InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Purity 4: Justification ❯ Everyone's Baby Girl ( Chapter 106 )

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

Cain lit a cigarette and blew out a steady stream of smoke, staring up as it dissipated into nothing and floated away in the early spring breeze.

'Damn it . . .'

Jerking upright when his cell phone rang, Cain stifled a growl at the number on the caller ID screen.  "What?" he growled, unable to keep the irritation out of his voice.

"That's a nice way to answer your phone, Zelig."

He sighed and indulged himself in a long drag off his cigarette before answering.  "Something you wanted, Ben?"

Ben chuckled.  "I take it you were expecting a different call?"

"Not really."

"I see."

"What, Ben, what?"

"All right; all right . . . I just wanted to let you know that Cal Richardson agreed to sign the treaty."

Cain stifled a growl.  "Wish he hadn't."

"Cain . . ."

"That bastard said some things to Gin," Cain grumbled.  "Complete bastard, through and through."

Ben sighed.  "I know, and you're right.  He's nothing but a coward, when it comes down to it: a damn annoying coward, but a coward nonetheless."

"His kind . . . They bully those who are weaker than they are, but they're not stupid enough to challenge those who are stronger."

"Does that surprise you?"

"Not really."

"Anyway . . . how's Gin?"

Cain slumped back and snorted.  "I don't know.  She seems all right."

"Seems alright?"

"Like I said; I don't know.  She's too busy to spend time with me, after all."

"Sounds serious."

"Sort of . . . Not really.  It's fine."

"Fine, huh?"

"Yes."

"Have you talked to her?"

Cain made a face, dragging his long fingers through his bangs.  "And say what?  'Oh, by the way, Gin . . . in your quest to make everyone else happy, you seem to have forgotten that you have a mate . . .' Yeah, that'll work."

"Hmm, but that would be quite effective, don't you think?"

"Oh, shut up, Ben."

"Wow, you really are being touchy."

Cain sighed.  "I'm just worried that she's going to wear herself ragged."

"Then talk to her, Zelig.  She can't read your mind."

"I know; I know."

"Yes, well, it's sound advice.  I've got to go.  I have a few meetings scheduled, and I'm running behind."

"All right," Cain agreed.  "Keep me posted."

"Will do."

Clicking off his cell phone, Cain dropped it into the grass beside him.  Punkin lifted his head to stare at Cain, wagging his tail once in silent greeting.

It wouldn't have been so bad, he supposed, if it weren't every single day.  First it was Sierra, needing help with the twins because Toga had to go on a business trip.  Then it was Nezumi, whose morning sickness had only gotten worse.

Occasionally even Bellaniece would call and drag Gin wherever she was going.  Kichiro was leaving tomorrow to perform the last of Kelly's reconstructive surgeries, and though Cain thought that Kichiro was dead wrong to leave his mate behind, Bellaniece had insisted that everything was just fine, and that she was better off, staying here while Kichiro was away.  Cain had insisted that she come stay with him and Gin, but Bellaniece, with a bright smile and a wave of her hand, had declined.  Today Gin was helping Bellaniece create a 'romantic' atmosphere, whatever the hell that meant . . . He grimaced.  'Maybe,' he thought with an inward snort, 'I don't think I want to know what it means . . .'

'Face it.  You're just jealous because she's not creating the romantic atmosphere for you.'

'. . . Shut up.'

'You know it's true.  You can't stand that Gin loves being around her family.'

'I want her to be happy.'

'Oh?'

He sighed.  'I do want her to be happy . . . I'd also like for her to be happy with me.'

'Jealous much?'

'I'm not jealous.  I just don't want her overdoing it.'

"Okay, what's bothering you?"

Cain blinked and glanced up into the worried eyes of his mate.  "Not a thing," he lied.

She wrinkled her nose and nodded at the cigarette dangling from his fingertips.  "Well, you only smoke when something's bothering you, so you might as well spit it out."

He tossed the butt away and held out a hand toward her.  She took it and sat down, heaving a weary sigh.  "You done running around for the day?"

Stifling a yawn with the back of her hand, Gin nodded.  "Yes.  Belle's all set, and I'm staying home."

Cain sighed.  "Good.  Gin . . ."

