InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ The Lucky Ones ❯ Chapter Forty ( Chapter 40 )

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.

Email feedback to: tci100@psu.edu

Webpage: http://www.wordsmiths.net/Botta

A/N: This is a long one so be prepared. Take a bathroom break beforehand.

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Chapter Forty

When Miroku woke it was to a world of pain. Literally everything hurt and he felt as if he had just gone twelve rounds with a bull-youkai and the bull-youkai had won. Dimly he tried to piece together the picture of his memory, clearing away the pain-filled haze to sift through the fuzzy images that played on the outskirts of his muddled mind.

`I remember being angry. Everyone was so damned excited about Okaa-san's pup, and I just wanted to scream and tear something to pieces. Then Aniki came home and…'

He flinched as the memory flooded back. His brother, himself, locked in combat, claws slashing, fangs gnashing, blood…

`Kami-sama. I attacked Yukio. What the hell was I thinking?'

More memories rolled before his mind's eye, images of smashed furniture and the kitchen floor dark with blood and coffee, the sound of his mother's scream echoing in his head.

`Okaa-san. Okaa-san was there and saw us fighting… then Otou-san came…' He gasped, his eyes flaring open. `I… I challenged the alpha-male. I attacked him…'

He tried to move but pain exploded behind his eyes and he saw stars.

`I attacked him and he kicked my ass into next week.'

He let himself relax for a moment, waiting for the pain to subside, and tried to take stock of his surroundings. Scent was the first sense he regained and that told him he was still home, or more specifically in the back yard. He smelled blood, but most of it was his own with some of his brother's and father's laced into it, and he smelled Tomo close by.

`Tomo is here. That's right, he was supposed to come at three to visit with Otou-san and Okaa-san.'

He groaned and turned his head towards the scent, cracking his eyes open to see the willowy figure of his older brother leaning over him.

"Don't try to move," Tomo's light tenor told him. "You're pretty badly beaten up."

"Ugh," was all he could manage.

A hand came to cup him under his neck and shoulders and guided him into a sitting position, then something was being pressed to his mouth and he opened his aching jaw to accept it. A pill was pushed through his numb lips, followed shortly by a sip of lukewarm green tea.

"800 mg Ibuprofen," Tomo said. "Here, take another. I think you're going to need it."

He nodded, and accepted another pill and more tea to wash it down, then Tomo lowered him to the grass and he stared up at the tall trees, following the movement of the branches as they swayed in the wind. It was then that he noticed a weight across his chest and recognized it as Jyu-ichi-Kenshuga.

`They gave me my sword…'

"I went into a blood-rage, didn't I," he said tonelessly, his hand reflexively gripping the familiar hilt.

"Apparently so," Tomo answered.

`Shit. I lost it and just started attacking. I'm no better than a wild dog that kills his own pack-pups once he gets the taste of blood.'

He didn't remember all of it now, but he knew he would eventually. The memories of his blood-rages always took a while to reassemble themselves.

`Oh goody, more memories to scourge myself with and remind me of how inadequate I am.'

"How bad?" he asked.

"Both Aniki and Otou-san are banged up but they'll be okay. The house took the worst of it."

"Okaa-san?"

He saw Tomo's jaw clench and felt his heart sink. `No… I didn't hurt her, did I? I don't remember hurting her…'

"She couldn't take the stress in her delicate condition. She's gone into premature labor. She's at Hirata now. I'm supposed to bring you over there as soon as you're able."

He gulped, feeling a sick roll in the pit of his stomach.

`Well, that's it, isn't it? I attacked the beta and alpha-males and I sent the alpha-female to the hospital. Otou-san will strip me of my rank and kick me out of the pack. It's no more than I deserve.'

He struggled to sit up, but Tomo's hand pressed him firmly back down and he was in too much pain to fight.

"Lie still. I know the painkillers haven't taken effect yet, and I want to talk to you."

There was a hard edge to his brother's voice; something he had never heard come from the bat-hanyou before and he realized, not for the first time, that he really didn't know much about his older sibling. Tomo had mated and moved out of his parents' house long before he was even born, and he'd seen little of the slightly built hanyou as he was growing up. What he did remember of him was that Tomo never got angry, never raised his voice, and seemed perfectly content to do nothing but read, listen to music, and sleep all day. He was a writer/editor by trade and more active at night, and had something akin to the bat's system of sonar which allowed him to see in complete darkness. Bright light hurt his pale eyes and he was almost never without his protective sunglasses these days. Miroku noticed that he wasn't wearing them now, but then again, it was heavily overcast and would probably rain later.

"Yukio told me you believe Okaa-san's new pup will replace us. Would you like to tell me about that?"

An old pain knotted in his chest and he turned his head away. "Isn't it obvious? They went to such lengths to have a pup of their own. Us foundlings are just unwanted castoffs they took pity on."

"Do you really believe that?"

He swallowed hard and didn't answer. He had vivid memories of his biological mother and her three perfect inu-youkai pups. How She had looked at him…

`As if I were no more than a bug to be crushed under Her foot…'

He was expecting Tomo to go into a long speech about Inuyasha and Kagome and how they had raised hanyous for the better part of 450 years. It wasn't anything he hadn't heard before, and he'd always countered their arguments with the simple reality that they had raised adopted hanyous because up until now they couldn't have their own pups. What Tomo actually said took him completely by surprise.

"My mother killed herself, you know."

He turned his head to look at Tomo, his eyes blinking in confusion. The bat-hanyou was seated next to him, his legs up against his chest and his eyes staring straight ahead.

"I'm not supposed to know that. Okaa-san and Otou-san never told me, but Shippou let it slip one day about how my birth mother tossed herself off a cliff on the way back to her village after I was born." He paused and picked absently at a blade of grass. "She chose to commit suicide rather than live with the shame of birthing a hanyou. It's surprising that she didn't do it before I was born and kill me with her. I suppose I'll never know why she didn't. I am a worthless hanyou, after all. There was no reason to spare my life."

Miroku could think of nothing to say. In fact he was stunned speechless.

`I never knew that...'

"But you know," Tomo continued. "That woman who killed herself. She wasn't my mother. She was just the means through which I came into this world. I never knew her, and from all accounts she never wanted to know me. She didn't even look at me after I was born."

`Like my mother. Okaa-san said She delivered me and put me straight away in Okaa-san's arms…' he thought.

"No. That woman was not my mother. My mother was the human female who took me still wet from the womb, and wiped my face, and put me to her breast. She was the one who tended me when I was sick and comforted me when I was scared. She was the one who fed me, and guided me, and gave me everything of herself and more.

"And my father wasn't the raging bat-youkai who raped a village girl. He was the one who guarded me on my human night when I was helpless and terrified, who went out and searched far and wide for the fruit I liked just so I would have it, and who defended me from all dangers both real and imagined."

Tomo looked at him and their eyes met. There was something in those eyes that stared unblinkingly at him: sadness, disappointment and pity.

