InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Miracle ❯ Chapter 5

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

Holy Hiatus Batman!  Sorry about that.  I'm in school... again.  No like, again again.  Hm...  Well at any rate, I've been insanely busy.  I had this done a while ago and just hadn't done the editing necessary.  Editing done to the best of my ability and current Finals Week brain capacity!


“Inuyasha, can you heat that water so I can wash these?”  The hanyou wrinkled his nose but complied without any argument.  As much as he hated Diaper Hour, as Kagome had jokingly started calling it, it did mean that the pups' diapers would be clean and wouldn't be tinging the air near the house anymore.  He just hated the more concentrated stink involved in the cleaning part.  Kagome made sure both pups were clean, dry and fed before putting them down for a nap.  Toga, still persistent in squalling half the time, always fought being put down, Hitoshi occasionally falling into his brother's spell.  With both of them wailing away, Kagome would calmly rock the tiny cradles he and the monk had put together.  On small bowed branches, the cradles rocked back and forth fairly easily, making it much less work to rock the pups to sleep.

Once they were out, which didn't take long since they usually tired themselves out with all the carrying on, they began the ritual of taking the diapers downstream of the village, ridding them of any solids, which they buried in the woods, rinsing them out in the river and then bringing them back to the house to boil and then dry.  Kagome, with Shippo tagging along for protection, had taken them to the river yesterday, which meant it was his turn.  Inuyasha despised his turn.  “Water's on,” he told her as he prepared himself to take the bundle of dirty diapers from her.  She gave him a sympathetic look, making sure the bag they were in was shut tight before handing it over.  He shrugged lightly then headed out to get it over with.

Watching her husband go with more than a little pride, Kagome grinned to herself.  Even with his Feudal Era mentality, his enhanced hanyou senses and his generally gruff attitude, Inuyasha did all he could to help her with the twins without much complaint.  He helped change diapers, he helped with feedings as best he could, he helped put them down for naps.  The most wonderful part was how often he got up in the middle of the night with them, not letting her get out of bed unless they were hungry and then he usually brought them to her.  Through it all, he truly seemed to enjoy spending time with the pups.  Kagome smile turned a little goofy.  Her hard-edged, powerful, grumpy inuhanyou had a soft spot for his kids.  For their babies.

Glancing over at the sleeping infant hanyou in their cradles, Kagome couldn't help a few tears.  They were just so perfect and beautiful.  She supposed that could be a biased opinion, but she didn't think so.  Sango even commented to her how good-looking they were.  At three weeks, they were growing already, quickly in comparison to human babies, but not so quickly that she was concerned.

They were healthy, bright-eyed and alert, with stronger lungs than she had been prepared for.  Especially Toga.  If he got it in his little mind that he was going to have a good cry, he went for it with all he was.  Kagome grinned slightly.  All or nothing!  More like his father already than the hanyou would want to admit.  All it took was for her to pick him up and cradle him against her chest and he would stop, but Kagome knew better than to facilitate the bad behavior, even at three weeks.  Her boys were smarter than they probably ought to be and she didn't want them learning bad habits.

“Damn busy down at the river.  Good weather has everybody out,” Inuyasha complained as he came in.  Kagome only grinned at him, taking the diapers from him to lay out in the tub Inuyasha had found for her.  He helped her pour the boiling water in as she added some soap, stirring the water some to get the suds going.  Once that was done, they both washed up and settled near the table.  “How're you feeling?” Inuyasha asked, a quiet frown on his face.

“I'm fine.  Still tired sometimes, but that's to be expected.”  Kagome smiled his way, placing a hand on his knee.  “Don't worry so much.  You've been doing so much more than I could have asked for.”  At this statement his frown grew.  “Is... is it too much?”

“Too much?  Are you kidding Kagome?” he growled.  She flinched at his tone and he sighed, taking her hand off his knee and gently threading his fingers through hers.  “I wish there was more I could do.”  Melting at his sincere desire to do all he could, Kagome laughed softly and leaned over to kiss him.  The inuhanyou groaned and gathered her into his lap so he could kiss her more thoroughly.  When he felt his blood heating, he knew he had to pull away.

“I never would have thought you would be changing diapers and getting up with them at night.  I don't know how to thank you for that.”

