InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ The Lucky Ones ❯ Chapter Forty-One ( Chapter 41 )

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

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Chapter Forty-One

The rocking of the subway car wasn't soothing the way a train ride could be. The constant stops and starts were jarring, as was the noise and smell, and, not for the first time, Kagome was thankful that Mariko was with her. As a bird-hanyou, she had remarkable eyesight but her hearing and sense of smell were no better than a human's. If Inuyasha had been with her, he would have been bothered by the loud sounds and stink of the trains. Then again if Inuyasha had been with her, she wouldn't even be on the subway in the first place. That was kinda the point.

Ever since her return from the hospital, after Yukio had told her how his meeting with Dr. Ishimoro had gone, and the threats and death of the private investigator, she'd been wracked with guilt. If only she had taken more of an interest in what was happening in Japan perhaps things wouldn't have gone so wrong. She knew the timeline as well as any of them; she knew when the trouble with Dr. Ishimoro would start, and she had chosen to remain blissfully oblivious to the events transpiring in Tokyo simply because it was easier for her to do nothing.

`And you left the handling of a delicate, human matter in the hands of a taiyoukai who regularly refers to humans as `peons.' His mating to Rin may have softened him up somewhat but woe betide anyone who gets in his way. Of course he was going to get nasty when the doctor refused to play along, and now the whole situation's a mess. A woman has lost her career and reputation, and a little girl has lost everything she's ever known. All because my impulsive hanyou had to scratch up her car. Oh, what I wouldn't have given to know then what I know now,' she thought sadly as the subway car screeched to a halt, then rumbled to a start again a minute later.

And so, because Kagome felt badly about what had happened, and ignoring her mate's insistence that the only reason she felt so guilty was because she was pregnant and `those damn hormones are acting up again,' she conspired to pay the woman a visit in hopes of… in hopes of…

`Well, you really didn't know what you were hoping to do. You just figured that you could at least try to do something,' she mentally sighed.

She conspired to pay the woman a visit, enlisting Mariko's help because she knew Mariko had the best chance of actually being able to make some good come from the whole debacle. Of all of her children, Mariko reminded her the most of Kaede. Probably because, like Kaede, Mariko was a miko. She was much more than that, actually. She had always been drawn to the spiritual path, and for years she had lived with Midorikyou in Zengo-Ji studying the ways of peace and healing. These days she was a practicing huna shaman, and a very powerful one at that. She taught and studied shamanism with others on the Hawaiian island of Kawaii.

There was an aura of peace around her that was palpable, and her unshakable calm helped Kagome remain focused and relaxed. Even now, she could feel her daughter's steady support and serenity seeping over into her and settling her down from everything that had happened. This was a good thing because if she stepped into the house smelling of upset and anger, Inuyasha was bound to figure out what she really had been doing.

`Not that he won't figure it out anyway. I can't hide anything from him for long. He is going to be so angry with me.'
She had told her mate that she and Mariko were going baby shopping and then out to lunch. Since Mariko wouldn't lie, however, she had to make sure that the promised shopping and lunch actually occurred, in addition to their little detour. Inuyasha knew his daughter's honesty and trustworthiness, so getting him to agree to a `girls only' outing was relatively easy, and she didn't tell Mariko about the other errand until after they had left the house. Mariko had given her a wry smile and a raised eyebrow, but had not tried to dissuade her from her plans.

They had taken the subway into the city, following the scribbled directions on the back of the sheet of paper with the doctor's address that she had hastily printed out one afternoon while her mate and eldest were busy elsewhere and thought she was napping.

`Hmph. They think pregnancy shrank my brain enough for me to forget how to do a web search. Chauvinistic jerks.'

They had found the correct apartment building and Mariko had used her miko powers to `harmonize' the door into unlocking for them so they could go inside. When they knocked on the apartment door, it had been opened by a bright-eyed little girl no more than eight years old and her first words to them had been:

"Wow! You're pretty. Mama, this lady has blue-green hair!"

Thus revealing in a single sentence that Dr. Ishimoro's daughter was Gifted and could see right through Mariko's concealment spell. Things went decidedly downhill from there.

