InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Secrets of the Shinju (Part IV): Power of the Purified Shinju ❯ Showdown ( Chapter 30 )

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Showdown

Kagome stayed home that night. She spent most of the night lying in her bed thinking about the child that was growing inside of her. Her mother had come to speak with her, but Kagome barely heard a word she said. She turned onto her side, staring blankly at the window and finally her mother sighed and left the room. Eventually, Kagome fell into sleep and woke when the she felt the sun on her face. She looked at the bag lying on the floor, not sure now if she would be going back to the feudal era.

The sound of her door opening slowly lulled her from her thoughts. Her mother stood there staring at her and finally decided to speak.

"Kagome, help me understand what is going on. You appear to be traumatized by what has happened to you. It is every mother's worst nightmare to find out there child has gone through such a thing." Mrs. Higurashi took a deep breath and looked down at her daughter. "Kagome, it wasn't your fault that you were raped. But I do not understand how you could have sex with another man, so soon afterwards."

Kagome glanced up at her mom. Though she didn't mean to let it show, there was a great tone of disapproval and disappointment in her mother's words and demeanor. Kagome immediately felt ashamed and realized what her mother must have thought of her. She had been raped and then allowed another man to take her into his bed very soon after. Kagome prepared to speak but her mother lowered her head as if she were ashamed of her daughter and then turned and walked out of the room, closing the door behind her.

Kagome sat there in silence for a moment then began to sob. She quickly grabbed her bag and headed out for the well. She couldn't face her mother right now. When she looked at her mother's shameful gaze she felt dirty about what she had done with Sesshoumaru. Within moments she was back in feudal Japan. She was about to toss her bag over when she felt a strong hand grab her wrist and begin to gently pull her from the well.

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InuYasha had been making daily trips to the well, waiting for Kagome's return. Sesshoumaru had given him strict orders to leave her alone in her own era. At first InuYasha was angry about that, and then he realized Sesshoumaru's reasoning. He wanted Kagome to make up her own mind. Sesshoumaru knew that Kagome would come back if InuYasha went to get her and he wanted her to feel free to choose which life she wanted to live.

After the first two weeks, InuYasha began to detect Sesshoumaru's scent near the well. He quickly realized that Sesshoumaru had also been coming there, hoping to see Kagome. This day, however, was different. InuYasha was making his daily trip to the well and was about to leave when he was suddenly hit with Kagome's scent. It was laced with the scent of salty tears and something else that he didn't recognize immediately.

He rushed to the well and saw that she was very upset. She was struggling to lift her bag up when he reached down for her. She looked up at him startled, then calmed when she saw it was only him. As soon as she was out of the well, he got a good whiff of her scent. His instincts knew what was different about her, before he was fully able to grasp it. She suddenly burst into tears and fell into him. He put his arms around her and held her for a moment, the reality of her changing body finally setting in.

She told him that she was pregnant and then began to sob as she told him what her mother had said. He looked down at her and grew angry. Enraged that her mother would make her feel dirty for what had happened. Kagome was the most pure and good hearted person he knew. He quickly grabbed her bag and slung it over his shoulder, then picked Kagome up and held her tightly. It only took moments for him to arrive at Kaede's hut. He left Kagome there with Sango.

"Make sure she gets some food and sleep." He ordered Sango gruffly and he took off quickly.

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Mrs. Higurashi was preparing breakfast for her family. She nearly let out a scream when she turned from the refrigerator and found InuYasha standing in the doorway. He had his head bowed slightly, his bangs covering his eyes. She noticed the difference in his appearance, but was most startled by the near stillness in his body. She could see his hands clenching tightly as he finally raised his head and met her eyes.

"How dare you make Kagome feel dirty for what has happened to her?" Kagome's mother stood there dumbfounded at the cold monotone voice InuYasha was using. She eyed up the now full demon in front of her. Suddenly, she noticed his eyes begin to shine with tears.

"Do you have any idea what she has gone through? She was taken by a half-demon that despised me. I don't know everything that happened to her, but I do know she was put through hell. He humiliated and abused her. He was cruel and did everything in his power to break her down. That bastard probably took great pleasure in hurting her. I do know that she suffered pain and humiliation when he used his powers to burn her horribly, leaving a controlling mark on her." He took a breath and flexed his claws. "And that was the first time she was with him."

Mrs. Higurashi stood silently as InuYasha stepped further into the room. "In the past Naraku had hurt all of us. He killed someone that I cared about very much. I'm sure you've heard Kagome talk about Sango. Naraku took her little brother, Kohaku, after killing her family and friends. Kagome saved Kohaku, even though it put herself in danger. And the monk we travel with, Naraku put a curse on him. There was a void in his hand that would kill him one day." InuYasha stopped and looked intently at Kagome's mother.

"Something happened to him and he was about to die from that very curse. That's when Kagome went to Naraku and traded herself for Miroku's life. She didn't give second thought to the things he would do to her. She only thought about her friend's life."

InuYasha's mind kept playing over the words coming from his own mouth. The words he spat at Kagome so cruelly came back to him. He too had not given thought to just how brave and honorable Kagome was and how horrible things had been for her. He softened slightly when he saw the horrified look on her mother's face. He then thought about Sesshoumaru.

Kagome's mother saw tears spring to InuYasha's eyes as he stood there silently. When he began to speak, he sounded defeated. "My brother loves Kagome and I know that she loves him. He was there for her when she needed someone." InuYasha then hung his head, and Kagome's mother could barely make out the next words. "He was there for her when I failed her." She realized that he loved her daughter and was now in pain. She stepped towards him.

"I had no idea…" She looked to the ceiling where Kagome's room was. "I need to speak with her." InuYasha looked up. "She's back in my time. I don't know when she will be coming back." Mrs. Higurashi went pale. The idea that she had chased her daughter away scared her. "Please tell her I'm sorry and that I love her, InuYasha. Tell her to come home."

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Kagome ate a light breakfast that Kaede prepared for her and then laid down to nap on a small futon in the back of the hut. Her body was exhausted from the hormones and stress.

What felt like hours later she felt someone gently stroking her cheek and opened her eyes. Sesshoumaru was kneeling next to her with a concerned look on his face. Immediately she had tears in her eyes. She began to sob and tell him about the baby when he lightly kissed her.

"Kagome, I already know. I could smell it the moment I picked up your scent." He had in fact come to the well again, and noticed her scent. He followed it back the village and Kaede let him into the hut.

"But it might be Naraku's," She said lightly, clearly ashamed and disturbed by the thought. Memories of his own childhood flooded his mind. As a small child, he had desperately desired to have his father's love and affection. He then remembered his mother's sad eyes. She had nearly been left alone to raise him, while his father was cold and distant. He stared down at Kagome. The thought of her alone, trying to raise a child that had been born of such horrific circumstances, hurt him.

"Kagome, I will take care of you." He ran his fingers through her hair lightly and spoke again. "It doesn't matter whose seed created the child. I will take it as my own." She felt a tear escape her eye and he wiped it away. He stayed there with her for a moment, until she calmed and then he looked down at her body curiously. His hand slipped down to her lower abdomen and gently rubbed it. He glanced up at her and said. "May I?" She didn't know what he wanted but she nodded her head anyway.

He unbuttoned her pajama top and pushed it away from her. He then lowered his head down to her stomach. He took in scent and nuzzled into her softly. Kagome was nearing sleep again. The last thing she remembered was Sesshoumaru resting on her while she gently stroked his hair.