InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Love Reigns Down ❯ The Foundation in Which We Stand ( Chapter 9 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

“Oh, Mama, look at this one! It’s so cute!” Kagome held out an adorable pink dress hemmed with white lace perfect for a newborn infant.

Nori Higurashi smiled indulgently at her daughter. “It’s lovely, dear, but what if you have a boy? Shouldn’t you find out first before you start buying dresses? Perhaps you should wait.”

Kagome looked wistfully at the dress before she reluctantly hung it back up on the rack. “You’re right, Mama, but it’s just so cute! Oh, all right, I’ll wait.” Bypassing the rack of little dresses, she turned her attention elsewhere and soon brightened up as she grabbed another outfit. This time it was a tiny pair of denim overalls with a matching green striped shirt. It was simply adorable! She would definitely buy that one. Even if it was meant for a boy, a little girl could get away with wearing something like that Kagome thought as she put the outfit in her cart.

Kagome hummed under her breath as she casually browsed the racks of clothes. She was so glad that her mama had asked her out for lunch today. Although she spoke to her mother almost every day, she hadn’t seen her since the Cherry Blossom festival over a month ago. So when Nori called that morning to make a lunch date, Kagome jumped at the chance. It was perfect timing as her calendar was free that afternoon and there was nothing pressing at the lab. Nori had picked Kagome up a little before Noon and twenty minutes later they were sitting down at an outdoor cafe enjoying their bento boxes.

The lunch hour flew by quickly as the two women, laughing and chatting, caught up with their daily lives. Kagome was reluctant to end her time with her mother and —  since it was such a beautiful day out — she suggested they go for a stroll to digest their meal. Nori readily agreed. Her daughter was always so busy that she would take any opportunity to spend more time with her. She did, however, make Kagome promise that she wouldn’t exert herself. She had noticed gray circles under her daughter’s eyes and had remarked upon them. Kagome simply laughed it off as a normal part of pregnancy. Nori, herself, had a difficult pregnancy with Sota, so she accepted her daughter’s explanation without further worry.

With arms linked, they strolled leisurely down the street, stopping occasionally to peer in the shop windows that piqued their interests. Kagome was delighted when they came upon the corner store selling baby supplies. The bright colourful window display would draw any expectant mothers to the store, but the huge red sign advertising their 50% discount sale was simply too good a deal to pass up.

Kagome took a quick survey of the outfits she intended to purchase. A tiny long-sleeve t-shirt with a blasting rocket ship, a soft blue jumper with a fuzzy baby whale decorating its front, and a pair of soft cotton onesies. All very suitable outfits for a newborn baby boy or girl. Picking up the jumper, she couldn’t help but smile as she lightly fingered the soft material, imagining how her baby would look in it. Would her son or daughter have amber eyes and silver hair like InuYasha? And would they inherit his adorable ears? Kami, I hope so. Kagome bit her lip to keep from squealing out loud. She could just imagine a smaller version of her husband and she couldn’t wait to hold their baby in her arms. She patted her belly affectionately. Soon, sweetheart, soon.

The baby must have heard her judging from the strong kick she received a moment later. Kagome’s huge smile waned as she felt a shock of energy burst in her abdomen. Gasping lightly, she grabbed the nearest hanger for support and stood breathing heavily through her nose until the discomfort subsided.

Nori rushed over to her daughter’s side, concern written all over her face. “Kagome, are you all right?”

Kagome smiled weakly. “Yes, Mama, I’m fine. The baby just kicked and it took me by surprise, that’s all. He’s a strong one.” She hated lying to her mother, but she didn’t want to worry her.

Nori placed a hand on Kagome’s back and one on her arm to support her. “Do you want to sit down? There’s a bench right over there.” She tried to steer her daughter to the side of the store where seats were set up for tired mothers to rest.

“No, I’ll be fine. Just give me a minute.” Kagome took a succession of deep breaths and tried to relax. The small surges of energy had been increasing in frequency and severity for the last couple of days, and although the last doctor’s appointment had shown that the baby was developing nicely in its third trimester, there was something seriously wrong. Kagome could no longer deny it. As the days went by, she was feeling more and more fatigued. At first, she truly did believe it was a normal part of her pregnancy. Reading every baby book she could get her hands on told her that. After all, she was housing a new life inside of her. What mother-to-be doesn’t get tired? But exhaustion combined with these energy shocks was definitely a cause for alarm.

