InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Purity 4: Justification ❯ Subtle Changes ( Chapter 3 )

"I want to have a baby."

The unnerving sound of claws rubbing against the blade of the legendary sword faltered moments before Izayoi InuYasha let Tetsusaiga drop to the floor with an obscenely loud thump.  "Come again?"

Kagome flipped a page in her home and garden magazine but didn't look up.  "I want to have a baby," she stated once more in much the same sort of tone she'd use when telling InuYasha that it was raining outside.

InuYasha's golden eyes narrowed as he stared in dumbfounded shock at his mate.  "Keh!  Well, nothing really important then . . . Wench, next time you say something that stupid, then you ought to at least put the magazine down."

That got her attention.  Closing the publication, Kagome stood up and dropped the magazine on the coffee table before she wandered over to InuYasha's side and curled up next to him on the sofa.  "Come on, InuYasha.  Ryomaru's found his mate, Kichiro will soon, I'm sure . . . Gin's in college . . . It'd be nice to have another child."

"Have you lost your fucking mind or did you really enjoy all the shit Ryo and Kich got into?  And Gin?  Keh!  She ain't that old!  She ain't even been on a date!"

Arching one delicate black eyebrow, Kagome leveled a pointed look at the hanyou.  "And just whose fault is that, I'd like to know?  Between you and the boys, you've managed to chase off every single guy that's come over to try."

"Keh!  I've said it before: if the bastard can't kick my ass, then he can't fucking date my pup."

Kagome rolled her eyes despite the tolerant smile on her face.  "Maybe so, but you've got to admit, there aren't many who could do that."

His smile was downright gloating.  "Yeah?  Then I guess she ain't dating."

The front door opened and closed.  Kagome leaned over to kiss InuYasha's cheek before standing up to greet their daughter while InuYasha retrieved the old sword and hung it above the fireplace again.

"Mama!  You're back early!" Gin greeted as she hugged Kagome and stepped into the living room with her mother.  "Papa!"  Breaking away from Kagome, Gin ran over and threw herself into InuYasha's arms.  "Did you have a good vacation?  What'd you bring me?"

"Who says we brought you anything, runt?" he argued with a grin.

Gin wasn't buying.  "You always bring me back something.  Hand it over."

InuYasha snorted but dug into his pocket for the small but perfect seashell.  Pressing it into Gin's waiting hand, he couldn't help but smile as she squealed happily and kissed his cheek.  "Thank you!  It's lovely!"

"Aren't you home early today?" Kagome asked as she sank down in the chair she'd vacated earlier.
Gin shrugged.  "Yeah . . . My visual arts teacher has taken personal leave, so until they find a replacement, they suspended classes."  She shook her head and sighed.

Kagome frowned.  "What about your aide position?"

"Well, Brekichi-sensei said that I should still be able to do it," Gin remarked as she turned the shell over in her hand.  "That is, if they get a replacement."

"I'm sure they will," Kagome assured her.  "I could call Kagura later, if you'd like.  Maybe she's heard something."

Gin waved a hand in dismissal and grinned at her mother.  "Nah, it's fine.  Let me go put this away, then I'll tell you about the guest lecturer today!"

InuYasha watched as Gin ran off to put the trinket away with the rest of the shells she'd collected over the years.

Kagome shook her head but grinned.  "Such a papa's girl," she accused with a sigh.

"We talked about this.  Those heathens you call sons are yours.  Gin's mine."

"You know," Kagome remarked as she slipped her arms around her mate's neck and kissed his cheek, "we could have a daughter if we tried again . . ."

InuYasha kissed Kagome and wrinkled his nose.  "Yeah . . . or we could have twin sons again."

Kagome giggled.  "Come on, InuYasha . . . You know you want to."

InuYasha sighed.  ". . . Damn it."

Kichiro shuffled up the driveway with his hands buried in his pockets toward the small house in the middle of InuYasha's Forest.  He could make out the sounds of someone—probably Nezumi—rummaging around in a toolbox.  As he neared the opened garage, he had to hop back as his identical twin Ryomaru came barreling outside.  Ryomaru ducked in time to avoid the wrench that came flying at his head as Nezumi's voice echoed in the confined space.  "Hentai!"

