InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ The child ❯ The Child ( Chapter 1 )

"Miroku-sama! Miroku-sama!" a female voice whispered earnestly beside the group as they passed through a village.

Miroku turned to look at the villagers near him with curiosity, wondering who could be calling his name. A young woman stepped forward.

"Here he is, Miroku-sama. Here is your son."

The group of travelers went strangely quiet as a beaming girl placed the infant in the monk's arms. Miroku could feel something cold and hard beside him. He turned to see Kagome looking upset, Inuyasha looking away, Shippou looking confused and Sango looking… Sango was gone. He turned back to the woman. "Um… Thank you. Will you walk with me for a moment?" He wanted to pull her out of the public eye and get to the bottom of this.

"Of course, Miroku-sama," she replied brightly.

He pulled her off, giving Kagome a worried glance and mouthing, "Find Sango." When he got some distance from prying eyes he turned to face the woman with the infant still tucked in his arms. "Do I know you?" he asked as gently as he could.

"We met almost a year ago in my village. You were exorcising some demon and then you asked me to bear your child. I thought nothing of it until you stumbled into my room and…" she blushed. "Not long after that I found I was carrying this little one."

"There must be some mistake," Miroku said quietly. "I've never been with a woman in that way… are you sure it was me?"

"Who else would it have been?" the woman asked, her eyes filling with tears.

"I don't know," Miroku breathed as he hugged her softly, careful not to hurt the tiny being between them. "We'll figure this out. Until then I'd be honored to act as this little one's papa."

The woman clutched at him. "Oh thank you, thank you Miroku-sama. I gave up hope. My father disowned me and I lost face. The man I was supposed to marry didn't want me anymore…"

"It's alright. We'll find out what happened." His eyes flickered on movement behind a tree. Sango was listening. He felt his heart squeeze.

^.~

He sat by the river, gently washing the infant's face. He had been allowed some time alone with the boy while his mother rested. The baby gurgled and cooed, staring up at him with dark eyes. "A bit too dark," Miroku mused as he lightly caressed back the black puff of hair on the baby's head. "Who do you belong to, little one?"

"Isn't that obvious, Houshi-sama? He's yours."

Miroku looked up as a familiar voice spoke. "Sango…"

Sango stared at him, her eyes full of pain. "How could you?"

"This isn't my child, Sango. I…"

"How COULD you?" she demanded. "To take what you want from a woman and leave her, and then deny her when she brings you what you say you want most… HOW COULD YOU?!"

Miroku turned to face her, careful to keep the child safe. "I DO want a child more than anything in the world. But how can you think I'd EVER steal into a woman's room uninvited to… to…" he faltered, his mind reeling with the course of events that would follow. "I couldn't DO that. I'd want the mother of my child to know me as a friend and companion. I would never abandon her… her sacrifice would be too precious to me."

Sango made a face. "So you say. I've seen you fondle other women."

"But I've never touched any of them… A few pats on the butt could never create this," he said, pointing down at the bundle cradled in his arms. "Look Sango, the truth is… I've never shared a bed with a woman."

She stared at him with a doubtful look on her face.

"Why would I make something like that up?"

"To get out of responsibility…"

"But this is something I WANT! I WISH this child were mine. I would be happy, relieved. My future won't look so grim." He stared down at the child's face. "But it's not true. If I were to die tomorrow… this little one would never develop an air rip in his hand. He'll never know the pain and frustration, knowing his days are numbered… knowing he'll never be an old man and hold his grandchildren on his knee or watch his wife age beside him. No… he'll know all those things in his lifetime because he isn't mine." Miroku wiped away tears that fell. "He isn't mine…"

"I'm sure his mother would be `honored' to marry a monk and bear him a child that `is' his."

Sango's words were filled with venom that stung at Miroku's soul. Miroku shook his head. "I can't."

"Well why the hell not? This is what you want… a woman to eagerly provide you with heirs."

"I CAN'T!" he growled, raising his voice higher than he intended. The baby began to cry and he looked down, trying to bring comfort. "It's OK… I didn't mean it… go back to sleep. No? You're hungry?" He offered the child a finger to suck on.

Sango watched him. "Why can't you?" she asked quietly.

