InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Of Gods and Monsters ❯ Chapter 25: Artifice ( Chapter 25 )

Great thanks and chocolate to the lovely beta, Merith, who's come out of hiding. Chris and Kat -- I hope you're able to crawl out of the vortices of busy-ness you've fallen into. :) Also great thanks and backrubs to Everstar, without whom this fic would've stalled out completely months ago.

Chapter 25: Artifice

His features set into a frown, Sesshoumaru's steps had slowed significantly since he'd managed to distance himself from the den. He heard Jaken's panting and, rolling his eyes internally, stopped a moment at a jagged outcropping of a cliff to gaze silently at the western lands while his vassal caught his breath. From his vantage point, the youkai could see the den, and he was sure that if he stood there for at least an hour longer, he would see Inuyasha and his little troupe.

The real reason behind Sesshoumaru's insistent and fairly abrupt departure was astonishingly simple. He'd caught the faintest whiff of his brother's scent on the wind only hours earlier. By his nearest estimation, they would be arriving at the den before the sun set.

Never before in all of his years had Sesshoumaru avoided anyone. And yet, in only a month's time, he'd made a habit of avoiding his mate, and now Inuyasha. He never would have deemed it even remotely possible, but here he was, paying painstakingly close attention to his distance from the den as well as the direction of the wind. His brother was added to an already too long list.

Sesshoumaru gradually became aware of the fact that he was growling, and his jaws hurt from clenching them tightly. With tremendous effort, he willed his body to relax. He'd never had a problem that he couldn't handle on his own. I am no weak half-breed --

Shaking his head sharply, he cut that thought from his mind. Even if I am not what Inuyasha is, my child will be. I will need to retrain my thinking. Indeed, it would benefit all involved.

It was not in him to present any sort of weakness to anyone, let alone his brother. Sesshoumaru would rather it be believed he was deliberately maintaining his distance because of the rift in his relationship with Inuyasha. Better that than the truth; he could not tolerate the notion that anyone might discover the rift in the relationship with his mate, and his inability to resolve it. He did not want advice -- none of them could possibly have comprehended the complexities of the situation.

Neither did he relish the thought of anyone discovering his weakness.

Staying, of course, posed a certain appeal. It might have worked to his advantage -- while at the same time testing the boundaries of Teles' temper -- to stay and pretend all was well. But the idea of attempting artifice to give the illusion of what he and his mate had so recently lost caused bile to rise to his mouth. No, he would remain absent and watch his brother's visit from afar. The hanyou did not need to know that there was anything wrong between Teles and himself. Sesshoumaru was confident that he would rectify the situation in good speed. He'd seen a flicker of Teles' former self, if only for a moment.

He needed only to double his efforts.

***

Much like Sesshoumaru had surmised, Inuyasha and the rest of the small group were traveling the western lands intent on reaching the den before it grew dark. The sky was growing multicolored, shades of orange and pink stretching across the sky, radiating from an almost red sun as it began its descent behind the mountains.

Amber eyes watching the sky carefully, Inuyasha mentally gauged how much longer they had until sunset. They were so close to the den he could nearly smell it. Already he caught his half-brother's scent, if only occasionally. These were his lands; there was no mistake about that.

As a particularly cool breeze caught his hair, the hanyou folded his arms in his sleeves, his brow furrowing in thought. He had mixed feelings about returning to the den. On one hand, he was looking forward to it -- far more than he would have admitted to anyone, even Kagome. On the other hand, there was still that long-standing apprehension he had around Sesshoumaru. Certainly, things were starting to be mended, but having been exposed to the youkai lord's hate and disdain for so long, Inuyasha was understandably hesitant to blindly embrace the slowly flourishing relationship.

But then... then there was the promise of the pup -- the promise of having someone linked to him by blood. He had family in Miroku, Sango, and Kagome -- even Shippou. But as much as he hated to admit it, it wasn't the same thing. There was going to be someone out there connected to him -- and that connection wasn't going to be tarnished with resentment or hate. He wasn't about to put that connection in jeopardy by not being around.

In addition to the pup, Inuyasha also looked forward to returning to the den for other, less tangible reasons. During their last stay there, he'd started to feel tiny slivers of memory return to him -- memories of his father, who he didn't remember at all up until recently. The temptation that those memories posed made it nearly impossible for Inuyasha to stay away from the den completely. He was starting to remember, for all the gods' sakes. And now that he was starting to remember, he didn't want to stop.

Several paces behind Inuyasha, Miroku walked slowly, keeping the hanyou in his line of sight, but staying far enough behind that conversation would have been quite impossible. A wry smile tugged at the young monk's lips. Then again, conversation with Inuyasha is frequently quite impossible.

He too was looking forward to returning to the den, if for different reasons than Inuyasha. He knew that there were no villages near the den, so he would have no reason to concoct excuses to leave and visit said village. In addition, he'd found during their last visit that he quite enjoyed Lady Teles' company -- it was rather strange to speak with a woman who had no actual knowledge of his reputation, and who, frankly, was more than safe from his advances. Of course, everyone's "safe" from me lately, he thought, his brows tugging together for a moment.

It hadn't been as difficult as he might have anticipated -- staying away from the teahouses and young ladies of the various villages they'd been to. In fact, Miroku found it almost absurdly simple: if he avoided temptation, then he consequently avoided being tempted by it.