Casting his brother a knowing grin, Kichiro chuckled and shook his head.  "Oi, Nez!  Killing's not good . . . Maiming would be okay though."

Nezumi stomped out of the garage and spared Kichiro a curt nod before glaring at Ryomaru again.  "What's up, Kich?"

Kichiro shrugged.  "No, no, I don't want to disrupt something that promises to be amusing."

Ryomaru snorted but his ears flattened when Nezumi narrowed her gaze on him.  "I just thought Nez needed a break," he grumbled, cheeks pinking as he glowered at the ground.

"I'll break something, all right," Nezumi complained as she turned on her heel and stomped back into the garage.

"What'd I miss?" Kichiro asked without looking away from Nezumi's retreating form.

"Keh!  Nothing . . . Anyway, why are you here?"

Kichiro chuckled and leaned back against the shining blue Harley—Nezumi's Harley.  "Is that the way you greet your twin?"

Ryomaru shot him a pointed glower.  "When I was trying to distract Nez?  Yeah, yeah it is."

"What'd you break this time?"

"What makes you think I broke anything?"

Kichiro shook his head.  "Because your mate is fixing your car, baka."

"I dunno . . . Nez said something about the transmission, but she just replaced that a few months ago . . ."

"Uh huh," Nezumi called, voice muffled by the hood of the car.  "You blow those up when you don't keep fluid in them."

Ryomaru flattened his hanyou ears as he wrinkled his nose.  "How was I supposed to know you didn't check the fluid?" he shot back.

Kichiro winced, figuring that was probably not a smart thing for Ryomaru to have said.

Nezumi's long, exaggerated sigh was audible.  "When I said that you had to check your own fluids three months ago, I thought that was warning enough."

"Oh, hell!  I don't even remember to feed the fucking cat, Nez!  What makes you think that I'll remember to check the fluids in the car?  By the way . . . you might want to check the oil . . ."

". . . Baka."

"Been by to see Mother and oyaji?" Ryomaru asked as he stifled a chuckle at his disgruntled mate.

"They're home?" Kichiro asked, eyebrows lifting in surprise.  "Thought they weren't supposed to be back till Monday."

Ryomaru shrugged and headed toward the front door.  "They weren't.  Oyaji said that Mother was worried about Gin being left with a baka like you, but, well, you know him."

Kichiro grinned as he followed Ryomaru inside and headed for the refrigerator and a bottle of soda.  "So in other words, he was afraid I'd let Gin slip out on a date, you mean?"

Ryomaru snorted.  "Something like that."

Taking his time shoving the marble into the glass bottle, Kichiro shook his head.  "It'll be a cold day in hell before that girl gets a date."

"You sound like it bothers you."

"Nope.  Gin's too good for the lot of them, isn't she?  Quite honestly, I doubt there's a man alive who deserves her.  Too bad she doesn't realize that."

Ryomaru made a face as Kichiro drained the soda since he hated the stuff.  Yukitora the cat hopped onto Ryomaru's shoulder.  If Ryomaru noticed, he didn't comment.  "She's too much like Mother.  I don't think Gin has any idea what most men are like."

Kichiro snorted as he rinsed out the bottle and dropped it into the recycling bin.  "With brothers like us?  I think she knows."

Ryomaru grinned as he idly rubbed Yukitora's ears.  Kichiro rolled his eyes.  "Speak for yourself, Kich.  I'm reformed."

Kichiro was about to retort to that comment when his cell phone rang.  Ryomaru chuckled and headed out of the kitchen as Kichiro dug into his pocket for the device.   "Izayoi."

"Dr. Izayoi?  Hi, this is Bellaniece . . . We met earlier in your office?"

Kichiro frowned, crossing his arms over his chest as he shook his head and stared at the phone before lifting it back into place against his head where his ear should have been—if he were human.  "Belle-chan . . . is there something you wanted?"

"Chan?" she repeated with a giggle.  "That sounds so . . . cute."

"Yes, well, it's the same thing I'd call my baby sister," he replied with a slight grin.

Bellaniece sighed.  "You're still stuck on my age, are you?"

"How did you get my private number?"

"I have my ways," she nearly purred, and if Kichiro didn't know better, he'd have sworn she was cat-youkai.  She had apparently reverted to playing the vixen.

Too bad Kichiro wasn't interested in the chase.  "Is there something you wanted?" he repeated again.

