InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Early December ❯ Twenty One ( Chapter 22 )

Disclaimer: No, I don't own Inu-Yasha. But I own Kaguya! ^_^ (At least, this Kaguya. . .)

Author's Note: God, people! Here I am already! @_@ You can stop yelling now, I'm here!

I'm sorry it took me so long to update- really, I am! But I'm STILL sick and school's been a pain and I've been having some friend problems and crap so. . . yeah.

Anyway, just a few things:

One: Okay- the feet listening outside the door belonged to INU-YASHA and Kaede. They didn't go do anything- Kaede just made Inu stay and listen to what Kouga had to say. That's why Inu was so forgiving (in his own way).

Two: ~oh and a question..the birth isnt going to be all quick and 'well its out now!' Is it?

Will it be drawn out? Like a real birth..not all fake and too quick to actually be real?~

The birth will probably be two chapters- one in Kag's PoV and one in Inu's. Then they'll be at least one chapter of conclusion. Maybe an epilogue, if everyone wants to see the baby after he or she has grown a little.

Three: ~anyway you keep referring to kagome's eyes as stormy. which i interpret as blu. unless you mean a stormy pit of mud.(highly unlikely) in the show kagome's eyes are easily identified as 'Brown' like most japanese women. just thought i would point that out.~

Yes- Kagome's eyes are stormy blue. I follow the MANGA. Blue-gray, azure, stormy, ocean- same thing, same color- Kagome's eyes. But yes- they are brown in the anime, which, I presume, you watch.

Four: ~Apple-cinnamon, like food? Why does the kid smell like food~

-_- Not FOOD- the fragrance. You can get apple-cinnamon body lotion and candles and you don't call those food, do you?

*****Five: Okay, this is starting to really annoy me. I keep getting e-mails from people telling me to update `or else'. Threats like `update or I'll take you off my favorite's list' are not gonna help you get new chapters, people. In fact, they'll probably just tick me off and then I won't update at all.

To write well I need to be in the mood. I promise- I WILL finish this story (so you can stop with the `PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE don't stop this story' emails, too), I just need a while to get things sorted and all. Honestly, this is not my favorite story. I prefer working on Fragment of Eternity. Not because I don't love this story, I just feel it's getting sort of old.

Anyway, one more thing:

Six: This chapter is dedicated to my friend Molly, because she wanted an update for her birthday. Sorry it took me weeks to do so, though! ^_^;;;;;; And another big thanks to ejqHorseLady, who so kindly sent me an overview of her experiences with pregnancy. I'll try to use the info you sent, and I'm glad you eventually found those damn car keys. ^_~

All righty- here's a chapter I know you've all been waiting for, so please enjoy!

~*~

~Chapter Twenty One: Carving Spaces~

~Inu-Yasha's PoV~

I wake up slowly the morning after Mistress Centipede's attack, feeling an odd tranquillity inside. Usually I'm at least slightly jumpy after a demon assault- no matter how cocky I seem on the surface. But this morning. . .

It must be the wonderfully delectable scent of vanilla sugar tickling my nose that creates this inner peace.

Yes. It's Kagome's scent- working in the same, calming fashion that it always does.

Shifting my weight slightly, I hear a quiet, feminine moan from my side. Glancing down with a small smile, I register my mate's sleeping face as she snuggles into my chest. She looks so angelic. . .

At times like this, I almost forget the evil glares and frowns she can produce before saying the dreaded incantation: `sit'.

Chuckling softly, I brush a few strands of hair from her face as bright orange morning light seeps through the reedy curtains. The sun glow moves quickly- staining the brown walls luminous shades of gold and ruby- dancing over my love's milky skin. No one else is awake- no one else is around. It's only me and Kagome this morning. . .

God, is she beautiful. . .

Smiling gently down at her I carefully lift a single, clawed finger- tenderly tracing her features with a feather light touch. My hand lovingly caresses her cheeks, nose, lips, neck. . . slowly trailing down her breasts and sides to rest upon her abdomen- on our child.

Then I frown.

Kag's stomach has stopped bleeding- thank the gods- but her bandage is now totally red. Sticky. Damp. Reeking of pain and suffering. Possible death. It makes me ill just to look at it.

Really. Honestly. Truly. My stomach has started to churn and I'm pretty sure that's bile I taste in the back of my throat. How could Kaede say the pup survived that- - -?! She swore he or she did but- - -

?!

Oh. . .

My. . .

Gods. . . !

"Kagome!" I whisper loudly, eyes widening at the sensation I feel beneath my hands. "Kagome, wake up!"

My mate stirs slightly, mumbling incoherently in her sleep. I kiss her on the cheek, trailing my lips over her jaw bone and throat in an attempt to rouse her. "Kag-chan! Wake up!"