“I think I better get back to work now, Mama.”
“Yes, of course, dear. Here, let me get these.” Nori gathered the clothes in the cart and took them to the cashier.

Kagome’s footsteps were unsteady as she tried to follow her mother. She stopped and closed her eyes trying to get her bearings. Taking another deep breath, she exhaled slowly. When she opened her eyes a moment later, she felt much better. She managed to reach the car without her mother’s support, but as soon as she got into the four door sedan, she slumped against the seat.

By the time they pulled up to the Takahashi building twenty minutes later, Kagome’s breathing and colour was back to normal. It was as if the incident at the store hadn’t even occurred. If it wasn’t for her mama’s constant fussing, Kagome would have thought she had imagined the whole thing.

Nori stopped the car and turned to her daughter. “Are you sure you’re all right, Kagome? I can walk you in or maybe I should call InuYasha down to get you—”

“No, Mama, you don’t need to do that. I told you I’m feeling much better. I’ll be fine.” She grabbed her mother’s hand. “Please don’t worry.”

“You’re my daughter. Of course, I worry,” Nori chastised lightly while looking at her daughter with a critical eye. Kagome did look much better than she did at the shop. Colour had come back to her face as her cheeks were no longer a frightening shade of gray, and while she wasn’t exactly bright-eyed and alert, the short rest in the car had definitely helped.

“Now I want you to promise me that you will take it easy. Remember not to work too hard and please try to get plenty of rest.”

Kagome smiled brightly at her mama. “I will. If I get tired later, I can always visit the doctors’ offices and borrow one of their beds for a nap.” It wasn’t the first time Kagome was grateful for the on-site obstetric offices.

Nori didn’t look convinced, but she let the matter drop. She knew her workaholic daughter well enough to know that she would never willing lie down if there was work to be done. But she also knew Kagome was sensible enough not to jeopardize the health of her child. And with InuYasha in the same building, she could trust that her hanyou son-in-law was strict enough for the both of them.

“Thank you for asking me out for lunch. It was such a nice surprise.”

Reaching over to give her daughter a hug, Nori said, “I had a lovely time, too, Kagome. I’m so glad that you were able to come out. I don’t see enough of you.” Drawing back, she clasped Kagome’s hand warmly in hers. “In fact, why don’t you and InuYasha come over for supper on Sunday? Sota is out of town with Aimi and her family again, so it will just be the three of us. I would love to spend some quality time with the both of you before the baby comes.” She patted Kagome’s hand. “Now, no excuses. When was the last time you both had a home-cooked meal? I’ll even make your favourite takenoko gohan dish. I just bought some lovely fresh bamboo at the market.”

“With chicken and shiitake mushrooms?”

“Of course.”

Kagome beamed. “Okay, Mama, you convinced me. We’ll come by for dinner on Sunday. I’ll tell InuYasha.”


Kagome used dinner on Sunday as an excuse to see InuYasha as soon as she went into the building. Since she was so upbeat, Yash didn’t suspect anything was wrong and Kagome refrained from mentioning the episode at the store. Cheerfully kissing him and telling him to have a great afternoon, she headed back down to her lab without any indication that something was amiss. She felt a million times better since seeing her husband. She always did.


“No, no, no. I need something less conspicuous.” He waved his hand absentmindedly. “Something like a bracelet that can be easily hidden in the folds of the sleeve.”

Kazuki raised a cool eyebrow. “A bracelet.”

“Yes, a bracelet should be suffice, Kaz, my boy.” The General clapped his nephew on the shoulder, a smile appearing on his face now that his concern was resolved. “Oh, by the way, would the transformation work on a human?”