"Actually, yes . . . You said you'd do my friend's surgery if I worked for you, right?"

The little alarm bells in his head escalated from a small chime to a four-alarm wail.  ". . . So I did."

"Good!  Daddy's had a change of plans, you see.  When should I start?"

'Why the hell did I agree to stay?'

Cain Zelig shook his head and stuffed his hands in his pockets as he stared out the window at the crowded, smoggy city of Tokyo.  The crumpled cigarette pack lured him, and despite his resolve not to smoke near Bellaniece, he gave in with a sigh.  Shaking out a cigarette with one hand, he retrieved a lighter from the other pocket and started the mental countdown, knowing that it wouldn't be long before his darling daughter emerged from the sanctity of her room to berate him about the dangers of smoking.

'Gin Izayoi.'

With a wince, Cain blew out a perfect smoke ring and stared at it thoughtfully as it dissipated in the air.  Of course he knew who her father was.  He knew her uncle too, for that matter.  Damn that Sesshoumaru . . . It was his fault Cain had agreed to lecture.

The girl was sweet.  There was something about her, something innocent and fresh, as though she hadn't been touched at all by the world around her.  It was a rare thing.  In a day and age when children learned much too early about the bad aspects of the world, Gin seemed unaffected.

He sighed.  'Why am I thinking about her?'

'You know why.'

'I didn't take the job because of her.  That's . . . That's . . . I didn't.'

'If not for her, then why?  She's an art student.  There's a good chance she'd be in one of your classes, isn't there?  What are you thinking, Cain?'

'I repeat: I didn't take the job for her.'

'Damn it.  She's just a girl—a beautiful girl—a beautiful girl who can't be that much older than your own daughter.  Don't be stupid.'

"Daddy," Bellaniece said as she stepped into the living room with her arms crossed over her chest and a disapproving frown on her pretty face.  "I thought you promised not to smoke inside."

Cain glanced over his shoulder and grimaced but didn't move to put out the cigarette.  "Where do you think you're going?" he demanded mildly as she adjusted her purse strap.

Bellaniece shrugged.  "I told you, I got a job.  Dr. Izayoi wants me to start tomorrow, so I need to get some appropriate clothes."

"Take it easy on my Visa, will you?"

She grinned and hurriedly kissed his cheek, wrinkling her nose as she forced a loud cough.  "I'll leave you alone about smoking . . ."

"Spend as much as you want," he agreed.  "Make sure you have your cell."

"I do," she assured him as she rolled her eyes and headed for the door.  "I'll call you if someone even looks at me weird, okay?"

Cain snorted.  "Don't be a smart ass, Bellaniece."

"I love you, Daddy."

He shook his head but grinned.  "Best get moving before I change my mind."

"I'm history."

The soft click of the door closing behind her made his smile widen.  'Sometimes,' he thought as his smile turned a little sad, 'she's just like her mother.'

His gaze slipped over to lock on the marble statue—the one Gin had been touching.  He didn't know if he would ever finish it.  There was entirely too much finality in that.  The statue had remained in that state for nearly eighteen years.  It was the concrete reminder of the promise he had yet to keep.

'Isabelle.'

Cain wandered over, ran his knuckle along the cold marble.  Bellaniece was almost of age.  She'd find a mate soon, wouldn't she?  She'd find a mate, bear a son, and then . . .

Then he'd be free, wouldn't he?

His smile faltered as he jerked his hand away from the statue.  'Free to join you, Isabelle . . .'

That thought should make him happy, shouldn't it?  She was his mate, and she had died.  He should have followed after her long ago.  He should be pleased that the tasks that bound him to this world were nearly completed.

So why did he keep seeing glowing golden eyes instead?

Gin hung up the telephone, biting her lower lip as she glanced out of the corner of her eye to see if her father had heard any of her subdued discussion.  InuYasha was kneeling on the floor, staring outside at the falling night.  The sun was sinking on the horizon, and the only thing that had saved Gin, she figured, was the impending new moon.  She could feel her youkai blood receding, and her senses, like her father and brothers, were starting to dull.  Turning around and leaning against the telephone stand, Gin watched as InuYasha's silvery hair slowly darkened, and when she looked down at her own locks, they were black, too.

