InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ The Lucky Ones ❯ Chapter Twenty-Two ( Chapter 22 )

The Lucky Ones

By Terri Botta

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha. Sole copyright belongs to Viz and Rumiko Takashi. I'm poor so don't sue.

Rating: R for later chapters.

Pairing: Inuyasha/Kagome, Miroku/Sango

Summary: Sometimes Fate hands you a gift you never thought you'd ever get, and it's up to you to accept it for what it is.

Feedback to: tci100@psu.edu

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Chapter Twenty-Two

"Rin-chan," Kagome greeted, going to the little girl.

Rin hopped down from the top of the small hill and met her at the bottom.

"Rin picked flowers for Kagome-sama," she said, offering the bouquet of wildflowers.

Kagome accepted them and put them to her nose. "Thank you, Rin. They're lovely."

"Where is he?" he demanded, going over to them. "Where's my brother?"

'He has to be around here somewhere. His scent is fresh…'

"Sesshoumaru-sama brought Rin here then he went away. Rin is to stay with you until Sesshoumaru-sama comes for her."

'Huh? He dropped the kid off with us? What the fuck is that all about?'

"Oooooh, who is that?" Rin asked as Kagome took Yukio out of the carrier on her back.

Kagome cast him a knowing glance as they both realized the potential danger.

'That damn wolf is one thing. Sesshoumaru is another. If he tries to take the pup…'

His hand gripped Tessaiga tightly, his senses on full alert and he placed himself in a defensive position.

He saw Kagome sit down next to Rin with Yukio in her lap. Her face calm, but her body tense.

'She's trying not to upset the pup or the girl.'

"This is Yukio."

Rin giggled. "He looks just like Inuyasha-sama!"

"Yes, he does. That's because he's an inu-hanyou, just like Inuyasha."

"Is he your baby, Kagome-sama?"

Kagome smiled and shook her head. "No. Yukio is an orphan, but Inuyasha and I have adopted him."

"Oooo! Like Sesshoumaru-sama and Rin. Rin is an orphan too…" Her little face grew sad and forlorn. "Bandits killed Rin's family. She was all alone until she found Sesshoumaru-sama in the forest."

Kagome nodded. "Rin-chan, do you know why Sesshoumaru-sama brought you here?"

The little girl nodded, her dark eyes wide with fear. "Sesshoumaru-sama said Rin would be safe here. Bad people are trying to take Sesshoumaru-sama's land away."

'So someone is threatening the Western Lands, eh? That's why he brought the whelp here. To get her out of the battle zone.'

"Bad people?" Kagome repeated.

Rin nodded. "But Sesshoumaru-sama is great and powerful. He will defeat them and come back for me."

'I wonder who'd be stupid enough to attack him in his own kingdom. Those damn neko-youkai said they'd go back where they came from and not return. Maybe they changed their minds.'

"Sesshoumaru-sama was bringing Rin to Inuyasha-sama's village, but then he brought Rin here instead."

"He probably smelled the den. Our scents are all over this place," he explained. 'Would our scents be enough to cover the pup's? His scent is still faint. Sesshoumaru wouldn't lower himself to crawl into a den and we haven't been here for five days. He might not have smelled him.'

"How long have you been waiting for us, Rin?" Kagome asked, casting him a glance.

He shook his head slightly, silently telling her that he didn't sense his brother nearby.

"Rin has been here since this morning."

'Shit. He has to be close by. There is no way he would just leave her here and not make sure she was with us. But where the fuck is he?'

The wind shifted and he caught the scent almost too late. He whirled around and nearly drew Tessaiga as the figure of his half-brother came into view.

"Inuyasha. It is fitting for a half-breed such as yourself to live in a hole in the ground," his elder brother commented disdainfully. "This place reeks of you and the human female. Did the villagers finally come to their senses and cast you out?"

"Keh! This is where we come to get away from them!" he countered. 'Still an arrogant asshole.'

Sesshoumaru's eyes fell on Yukio and the cold gaze froze him to the core. He saw Kagome clutch the pup close, her own eyes full of worry and fear.