The only problem he encountered was Sango.

Ever since he and Inuyasha had overheard Sango and Kagome's conversation, the young houshi found it increasingly difficult to spend very much time at all around the taiji-ya. Her words still echoed through his mind, no matter how badly he wished to forget them.

'And I wonder which part is the illusion -- the man I saw for those few seconds, or the lech groping my backside?'

He shook his head slowly, a soft huff of dry laughter escaping his throat. Sango, you give me too much credit.

And yet, he saw the change in her when she looked at him. Her eyes were less suspicious now, and more curious instead. Surprisingly, the change brought Miroku no comfort. He would have rather she glared at him, imagining him capable of any and all forms of delinquency. It was infinitely preferable to the way she watched him now, looking at him as if she were trying to peer into his soul and discern every single thought, memory, and emotion held there.

Was it any wonder he slipped off to seek sanctuary in mediation?

While Inuyasha led the way with Miroku following not far behind, Kagome and Sango's steps were slower. They kept both the hanyou and houshi in sight, but talked as they walked, Shippou dozing happily in Kagome's arms, a tiny Kirara perched contentedly on Sango's shoulder.

Sango's lips curved into a small grin. "It's awfully funny, wouldn't you agree, that Inuyasha seems to constantly claim he doesn't care one way or the other that we make this visit?"

"And yet he's the first one to remind us that we have to leave, the first one to complain whenever we stop and rest, and," here she nodded at the red figure ahead of them, "as far ahead of us as he can get without leaving us behind."

Sango nodded, chuckling. "He's been acting fairly strangely. I suppose he's just excited about being an uncle."

Smiling fondly, Kagome looked ahead at Inuyasha's back. "I have a feeling he is." As she walked, her eyes drifted from the line of Inuyasha's shoulders to the familiar dark blue and purple silhouette. The fond smile she had been wearing slowly melted into a thoughtful frown. Speaking of acting strangely... "Sango-chan," Kagome murmured, lowering her voice significantly.

An internal eyebrow lifting at the sudden change in Kagome's voice, the demon exterminator turned to look at her. "Yes?" she answered, just as softly.

"Do you remember that nice house we stayed at? Last week?"

A tiny grin quirking her lips, Sango nodded. "Oh, yes." She glanced at the kitsune whose small feet were twitching in dream as Kagome carried him. "Shippou made an utter pig of himself at dinner."

"And you know how we all assumed that Miroku got us rooms there the way he normally does?"

Frowning instantly, Sango pursed her lips. "What do you mean, assumed?"

"Do you remember how he came back after scouting the village and he said he'd gotten us rooms and we asked him and he said yes, there'd been another black cloud?"

Brown eyes focusing on the houshi's back, Sango nodded. "Yes, I remember," she said softly.

"Well, the thing is," Kagome began, her eyebrows drawing together, "I got up the next morning and one of the maids asked me if I wanted extra rice to even out the payment the houshi had offered.

Sango's head jerked sharply as she looked at Kagome. "Payment?" she echoed incredulously.

Kagome nodded. "So I asked her what she was talking about." She was quiet for several seconds. "He... did chores, Sango," she said softly, the words almost a whisper. "I asked if she was sure she meant Miroku, but she said, yes, the young houshi with our group." She looked at Sango, noticing that the taiji-ya's frown mirrored her own confused one. "She told me that he'd done a little too much so did I want the extra rice. And I said no, because..." After a moment, she shook her head. "Well, I don't know why."

Utterly perplexed, Sango looked once again at Miroku, whose long, even strides still kept him a fair distance from them.

"I didn't say anything," Kagome said softly.

"Well, no, it probably would have embarrassed him."

"Yeah. That was sort of what I thought."

Sango was quiet for a few moments, turning this information over in her head. "I've noticed a few strange things as well, actually."

"You have?"

Nodding, the taiji-ya's features settled into a thoughtful frown. "It was in one of the villages we couldn't get rooms in. He'd announced that he was off to... ah... partake in some of the village teahouses. You were studying, and Inuyasha was--"

"I remember," Kagome interjected with a grin. "He was snarling and grumbling and complaining about that 'school' of mine. I wasn't really surprised that you'd left."

Sango chuckled softly. "I only went to stretch my legs, Kagome-chan. Anyway, as I was exploring the village, I noticed something odd."

"What was that?"

"It had no teahouse." She shrugged. "No teahouses, no geishas... nothing. It was only a small, farming village."

Kagome blinked. "Well.... where was he?"

Shaking her head slowly, Sango turned her gaze once again on the young monk. "I have no idea. I returned to camp, and he came back nearly an hour later, acting as if nothing had happened."

Pursing her lips, Kagome's eyes also went to the monk's back. "That's... weird," she murmured.

"Very," the other girl agreed.

Tilting her head in thought, Kagome asked, "Why would he lie about that?"

"I've been trying to figure that out for about a week now," Sango replied. After a beat of silence, she added, "Would you believe he hasn't grabbed me in well over two weeks?"

"He's sick," Kagome said immediately. "Has to be."

One dark eyebrow lifted gracefully. "Possessed, perhaps?" Sango thought about this for a moment. "If he's possessed, I simply have to beat the demon out of him until he gropes me." A quick grin lit her lips. "And then I'll beat him again."