`Pity? Why do you pity me? Am I that pathetic?'

"You put too much weight on the value of biological parents. It doesn't matter how a child came to be with those who love him and raise him, only that he is wanted and adored for who he is. Children belong where they are loved. Can you say that you weren't loved? That Okaa-san and Otou-san did not cherish and adore you?"

He shook his head slightly, unable to move it too much because of the pain that still radiated through his skull.

"Then why do you yearn for the touch and acknowledgement of one to whom you mean nothing? Why do you envy Her youkai pups? Believe me when I say there is nothing to be envious about. I know this female. She was in Uncle's court when we lived there during Oda Nobunaga and Hideyoshi's reigns. She was arrogant and unpleasant even then, and the years did nothing to improve her disposition."

Tomo cocked his head and looked curiously at him.

"Tell me, do you think any of those youkai pups can depend on her?" he asked, then continued in a straightforward voice, "Answer me this: it's three o'clock in the morning in the middle of a blizzard and your car has broken down on a deserted Alberta road. Who comes for you?"

Miroku furrowed his brow. The scenario sounded familiar, and he had a vague memory of hearing about one of his sibs getting stuck out in a blizzard.

`Was that Tomo?'

The bat-hanyou's next sentence answered his unspoken question.

"And you can't make a phone call because there's not enough signal, and all Otou-san hears on the other end is your voice and a bunch of static. But he knows that the only reason you'd be calling is because you're in trouble and you're out there in that storm. So he goes out in that cold and that snow, and he searches all night until he finds you. And he's wet and half frozen because his car got stuck in a snow bank, but that didn't stop him from searching on foot. And when he finally finds you, his first concern is to make sure you're all right, and he huddles with you and warms your hands heedless of the fact that he's soaked and chilled to the bone. And he won't let you help him because he's the dad and you're the pup even though you're over 400 years old.

"Tell me, Miroku, do you think any one of Her pups could call her and she'd come for them? Or would she just tell them to dig a den then roll over and go back to sleep? Would She spend all night searching for them barefoot in the snow?"

She wouldn't. In his heart, Miroku knew she wouldn't.

He remembered a cold, wet night when he was just ten and his parents were busy with his brother Sai. Itching to prove his worth and skills, he'd gone out to hunt, hoping to bring home dinner and help his father and older brother. He'd ended up taking on a boar, a female with young to boot, and she'd slashed him with her tusks. The wounds weren't serious, but the scent of his blood had attracted carrion-eaters and hanyou-hunting youkai. His saving grace had been the coming of one of the storms the rainy season was so famous for, and the ensuing downpour had masked his scent.

Cold, wet, and injured, he'd found a small cave to crawl into to heal and wait out the storm. He knew he was taking a terrible risk because the cave was blind and he would be trapped if an enemy found him. As he huddled in his soaked clothes he remembered his father's warnings to never allow himself to be cornered, but the storm was brutal and he was just a child who wanted to be dry.

Terror had surged through him when the shadow had fallen across the cave entrance, and he'd backed all the way in, trying to hide in the darkness, frantically trying to figure out a way to escape if he was attacked. Then he saw a familiar red-clad leg, to be replaced by the bending figure of his father as he peered into the cave, nose sniffing. Somehow, even in the storm, Inuyasha had found him.

His father came in, sniffing him out immediately, and moved without hesitation towards him. He didn't speak as he inspected his wounds and reassured himself that his boy was all right. Then he'd gathered him up and wrapped him in his haori, warming him with his body heat and hugging him close. Later he'd get a sound tongue lashing on his irresponsibility and foolishness for going out alone, but right then all there had been was silence and relief that he had been found and was safe.

In all of his memory, he couldn't think of a single time his parents hadn't done everything they could to be there for him. Even on that horrible day when he'd approached his birth mother and She'd beaten him back, it was Inuyasha who had shielded him with his own body and snarled warnings at the bitch inu-youkai who had dared to hurt his pup.

`They gave me everything and I just spit on it,' he thought dejectedly. `Damnit. Damn temper. Damn blood-lust. What am I going to do now?'

Tomo shifted next to him and he looked up into the pale eyes. One fine-boned, delicate hand came down to gently brush the hair from his brow.

`It's amazing that hand can even lift Ni-Kenshuga...'

"They chose you," Tomo said firmly. "They didn't have to take you, but they did. When I was born, hanyous were routinely drowned or left to starve, but I found a home and a family that loved me. You have no idea how lucky we are to have been so cherished and cared for."

"I know," he whispered, forcing his voice past the lump in his throat. "I... What I've done... it's unforgivable. I don't know what I'm going to do."

The hand on his head moved down to lightly pat his shoulder. "We are going to gather up some things for Okaa-san, and maybe a change of clothes for Otou-san and Aniki because theirs were in shreds when they ran out of here, and we're going to go to Hirata and see our mother. Everything else... well, we'll see now won't we. How's the head?"

"Only pounding instead of splitting," he admitted.

"Do you think you can stand?"

"Do I have a choice?"

"Not really. I'm anxious to get to the hospital. It's been forty minutes, and I'm worried about her."

"You don't think the pup..." He stopped. He couldn't say it. If he'd been the cause of the death of the unborn child... He didn't even want to think about what would happen to him. `There would be no hope for me. I'd ask Otou-san to kill me or do it myself.'

Tomo shook his head. "Okaa-san was well into her third trimester. Even if the baby was born now, I think it would live. Technology has gotten so much more advanced these days. They save babies born much earlier now."

Yes, they did now, didn't they, and by all accounts the pup was healthy. With luck it would be born without complications.

Gritting his teeth, he forced himself to sit up, then to slowly rise to his feet. Tomo helped him, offering a steadying hand and a shoulder to lean on as he painfully made his way to the house. He winced when he saw the huge hole in the sunroom glass and remembered how both he and his father had gone crashing through it.

`I'll fix it. Even if he tells me to pack my stuff and get out, I'll still make sure everything that got damaged is fixed.'

The inside of the house wasn't much better, and he stared at the wreckage that was the kitchen.

`Hanae is going to have a fit when she sees this mess and quit on the spot.'

"Why don't you sit down and I'll get Okaa-san's things," Tomo offered.

"Okay," he agreed and sank into the only chair that wasn't smashed to pieces.

Tomo disappeared, leaving him alone in the ransacked room. Slowly he took in the destroyed cappuccino machine, the demolished table, and the puddles of coffee, blood and shattered glass all over the floor.

`I did all of this,' he thought numbly. `Yukio came in and wanted a cup of coffee, and all I could think of was that Okaa-san was still out when she should have been back hours ago, and she'd done nothing but push herself and put herself in danger ever since they started trying to have a pup. And it just made me so mad. Why weren't we good enough? Why did they need another pup? They'd had 33 of us. Wasn't that enough?'

The ache in his heart grew and he closed his eyes to hold back the tears that threatened.

