InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Patchwork Family ❯ Marco Polo, Pac Man and a Hidden Test ( Chapter 23 )

A/N: All Inuyasha characters and references belong to the creator of Inuyasha, Rumiko Takahashi and published by Shogakukan. Any other characters are more than likely my own creation. If I borrow from another story I will do my best to make sure I give credit where credit is due. I will also be pulling some material (ideas and inspirations mostly, rather than exact material) from Burn Notice, Scorpion, the Greywalker series, Supernatural, and Lockwood & Co.

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When they pulled into the parking lot Inuyasha turned off the engine and sat for a moment in the quiet. Kagome had been very still for the duration of the short drive. She hadn’t said a word after she’d told Rin good night. He searched her face, finding her expression tense and closed. “What’s goin’ on in there?” he asked.

She looked up from the dash and shrugged, giving him a half-hearted smile, “nothing.”

When he continued to look at her, clearly not buying it, she added, “really, I’m fine.” With a sigh, he opened his door and they got out of the car. He let her get a few steps ahead of him so he could observe her gait. The limp was almost gone now, he noted, with some relief. He also couldn’t help but notice that despite the weight she still needed to put on, she did have good curves.

When they walked into the store he blinked in discomfort. Florescent lighting in places like this felt ten times brighter than it needed to be; especially if he was coming in from the dark. He shook it off and paused just inside the entrance where Kagome was waiting for him. He pulled his wallet out of his pocket and pulled four bills out of it. When he handed them to Kagome her eyes widened and she tried to hand three of them back with a shake of her head.

He wouldn’t take them and she narrowed her eyes in frustration. “Inuyasha, I can’t take this much from you. I don’t need anywhere near this much.” He shook his head and told her, “if it’s such torture, consider it a loan. You can pay me back whenever. Get what you need. What’s the first stop? Pants? Like I said earlier, you’re a looker Kagome, but until you gain a little weight back you’re either gonna need a really good belt or smaller pants than what Sango wears.”

Her cheeks flushed red in embarrassment and she growled in frustration while she turned away, muttering, “I’ll pay you back.” She had to admit, at least to herself, that he was right. She couldn’t keep wearing Sango’s clothes. Inuyasha followed her, not bothering to hide his amusement. He leaned against a rack of jeans while she poked through the various offerings in the women’s department.

Kagome had grabbed a hand basket and stacked carefully into it two pairs of black, boot cut jeans, one pair of dark green cargo pants with lots of pockets, two t-shirts, two long sleeve shirts, two black camisoles and a pack of plain black cotton panties. After some debate she caved and added a set of soft pajamas consisting of long pants and a long sleeve button up shirt, dark blue with little pixelated Pac man characters on them.

She frowned as she surveyed the rack of women’s sweatshirts and made a sound of disapproval. Inuyasha’s ear twitched and he raised a brow. The way his mouth twitched she could tell he was laughing at her. Exasperated, she explained, “it’s not funny. The way they design women’s clothing you’d think none of us had a problem with freezing or showing off twice what’s appropriate for public view. If I’m looking for a sweater it’s not because I want to look cute- it’s because I’m cold.” She walked off towards the men’s department, muttering in annoyance, “honestly...”

Finally she was able to find a plain, inexpensive, dark grey hooded sweatshirt with a pouch pocket on the front. It was a men’s medium so it was large on her, but it was thick and had a fleecy lining. It went over her arm and she turned, hesitating, and trying to decide how she was going to accomplish what she needed to do.

Inuyasha frowned, straightening a little as he sensed the abrupt change in her mood. Golden eyes searched the department for anything that could be causing her worry, but saw nothing. When he looked back at her she was chewing her lip. “What’s up?”

She took a deep breath and said quietly, “I need some… uh… girl things. Can I meet you at the front after I check out?”