Finding out that the doctor had a Gifted child should have come as no surprise. Even though she had vehemently professed that demons did not exist, she did so with the conviction of one who was trying to convince herself, and she had also known enough to threaten Inuyasha with purification. Kagome instantly felt pity for the poor woman who probably had no idea what to do with her daughter, and who most likely spent many hours trying to convince the child that what she was seeing was all in her head.

`Then we come along and shove it in her face that demons are real and her kid can see them.'

The next set of events were still a blur. Mariko crouching down to look the child in the eyes, her mother screeching and grabbing the little girl to yank her away, the little girl screaming… Dr. Ishimoro noticing that she was pregnant and her choice remarks about her baby's lineage...

Everything had just come crumbling down around her like a house of cards. She didn't even really remember what she had actually said. She knew she had apologized for what had happened and expressed her sorrow for how things had turned out. She knew that her apology had not been accepted, and that the doctor had threatened to charge them with trespassing (which would have been interesting because Sesshoumaru owned the real estate management company that owned the building.) She knew that, despite the doctor's valiant efforts to prevent it, the little girl did actually touch and talk to Mariko, although what the miko said to her was still unknown. She knew that the meeting had degenerated into a scene that had the neighbors peering out of their doors as the doctor screamed at her to `get out! Get Out! GET OUT!' Things got a little fuzzy after that and the only thing she concretely remembered was Mariko guiding her out of the building.

"Mama. I think this is our stop," Mariko said softly, bringing her out of her thoughts.

She looked up and read the station sign. "Ah…" she said, drawing a blank.

"You wanted to go to Daimaru to look at that new all-in-one car seat, bassinette and carrier they advertised," her daughter reminded.

"Oh. Yes, you're right. We do get off here."

Mariko helped her rise to her feet and toddle off the train, noting with some amusement how people got out of the way to let her pass.

`Excuse me, one beached whale coming through. Careful! Better get out of the way or she might give it to you,' she thought wryly, noting how many young women skittered nervously by. `That's right, girls, pregnancy is contagious. Run, I might sneeze on you and eight months later you'll look like this. If there was ever a case for responsible family planning, I am it. Ugh.'

"Are you all right, Mama?" Mariko asked, her delicate hand coming up to lightly grasp her by the elbow.

She looked down at the hand, noting that it was almost completely human except for the fact that it only had four fingers.

"I'm fine. Just my ankles acting up again," she explained as they climbed the stairs out of the subway. Young urban-something's whizzed by them; the lovely, thin, perfectly dressed women professionals giving her the widest berth.

"Psst, Mariko. Do you think I could make them trip faster up the stairs if I flashed my belly at them and yelled Boo?" she commented.

Mariko giggled, her red eyes flashing with mirth. "I don't know, Mama, but we can try."

"Nah. I don't want to be responsible for some poor girl breaking her neck as she tries to get away."

Her daughter snickered and supported her as they made it to the top of the stairs.

"Whew," she sighed, breathing heavily. "Gravity seems so much heavier when you're lugging around an extra 11kg."

"Do you want to sit down?" Mariko asked, pointing to a conveniently empty bench sticking out like a sore thumb amid the sea of people rushing to and fro.

`Probably one of Mariko's `intentions.' She wished for a place for me to sit and *poof* there it was. I don't think I'll ever get used to her doing those kinds of things. I never did them. Then again, I've never walked on hot coals either.'

Gratefully she sank down onto the metal seat and Mariko sat next to her, the loose folds of her long dress pooling around her legs.

"Well, I don't think we accomplished anything," she commented, looking up at the tall office buildings around her.

"Yes we did. We were able to talk to that little girl. Now Risa knows that she isn't imagining things," Mariko countered.

"Is that what you told her?"

"Basically. She is very strong for such a little child. Kami wants her badly. In time she'll find her way to the Path in spite of her mother's fear and prejudice. For now at least she knows she's not alone."

"Other than that, then."

"It's enough. It's why we went there. You knew nothing would come of a meeting between you. Now she will be healed by her daughter when she is ready to be healed. There is much good in that," Mariko said.

"True. And I do feel better even if things did go so badly. At least now I know I did what I could and the rest is out of my hands."

"Exactly. All you can do is send them love and trust that everything will work out for the best."