`I spent so long convincing myself that it would never happen. Hanyous can't have pups. That's the way it's always been. I never believed that Okaa-san could actually get pregnant and carry a pup to term. And when she did... all I could see was Her and her prized youkai pups, and me... the half-breed She had wanted to abort before I was born.'
He rubbed his temples, trying to will the headache he still sported to go away. Even with 1600 mg of painkiller, the throbbing had only abated a little bit. He stayed there, waiting for Tomo to return, looking dazedly about the room and rubbing his arms because he was suddenly cold. Tomo found him hugging himself with his head down, his shoulder-length hair hiding his face as he rocked slowly.

"Here," Tomo offered gently, handing him a fresh set of clothes. In his other hand he carried two tote bags. One smelled of his mother and the other of his brother and father.

`Must be the clothes and things...' "Thanks," he said aloud, and accepted the jeans and T-shirt, smiling at the irony of Tomo choosing a shirt his father had given him a number of years ago.

Inuyasha had the habit of sending witty T-shirts to his pups on a whim, and Miroku was convinced that his father would buy every single sarcastic T-shirt from the What On Earth catalog, then save them for an occasion where a funny gift was suitable. This particular shirt had been given to him to commemorate his being awarded tenure at the university. It said, "If you can read this, you're overeducated" in Latin. He'd never forget the shirt Inuyasha had given his sister Natsumi when she graduated from medical school: "Three out of four doctors recommend another doctor." The shirts had become somewhat of a running joke and they never knew what Inuyasha was going to come up with next.

Today however, he held the shirt close to his chest, remembering the day his father had sent it to him, and tried not to cry. Wiping his eyes roughly, he pulled himself together and ripped off the ruined shirt he was wearing, then slipped the fresh one over his head. The pants were a little harder to get off because they were stuck to his legs where his blood had dried but he finally managed. Tomo handed him a dampened rag to wipe the blood from his skin and he cleaned up as best he could under the circumstances.

Once he was dressed in clothes that weren't a bloody, torn up mess, Tomo handed him Jyu-ichi-Kenshuga and he lashed the sword to his waist through the belt loop. Then he and Tomo made their way out to the garage. He heard the noise immediately and wondered why he hadn't noticed it before. Carbon dioxide and fuel fumes came spewing out of the garage the moment they opened the door, and he almost went woozy from the stench. Tomo steadied him until his head cleared.

"What is it?" his brother asked.

"Gas," he replied, blinking away the vertigo. "Be glad you don't have an inu-youkai nose."

Tomo nodded and reached into the driver's side of the Aston Martin to turn off the engine.

"I wonder why he was in here with the door closed. That wasn't very smart," Tomo commented.

Miroku shook his head. "He probably only planned to turn the car on for a couple of seconds."

`He fixed it. And I'll bet he didn't want me to hear the engine so he kept the door closed. He was in here when Yukio and I were... fighting. He didn't hear us, but he heard Okaa-san's scream. He could probably hear her whisper all the way over at the shrine, he's so attuned to her.'

His theory was further supported by the haphazard jumble of tools littered on the concrete floor. Tomo's hand on his arm brought him out of his thoughts as he was ushered towards a silver BMW parked in another bay.

"Where are the keys?" Tomo asked him.

"In the glove compartment," he replied.

"Are you up to driving?"

"No."

"Okay."

"Sorry, I know how much you hate Tokyo traffic," he apologized.

Tomo tossed the tote bags into the back, slipped into the driver's seat and adjusted it for his height while Miroku got into the passenger seat.

"Yukio said you'd know the way to the hospital?"

He nodded. "Yeah. When you get to the end of the driveway, make a left."

"Okay," his brother replied, turning the ignition and putting the car into drive.

Twenty harrowing minutes later, they pulled into the Hirata parking garage. Tomo grabbed the tote bags and was heading for the elevator when Miroku stopped him.

"I... I just want to say... no matter what happens... thanks and... and I'm sorry."

Tomo gave him a small smile and a pat on his shoulder. "I won't say it's okay, because it's not. But I think it will be okay in the end. I know how you feel and I understand why you feel that way. I've lived most of my life knowing my birth mother chose to die rather than live with the knowledge that she gave birth to me. You've lived most of your life knowing your birth mother won't even say your name. Both of us were rejected in the worst way possible by the ones who should have loved us, but that's not our fault, and it's not Okaa-san's and Otou-san's fault either. Don't blame them for what She did. Don't dishonor them by putting them in the same category as Her. They deserve so much more than that from you."

He hung his head, clenching one fist while the other gripped the hilt of his sword. "I... I know."

"C'mon. I wanna see Okaa-san," Tomo said, tugging him towards the open elevator doors.

He swallowed hard and nodded, following meekly behind with his heart in his throat as Tomo pressed the button for the emergency room floor.

"Fushikenwa Kagome," Tomo said to the triage receptionist once they had exited the elevator and approached the desk.

The young female, a bird-hanyou like their sister Mariko, typed the name into her computer with lightning speed.

"She's been moved to the third floor. Room 328. Take the elevator up and turn right," she said.

Tomo bowed and took his arm again. "Thank you."

"You're welcome."

Back in the elevator his palms started to sweat and he almost started whimpering in distress. Tomo gave him another pat but it didn't seem to help much this time. He touched Jyu-ichi-Kenshuga again and felt a sense of calm wash over him. The sword was not rejecting him, and that fact gave him some small measure of hope.

"You worthless, stinking son-of-a-whore!" Eri screamed at him as he and Tomo entered the waiting room at the entrance of the main ward.

He didn't have time to even register her words before she slapped him clear across the face, raking his cheek with her claws and sending his already pounding head splitting again.

"I'm in the middle of a meeting with reps from Daimaru when I get a phone call that my mother is in the hospital and that you put her there!"

He did not retaliate or speak, but kept his head down and refused to look at her as blood dripped down his face from the fresh wounds.

"That is enough," Uncle's voice said firmly, and he cast his eyes upward to see the taiyoukai standing beside his sister, one hand clamped on her shoulder.

"But..." Eri argued.

"It is his father's responsibility to deal with him."

Eri hissed and flashed her fangs. "You are so lucky, you prick. If Mom had lost the baby I would have disemboweled you myself!"

Her harsh words actually brought relief and he could not stop the sigh that escaped his lips.

`So Okaa and the pup are all right. I'm so glad...'

"Leave him alone, Eri," Tomo defended, lightly pushing him forward.

He went willingly, keeping his head and his ears down, but he couldn't help but look at the small crowd gathered in the room, recognizing a number of his siblings. Aside from Uncle, Aunt Rin and Eri, he saw Izayoi with Tetsukazu, Shippou and his mate, Hikaru, Asame and Mariko, and he was sure others were on the way but hadn't arrived yet. Mama-baachan, Jii-chan, Souta and Kirara were also there, but seated slightly apart from the others. Yukio was closest to the ward doors, still dressed in his torn trousers but someone had given him a physician's scrub shirt. When their eyes met, Yukio very pointedly turned his shoulder to him.

