InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Purity 4: Justification ❯ Back Home Again ( Chapter 105 )

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

Nezumi sighed and grimaced as she waved her hand to shoo Bellaniece away, face paling as the aroma of the tea in Bellaniece's hand hit her nose.  "No, thanks," Nezumi grumbled, swallowing hard as she closed her eyes and slouched a little lower in the chair.

"That bad, huh?" Sierra asked gently.

Nezumi nodded.  "You have no idea."

"I had morning sickness with mine, too," Sierra went on.

"It'd be better if it were morning sickness," Nezumi grumbled.

"It's not?" Bellaniece questioned as she slipped back into the chair she'd vacated to pour the tea.

"More like 'morning, noon, and night' sickness," Nezumi explained.  "Next time Ryo utters the words, 'So I was thinking,' I swear to kami I'm going to bludgeon him with a wrench."

Bellaniece tried not to laugh but she couldn't quite stop herself, either.

"Well, Ryomaru has never been the intellectual type," Sierra remarked in Ryomaru's defense.

An explosion of yelling erupted from the living room, and all three women's heads turned to assess the situation.  "Sounds like Toga's winning," Bellaniece mused.

"Ryo swears he cheats," Nezumi pointed out.

"Nah . . . he just has plenty of practice with the girls," Sierra replied.  "He's always grumbling about Coral beating him."

Nezumi wrinkled her nose.  "For a guy who complains all the time about my work, Ryo likes that racing game well enough."

Bellaniece laughed.  "I didn't realize Kichiro played video games."

Sierra waved her hand.  "Are you kidding?  He used to come over all the time to play.  He and Toga sat up all night all the time, racing and fighting and . . . whatever else they do on those games . . ."

Nezumi started to stand up only to flop back down in her chair with a long-suffering groan as her already pale face paled a little more.  Skin tinged with a hint of what could only be described as green, she looked like she was about to be violently ill.

"Do you need to lie down?"

She shook her head and drew a few deep breaths.  "No . . . just give me a minute."

"Look on the bright side," Sierra added in a hopeful tone.  "Morning sickness usually only last a few months."

"A few months, huh?" Nezumi commented darkly.

"Just trying to be helpful," Sierra said with a bright grin.

"You guys didn't have to come over," Nezumi said.

"Don't be silly," Sierra assured her.  "We always come over on the weekend . . . and Ryomaru asked Toga to stop in and check on you."

"You'd think I was on death's door; not pregnant."

"I think it's sweet that he's worried about you," Bellaniece said.

Nezumi made a face.  "Hopefully he'll be home soon."

"Where did he go?"

"He had to go to Kushiro on Hokkaido in search of some lizard-youkai."

Kichiro shoved Toga, sending him stumbling into the kitchen.  The older man turned to glare at his cousin.  "He still hasn't found him?" Toga scoffed.

"He hasn't called yet today," Nezumi explained.

"Maybe he's dead," Toga snorted.

"We can always hope," Kichiro seconded as he dug a Ramune soda from the refrigerator.

"Go to hell, baka," Ryomaru growled.  Moments later the front door closed, and Nezumi stood up with a soft groan.  "Tell your old man, Toga, that lizard won't be a problem no more."

Toga grinned.  "Will do," he hollered back.

Ryomaru poked his head into the kitchen, kissing Nezumi's cheek.  She cast him a tired little smile and pushed past him.  "Oi, Nez . . . where are you going?"

"To throw up," she grumbled.

Ryomaru's ears twitched nervously, and he made a face as he whipped around and strode off after his mate.

Bellaniece shook her head and sighed.  It seemed as though Nezumi was having a worse time with her pregnancy than most.  Well into her fourth month, she was still throwing up constantly.  It seemed to be worse whenever Ryomaru was out on a hunt, but Kichiro thought that might be nerves on Nezumi's part.  She'd never been completely comfortable with Ryomaru's career, and while she understood why he chose to be a hunter, it didn't mean that she had to like it.

"When are the two of you ever going to start a family of your own?" Sierra asked, chin propped on her raised fist as she glanced from Bellaniece to Kichiro and back again.