Miroku stared at the ground before him, blinking a few times in thought. "I don't… love her." He looked back down at the child he held. "Hungry baby? You're a hungry baby? We'll have to get hungry baby some food…"

"Why should that make a difference?"

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "I love someone else."

Sango was silent.

Miroku stood and turned to go. "I wasn't prepared for it… it just happened. And because it's happened… I can't be with another."

"Does she… love you?" she asked softly.

Miroku stared at her a long moment, his eyes imploring her soul. "I don't know."

"What if she doesn't love you?"

He shrugged. "Then… I'm lost. My line ends with me. I won't look for another."

"Does she know this?"

Miroku hung his head. "I don't think she's realized how much I've changed because of her. I don't think she knows how hard I try to be a good man, worthy of her."

"Have you tried talking to her?"

"Numerous times… but I always mess things up." He chuckled softly. "I can't resist wanting to touch her so she hits me…"

Sango gasped.

The baby didn't find comfort in Miroku's fingers and began to cry again. The monk propped the child up on his shoulder, patting his back.

"Are you sure he isn't yours?" Sango asked warily.

"I told you I've never done what I would need to do to create him. I'm… pure. Besides… he has some demon blood in him. His mother isn't demon so I can only guess that it comes from his father's side."

"That's a pretty important detail to have left out when you were claiming your innocence…"

Miroku stared at her for a long moment. He moved swiftly towards her and dropped his voice so only she could hear. "Maybe I want you to trust me for my word and not have to prove my innocence to you."

"But I know you too well… I've watched you flirt shamelessly…"

"It's not something I'm proud of. It's something I needed to find a mother for my child."

"And now?"

He shook his head. "Now… now I'm just tired. This curse is such a fucking nuisance. Without it, it wouldn't… Wouldn't… be so hard to..."

Sango stared at him in shock.

"I'm sorry my language…"

"Be so hard to what?" she asked quietly. She reached out and gently touched the baby's back. "He's so sweet," she said nervously, not sure she wanted to hear his answer. "Who would believe he has demon blood? But looking at him… his ears…"

"Hard to love."

"Why is that?"

"Because then I could give myself freely, and not be afraid that my next breath will be my last… that she won't hate me for leaving her when we barely had time to be together…"

"Perhaps she'll understand…" Sango said, playing with the child's toes.

"Understand what? That her husband won't always be there for her or their child? That she'll outlive her own child?"

"You don't know that!" Sango said with a hint of desperation in her voice. "You don't know you won't succeed… or that your child will suffer the same fate. You don't know."

"But it is a possibility. I can't take that chance. I can't put that burden on someone I love."

"But isn't that a part of love? To share everything including burdens?"

He stared at her for a long moment. The child propped up against his shoulder yawned and began to suck his fist with a loud slurping noise. "Would you share that burden?"

"Are you asking me to?" she responded.

He paused and looked thoughtful. "Yeah."

"Was that hypothetical? What exactly are you asking me?"

He opened his mouth to say it, but his mind went numb and he knew it would sound funny. He shook his head. "Never mind."

"No… tell me…"

He turned his head to look at the little one drooling on his shoulder as he slept. He smiled at Sango. "Will you… stay with me for the rest of my life? Will you share my burden?"

"Don't you mean will I help you create one of these little ones?" she asked, touching the child's toes.

He shrugged. "No pressure."

The little one stirred and began to cry again.

She smiled at the monk. "I think he wants his mother…"

Miroku nodded and walked back to the village with Sango beside him. The others paused and stared at the two. Miroku gave the baby to his mother who took him away to nurse. Miroku sat beside Sango and rubbed his nose. "The child… is part demon."

Kagome gasped softly. "Are you sure? His mother isn't…"

"His father…" Miroku replied quietly. "His father was at least part demon."

Inuyasha stared at the monk silently. "Then the child isn't yours."

Miroku pursed his lips and shook his head. "No."

"Why would she think it was?" Kagome asked quietly.

"Because I asked her earlier… and later a man came in…" Miroku blushed.

"And it wasn't you?"

Miroku shook his head silently. "But because of this… she's lost face. We need to help her."

Inuyasha made a noise of contempt. "Why should we go traipsing around because of your bad habits?"

