InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ For The One You Love ❯ Aftereffects, Part Two ( Chapter 4 )

Disclaimer: I do not own any part of the series InuYasha, by Takahashi Rumiko.

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For the One You Love

Chapter Four

Aftereffects, part two

Nearly a month had passed since Kagome's rescue, and the shard hunters had yet to leave Kaede's village. A sense of normalcy had returned in those weeks, as evidenced by the scene that took place by the well one bright afternoon…

“Inuyasha! I haven't been home in over three weeks! My family is probably worried sick - not to mention the exams I have this week.”

Standing nose-to-nose with Inuyasha, Kagome was deep into their usual fight over her time in the modern era.

“Heck no, woman! Ya ain't going and that's final!” Inuyasha folded his arms and turned his head away, thinking the argument over. Kagome's shoulders slumped as she spoke again.

“Please, Inuyasha. I just want to spend a little time with my family. Besides, after these tests, I'll be done - no more school.”

One dark eyebrow quirked. “No more school?” he echoed, trying and failing to keep the edge of excitement out of his voice. Kagome smiled slightly.

“Yep. After these tests, I don't have to go to school anymore.” `Cause with my grades, university isn't exactly an option…not that it ever was, Kagome thought. Inuyasha turned back to her.

“Alright - sundown, seven days from now - any later and I'm comin' after ya.” Kagome's face lit up as she leaned forward to hug the hanyou.

“Thank you, Inuyasha!” She turned, picked her bags off the ground and , with a small wave, dropped down the timeslip to the future.

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“So glad those are over,” Kagome said, with a sigh of relief. Four days of studying leads to five finals in one day. Don't they realize our brains can only hold so much information?

Taking her time walking home, Kagome passed a pharmacy. I really should check while I'm here…. Quickly making up her mind, she turned on her heel and entered the store, needing only one thing. A few short, embarrassing minutes later, Kagome left the store and continued her way home.

Later, secured in her bathroom, Kagome watched the slow-moving second hand on her watch and dreaded the end of the required five minutes. Three…two…one. Okay…you can do this.

Flipping the little white stick over, she inhaled sharply at the result.

Lovely…now how the heck am I going to tell the others?

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The passageway filled with its cool familiar light as Kagome jumped down. The light faded to reveal a brilliantly blue sky. Kagome looked up out of the well, and failing to see her hanyou guardian, she hefted her bag and started the climb up. As she clambered over the side, Kagome noticed Inuyasha standing near the tree line.

“Hey. Were you waiting here for me?”

“No, why the hell would I do that?”

Kagome shrugged, passing off his bad mood as a result of her being gone for a week. As she started down the path to the village, she noticed that Inuyasha wasn't at his usual place beside her. Kagome looked back and saw that he hadn't moved from his place against a tree.

“Inuyasha?” She walked back to him.

“Are you alright? You're acting kinda weird.” Kagome raised her hand to check if he had a fever, but before she could reach him, his hand shot out and gripped her wrist. Wha?

“Inuyasha? What's going on?” Inuyasha looked at her, his expression unreadable.

“I'm fine, but I have a question for you. How is it, that even four weeks later, you still smell like that bastard?” Ignoring her look of shock and not giving her a chance to speak, he continued.

“I noticed it before you left; I thought that time and a modern bath would get rid of it. But it hasn't. So tell me why? I can only think of one reason…and I hope to all the kami that I'm wrong.”

Kagome's free hand flew unconsciously to her stomach at his words. “So it's true, then. You are pregnant with that bastard's kid.”

“Yes,” said Kagome. “But I didn't have a choice; I was try—“ Inuyasha cut her off with a derisive laugh.

“Didn't have a choice?! Heh, please. You and I both know that you're strong enough to keep him from touching you if you didn't want it. So the question's still there - why?”

Kagome tried to pull away from him; Inuyasha only gripped her wrist harder. “I was trying to protect you!”

She finally wrenched her hand from the hanyou's grasp, though his claws scratched her wrist as she pulled away.

“Naraku threatened to kill you if I didn't! I was all for you! I wanted to protect you because I love you!!”

Tears shining in her eyes, Kagome turned and ran down the path, leaving Inuyasha standing frozen in shock by the tree.

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Kagome slowed her steps when she reached the village, trying to dry her face of any tears before she met Sango and Kaede. When she reached the door to Kaede's, Kagome reached out to push it aside when it was opened from within. Sango stepped out, water pail in hand, but upon seeing the look on Kagome's face, stopped in her tracks.

“What did he do?” Kagome grimaced. “Is it that obvious?”