She nodded then moved to stand. "I'm ready."

Mariko steadied her as she rose to her feet and they continued down the block to the department store.

"Did I want to look for a stroller?" she asked, spotting a display on the way to the elevator.

"Do you need one? I thought you had decided to use the one Mama-baachan bought you."

"Yeah, that is a nice stroller."

"Besides, don't you think it's funny that the same stroller Yukio once rode in as a baby will carry your youngest now? I myself love the irony in that."

She snickered. "Yeah, I do love that."

Two hours, one car seat/bassinette/carrier combo, two bags of baby clothes and a Diaper Genie later, they left the store in search of lunch. Mariko, by nature of her bird-youkai lineage, was a vegetarian so the usual haunts such as WacDonalds and Mos Burger were out, much to Kagome's distress because she was craving another juicy side of cow. Instead she had to settle for beef teriyaki at a bento shop.

They were making their way to the picnic area of a nearby park, Mariko helpfully carrying their lunch, when voices called out her name from somewhere behind her.

"Higurashi?"

"Kagome-chan?"

`Houjou? Yuka?' she thought suddenly, recognizing her junior high school classmates.

She gingerly turned around to face them and was surprised to see not only Houjou and Yuka, but Eri and Ayumi as well.

"It is you, Higurashi. I thought I'd recognized you but I wasn't certain," Houjou enthused, then his eyes opened wide when he saw her `delicate condition.'

Self-consciously she put her hands on her swelling womb and forced a smile. "Houjou-kun. Yuka-chan. Eri-chan. Ayumi-chan," she greeted.

Ayumi rushed forward and took her hands. "Kagome-chan, it is so good to see you. We haven't seen you since graduation!"

`And I haven't seen you in 450 years,' she thought sadly, squeezing her friend's hands as the others clustered around her. Mariko looked askance at her, but stood silently at her shoulder. `Who do I tell them she is? Hi guys, this is Mariko. She's my daughter. Oh and by the way, I'm over four centuries old.'

"Another baby, Kagome-chan?" Yuka asked leadingly, ignoring Ayumi's glare.

"Yeah. I'm due next month."

"Next month?! That means you were…" Eri gasped.

"Pregnant at graduation. Yeah," she replied sheepishly. There was no sense in denying it because then she would have to explain.

"You hid it very well, Kagome," Ayumi commented, her eyes asking questions.

`She knows I wasn't pregnant at graduation.'

"It was the gown. That gown hid everything, and I was only six months then and not nearly as big as I am now."

Eri looked at her shrewdly. "This means you have two children now, Kagome?"

She beamed and tried to look as happy as she felt inside. "Yes. Yukio and this little one." `And 26 others. One of whom is named after you.'

"Where is Yukio, Kagome-chan? Is he with Inuyasha?" Ayumi asked.

She nodded. "Yes. He's with Inuyasha."

"He must be getting so big!"

`You have no idea.' "Yes, growing like a weed."

"Aren't you going to go to college, Kagome?" Yuka asked.

"I haven't decided yet," she lied. `Actually. I've been to college. Four times to be precise. And to medical school. I have degrees in medicine, homeopathic medicine, biology, physiology, obstetrics and pediatrics.'

"Is Inuyasha taking care of you, Higurashi?" Houjou interjected, his eyes fixated on her naked ring finger.

She gave him a sad smile. "Yes, Houjou-kun, Inuyasha is taking very good care of me." `I want for nothing. I have four beautiful houses that he built for me and more money than the Gross National Product of some small countries.'

"You told me he would do right by you," the young man said, his eyes flashing disapproval for the first time she had ever seen.

"He is. He's a licensed architect now. We're getting married next year."

"Married?!" Eri cried. "Oh, I hope you ask me to be in your wedding, Kagome-chan!"

`Uh… shit what do I do now?'

"Me too, Kagome-chan," Yuka added.

"And me!" Ayumi piped in.

She was getting nervous and trying to think of a way out when Mariko saved her gracefully.

"Kagome-chan," her daughter said, calling her by her given name for the first time. "Our lunch is getting cold."