Slowly her eyes flutter open, focusing in on me. She smiles tiredly, looking slightly confused at my excitement. "Inu-chan. . . ? What's up. . . ?" she yawns, stretching slightly. "Is anything the matter. . . ?"

The matter- - -?! Nope!

I grin stupidly at her, taking her hands and placing them over her stomach. She glances at me in a questioning fashion, still bewildered by the expression on my face. "Can you feel it?!" I then ask- more like cry quietly in thrilled shock. "Can you?! There's actually something in there!"

. . .

She stares at me a moment, blinking- - -

And then laughs, making my cheeks flame a bit in embarrassment.

"Of course I can feel it," she grins gently, tweaking my ear. Her eyes glitter happily as she cuddles closer, keeping my hands firmly placed upon her stomach. "And it's getting stronger. . ."

"So old Kaede was right. . ." I muse quietly. "Huh. Who'da thunk."

"Not you, evidently," Kagome replied dryly, rolling her eyes. But then the small smile on her face disappears, a look of grave worry overriding her cheerful attitude. "Of course. . . I was worried, too. . ."

She frowns, her hands clenching mine upon her belly. "I was afraid that he or she might have left us alone. . . without ever giving a chance to meet. . ."

I wince as I smell the salt collecting in the corners of her eyes. No- - -! But before I can do or say anything, a single, fat, hot tear rolls down my mate's rosy cheek- leaving a moist trail in its wake. "Kagome. . ."I whimper, nuzzling her neck and licking the salty water away. "Don't cry. . . Please don't. . .

I promise- we'll all be together. You and me and the pup. Miroku, Sango, Kaguya, Shippo- even Kouga, too, it seems. We'll all stay together for forever. . ."

She shakes her head.

"How can you promise that?" she laughs joylessly, wiping the back of her hand across her face. Kag is trying to fight her mood swings- and she's failing. "You can't. Sango, Miroku, Kaguya and I will grow old- grow up. I'll be dead before you even age five years."

My flinch changes into an all out shiver. "Kag-chan- don't think that way," I all but beg.

"But it's true," she whispers, more tears trickling down her cheeks as she grins sadly. Then she giggles again. "My, my- look at all the melodramatic moments we're having. . . we're on a roll, aren't we?"

"Kagome. . ."

"Really, I mean- honestly," she presses, trying her best to lighten the mood as she continues to all but sob, white knuckles clenching the material of the gauze over her abdomen. "We just have one sob-sob moment after another, don't we?"

"Kagome, let me- - -"

"First Kikyo, then Mistress Centipede," my mate rattles on, oblivious to my words. "Then the baby being hur- - -!"

"Kagome!"

She falls silent- but not because she wants to. She really doesn't have much of an option after a jewel roughly the size of a small egg is stuffed into her mouth and her lips covered by my hand.

"Kagome," I whisper, feeling the burning heat of her tears seep through my hand's flesh. "I would never break a promise to you."

Her chest shakes as she takes a shuddering breath. I lean closer to her ear, my chest gently pressed against her own. The pup wiggles again, letting us know that he/she is quite alive.

It gives me hope.

"Is that what you'd wish for, if you could?" I ask softly, my breath tickling her skin. "For us all to be together- for as long as we all shall live. . . ?"

I feel her nod, trying hard not to swallow as her heart beat speeds up. I can tell my Kag-chan is confused about what is about to happen. I was at first, too. But now- somehow, I just know what to do.

"Good," I murmur, removing my hand and replacing it with my lips. As my tongue taps her teeth and she opens her sweet mouth to me, I brush against the jewel, feeling a warm power pulse from it- - -

As its solid mass quite suddenly vaporizes.

A soft magenta glow encases us, sending star-bright sparks of gold and silver into the air as Kagome instinctively deepens the kiss, her glimmering tears only adding to the powerful, pure magic.

As you wish, Kagome.

As you wish.

*

Bam!

Bam!

Bam!

THOCK!

"Daaaaaaaaaaaaaamn! Damn- fuck- shit- - -!"

"Shippo," I growl warningly, cracking an eye open as I reposition my arms behind my head. I'm resting in a tree just outside a forest clearing, watching the blue sky float past through the vibrant, late summer leaves. The kitsune demon is dancing just below me- clutching a throbbing red thumb in pain. (I suppose that justifies his terrible rhythm.) His hammer, nails, and wooden boards lay temporarily forgotten. "Watch your language."

"Like you're one to talk!" he hisses through gritted teeth, biting his bottom lip so hard it's beginning to bleed. "Your mouth is dirtier than the air in Mama's time!"

I can hardly argue, but refuse to let him have the last word. Therefor:

"Keh."