Inuyasha’s cheeks reddened a bit and he floundered. “Uh… right… yeah. Hang on.” He fished his cell phone out of one pocket, and the cell currently monitoring Rosalind’s apartment out of the other. “If I hang up on this, it will still be set to auto answer right? I can call it right back?”

Kagome blinked a moment and said, “Yes, why?”

Inuyasha disconnected the call and took it off speaker phone. He dialed his own phone number and answered it before handing his cell phone to Kagome. “If you’re going out of my sight we’re keeping contact with these the whole time. I’m not taking extra risks tonight.”

She pursed her lips for a moment, as if she wanted to argue, but took the phone without complaint. They separated and he strode to the front of the store to stand near the closed bank counter, while she directed her steps toward the toiletry aisles. Kagome couldn’t help the smile that tugged at her lips as his voice spoke in her ear. “Still out there?”

“Yes Inuyasha.”

A minute went by and he asked, “how about now?” She grabbed a bottle of two-in-one shampoo and conditioner and tossed it in the basket. “Yep. No boogey man in sight yet.”

“It’s not the boogey man I’m worried about,” he replied.

She looked over the shelves now for her preferred brand of pads. “Oh you should be though. I’ve met the boogey man, you see. He’s terrifying.”

Inuyasha barked out a laugh. “Yeah? How’s that?”

Kagome turned a package over to look at the back and tossed it in the basket, sending a small plea to whatever spirits cared to listen that she’d need them soon. “You know, standard bad guy stuff- bad breath, no style, and remarkably terrible jokes.”

“Really,” he said, amused. “The bad guys I meet also have no sense of self preservation. They keep pissing me off. How’s the boogey man on that front?”

Her eyes turned now to the shelves that contained contraception and other supplies. She read the row of boxes carefully, feeling that cold pit in her stomach again as she reached up and pulled down one of the pregnancy test kits. Inuyasha’s voice came through the phone again, sounding more direct when she didn’t answer. “Kagome? Still there?”

She sucked in a breath and said brightly, “yeah, I’m still here.” She pulled a shirt over the pink box just in case. She grabbed a medium sized bottle of mouthwash, and some floss before moving towards the checkout, murmuring, “Marco…”

“What?” Inuyasha asked.

“Marco.” She responded. “You’re supposed to say Polo. It’s a game you play when you can’t see someone but you want to keep track of them.”

“Never heard of it…”

She laughed then, approaching the checkout register, “you’ve never played Marco Polo? Like when you’re swimming with friends?”

“Nope. Guess I was too busy chasing bad guys with terrible breath.”

Kagome made an amused sound and turned to look at him where he stood a dozen yards away. “I’m hanging up now.” With that she closed the phone. He could see her. There was no reason to continue the game. The gray haired woman behind the counter smiled at her. “You’d be surprised how many people I have to play charades with while I check them because their phone is glued to their head. It’s nice to meet someone with manners.”

She smiled back at the woman and nodded her agreement. The clerk scanned the pregnancy test and put it in the bag, giving her another smile. “Are you trying? I have a dozen grandbabies now. They’re the joy in my world. There’s nothing like kids to keep one young.”

Kagome’s smile tensed and she shrugged, muttering, “not really.”

The woman saw her expression and said, “don’t worry too much. Things have a way of working out the way they’re supposed to. Best of luck to you, either way.”

Kagome nodded mutely, feeling her throat tighten. She looked back at Inuyasha again, hoping he hadn’t heard any of that, but said demon was intently watching the doors at the other end of the front section of the store. “Is he your guy?” the woman asked, sounding a little concerned. “He looks like a demon. Those ears are really something though… almost cute.”

Her smile warmed and Kagome shook her head, “Yes… I mean no. The ears are cute… but we’re not together, just friends.” The woman nodded and handed her the change with a sigh. “Have a good night dear. Stay safe.”

Kagome thanked the cashier and took her bags. She made sure the little pink box was tucked inside the clothing before she walked back to Inuyasha. He reached out a hand for her bags and she shook her head. “I got it. Thanks.” He shrugged and took the bags out of her hand anyway.