Sango nodded and pulled the other girl inside. “So what happened?” Kagome sighed as she sat down. “Well, my guess was right. When I came back, he was waiting for me, as usual. He could smell the baby and started saying the most ridiculous things.”

“Like what?”

“Only that I must've gotten pregnant on purpose, because there's no way Naraku could have touched me otherwise. To be quite honest, he was scaring me a little.”

“So what did you do?” Kagome laughed once.

“I yelled at him and said that I had no choice - that I did it for him, because I love him.” Sango raised an eyebrow. “What'd he say to that one?”

Kagome shrugged. “I don't know. I took off after I said it and came back here.”

Sango nodded and stood, grabbing the temporarily water pail. “Well, I'm sure we'll hear about it soon enough. Now I was headed out to get some water and vegetables for dinner - care to join me?”

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A few hours later saw the remains of a delicious meat and vegetable stew sitting beside the fire and a group of six seated around the said fire, finishing the stew from their bowls.

“This was a wonderful meal, Kagome,” Kaede praised and Miroku echoed her.

“Thanks. I had a lot of help from Sango, though. Yes, Shippou?” Shippou had tapped on Kagome's arm from his seat beside her. Not taking his eyes off his food, he spoke.

“Where's Inuyasha? He's never far away when there's food to be found.”

Kagome opened her mouth, unsure how to explain the hanyou's absence when his voice came from the entrance.

“Keh, I'm right here, runt.”

Kagome froze momentarily as Inuyasha stepped inside and plopped into his spot near Kagome. She sat down her barely touched bowl of stew and quickly stood up.

“Sango, I'm going to get some water to wash up with.” Kagome turned on her heel, grabbed the water pail, and left the hut as quickly as she could.

Reaching the riverbank a few moments later, Kagome tossed the bucket aside and nearly collapsed to the ground. Pulling her knees up to her chest, she tried to prevent herself from thinking of the hanyou, but her attempts were soon thwarted by a familiar tingle on her senses.

“Go away, Inuyasha!”

“No.”

His simple reply was given as he came over to sit beside her. Kagome turned away from him, not wanting to speak with him.

“Did you mean it?”

“What are you talking about?” Kagome resisted the urge to look at him, firmly keeping her head turned away.

“What you said earlier…did you mean it?” Her resistance faltered and she looked at him for a brief moment before turning her gaze to the river.

“Of course I did!”

“Then why?” Kagome kept her gaze on the river and didn't answer. “Kagome, can you tell me what happened that night? The truth, this time.”

His voice was low and pleading; Kagome gave in, telling Inuyasha the events from that horrible night - the questions, the choices, the consquences. Inuyasha sat beside her and let her speak. When she finished, Kagome turned to him, eyes slightly red and puffy.

“Does that answer your question?”

Inuyasha nodded and turned his gaze to the river. A few quiet moments passed before he spoke again.

“So what're you going to do now?”

Kagome shrugged. “I'm keeping the child, if that's what you're asking. Beyond that, I'm not sure. My schooling is finished, so other than to see my family - and get ramen - I really don't have a reason to go through the well.”

“Does that mean…you'll stay here?”

“Yeah. I can't exactly have this child in the future…if he has any youkai attributes at all, he'd be carted off to a lab somewhere and dissected. I know this'll put the shard hunt on hold for a while…I'm sorry.”

Inuyasha looked at her. Kagome was sitting in the same position he found her in - legs bent and folded against her chest, head laying on her knees. She started when Inuyasha slid closer to her, close enough that his arms were touching hers. Kagome looked at him, a question in her eyes; his gaze was focused on the river.

“Whatever.” He was silent for another few moments. Kagome leaned her head on his shoulder; she was tired and he was comfy.

“Kagome?”

“Hmm?”

“I…I'll help…if you want me too.”

It took a moment for his words to sink in. Kagome's eyes widened and she raised her head to look at him.

“What?”

“I'll help you, with the kid, if you want.”

“You're serious?” Inuyasha finally turned his gaze toward her. “I am. You did this for me…the least I can do is help you raise this kid.”

Kagome nodded and laid her head back on his shoulder. “Thank…you.” Her words were punctuated by a yawn.

“Tired?”

“Mm-hmm.” Inuyasha smiled at her response and tucked his arm around her waist.

“Then sleep, Kagome. I'll be here when you wake up.”

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So…yeah…did NOT realize it had been so long. I am SO sorry, everyone. This year has been insanely busy. I know that's not much excuse, but it's what I have. Hopefully everyone had a good Christmas, and I hope to get another chap out soon.

Trekker (FanFiction)

Youkai (MediaMiner)