InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Incomplete ❯ Chapter 42 ( Chapter 42 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

By: Langus

It was 3:07 AM according to the small digital clock on Kagome's bedside table. She stirred ever so slightly in her sleep, letting out a tiny moan as her dark lashes fluttered against her cheeks. Sesshomaru leaned forward ever so slightly in his chair, his breath frozen. Grasping her hand a little tighter he silently commanded her eyes to open. He studied her intently until with a final flutter her eyelids cracked open. The chocolate orbs he thought he'd never see again danced lazily around the room until they came to rest on him. There they paused, as if unsure whether they could trust what they were seeing. It took only a second for her mind to comprehend the situation and she immediately shrank away from his touch.

Sesshomaru instantly smelt the waves of fear and anxiety emanating from her. His lips pressed together to keep from cursing aloud and he hid his fist, clenched tight enough to crush stone, beneath the edge of the bed. When he saw tears on pain and utter desperation well up in her eyes he did the only thing he could think of to ease her suffering - he silenced her fears with a kiss.

"I know," he whispered to her in a soft and reassuring tone as he his claws made soothing strokes through her hair. He felt her body heave a great sigh, sending a puff of warm breath to caress his neck. When he finally pulled away he was relieved to see a small smile tugging at the corners of her lips.

"Thank the gods," she whispered with genuine relief in her voice. At least now he knew the truth and from the looks of him he didn't hold anything against her. It felt like a massive weight had been lifted off her chest and she breathed easy for the first time in months.

No one could ever say Rin wasn't a perceptive child. She'd told her nothing about the rape but apparently the girl had figured it out on her own. In that moment Kagome missed her immensely. It was only then that she realized that she was on the other side of the well…and so was Sesshomaru for that matter. Her eyes caught sight of the beads hanging around his neck and she wondered how he'd known to use them, or how he'd obtained them for that matter. Hopefully he hadn't…she swallowed hard at the thought. He wouldn't have…would he?

"I never should have doubted you." Sesshomaru confessed quietly and Kagome's eyebrows drew up with concern. The pain and regret in his eyes was apparent and she could tell by the way his shoulders uncharacteristically sagged that he sincerely regretting his earlier actions towards her. Reaching her hand out she opened her palm towards him and he took it up within his claws.

"I've missed you," she confessed with a gentle smile and squeezed his hand in hers. She was too relieved he finally knew the truth to hold on to the anger or pain. Maybe now they could finally get their lives back to normal. She wanted nothing more than to go back with him to the Western Lands and raise her baby in peace.

Guilt overwhelming him, Sesshomaru dropped her hand and broke his gaze from hers. He bent his head low, his eyes remaining fixed to the floor. Kagome eyed his bowed head curiously. She gingerly stroked a few wayward strands of his silver hair while her other hand trailed down the blankets covering her body. It took only a moment for her to realize something wasn't right. She felt…empty. She was shocked to find no more baby bump to rest her hand upon and she began to panic when she realized that no child stirred within her belly.

She attempted to push herself up into a sitting position and winced at the pain that flooded her torso. It felt as if her innards had been scooped out with a dull spoon. Too shocked to speak, she grabbed Sesshomaru's hand and placed it on her stomach while looking at him questioningly. He couldn't meet her gaze as he told her the baby was gone.

He felt her withdraw from him instantly. She shied away from his touch and covered her face with her hand while crying silent tears. Admittedly, he was a little surprised to see her so upset. Considering the circumstances, he thought she would've been relieved to have that burden removed from her shoulders. Then again, he still had much to learn about the hearts of human women, Kagome's in particular.

His face grim, he touched her shoulder to comfort her but she pulled her body out of his reach and curled up into a ball. Sesshomaru felt helpless for the second time in as many days. He couldn't comfort her, and she didn't want him to. His mate was…rejecting him. He leaned back in the chair but soon shifted forward again, his eyes remaining trained on her back. She obviously didn't want him there but he couldn't bring himself to leave either.