“Inuyasha, stop it! I can carry my own things,” she protested. He just shrugged again and started walking towards the exit to the parking lot.

She growled again in frustration and hurried after him, praying he didn’t examine the contents of her shopping too closely. She walked behind; trying to decide what on earth she would do if the unthinkable had happened. Her mouth felt dry as cotton at the thought and her dinner churned in her stomach. Every time she thought about the possibility of a baby, her blood felt cold in her veins and a part of her was paralyzed. When they got to the car, Inuyasha set the bags in the trunk and unlocked her door. As he opened it, he caught the look on her face and stood between her and the open passenger seat.

Kagome had stepped forward to get in the car and stopped short, nearly running into him. When she looked up he was frowning down at her. “Kagome, what’s wrong?”

With a shake of her head and a sigh she said simply, “lots of things are wrong Inuyasha, you know that. I’ll be fine. There’s just a lot to think about.” She tried to give him a reassuring look, despite the hollow feeling inside her. It wasn’t a lie after all. He moved slowly as he reached up to push some of her hair back from her face. Without thought, Kagome turned her face into the touch and he slid his fingers into her hair. Her cool cheek brushed his warm palm. The bruises on her face were almost gone; only a pale shadow of brown discoloration remained at her temple.

Inuyasha was glad to see the marks fading and just stood for a moment, looking down at her. He had the urge to kiss her again, but he didn’t dare to for a myriad of reasons. Instead, he let out a sigh and pulled her into him, gently wrapping her in his arms. She stiffened, as she had before. But almost immediately she calmed again, and hugged him back. Kagome tucked her face in his shoulder, breathing him in. He was a little surprised at how tightly she clung to him now. They stood like that for a long minute and he let one hand rub her back a little. A small hissing gasp fell from her lips and his severe look returned.

He pulled back a little to look down at her. “What is it?”

She stepped away and shook her head. “It’s fine. Sorry.”

He inhaled deeply, searching her scent for the information she wouldn’t give him. He smelled a little old blood on her, but nothing new. “What still hurts?”

She shrugged dismissively. “My ribs are a little bruised yet, that’s all.” He gestured for her to get into the car and closed her door. When he’d climbed in and started the engine, he turned on the dome light to ensure he didn’t miss anything before he demanded, “show me.”

Kagome looked a little scandalized. “No!”

He furrowed his brows stubbornly, and she could see he was both worried, and stubborn.

“I’m fine, it’s going away.”

“Then you won’t mind that I’m checking it,” he countered.

Kagome closed her eyes both in frustration and embarrassment. She was beginning to learn it was almost faster and less exhausting for all involved if she just gave in, rather than trying to argue with him. With a sigh she unzipped Sango’s hoodie. She pulled her left arm out and before she could do anything else he reached over and pulled the side of her t-shirt up. She was grateful he was careful about how he’d done it, and that he hadn’t uncovered anything too inappropriate. She winced as she moved her arm out of the way and could almost feel him go still.

Inuyasha’s eyes sharpened somehow, glinting in the dim light. His jaw had gone stiff as he saw the dark splotches of bruising that still covered her side and part of her belly. His eyes finally flicked up to her face and her apprehension almost made him angrier. She pulled her shirt back down and he smelled a tinge of sour, fearful anxiety wind its way through her scent.

“I’m not going to hurt you.” He ground out. “But I am going to kill those fuckers.”

Kagome was silent for a moment before she murmured, “they kicked me a lot. That’s all. It’ll heal.”

He forced himself to count to ten and try to calm down, for her sake at least, and then said more evenly, “they had to have ruptured organs, as bad as that looks this long after the Tenseiga was used.”

In a thoughtful tone she replied, “then- maybe it’s a good thing that guy shot me.”