Kichiro headed toward the living room without comment, smacking Toga upside the head as he passed.

"Oi!" Toga growled, whipping around to stomp off after Kichiro.

"Boys," Bellaniece said with a shake of her head.

"Are you avoiding my question?"

Bellaniece giggled.  "Not at all."

Sierra laughed at Bellaniece's answer since she was still skirting the question.  "So?"

Bellaniece grinned but didn't answer.

"Why do I get the feeling that there's something you're not telling me?"

Bellaniece lifted the fragrant tea to her lips and blinked innocently.  "I don't know what you're talking about, Sierra."

"Hmm, ri-i-i-ight."

"When are you and Toga going to try again?  He still needs an heir, doesn't he?"

Sierra rolled her eyes and sat back, idly turning her cup in her fingertips.  "He does.  He hasn't really mentioned it in awhile, though.  He might think that I'll rip his head off if he asks, though."

"Now would you really do that?"

Sierra grimaced.  "Most days?  No . . . some days?  Oh, yeah."

"Sorry about that," Nezumi grumbled as she shuffled into the kitchen again.  Ryomaru hurried in behind her, pulling out her chair and rubbing her shoulders after she sank down.  She moaned softly, eyes closing as her head rolled to the side.  Ryomaru grimaced, ears flattening, but he remained quiet as he continued to rub her shoulders.  "Guess I'm not much fun lately."

Sierra shook her head and winked at Ryomaru.  He intercepted the look and clenched his jaw tighter.  "It's not so bad.  To tell the truth, I look forward to Saturday nights more than you'd think, even if you aren't feeling so hot."

Bellaniece smiled.  She couldn't really blame Sierra.  Four daughters had to be tough to deal with, especially when two of them were year and a half old twins, and Saturday night, to Sierra, meant that the girls were spending the night with their grandparents, giving her and Toga time alone.

'I'll never feel like that,' Bellaniece thought absently.  'I'll love being a mother.  No one will take care of my babies but me.'

'Don't be so sure, Bellaniece.  Parenting is difficult work.'

'Of course it is.  I know that.  Still, Daddy never left me with anyone else, and it was just him, after all.'

'Your father never had anyone to leave you with, remember?  Even still, everyone needs a break from time to time.  It's natural.  Just never say 'never'.  You'll regret that.'

Bellaniece scowled.  "You like being a mother, don't you, Sierra?"

Sierra frowned at Bellaniece's question.  "It's not that I don't love it . . . but sometimes it's easy to lose yourself, you know?  You become 'Mom' and then the person you used to be sort of just fades away.  I like having the reminder, is all.  I like remembering that I'm a woman, too."

Bellaniece nodded.  That made more sense.

"The children are my first priority," Sierra went on, "and that's how it should be, but there are times, like after spending the majority of the day cleaning the house only to have your angels wreck it in a matter of moments . . . or when you've spent all day running them to the doctor or to preschool . . . or when you've spent hours arguing with your oldest because she can't understand why she has to share her toys with her sisters, then Toga comes home, and he wants attention, too . . . Let's face it: no one really feels all that sexy after days like those."

Nezumi patted Ryomaru's hand and offered him a weak little smile.  "It's okay.  I feel better now.  Why don't you go hang out with Toga and Kich?"

"You sure?  I could make something for you to eat," he offered.

Nezumi made a face and groaned.  "Kami, no . . . No food . . ."

Ryomaru looked like he wanted to argue but must have thought better of it.  Jerking his head in a stilted nod, he strode out of the room in silence.

"He feels so bad," Sierra remarked.

"He does," Nezumi agreed.  "Not quite as bad as I do, but . . ."

The doorbell's chime interrupted the conversation.  Bellaniece hopped up and patted Nezumi's shoulder.  "I'll get it."

Nezumi nodded in silent thanks as Bellaniece hurried out of the room.


Gin bit her lip and shifted from one foot to the other as they waited for someone to answer the door.  "You okay?" Cain asked, casting her a quizzical look as she fidgeted.