All eyes turned to Mariko who indicated the bento boxes she carried. Kagome, of course, saw her daughter in her true form: teal feathers instead of hair, a beak where her nose and mouth should be, four clawed fingers on each hand and scarlet eyes. The others, however, saw only the image projected by her concealment spell, that of a young Polynesian woman.

"Ah Mariko, yes. We should find a place to sit and eat," she agreed, grateful for the excuse.

"Oh! We were going to get lunch too!" Yuka said. "We can get bento boxes and join you. It's been so long since we've seen you, Kagome-chan."

"Ah…" She didn't have the heart to tell them no, and in truth she was oddly glad to see them. They were a reminder of a time long past, when she was still young and innocent in many ways, and untouched by grief and hardship. "That… that would be very nice."

Ayumi took out a handful of bills from her purse and gave them to Eri. "Here. You know what I like, Eri. I'll stay here with Kagome-chan."

"Oh, okay," the girl replied, looking at the money.

"We'll just be up at that picnic table over there," Ayumi said, pointing to an empty table not far away.

"Okay, we'll be back in a few minutes," Yuka agreed, and the three of them went off to get the lunches.

Ignoring Mariko, Ayumi grabbed her arm as soon as the others were out of hearing range and ushered her towards the table.

"Kagome-chan, you were not pregnant at graduation. What is going on?"

"Oh Ayumi, it is so good to see you. There is so much to tell you and you wouldn't believe half of it," she sighed sadly.

"I believed you when you told me that Inuyasha was a hanyou and so was Yukio. Where is he? And where is Inuyasha? He never left your side when we were in school."

Kagome sank down onto the bench as Mariko put the bento boxes on the table.

"I didn't lie. Yukio really is with Inuyasha. They are together while I'm out with Mariko."

Ayumi turned to Mariko and looked at her. "Are you a friend of Kagome-chan's?"

Mariko smiled softly. "In a manner of speaking."

"Ayumi… Mariko is my daughter." There, she had admitted it.

"Your daughter? Kagome how can…"

"Ayumi. You were right, I wasn't pregnant at graduation, but shortly after my eighteenth birthday, the well at my family's shrine closed and I was trapped on the other side," she explained.

"The well leading to Inuyasha's time?"

Kagome nodded. "Yes. The Sengoku Jidai."

She could see Ayumi puzzling out what she had said, her brow furrowing. "You were trapped in the past, Kagome-chan? For how long?"

"Four hundred and fifty years," she answered truthfully.

"Four hundred and fifty years! Kagome-chan that's… that's…"

"Impossible?" she supplied helpfully.

Ayumi blinked. "Yeah."

"I told you you wouldn't believe me," she replied with a shrug.

"But… but… how?" her friend asked helplessly.

"That's a long story, Ayumi-chan. All I can really tell you right now before Yuka and the others get back is that the Shikon jewel had a lot to do with it. For you, you haven't seen me since graduation, but for me, I haven't seen any of you for over four centuries."

Ayumi slumped to the bench next to her. "Wow. So…"

"I'm over four hundred years old and Yukio is all grown up now."

"He is?" She sounded so sad.

"Yes, he is."

"I'll bet he grew up to be as handsome as Inuyasha."

She heard Mariko snicker but ignored her.

"Yes, Yukio is very handsome," she confirmed.

"And Mariko is your daughter?"

She nodded. "Yes. Like Yukio, she is an adopted hanyou. Inuyasha and I have raised many of them over the years. Thirty-three in all."

"Thirty-three! Kami-sama, Kagome! That's too many! How did you raise so many?"
Kagome laughed. "We didn't have them all at once, and they were spread out over two centuries. Besides, people brought their unwanted hanyou children to us. If we hadn't taken them, they would have been killed or abandoned and left to die."

Ayumi flinched. "Oh how horrible!"

"We had so many because that's how many were brought to us. We weren't about to turn one away. Sometimes it was hard, but we always made do and Inuyasha was a good provider."

"I remember how protective he was of you."

She patted her belly. "Even more so now that we're expecting this little one. I'm lucky if I can go to the bathroom without him."

Ayumi giggled. "Inuyasha must be so excited."

She nodded. "Oh yes, he is. This is the first child of ours who will be born into our family instead of brought to us."

"You mean… this is your first pregnancy, Kagome?"