`Refuses to look at me. I don't blame him. They'll all turn their backs pretty soon once Otou-san kicks me out of the pack. None of them will acknowledge me anymore. What I most feared, I brought down on myself.'

The ward doors were presented to him and he knew he had to pass through. He had no doubts that his father waited for him on the other side, but he dreaded what was to come. He hesitated at the large, swinging doors a bit too long because a set of hands pressed against the back of his shoulders and pushed him roughly through. He stumbled and almost fell to his knees, but recovered and regained his footing quickly. The person who had pushed him through the doors had not followed and he found himself alone in the stark white hallway.

He stared, blinking slowly at the too bright walls and tiled floor, wondering which one of the rooms that lined the corridor was his mother's. The first room to the left was marked 301 so he began walking, past the nurses' station, following the room numbers as they counted up until he saw 326.

`Next one's Okaa-san's...'

He didn't even get to the door before it opened and he was faced with the crossed-armed figure of his father blocking the entrance. Inuyasha was still dressed in the bloodied, ragged clothes he had run from the house in, but it looked like someone had cleaned and treated his wounds. He tried to look past his father to the room within, but Inuyasha moved to block his view.

Neither moved for a long moment, each regarding the other warily. Miroku knew what was expected of him, but he had no idea if it would be enough. By the laws of the pack, he had committed horrible crimes and it was ultimately the right of the alpha to decide his fate and punishment. The very fact that Inuyasha would not let him see his mother spoke volumes to him, and his already pounding heart beat faster in his chest. Finally, when he knew he was reaching the limits of his father's patience, he raised his chin, bared his throat in submission and waited. He didn't have to wait long.

Inuyasha growled and he felt a clawed hand grab his neck. The fingers were tight but not painful, nor did they crush his windpipe or the claws cut into his skin. He was merely being held in a somewhat uncomfortable way for several seconds; then the hand clamped down.

`This is it...' he thought, willing himself to be still and accept whatever his father chose to do. `If he means to kill me that is his right...'

Another growl came from Inuyasha, low and menacing, but he did not react. An odd calm had settled over him and he closed his eyes. It was easier than he thought it would be, but then he was tired. Tired of being second best. Tired of being rejected by the ones who should love him.

Without much warning, Inuyasha's hand switched to the back of his neck to grab him by the scruff and he was literally dragged down the hallway to an empty room. The door slammed shut behind them as he was shoved to the cold linoleum floor, the hand back on his throat and pressing down. Inuyasha was growling again and snarling above him, the hot breath very close to his face. He couldn't stop the whimper that escaped, but he rolled to expose his belly and further lifted his chin to bare more of his throat.

"Idiot pup. You'd let me kill you, wouldn't you?" his father accused. "You wouldn't raise a single finger in your own defense."

He didn't reply. He didn't need to because the answer was obvious. A moment later he heard his father sigh heavily, then the pressure on his throat eased up.

"We need to talk, pup."

He opened his eyes to blink confusedly at his father when Inuyasha took him by the shoulders and dragged him across the floor to the nearest wall. Then Inuyasha sat down with his back to the wall, gently lifted him under his torso, and pulled him into a strong embrace. Powerful arms wrapped around him, cradling him as his cheek was pressed to his father's shoulder and he was held like a small child in need of comforting.

It was so drastically different from what he had been expecting that he didn't believe what was happening at first. He stayed perfectly still and silent, afraid to move or speak lest he discover that it was some kind of twisted joke, but then he remembered that his father would never, ever be so cruel and hateful.

`He isn't anything like Her.'

He shifted a little, bringing one hand up to curl against Inuyasha's chest and Inuyasha responded by pulling him closer and tucking him further against his body the way he used to do when Miroku was just a little whelp.

"Otou?" he whispered in a small voice.

"It's okay, pup. I've got you. You're all right now."

The words echoed across time and into his heart. They were the first words his father had spoken to him all those centuries ago when he was huddled in the cave wet, wounded and scared, and his father had found him: "It's okay, pup. Otou's got you. It's all right now."

Suddenly he realized that he wasn't being rejected.

`I'm not… He's not… He's not throwing me out of the pack…'

The shock made him tremble. He had been so convinced of his fate that to now be faced with something so unexpected and unbelievable was difficult for him to understand. By all rights, Inuyasha should have stripped him of his position in the pack and told him to get out, but his father had hugged him instead and told him he was going to be all right.

`All right? How can any of this be all right?'

It was more than he had dared to hope for, and more than he deserved. A shiver ran through him, a slight quaking as his frayed nerves began to go into overload and his mind scrambled to comprehend how his father could be so forgiving.

"Otou…" he whispered shakily, struggling to stay in control of his run-away feelings.

:Pup safe. Pup with leader-male,: Inuyasha replied in inu-youkai, stroking his hair and running his fingers over his ears.

The gentle touch cracked him open and he lost his battle as he began to cry, the dam holding back his emotions breaking and everything came flooding out. Great, hiccupping sobs ripped their way out of his throat as he wept bitterly, surrendering to the torrent of relief and remorse that took over.

:Sorry. Sorry. Sorry. Sorry. Sorry,: he whined, whimpering and groveling for his alpha's pardon.

Inuyasha barked a response, nipped and then licked his temple, and the acceptance only made him cry harder. He reached for his father and clung to him, holding onto the bulwark that had always been his safety and protection; the male who would shield him with his own body and guard him when he was weak and frightened.

"Otou. Otou."

Inuyasha was the only father he had ever known, and he had been so terrified of losing his place that he had almost brought his worst fears down onto himself. But Inuyasha knew, just as he had always known what nightmares kept his son awake or what shadows lived behind his eyes, that Miroku's problem resided in his fear of being abandoned and cast aside, and he would not turn his back on him. After everything, even after he had attacked his brother and the alpha himself, and sent the alpha-female to the hospital, even after all of that, his father refused to reject him. His father still loved him.

"It's okay, pup. You're gonna be okay," Inuyasha promised, rocking him as he wept.

But it wasn't okay. How could it ever be okay when he had been so blind and hurtful? When he had turned his claws on his own pack, rent and slashed at the ones who loved him, and repaid their love with anger and pain. He deserved punishment and exile, not the warm, strong arms of his father wrapped around him and his tender voice in his ear. He was utterly stunned and humbled by the depth of the love being shown to him, and he knew he would spend months, if not years, trying to make up for the damage he had done.

He cried for a long time, sobbing until the bloody shirt beneath his cheek was soaked with his tears, and he thought his nose was going to explode if he didn't blow it soon. Inuyasha obliged him by reaching up to the made bed next to them and ripping off part of the top sheet for him to use as a handkerchief, then he also yanked down the blanket and wrapped it around his shoulders because he was shivering. He huddled in the blanket, sniffling occasionally, and pressed close to his father's chest long after he had run out of tears.