"Hmm?" she murmured, resting her cheek against his shoulder and closing her eyes as he slipped his arm around her.

"Why don't you . . . stay home with me tomorrow?  Is that possible?  Just us?"

She grinned and snuggled closer.  "Okay," she agreed.  "Just us."

"Maybe you should take it easy?  You've been running around an awful lot."

"I know," she said with a grimace.  "But they're family, and they need me . . ."

"Can't they 'need' someone else?"

She giggled and kissed his cheek.  "I promise, Cain.  Tomorrow it'll be just you and me—and our son."

Cain smiled despite himself.  "Son?" he echoed, eyebrows rising in surprise.

Gin nodded.  "Yes, our son."

"And how do you know this?"

She shrugged.  "He told me."

"Did he?"

"No . . . I just know."

"Your mark hasn't changed," he pointed out since the mark he'd put on her should change just slightly to signify that she was carrying the next tai-youkai.

"I'm telling you, Zelig-sensei, we're having a boy."

"Okay," he agreed.  "So . . . did he tell you what we're supposed to name him?"

"I think we should name him after my papa."

Cain snorted.  "Oh, I don't think so."

"InuYasha Zelig?"

"Hell, no."

"Fine, fine . . . I've always liked the name 'Akira'."

Cain snorted.

"Toshi?"

He snorted again.

"Keitaro?"

"No."

"Kaemon?"

"Kaem on?"

"Yes . . . The man who wanted to touch the moon."

"Nice, but . . . Gin, don't you think that the next North American tai-youkai should have a . . . North American name?"

She scowled.  "I didn't think of that."

He smiled.  "You know, Americans tend to have both a first and a middle name, along with their last name.  How about a traditional name, and then you can choose something Japanese for his middle name?"

"Like Kaemon?"

He nodded.  "Like Kaemon."

"What sort of names do you like, Cain?"

"Oh, I don't know . . ."

"What was your father's name?"

"Mine?"  Cain stood up slowly, offering Gin a hand to help her to her feet.  "Sebastian."

"Sebastian?"  Gin thought it over.  "I like Sebastian."

"Do you?"

"Sebastian Kaemon Zelig . . . I like that."

He chuckled and took her hand, kissing her knuckles before leading her back toward the house.  "All right, then . . . but you'd better hope that you're not wrong about the baby being a boy."

"I'm not," Gin assured him.  "You'll see."

Cain smiled.  "Why don't you come lie down with me?"

"I could do that."

"Oi, baby girl!"

Stifling a growl as InuYasha's voice stopped Gin in her tracks, Cain turned slowly, glowering at the hanyou as he stepped out of the forest and headed straight for his daughter.  "Papa!" she greeted happily.

"Go for a walk with your old man?"

Gin shot Cain a quick glance and bit her lip.  "I was going to lie down awhile . . ."

Cain sighed and let go of her hand, stepping back as he stuffed his hands into his pockets and shrugged.  "Go on," he told her, pasting on a tolerant smile despite the irritation and the suspicion that InuYasha's appearance was not accidental.

"Are you sure?" Gin asked.

"It's fine," he told her.

"Need a nap, you old bastard?" InuYasha scoffed.

"Papa . . ."

Cain narrowed his gaze on the hanyou.  "Not at all . . . Papa."

"Papa?" InuYasha echoed incredulously.

"Sure," Cain agreed.  "I've decided to turn over a new leaf.  Nothing but the utmost respect, from here on out."

"I ain't your papa, damn it!  You're fucking older than me!"

"So I am," Cain replied, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.

"Cain . . ." Gin began.

"Yes, my baby girl?"

"You're not helping," she hissed.

"What?  You've wanted us to get along, haven't you?"

"This is not getting along, Cain . . ."

"Sure it is," he promised.

"Why, you stupid—"

"About that walk," Gin interrupted quickly.  "I'm ready when you are, Papa."

InuYasha's answer was a low growl, but Gin, casting Cain a worried glance, grabbed his arm and tugged him back toward the trees.  "I'll be home soon," she assured him, waving over her shoulder.

"No rush," he called back, lifting his hand to wave, his self-satisfied smirk faltering as he let his hand drop.  "No rush at all . . ."