Golden eyes cut to her with a severe expression and she explained what she meant. “If he hadn’t, I could have died anyway from internal damage. My memory’s a little foggy, but I wasn’t feeling so hot. Since Sesshomaru used that sword, it kick started a magically boosted healing process that repaired whatever was wrong inside, bullet holes and everything else, right?”

Inuyasha considered that for a moment and nodded before he said, “I don’t know that I’ll ever remember you sitting in so much of your own blood as a good thing, but I’m glad you can look at it that way.”

Kagome chewed her lip and looked out the window as they pulled out of the parking lot. Suddenly Inuyasha asked, “how’s your leg? You were walking almost normal in the store.”

“It’s better,” she said. “I’m getting there. That sword, Tenseiga you called it- it’s really something. How does it work?”

He shrugged, his shoulders still tense. “I’m not sure. It heals most life threatening injuries as long as you get to them in time.” Kagome considered this and thought of her mother. If her mother had been given access to the weapon that had saved her yesterday, would she still have died? On the tail of that thought she asked, “does it work on illness?”

Inuyasha looked over at her, concerned again, and she explained. “My mom, she died because of a cancerous brain tumor. I just wondered… you know, if it worked on stuff like that. It could save a lot of people.”

He shook his head once. “No. It was designed originally to heal soldiers in battle. As horrible as sickness can be, it’s a more natural part of life and death.”

She nodded silently and he asked cautiously, “how long ago?”

As they drove past the dark water of the bay, her voice went a little rough again. “When I was a little kid. It was a long time ago now.”

After a long silence Inuyasha volunteered tonelessly, “my mother died of what I think now must have been some form of tuberculosis. They didn’t know what it was back then. Everyone said it was the gods punishing her for committing impure acts with a demon.”

Kagome looked over to see his face had closed up, and she whispered, “I’m sorry they treated you and your mom like that. It was cruel.”

Inuyasha didn’t respond. There wasn’t anything to be said. It was what it was, an event long passed. As they pulled into the driveway she asked in a somewhat hollow voice, “does it get any easier? It’s been years, but… I still miss her.”

The silver haired man next to her turned off the engine and said slowly, “I guess it does. You can only hurt like that for so long before the energy for it kinda’ runs out.”

Hesitantly she asked, “how long did it take for you?”

He thought for a long time, sifting through his memories. He let out a snort and said, “about 400 years.” He smiled ruefully and she couldn’t help but return it with a little humor. “That’s great, thanks. So I’ll feel better about it when I’ve been worm food for about 380 years.”

She got out of the car to find him staring at her across the roof with a weird expression. “What?”

Slowly he asked, in a would-be casual tone, “you only plan on living another year hugh?” Math wasn’t his strong suit, but he wasn’t an idiot. He’d caught the numbers she’d tossed out.

Kagome decided maintaining humor was probably the best approach and forced a stiff smile. “I plan on doing whatever I need to do. I’ll worry about turning old and gray afterwards.” ‘Or not,’ she thought silently.

They made their way to the front door and she took the opportunity to grab her bags from Inuyasha while he fumbled with the door key. The house was dark and quiet. A single light over the sink glowed in the kitchen, throwing shadows across the hallway. They went quietly to the back of the house and Inuyasha closed his sitting room door.

As soon as the door had clunked shut, she felt her lungs tighten, felt as if she were in a tightly confined space. Though the room wasn’t terribly small, there were no windows, and the only entrance was closed off. She got a handle on the inner panic and made her way into the bedroom, wanting to keep her apparently boundless layers of new psychosis to herself. She put the plastic shopping bags on top of the dresser and Inuyasha walked by behind her. “You can use any of those drawers on the left side. They’re empty.”

When she gave him a curious look he shrugged. “I don’t need much. And I don’t stay in any one place much. I have this room and the apartment, and the other half of my stuff is at the pad above the garage where Gabe stays. I crash there sometimes too.”