"What is that?" the inu-youkai asked in a hard voice.

He drew Tessaiga and brandished it, ignoring Rin's scream.

"You stay away from them."

"So… the half-breed has taken a mate. I am surprised a miko of her power lowered herself to breed with you."

"Hey! I'm not lowering myself," Kagome snapped back indignantly.

'I love the girl's guts, but she never did know when to back down. Then again, she's always stood up to Sesshoumaru and he's never killed her…'

He saw Sesshoumaru take a deep sniff and narrow his eyes.

"The whelp is not yours." It was a statement, not a question.

"What's it to you?" he demanded, still brandishing his sword in front of him, the blade turned with the cutting edge towards his brother.

"Human. Bring the whelp to me," Sesshoumaru ordered.

Kagome hesitated, then moved to stand up.

"Kagome, stay where you are," he warned.

"Fool. This Sesshoumaru would never dishonor himself by harming a helpless pup. Woman, bring me the pup."

He saw Kagome swallow and nod, walking towards them carrying Yukio.

"Kagome…"

"It's okay Inuyasha. I don't think he wants to hurt Yukio," she countered softly, although her voice betrayed her uncertainty.

"Wise girl. Let me see him."

Sheathing Tessaiga, he stood close to Kagome's shoulder, glaring as she offered his brother the pup. Yukio looked frightened and he started to fret.

:Be still,: he heard Kagome tell him in inu-youkai and he saw Sesshoumaru's eyes widen a fraction.

"It's okay, Yukio. This is Sesshoumaru-sama. He's Otou's brother." :Leader-male. Pack brother.:

Yukio turned wide eyes to Sesshoumaru and did not look convinced.

:Mother-female. Scared.:

"You're safe. Kaa-san and Outo won't let anything happen to you," she promised, placing the pup into Sesshoumaru's outstretched arm.

"Kaa!" Yukio protested, reaching for his mother. :Mother-female! Mother-female!: "KAA!"

:SILENCE,: Sesshoumaru commanded and the pup went limp in submission, whimpering as he was gripped by the back of his shirt and lifted up for the inu-youkai's critical inspection.

His heart spasmed to see his pup so roughly treated, and all his nerve endings stood poised on the edge of action, ready to fight for his family if need be. He waited as Sesshoumaru sniffed the pup a few times and slowly looked him over, his face never once straying from its cold, emotionless expression. Yukio stayed limp, but his eyes were terrified, like those of a rabbit caught in a wolf's jaws. He gritted his teeth and gripped Tessaiga's hilt.

'That's enough. Poor pup's scared out of his wits.'

"Okay, you've seen him. Now give the pup back to Kagome," he growled.

"This Sesshoumaru knows the whelp's sire," Sesshoumaru said, dropping the pup unceremoniously back into Kagome's waiting hands. Yukio sniffled and grabbed his mother, clinging to her desperately.

He breathed a sigh of relief once Kagome had the pup again, and he was able to turn his attention to what his brother had said.

"You did? Who was he?" he asked.

"He was a general of our father's. He fought beside Chichi-ue during the first neko-youkai war."

'One of Oyaji's generals…'

"He was gravely wounded in the battle and suffered the loss of an arm."

"Keh! What is it with you youkai that you can't seem to keep your arms?"

"You would be wise to hold your tongue, hanyou, or I will teach you what it is like to lose a limb."

"I'd like to see you try," he countered.

"Inuyasha…" Kagome warned.

'Heh. She won't sit me in front of Sesshoumaru. She'd never humiliate me that way.'

"Stay out of this, Kagome," he answered.

As usual she ignored him and addressed Sesshoumaru.

"I'm sorry to tell you, but your father's general is dead. This pup's mother brought him here when she herself was gravely wounded after her mate was killed. Before she died, she told us her mate had given her instructions to come here if anything ever happened to him," she said calmly.

"The life of one willing to lower himself to mate with a human is no concern of mine."

'Still singing that tune when you've got your own human whelp that you defend viciously with one breath and deny caring about the next.'

"Rin told us you were bringing her here because there is trouble in the Western Lands," she commented.