Inuyasha huffed, giving her another quick kiss simply because he couldn't help himself.  “You don't have to thank me.  All of it has to get done somehow and they aren't just your pups, they're mine too.”  He could tell by the way her face softened and the corners of her lips quivered in a smile that he'd definitely said the right thing.

“Most fathers don't get that involved until the children are older, even in my era.  Some never get involved at all.”  Kagome pressed her cheek against his shoulder, sighing contentedly.

“Keh.  I'm gonna be there every step.  When they get big enough, they're probably going to be too much for you to handle on your own anyway, so it's a good thing I'm here to keep them in line.”

Kagome giggled slightly.  “My big strong hanyou, the disciplinarian.”  Her smile changed as she turned to look at him, one hand coming up to caress his cheek.  “If the last few weeks are any indication, Inuyasha, you're going to be a great dad.”  The inuhanyou flushed at the praise, ducking his chin and taking advantage of her upturned face to kiss her again.  Anything to distract her from making any more mushy, embarrassing statements like those.

Which turned into a bigger distraction than he'd planned on.  Kagome's scent changed as fast as lightning, making it clear that the kiss was affecting her too.  The scent of her arousal almost made him drunk, his tongue slipping out to encourage her lips apart.  She complied with a small groan, the hand on his cheek sliding to the back of his head.  A rumble low in his chest apparently excited her more, as she met his tongue with her own and shifted in his lap.  “Kagome, “ he murmured, pulling away from her sweet mouth as her bottom gently rocked against his growing arousal.  He knew that there was something he was supposed to be remembering, something about not kissing Kagome.  Her lips found his again and he forgot what it was he was trying to remember.

Knowing he had been intentionally refraining from touching her for well over a month, Kagome rejoiced in his embrace.  She had been afraid that he would continue to stay away from her, to not touch her in any way even remotely sexual in nature.  She'd even begun to worry that he didn't actually desire her.  Inuyasha was loyal and truly kindhearted deep down, so she had never doubted he would do his best to protect and care for her and the pups.  But to actually love her as a woman, and not just his best friend and the mother of his children?  Clearly he felt more for her than she had hoped for.  “I'm not glass, Inuyasha,” she purred when he pulled back to nuzzle her neck, gentling his hold on her.

“You're not completely healed yet.”  He huffed a breath against her skin.  “Trust me, the moment your body can handle it, I won't be holding back,” he whispered in her ear.  Kagome felt a thrill run through her at his promise, a smile growing on her face.  “Damn woman, stop smelling so good,” he groaned, licking the exposed flesh of her neck and carefully brushing his fangs against her sensitive skin.

A light chuckle bubbled out of her.  “I can't help that you like the way I smell,” she teased him.

“Like?  Try can't get enough of,” he growled, pressing his nose into the space just behind her ear.  “You drive me crazy, you know that?  You always have.”  About to respond, Kagome snapped her  teeth together when a sharp wail cut through the air.  Inuyasha sighed, letting her slip off of his lap but motioning for her to stay while he went to check on the twins.  As usual, it was Toga who had woken up and let out a cry, waking his brother in turn.  Hitoshi's deep violet eyes stared up at him from his cradle, little mouth working as if conveying his exasperation with his brother.  “What's all this about, huh?” he said to Toga, lifting the infant out of his cradle and bouncing him softly.  “You're waking your brother and upsetting your mom.”  It took several rounds of the room before he quieted, but eventually Toga groggily stared up at him, golden eyes peeking up from beneath heavy eyelids.  “That's better,” he said in a hushed tone.  Hitoshi had already gone back to sleep and Toga was starting to follow suit.  Growling quietly in his chest, Inuyasha continued to pace with his son until he was undeniably asleep.

Kagome smiled at him when he returned, looking up from where she was hanging the clean diapers up to dry.  “Inuyasha, could I ask you a favor?”  He glanced at her as he came back in from dumping the tub.  He grunted an affirmative.  “You can smell when...  Well when it's best for a woman to conceive, right?”  Wishing he'd sat down first, Inuyasha nearly tripped.

“Kagome, it's way too soon...  I mean, the pups are barely...”  Kagome light laughter cut through his bumbling response.  “What's so funny, wench?”