Kagome took the bag of clothes with her new pajamas and the pink box to the bathroom with her and closed the door. After she listened a moment to make sure he was occupied, she pulled the pregnancy test out of the bag and stared at it. She felt sick. She felt like she wanted to scrub every inch of herself raw until any part of her that evil creature had touched was gone. A wave of nausea swept through her and she felt her skin erupt in goose bumps. She washed her face, trying to calm herself down again. It would have to wait.

The bathroom was small and there wasn’t much to work with as far as hiding places, but she didn’t dare keep it in the bedroom. Kneeling down on the floor, she found a place to tuck it under the bottom drawer in the vanity. She checked to make sure the drawer still closed without a fuss. It wasn’t perfect, but it would have to do. Quickly, she brushed her hair and teeth, and changed into the new pajamas, layering the camisole underneath. When she walked back into the bedroom Inuyasha just looked at her for a moment. “What is that supposed to be?”

Kagome didn’t know what he was asking and looked around, confused. “What’s what supposed to be?”

He gestured to her pajamas. She looked up in disbelief. “There’s no way you don’t know Pac Man.”

“What’s a pac man?”

Kagome tried not to laugh. “Wow… ok. It’s an old arcade game.” She lifted a knee and pointed to a little yellow character on her pants. “This is Pac Man, and these…” She pointed to the colored characters on the other leg. “These are his mortal enemies, the ghosts Pinky, Inky, Blinky and Clyde.”

Inuyasha just stared at her, then shook his head, turning on the television. “It looks like cheese.” He had to conclude this ‘Pac Man’ business was one of those little human things that slipped his notice from time to time. He’d never set foot in an arcade and video games weren’t really his thing.

Kagome sat down on the bed and curled up in the blankets. “I’ll have to show you an emulator.”

Inuyasha toed off his boots and grabbed some clothes out, noticing she hadn’t taken him up on the offer of a dresser drawer. All her things were packed neatly back into her two grocery sacks. He paused, sleep clothes in hand. “What’s that?”

Kagome was more used to this question. “Ana program that pretends to be another particular program so that you can access files in a format alien to that of the device you’re actually using. Pac Man is designed for really old software that ran on what’s now pretty archaic technology. It works on newer tech via the emulator.” Inuyasha still looked lost. She waved a hand dismissively. “I’ll show you some time.”

Inuyasha reappeared from the bathroom a few minutes later in red lounge pants and a black t-shirt that, while not actually tight, stretched across defined shoulders in a way that left no doubt about the strong body beneath the cotton. He tossed his dirty clothes in a hamper and flopped down, making the mattress bounce Kagome up and down. Quietly she asked, “are you sure you don’t mind me staying in here? It’s not weird for you?”

He looked up at her, folding his hands under his head and stretching out. “Is it weird for you?”

She nodded slowly. “yes, but…” she chewed her lip, not wanting to admit that she just didn’t want to be alone. Inuyasha seemed to sense her discomfort and reached out an arm. “Come here.”

She hesitated, and his lips twitched in a grin. “I’ve behaved myself haven’t I? I don’t mind.” He still held out an arm and she relented, remembering how warm she’d felt when she had woken that afternoon. Kagome slid down under the sheets, pulling the comforter tight around her as she laid her head on his shoulder.

“Thanks,” she whispered. In way of reply he just wrapped his arm around her and gave her a careful squeeze. Inuyasha fell asleep first, and Kagome lay there awake thinking for a long time.

What would she do if the test showed a positive? She’d never liked the idea of abortions and would never have imagined she would even think of considering such a thing herself; even now she wasn’t certain she could do such a thing. But then she’d never imagined a man, a living creature, could be as vile as Naraku.

What would a child of his be like? If she was pregnant, her genes would provide half the child’s makeup. She knew that was the appeal for Naraku, his whole reason for the experiment, as he’d called it. Though her genes carried her abilities, they carried everything else too, and she was good, especially compared to that evil leech. That had to count for something, right?