"I'm anxious to see everyone," she explained.  "It seems like so long since we've seen them.  Do you think Nezumi's showing yet?"

Cain chuckled and slipped an arm around her, fingertips rubbing lightly against the spot where Gin had received his mark.  Her fidgeting stopped almost instantly, and she shot him a quick grin as the door opened.

"Daddy!  Gin!  How was your trip?" Bellaniece greeted, hugging Cain then Gin before patting Gin's still-flat tummy.

"It was good," Gin replied with a giggle as she stepped into the house.  "Cain insisted I take a nap before we came over, though . . . Where's Nezumi?"

"In the kitchen.  She's had morning sickness pretty badly."

Gin grimaced and hugged Bellaniece again before scurrying off toward the kitchen.  Cain growled in warning, and Gin slowed her pace.  Bellaniece giggled and linked her arm through her father's.  "Overprotective, Daddy?"

Cain shook his head then sighed as an apologetic sort of grin surface on his face.  "Maybe a little," he confessed.  "Can't seem to help it."

"Gin looks great," Bellaniece went on.  "So do you."

"Yeah?  You do, too."

Bellaniece smiled and sighed.  "I've got something to tell you."

"You've finally figured out that Dr. Inbred is an ass?"

Bellaniece rolled her eyes and giggled.  "No, Daddy."

"Okay, then what?"

Bellaniece shrugged.  "I'm . . . pregnant."

Cain stopped short and blinked, the smile on his face shifting into a confused frown as he slowly shook his head and stared at his daughter.  "You are?"

She nodded.  "Last night . . . the full moon . . ."

He narrowed his gaze and pulled away, crossing his arms over his chest.  "Why the change of heart?"

Bellaniece wrinkled her nose.  "I'm a girl, Daddy.  Girls always change their minds."

"Yeah, I'm not buying that."

"It was an accident?"

His look darkened a little more.

She wrinkled her nose and pasted on her most winning smile.  "I wanted you to live; that's all.  Even after you married Gin . . . I thought that you'd decide to have a baby with her, too, if I didn't.  You'd need your heir, right?"

Cain snorted.  "So you did all that just to get me to marry and have a baby with Gin?"

"Yeah," she confessed with a grimace.  "I'm sorry, Daddy . . ."

"Belle . . ."

"You're the best Daddy I could have had.  If I'm half the mother that you were a father, my children will be lucky, too."

"Flattery isn't working," he grumbled.

"Daddy . . . you deserve to be happy, and Gin . . . She does, too.  Your baby . . . He or she is going to be really, really spoiled."

"Spoiled?"

"You can't tell me that you're not going to spoil that baby."

"Pfft."

Bellaniece giggled and leaned up to kiss her father's cheek.  "Well, come in and say hello . . . Nezumi's not feeling so well, but Sierra and Toga are here, too."

Cain followed his daughter into the living room and stopped short at the sight of his wife being manhandled by her idiot brothers.  Kichiro picked her up in a tight hug and swung her around like a rag doll, much to her delight, just before Ryomaru pulled her away and repeated the process.  Shrieking with laughter as her brother set her back on her feet, Gin didn't seem to notice Cain's irritation as he pulled her behind his back and crossed his arms over his chest.

"She's pregnant, damn it.  Be more careful with her," he growled.

"It's okay, Cain," Gin said, tugging on his arm.

"The hell it is," he growled.  "I won't have them flinging you around like that, especially when you're carrying my pup."

"But they're just glad to see me," she maintained.

"They can be glad to see you from a distance, damn it!"

Gin twisted her hands together in a wriggling knot of flesh.  "Cain . . ."

"What?"

"You're really cute when you're being irrational."

Ryomaru and Kichiro fell silent, staring at the couple with varying degrees of absolute disgust.  Toga chuckled softly as Cain's cheeks reddened.  "Just doing my duty."

Gin giggled and hugged her mate.  "Relax, Zelig-sensei.  I'm fine."

"You'd better be," he grumbled.


"Kichiro . . ."

He spared a moment to peer up at his mate before turning his attention back to the television and the game that was still in progress.  "Hmm?"