"I must return immediately to handle the situation," Sesshoumaru confirmed.

"Those damn cats again? I'll come with you and help you send them running back to where they came from," he offered.

'He'll say no, but I'll have done my 'duty' and made the offer...'

"This Sesshoumaru does not need the help of a hanyou to deal with insurgents."

"So it's not the neko-youkai," Kagome commented.

"No. It is a human army amassed by a fool to 'free' the humans living in the Western Lands from their demon master."

'So it's humans. Normally Sesshoumaru wouldn't bother with them, but if they're stupid enough to go after him… Sesshoumaru won't go looking for a fight, but he won't run away from one either. Fools are all going to die.'

"I am sure this person is just misguided. I can't imagine that you would be a bad leader. I hear nothing but good things about the Western Lands," Kagome replied.

"His reasons are of no importance. I will defeat him as a matter of course."

"Keh! If it's just lowly humans, why bring your whelp here for us to protect?" he scoffed.

"I have reason to believe that not all of my subjects are trustworthy and Rin is an obvious target. I bring her to you because I believe even you can handle the simple task of watching a human child."

He growled, bristling. "Why you…"

"We'll keep her safe, Sesshoumaru-sama. You don't need to worry about her," Kagome assured him.

"I am not concerned for her welfare."

'Yeah, right, sure you aren't. That's why Naraku was able to use her against you twice.'

Sesshoumaru turned to go. "I will return for Rin once I have dealt with these fools."

"Don't forget to come back for Rin, Sesshoumaru-sama," the little girl reminded.

His brother didn't answer as he walked away. He was just letting himself relax when Kagome, still holding Yukio, rushed after him.

"Umm, Sesshoumaru-sama," she called.

'What the fuck is she up to?'

The inu-youkai paused but did not turn around.

"I… Inu… Inuyasha's told me about how you came for him after his mother died, and how you protected him until he was strong enough to fend for himself. I wanted to thank you for doing that. Without you to watch out for him, he surely would have died."

'What the fuck? What the hell is she thanking him for?!'

Sesshoumaru turned his head to look at her through one eye over his shoulder.

"I did no more than my duty as the eldest son. It will never be said that this Sesshoumaru was so dishonorable as to deny his responsibilities."

The inu-youkai then left without another word. Inuyasha snorted and kicked dirt in the direction his elder brother had gone.

"Did his duty as eldest son," he spat disdainfully. "Oi, Kagome, what did you thank him for?"

She was still staring in the direction Sesshoumaru had gone, a thoughtful look on her face. Yukio was watching too, his little hands tangled in his mother's shirt, but his eyes looking off into the forest.

"Well, he did save you, didn't he? If he hadn't come to get you, your mother's relatives would have let you starve, right?"

"Keh! You think I was such a weakling that I wouldn't have survived?" he snapped back.

"No, but your chances greatly improved after he came for you. In any case, he did come for you and he did protect you, and that's more than your mother's family did. I felt it deserved acknowledgement, because I'm grateful to him."

'Huh?'

"Grateful? Why?"

She reached over and took his hand. "Because it meant you grew up and lived to meet me."

He softened and nuzzled her and the pup tenderly. "Well, there is that. I guess. But don't think he did it out of any affection he had for me."

"I'm not so sure about that. For a moment when he was holding Yukio, I saw something I thought might be regret."

"Keh. You must have been imagining things."

She shrugged and didn't look convinced, but said nothing more and turned to Rin. He took a moment to look back in the direction his brother had gone, his brow furrowed.

'Regret, huh? Nah. Woman must have been imagining things. The great Sesshoumaru regrets nothing.'

********

'She thanked me. The human woman thanked me for doing nothing more than my duty. It's all I have ever done. Protecting that half-breed whelp from getting himself killed. She's learned inu-youkai as well. She spoke it to the pup to calm him.'

He paused, remembering how she had approached him. She had been afraid for her pup and uncertain, but brave. He had no doubt that both of them would have proven formidable opponents if he had meant ill-will. He knew all too well how ferociously a mother could defend her offspring. His own mother had died defending him from a dragon, and he remembered that terrible day very well. The look in her eyes was the same one his brother's woman had had in hers when she thought he might be a danger to the pup.