Inuyasha did not speak or push him to talk or get up. He merely held him tight and let him cry until he was finished. Lying there in Inuyasha's arms, he felt a safety and comfort that he had only experienced when he was cuddled just like this with his parents' scent in his nostrils and their heartbeats in his ear.

`This is what Yukio was trying to recapture when he wanted to sleep with Otou-san and Okaa-san again,' he realized. `He wanted this feeling that nothing could ever hurt him because they were there. Oh, Aniki, I understand. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry.'

"I'm sorry," he choked through hoarse lips, throat swollen from sobbing.

"I know, pup. I know."

Sniffling, he lifted his head and licked his father's chin, reaffirming Inuyasha's position as his leader. The older hanyou responded by turning his head and nuzzling him gently. The sound for forgiveness did not come, however, and that one small omission told him that he wasn't absolved quite yet.

"You're not forgiven yet, pup," Inuyasha said, answering his unspoken question.

Miroku expected some punishment for his actions, but whatever his father chose to do to him couldn't be nearly as horrible as the punishment he had thought he was going to get.

"You've got a lot of reparations to make before you're back in my good graces."

He nodded. "I understand. I'll do whatever you tell me to do."

"I'm glad to hear that. It's the most intelligent thing you've said all day."

He gave a small chuckle and sighed, closing his eyes, not wanting to lose the feeling of warmth and acceptance.

"The first thing you're going to do is get some help," his father dictated. "If you think your mother and I would reject you because we're having a pup, and believe that I would slit your throat in cold-blood, you've got serious issues. I'm sure Asame can recommend someone, and we'll go with you when the time comes to work on your specific problems with us. I don't want this shit to ever happen again."

He nodded. "Me either. I'll go. I promise."

"Plus, until you've got a handle on this, I don't want you to leave your sword behind. Part of your problem was you went into a blood-rage and it wasn't there to calm you."

He cringed. Inuyasha was right. If he had kept Jyu-ichi-Kenshuga with him, chances were he wouldn't ever have gone into the blood-rage to begin with.

"I'll keep it with me always," he assured him, feeling the weight of the hilt against his hip.

"Trust your sword to seal your blood. It's what it does for you. You didn't need a powerful sword for fighting, but you needed a powerful sealing sword to hold back that youkai temper of yours."

"Yes. I know. I'll remember, I promise."

Inuyasha grunted. "The second thing is you're responsible for the damages."

"I already planned to take care of all of it. I'll make calls tomorrow for the sunroom," he replied.

"The third thing is you will apologize to your mother and do whatever she wants you to do to make reparations to her."

He nodded again. "Of course. Is… is Okaa-san okay?" he asked timidly.

"Yeah. It was a false alarm brought on by all the upset. They're keeping her overnight and will probably send her home in the morning, but they'll want her to rest and take it easy until the pup comes; so if I see or hear you doing anything that will upset her, I will beat you bloody."

"Yes," he agreed.

"The last thing is you will present yourself to Yukio and submit to him. He is the beta-male and you attacked him. I am sure he will have a few things he wants you to do before he accepts your apology."

He nodded. He'd expected that. In fact, each of his father's demands were exactly what he had anticipated, without the physical punishment or rejection.

"That is very reasonable. I will do my best, but he is very angry with me right now."

Now Inuyasha chuckled. "You have no idea, pup. He may beat you bloody for your stupidity."

"It would be no more than I deserve. I was honestly expecting a much worse punishment than I received."

Inuyasha tightened his grip and held him closer. "I know, and I'm warning you not to make my leniency with you be a mistake or next time I'll really hurt you."

"I'll try, but a few cracks in my skull might let in some common sense," he joked weakly, repeating something he had heard Inuyasha say on numerous occasions.

"Keh. You got that right. So far you've been a bigger idiot than the bitch who birthed you. A couple of head injuries might rattle that pea-brain of yours enough to improve your attitude."

He laughed faintly at the joke and closed his eyes again. "Thank you."

"Don't ever think for a minute that your mother and I don't adore you," his father told him gently, smoothing his hair again.

He shuddered and didn't answer, merely pressed his face further into Inuyasha's shoulder and sighed.

"Never scare me like that again," Inuyasha warned.

"I'm sorry. You were scared?" he asked, opening his eyes to peer up at Inuyasha's jaw.

His father snorted. "Of course I was scared. You could have hurt yourself."

`Hurt myself?' "Hurt myself?"

"What? You thought you could beat me? You've never seen me fight, pup. I was going easy on you."

"You kicked my ass into next week and you were going easy on me?"

Inuyasha shrugged. "I was more worried that you'd do yourself harm trying to hurt me."

He blinked and furrowed his brow.

`I've always heard that Otou was a good fighter and I thought I'd seen him fight, but now I'm not so sure I've ever really seen him use his power. I've only ever seen him use Kaze no Kizu a handful of times and I've never seen the other attacks Tessaiga has. I thought he'd gone soft over the years, but he took me out with one punch the moment he knew he had to. I should have paid more attention to my older sibs when they talked about Otou-san's battles and fighting skills. It would have saved me the bruises and the humbled pride.'

"Even when I'm trying to hurt you, you're still looking out for me," he commented.

"Hurt me? You thought you were hurting me? Pup, you've got to try a hell of a lot harder before you cause me any pain," Inuyasha scoffed.

"But you're all bloody..."

"Bah, these are just scratches. I've taken down Naraku, pup. Compared to him, you're Myouga."

`I'm a flea?' "I am?"

"Keh, you hit like a girl."

"A girl? Don't let Eri hear you say that. She'd try to kick your ass."

"Eri's a neko-youkai. She doesn't count."

Miroku laughed softly, then sobered. "Otou, can I see Okaa-san now?"

There was a long silence, then Inuyasha sighed. "Yeah, but not for long. They've given her some sedatives so she's really tired. But I think she'll be glad to see you and know you're all right."

"Thank you."

Inuyasha helped him stand, although he really didn't need the aid, and he roughly wiped his eyes with the back of his hand, then straightened his rumpled clothes, dropping the blanket onto the bed in a heap. He saw his father look at the shirt he was wearing and smile.

"I love that shirt. The moment I saw it, I knew it was for you."

He brushed some dust from the hem and re-read the Latin. "I've always liked it. Tomo gave it to me to change into. My other shirt was ruined. So is yours. Tomo brought clothes for you and Yukio to change into."

Inuyasha grunted a reply and they quietly left the room.

"Think they'll be upset about the bed?" he asked.

"Do I care if they are?" his father answered.

"I guess not. Thank you for fixing my car by the way. I found it when Tomo and I opened the garage."

Inuyasha shrugged, then carefully opened the door to 328, peering in through the crack.

"Kagome?" he heard his father ask softly, then his mother's sleepy reply.