Kazuki shook his head in frustration as he changed direction after speaking with his uncle. It had been one month since the project for the General was reinstated by Sesshomaru and his uncle was in good spirits about it. His own mood, meanwhile, took a down turn. He had presented his uncle with a prototype ring infused with the identity charm, but that wasn’t good enough. Fuck, if his uncle wanted a bracelet to begin with, why the hell didn’t he tell him that in the first place? He spent the last month wasting his time working on a goddamn ring. When he finally thought he could wash his hands free of the project he was pulled right back in, and now he’d have to test the charm on a human. What the fuck? He’d have to ask Kagome to be his test subject. He sighed. It looked like he’ll be spending another two weeks in the bunker from hell.

Heading across the manicured lawns of the Takahashi Group, he strode up the paved pathway until he stood in front of a brown stone building. Compared to all the other buildings on the premises this one was inconspicuous, tucked away on the far corner of the property. Pressing his hand against the rectangular glass panel situated beside the metal door, he waited impatiently as the detector verified his youki. This was one of the first buildings on the compound to have the newly integrated security system installed.

He pushed his way through the door as soon as the indicator light turned green, allowing his access. He walked along a narrow corridor allowing the many pot lights in the ceiling to lead his way. He turned left and made his way down the elevator, stopping two stories below. Stepping out in to another corridor that split in to two different directions, he turned right and purposely strode past a series of locked doors before pressing his hand against the glass screen of the door at the end of the hall. Slipping his way into the room once his youki was verified, he slumbered over to the table and slouched into a chair. Tossing the ring on to the table, he muttered under his breath, cursing his uncle for even making him do this project.

It was quiet in the laboratory as it usually was. Security was tight here and no one used the concrete bunker unless their project was highly confidential as this one was. Dr. Juro Watanabe had long since finished his part of the charm and had gone back to his own projects, leaving Kazuki to work in peace. His gaze wandered over the lab, his eyes raking in the various measuring and analytical apparatuses adorning the long black tables; the assortment of glassware neatly stacked on the shelves; the scientific instruments and pristine computer equipment, all of them sitting silent and still. The refrigeration units that were large enough to house an array of samples only had one lonely tube in its glass case. He picked up the ring and fiddled with it. To someone like Kazuki, who thrived on challenges, combining the transformation and scent charms was easy work, too easy. The infusion of both provided no difficulties, no challenge. Now if he was asked to do something more complicated like taking the identity charm and …

Kazuki’s eyes widened as an idea suddenly formulated in his brain. His eyes skipped to the tube of blood and then back again to the ring. Shit. He had a hell of an idea. Part of his brain screamed that it was a bad idea; a very, very bad idea. But the other part, the cold, calculated scientific part, whispered that it could be done. But, shit, what he was thinking was not only reckless and fool-hardy, but downright dangerous if it fell into the wrong hands. And he called Kagome reckless. This was a thousand times worse.

No, I can’t do this. What the hell am I thinking? He turned away, ashamed for where his line of thought was leading him. Yet at the same time he felt… exhilarated; it was an adrenaline rush that he couldn’t deny. The thirst to satisfy his scientific curiosity was so powerful that before he realized what he was doing, he had both the ring and the blood sample clutched in his hands. He could envision his idea working and now that his uncle had requested the change, it gave him a reason to be in the bunker longer. It was reckless; dangerous… he was definitely courting disaster, yet the need to prove his theory proved almost overwhelming. His heart beat with anticipation as his brain frantically schemed. It would work. His decision was already made, even if he internally berated himself.

But no one would ever know, his inner voice whispered.


Kagome was taking an extended break to please her husband. She swore he must be watching her on the security cameras because he always seemed to know when she didn’t take a break. Not wanting to endure another one of his lectures, she was now sitting in the cafeteria stuffing her face with seafood and vegetable tempura.

She had felt so invigorated after her visit to Yash’s office that she ended up working non-stop for the past three hours. But as soon as she sat down, the fatigue slowly came back. It started with the soreness in her feet and spread to her lower back. She was getting tired again. And hungry. Debating on whether to nap or eat, she decided on the latter. With her stomach growling, she made her way to the cafeteria. Since it was late afternoon, the eatery was almost empty with only two other tables occupied; one with a bat youkai diligently studying a pile of notes while another held a wolf youkai and human chatting amicably over coffee. None of them had paid Kagome any attention as she made her way to order her food.