“Not for me.”  She paused, a thoughtful look on her face.  “I suppose eventually, yes, but not now.”  She then explained that she had been hoping he could help Sango and Miroku who were having difficulty.  He'd known as much himself, but he hadn't really wanted to put his nose where it didn't belong.  Kagome asked that he just try to be aware and that he could talk to Miroku himself or just tell her and she would talk to Sango so he didn't have to feel embarrassed.

“Keh.”

“I'll take that as a yes.  You might not realize it now, but you could make a huge difference for them,” she whispered, her eyes looking off toward where the twins were sound asleep.

Seeing the the look on her face, the way she felt about their children plain in her gaze, his mouth quirked in a smile.  “I think I can imagine,” he responded.
****

Kagome could not figure out why the twins would not quit screaming.  Even Hitoshi wouldn't quiet down.  At first she'd thought they were just tired.  They hadn't wanted to go down for a nap earlier, they wouldn't eat now and she was getting to her wits' end.  Inuyasha was helping with a villager's roof and had been gone most of the afternoon.  “Hush now babies, Mommy's here,” she murmured, rocking them and staying as close as the cradles would allow.  Her arms were too tired to keep trying to carry them with her everywhere.  Hearing footsteps, she looked up to find her husband coming in.  His ears were laid flat against his head and he was frowning.

“What's all the racket for?”

“I don't know,” she replied desperately.  “They wouldn't sleep earlier, they're clean, they won't eat and they've both been like this for almost an hour.”  Inuyasha came closer, nose twitching and his eyes narrowing.  “What's wrong?”

“Huh.  So that's what it smells like from the outside.  Hm.”  Kagome looked down at her sons and then back at her husband with a confused look.  “What?  What's wrong?”

“Wrong?  Oh.  No, nothing's wrong Kagome.”  She gave him a look that made it clear she thought he was an idiot.  Inuyasha grinned.  He looked outside for an indication of the time and nodded.  “Wait a few minutes and you'll see.  They'll probably scream louder though...”  Kagome looked out at the retreating sun and made the connection.

“Their human night?” she whispered.  Inuyasha nodded.  “But it's not the new moon...”

“No.  But they were born a month ago today.”  Kagome's eyes widened and she took in the features of her sons.  What would they look like human?  Would they look even more identical or would they still have small differences that set them apart?  Kagome contemplated something she had never asked Inuyasha.

“Were you born human or hanyou?  Do you know?”

Inuyasha jerked at the unexpected question, coming to kneel beside his wife and children.  He pulled their slings from beside the cradles, handing one to Kagome and slipping into the other himself.  “Pretty sure I was hanyou.  My mother mentioned how I was born with silver hair and my ears,” he said as he lifted a wailing Hitoshi out of his cradle and tucked him against his chest.  He quieted but was still making tiny distressed noises in the back of his throat.  Inuyasha growled softly to comfort him.  He didn't remember his first human night, obviously, but he remembered the first time he'd been human on his own.  He'd been even more terrified than he had been to let Kagome see it the first time.  At least when his mother was still alive she could hide him away and he could touch and see her.  Once he was on his own he had no one to look after him except himself.  Now Kagome looks after me.

“So the new moon, once a year, is your birthday.  Do you know when it is?”  Kagome shook her head at herself.  How had she never asked him that before?  But maybe she had...  He'd made a big ruckus about not caring about birthdays and if it was on a human night...

“It's not always on a new moon.  It's shifted some.  Every few years it is.  It's um...”  He thought over Kagome's calendar and how it coincided with the date markers in Sengoku Jidai.  “July fifteenth, I think?”  Kagome grinned wide at him, even as she struggled to get Toga to calm down.  He was still clearly upset, sniffling and squealing from time to time.  Both parents knew without looking the moment the sun went down.  The screams were almost unbearable to their father's sensitive hanyou ears.  “Kuso!  You weren't kidding about them having strong lungs.  We're right here Toshi,” he murmured to his son, rocking him gently.

“They can't smell us anymore, can they?”

