InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Harsh Changes ❯ Chapter Ten ( Chapter 10 )

Harsh Changes

Chapter 10-Home is Where the Heart is

"It's OK. I passed out because of the smoke, really." Kagome desperately tried to convey to her worried friends, who were surrounding her little futon in the small hut by the god's tree.

"OK? No, it's not OK. You could have gotten seriously hurt. I don't know why I agreed to let you come." InuYasha fumed as he paced the floor.

Kaeda put a rag on Kagome's face. Kagome slid it off.

"Really, Kaeda. I don't need it. I'm OK."

"Kagome, ye really need to take it easy, tis too dangerous to continue the journey right now."

"I am inclined to agree." added Miroku, "It would be better if you weren't put in such danger."

"I wasn't in that much danger."

"You could have been burnt to a crisp, that's not dangerous?" cried InuYasha, angrily.

"InuYasha."

"No, Kagome. I let you come so far, but this is the last straw."

"Lady Kagome, please. We have gathered quite a few shards with your help. It time we took over." Miroku explained.

"The monk is right. Ye need not push yourself to such extremes. They can handle the quest in till ye are ready to rejoin them. Besides, all this travel put so much undo stress on ye. That is not good for the baby."

Kagome let out a defeated sign. It really wasn't that bad of far as injuries. She didn't even get burns. But the worried expression of her friends and the fact Shippou cried himself a small ocean because he didn't protect Kagome made her realized she really didn't have much of a choice. She would have to stay home, if nothing else, for the mental heath of her friends.

Kagome watched the firelight dance on the ceiling. The small hut was strangely quiet without the normal noises of InuYasha's and Shippou's bickering. The others had gone off on a rumor, hoping to find a shard. That was their brilliant plan, to follow rumors of the jewel and just go killing demons. Shippou had decided to go with them. He had told Kagome he had to go. He needed to be braver if he was going to be a good big brother.

So, Kagome now was alone, with no one to keep her company but the strange shapes dancing on the beams of the ceiling. The small hut seemed incredible large without people in it. Her hand rested against the now impossible to hide belly. She hadn't seen InuYasha for quite some time, spanning a few months. He hadn't seen her with her body this way. The first thought that came to her mind was that he would be disgusted by her, and her rounded shape. That thought decided to plant itself very firmly in its place, becoming a nagging voice.

A sound outside caught her attention and she sat up. The door hanging flung open and Kagome almost screamed as a foreign figure just walked on in. But she quickly recognized the figure that had dark shadows over it because of the fire.

"Kouga." She whispered in a huff.

His eyes blazed angrily.

"What that bastard do?" he yelled, he almost was shaking the very walls around them.

She felt her blood run cold. How did he know what had happened? Sure, she could see how the villagers knew. But Koga had quite a distance to cover to just pick up on a rumor like that, even if that rumor was true.

"Kouga."

"How dare he!"

"Please, settle down."

"How dare he touch my woman!"

Well, maybe he didn't know about the rape. That was a better scenario than before.

"Kouga, stop yelling."

"NO! He touch MY woman and-"

What ever threats Kouga was about to spew out against the haft-breed were cut off by Kagome. Lack of sleep had made her cranky, hormones had made her unstable and stress had made her harsh. Kouga got a tongue lashing of his life. Hell has no fury like a woman's scorn.

By the end of it, he was apologizing for things he was sure he wasn't involved in, like her aching back and swollen ankles. He had foolishly gone running into a pregnant woman's home to insult the man who made her that way. Boy, he was sorry for that decision. But it wasn't his fault. He was just worried about Kagome. His Kagome. After hearing the news from passerbyers in the forest that HIS Kagome might by pregnant by that dog turd, he lost it.

"I'm sorry." he said for the hundred time.

Kagome felt her angry began to subside.

"Kouga, you can't be acting like this."

"Kagome, why-why did you . . .?"

Kagome looked at the teary eyed wolf demon. He really looked pained. Kagome realized it may be the first time he really considered that maybe Kagome wasn't his after all. It was a painful lesson, but one he was just going to have to learn.

"Kouga, I'm sorry. But . . ."

This wasn't going to be easy. No matter what, Kouga was her friend.

"Kouga, I'm building my home with InuYasha. I'm sorry. I choose him."

Kouga felt like he had been hit by a giant bolder. His Kagome had chosen that dog over him. He sat down when his legs seemed to give way under him. What had he done wrong? What did dog turd do right?

"I'm sorry." she said again, reaching out to put a comforting hand on his shoulder, but he jerked away.

"Fine." he said and stormed out before Kagome could stop him.

Kagome was left feeling like she was the worst person on the planet.

"Damn it. Let just go into the demon killing that all we are doing!"

"Calm down, will you?"

"No, damn it. This is ridicules. We have taken down four demons and not one of them had a shard. Damn it!"

It had been quite some time since they had left Kagome at the village. They even took the jewel so that no stray demon would run across it while she was trying to rest. But without Kagome's ability to see the jewel, it became very difficult to do the shard hunting. They had gotten one shard out of one of the nine demons they had gone after.

InuYasha was more frustrated with this than the others, since he could still remember how depressed Kagome had looked when she was left behind. Shippou had come along, heaven only knows why. This whole thing was starting to make him mad. He was starting to miss Kagome. He was starting to miss his home.

That thought was one that always tripped him up. His home. It had been so long since he could even say such a thing. To have not only a place to go home to and even weirder, someone there waiting for him, was enough to make him drop the stupid quest and run there right now. But Kagome was worried about the jewel and so that's why he was sitting on a log, gazing upon yet another dead demon.