'Interesting. She is strong. Strong enough for my brother, and she tempers his stupidity.'

The thought struck him as odd and he shoved it away.

'It is none of my concern.'

He moved to walk on, but stopped again, his brow furrowed.

'So Imaichiromaru is dead. Died defending a weak human female and his half-breed whelp.Fool. He should have killed the pup at birth.'

A pang struck his heart as he remembered the pup his brother now cared for. He had looked disturbingly similar to another inu-hanyou whelp that had been presented to him as a squalling infant.

"Sesshoumaru, my heir, this is your younger brother Inuyasha."

"But Chichi-ue, he is a hanyou."

"Silence. He is your brother. If anything ever happens to me, you must do your duty as my eldest son and protect him."

Later he would see the whelp again, after it had been orphaned. Word had come to him of Izayoi's death and he had traveled to see to the well-being of his brother, because it was his duty as eldest son and his father's wish. He had found the half-breed whelp sealed in a root cellar; kept in the dark like a caged animal. Inuyasha had been filthy and starved, and he would never forget the sight of the wan face that peered up at him from the dank dirt; hope, recognition and fear in the golden eyes.

"Aniki," the whelp had said to him in a faint voice, eyes squinting in the sudden light.

He had been struck with such rage at his brother's condition that he'd slaughtered the priest who had set the seals and two of the guards. Then he had taken the starving half-breed with him, dragging the whelp to the nearest lake and throwing him in.

"Bathe and get rid of your horrid stink," he had ordered the shivering child.

Inuyasha had obeyed without protest and followed him without a word afterwards. Later, knowing the whelp was too weak to hunt on his own he had tossed him a dead rabbit.

"Aniki, it's raw."

"That is no concern of mine. If you want your food cooked like a human's, build a fire and cook it yourself."

"I don't know how."

"It is not my responsibility to teach you."

Seeing the inu-hanyou pup in the human woman's arms had brought back a lot of his feelings of shame and regret at his treatment of his own brother. There had been a time when the hanyou had worshipped him, looking up to him with trusting and adoring eyes, and had followed him everywhere. Ithad irritated him to be shadowed by the half-breed whelp, and he had made certain that it didn't take long for him to figure out that his brother held nothing for him but distain.

"Aniki, why do you hate me?"

"Because you are a hanyou, a filthy half-breed who is beneath me."

"Chichi-ue and Haha-ue loved me."

"Chichi-ue and his human wench are dead. I am all you have now until you can fend for yourself. Get used to it."

"If you hate me, why did you come for me and take me with you?"

"Because it is my duty as Chichi-ue's eldest son and heir. Chichi-ue should have drowned you at birth. Instead he risked his life to save you and that human bitch from death. Neither of you deserved to live! But you are my brother and I am honor bound to protect you. Expect nothing else from me."

He had been cruel. Unnecessarily so, and he realized that now. At the time, he had been filled with resentment and hate, and his own grief at the loss of his father. He had taken it out on the child. He remembered well the beatings and scruffings he had given his brother, and on rare occasions the ultimate humiliation of all: a human spanking administered to the whelp's bare backside. In the beginning, Inuyasha would beg and cry, but then one day he stopped crying and never cried again.

On that day he knew he had broken something inside of the child, something that could never be repaired or forgiven. Hanyou, filthy half-breed whelp, Inuyasha might have been, but he was still their father's son, and he had made an enemy of a potentially powerful ally. The Leader of the Dogs' blood ran in Inuyasha's veins and it had bred true. For a hanyou, Inuyasha would be strong. He saw that in the whelp's unbreakable determination to live, and he had often wondered when his abuse of the child would come back to haunt him.

It had been disgraceful of him to treat the whelp so harshly and unbefitting of a taiyoukai such as himself, but by the time he had realized the error of his ways, it was too late and the damage had been done. Inuyasha had well and truly hated him by then, and their decades-long battle of wills had begun.