When he reached for her again his hand was engulfed by a painful crackle of energy. With a hiss he ripped it away and stared in awe at his steaming flesh. His heart could hardly fathom what his mind was telling him - she'd tried to purify him! His eyes rose slowly in shock and he watched her body shake as she cried.

"Don't touch me!" Her voice was barely above a whisper but the angry hiss punctuating her words was unmistakable.

Sesshomaru curled his singed fingers into a fist and crushed his burnt flesh painfully against his palm. He'd wondered if she would blame him…at least now he had his answer. Pressing his lips together in a thin line, he stared out the open door into the overly bright hallway and pondered what to do. He finally resigned himself to doing nothing. Closing his eyes he rested his head against the wall and waited patiently for her to be ready.

Mrs. Higurashi arrived alone the next morning and was surprised to see the proud demon she'd met the day before looking utterly defeated on the floor. He had his back against the wall as if casually resting there, but she could tell from the drawn look on his face that things hadn't gone well during the night. Looking to Kagome she saw that her back was turned to them but sensed with a mother's instinct that she was no longer sleeping. Stepping into the room she gave Sesshomaru a sympathetic smile and moved to her daughter's bedside.

"Honey? It's Mom. How are you feeling?" she inquired gently, her hand rubbing her daughter's back in comforting circles. After a moment Kagome spoke up, but her voice was thick with tears.

"Make him leave!" Mrs. Higurashi's face frowned with consternation and she motioned for Sesshomaru to join her in the hall with a wave of her hand. He obliged and once they were alone she asked what'd happened to make Kagome so upset.

"She blames me for the child's death," the demon answered painfully through clenched teeth. She pursed her lips thoughtfully as she debated how to best rectify the situation. Her observant eyes caught sight of the demon's burnt fingers before he closed his hand into a fist, hiding them from her view. She shook her head and clucked her tongue disapprovingly.

"Why don't you go join Sota and Gramps in the waiting room down the hall and I'll see what I can do about Kagome hmm?" she offered warmly.

Sesshomaru shuddered at the thought of having to spend any more time with Kagome's brother and grandfather but agreed to do as she asked. He waited until her knit sweater disappeared into the room before he made his trek towards the waiting area.

The boy and the old man were seated next to one another in the plush chairs, looking equally bored and restless. They eyed him down suspiciously as he entered. Tired and emotionally drained, Sesshomaru had little patience left to deal with their questions and accusations. He sat down across from them without a word and stared out the window at nothing in particular. The boy was the first to audaciously disturb his brooding.

"So how come you have two swords? Inuyasha only has one. Is that because your swords aren't as powerful as his?"

Closing his eyes, Sesshomaru had to find every ounce of patience within his body to keep from lashing out at the youngster. Above all other things, he hated being compared to his half-brother. "One sword is from my father and the other I had fashioned for myself. Both are powerful."

"But not as powerful as Inuyasha's right?" Sota interjected snidely.

Sesshomaru didn't give him the satisfaction of answering and remained stubbornly silent. How was it that this child possessed the ability to make him feel inferior to his mutt brother? He'd never felt inferior to anyone in his life. He went back to ignoring the boy and his aging grandfather until his thoughts were interrupted once more. This time however, the circumstances were different.

"Gramps? What's wrong Gramps?" The panic in the boy's voice was evident and the scent of fear on him was palpable. Turning towards the old man Sesshomaru watched him clutch at his chest painfully as beads of sweat dripped down his brow. With a strangled cry he fell to the floor, forcing the boy out of his seat.

As he frantically grabbed hold of his grandfather's shoulders, Sota stared up into the demon's tepid gaze, his own eyes filled with panic. Despite his earlier reservations about the demon and his fierce determination to defend Inuyasha's name, he realized that with Gramps' life on the line this Sesshomaru character might be his only chance. "Please you have to help him! Gramps is hurt!" He pleaded, hoping that if nothing else the demon would do it for Kagome's sake.