"Candles . . . music . . . and my mate greeting me at the door in nothing but . . . the family jewels?" Kichiro asked quizzically as he closed the door and stared at his mate.

Bellaniece caught the necklace and slipped her index finger back and forth through it.  "Welcome home, lover."

He chuckled and reached for her.  "Very nice."

"Will you miss me while you're gone?"

"Like that was ever a question, Belle-chan."

"Just wanted to hear it."

"What's for dinner?"

She took her time, letting her gaze roam up and down his frame.  "I can think of a few things . . ."

"Good, because I'm starving."

She giggled.

A knock on the door sounded, interrupting the moment, and Kichiro grunted in frustration.  "If we ignore them, they'll go away."

Bellaniece sighed and stepped back.  "You answer it.  I'll grab a robe."

"Belle . . ."

"It might be important," she pointed out.

He growled again and tried to grab her.  She ducked out of the foyer before he could.  With a mumbled curse, he turned to face the door, figuring that whoever was on the other side of the door could live with the very obvious results of Bellaniece's unceremonious greeting.

Scowling as he jerked the door open, Kichiro blinked in surprise as Sierra pushed past him, one twin in each arm with Coral and Cassidy trailing in her wake with matching overnight bags slung over their shoulders.

"What's going on?" he asked, slowly pushing the door closed as the females filed into the living room.

"We're moving in," Sierra stated bluntly.  "That is, if you don't mind."

"Hmm, okay," he agreed.  "What did Toga do to get himself in this much trouble?"

Sierra narrowed a glare on him, and he stepped back quickly.  "Do not even speak that name to me," she growled.

Kichiro held up his hands and nodded.  "All right; all right . . . So what did . . . he . . . do?"

"Mama's going to have a baby," Coral piped up helpfully.

"Oh, my," Bellaniece said, emerging from the bedroom as she tied the belt of her robe.  "Of course you can stay," she assured Sierra.

"Belle!"

She waved a hand at Kichiro.  "You're leaving tomorrow anyway.  It'll be nice to have someone else here."

Kichiro broke into a low growl that was abruptly cut off as Toga strode through the door with two large black suitcases.

"Oh, um, girls . . . why don't you go outside and play?" Bellaniece suggested, catching the murderous scowl on Sierra's face and the pleading expression on her mate.  Coral and Cassidy exchanged worried glances but did as they were told.

"Wait a second," Kichiro growled, rounding on his cousin with an incredulous expression on his face.  "You mean to tell me you didn't ask your mate?"

Toga grimaced.  "I asked," he grumbled.

"You asked if could we think about it!" Sierra hollered.

"No, you said that with everyone having babies, you wanted another one, too," Toga pointed out.

"I said it'd be okay . . . eventually!"

"Yeah," Toga said in an overly reasonable tone, "thing is, you left out the 'eventually' part."

"To-ga!  It should have been implied."

"Hm, yeah, well, it wasn't."

"But I don't wanna be pregnant!" she wailed, sinking down on the sofa as the twins started to whine.

"Come on, Sie, don't cry . . . You make the babies cry when you cry," Toga pleaded.

"You're such a jerk!"

He grimaced and uttered a soft little noise, almost a whine.  "I'm sorry!  It was thoughtless of me, I love you, and I swear that I'll never do it again!"

"Even if you have another daughter?" Kichiro pointed out.

Toga shot him a fulminating glare.  "You're not helping," he growled under his breath.

"So, what?" Kichiro grumped, kicking the closest suitcase with his foot.  "You moving in, too, baka?"

Toga winced.  "No . . . I just didn't want her to carry those, being pregnant and everything."

And at that, Sierra broke into a very loud sob.


Kichiro sighed and sank down on the porch steps beside Toga.  Grunting as he held out a steaming cup of coffee, he shook his head and tried his hardest, not to laugh at the woebegone expression on his cousin's face.

"So you really thought that she had agreed to have another baby?"

Toga winced.  "She said it would be okay."

Seeing the obvious upset on his cousin's face, Kichiro relented with a sigh.  "She'll forgive you."

"Maybe.  I honestly thought she knew it.  I mean, come on . . . She had to have known."