'It was better that way. He left as soon as he was able to fend for himself. It was good that I no longer had to look at our father's half-breed disgrace.'

The disgrace their father had bequeathed the famed Tessaiga.

For years he had gnashed his teeth and railed at the injustice of his father's choice to give his lowly hanyou sibling the famous sword, that and the fact that his father had not entrusted him with the location of his grave. He had thought to force his father's hand and claim the sword for himself, only to be rejected by the sword and struck down by his father's own fang. The humiliation of his loss to his half-breed brother had made him seethe and roil with indignant rage, and he had vowed to wield Tessaiga even if he had to kill Inuyasha to do it.

It wasn't until Naraku's detachment broke the sword, that he would learn Tessaiga's true purpose. Now he would not dream of taking the sealing sword from Inuyasha, if only to prevent other taiyoukai from learning the secret shame of the hanyou's wild youkai blood.

'The dishonor he has brought to our family. Chichi-ue was right to give Tessaiga to that half-breed.'

In its sheath Tenseiga pulsed once, reminding him of its presence, and he touched the familiar hilt with his hand.

'Tenseiga, you are talking to me much more. This Sesshoumaru is only beginning to understand the things Chichi-ue was trying tell me.'

He looked at both of his swords. Toukijin, forged from the teeth of the oni that broke Tessaiga, able to kill with its kenatsu alone, and Tenseiga, forged from Chichi-ue's fang, blade of healing that was able to revive those gone to the next world.

'Life and death in my hand. Heavy burdens both and I can only hope to be worthy of Chichi-ue's favor.'

Tenseiga pulsed again, the power surging into his hand.

'You are telling me to go back, are you not. Go back to the Western Lands to defend and protect those who live there. This is the duty of the Lord of the Western Lands. Whether the threat is youkai or human, both must be dealt with the same. Even Chichi-ue, with his fondness for humans, would agree.'

He moved again, gathering his thoughts together.

'I must go return order and rout this human rabble who dares to oppose me. When they squabble and battle amongst themselves, it is no concern of mine, but when they bring the stench of death and blood to my ancestral home, and bribe my servants to betray me and conspire to take Rin, I have no choice but to answer in kind.'

He looked to the sky, frowning. 'I do not want to fight humans. They are weak and fragile things not worthy of my attention, but their insult cannot go ignored.'

Breathing deeply, he called his power and surrounded himself with a ball of light.

'Besides, Rin cannot come home until I have made it safe for her to do so.'

It was his last thought before he took to the air and streaked off towards the Western horizon.

********

"Kohaku!" Rin exclaimed and threw herself at the shocked boy.

"Rin," Kohaku said in his soft voice, placing his hands on the girl's shoulders.

"Rin is so glad to see you!" she said and hugged the boy tight.

Something akin to happiness came into Kohaku's eyes and he saw Kagome smile.

'Keh! Kid might be just what that boy needs right now.'

"Heh, I think they'll be good for each other," he commented beside her.

She turned to him and smiled. "I was just thinking the same thing. Kohaku is so quiet and alone. I know he is tormented by his memories and blames himself for the death of so many. None of us have any real time for him. You and I are busy looking for shards and caring for Yukio, and Sango and Miroku are busy taking care of their daughter. Maybe someone who can give all of her time to him is exactly what Kohaku needs right now."

He nodded. "She'll have someone to distract her from thinking about my brother, and he'll have someone to keep him from sitting around and brooding all damn day."

"A match made in heaven. Besides, it's obvious that Rin has forgiven Kohaku for trying to kill her. She did beg Sesshoumaru to save his life when Naraku ripped out his Shikon shard."

"And my cold-hearted brother did it. Makes you wonder, doesn't it?"

She shook her head. "No. Sesshoumaru isn't as cold and unfeeling as he'd like us to think he is. He tries hard to hide it, but he cares a lot more than I think even he is comfortable with. The very fact that he can use Tenseiga is proof enough that his heart is good."

"Keh! I still don't know how he managed that."

"Your father knew his sons very well. He knew Sesshoumaru had a good heart, but to wield Tenseiga he had to learn how to use it. And he knew you would be compassionate enough to handle Tessaiga wisely, because you have the bigger heart and have love for humans," she replied.