“No, and they feel different and they can't hear like usual either.  They probably can't even see like they usually do.  Everything feels wrong.”  Kagome unwrapped Toga to get a better look at him and gasped.  His ears were gone, replaced with tiny human shells.  He was wailing so strongly that she couldn't get a look at his eyes, but his hair was the same dark black.  Inuyasha did the same, uncovering Hitoshi's head to get a better look at him.  “Identical.  When they're human they look exactly the same.”  Kagome looked up and nodded.  “Come here, maybe if they're closer to each other and both of us, they'll feel better.”  She nodded and scooted closer to lean against Inuyasha's side.  The twins quieted some, still sniffling and whining.

“Wow.  They must be aware of one another more than we thought.”  Kagome cooed softly to both boys, making them quiet even further.  Finally she was able to get a better look at their eyes.  “Brown, like mine.  I thought for sure they'd look just like you.”

Inuyasha huffed at her, but hid a smile at her words.  “I can't imagine how the hell my mother handled me all on her own.  I mean, she couldn't have known what was happening the first time.”  His eyes turned thoughtful at he smoothed his thumb over Hitoshi's cheek.  “Even if my old man had still been around, he might not have known about a hanyou's human night.”  Kagome leaned her head against his shoulder in a comforting gesture.  “She probably thought something was wrong with me.”

“If she thought anything like me, she probably thought she'd done something to hurt you.”  Inuyasha raised his head and blinked.

“You're probably right.  That's exactly what she would have thought.”  He leaned over nuzzled Kagome's hair.  She smiled and raised her head to nuzzle him back.  After a few more minutes of cuddling, the twins settled down long enough to eat which put them both out shortly after.  “Full stomach and they're knocked out,” Inuyasha murmured with a chuckle.

“Hm, sounds like someone I know,” Kagome teased playfully.

Inuyasha glanced at her.  “Oi, I do not fall asleep when I eat.”

“I've seen you pass out at my house after one of Mama's big meals plenty of times.”

Harrumphing at her, he belied his irritation by looping his arm around her shoulder.  “Your mom probably puts sleeping potions in my food.”

Kagome had to swallow a laugh at that, not wanting to wake the boys now that they were finally sleeping.  “You take that back.  My mother would never poison someone,” she giggled softly.  Inuyasha grinned down at her, leaning toward her and nuzzling her cheek.

“Make me.”

A thrill of excitement tripped down her spine at the purred challenge.  Kagome couldn't help wanting to kiss her hanyou solidly on the lips and didn't stop herself  when it became apparent he wanted the same thing.  “Trust me, as soon as we don't have pups strapped to us all day, everyday... I will.”  Inuyasha growled at her challenge in return, a smirk pulling at his mouth before he used it to claim hers.  They managed to pull away from one another before they got anywhere that might wake the twins.  That would have certainly been a mood killer.

Hours later the pups woke in tandem, jolting awake and then letting out piercing wails.  Their parents changed diapers, Kagome fed them and the pair burped them before they fell back to sleep.  Inuyasha let out a weary sigh.  “It's gonna be like this every month for a while,” he told his wife.

“I don't know.  They're pretty smart already.  Maybe they'll start to understand better as they go through it each month.”  Kagome tossed Inuyasha a smirk.  “I mean, you've mostly stopped crying by now, so they will too.”  Narrowing his eyes at her, he gently nipped her shoulder in retaliation.  She squeaked in surprise but giggled a moment later.

The pair stayed up, calming their sons down when they woke from time to time, Kagome nodding off and leaning against Inuyasha's chest.  When the sun finally rose, both Toga and Hitoshi woke with a start, about to start screaming again until the return of their baby hanyou senses caught the wail in their throats.  Toga continued to hiccup afterward for several minutes and Hitoshi went back to sleep as though nothing happened.  Now that they were back to normal and tired or asleep, Kagome and Inuyasha were able to put them in the cradles and lay down themselves for a while.  Inuyasha remained awake, but held Kagome while she slept.  She'd likely need more sleep so he planned to make her take a nap with the twins.  She snuggled closer in her sleep, tucking her nose into his clothing and taking a sniff of him.  Inuyasha smiled down at his wife and brought his lips to the crown of her head.
****

“Ohayo, Miko-sama, Inuyasha-sama!”  Kagome waved, grinning at the villager who had called out to them.  Inuyasha tipped his head in the man's direction, adjusting the sling around his chest.  Hitoshi grunted at the jostling but made no other protest.