Opening the door further, Inuyasha ushered him inside to stand by his mother's bed.

"Miroku is here now," his father said, then stood back and let him have a moment with his mother.

Kagome looked worn and exhausted, but she smiled at him and lifted her hand to take his. He reached out and cradled her small hand in his palms, giving her a little smile of his own.

"Okaa-san."

"I'm so glad you're all right. I was so worried about you."

`Worried about me. While I was challenging Yukio and doing my best to kill him, she was worried about me.' "I'm fine, Okaa-san. A headache and a few bruises is all I have."

She laughed softly. "I think that's the motto of this family. `I'm fine' when you're battered and bloody. Your father would routinely suffer wounds that would have killed a human and brush it off as just a scratch."

He chuckled back then bit his lip as a wave of emotion hit him. `This is my mother and I hurt her. I hurt her and she still thinks of my welfare before her own.'

"Okaa-san… Mama… I'm so sorry," he choked, the tears welling up again.

"Shhhh, don't cry, sweetheart. It's okay. It'll be okay."

`And she comforts me. Me who put her in the hospital and almost sent her into premature labor.'

He took her hand and raised it to his mouth, kissing it with trembling lips.

"Mama…" he whispered, losing the battle with his tears as they began to roll down his face.

Bending over, he nuzzled her and licked her chin, sniffling as she put one arm awkwardly around him and tried to comfort.

"Miroku, my sweet boy. I'm sorry too. You must have been so scared. I'm sorry you had to go through that. I'm sorry it got so bad that you felt you had to do what you did. We'll always love you, baby. Please don't ever forget that."

"Okaa-san. Thank you. Thank you."

"You'll always be my baby. You're all my pups, each and every one of you. This little one isn't going to change that. I'll still love you just the same."

He pressed his nose to the pulse point of her throat and squeezed his eyes shut to quell his tears.

"Okaa-san. I love you, Okaa-san."

`God I'm so fucked up. How could I have ever thought they would replace me? Maybe it's a good thing that Otou-san is insisting I get some help. I've… I've never talked about Her with anyone outside of my family.'

"We love you too, baby. So much."

Kagome took the hand that still held hers and drew it down to her womb, pressing his palm against the underside. A moment later, he felt a definite kick.

"Feel that?"

He nodded as the unborn pup kicked again.

"That's your little brother or sister in there."

"Heh. He's already a handful, isn't he?"

She chuckled. "No more than any of you. He just started earlier."

"I'm so glad the pup's all right. I'm…" He stopped. There weren't any words. "Thank god I didn't kill it" seemed wholly inappropriate, and he didn't know what else he could say to convey his regret and relief.

"It's all right. The doctor says the baby's fine," she assured him. "And if you listen closely, you can hear his little heartbeat."

He nodded, closing his eyes and focusing on the whoosh-whoosh-whoosh sound that beat faster than his mother's heartbeat.

`Strong. Healthy. Alive. I'm so glad…'

"Well, well, well. What do we have here?" a new voice said in the open doorway.

His reaction was immediate and instinctive. :Not-pack male! Female hurt! Protect mother-female!:

He whirled and took a defensive stance, casting a glance to see that his father had done the same. No matter what differences they might have, both were viciously protective and they stood shoulder to shoulder to face down the possible threat. The newcomer, a youkai doctor in a lab coat, threw up his hands in peace.

"Easy. Easy. I mean no harm," he assured them, even as they both lifted their lips and gave him twin growls. "Sheesh, these inus. Calm down already."

"You must forgive them, Doctor," Kagome whispered faintly. "They are just doing what they do best."

"Growling?" the doctor asked jovially.

"Posturing. Really, don't worry. They're all bark and no bite."

"Speak for yourself! I can too bite!" Inuyasha complained, even as he backed down from his glare and growl.

Miroku relaxed too, yielding his place by the bed as the doctor came into the room.

"You should be resting, my dear. I've read your file and you've had quite an exciting afternoon," he said. "I'm Doctor Hattori. I'll be taking over your case through the birth of this little troublemaker.

The doctor patted his mother's womb in a gesture he found far too familiar for his tastes, and the look on his father's face showed that Inuyasha agreed with him. His mother, however, didn't seem to mind too much.

"They tell me my baby's fine," she prompted.

Dr. Hattori looked at the file in his hands and nodded. "Everything seems normal. It says here you don't want to know the sex of the baby beforehand. Is that right?"

She nodded. "Yes."

"Then I won't tell you. I will say that your little one is doing fine in spite of the earlier scare," the doctor answered, patting her womb again.

"Excuse me, but who are you again?" he asked, sensing his father's growing irritation.

The doctor turned to face him and Inuyasha, bowing. "I'm sorry. I'm Doctor Hattori. I'll be Fushikenwa Kagome's obstetrician through the birth."

"What happened to Dr. Maggiano? She said she would fly in from Calgary a week before my mate's due date," Inuyasha countered, slightly upset.

"Dr. Maggiano sends her regrets, but she won't be able to come to Japan. One of her other patients was elevated to extremely high risk, and she has two others who are also high risk, all of whom are due at about the same time as your mate. She felt that it would be unprofessional of her to leave her other patients at such a crucial time, so she transferred your mate to me," the doctor explained.

Inuyasha frowned. "We liked and trusted Dr. Maggiano," he complained.

"I know it's a change, and during a very stressful time, but believe me I've been delivering babies for quite some time now. Everything will be fine," he replied, a little too patronizingly.

`If he's rubbing me the wrong way, Otou-san must be through the roof,' Miroku thought, shifting his weight from foot to foot. There was something he just didn't like about this doctor.

"Thank you, Doctor. Dr. Maggiano must trust you a great deal to have handed my case to you. I'm sure I'm in good hands," Kagome said.

Dr. Hattori turned to his mother again and patted her hand. "Thank you for the vote of confidence. Now looking at your stats, I see that your blood pressure is still a little high. I want you to get plenty of bed rest and drink lots of fluids. And no mountain climbing or skydiving before the baby is born, all right?"

She laughed softly. "I promise, Doctor. I'll try to restrain myself the next time I get the urge to jump out of a plane."

"And the two of you should get out of here and let this young lady rest," the doctor suggested, looking at him and Inuyasha.

His father crossed his arms and got the tell-tale stubborn look on his face that his children knew so well. "I am not leaving my mate."

"I assure you, she will be perfectly fine, and you… you look a little worse for wear."

"I'm fine. These are nothing. I'm not leaving my mate. I'll sleep on the floor if I have to but I am not going anywhere."

"Inuyasha…" his mother tried, but Inuyasha rounded on her.

"I am Not. Going. Anywhere," he repeated and his voice brooked no argument.

`If they intend to get him out of here tonight, they'd better be ready for a fight,' he thought. `Once he gets his mind made up there's no reasoning with him.'