"I don't love humans!" he protested. 'Well… maybe one or two…'

She smiled coyly and kissed him. "Yes, you do."

He growled at her but she just snickered and handed him his son.

"Watch Yukio for a while? I'm going to see if Sango needs any help."

She was gone before he could voice his disapproval. 'Damn wench, running off again. You'd think she'd never seen a pup before. She's got one right here, and he's cuter.'

"Kaa," Yukio whined mournfully, reaching out one hand in the direction Kagome had gone. :Mother-female.:

"Heh, you're with Oyaji now, pup."

Yukio turned big watery eyes his way. :Mother-female gone.:

"No. She's right here in the village. Nose her out," he said, tapping his nose then Yukio's. :Mother-female with pack. Scent still here.:

He saw the pup sniff the air. :Mother-female scent.:

He nodded. :Mother-female busy with pack-female. Pup stay with leader-male.:

:Mother-female with pack-sister?:

"Yeah. She's with the new pup."

:Where pack-brother?: "Ip-po?"

He chuckled. "Shippou is with the old woman. Let's go see what Kaede-babaa is up to."

"'K," Yukio answered, chewing on his fist.

Turning, he headed for the miko's hut, Yukio balanced on one arm and looking around at everything. The pup was beginning to recognize home and specific places. He knew the den, Kaede's hut, and Sango and Miroku's hut, and he knew the village was a large above ground den that housed the whole pack.

They found the old miko tending her garden.

"Oi, Kaede-babaa," he greeted, hopping up onto her fence.

"Inuyasha," Kaede replied, pulling out some weeds and placing them in a basket.

"Babaa," Yukio burbled, repeating his father.

"Agh! No! If Kagome hears you say that, she'll sit me into oblivion!" he gasped.

Kaede just chuckled. Yukio looked at the woman and smiled. He was learning that laughter meant he had done something pleasing.

"No! Don't laugh!"

"Babaa," the pup burbled again, giggling.

"Urk!"

"He becomes more like his father every day, Inuyasha," Kaede teased, still chuckling.

"Oi! Watch it! And stop laughing, you're only encouraging him!"

"Babaa! Babaa! Babaa!"

"Argh! Shut up!" he yelled, scruffing the pup.

Yukio's eyes went wide with surprise and hurt, but he submitted immediately like he always did and groveled.

:Sorry. Sorry. Sorry!:

'Awww, shit…'

He released the pup's neck and cuddled him.

"I'm sorry too, pup." :Sorry.:

:Sorry. Sorry. Pup good. Sorry!:

Yukio's little whimpers made him feel awful for losing his temper, and he nuzzled the pup, patting his back.

:Forgiven.: "Kaa-san should come and sit Oyaji. Oyaji deserves it."

He looked up from comforting his son to see the old woman staring at him with eyes that bore into his soul.

"What are you looking at?" he snorted.

Kaede smiled softly. "You make a good father, Inuyasha."

"Feh!"

The old miko just shook her head and returned to her weeding.

"Where's Shippou?"

"I sent him off to play with some of the village children. Where is Kagome?"

He sighed and hopped off the fence, coming to sit cross-legged by the old woman with Yukio in his lap. The pup was still clingy and uncertain.

"She's helping Sango," he said with a forlorn sigh.

Kaede nodded. "The young taijiya is finding motherhood a challenge. She has not the inherent patience Kagome possesses and the demands of an infant are taxing to her."

He scoffed. "Especially human pups. They're loud and cry all night. Inu-youkai pups are much better behaved."

Kaede just smiled knowingly. "What do you expect from a 'beet-faced piglet?'"

"I didn't mean it as an insult," he said defensively.

"I know."

They fell quiet for a while. Kaede weeded and he sat watching her. He gave Yukio some of the flowers Kaede had taken out of the garden, and the pup busied himself with ripping them up and seeing if they were edible. Inuyasha knew from experience that they were, but horribly bitter.

"Pleh," Yukio coughed, spitting the flowers out and scraping his tongue with his teeth. "Pleh. Pleh. Pleh."