Snorting, the young miko shook her head. "It's almost like you miss it. I mean, really. What a horrible demon. Makes him do chores, avoid teahouses, stop groping you..."

"But, Kagome-chan," Sango said, a bit sadly as her grin slowly disappeared. "He's not the same Miroku."

***

Deep inside of the den, Teles was by the blazing fire in the main hall, sitting cross-legged upon a cushion, one of Sesshoumaru's scrolls laid out on a low table in front of her. Her belly made it difficult to lean comfortably against the table, but Teles' mind was only half on the carefully written characters dancing before her eyes. Rin sat quietly, drawing with some of the strange, brightly-colored wax sticks Kagome had left her. The priestess had explained that they'd initially been for the young kitsune, but Kagome had seen no reason why Rin couldn't make use of the playthings.

"Teles-sama?" Rin's soft voice broke the silence, which until that point had been filled with the gentle crackling of the fire.

"Yes, Rin-chan?" Teles replied, looking up from the scroll.

"Are you all better yet?"

Teles sighed. The child seemed to understand the situation, but there were still times, like now, when Rin's dark eyes focused on her so intently that it made Teles wonder if perhaps the child wasn't a sibyl. "I'm quite recovered," Teles managed softly.

"Oh. Because Sesshoumaru-sama said that the pup was bothering you, and..." here the child stopped, hesitating.

"And, what, Rin?"

"Nothing," the girl said, turning her eyes back down to her drawing. After a beat of silence, she asked, "Teles-sama, does the pup bother you?"

Teles pursed her lips, debating whether to press the issue or not; never before had Rin ever held back in conversation. She chewed idly on the inside of her lip. "He occasionally causes me to be uncomfortable, Rin-chan. It is not something that you should let concern you so."

Rin was quiet for a moment. "Okay."

Teles expelled a breath. Something still wasn't right with her mate's charge. "Rin," she said softly, patting one of the plump cushions next to her. "Come here."

Rin got up and crossed the room, dropping lightly onto the cushion.

"You see, Rin," Teles explained patiently, "because the pup is growing so quickly inside of me, sometimes it is uncomfortable. He's a growing being, just like you are. He does not mean to hurt me any more than you would mean to hurt me."

"Or Sesshoumaru-sama?"

Teles paused, icy amber eyes flashing with disdain in her memory. "That is correct," she said finally. "Your Sesshoumaru-sama would never intend to hurt me either."

Maybe Teles-sama is sad because Sesshoumaru-sama has been away from the den so much. The young girl couldn't understand why her guardian was gone so frequently, only that she wished that he would return as quickly as possible so that maybe things could get back to the way they were supposed to be. But Rin was still concerned about Sesshoumaru-sama's hand. He hardly ever hurt himself, and when he did, he was always better quickly. "Will the pup hurt for much longer, Teles-sama?" If Sesshoumaru-sama was worried because the pup was bothering Teles-sama, and if that was the reason he was staying away, it made sense to Rin that the sooner the pup came out, the sooner things could start returning to normal.

"I don't exactly know," Teles replied truthfully. A faint smile, the first genuine one in days, tugged at her lips. "There certainly are days when I don't imagine I could grow any bigger. Someday he will come out." Her lips twitched. "Hopefully someday soon."

Rin's lips quirked into a small smile. It was nice to see Teles-sama not look so worried -- it seemed like she hardly smiled at all lately. "When he comes out..." Rin paused, frowning. "Will he be a he or a she?"

Teles blinked. She had referred to the pup for so long as her "little warrior" and "he," that she'd never given even the slightest thought to the possibility that the pup might be a girl. "Uhm..." she began, dropping her gaze to her stomach, looking down at herself as if she could possibly peer inside and see the truth for herself. "I... don't know, Rin." She ran her hand over part of the bulge, frowning thoughtfully before lifting her eyes and looking at Rin. "Have you a preference?"

The small girl frowned in thought, her head tilting slightly as she regarded the swollen belly. "I think a boy."

"Oh? And why is that?" Teles asked, slightly amused.

"Well," Rin answered, "I get to play with you. This way, Sesshoumaru-sama can play with the pup." A small smile lit her lips. "Then I don't have to share."

"Share?" Teles asked, one eyebrow lifting.

Linking her hands behind her back, Rin rocked back on her heels before rocking forward on her toes. "I like doing girl-things with you, Teles-sama." She brought one of her hands around, brushing her fingers over the clasp she'd worn every day since she'd been given it. She loved Sesshoumaru-sama with all her heart, but ever since he'd brought Teles-sama home, Rin had come to love the way the former goddess' fingers felt when they combed through her hair, gathering it carefully this way and that, securing it with the delicate golden combs. She loved listening to Teles-sama's stories about Olympus -- not all of the gods and goddesses were as mean as the one who put the spell on Teles-sama. She still had fun with Sesshoumaru-sama, and sometimes Jaken-sama, but the fun she had with Teles-sama was just... different.

Teles was chuckling softly, regarding the child. "And what if you desire to play with the pup? Will not your Sesshoumaru-sama feel neglected if you were to take away his playmate?"

Rin looked at Teles for a moment, her brows quirking in puzzlement. "But then you can play with him, Teles-sama." She tilted her head slightly. "Don't you like playing with him?"