This is so good, Kagome mused as she crunched on a vegetable. She could just imagine what InuYasha would say if he knew what she was eating. Kagome, you shouldn’t be eating deep fried, salty crap like that!

But, it’s so delicious! And it’s only salty if you use the dipping sauce. Besides, the baby likes it. She patted her belly and defiantly dipped a fried yam into the tempura sauce and popped it into her mouth. Since her pregnancy she rarely ate tempura — due to a certain hanyou —  and she relished every bite. As she slowly chewed she glared around the room, silently daring InuYasha to appear now.

The hanyou didn’t make an appearance, but another inu-youkai did. Kagome looked up in surprise as General Matsumoto suddenly appeared and stood in front of her. Gesturing towards her empty plate, he apologized for interrupting her and asked for a minute of her time. Eyeing the few occupied tables, he asked if she would take a walk with him. Nodding her acquiescence, she followed him out into a glass garden atrium at the center of the complex.

Now sitting on a bench amid flora that bloomed all year long, she plastered a smile on her face and waited patiently to see what Kaz’s uncle wanted from her. She had exchanged pleasantries with the inu-youkai in the past, but their conversations were always light exchanges, so the seriousness of his expression now disconcerted her.

“Thank you for taking the time to speak with me, Dr. Takahashi,” he began. “You must be wondering why I asked you here.” At Kagome’s polite nod, he continued, “I would like to know how long it would take to change a charm from one object to another.”

Why was he asking her this? This was something Kazuki could answer and she told him so.

“I don’t believe my nephew is being truthful with me, so I am asking you.”

“Oh.” Kagome didn’t know what to say to that. What exactly did Kaz tell him? She desperately wished she knew then she could provide an answer that wouldn’t contradict her friend. If he was lying to his uncle he obviously felt he had a good reason for it. Her mind working frenetically and she tried to stall for time by asking, “What did Kazuki tell you?”

His lips formed a straight, disapproving line as he reprimanded lightly. “You did not answer my question, Dr. Takahashi. How long?”

Feeling trapped, Kagome stammered, “Ah, it depends on what type of charm you’re using and what you’re transferring it from.”

“The identity charm. You do realize the significance of the talisman?”

“I understand it is for military use and any information pertaining to the project is strictly confidential. Since I am not involved in the project, I am not authorized access to the information.”

General Matsumoto eyed her shrewdly. “That was a very diplomatic answer. I see you worthy of the Takahashi name. I, however, know my nephew well, and know how close he is to you. It does not take a genius to presume that he has confided in you. That he has does not concern me. What I want to know now is how long it will take to transfer the identity charm from a ring to a bracelet.”

This was news to Kagome. She hadn’t even realized that Kazuki had a prototype ring produced. “Oh, umm… it should only take a couple of weeks…” As his eyes narrowed, she blurted out, “But then it’s a new charm, so it will probably take longer. Ah… maybe three… or four weeks at the most…”

The general seemed to contemplate her words and nodded as if satisfied with her answer, but Kagome knew better. She straightened up and prepared to defend Kazuki’s case for the delayed time. Why he would lie to his uncle she didn’t know, but after this discussion was over, she was going to hunt her friend down and find out. Kagome psyched herself up for an argument with the inu-youkai, but she was proven wrong when the general thanked her for her time and started to get up. Kagome wasn’t convinced that the general believed her, but she was thankful that he wasn’t pushing for further proof. She knew she should just let him go, but the opportunity to speak her mind presented itself and she acted before she could think. She placed her hand lightly on his arm to detain him. “Excuse me, General Matsumoto.”

He sat back down on the bench with a raised brow, mild curiosity etched on his face.

Kagome bit her lip. She had seen Kazuki suffer for the past seven months, agonizing over a project that he was forced to complete and she had meant to give the General a piece of her mind. But now that his undivided attention was on her, she hesitated. Trying to be diplomatic about the situation, Kagome said, “Kazuki has been working very hard on this project of yours, but he’s had a very difficult time working with Dr. Watanabe. I do not mean to speak ill of a fellow scientist, but Dr. Watanabe is a hard individual to work with. Not only is he arrogant and unashamed about showing it, he’s also aggressive and competitive. Your nephew has done nothing but conduct himself in a very professional manner, but he’s had many sleepless nights about this project. He’s not comfortable completing a project that he deems will be used as a weapon by your military and I think it is completely unfair and cruel of you to put your own nephew through this. I tell you this because I want you to understand how hard it has been on Kaz.”