"No good, huh pup?"

"Pleh."

He patted the pup's back as he spit out the rest of it.

"That'll teach you. You won't eat that again."

"He does learn quickly," Kaede commented.

Inuyasha beamed with pride. "He's a smart one."

Kaede nodded. "Smarter than his father."

"Oi! What's that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing," the miko replied innocently, handing Yukio a sweet root for him to chew on. The pup munched on it happily.

He growled softly in irritation but Kaede ignored him, and they fell silent again.

"Kaede…" he began, feeling safe enough that Kagome was out of hearing distance to bring up the subject. "No one has heard or seen Kikyou in a very long time. Do you think something has happened to her?"

The old woman paused a moment, then resumed her weeding. "The one who would know that is Kagome."

"Kagome? Why? How?"

"If Kikyou-onee-sama had left this world, the part of her soul that belongs to Kagome would return to her. Kagome could not help but feel it if it happened. If Kagome has not felt my sister's passing, then it is safe to assume that Kikyou-onee-sama remains walking on this plane," she explained.

He blinked, thinking. "Would Kagome tell me such a thing?"

Kaede gave him a tolerant look that made him feel sheepish for even asking such an obviously stupid question.

'Of course she would tell you, you idiot. She wouldn't keep something like that from you.'

"It is doubtful that Kagome would keep something like that from you, Inuyasha. Indeed, I don't think she could," the old woman said, as if she could read and give voice to his thoughts.

"But if Kikyou is still alive, why hasn't she come to see me? She usually appears once every few weeks, but it has been many months since her last visit."

"Do you miss her, Inuyasha?" Kaede asked leadingly.

"No," he answered immediately. "But I am… concerned."

'And if Kikyou is not around then nothing can be resolved…'

"It is as I said before. Kikyou-onee-sama is not here."

"Do you think she has gone on without me?"

He was surprised by how hurt he was by the idea that Kikyou might have left him without ever saying anything.

'You would think I would at least deserve her coming to tell me something instead of just disappearing and making me worry.'

"I cannot begin to know what my sister's intentions are, and that is the source of my primary worry."

"Bah! I told you before, Kikyou is different now. Kagome healed her."

"I believe you. Kagome is a remarkable child."

'She's not a child anymore, but yes, she is more remarkable than you will ever know, babaa.'

"Still, it would be better if we heard from her so we would know her whereabouts and actions, ne?" she added.

"Yes, and I would like to speak with her as well."

Kaede gave him a knowing look. "Have you decided what you are going to do?"

He nodded. "Ultimately the decision is Kikyou's, but I have decided to choose Kagome if I can."

"And if you cannot? If my sister will not release her claim on you, what then?"

"I will beg her to let me live until Kagome comes to the end of her mortal life. Kikyou is immortal and I will outlive Kagome by many centuries. I will ask her to wait so that I may fulfill my promise to Kagome and our pup," he replied.

'It is the best I can do. And if Kikyou says no… I don't know what I'll do. I don't want to go with her, and it would mean my having to abandon Kagome and the pup. I… I don't think I can do that. Would my Kikyou, the one I loved, even ask such a thing of me?'

Kaede nodded and wisely dropped the subject.

"How long will Rin be staying with us?" she asked.

"Keh! Hell if I know. Until my lord brother returns for her. Apparently, there's a human army after the Western Lands."

"I have heard rumors that tell of this."

'Hmmm, and I haven't. I wonder if this army actually poses a threat to Sesshoumaru and our father's kingdom.'

He didn't like the way the thought made him feel.

'Maybe I should have gone with him… No, I can't leave Kagome and the pup. Besides if he needs help, I know he'll ask for it. He sent Jaken to fetch me when the cats came back fifty years ago. It was how he found out that I had been sealed.'

"They're fools. Sesshoumaru cares nothing for humans. They're all going to die."

"If that is so, why did he bring the child here for you to protect?" the old woman asked wisely.

