found Sango. He was sorry to leave them both without miko and without monk, but he knew he had to go. Besides, they still had Kaede and some others they had been training. But nothing was as important to him as finding Sango.

 

He took a few precautions and rations of food and set off. He traveled from village to village, asking for any news of them, still finding none. After a while though he started to hear strange rumors of someone who had come looking for him. He figured he had to be dreaming that up though. He had been on the road for almost three months now, and his energy was drying up and his spirit was on the brink of breaking. Yet he continued trudging on into the forest. He would not stop until his body did.

 

Inuyasha sat in a tree looking at this man. Not even that, he was a pale, thing, gaunt form of one. He sighed. Humans have to be the strangest creatures ever. Why Sango would fall in love with a bouzo like this I have no idea. With that he dropped out of the tree, landing square in front of Miroku.

 

Miroku gasped at the creature that had appeared in front of him, but not before taking a step back and falling into his usual defensive position. He stared ahead, not quite sure what he was seeing. He certainly must be a demon from his jyaki, but it's slightly different, otherwise I should have been able to notice it earlier, even in this state. Still, why are his ears on top of his head instead of on the sides? I have never seen a youkai with these particular traits before…

 

“What is it with you humans and staring! Knock it off will ya!” Inuyasha cut himself off with a growl. “Are you Miroku?”

 

Miroku narrowed his eyes. “What kind of trick is thi--”

 

“Shut up!” He growled again. “Just answer the damn question.”

 

Mirkou warily looked over Inuyasha's form and then answered a hesitant “yes.”

 

“Good,” said Inuyasha, looking very self-satisfied. “I know where Sango is,” he said simply.

 

Miorku instantly forgot all of his fear, dropping his arms and rushing to the demon in front of him. “Sango?!” he cried. “You know where she is? So she is alive! I knew it!” He glanced at Inuyasha. “Well, what are you waiting for? Take me to her!”

 

Inuyasha growled. And he thought he was impatient! “You don't understand yet. There are certain…rules to it. If I take you to her you will lose all freedom. You will never be allowed to return to this place again, and you can't go back to your village to get your stuff or say goodbye. If we do this, we do it now.”

 

“But I will get to be with Sango?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“Then let's go.”

 

Inuyasha blinked at him. “That's it? No questions? No hesitation? Your life will change forever.”

 

“I have no life if I am not near my Sango.” Miroku urged again, “Let's go.”

 

“Okay then. Brace yourself.”

 

“For wha--?” The last thing Miroku saw before the darkness took him was Inuyasha's fist coming toward his face.

 

~ * end flashback * ~

 

“Wow,” was all Sango could say.

 

Kagome laughed. “Well, at least that explains the black eye you're sporting.”

 

“Yes, it certainly does,” added Sango as she gingerly reached up to stroke the dark spot underneath Miroku's eye.

 

Uh oh, thought Kagome. “Well,” she cleared her throat. “I think I have some work I can do somewhere or something like that, yeah,” and she got up to leave.

 

Miroku and Sango smiled up at her. “Thank you, Kagome-chan,” said Sango, not just for leaving them alone. She didn't know why, but she felt that Kagome had something to do with Miroku's appearance.

 

“Maybe I'll just have to go find Inuyasha and thank him for all of us. See you guys later!”

 

“Much later!” she heard Miroku call out as she slid the door shut. She chuckled. Miroku was back to his old self already it seemed. She hoped Sango would heal just as quickly.

 

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Inuyasha sat in the top-most part of a tree nearby. He wanted to be close enough to hear what was going on. He was still the job anyway - that and his curiosity would drive him nuts if he didn't know. But he kept himself hidden, especially when Kagome walked by the tree looking for him. He didn't know what he would say when he saw them again, whether they would be sad or angry or happy…Damn it! Why did I give a shit what the ningen think anyway! He hit the tree in his anger, causing the leaves to scatter. We got another worker out of it, he rationalized to himself, that's what matters.

 

He was so caught up in his own thoughts he hadn't noticed Kagome turn around at the sound of the rustling leaves. She was right under the tree now, looking up at him. “Inuyasha?” she questioned.

 

The sound of her voice, being the last thing he expected at the moment, threw off his balance and he crashed out of the tree, face first into the dirt. He lay there stunned for a moment, not sure what to do in his embarrassment and anger. Anger won out.

 

“What the hell did you do that for, bitch!” he yelled at her as soon as his mouth was free from its gravel entrapment.