"Was that Kyoko-chan?" Kagome asked as she glanced up from her magazine.

Gin forced a smile and rubbed her sweating hands on her skirt as she nodded.  "Yeah.   She's all ready to leave, but there was a problem . . ."

Kagome frowned as she leaned forward to drop the magazine on the table.  "Nothing serious, I hope . . ."

Gin perched on the edge of the sofa and shot InuYasha a nervous eye.  "Well, the girl who was going to sublet Kyoko-chan's apartment fell through, and if Kyoko can't find someone else to take it, she won't be able to afford to go."

"Oh, that's too bad," Kagome murmured as she slowly shook her head.  "She's always wanted to go to Julliard."

Gin twisted her fingers together in her lap and cleared her throat.  "I was thinking . . . I could . . . I could lease it . . . her apartment . . ."

Kagome opened her mouth to reply then snapped it closed only to repeat the process a few more times.  "I see . . . I take it you want to do this."

"It would be helping her out," Gin said, measuring her words carefully as she tried not to wince when she heard the rustle of clothes as InuYasha stood up and slowly prowled closer.

"I think it's—"

"The stupidest fucking thing I've ever heard!" InuYasha growled, cutting Kagome off as Gin cringed.  "You don't need an apartment.  You've got a perfectly good bedroom just down the damn hall!"

"InuYasha, calm down . . . At least hear Gin out, please."

Gin cast her mother a thankful look before straightening her back and slowly turning to meet her father's irritated gaze.  "Papa, I love being here with you and Mama, but I'm twenty-four, and I'm not a baby anymore."

InuYasha snorted.  "Keh!  You're still a pup, Gin.  You can move out the day I die."

"It's closer to the university, and—"

"And what part of 'over my dead fucking body' didn't you understand?"

"Papa, please, I—"

"No."

"But—"

"Fuck no."

Kagome stood up, shaking her head as she held up a hand.  It was something she rarely did, but when she did it, InuYasha normally stopped to listen.  This was one of those times.  "I think we should let Gin make this decision."

"What?"

"Listen, InuYasha, Gin's a good girl.  We raised her to think things through and to make the best choices for herself.  She has to have her own life sometime.  We can't shelter her forever."

"The hell we can't, wench!" InuYasha growled.

Gin tried to hide her smile.  It wasn't often that her mother blatantly disagreed with her father, but once Kagome stated her opinion, her father always gave in, even if it did take him longer to reconcile himself to it.

"No, InuYasha, we really can't.  Sooner or later, Gin has to make choices of her own.  I trust she'll make the right ones for her."

InuYasha made a face and snorted.  "Keh!  There will be no dating, Gin, do you hear me?  Not until you bring him here.  If I find out—"

"For the love of kami," Kagome sighed loudly, "She knows how you feel about that!"

InuYasha shook his head.  "Right, she knows how I feel.  So did her brothers, and you know what happened there."

Kagome closed her eyes.  "That was completely different."

"How do you figure?"

"Ryomaru inherited your baka gene, remember?  Besides, that all worked out for the best, didn't it?"

"Oh, for the love of—" InuYasha turned on his heel as he tossed his hands in the air and stomped toward the glass doors, pausing only long enough to yank Tetsusaiga off the wall before slamming out of the house.

Kagome sighed again before leveling a look at her daughter.  "If you want that apartment, Gin, you'd best call and tell Kyoko-chan now."

Gin tried to smile but couldn't help but feel a little guilty over her father's blustery departure.  "Are you sure, Mama?"

Kagome finally smiled.  "So long as you know that you can always come back home . . . and so long as you know that you're expected to come by to check in often.  Your father loves you, Gin.  He just doesn't always know how to show it."
"I know, Mama."  Gin winced again.  "Papa really isn't going to be happy, will he?"

"Your father will be fine."

Gin shook her head.  "No, not about that . . . Tetsusaiga won't transform tonight."

Kagome giggled as she remembered that one little fact, too.  In human form, Tetsusaiga would not have the ability to transform into the Sword of the Fang that InuYasha cherished.  "He'll be fine, Gin."

Gin hugged her mother before running over to call her friend back.  Kagome followed InuYasha outside.  Only then did Gin break into a small grin.  That was just a little easier than she had thought it'd be.  She owed her mother, big time . . .