"How the Hell should I know? He says he doesn't care about the girl, yet he swore vengeance when Naraku tried to use her against him, and I know he saved her life with Tenseiga. She said so when she begged my brother for Kohaku's life. Why he would do that is beyond me. Sesshoumaru has always hated humans."

Kaede chuckled. "Perhaps your brother is discovering that he is more like his father than he would care to admit."

"Feh. I'll let you be the one to tell him that, babaa. That way you'll get slapped with his youki whip and not me."

"Hmmmm."

Just then both he and Yukio caught Kagome's scent coming towards them and turned to face the direction she was coming from.

"Kaa," Yukio burbled.

:Yes, mother-female comes.:

She came into view and Yukio squealed a greeting. Inuyasha let him go when he struggled to get out of his lap, and he toddled over to grab his mother's leg.

"Kaa!"

"How's my little big dog?" she said sweetly, picking him up, cuddling him, and giving him an inu-youkai greeting as well.

"Kaa!" :Mother-female.:

"How is the taijiya?" Kaede asked.

"Exhausted and impatient. Give her a battle with a demon scorpion and she's in her element. Give her an infant who needs her diaper changed and she's helpless," she answered, coming to stand next to where he was sitting.

"Surely Sango is not that bad," the old woman chided.

Kagome shook her head. "No, but motherhood isn't what she thought it would be. I think she thought her baby would be like Yukio and she's not."

"It will get easier for her once the infant is sleeping through the night."

Kagome nodded. "I told her that. And Miroku does help her a lot. As much as he can, I think. He can't feed her, but he'll rock her and change her and take her so Sango gets a break."

"He is a good husband."

"Yes, he is. He's a much better husband than I thought he would be. He's stopped being a lecher almost completely. He told me he intends to name the baby Miyoko."

"Hmmm. A good name."

"Yes it is," she agreed. "Anyway, I'm hot. I'm going to go take a swim and then go to the den."

"It will be much cooler underground," Kaede commented.

'Heh, depends on what we're doing, babaa…' he thought lasciviously.

"You coming, Inuyasha?"

He stood, pretending to be irritated. "Feh, you and your water. Are you sure you're not a water demon in Kagome's body?"

She gave him a sly look. "I promise I'll give you the chance to find out," she teased.

"Heh. Later, babaa."

"Babaa," Yukio repeated and he cringed. 'Shit…'

"Babaa?" Kagome scolded, her eyes flashing angrily. "What are you teaching our son?"

"It's not my fault! He just heard me say it and started calling her that!" he stammered, sweating.

"Inuyasha…"

"Sit," he sighed and closed his eyes. 'Here it comes…'

"OSUWARI!"

His face hit the dirt.

"Gah! Kagome-e-e-e," he growled.

Yukio giggled. "It," he burbled.

"Feh, doesn't work when you say it, pup," he said, picking himself up.

"No, but this does. Osuwari!"

"Gah!" he gasped as he ate dust again. "What'd you do that for?!"

She stood over him, her face hard. "You are going to stop teaching our son bad manners, right?"

"I didn't do it on purpose!"

"Osuwari!"

"Agh! Stop that!" he yelled as he slammed into the ground a third time. "Alright! Alright! I'll stop being a rude, insensitive hanyou around the pup!"

"Thank you."

He picked himself up, watching her warily just in case she decided that he hadn't been punished enough, but it looked like she was finished.

"Can't subdue you too much. I might damage something I'll want to use later," she teased softly so only he would hear.

He blushed then flooded with heat in other, lower places.

"Heh, what makes you think I'll oblige you?" he groused, trying to keep a straight face.

She looked surprised, then began to laugh softly and linked her arm with his, pulling him with her as she walked away. "C'mon leader-male. I want that swim."

"I still say you're a water demon that took over Kagome's body."

"Hmmm, I might give you the chance to find out."

"Might? Only might?"

"Well, you did piss me off."

"I told you it wasn't my fault! He heard me say 'babaa' and just repeated it."

"Babaa," Yukio said dutifully.

"Osuwari!"

He slammed to the ground.

"Gah!"

As he picked himself up a third time and ran after her, he heard Kaede cluck and chuckle softly.

"That boy never learns."