"How long have we been gone?" asked Shippou, hoping up onto Miroku's shoulder.

"I'm not sure. It's been a while." answered Sango.

"Maybe, we should head back." added Miroku.

"What do you think, InuYasha?"

InuYasha was walking away.

"Come on, let's go home."

By the time the village came into view the sun had set and the landscape had plunged into blackness. Shippou was asleep in Sango's arms. Miroku suggested that they take Shippou with them, since InuYasha was probably going to be mean to him on the way to Kagome. Besides, InuYasha was all excited to see Kagome again, even if he wouldn't admit it.

The hut had a milky look to it against the full moon and he couldn't help but pick up his speed as he neared it. As he went pass the door hanging, he caught a small smell. It was Kouga. He looked around hastily, but didn't see Kagome and his mind panicked.

"She left with him." he said out loud, putting voice to his fears.

He started to feel angry rise in his chest, then he heard a small sound behind him. He twisted around to see Kagome with a basket in her hands, full with clothes. She hadn't seen him yet. But as she raised her head up from her thoughts, she smiled.

"InuYasha."

InuYasha didn't return the smile. He still smelled Kouga in his home. And it made him furious. Kagome slowed as she reached the door, sensing the tension he was making.

"What wrong?" she asked.

"Why was Kouga here?" he said, not hiding the angry in his voice.

Kagome gazed up into InuYasha's golden eyes.

"InuYasha."

"Why did you let him in?"

Kagome's temper snapped.

"He didn't wait for me. He barged into here. By the time he left, he was almost crying. Alright. I'm sorry I didn't throw myself into his path before he could enter, but I was trying to get some sleep."

Kagome's eyes filled up with tears.

"I'm sorry that I couldn't protect your precious home." she choked out, before dropping the basket she had been carrying and rushing inside.

InuYasha was seriously considering hitting himself over the head. He had to be a jerk, didn't he? He had to ruin everything. Kagome's sob were heard quite clearly from his position outside of the hut. Why did he have to be such a jerk? He picked up the basket, putting the clothes that had been thrown out back in and slipped in.

Kagome didn't notice when InuYasha came in. She was too busy crying her eyes out, but a small creek in the floor boards cause her to look up. There was InuYasha, placing the basket on the floor. She gave him a fierce look.

"What do you want? Your laundry not clean enough for you?"

"That wasn't it."

"Then what do you want?"

"I wanted to say I'm sorry, Kagome."

She glared at him. Sorry. He was sorry. Well, she was too. Sorry she couldn't be the woman he wanted her to be. InuYasha's ears flatten against his head and his eyes were wide. Kagome almost felt laughter in her throat. He looked so cute when he did that.

"Kagome, I'm really sorry."

"InuYasha, no. I'm sorry-"

"No, you don't have any reason to be sorry. I shouldn't have jumped to conclusion. I should have asked you what happened."

Kagome smiled. It was so not like him to try and be understanding. He had matured over the past few months it seemed. InuYasha saw the small smile appear on her face. That was what he wanted to come home to. He let a similar smile appear on his face. She dried her eyes and sat up from her futon, exposing InuYasha for the first time to her swollen middle. He gasped. She let a worried look cover her face. He must think she was disgusting to gasp like that. Now, she wished she hadn't of sat up. She turned away from him, trying to hide her vile body.

"What's wrong, Kagome?"

"I don't want you to look at me."

"Oh. I understand."

"I'm just so disgusting."

InuYasha shook his head.

"No, Kagome. You're not."

"You're just saying that."

"I'm not."

"Then why did you gasp at me."

"It surprised me. The last time I saw you, you didn't look like this. But you are beautiful."

Kagome gave another weak smile. Even if he didn't mean it, it was nice that he would say it. Kagome let out her own gasp as she felt the baby let out a good kick. InuYasha jerked up in surprise, not understanding why she had made such a surprised sound. Fear seeped into his features.

"What?"

"The baby kicked."

InuYasha was a bit confused. She sounded almost excited about it. What did it mean when the baby kicked? He came a little closer, since she was still turned away from him. He wanted to see what she was talking about. InuYasha inched forward being careful not to started Kagome. Kagome smiled.

"Do you want to feel?" she asked.

He was silent for a moment, not sure what the appropriate answer would be, but then he gave a timid nod. She reached out and took his hand laying it over the wide stretch of her belly. Without even thinking, she let his hand slip under her kimono. He was surprised by how smooth and firm the flesh was. Then he blushed when he realized where his hand was. But he kept it still in till he felt a bit of movement beneath the surface.

What was that? Was that the baby? InuYasha, forgetting about his previous embarrassment, followed the flow beneath his hands in till he felt a force came up and press against his hand. He gazed up into Kagome's eyes, the look of pure confusion on his face.

"That's the baby. She's kicking."

She? Did she just call the baby a she? Kaede had said she would be first to know. Did that mean InuYasha was having a girl? Another kick came, and then the baby stretched out her leg and kept it straight. InuYasha laughed.

"What is she doing?"

"Saying hello to her daddy."

InuYasha smiled, and then looked back at Kagome. To his surprise, he was laying beside Kagome. He hadn't noticed that Kagome had lain down. But it felt nice to be that close to her. Kagome didn't seem to mind. The baby's leg went back and the baby did a few more kicks before settling down.

Before InuYasha realized what had happened, he was sleeping against Kagome, his hand still hidden beneath her kimono, waiting for any movement of his baby. Kagome couldn't help the warm feeling that came spreading up through her spine as she watched InuYasha's eyes close and she still felt his hand against her. For the first time in a long time, she felt warm and happy. She let her eyes close too and she slept with her InuYasha beside her.