General Matsumoto nodded his understanding. “I admire your candor, Dr. Takahashi, but let me be honest with you. Although it may not be evident in the short term, it was vital that Kazuki headed this project. I needed both of them to work together to produce that charm and quite frankly, those traits you described, are they not depicted by most of the employees here? Are these not qualifications needed in your line of work? To be aggressive in your pursuit of answers? To be competitive to see who achieves those answers first? To be arrogant in your belief that you can change the world?”

Kagome was stunned. She had never thought of it that way before, but she still protested, “Even so, those traits do not excuse discrimination.”

“Yes, you are right in that aspect, but I do not care about personality clashes. I care about results, and this project is very close to completion.” He eyed her carefully. “It is imperative that it is finished by the end of the month.”

“Is this project so important to you that you would sacrifice the health and well-being of your own nephew?”

Pain flashed in the General’s eyes; it was miniscule but it was there. Kagome was surprised. For once the general displayed something besides a stoic countenance. He locked eyes with her, wanting to get his point across to the young scientist. “I love my nephew. Never doubt that, Dr. Takahashi. In many ways, he is the son I never had.” He heaved a heavy sigh. “I am not a villain.”

“General Matsumoto —”

“Please.” He held out a hand to silence her. “I know your thoughts, Dr. Takahashi. Your face is an open book. I can see the disapproval written all over it, and I take no offence to it. You worry for my nephew. Loyalty like yours is commendable, but believe me when I say that this is for the best.” He scrutinized her and debated his words carefully. Then with pursed his lips, he abruptly asked, “Do you know the difference between a belief and a conviction, Dr. Takahashi?”

Kagome was taken aback by the shift in conversation. It was so unexpected that she could only stammer, “I-I didn’t realize there was a difference.”

His expression grave, he explained. “Beliefs are based on hope. Convictions are based on what we feel is right. A belief is something that you can hold on to while a conviction will grip and hold on to you.” He hesitated a long moment before he spoke again. “I have always lived my life by my convictions. So strong was my certainty in them; it was a foundation in which I based all else. But sometimes we find out that the foundation we stand on is not so solid after all. It took a wise woman to teach me that lesson. Remember that, Dr. Takahashi, it may serve you well in the future. It has certainly served me.” His eyes bored into hers and Kagome shifted uncomfortably under his impenetrable stare. She suddenly felt vulnerable, exposed and she crossed her arms to ward off the unexpected shiver that coursed through her.

The General collected himself and gave her a rueful smile, one so reminiscent of his nephew’s that Kagome had to mentally shake herself. “I have already taken too much of your time, Dr. Takahashi.” He heaved himself up and dusted off his pants. His gaze skipped briefly over her stomach, his face an inscrutable mask. After a moment’s contemplation, he added, “I would be remiss if I did not offer congratulations on the upcoming birth of your son.” With a bow he departed.

Kagome was still mulling over her conversation with the General when she confronted Kazuki an hour later. With no one around, she cornered him and pushed him into a chair before she sat in the opposite seat.

“Okay, talk.”

“Huh? Ah… so…I was thinking of forming a hockey team. Want to be the goalie?”

Kagome’s brow furrowed with exasperation. “Kazuki…”

Laughter tugged at his lips and he couldn’t repress his grin. “Oh, okay, how ‘bout left wing or center then? Or maybe you want to try defense —”

“Kazuki Matsumoto! I’m serious here! Stop talking about hockey and tell me why you lied to your uncle. You told him it would take a month to switch that charm when you know very well it won’t take longer than two weeks. And knowing you, you could probably do it in one. What are you up to?”

“Ah, so that’s what got your panties knotted in a bunch. So, you keeping tabs on me now?”

“No…but when I have to start lying to cover for you, I think I have a right to know. You’re hiding something from me, Kazuki Masumoto, and I want to know what it is.”

“It’s nothing.” He blew off her concern with a nonchalant shrug. “I told Uncle it would take a month because I’m just trying to delay the project, that’s all.”