Miroku looked up at the dog demon. "I have to do this. Alone or not… I have to help her. Besides, she was taken by a demon."

"So? Women get taken by demons all the time!" Inuyasha argued.

"But never one that was mistaken for me!" Miroku snapped back. "I have to get to the bottom of this. With or without you all… I'm going."

Sango bit her lip nervously. "If the demon is still around and malicious, you may need a demon slayer…" she whispered softly.

Kagome nodded in agreement. "You may need us…"

Inuyasha frowned and crossed his arms, looking away.

"Inuyasha?" Kagome breathed, staring at the half demon.

"Well… someone will have to protect the group when you're… busy," he growled.

"Then it's settled," Kagome said with a smile.

"No one asked me," Shippou pouted.

^.~

The village wasn't too far from where they had been staying. They made good time and managed to get there before sundown. Miroku procured rooms at a local house, claiming there was an infestation of Totoro. The homeowner packed up and moved out for the night, leaving the group alone.

They were waiting for the homeowner to let them in when the young mother gasped as a young man walked by. He gave her a look, his eyes flickering on the monk beside her.

"Who is that, Sakura?" Kagome asked, leaning close to whisper to the woman.

"That was my intended, Issei," Sakura replied.

Inuyasha stared at the young man with an unreadable look on his face. His nose twitched and he gave Kagome an anxious glance.

Kagome leaned closer to Inuyasha. "What is it?"

"I thought I smelled Naraku."

Kagome went pale and looked around. "Where?"

Inuyasha looked in the direction the young man had gone. "I'm not sure."

"Should we tell the others?"

"It may just be my imagination…"

^.~

Sakura opened her eyes. She wasn't sure why she was awake. She checked on the baby, but he was sleeping peacefully. A soft noise touched her ears and she was startled to see a figure near her.

"Don't be afraid," he whispered as he knelt beside her.

"Miroku-sama?" she breathed.

"Sh! Don't wake the others," he whispered as he lay on top of her. His lips touched hers and her breath caught. He slowly began to disrobe. "Give me a child…"

^.~

Sango heard noises. She sat up and looked out the door to the room across the hall. In pale moonlight she saw Sakura and… She covered her face with her hand. "How could he?" she breathed. "How COULD he?"

"How could he what?" a male voice breathed in her ear.

She whirled around in fright, feeling her heart pump adrenaline through her. Her eyes squinted as she made out features. "Who ARE you?" she hissed.

"Is this some sort of joke? I'm Miroku."

"If you're Miroku, then who's in there?" she demanded.

Miroku looked into the room and went pale. "That's… not me."

"He certainly looks like you. How do I know you're the real Miroku?"

Miroku made a face. "This is silly… That is the fake Miroku."

"How would I know?"

"If I was the fake Miroku, why would I be protecting the real Miroku when he's obviously doing something you don't like?"

"You could be trying to seduce me too…"

"Is it working?"

She frowned. "No."

"Then why would I do it?"

"To confuse me."

"Sango, it's me. Go ahead and ask me anything."

Sango tried to ignore the sounds coming from the other room. "When did you first ask me to bear your child?"

He smiled. "I haven't yet."

She frowned. "What about today."

"I asked you to live with me, not bear my child."

"Ok, ok… I believe you… so what do we do about the fake you?"

Miroku looked back across the hallway. "Leave it to me…"

"No way. I won't let you fight this alone."

He looked at her. It sent shivers up and down her spine. "I'll be back. I promise." He leaned forward, holding her shoulder and lightly kissed her on the forehead.

"Miroku…" she breathed.

"I'll flush him out and you can whack him, ok?" he asked, his hand slid down from her shoulder and began to reach for someplace else.

There was a sharp slap. "We don't have time for that…" Sango breathed. "Go get the fake. I can't stand watching him."

Miroku slid out of the room and crossed the hallway. He stood near the couple. His staff touched the floor. The two looked up at him in surprise.

"Miroku-sama?" Sakura breathed uncertainly.

Miroku regarded them both with an air of professionalism he didn't really feel, seeing a copy of himself in such a position. "Reveal thyself," he intoned. "Deceiver, show your true face."

The other Miroku withdrew from Sakura and took his feet. "I wanted her… more than any other woman… and you ruined that."