She felt a twinge of grief for the babies she had lost and rubbed her womb. The child inside her took the opportunity to kick at her hand and let her know that he did not appreciate being disturbed.

"The first I've ever carried this long. I had four others but I miscarried."

Ayumi bit her lip and looked apologetic. "Oh, Kagome-chan, I'm so sorry."

"Mama," Mariko interrupted, then tapped the bento box containing her lunch. "Papa will be angry with me if I don't make sure you eat."

Kagome rolled her eyes but smiled and opened the box. "Yes, yes."

Ayumi just giggled again. "I can't imagine anyone calling Inuyasha `Papa,'" she admitted.

She popped a piece of shumai into her mouth and swallowed it with a happy sigh. "They call him all kinds of things, not all of which can be repeated in public."

Both Ayumi and Mariko chuckled.

"Is Inuyasha really an architect?" Ayumi asked.

She nodded, grateful to be able to tell the truth. "Yes. He's been designing houses since the Sengoku Jidai actually, but he became licensed after he graduated from college back in the late-1800's. He took a refresher a few years ago on modern building techniques and got re-certified."

Ayumi laughed. "I can't imagine Inuyasha in a classroom."

She smiled. "He's mellowed quite a bit over the years. He did very well in school. He's very smart and much better at maths than me."

"Did you go to school too, Kagome-chan?"

She nodded, taking a sip of her miso soup. "More than once. I became a pediatrician and practiced medicine in Canada for a long time."

"Canada? A pediatrician? Kagaome-chan!"

"We moved to Canada in 1922. We didn't want to be in Japan when…"

She trailed off and it took Ayumi a moment, but then her eyes opened wide. "Oh. Oh, yes. That… that was a good idea."

She nodded. "We've been back to visit a few times since the 1960's and some of our children moved back here permanently, but we haven't been in Japan for over twenty-five years. We didn't want to risk running into our younger selves."

Ayumi shook her head. "It's so confusing, Kagome-chan. It's almost too much!"

She gave her friend a sympathetic smile. "I know. It's hard for me sometimes and I've lived it."

Ayumi nodded and looked like she was going to say more but Kagome touched her arm and stopped her because she saw the others coming back.

"Oh it is such a lovely day!" Yuka commented as she, Houjou and Eri returned with their lunches. "Here, Ayumi-chan," she added, handing Ayumi her bento box and her change.

"Thank you, Yuka-chan."

"Okay, let's eat!" the girls said in unison, the same way they used to when they were all together in Junior High and had nothing more serious to worry about than what to do with their hair.

`I was so naïve back then,' she thought, watching her friends eat and talk about what colleges they would be going to and their new boyfriends.

As it turned out, Yuka and Houjou had become something of an `item' and for that she was happy. Houjou had pined for her for so long and it was good that he was moving on, although he seemed reluctant to admit that in her presence.

About an hour or so after she had finished eating, the events of the long day finally caught up with her and she began to feel very fatigued. Mariko noticed her weariness immediately and called a hasty ending to the impromptu picnic.

"I am sorry, but Kagome is very tired and we must be getting home," her daughter said gently, rising to her feet and offering a helping hand.

"Yeah," she agreed and accepted the help in standing and balancing on her legs.

The others stood as well and the empty bento boxes were gathered to be thrown away.

"It was so good to see you, Kagome-chan," Eri told her. "We must do it again. Are you staying in Tokyo now?"

"Until the baby is born, yes, we're here in Tokyo."

"Then I'll call sometime next week and we'll get together for lunch again."

She nodded. "That would be nice."

"I'll call too, Kagome-chan," Ayumi added, a knowing look in her eyes.

"I look forward to it," she answered, then turned to Mariko and offered her arm.

Mariko took her hand and supported her as they began to disband.

"Take care, Kagome-chan!" Eri said.

"I will."

"Be sure to tell Inuyasha that I am happy for the both of you," Houjou commented.

"I will. Thank you, Houjou-kun."

"Be careful of your health," he reminded, making her smile.

"I won't forget," she promised.

"Be safe, all of you," Mariko said and Kagome was pretty sure none of them recognized it for the Blessing it was.