The former goddess blinked once, her mouth growing faintly dry. She was quiet for a moment, her mind working frantically to compose some kind of answer for the child. "Of course I do, Rin-chan," she answered, trying to sound convincing. I just don't think he quite enjoys "playing" with me any longer.

The young girl sent Teles a long, opaque look. Something about the way she avoided Rin's gaze, the way she didn't answer immediately didn't set quite well with Rin. But, while she didn't entirely believe her surrogate mother, she didn't quite want to confront her either.

Teles felt the silence stretch out around them like a vast wasteland. Swallowing, she smiled down at Rin, actively deciding to change the subject. "The pup will be quite lucky to have one such as yourself around, little one."

Dark eyes dropping to the rounded stomach, a small smile tugged at Rin's lips as she nodded. "I'll take care of him," she said, placing a small hand on Teles' stomach. "Don't worry."

The gentle gesture made Teles' throat tighten abominably. "So many volunteers," she managed, running her fingers through Rin's ponytail. "He is indeed a lucky one."

Rin looked up suddenly, her gaze catching Teles' green one. "I'm always here," she said softly.

"You are," Teles replied, nodding. "And I'm thankful for it." Except for when that bloody idiotic youkai takes you away and leaves me with that rotten, little toad.

After a moment, Rin padded back to where the crayons lay, and sat down, unusually quiet. Sesshoumaru-sama hurt his hand.... And Teles-sama seems unhappy. Her chin set. I gotta take care of him. She took the crayons up in her hand and returned to her drawing.

Teles frowned as she watched the child. One of the things she'd grown accustomed to while in Rin's company, aside from the never-ending questions, was the girl's happy chatter. Now, however, Sesshoumaru's charge seemed pensive -- distracted. She chewed her lip, watching quietly. After a moment, she cleared her throat. "...Are you all right, Rin-chan?"

The crayon scraping across the paper paused for a moment. "I was a little scared."

"Scared?" Teles repeated. "Whatever for?"

Rin blinked, keeping her eyes on the drawing. A bright blue spray of water arced over Sesshoumaru-sama, and was on its way to soak a napping Jaken-sama. She bit her lip for a moment, debating on whether to answer. When she finally did respond, her voice was uncharacteristically soft. "Sesshoumaru-sama hurt his hand. And he gets better quick, but he was really mad. I don't like it when he's mad."

A sick chill slid down the former goddess' back before settling in her gut like a weight. "M-mad?" she asked quietly. He hurt his hand? How in Hades' name did he...

"I think he punched the wall," Rin replied.

Oh, dear gods...

"He said it was 'cause--"

A familiar, female voice rang out through the den, coming from the entryway. "Hello? Is anyone home? Teles? Are you in here?" The voice grew nearer, and Kagome's head poked around one of the corners. "Ah, there you are!"

Teles looked up as Kagome, Inuyasha, and the others gathered in the main hall. In her arms, Kagome carried the young fox-child Teles remembered from her first encounter with the group. A smile lit the former goddess' lips immediately. "I had started to think that perhaps you'd encountered some difficulties in your journey." She paused for a moment before continuing. "Your quest is obviously an important one, and you all probably meet a great deal of unexpected delays." She shifted on the cushion, beginning the fairly arduous process of getting to her feet.

Huffing an impatient sigh, Inuyasha stepped forward and gently took his brother's mate by the arms and carefully helped her to her feet. "Keh. We told you we were comin', didn't we?" he asked, looking down at her with an expression that reflected little to none of the irritation in his tone. Once he'd made sure she was steady on her feet, he looked around. "So, where's that mate of yours?"

Teles stretched a bit, placing her hands at her lower back as she did so. "He left a short while ago." She paused, seeing the annoyance that crackled to life in Inuyasha's amber gaze. Hastily, she added, "He went on patrol. Apparently the youkai in the area have one last burst of activity before the winter months."

There was a peculiarly long beat of silence.

"Youkai activity?" Sango asked, reaching up to scratch the miniature Kirara poised on her shoulder. "That's... odd."

Teles frowned, perplexed. "Why is that?"

Miroku shifted his staff from one hand to the other. "We had all noticed that the western lands seemed strangely quiet, Lady Teles. That is all."

"Oh," Teles replied, not entirely sure what else to day.

"Well," Kagome interjected, "maybe it's like the calm before the storm? Everything's quiet until they realize winter's coming?"

Nodding once, Teles pushed a smile onto her features. "Yes, IÕm sure that's it. He is only to be gone for three days -- before long he'll be back." She swallowed once, the strangest urge to reassure them causing her chest to tighten. "He is seldom gone for very long at all. At least now I will find myself in excellent company during his absence."

Kagome returned the smile, but couldn't quite shake the sensation that something wasn't entirely right with the former goddess. She stole a quick glance at Inuyasha, whose glower seemed to mirror her own thoughts somewhat. Giving Shippou a quick scratch, she set the kitsune down and led him over to where Rin still sat, crayons and paper strewn about. The girl was no longer drawing, but was instead watching the group with undisguised interest. She smiled instantly when Kagome introduced Shippou, and the kitsune was ecstatic at the sight of the rudimentary art supplies. Before long, the two were chattering animatedly as they drew.