Kichiro frowned, taking a moment as he lifted his coffee to his lips.  "How pregnant is she?"

Toga shrugged.  "About a month."

"And she just now realized it?"

"Something like that."

"Ouch."

Toga raked a hand through his thick black hair.  "I came home from work every day, rubbed her belly, and asked her how Mama was."

Kichiro chuckled.  "She's already a mama, four times over.  Gotta tell you, Toga . . . I think you might have dropped the ball on this one."

"Yeah."

"Why don't you go home?  Sierra and the girls will be fine here."

Toga shot him a dark look followed by a succinct snort.  "Keh.  As if.  There's no way in hell that I'll do that."

"Yeah, I didn't figure you would."

"I just didn't want her to be more upset, so when she said that she wanted to come here . . ."

Kichiro nodded.  "I'd have done the same thing, I guess . . . 'Course, I think I'd have made double-damn-sure that she wanted to have another pup."

"Rub it in, Kich," Toga grumbled.

"Any time, baka."

"I've got to be up at the crack of dawn," Kichiro went on as he stood up.  "If you can manage to get yourself out of trouble, would you do me a favor?"

"Sure."

Kichiro nodded.  "Keep an eye on Belle while I'm gone . . . She'll be fine, but you know."

Toga gave him a half-smile.  "I can do that."

Kichiro jerked his head at the padded wooden lounge chair behind him.  "Night."

Toga sighed.  "Night."


Gin woke up and smiled as the aroma of something delicious permeated her senses.  Opening her eyes, she rolled over and sat up, rubbing her eyes with the heels of her hands.  She didn't remember falling asleep.  The last thing she could recall was cuddling up beside Cain on the sofa while he was watching the world news.  He must have put her to bed, and she would have been happy to stay there, but whatever he was cooking smelled delicious, and she realized with a guilty grimace that she'd forgotten to grab something for lunch.

'Come on, doll . . . You know that Cain's having a hard enough time.  You don't need to add to his worry by refusing to eat.'

'I'm not refusing,' she argued.  'I forgot.'

'But you can't forget.  You have to remember that Cain's important, too.'

Gin bit her lip as she stood up and shuffled toward the doorway.  'Of course he is!  He's the most important person in my life!'

'Yeah, but maybe you ought to remember that,' her youkai chided gently.  'You seem to have forgotten that lately, haven't you?'

She grimaced.  'Of course I haven't.  I promised I'd spend the day with Cain tomorrow.'

'Okay, okay . . . just don't forget.'

"Hey, sleepyhead," Cain greeted as Gin padded into the living room.  "You get a good nap?"

She nodded, stifling a yawn with the back of her hand.  "Yes, thank you . . . what smells so good?"

Cain pulled a plate out of the oven and set it on the counter before brushing his hands together and casting her a quick smile.  "Steaks.  Hungry?"

She wandered over to slip her arms around his waist, shrugging her shoulders as she gave his back a quick squeeze but didn't let go.  "Starving."

"Can't let you starve."

"Because I'm pregnant."

He chuckled and paused long enough to kiss her forehead before pulling two plates out of the cupboard and setting them aside.  "That's right."

Gin leaned to the side, peering around Cain's arm as he pulled the lid off a small pan.  Wrinkling her nose at the steamed vegetables, she bit her lip.  "I don't want those," she commented.

Cain glanced back at her and rolled his eyes.  "Of course you don't.  Too bad you have to have them."

"The baby hates vegetables."

"Nice try."

"They'll make me sick."

"I've yet to see that."

"You could have all the vegetables, and I'll have your steak?"

"Fat chance."

"Oh, you cooked them for Punkin?"

"Give up, baby girl.  You need your vegetables."

"But—"

Cain didn't miss a beat as he spooned steamed vegetables onto both plates.  "I see your pitch, but I'm not swinging."

"Don't you love me?"

That stopped him, and he stiffened for a moment before resuming his task again.  "Now that's low."

Gin ignored the stab of guilt for having stooped to such drastic measures.  "But if you love someone, you don't force them to eat things they don't like."

"And if you love me, you'd eat them because they're good for you, and your doctor said that you're bordering on iron-deficient."