"I am no doctor," Sesshomaru replied coolly but walked over to the old man nonetheless. He was dead. From what he could guess his heart had failed him but considering his age it was no surprise. He was astounded that man had lived to be as old as he was, considering that the average age of mortality in feudal era was somewhere around 40 human years. By feudal standards, even Kagome's mother was pushing it.

As he knelt next to the body of Kagome's grandfather Tenseiga began to pulse at his side. He stared down curiously at the blade as its pulses became ever more demanding. So you wish to be drawn? Very well. Without hesitating, he withdrew the fang from its sheath and sliced it through the air in a graceful arc. Only his eyes saw the minions of the Underworld who crawled greedily across the old man's body melt away and only his ears heard their shrieks of indignation.

Re-sheathing the fang, Sesshomaru watched the old man intently and felt a small bubble of satisfaction rise in his chest when he began to breathe once more. To the shock of everyone in the waiting room, he sat up off the floor with Sota's help. He stared at the boy's tear stained cheeks, confusion written across his features.

"Sota?" he questioned dazedly, but received no answer. The boy was now staring wide-eyed at the demon lord that stood over them, his mouth hanging open in awe.

"Whoa! Did that sword just bring Gramps back to life?!" he exclaimed, excitedly hopping to his feet.

The demon's eyes lowered to rest on the sword at his side. He stared at it thoughtfully for a moment before turning his back on both of them and retreating down the hall towards Kagome's room. Fascinated, Sota ran after him and finally caught up, a little out of breath, halfway down the hall.

"So your sword brings people back from the dead? Why didn't you say that in the first place? Inuyasha's sword can't do THAT!"

Sesshomaru said nothing. He hadn't used Tenseiga to win acceptance from a child, even if that child was Kagome's brother. Given what his mate had already been through, the last thing she needed was another death to overcome. He'd brought back the old man for her sake alone.

As they turned down the wing which housed Kagome's room Sota darted out in front of him and stopped him abruptly in his tracks. "You are the most selfish person I have ever met!" the boy shouted up at him fiercely, causing several people to turn in their direction. Sesshomaru blinked and stared at the boy, confused as to what he'd done to warrant this new string of accusations.

"We're in a HOSPITAL," he explained, emphasizing the word as if it should have special meaning to him. Seeing only a blank stare gazing back at him Sota waved his hands emphatically, gesturing towards the dozens of open doorways lining the hall. "There are people on every floor who are dead or dying and you haven't used that thing to save anyone except Gramps!"

Drawing his brow low over his eyes, Sesshomaru glared at Sota before side stepping out of his way. The youngster refused to give up so easily though. Trotting behind the demon he said the words he was certain would push all the right buttons. If this guy hated Inuyasha as much as he claimed, them maybe…

"If you really want to impress Kagome you'd use that thing to save some lives around here. What good is a sword that heals people if you never use it? You might as well store it away in a museum for all the good you're doing with it! I bet if Inuyasha had a sword like that he'd use it all the time to save people. He's always rescuing me and Kagome…"

"Enough!" Sesshomaru cut off the boy sharply, a dangerous snarl slipping from his lips.

Sota shrunk back at the burning rage in the demon's now blood red eyes. Within a moment though, as if it'd never happened at all, his face was its normal stoic mask. Sota gulped loudly and watched with mild curiosity as the demon's eyes glanced casually at the signs hanging along the walls. Without a word, he suddenly changed his route.

Unsure what else to do, and very curious about what was going to happen, Sota followed. He was surprised when a few minutes later he found himself on the hospital roof. The demon named Sesshomaru was standing in the middle of the paved surface, the wind blowing sharply around him. His silver hair tousled around his face like a billowing cloud. Against the jet black of his borrowed kimono he resembled a dark cloud on the horizon or an ethereal shinigami, like one of the characters out of his favourite comic.

Drawing his sword again, the demon held it high above his head, the tip pointing into the sun, and Sota watched with awe as a blue flame seemed to engulf the blade. In one swift motion the sword was sunk, flame and all, into the roof and he watched as a flood of blue light burst outwards from it like a turbulent shockwave.