It only took an hour or so for everyone to settle into the den. They found themselves seated comfortably in the main hall, the fire blazing as Sango turned meat over the flames. Thankfully, though there appeared to be very few youkai, the western lands seemed to be teeming with game. It hadn't taken long at all for Inuyasha and Sango to go out on a quick hunt, returning with enough meat to feed them.

For her part, Teles was remarkably relieved to have the small cluster of friends there. For the first time in days -- no, weeks -- she was able to relax without worrying about what any of the others might have said or thought about her human state. They barely knew her before the transformation; none of them could compare her to her previous self. Instead, they congregated around the fire in the main hall, doing as much talking as they did eating.

It amazed Teles to no end that not only had her appetite increased in the past weeks, but she also found that she did not mind the taste of meat quite as much. Strangely, she found herself craving it at the oddest hours. Though he complained heartily about it, Jaken supplied her with as much roasted game as she could handle. The difficulties came when Sesshoumaru took the little toad with him. Teles found it extremely vexing that she had come to depend so greatly on the annoying youkai.

This time, however, she watched carefully as Sango skinned and prepared the meat before skewering it and setting it over the fire, where it was left to spit and hiss into the flames. She occasionally asked questions, which Sango answered patiently, explaining exactly what it was she was doing and why. After one night of watching, Teles was quite confident that if she paid close enough attention during their visit, she would be well-prepared enough to begin making her own meals.

She talked and laughed with the group of friends until it grew late, at which point Inuyasha left for patrol, taking Miroku with him. As they left the den, Miroku frowned thoughtfully. "Doesn't it strike you as odd that Sesshoumaru would leave his mate, charge, and unborn child unprotected? Even if he was expecting us to arrive, I'm surprised he thought nothing of being absent."

Inuyasha shrugged one shoulder as he stood at the mouth of the den, testing the wind. "The den's got a barrier on it," he explained. "I remember my ma tellin' me that much. It was the only way my dad would've ever left her alone to hunt or patrol. Only certain people can get in."

Miroku nodded, mentally filing this away. "So, it doesn't strike you as strange."

"Strikes me as stupid is what it strikes me as," the hanyou grumbled. In truth, while he was annoyed that his brother had left his mate alone, he was slightly more annoyed that Sesshoumaru appeared to have no interest in being in the same vicinity as Inuyasha.

And the sheer fact that this annoyed Inuyasha bothered him even more.

Miroku sent his friend a long, measuring look, but said nothing, noting instead the hanyou's lowered brows and trademark scowl. He prudently decided that pressing the issue would be unwise. "Well," the monk said instead, "I'm sure he chose now to go only because he felt secure in leaving Lady Teles and the pup under your care." This seemed to mollify Inuyasha somewhat.

"C'mon," Inuyasha said, his tone slightly less brusque. "I don't think it'll take that long to patrol tonight." Without another word, the hanyou and monk disappeared into the dense woodlands.

Inside the den, Shippou, Rin, and Kirara were curled up asleep on Rin's futon while Sango, Kagome, and Teles relaxed on the plump cushions by the fire. Sango examined the welt she had stitched and proclaimed proudly that there was only the barest mark, which would fade with time.

"Oh!" Kagome exclaimed suddenly. "I nearly forgot." She got up and dragged her yellow pack over, rooting around it in for a short while before withdrawing a heavy book as well as two small packages in strange, shiny wrapping that crackled when she handled it. "You have no idea how hard it was to keep this out of Shippou's hands," she said, setting the book down on the stone floor, placing the packages-- one small bag, and a small box -- on top of it.

Teles tilted her head. "Which, exactly?"

Kagome smiled. "The candy, of course." Here, she took the small bag and opened it before holding it out to Teles. "Consider this your formal introduction to chocolate -- every woman's best friend."

Brows quirking inquisitively, Teles sent Sango a quick glance, which was met with a reassuring smile. The former goddess reached into the bag and withdrew a small, triangular-shaped object that appeared to be wrapped in silver, with a small white sash poking out the top.

"Heh," Kagome chuckled, noting Teles' curiosity. "You're going to want to take the paper off first."

"Then what?" Teles asked.

Kagome and Sango both grinned. "Then you eat it."

Frowning, Teles carefully removed the silver wrapping as well as the tiny, white sash. The object beneath was smooth, dark brown, and smelled positively intoxicating. With only the slightest hesitation, she took the chocolate into her mouth. After a second or two, she blinked once, then twice, raising her eyebrows.

"I think she likes it, Kagome-chan," Sango said, smiling widely.

Teles swallowed the candy, nodding. "It's positively extraordinary," she replied.

Kagome laughed softly. "That's not an unusual reaction," she said. "Now, I'm going to leave these here. Those are chocolate kisses, and this," she said, tapping her finger against the small box, "is pocky."

Teles arched an eyebrow. "Pocky?" she repeated.

"Highly habit forming," the priestess said, nodding solemnly. She paused for a moment. "Now, Teles, this stuff... um... let's just say that as good as it tastes, it's better to have just a little at a time. Too much won't be very good for the baby."

"I see," the former goddess replied, savoring the taste of the sweet. It was unlike anything she'd ever tasted. Perhaps Sesshoumaru would like... Instantly, the train of thought stopped as she gave serious reconsideration to sharing with her mate anything that was not completely, absolutely healthy for her or the child. He'd been so... odd about that lately. She smiled reassuringly at Kagome. "Do not concern yourself, little priestess. I care far too much for the health of my child to do anything that might endanger it."