“I would have thought they'd be more nervous being out for the first time,” Kagome mused aloud, watching Toga's nose twitch as he remained snuggled tightly against her in his own sling.  “You said they already recognize their home scents.  Wouldn't all these strange smells upset them?”

“Not since they can see, feel and smell us.  If they were further away, like if we tried to set them down while we're at the monk's, they might freak out.”  Kagome only nodded, keeping pace beside him.  He glanced over at her, glad that she was looking so well.  The pups were almost six weeks old now and getting bigger all the time.  Kagome told him they were about the size of three month old human babies in length and weight but clearly even further ahead in the mental development.  They tracked them through a room with their eyes and ears, and had already started calling out to them using inuyoukai sounds for “mother” and “father”  It was the closest to language they would likely get for at least a few more months, but Kagome was incredibly impressed.  She also hoped that Inuyasha might be able to convey to them something they'd understand about their human night so that they might not scream quite so much next time.

Another villager called out a greeting as they passed.  “Good to see you out and about, Miko-sama.”  Kagome bowed briefly, thanking the woman.  Inuyasha loved the way she glowed, carrying their son against her, one arm cradling him close even as the sling did most of the work.  She wanted to keep them close as much as they wanted to be close to her.  What hit him even more was that the twins seemed to need to be near him too.  He understood wanting to be near your mother.  There were still moments when he wished he could have even one more heartbeat with his own mother.  It had startled him to find that the pups seemed just as upset when he left as when Kagome did.

Hitoshi let out a soft squeak, breaking Inuyasha out of his thoughts.  He glanced down at the pup held snug against his chest who seemed to be frowning, for lack of a better description.  His little frown morphed into snuffling and tears.  Hitoshi almost never cried.  Inuyasha stared at him, trying to determine what he was upset about, when a strong and familiar youki brushed against his own.  “Shit!” he exclaimed, latching onto Kagome's sleeve and dragging her back toward him.  She must have realized the source of the youki as well but she seemed far less concerned.  “What the hell does that bastard want?” he snarled.  His brother's scent hit him a moment before the youkai himself appeared at the end of the road into town.  “Kagome...”

“Just wait.  You don't know that he's here to cause trouble.”  Inuyasha wasn't sure he wanted to take that chance.  “I think he came into the village upwind of you on purpose.”  Kagome remained firm, gently bouncing and patting Toga as he started fussing from the tension in the air.

“This Sesshomaru does not cause trouble,” the taiyoukai intoned when he was close enough to do so.  Inuyasha stayed prepared to whisk his family away to safety at the first sign of said trouble.  The older inuyoukai took in the slings, his nose twitching only slightly.  “It has not been long enough since we last met for you to have carried and birthed pups, Miko.”  He paused looking at his half-brother's tense face.  “Yet it is clear that they are not only yours, but the half-breed whelp's as well.”

“I would appreciate it if you didn't refer to my husband that way,” Kagome replied politely, but the fire in her brown eyes was unmistakeable.  Sesshomaru raised one eyebrow at the woman he would never admit aloud was a far more formidable opponent than she appeared.  “Especially since your nephews are also hanyou.”  That surprised the taiyoukai even further.  He tilted his head to try to get a better look into one of the slings.  “Would you like to see them?”  He straightened, portraying indifference he didn't actually feel.

Kagome quirked a small smile, throwing Inuyasha an encouraging look.  She pulled back the edge of the sling, slipping a now strangely silent Toga out into her arms.  His golden eyes were wide in his little face, dark ears quivering nervously.  Inuyasha slowly did the same with Hitoshi, still not comfortable with this situation.  He realized as he held his son in his arms that the little hanyou had been aware of the strong youki his brother radiated even before he had been himself.  His violet eyes seemed calm, if wary, trying to see the other youkai with his still limited vision.  His silver ears swiveled toward Sesshomaru, tilting forward in clear interest.  “Inuyasha has Hitoshi,” Kagome nodded in their direction.  The pup made a small noise of acknowledgment, hearing his mother say his name.  “He's very quiet for the most part,” she said with a fond smile.  “And this little one is...”