After enjoying the initial wave of warmth that washed over his body, Sota watched the light fade with a hint of disappointment on his face. His eyes widened with surprise when the mysterious demon wavered on his feet before he collapsed gracefully to one knee. Without hesitating he ran to his side and arrived just as Sesshomaru began to push his body upright.

"Are you okay?" he asked, genuine concern echoing in his voice.

"My body is not used to the climate in your world." Sesshomaru explained as he took in several deep breaths. He rested his weight heavily against Tenseiga and used it to steady himself once he was on his feet.

He glanced thoughtfully at the fang in his clutches before adding, "I have never used this to heal more than one human at a time." This comment was directed more to himself than to Sota as he was still in awe over the true extent of the fang's power. After re-sheathing Tenseiga, Sesshomaru walked slowly towards the door that would take him back to the hospital with Sota following closely at his heels.

From inside her room Kagome could hear the disbelief in the nurses' voices as they raced up and down the hall. Calls of "Doctor!" "It's a miracle!" "The cancer is completely gone!" "But we were sure he was flat-lining!" reached her ears and brought an understanding smile to her lips. She'd felt the warmth of Tenseiga's power flowing through her body and knew instantly what he'd done. He'd saved a hundred lives to make up for the one life he couldn't save.

Crawling out of bed Kagome pushed her mother's helping hand away with a shake of her head and shuffled unaided into the hall. She explored it slowly, tracing her fingers along the powder blue walls as she went. Her brown eyes peered curiously into every room she passed. Everyone seemed to be crying with relief, rejoicing or laughing. He'd done this for her and she wasn't entirely sure how she should feel about it. Happy? Satisfied? Vindicated? She didn't have time to decide. Her feet stopped short when she caught sight of him at the end of the hall.

Due to her emotional distress the previous night she hadn't noticed his change in attire. His usual white silken garments were gone, replaced by a black kimono and hakama pants which contrasted elegantly with his silver hair. Seeing the way his body sagged with exhaustion and the defeated expression on his face made her feel instantly guilty.

On some level she'd known all along that it was his fault but that hadn't stopped her from trying to purify him. It'd been so much easier to blame him for her pain than to deal with the loss of her child. She realized now that there was no one to blame. As her Mom had explained so patiently just moments earlier, Sometimes things happen we can't control but rather than linger on them, we should use them as lessons to help us move on with our lives and make ourselves better people.

Sesshomaru blamed himself for what'd happened to her. Not just the baby, but everything else as well. Her mother had explained in great detail how he'd brought her through the well, the concern he'd shown for her and his all-night vigil at her bedside. Her heart clenched painfully in her chest as she remembered how she'd reacted towards him when he'd told her the devastating news. After so many months of wanting nothing but his arms around her, when he'd offered himself to her she'd childishly pushed him away. She was determined not to make the same mistake again.

As she stepped towards him, Kagome noticed that his eyes still held the same quiet power she'd always admired but now it was laced with a deep sadness, a sadness she'd caused. Every step she took towards him hurt like Hell, but it also brought him closer so she pushed onward until he was within arms reach. Without a word he opened himself to her and she gratefully accepted, wrapping her arms around his chest.

Pressing her ear over his heart Kagome cried with relief. After months of pain and separation, hours spent doubting one another and foolishly ignoring the truest of their emotions, they were finally together. She closed her eyes peacefully as she felt his arm come down to rest gently against her back. He pulled her in tight and bowed his head to kiss her, not caring in the slightest that the entire hall, including Sota, was staring at them.

Breathing her scent in deeply, Sesshomaru allowed it to wash over him like a wave. Love…and tears of happiness was all he could smell coming from her and without realizing it he let out a great sigh of relief. She'd come back to him at last. Closing his eyes as well, he enjoyed the feeling of her body in his embrace. He was finally able to hold her the way he wanted to. His body had ached for months to feel her at his side and now that she was once again in his arms, he knew he could finally be at peace.