The doctor sighed. "Very well. Far be it from me to go up against an inu when his mate is involved. I like my hospital in one piece, thank you very much. I'll have the staff bring in an extra chair and a blanket and pillow."

Inuyasha grunted and nodded in agreement.

"Well, I have other patients to see so I will take my leave. Both of you have a good evening, and you, young lady, you get some sleep and don't let these two inus bug you."

"I won't, doctor, thank you," Kagome replied with a small smile.

With a final bow to him and his father, the doctor walked out, leaving the door open behind him.

"I don't like him," his father announced.

"Oh Inuyasha, don't be rude. I'm sure he's fine. If Dr. Maggiano gave me to him then he must be good. I trust her judgment."

"He touched you like he knew you and called you a young lady. I don't like him," Inuyasha insisted.

"Well, it's kinda late to get a new doctor now. I'm due in six weeks, and Dr. Maggiano can't be here."

"He smells funny too," Miroku added, frowning.

"He's a baboon-youkai," his father told him. "That's probably what you're smelling. Their scent is… unusual."

"Ah." `And he knew immediately what kind of youkai the doctor was when I had no idea. When has he ever met a baboon-youkai?'

His mother sighed and rubbed her womb.

"What's wrong?" Inuyasha asked immediately.

"I have to go to the bathroom."

"Here, I'll help you," his father offered, reaching to help her sit up and slide off the bed.

She fumbled with the back ties of the hospital gown as she shuffled towards the restroom. "I hate these things."

He suddenly remembered the tote bags Tomo had brought with them. "Tomo has a change of clothes for you, Okaa-san. I'll go get them."

He waited for Inuyasha to nod in agreement, then quickly left the room. Back in the waiting room, he noticed that two more of his siblings had arrived: his older sister Rumiko and younger brother Kitaru, but that Uncle and Aunt Rin had left. All eyes turned to him the moment he opened the ward doors and he stopped for a moment, suddenly battling nerves. Yukio stood up from where he was seated next to Mama-baachan and came over to him, his face unreadable.

"Okaa-san wants her clothes," he said.

Yukio nodded and retrieved the tote bags from the floor. Miroku reached for them, but Yukio snatched them close to his body and fixed him with a look. He flattened his ears in submission and let his older brother through the doors, following silently behind as Yukio headed for their mother's hospital room.

His parents were just finishing in the bathroom as they arrived at the room. Yukio handed his father the bags and Inuyasha took Kagome back into the bathroom to change. When they came out, his mother was dressed in her favorite button-up nightgown and his father was in fresh jeans and a T-shirt that said `I'm multi-talented. I can talk and piss you off at the same time.'

Miroku had to suppress a laugh at the shirt as Inuyasha helped Kagome back into bed. Then he stood next to his mother while his father and older brother had a quiet conversation.

`Probably about me...'

"Miroku, sweetheart?" his mother said, calling him out of his thoughts.

"Yes, Okaa-san?" he replied.

She waved him close and spoke in a conspiratorial whisper. "Do you think you could sneak in some food for me?"

"Are you hungry, Okaa-san?" he whispered back.

She nodded. "Starving. I haven't had anything to eat since eleven."

He looked at his watch. It was almost five-thirty. "No wonder you're hungry. Won't they serve dinner here soon?"

She made a face. "Hospital food?"

He chuckled. "Okay, okay. What can I smuggle in for you?"

"Mos Burger?"

He laughed. "What flavor?"

"Teriyaki or the shrimp tempura burger. Or both." She blushed.

He smiled and kissed her temple. "I'll get both for you. Do you want fries or onion rings?"

"Ummm, fries."

"Okay. I'll just tell Otou-san where I'm going..."

A hand fell on his shoulder, effectively stopping him.

"We'll send Kitaru to get it. He's starting to fidget and it will give him something to do," Yukio interrupted.

Kagome smiled up at his older brother. "Okay honey."

"You wanted fries, a teriyaki burger and a shrimp tempura burger?" Yukio asked.

She nodded. "Yeah, and have them give me extra pickles."

"Okay. You. You're with me," his older brother said, motioning for him to follow.

He cast a worried glance at his father, who only nodded once reassuringly, before obeying Yukio's command.

Back in the hall, Yukio made him stand and wait while he went to tell Kitaru what their mother wanted. The tanuki-hanyou would be glad for the job because it would make him feel as if he were actually doing something. Kitaru never was one to sit idle for any length of time; it's what made him such a good manager. Miroku kept his head down and waited for Yukio to return, knowing he would have to make reparations to his brother before he would be back in good standing again.

He smelled and felt Yukio's return from the waiting room, and he closed his eyes and bared his throat. Yukio gave a growl and he flinched, sensing movement from his brother. The blow was not entirely unexpected, but it hit with such ferocity that he knew Yukio hadn't pulled the punch. He was thrown backwards by the impact and slid several feet down the hall on his back. His vision had just started to clear when a foot was pressed to his windpipe with just enough pressure to get his attention.

"You have got to be the biggest asshole on the planet," Yukio seethed.

He looked up to see his brother glaring down at him, ears pinned so far against his head that they were completely buried in his hair. He whined in submission and rolled to expose his belly, but otherwise said nothing. A tense moment later Yukio sighed and removed his foot, letting him breathe freely again.

"But you're my little brother and I love you," his brother said.

He blinked, not comprehending what Yukio had just said, then realized that Yukio was accepting him back in the same way their father had.

`He's not rejecting me either…'

"However, if you ever pull this shit again I will shred you to pieces and let Otou-san deal with what's left after I'm done with you," Yukio added.

He sat up, feeling his throat and knowing he'd be sporting bruises from both older hanyous. Dazedly, he watched Yukio stomp over to where Jyu-ichi-Kenshuga had gotten snagged on a doorjamb as he slid across the tile and ripped free of his belt loop.

"And if I ever see you without this, I will personally shove it up your ass," Yukio threatened, handing him the sword.

"It wouldn't be the first time someone's accused me of having something stuck up my butt," he joked weakly, accepting the sword.

Yukio chuckled and offered him a hand up. He accepted it and was surprised when his brother not only pulled him to his feet, but also pulled him into a tight embrace.

"Don't scare me like that again, okay?" Yukio said into his hair.

`Scared. Both he and Otou-san were scared for me when I was busy trying to kill them.'

Tentatively, he returned the hug and was rewarded with an even stronger hug as Yukio pulled him closer.

"Otouto," he heard Yukio whisper, and he shivered.

"Aniki," he replied, pressing his face into the side of Yukio's neck and licking the deep gashes he had put there with his claws. "I'm sorry, Aniki."

Yukio raised his jaw, giving him the opportunity to lick under his chin and reaffirm him as the beta-male, then turned his head to look at him.

"You're gonna be on my shit list for a while, but I'm sure I'll forgive you eventually."

"Otou-san told me I must make reparations to you as well as him and Okaa-san."

Yukio nodded. "And he said he told you that you had to talk to a therapist."