Chuckling, Kagome shook her head. "I don't know about endangering it. I just don't think you want the pup hooked on pocky before he's even able to say it."

At Teles' faintly perplexed expression, Sango leaned forward. "What she means is, unless you want the pup to turn out like Shippou, it might be better to consume the sweets in moderation."

"Ah. Now I do see," Teles replied, grinning.

"Speaking of the pup, Teles-sama," Sango said, her brows knitting slightly. "Have you given any thought to its delivery?"

"Every day," the former goddess replied, a spark of dry humor in her eyes.

Sango chuckled, but shook her head. "No, that's not quite what I mean. Kagome told me that your... people deliver their young in... rather unusual ways."

"Unusual?" Teles echoed.

Kagome cleared her throat. "It's not exactly... ah... normal for humans to give birth like some of the gods and goddesses of your pantheon did."

"Oh..." Teles said, a faint frown forming at her forehead. "Then... what is normal, little priestess?"

It was at this point in the conversation that Kagome turned a delicate shade of pink. Sango smiled, but didn't laugh at either her friend or Sesshoumaru's mate. "That's actually what we wanted to talk with you about," the young taiji-ya explained patiently. "Kagome-chan brought one of her books to... ah... help explain things better."

"And Sango-chan used to assist the midwife in her village."

"Oh?" Teles asked, regarding Sango, who demurred.

"I did my best to help when I could," she said.

"So, we were talking about it, and we thought it might be a little better if you kind of knew what to expect for the next few months."

"Of course," Sango added, "this is all related to human pregnancies, so you might find that things may work a little differently for you. But your body should react the same way as -- or similar to -- any other pregnant human woman."

It was at this point that Kagome opened the textbook and began showing Teles a variety of diagrams and illustrations, all for the purpose of explaining pregnancy and birth quite beyond a shadow of doubt.

For the most part, Teles handled it all quite gracefully. That is, up until one very specific point.

"It's going to come out where?"

Exchanging identical expressions of concern, Sango and Kagome explained the basic process one more time.

***

Much like Inuyasha had expected, the perimeter sweep took hardly any time at all. I don't know what the hell Sesshoumaru's patrollin' -- there's nothing out there. He felt another twinge of annoyance at his brother, which resulted in another, larger twinge of annoyance at himself. He wants to take off when I show up, fine. I don't fuckin' care. He and Miroku were slowly coming back around towards the den. Lowering his brows, he looked over at the monk, who'd barely said a word during the entire sweep -- it hadn't bothered Inuyasha in the least; he wasn't in much of a mood for the houshi's conversation. "Now that we're here, I don't want you touchin' her, you damn lech."

Tightening his jaw slightly, Miroku answered as neutrally as possible. "I managed to control myself the last time we were here. I should think that would have sufficed to show you that I am indeed trustworthy around your brother's mate." The words were spoken smoothly, and not even Inuyasha could discern the hint of underlying bitterness in his tone.

"Keh," Inuyasha grunted. "Whatever. I know better than t'think you remember shit like that for longer than you gotta."

Taking a deep, steadying breath, Miroku silently schooled himself. Do not get angry, don't. You were expecting this sooner or later. Apparently it's going to be sooner. "Inuyasha," he began patiently, "I have already proven that I can control myself. Besides that, I have absolutely no interest in either your brother's mate, or in the slow, painful death that would follow should I transgress. It's amazing the things I can manage under the obvious threat of bodily harm."

"That's funny, 'cause getting your skull beat in never bothered you before," Inuyasha shot back, his tone steeped in sarcasm.

"Sango strikes to injure -- not kill. I sincerely doubt that Sesshoumaru would be satisfied with a mere concussion. So, you obviously have nothing to worry about."

Tilting his chin up, he regarded Miroku from under dark brows. "Yeah, well, I'm gonna be watchin' you anyway."

The young monk almost felt his shoulders slump. Closing his eyes and inhaling, he answered, bit tiredly, "Surely you have better things to do during your visit, Inuyasha."

"Not really," he spat back acerbically. "Ain't no one who wants t'see me."

Miroku's steps slowed to a stop as he frowned thoughtfully. No one here who wants to see him? Surely he doesn't mean Lady Teles. Then... "You mean Sesshoumaru."

Inuyasha's jaw clamped painfully shut. Shit! Rolling his eyes and snorting as a means of recovery, he said, "Keh. No. I meant that damned creepy little toad who follows him around."

Miroku was silent for several moments, one eyebrow arched as he debated whether to press the issue. "So it bothers you that the little imp... Jaken, is it? Doesn't wish to see you?" He rubbed the back of his head, making a thoughtful face. "My, that's certainly odd. I had no idea his opinion meant so much to you."

Rolling his eyes and marching ahead, Inuyasha muttered, "Forget about it."

"You were the one who brought it up, Inuyasha."

"Yeah, well, why the fuck d'you care?" the hanyou shot back, raising his voice.

Offering a fluid shrug, Miroku replied, "If you brought it up, it must be bothering you." After lapsing into thoughtful silence for several moments, he tilted his head and looked over at Inuyasha. "Lady Teles said that he had only gone to patrol the lands. Why do you assume he's left in an effort to avoid you?"