 

“I got something to say to you and you were hiding from me! It's not my fault you have lousy balance.” She made an indignant `hmph' and stalked right up to him. “Now listen here-”

 

Her words were cut off as Inuyasha quickly clamped his hand over her mouth, his other arm grabbing her shoulder and turning his back to him so that he could pull her against him and keep her from somehow squirming her mouth free from his grasp. “Shhh!” he whispered into her hear.

 

Kagome's mind was racing. How dare he grab her like this! After all, she was only coming to thank him. Ungrateful jerk! If he didn't get his hands off her and quick she would…come to think of it she didn't know what she would do. She wouldn't want to hurt him, and it wasn't all that bad. There were worse places she could think of to be. Her mind was starting to get a little fuzzy when suddenly Inuyasha bent toward her ear again.

 

“Are you stupid or something? Can't you sense all the jyaki around? These demons wouldn't be very happy if they saw you talking to a superior like this. Don't give me those surprised eyes, yes I'm only a hanyou but I'm still your superior. They'd skin you alive wench.” He growled at her to give some emphasis and she felt her whole body shaking.

 

Before she knew it Inuyasha had changed his hold on her and now had his arm under her legs instead. Suddenly she realized he was carrying her and they were flying through the air! Okay, so it's not exactly flying, she thought, but I'm sure it's the closest I'll ever get and it sure is good enough for me! She stretched out her arms and giggled softly, making sure to keep relatively quiet since she still had no clue why Inuyasha was doing this or where he was taking her.

 

All too soon he was setting her down again. Glancing up at him, she could swear that his was tinged slightly red. “Sorry I weigh so much,” she said.

 

“What the hell are you talking about?” He looked genuinely perplexed.

 

Suddenly the ground became very interesting to Kagome, especially that little pebble she kept pushing around with the tip of her foot. “You had to carry me all this way…”

 

“Are you kidding me?” he almost yelled at her incredulously. “I'm still half-youkai. You're as light as a feather to me.” Then, just to demonstrate, he lifted her up in his arms again, throwing her up into the air just to catch her at the last second. He set her down on her feet again but was still holding her close to him. “And you doubted me,” he gloated down at her.

 

When he saw her turning red he suddenly realized just how close he was holding her. He quickly pushed her away and then gruffly added, “So what was it you wanted wench?”

 

“Look, okay.” She let out an exasperated sigh. “Why is it you call me wench or bitch all the time? Just leave out the terms, whatever reason you may have for it. My name is Kagome, okay? Got it? Thank you. So can you please just call me that, at least when we don't have to worry about other youkai thinking me being too `upstart' around my `superior,'” she added sarcastically, then looked up at him with what he could swear were puppy dog eyes.

 

“Feh, fine,” he replied as he turned half-away, arms folded on his chest.

 

“So why did you bring me all the way out here anyhow?” She turned around, noticing they were out in the rice fields, underneath the one large tree out there, the one that he sat in all the time.

 

“Because you said you had something to tell me, wen—uh Kagome,” he corrected himself when she raised her eyebrow and glared at him. “This way we won't get interrupted.” When she shot him yet another glance, this one surprised and almost awed he amended himself. “Hey, what are you looking at me like that for?” From how cornered he felt he almost started backing up waving his hands in front of him. He coughed, “I just meant that you never seem to be able to do much of anything quietly and the other youkai would soon get annoyed with you.”

 

She sighed irritably. So this is how it's gonna be I suppose, Kagome thought to herself. He just can't let himself show too much, she added sadly, wondering what had happened to him to make him this way. She shook her head, noticing as she did that other workers had started to make their way out onto the field.

 

“Yes, there is something I want to tell you,” she said, startling him yet again with the huge smile she gave him. “Even though you try and make yourself appear all tough and mean, I can see you have a big heart underneath, otherwise why would you care if Sango was depressed, or if Miroku and she would ever see each other again?” Inuyasha glared at her but remained silent.

 

She moved a slight step closer toward him. “But mostly,” she whispered, tears starting to slide down her cheeks, “I wanted to say `thank you' so much for what you did. I could never say it enough. Thank you.” She furiously wiped at the tears on her cheeks then flashed him one last smile before turning to begin her work for the day, leaving a stunned silent hanyou in her wake.

 

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Definitions:

 

Bouzo: crude term for a lower level monk

 

Hai: yes

 

Neko: cat, cat demon

 

Ningen: human