Miroku raised her staff to ward off any attack that may come. "How did I ruin that? I never touched her."

"She wanted you. I could see it. But I wanted to know for certain…"

Miroku slapped a seal on the other Miroku's chest. "Show your true form!"

The other Miroku stumbled a moment and melted into another shape. "Issei?" Sakura breathed.

Issei glared at Sakura, clutching in his fist a wooden doll with a hair wrapped around it. "I was offered the chance to find out for certain whom you thought of," he said raising the doll. "I would take form of whoever was on your mind. Imagine my surprise when I became… him," he glared at the monk.

"Where did you get that?" Miroku asked, softly.

"A man told me that if I used it, I would learn the truth. And so I did…" He raised the doll above his head. "And now I want revenge!"

Miroku gasped softly as miasma circled Issei. He rushed to Sakura's side to protect her and the baby.

Inuyasha entered the room, followed by Kagome and a rather pissed looking Sango. "It's Naraku's power…" Inuyasha breathed, unsheathing Tetsusaiga.

"You can't kill him… he's just caught up in Naraku's treachery. His child needs him…" Miroku called out to the half demon.

Sakura stared up at Issei, her eyes full of tears. "I wasn't thinking of the monk until you appeared in that form… honest." She picked up the child and held him out. "Issei… this is your son."

Issei seemed to falter in the energy vortex. "Son?"

Sakura nodded, holding the child close.

All at once the vortex stopped as a wooden doll was cast to the ground. It broke. Issei stumbled forward to kneel before Sakura as she held out his child to him. "I have a son," the man whispered, taking the small bundle in his arms.

Miroku assessed the situation with a small smile. The child no longer held traces of demon in him. He walked out of the room and the rest of his companions followed.

^.~

"Explain it to me again… why did Issei take Naraku's powers?" Sango asked.

"Jealousy. I should have been more careful."

"But why did he take your form is she wasn't thinking about you?"

Miroku was silent for a long time, staring up at the pale moon. "I think… he overestimated me and my abilities to seduce women. Maybe he thought I wouldn't know what I had done a year ago. That I would have to settle down and raise the child as my father had done…"

Sango stared at him with a hint of malice that softened. "Overestimated?"

"Let's face it… I'm not very good with women who have any sort of intelligence."

"Does that make me stupid?"

He stared at her. "No… far from it. I seem to have the worst luck when it comes to you. Can't get anything by you…"

She smiled and tucked her knees under her chin.

He was thoughtful for a long moment. "You never did answer my question."

"Which one?"

"About sharing my life with me."

She didn't respond for a long time. Finally she stood. "It's getting late."

"It is late," he agreed.

She moved past him, intending to go into the house. She stopped and looked back at him. "You promise you have no more women from your past who may have previous claim on you?"

"No one should have claim on me. I haven't done anything to warrant it."

She gave him a look.

"Trust me?"

Slowly she nodded.

A smile spread across his face. "Does that mean you will?"

She blushed a deep red.

He gathered his courage to stand and approach her. Slowly he leaned forward and brushed her lips with his. It sent a delicious tingle though his body. She didn't pull away. He eased his arms around her waist, pulling her body to his. He wanted to taste her lips, but he couldn't bring himself to and risk scaring her away.

Her lips pulled away from his. "What about the one you love? Don't you want her instead?" she asked breathlessly.

He reached up to push a tendril of her hair behind her ear. "I love," he whispered as he leaned forward to take her lips again, this time with more need. His tongue brushed her lips and he was surprised when she parted them. He wanted her. Her lips let loose a floodgate of repressed desires and emotions. His hands roamed her body freely and she didn't pull away or hurt him. His hand rested on her butt… softly caressing as he had tried so often to do.

She pulled away with a soft laugh. "You have a thing for my ass?"

He smiled at her in the darkness. "It's a nice one… so soft and…" he let off. "Share my life with me? I don't have much in this world, but everything I have is yours. Including my wandering hand…" he chuckled.

She kissed him tenderly on the lips and moved away from him. "I'm not ready yet to share my bed…"

"I understand," he replied quietly.

"Do you?" she asked with an eyebrow raised.

"I… I'm a little nervous about that part myself," he admitted.

She gave him a soft smile. "Don't be…"

The End