"Uh, maybe 'cause we don't like each other? 'Member? Likes t'try an' fuckin' kill me all the time?" Inuyasha replied dryly.

"Ah, yes," Miroku responded, just as dryly. "How could I have forgotten the last time you two saw each other? The carnage was simply unbelievable. Really, I'd never seen anything quite like it."

Grimacing in annoyance at the monk's tone, Inuyasha took several strides in the direction of the den. The sooner they got back, the sooner this conversation could end. I liked it better when the fuckin' bouzu kept his damned mouth shut. "Just 'cause he stopped tryin' don't mean he likes me better," he said flatly.

Looking at Inuyasha's back for a few seconds, Miroku shook his head slowly and pinched the bridge of his nose. It was fairly obvious that Inuyasha was bothered by his brother's absence, whether he wanted to admit to it or not. But these verbal sparring matches were starting to wear thin. "And that bothers you."

"Can't think why it should," the hanyou replied airily.

A better servant. I am supposed to be endeavoring to be a better servant to Kami-sama. A better servant listens. So, listen, damn it. "No?" Miroku countered just as lightly. "No reason at all? You sound so sure about that."

Inuyasha whirled suddenly, glaring at Miroku before striding forward and jabbing a clawed finger into the houshi's chest. "I ain't worried about it. I don't give a fuck what he does. He don't wanna see me, and I don't wanna see him. I don't even want to be here," he growled, enunciating the last seven words.

Lifting an internal eyebrow at his friend's outburst, Miroku nodded once. "Very well, then. I'll let the others know once we return. I'm sure they'll be disappointed, but if you don't want to be here, there's no reason to force you to remain." He stepped back a bit, releasing Inuyasha's index finger from the folds of his kesa, and began walking away. He was only halfway surprised when a hand shot out and snagged him by the back of his robes. "Gah! What the--"

Inuyasha kept a firm grip on the back of Miroku's collar as he glared down into the houshi's face. "Just 'cause I don't wanna be here don't mean we gotta leave, dumbass."

"Actually," Miroku answered calmly, "it does. If you don't want to be here, your negative energies -- which you're seldom able to conceal -- would in turn cause Sesshoumaru's mate anxiety. This, in turn, would probably aggravate the pup." He shrugged as gracefully as possible while Inuyasha still held on to his collar. "It's no problem at all, really. I'm sure Sango and Kagome-sama will both understand."

The hanyou gave him a little shake. "I ain't leavin, 'cause I ain't explaining it to--" Here the words were bitten off as Inuyasha snapped his mouth shut.

"Hmm?" Miroku tilted his head inquisitively. "What was that part again?" At the sound of Inuyasha's growl, he shook his head briefly. "A little louder, please?"

"Fuck. You."

Two dark eyebrows lifted in a perfect facsimile of surprise. "Inuyasha, I'm flattered, really, but you see, you're not exactly my...hmm... type, shall we say?"

"And I'm so fuckin' grateful," he muttered as the houshi shook off his grip. Inuyasha stood back, arms folded, while Miroku straightened out his robes. Shooting the houshi one last glare, he turned and began stalking off.

Miroku, for his part, only stood, his shakujou planted firmly against the ground, as he watched Inuyasha's retreating figure. "You're lying," he said calmly.

Inuyasha's eyes bugged as he sputtered wildly, his steps coming to a sudden stop. "The fuck I am!" Fuckin' bouzu! He spun on his heel to glare at the young monk, but Miroku's expression did not change.

"You are," he said quietly, his tone low and serious. "If you had no desire at all to be here, you certainly wouldn't have been the first one to remind us when we had to leave, and the first one to complain whenever we stopped. The only question that remains is, why are you lying?"

Inuyasha's eyes narrowed to slits. "An' you're full of shit, too."

Shrugging, Miroku twirled his staff idly, the rings jangling against each other. "Perhaps we could ask Kagome-sama. We are very nearly at the den--"

In an instant, Inuyasha had crossed the distance between them, and was very nearly nose to nose with Miroku, growling deep in his chest. "Don't you fuckin' dare."

Paying no attention to the growling hanyou in his face, Miroku sighed deeply, closing his eyes. "Inuyasha, I don't know what the problem is, but lying about whether or not you want to be here doesn't seem to be alleviating the problem any -- whatever that problem is, because you're... less than forthcoming. Not a surprise, mind you."

After a moment, Inuyasha expelled a breath, backing up slightly. "...Look, it don't matter whether I wanna be here or not. It ain't about me."

Opening his eyes and regarding Inuyasha with one eyebrow slightly arched, he asked, " If it's not about you, then who or what is it about?"

"The pup," Inuyasha answered, his voice low.

Miroku nodded once, having suspected as much. "Inuyasha, do you or do you not want to be here?"

Shrugging fluidly, the hanyou replied, "Bein' here keeps Kagome busy."

"That's not an answer. Or, at least, not an answer to the question I asked." His eyes fully adjusted to the darkness now, he could see the line of Inuyasha's jaw tighten as he gritted his teeth. "Well, if you don't want to say, then may I attempt to ascertain the situation myself?"

Inuyasha rolled his eyes in response. "Oh, yeah, like I'm gonna be able to stop you," he muttered darkly.