“You’ve already produced a prototype which you didn’t even tell me about.” She shot him a reproachful look. “And you’re still working non-stop at the bunker. What have you been doing?!”

Kazuki crossed his arms and casually leaned back. Instead of answering he chose to simply study his friend. He finally posed a question of his own, “You’re looking a little peaked. How are you feeling, darling?”

Her eyes rolled skywards at his attempt of diverting her. Ignoring his cheeky grin, she countered with her own question. “Why are you changing the subject?” She mentally counted to ten when he simply raised his brow, indicating with his silence that he wasn’t speaking until she answered him first. What is it with these damn stubborn hanyou? She tiredly rubbed the back of her neck and finally gave in as she groused, “I’m fine.”

The faint circles under her eyes belied her words, but he didn’t call her on her lie. Instead he asked, “When was the last time you saw Yash?”

Not bothering to look at her watch, she shrugged and gave a haphazard guess. “I don’t know. Four or five hours ago. What’s with all these questions?”

“Huh. It’s getting worse, isn’t it?”

She had no idea what he was talking about and the blank stare she gave him made him sigh. “What do you mean?”

Did she really think he didn’t know? Pregnancy really did rob her of her senses. Well, time to set her straight. “You’ve been getting a lot more tired lately. Now don’t deny it, Kags. Anyone with eyes in their head can tell. Have you been getting any energy surges like a pulsating pain in your stomach?”

Her eyes widened. She had no idea how Kaz knew, but now that he did, it was a tremendous relief to her. “It started a couple of days ago and it wasn’t anything more than a slight ache, but today when I was out with Mama, it was like a burst of energy and it took my breath away. It was gone as fast as it started. How did you know?”

He shrugged. “I was only speculating until you just confirmed it. You would have known it was coming too, if you didn’t have pregnancy brain.”

“What?! I do not have pregnancy brain!” Kagome indignantly informed her friend.

Kaz’s boisterous laughter filled the room. “Uh huh. Whatever you say, darling.” While it was so much fun teasing his friend, he really was worried about her. His tone turned serious. “It’s the barrier, isn’t it? Can you feel it getting stronger?”

“Yes.”

“Then I finished it just in time.” His face lit up like he had a secret he couldn’t wait to share. “I was going to wait and surprise you, but I didn’t think it would happen this soon into your third trimester. Now to answer your question about what I’ve been doing in the lab… hold on, I have a surprise for you.”

Kazuki went into his office and removed an object from the top of his desk drawer before he sauntered back to Kagome, grabbed her hand and put a gold chain in it.

Her gold necklace?

“I’ve been looking all over for this! Why do you have it?!” It was a simple 18 karat gold fox chain necklace that she always wore, and she almost tore her room apart the other day when she couldn’t find it. It used to belong to her grandmother on her father’s side. Jii-Chan had presented it to her on her twelfth birthday, passing along the family heirloom. It was one of the rare times Jii-Chan actually gave her something that wasn’t petrified or didn’t repel some type of demon or disease. It was a simple piece of jewelry, but it meant the world to her. Her eyes narrowed. “My husband gave this to you, didn’t he?” She was going to kill InuYasha.

He snickered. “How’d you guess?”

Kagome gave an unladylike snort, but she was so relieved to have the chain back in her possession that she wasn’t really angry about the deception, just curious. “So are you going to tell me why you have my necklace? Did you know I was going crazy looking for this?”

“I put a charm on it,” he explained. “Put it on.”

Anticipation bloomed in her chest as she did as he requested. The instant the necklace touched her skin, she felt a surge of energy grow within her stomach; a tingling sensation that radiated throughout her entire body. It was different from the one she felt earlier. Instead of knocking the breath out of her, this one invigorated her. A huge smile appeared on her face. “Kaz...,” she breathed out.

“It’s working, isn’t it?” Kazuki was thrilled to see his charm’s immediate effect on his friend. She positively radiated from within. Gone was the tiredness lining her shoulders and the weary look in her eyes. Her body’s response to the charm brought a wide smile to his face. “This will help you get through to the end of your pregnancy.”

“How…?”