“Kagome...”  Inuyasha suddenly panicked at the idea of telling his brother he'd named their first-born after their father, a man Sesshomaru held in extremely high esteem aside from his mistake regarding bringing a hanyou into the world.

“Inuyasha,” she responded calmly.  Clearly she understood exactly what he was concerned with but straightened her spine.  Inuyasha took strength from hers and stood up a little taller himself.

“Toga.  We named him after the old man.”  Sesshomaru showed no emotion at the statement, eyes taking in both pups again.

“I see.”  He paused.  “You will explain how it is that they are here in the first place as the miko is still untouched.”  This brought a flush to both young parents' cheeks, Kagome lowering her head to focus on tucking Toga back into his sling.  “Something strange has obviously occurred.”

“That isn't any of your business,” Inuyasha growled, pulling his sling around Hitoshi and tucking his son against his chest.  Sesshomaru shifted his weight slightly and it made Inuyasha tense in anticipation.  Until a willowy young woman stepped from behind the stoic taiyoukai.  At first he couldn't believe his eyes, then her scent caught his nose and he tilted his head in confusion.

Kagome clearly wasn't so much confused as pleased.  “Rin-chan, how are you?”

The young woman dipped a bow to the miko and her lord's younger half-brother.  “I am well Kagome-sama.  Inuyasha-sama,” she greeted the hanyou.  She glanced up at Sesshomaru before gracing them with a small smile.  Gone was the boisterous and fearless child they had first met several years before.  She was still there, in the sparkle in her eyes, but she had become much more reserved.  “Congratulations on the birth of your sons.”  Kagome grinned brightly, dipping her head in thanks.

Inuyasha remained confused as to her presence, and her appearance, but he didn't have time to think about that now.  Sesshomaru was still staring at them, expecting answers.  Who the hell did he think he was?  About to ask that very question, he nearly bit his tongue when Kagome invited the stiff bastard and the kid back to their hut.  Throwing her a look that told her she would be explaining herself to him later, he turned on his heel and led the small group back home.  Kagome came up beside him and took hold of his hand to slow him down and either take or offer some comfort.  “Trust me.  He's here for something more than just to check in on you.”

Grunting at her, he frowned, but nodded that he both understood and agreed.  Clearly his icy brother had something on his mind regarding his ward, who was growing up and turning into a woman.  A human woman.  A more than vaguely familiar looking human woman.  Inuyasha wasn't sure why Rin was still around, but he had to concur with Kagome's observation from several years before that Sesshomaru was changing.  He might not have even realized it himself, but he was clearly more tolerant of humans.  Willingly or not, he had also seemed to at least acknowledge that while he was hanyou, Inuyasha was still of their father's blood and that made him worthwhile.  That didn't mean he actually enjoyed being in his company, but he had sought them out.  He must want or need something that he thought they could provide.

Much to his surprise, Sesshomaru not only didn't comment on the size and quality of the hut, he sat down with the rest of them to talk.  “Sesshomaru-sama,” Kagome demurred after checking the twins' diapers with a touch.  “You should listen to the story all the way through before asking any questions.  It will seem confusing at first, but it will make sense in the end.”  He raised one delicate eyebrow but gave no other indication he'd heard.  She agreed with Inuyasha to leave the boys in their slings, both for the pups' comfort as well as their father's.  He still wasn't convinced that he wouldn't have to scoop them all up and carry them away.

Inuyasha began the telling, explaining as best he could what had occurred in the well and then immediately after they returned.  He explained that while ultimately the pups were born of his Kagome's body, they had been conceived by another Inuyasha and Kagome, in another space and time.  The hanyou told their “guests” about the souls of the other Inuyashas who now resided in him, blending with his soul and bringing their memories with them.  

Then Kagome explained that she hadn't known anything was different, that anything was wrong until almost a month later.  How she'd had to tell Inuyasha about the pregnancy that shouldn't be possible.  Rin's eyes remained fixed on Kagome through her telling of how the other Inuyasha had taken her into the hut he'd finished, the hut he'd built for her.  Kagome glossed over the differences in the two, not wanting to discuss their personal feelings with Inuyasha's brother.  Inuyasha tried to make light of his struggle to regain control of his body, but made it clear that he had not been himself for months and was now back in complete control.
Sesshomaru's eyes had not strayed from the twins strapped to their parents' chests, but his eyes finally rose at the end of their telling.  “So it was the will of the Shikon no Tama that these pups were born.  There has been no sign of control by the jewel?”