"Very well, then," Miroku replied, once again maneuvering himself around Inuyasha, his steps taking him back to the den. As he did so, he heard Inuyasha leap upwards, grumbling, taking to the trees. He sighed silently. Lady Kagome must have an absolutely infinite amount of patience. Glancing upwards quickly, he began, speaking loudly enough for Inuyasha to hear. "You claim you're here only because of the pup, but you don't really want to be here, since 'here' is where Sesshoumaru resides, and -- as you've pointed out, he's made your life... difficult on more than one occasion. However, rather than being relieved at his absence, you're further irritated -- something which makes absolutely no sense, if what you say is true and you don't want to see him."

Don't he ever fuckin' shut up? Inuyasha thought darkly.

"Logically," Miroku continued, "this leads me to believe that you in fact wanted an opportunity to spend more time around your brother, and therefore interpret his absence as being directly related to your arrival."

High up, Inuyasha paused, leaning against the trunk of a tree. "Assumin' you're right about all that crap...."

Miroku stopped as well, looking up. "Yes?"

"Whatcha gonna do about it?"

"What am I going to do about it?" the young monk asked, lifting his eyebrows.

"Yep."

Miroku shrugged once. "Absolutely nothing." When Inuyasha nodded thoughtfully, he added, "It is, when all is said and done, your problem. If you happened to suffer a head injury and decided to ask my opinion, I would gladly give it to you. But, since the chances of that happening are about as good as Naraku surrendering to us within the week..." Inuyasha snorted at this and Miroku nodded. "Exactly." The young monk was quiet for a moment, silently gauging the hanyou as he stood above him in the trees. "Of course... you could always attempt to speak with him, just for purposes of clarification."

Inuyasha's reply was instant, and unsurprising. "Nah."

"No, of course not."

The two managed to settle into something resembling a companionable silence as they resumed their return to the den. After several minutes, Inuyasha frowned thoughtfully as he looked down at the houshi, walking along the ground. "Yknow, I been wantin' to ask you somethin'."

Miroku's brows quirked, both at his friend's words, and the tone in which they were spoken. "Oh?"

His frown deepening as he walked, Inuyasha asked, "How come you don't smell like strange human women anymore?"

Miroku blinked once. Damn it. "I have no idea what you mean," he replied disinterestedly.

"Uh huh," the hanyou drawled. "Right. You useta come back from villages smellin' like perfume and smoke and gods know what all. Lately you ain't smelled like nothin' but woods." He narrowed his gaze as he looked at the monk. "I wanna know why."

Shrugging, Miroku maintained his bland expression. "I've no idea, Inuyasha. Perhaps there's something wrong with your nose." I should be so lucky.

In a flash of red and silver, Inuyasha dropped out of the tree, landing gracefully in front of Miroku, pinning him under the amber intensity of his gaze. "I can guarantee, bouzu, that's one thing about me that works."

Inclining his head a bit, Miroku replied, "If you have no intention of explaining your... erratic behavior, I see no reason why I should explain anything for you."

Inuyasha narrowed his eyes, scrutinizing the young houshi. "Fine." I'll just ask Sango.

Miroku found that he could barely suppress his sigh of relief. He once again stepped smoothly past Inuyasha and continued walking. "You know, Inuyasha, I can think of one thing you can do during your visit."

"What?"

Miroku paused and glanced over his shoulder back at his friend. "Start getting to know that pup now."

The fuck's he talkin' about? The thing ain't even born yet. Inuyasha blinked once. "Eh?"

"You're here because of the pup. True?"

Nodding once, the hanyou replied, "Yeah."

"Your niece or nephew -- a being so in tune with its surroundings that it could not only feel its mother's anxiety over her transformation as well as her concern for Sesshoumaru's safety in Greece, but potentially react to it as well. Is that also true?"

Inuyasha shrugged one shoulder. "Prob'ly," he answered.

"If you were so sure he had no idea about your presence, I don't think you'd bother being here." Again, Miroku's words were met with a shrug. "So, take advantage of the fact that it seems to be developing awareness in the womb. At least it won't be a wasted visit."

Inuyasha thought about this for several seconds before nodding curtly. "You might actually have a point."

The young houshi's lips lifted in a half-smile. "I occasionally do."

After a few moments of companionable silence, Inuyasha lifted one eyebrow. "So, how come you don't smell like women no more?"

Miroku arched an eyebrow back at the hanyou, mirroring his expression. "Why do you insist you don't want to be here?" he countered.

After several seconds, Inuyasha gave a short nod of grudging acknowledgement of the stalemate and leaps back to the trees. They'd be back at the den in no time, and then he could put the entire unpleasant conversation out of his head. Damned bouzu. Too fuckin' nosy for his own good.

Miroku watched as Inuyasha began moving through the trees, his eyes following the flash of silver hair in the darkness. After a moment, a small, wry half-smile tugged at his lips and he shook his head slowly as he continued walking. You wouldn't believe me if I told you, Inuyasha.

A/N: My most humble apologies for the delay of this chapter. For some reason, it was completely impossible to finish, and my muses were being cranky and difficult. *sigh* My Inuyasha muse wants to join a union now, and I think he's trying to rally the troops. It's a mutiny in my head, sometimes.