“As much as you were trying to hide it, Kags, I knew you were getting more tired as your pregnancy progressed. As the baby grew your miko aura kept increasing to combat the growing youki inside of you. Ever notice that your energy level increased every time you were around Yash? Your baby was feeding off Yash’s youki and was using it to try to put up its own protective barrier. Since your baby won’t be able to make its own barrier without Yash constantly being around, I took a bit of Yash’s youki and anchored it into this charm. Now the baby will have its own barrier without draining your energy.”

“Oh, Kaz,” Kagome whispered, touched. “Thank you.” She was so emotional that she could barely speak as tears of gratitude welled up in her eyes. “Is this the secret project you’ve been working on all these months?”

“One of them,” he replied. “I know you, Kags, and I knew that as soon as you got married, you would want to start a family right away. It worried me because of your miko status and I was trying to wrack my brains out trying to figure out how to help you. I initially thought your body would reject any type of conception, but then when you confirmed the barrier, I knew what I had to do. I was working on a type of barrier anyways, but the solution came when I saw how much you perked up around Yash. It was his youki that was the key. But,” he cautioned, “we’re not out of the woods just yet. We still have to worry about the birthing process…”
Kagome sat speechless as she listened to Kazuki explain his concerns about the birth and what he thought the right course of action was. She was too overwhelmed with emotion to do more than nod and murmur at the appropriate times. She never realized how much Kazuki was thinking about her baby. Obviously, it occupied his mind quite a bit as he described all the pros and cons of her birthing options. Unbeknownst to her, he had worked tirelessly to come up with solutions to keep her and her baby safe; from all the shots he made sure she received to the amazing charm he created to conserve her energy. All the endless nights he worked in the bunker from hell, just for her. She never realized. Oh Kaz…

Blinking rapidly to keep the tears at bay, she reached out and embraced him. “Kaz, thank you so much,” she choked out.

“That’s not all, darling.”

She let go of him as he reached into his pocket and produced a small bracelet. “This is the other thing I was working on. It’s for the baby.”

Her eyes widened with delight at the object she held in her palm. The surprise left her momentarily speechless. She turned the bracelet over in her hand before lightly tracing it with her index finger. Awe-struck, she whispered, “Kaz, it’s beautiful. How can I ever thank you?”

“You don’t have to, Kags. You’re my best friend and there’s no one in this entire world that deserves more happiness than you do.” The words resonated in her heart, and not for the first time, she realized the sacrifices Kaz had made on her behalf and how precarious her relationship with him could have been if he had been less honourable or less confident. His compassion and loving nature made him who he was and she couldn’t have asked for a better friend.

Kagome held the trinket aloft studying the small charm. On closer inspection she realized it wasn’t a bracelet at all, but an anklet. It was made of round black beads separated by curved magatama beads, strung together with fine silk thread. It was so reminiscent of InuYasha’s necklace that Kagome started to tear up again. Light reflected off the onyx beads making them look black against her slender hand. She knew these same beads would appear dark purple if worn against red in bright sunlight. She had seen enough of InuYasha’s beads against his red kimono to know how the black onyx would appear to change colours in different lighting.

“Now your lil’ one will be well protected. That one’s special — one of a kind. There’s not another one like it in the whole world. I ordered it from Yoshikazu since Yash always raves about him,” he said referring to the famed craftsman that Yash always went to for his personal effects. “I wanted to try to get it as close to Yash’s necklace as possible, but I asked Yoshikazu to use white quartz instead of fangs, though. Thought it’d be more eco-youkai friendly.”

Kagome didn’t even try to suppress the tears of happiness and gratitude that spilled from her eyes and rolled down her cheeks. “It’s perfect, Kaz, absolutely perfect. Thank you, thank you so, so much,” she said as she tenderly, reverently, held the tiny hanyou transformation charm in her hand.

I can’t wait to show InuYasha.

A/N:  Yay! Another chapter down! I’m super happy that my brain has been cooperating with me lately and I’ve been able to update this story at a more decent pace. For everyone who left a review, thank you! You don’t know how much it means to me to know what you think of my story. I really appreciate your support! As always, thanks so much for reading! ^_^
Converting /tmp/phpqJnUr3 to /dev/stdout