. . .

Hey, it counts as a word. . .

Sighing, the fox demon releases his pained digit and falls back against the trunk of my tree, sliding down it and flopping against the ground. He lifts his head towards the heavens, elbows resting lazily against his bent, separated knees. He flexes his many bandaged fingers- each one having suffered a similar fate to that which his right thumb just underwent.

"I dunno. . ." he suddenly mumbles, eyes closing lightly as the sun beats down upon his skin. "Maybe I should just give up. . . This is too hard. I don't think I can do it."

"Nonsense," I call down flippantly, not really paying much attention. "If you don't make a crib then I'll have to."

"Ha ha," he grumbles, brow furrowing slightly. "Very funny."

Who said I was kidding. . . ?

. . .

Okay, so I was.

A silence blankets us for a few moments and then the child sighs again- getting to his feet and wiping off his hands. After a moment of irritated grumbles, the boy bends over and begins to gather up his supplies. I watch him for a while from the corner of my eye, mentally lifting an eyebrow.

He wasn't serious, was he?

He seems to be. . .

"Oi!" I cry as he turns away, arms bursting with wood and nails. "Where're you going, kid?"

"I'm going to dump this off of a cliff or something," he grumbles, back towards me. "I'm sick of looking at it. Probably better this way. . . if you'd have put the pup in it, it might have broken. . ."

True. . .

But all the same. . .

I watch him for a moment- - -

And then shrug.

"Whatever," I call nonchalantly after him. "You do what you want. Pity though. . ." I add in afterthought. "I had thought you had more faith in yourself than that. . ."

Shippo stops in his tracks for a moment, a few yards away- but easily picking up every word of my whispered comments.

"After all. . . no son of *mine* would ever give up, no matter how shitty it got. Especially after all the crap we have been through, you'd think making a crib or something would be easy. . . And if it wasn't. . . One would think you'd have enough sense to ask for help, rather than just give in." I examine my nails as I speak, never really directing the words at anyone.

The kit's toes are curling rather guiltily now, and I can hear him mumble into the wind: "I just wanted to make something special for my new brother or sister. . . just me. . . and I can't manage it. I can't give them anything special. . ."

"And if you wanted to make something special for your new brother or sister," I quickly add- but not too quickly- "I'd think you'd realize you'd get nothing done by just throwing your plans away."

. . .

"You know, Shippo," I then say quietly, eyes on the clouds, "you remind me of myself. . . when I was a little whelp. Parents dead, all alone. . . But you're not really alone, are you? You were `not alone' longer than me. . . And you were actually smarter than me, in some aspects. I tried to carve a space for myself by force. . . and instead you tried to fit into spaces. You tried to fit into my carved space, just like you had fit into Kagome's space, and Sango's space, and Miroku's space. But now you're pulling an `Inu-Yasha'. You're trying to carve yourself a place in the pup's heart. That's not like you. And you know, kid- the pup's not gonna care if the cribs perfect or imperfect. What he or she is gonna care about is that you tried and you put your love in it. That's all that really matters, in the long run, I suppose. So if you're gonna try- then try. If not- stop your pathetic whining and go sulk or something by yourself, `cause I don't wanna listen to you."

. . .

I glance over at him for a moment, but quickly advert my gaze as he looks up from his feet.

"D. . . Daddy. . . ?" his soft voice reaches my ears, eyes slowly falling back to the ground in shame after turning to face me.

"Mmmm?" I drawl, glancing at him from the corner of my eye, pretending I don't care.

"Um. . . Will you help me?" He takes a few steps closer, shifting uncomfortably. "Please?"

I shrug once more.

"Sure."

". . . ?"

He blinks in surprise at my quick words of agreement, watching in slight bewilderment as I hop out of the tree and gracefully land on the ground a few feet before him.

"R-really?" he squeaks, surprised.

"No," I reply dryly, taking half of the supplies from the child. "I lied. Now, what do you need assistance with?"

Shippo doesn't reply for a moment- only smiles-

And then quickly puts me to work helping him.

~*~

Hope you liked this chapter! ^_^ (I also hope no one thought it skipped around too much. . .)

And before anyone says it: NO I did NOT get this chapter idea from Bottled Genius, written by Rosefire. I love that fic to pieces, but I already planned this scene before. I did not copy, and the phrase `as you wish' is not hers exclusively. I'm actually ready a rather good story called `As You Wish' right now- check it out if you have a chance. ^_^ It's on my favorite's list.

Anyway, thanks for reading! (And- if I may shamelessly plug for a moment- if you get a chance, could you read my new one shot `Dawning', too? It's just 100% fluff- I swear- you'll love it! ^_^ Thanks!)

Please R&R!

Ja ne!