She sighed, ears flattening, knowing in her heart that she really wasn't going to win this argument.  Cain insisted on going to every one of her doctor visits.  To be honest, she figured he probably knew more about what was going on in her body than she did since he also had become obsessed with reading anything he could find on pregnancy, baby growth, and prenatal development.  "Okay."

He sighed, too.  "I have something special for you, but you have to eat first."

Her ears perked up.  "Really?"

Cain nodded and handed her a plate.  "All of them."

"What sort of special something?" she asked grudgingly.

He chuckled and pulled the familiar orange package from his pocket.  She squealed at the sight of her beloved Reese's peanut butter cups as he tucked it away again.  "But you have to eat your vegetables," he reiterated.

She shot him a sidelong glance designed to let him know what she thought of the vegetables but made no comment as she shuffled over to the table and sat.

"Mmm," Gin moaned, closing her eyes as she chewed the first bite of the juicy steak.  "Mmm, mmm, mmm, mmm . . ."

Cain dropped into a chair and tilted his head to the side as he listened to her.  "Good?" he asked.

She nodded, hacking off another hunk of meat and stuffing it into her mouth before answering.  "Mmm . . . mmm, mmm, mmm . . ."

He grinned and shook his head before cutting into his steak.  "Glad you like it."

"It's so go-o-o-od," she groaned.

He sighed.  "You make it sound better than sex," he grouched.

Gin blinked, cheeks pinking, and she swallowed.  "It is really good."

Cain shook his head.  "I don't know whether to be flattered or appalled."

Gin giggled and attacked her food again, pausing long enough to force down a few bites of vegetables when Cain cleared his throat and cast the loathsome bits a pointed glance.

The phone rang, and Gin started to rise.  Cain stopped her with a hand on her shoulder as he dropped his napkin on the table and strode over to answer it.

Tamping down the urge to push her vegetables off onto his plate, Gin choked down a few more bites and sighed.

'They're not that bad, doll.'

'They are.  They're disgusting.'

'And they're good for you.  Like it or not, you're going to have to eat them.'

'I take prenatal vitamins.  That ought to be enough.'

'Don't be silly.  Vitamins are just supplements, and Cain's right.  He's simply concerned about you; that's all.  Just eat your vegetables.'

'Well, I won't make my pup eat them; that's for sure.'

'You will, too, because they're necessary, even if you do hate them.'

Gin sighed again and ate more of the hated greens.

"It's for you," Cain said, slumping back into his seat as he handed her the phone.

"Thank you," she replied, wiping her mouth on the napkin before taking the call.  "Hello?"

"Gin?"

"Sierra?  Is something the matter?"

Sierra sniffled and heaved a ragged sigh.  "I hate to ask you at the last moment, but I wondered if you would mind going to the doctor with me tomorrow?"

Gin frowned and gripped the phone tightly.  "Did something happen?"

"I'm pregnant, and Toga . . . well, I really don't want him to go with me."

"That's wonderful!"  Gin grimaced when Sierra sniffled loudly again.  "Isn't it?"

"It was a misunderstanding," Sierra said, unable to keep the tears out of her voice.  "But I'm really angry at him . . . Belle said she'd watch the girls, and I really hate going to the doctor alone."

"It's fine," Gin assured her.  "I'd be happy to go with you."

Cain's chopsticks clattered on his plate, and she winced.

"Thank you," Sierra replied.  "I'm staying with Belle and Kich; at least for tonight."

"Okay.  I'll be over in the morning."

Gin hung up and slowly glanced up at her mate.  Staring down at his plate with a deep scowl marring his features, Cain refused to look at her.  Hesitantly reaching for his hand, she cleared her throat and scooted toward him.  "She was really upset," she explained quietly.

"Sure, she was," he agreed.

"I know; I promised, but . . ."

"It's fine."

"I'm sorry, Cain.  I swear, after I get back from the doctor with her—"

"Don't make promises you can't keep," he told her with a rueful smile.

"Cain . . ."

He forced another smile and slowly took up his chopsticks again.  "Finish eating, Gin."

She scowled and stared at her plate, wondering how Cain's gentle tone could make her feel even worse.  ". . . Okay."