The others waved good-bye as they went their separate ways, and she and Mariko headed for home.

"I wonder if the delivery man has delivered the stuff we bought at Daimaru yet," she commented.

Mariko looked at her watch. "The store manager said they would deliver before four. It's 2:45 now."

She frowned. "So probably not."

"As long as it arrives before the baby what does it matter?"
"True."

Bakin, the groundskeeper, putted up the driveway in his golf cart to meet them as they arrived at the gate to Tokyo House. Mariko had called ahead so the lizard-youkai would know when to expect them. Kagome was glad for the ride because her ankles were swollen and really starting to bother her.

"So? What trouble have my boys gotten into while I was gone?" she asked wearily.

"All's been quiet Kagome-sama. Well, except for the garage."

She groaned. "What now? Is my mate rebuilding another motorcycle?"

Bakin shook his head. "No, Senpai. It's not Inuyasha-sama, but Miroku-sama and Yukio-sama."

"Miroku? Miroku is in the garage for a reason other than to remove a vehicle?"

The groundskeeper nodded. "Hai. Yukio-sama appears to be giving him lessons in vehicle maintenance as part of his penance for challenging him."

She choked, then laughed. "Oh this I gotta see!"

Bakin putted them up to the garage and they got out. Kagome thanked him and he drove off to put his cart in the storage shed. She heard the commotion from the open garage bay as she and Mariko approached, and peeped in on the scene before them.

Yukio was leaning under the open hood of the rebuilt Aston Martin while Miroku sat on a stool beside the car, dressed in old blue jeans and a sleeveless shirt. He had his hair tied back and was wiping his hands frantically on a rag.

"But Aniki!" he was complaining.

"Shut up. You wanna be a playboy and have a hot car, you gotta learn how to take care of it," came Yukio's muffled voice from under the hood.

"Why?!"

Yukio stood up straight. "Because it does a man good to get his hands dirty every now and then."

"But I'm a history professor not a mechanic!"

Yukio thwapped his brother on the head with the wrench he was holding. "Nothing I'm going to teach you is complicated. Even Okaa-san can do this stuff."

"But... But..."

Yukio whacked him lightly again. "You will learn how to change the oil." Thwack. "You will learn how to flush the radiator." Thwack. "You will learn how to replace the windshield wipers." Thwack. "You will even learn how to change a flattire."

"Nooooo! I've got roadside assistance for that!"

"Wimp!"

Kagome couldn't stop the giggle that escaped her lips and both inu-hanyou's looked her way.

"Okaa-san," Yukio greeted happily.

"Mama! Help me! I have grease on my hands!" Miroku pleaded.

She shook her head. "Yukio has the right to demand it of you."

Miroku flattened his ears and looked pitiful but she remained firm. "We've spoiled you for too long. It's about time you started toughening up a bit."

Her youngest inu-hanyou just whined.

"Hah!" Yukio crowed. "See, even Okaa-san agrees with me. Spoiled little rich kid no more, otouto!"

Kagome smiled then sighed. "Well, I'll leave you to it. I need to go get off my feet."

"Because you've overdone it again," Inuyasha's irritated voice said from beside her.

She jumped a little because she hadn't known he was there and turned her head to face him. He was glaring at her with his arms crossed over his chest.

"It's almost three. You were supposed to be back an hour ago."

She blushed. "I'm sorry. We ran into Eri, Yuka, Ayumi and Houjou after we left Daimaru and they joined us for lunch in the park."

He took a deep sniff and growled in a way that made her cringe.

"I smell engine grease on you, and fuel fumes, and that god awful crap they clean the train stations with. Where have you been, Kagome?" he demanded.

`Oh shit...'

He sniffed her again and his expression darkened even further. "You were on the subway. Don't try to deny it, Kagome."

She didn't, but she also didn't answer him either. In truth she didn't know what to say. She knew she couldn't tell him the whole truth and admit that she'd gone to see Dr. Ishimoro. He'd go completely ballistic and she knew it.

"Damnit, Kagome! What were you doing on the subway in your condition?" He turned his ire on his daughter. "And you! I trusted you to take care of your mother. It was the only reason I let her go out without me. I had confidence that you would make sure she stayed safe."