"The girls wanted to know if you minded if I go shopping with them tomorrow."

Kichiro grunted, grimacing as Toga's car bumped his, sending his car veering into the guard rail on the side of the track.  "Have a great time," he told her.

She rubbed his back.  "I didn't think you'd mind," she agreed, "but I wondered . . ."

Leaning to the side, he dug his wallet out of his pocket and held it up.  "Take what you need, princess."

She grinned happily, taking the wallet and extracting a few bills.  "Thank you."

He paused the game and set the controller aside long enough to grab Bellaniece's hand to see how much money she'd taken.  Rolling his eyes as he let go of her wrist, he pulled the rest of the cash and held it out to her.  "Here you go."

Bellaniece grinned and kissed his cheek before taking the money he offered.  He watched her saunter away with a smirk on his face, sticking his wallet back in his pocket before he reached for the controller again.

"Oh, balls, Kich . . . She's neutered you!" Ryomaru grumbled incredulously.

"What?"

Toga sighed, shaking his head as he dropped his controller on the table.  "I hate to say it—and I mean I really hate to say it—but Ryomaru's right.   What the hell was that?"

"What the hell was what?"

"That was just sad," Ryomaru went on.

"Does she tell you when to jump?" Toga asked quizzically.

Kichiro rolled his eyes.  "Pardon?"

"Where to jump?" Ryomaru added.

"Shut up."

"How high to jump?" Toga quipped.

Kichiro chuckled as he stared at his brother and cousin.  "Okay, let me show you something," he finally said.  Satisfied that they were paying attention, he craned his neck so that he could see into the kitchen where his mate sat with the girls—and Cain.  "Belle-chan," he hollered.

She leaned forward to smile at him, mumbled something to the others, and hurried into the living room.  "Yes, lover?"

His grin widened and crooked his finger to bring her in closer.  "How about we cut out of here soon?  Spend some time alone?"

She giggled and slipped into his lap, kissing his cheek noisily as she leaned against his shoulder.  "Whatever you wish, my mate."

"Whatever?"

"Whenever," she promised.

"Re-e-eally."

"I'm your bitch, remember?"

Kichiro chuckled.  "Absolutely."

She giggled and kissed him; a long, lingering kiss that better belonged in a bedroom than in the middle of his brother's living room . . .

"Okay," he agreed.  "Give me a bit to finish wiping the floor with ol' Toga."

"Just say the word," she told him, standing back up and letting her hand trail over his chest and shoulder before she sauntered back into the kitchen once more.

He watched her retreat before turning a smug grin on Toga and Ryomaru.  "Any questions?"

Toga shook his head and sighed.  "That's just wrong," he lamented.

"Disgusting, if you ask me," Ryomaru agreed.

Kichiro laughed.  "You want disgusting?" he countered.  "Look at that . . ."

Following the direction of Kichiro's gaze, they stared at the spectacle unfolding just outside the kitchen door.  Gin was holding onto Cain's arm, murmuring something to him that no one else could hear.  The North American tai-youkai chuckled softly, stroked Gin's cheek, and hurried off to fetch her a bottle of water.

"Yeah, that's sick," Toga remarked with a shake of his head.

"Unnatural," Ryomaru grunted.

Kichiro just smiled.


"Where are your pups?" InuYasha growled as he stomped into the living room and pinned Toga with a bored glower.

"They're at Mother and Father's . . . just like they are every Saturday night," Toga replied with a half-smile.

InuYasha grabbed Gin's hand to tug her out of Cain's lap and into a tight, if not somewhat possessive—hug.  "You don't look pregnant," he pointed out, casting Cain a challenging glare.

Cain didn't reply, but he didn't look away, either.

"Papa, I'm only a week pregnant," Gin complained with a giggle.

InuYasha snorted.

"Don't be silly, dog-boy," Kagome remarked, patting Cain's shoulder.  "She looks wonderful."

Gin extricated herself from her father's embrace to hug her mother before carefully untying Mikio's fur-lined hat.  "Hi, baby!  Did you miss me?"