"I'm going to ask Asame to recommend someone," he confirmed.

"Good. That's a positive first step."

Yukio stepped back and took him by the chin, examining his bruises and wounds.

"Otou-san did a number on your jaw."

He nodded. "I didn't lose any teeth, but Tomo had to give me two painkillers before my head would stop pounding."

"Be glad that's all he did. He could have broken it."

"I know. Tomo said after everything, the house took the most damage."

"Yeah, I think he's right about that. We'll need a new coffee machine," Yukio agreed.

"I'll get one in the morning and make calls about having someone come to fix the sunroom."

Yukio winced. "I saw that. It looked like someone went through it."

"Both of us actually. I was trying to corner Otou-san and get under his defenses when I rushed at him. We both hit the glass and it shattered." `Come to think of it, Otou-san flipped us so he would go through first and just pulled me along with him. He took the brunt of the impact to protect me…'

"Speaking of shattered glass, I should go home and start cleaning up the mess. If Hanae sees it in the morning, she'll quit and I don't want to lose her as my housekeeper," he added. "Otou-san is going to stay with Okaa-san tonight and they'll probably release her in the morning."

Yukio sighed heavily and rolled his eyes. "And there'll be no arguing with him."

"I wouldn't and the doctor wouldn't either. He offered to bring in a chair and a blanket when Otou-san said he'd sleep on the floor. But if you want to try, I'll just stay here and watch as he pounds you into the wall when you try to peel him away from her."

Yukio winced. "No, thank you. I've had enough of fighting with family for one day. You're right though; the house should be cleaned up before Okaa-san gets home, even if the sunroom isn't fixed. If she sees all the damage, it'll upset her."

"Yeah."

Turning, he headed for the ward doors. Yukio followed at his shoulder and went ahead of him into the waiting room. Several of his siblings looked to Yukio as they returned and his older brother made a gesture that confirmed that he was still part of the pack.

The relief that flooded through the room was evident in the sighs that escaped numerous lips and his sister Izayoi came running towards him.

"Miroku," she sobbed and hugged him.

"Anu-ue," he breathed and wrapped arms around her. Of all of his siblings, she would understand best because she was also an inu-hanyou like their father and older brother.

:Pack-brother,: she said in inu-youkai, smoothing his hair.

:Pack-sister,: he replied and licked her chin. Not only was she his elder but also above him because she was female.

She whacked him on the head, not too hard, but hard enough. :Stupid pup!:

:Sorry. Sorry. Sorry.:

"You'd better be," she growled, her golden eyes flashing.

He lowered his ears and ducked his head. "I know, I'm the biggest asshole on the face of the planet."

She huffed and nodded, crossing her arms and looking very much like a female version of their father. "You won't see me arguing with you. Honestly, Miroku what were you thinking?"

"He wasn't. That was the problem," Eri accused, coming over. "Never expect a dog to use his brain." She turned to him, her face cold with fury. "You got off easy. If I had been the one in charge, I would have beaten you bloody and kicked you out."

He nodded. "And it would have been no more than I deserved for my crimes. I am very lucky that our father is so forgiving."

Eri snorted. "Too forgiving. Always has been. It's a weakness you dogs have. None of you know how to hold a grudge."

He smiled softly. "And cats hold one for fifty years."

"Exactly. I'd have made you grovel for at least two before I would have even spoken to you."

"I wouldn't have blamed you if you hadn't. What I did… I'm so glad Okaa-san and the pup are all right."

"You've seen her. How is she?" Izayoi asked worriedly.

"Tired and hungry but okay. Otou-san is going to stay with her tonight," he answered.

Eri laughed. "I knew there would be no getting him out of here no matter what Yukio promised."

"The doctor said they would bring him a chair and a blanket after he vowed to sleep on the floor."

Izayoi smiled. "That's Otou-san. Stubborn to the last."

"Kitaru was supposed to go get Okaa-san some food from Mos Burger," he commented, looking around, but not seeing his brother.

"He left a short while ago. I'm sure he'll be back soon," Izayoi assured him.

"I hope so. Okaa-san is tired and she should eat before she goes to sleep."

"Then we should get in there to see her quickly," Izayoi said.

He nodded. "Yeah."

She put a hand on his arm. "I'll speak with Yukio, then take Tetsu in to see her. If you'll wait, we'd be happy to give you a ride back to Tokyo House after we're done."

"I should be getting back. There's a huge mess to clean up."

Izayoi nodded, then spoke more quietly. "And I should get Tetsu out of here. His Sight is almost out of control. He even sleeps with his sword to keep the visions at bay. Something has triggered him but he won't tell me what. I have a call in to his dragon aunt for her to come and give him some remedial training, but her office told me she'd be in Europe until next week."

Miroku looked over to where Tetsukazu sat apart from the others. He was huddled in the chair with his eyes closed and the hilt of Jyu-shi-Kenshuga pressed to his forehead. The signs of stress showed clearly on his face and it looked like he was sweating.

`That's not good.'

Izayoi followed his line of sight. "Being here surrounded by all of us is very hard for him right now. Mariko laid hands on him a short while ago, but it only helped a little bit. Let me talk to Yukio, then take him in to see Okaa-san. Then we'll go."

He nodded. "Okay."

"I'll just go in," Eri said. "My meeting was shot to hell, but maybe I can arrange a business dinner for later tonight."

With that, she turned and walked through the ward doors without even bothering to ask Yukio if it was all right.

`Just like a cat,' he thought with a bit of amusement.

Izayoi went over to speak with Yukio while he stayed by the doors and looked around until Tomo motioned for him to come over and sit beside him. Frankly, he was glad for the invitation because it made him feel less alone since none of his other siblings seemed interested in speaking to him. Sitting next to his brother, Tomo asked him how their mother was doing and he answered all of the bat-hanyou's questions. A few minutes later, Kitaru arrived with Kagome's food and he was ushered in with Izayoi and Tetsukazu.

While he waited for his sister and youngest brother to return from visiting their mother, both Asame and Mariko came over and spoke softly to him. Mariko laid her hands upon him and he felt the heavy weight of grief being lifted from his heart at her touch, and Asame promised to provide the name of a therapist she thought could help him and said she would set up an appointment for him as soon as possible.

When Izayoi came out with Tetsu, he rose from his seat and followed them out. Tomo would bring Yukio back to Tokyo House in the BMW when they were ready to leave. In the meantime, he would clean up the mess and begin to make his reparations to his family. It was the least he could do to repay the kindness and forgiveness they had shown to a thickheaded, stubborn idiot such as himself.

He looked around the room as he prepared to leave, and felt an odd sense of peace. He knew he was still in trouble, but he hadn't been kicked out of the pack and that was all that mattered. He had time to make reparations and heal the wounds he had inflicted, and that was more than he had hoped for. In that respect, Tomo had been right. It wasn't okay, but eventually it would be.