“No.  In fact...”  Kagome took a deep breath.  “The jewel disappeared when they were born.”

“I would think it did, as all the shards that remained separate have as well.”  This startled the young miko who had thought she was the one dropping a bombshell.

“Koga-san was in the Western Lands a few days ago,” Rin supplied softly.  “When I... when Sesshomaru-sama noticed his presence, we investigated.  His shards had disappeared several weeks ago.  He was... noticeably upset.”  Rin's correction did not go unnoticed by either the inuhanyou or the miko, but they said nothing.  Kagome and Inuyasha could easily imagine how upset the wolf would have been and could even imagine a few of the not so pleasant things he might say.

Inuyasha smirked slightly.  “Keh.  Bastard blew his top, didn't he?”

“Barely worth noting the heightened youki.  However, he was on this Sesshomaru's lands without permission.”  Sesshomaru glanced at the pups again, apparently coming to some sort of decision.  “The wolf was headed in this direction, and it is likely he will arrive soon.”  This caused both Inuyasha and Kagome to noticeably tense, Toga letting out a squeal.  The inuyoukai didn't actually frown, but his demeanor implied he might.  “This Sesshomaru came to inquire after what you knew about the jewel's disappearance, Miko.  It would seem, however, that it may be necessary to remove the wolf should his presence become dangerous to your pups.”  Kagome barely managed to keep her jaw from dropping open, Inuyasha a little less successful than his wife.

After a moment of surprised silence, Kagome was able to speak up.  “Thank you, Sesshomaru-sama.  We appreciate the offer.”

“I can take care of the wolf, especially now that he doesn't have any shards,” Inuyasha growled.

“Of that there is no doubt.”  Sesshomaru finally looked his brother in the eye.  “This Sesshomaru thinks it wiser that you remain with your... family.”  Inuyasha was practically floored by his brother's acknowledgment of his strength.  About to say something, the inuhanyou almost swallowed it back when a quiet whine left his son.  Hitoshi looked up at him with those violet eyes and Inuyasha knew even before he felt it himself that the wolf was there.  “He has arrived.”

Even those without the ability to sense youki knew the wolf was there shortly after.  He was shouting at the top of his lungs, clearly looking for Kagome.  “Why does he always shout instead of using his damn nose?” Inuyasha growled, standing and helping Kagome to her feet.  Sesshomaru had already gone to the door while Rin stayed behind.  “I'm going with you.  Ain't no way I'm letting you fight a battle that's mine to fight.”  He glanced at Kagome who looked only slightly worried.  “I've been trying to convince that mangy wolf for years that Kagome belongs with me.”

Sesshomaru paused at the door.  “Come.  Rin.”  As if just saying her name was enough, she got up, approaching Inuyasha and holding out her arms.  “Miko, you will stay here with Rin and the pups.”  Inuyasha hesitated for a moment, looking down at Hitoshi and then at Rin.  He glanced at Kagome for confirmation before pulling the sling over his head and giving the whole bundle to his brother's ward.  The young woman smiled down at the baby, who actually fussed without his brother's instigation.  Rin's face fell and she looked to Kagome for help.

“It's alright, Rin-chan.  He just doesn't know you.”  Despite wanting to be there to confront Koga with her husband, she knew the pups had to be her priority.  Keeping them safe was the most important thing in the world to them now.  “Go on.  He's getting closer.”  Inuyasha took a step toward her, placing a quick kiss on her cheek before following his brother out.  Kagome followed them to the doorway, looking after them until she couldn't see them anymore.  Toga, who had remained so quiet, suddenly let out a cry, inciting the same reaction in Hitoshi.  Poor Rin looked even more panicked and Kagome smiled softly.  “Here, we'll put them in their cradles, then we can rock them, alright?”  Rin seemed eager to find any way to ease the little hanyou's upset, gently patting Hitoshi's bottom as she followed Kagome into the second bedroom.  The two women sat, rocking the babies until they fell into a very fitful sleep.  The two talked softly about what Rin had been up to since Kagome had last seen her, waiting for their inuyoukai to return.
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