Mikio grinned, reaching up to tweak his newly emancipated ear as Gin scooped him up, smacking a loud kiss on his cheek.  "Nee-tan!" he gurgled.

"It's my sweetie!" Bellaniece gushed, hurrying over to kiss Mikio's other cheek.  The child screamed with joyous laughter, and Gin flattened her ears but laughed.

"He's going to be worse than the twins," Toga predicted as the swarm of women around the child grew.  Last to arrive was Nezumi, but even she ruffled his hair and kissed his little hand.

"Kami forbid," InuYasha grumbled, carefully pulling Mikio's hand away from his ear.  It snapped right back up the moment his father let go.

Bellaniece laughed, casting Kichiro a tentative smile that he returned.

She stepped around the sofa and plopped on Toga's lap, snaking her arms around his neck as she snuggled against his chest quite happily.

"You already got money from him," Toga remarked baldly, jerking his head in Kichiro's direction despite the color that rose in his cheeks.

Bellaniece giggled.  "Yes, I know.  Don't you think that we should tell them?"

Toga blinked and shook his head.  "Tell them?"

"Oh, now this should be interesting," Sierra remarked with a grin as she slipped onto Kichiro's lap.  "Do we finally get to switch mates?  I've always loved these ears . . ."

Toga grunted.  Kichiro chuckled, twitching his ears to encourage Sierra's attention.  "Sounds good to me."

"Yeah, he wouldn't know what to do with Grabby," Ryomaru scoffed, reaching behind the sofa to catch Nezumi's hand and pull her around.

"You have the strangest family, baby girl," Cain remarked to Gin but loudly enough for everyone to hear.

Gin sat beside Cain with Mikio in her lap.  "Belle's your daughter."

"True . . ."

"What the hell are they goin' on about?" InuYasha grouched, crossing his arms over his chest and sinking down next to the fireplace with his back against the wall.  "And my pup ain't your baby girl, you bastard!"

"Daddy," Gin began in a soothing tone.

"Calm down, InuYasha . . ." Kagome remarked, sitting beside her mate.

"If he wanted a baby girl," InuYasha growled, "he should have found his own instead of sniffing around mine!"

Kagome sighed.  "I give up."

InuYasha snorted, his face contorting in the stubborn pout.

"I love you both," Gin replied diplomatically.

That earned her both a 'Keh!' and a 'pfft!'

Kagome rolled her eyes.  "Why is Belle sitting on Toga's lap?"

InuYasha wrinkled his nose.  "Because she's as bent as her old man."

"Come, now, Toga . . . We can't hide it forever," Bellaniece teased with a contented little sigh.

"Hide . . . what?" Toga asked, unable to keep the hint of foreboding out of his tone.

Bellaniece sat up a little straighter and grinned.  "That we're going to have a baby!"

"Oh . . . balls . . ." Ryomaru muttered.

"Congratulations!" Sierra hollered, hopping up off Kichiro's lap and hurrying over to hug Bellaniece.  "May you be blessed with the son that Toga's always wanted!"

"Oi!" Toga grunted.

"Thank you!" Bellaniece replied, hugging Sierra then Gin, who had also rushed to her side.

"That is the most fucked up thing I think I've ever heard," InuYasha snorted.

"I think it's wonderful," Kagome cut in, standing up to hug Kichiro just before she kissed his cheek.  "I'm so happy for you!"

"Completely fucked up," InuYasha growled.

"Yeah, well, we figured everyone else was doing it.  What the hell?  Can't be a worse father than Ryo."

"Oi!"

"Oh, God," Cain mumbled, pinching the bridge of his nose as he closed his eyes and sighed.

"I think you'll do just fine . . . both of you," Kagome said, gaze alternating between her twin sons.

InuYasha stood up, shaking his head as he tried to make sense of the insanity surrounding him.  "What the hell ever . . . You're all fucking nuts, and I'm going home."

Kagome caught his arm and giggled.  "It's going to be a wonderful year," she predicted.

InuYasha snorted and turned away but not before Kagome saw the barest hint of a smile on his face.