Mariko blinked at him, her expression neutral, then she waved one four-fingered hand at her mother.

"And here she is, unharmed and whole. We were perfectly safe at all times."

He growled deep and low. "And just what was it that you were doing that you had to ride the subway? You were supposed to go baby shopping and out to lunch."

"And these things we did do," Mariko confirmed. "Now please, Mama is very tired and she has had a very long day. She needs to go lie down and rest for a while."

Inuyasha scowled but acquiesced. "Don't think this is over, Kagome."

She smiled at him and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "I love you, koi. A delivery man from Daimaru is supposed to arrive later this afternoon to bring the things we bought today."

He growled. "All right. I'll be sure to let him in the gate when he gets here. Does all of it go in the pup's room?"

She nodded. "Yes. Thank you."

With that, she took her leave and moved to enter the house and go upstairs to her and Inuyasha's bedroom. He was at her side immediately, supporting and guiding her up the stairs. As they walked down the hall, they passed the room that would be the baby's after it was born and she paused to look in the doorway.

The room was small but bright and cheerful. It had a large East-facing window with a built-in sitting nook. Yukio's crib was off to the left and his stroller was folded against the wall. A diaper changing table, a set of shelves, and a large chest of drawers plus a beautiful hand-carved nursing rocking chair made up the remainder of the furniture in the nursery. A cute mobile of different breeds of dogs dangled over the crib, and a huge assortment of stuffed animals and baby toys took up one of the shelves along the wall.

Kagome rubbed her womb and stepped into the room quietly.

"Kagome?" Inuyasha asked.

"It's okay," she assured him and moved to sit on the thick cushion in the sitting nook.

"You know I'm just worried about you and the pup, right?" he told her, sitting next to her with his ears drooped a bit. "I don't mean to yell."

She smiled softly. "I know. My over-protective hanyou."

He snorted. "Damn right. With the amount of trouble you get into? You're lucky I let you out of my sight."

"I'm fine. I wasn't alone. Mariko was there to help me if I needed it."

"Hah! Fat lot of good she did you. She let you get on the subway for Kami-sake!"

She sighed and rolled her eyes. "Inuyasha you are making too much of a big deal out of that. We only stayed on the subway for six stops. It was fine."

"Six stops? Kagome, where did you go?"

She sighed again, but he gave her his `stubborn dog face' and crossed his arms.

"Please, Inuyasha. I'm tired."

His face softened into an expression of pain and disappointment. "Why don't you want to tell me, Kagome? You know you're only making me worry."

"If I tell you, you'll just get mad at me, and I'm too tired and stressed out to deal with one of your snits right now," she replied peevishly.

"And I'm too pissed off and worried to deal with one of yours," he snapped back.

They glared at each other for several moments, then the baby kicked and she gave a little gasp of pain.

"Kagome?" Inuyasha asked, his face concerned, all his ire forgotten.

She rubbed the spot that hurt and frowned. "It's nothing. The pup just decided to practice kickboxing."

Inuyasha snickered and rubbed her womb. "Hey you in there. Quit kicking your mother."

She felt the child inside her move towards the voice and smiled.

"It's amazing how he reacts to the sound of your voice, Inuyasha."
Inuyasha beamed at her. "Four more weeks and we'll get to see if we have another son or if it's a little girl."

She nodded, then frowned as she remembered something.

"Inuyasha, has Izayoi said anything to you about what Tetsu Saw at the reunion?"

"You mean when he was an idiot and let go of Jyu-shi-Kenshuga?"

"Yes."

He shook his head. "No, neither of them have said anything to me."

Her frown deepened. "I was hoping he'd talk to her about it. I don't think he told us everything he Saw."

"He insisted that the pup was born alive, Kagome. What more could we want to know?"

`If I survive. Tetsu said he saw the baby born alive. He didn't say anything about me coming out of the birth okay,' she thought.

"I don't know. I was hoping my false labor was part of what had him upset, but I don't think that was it. He asked a lot of questions after I was released from the hospital, and in hindsight I wonder if he wasn't trying to figure something out. I remember he kept asking if everything had been done to make sure I and the baby were okay. Izayoi kept telling him that she was sure they had done all the standard tests and he shouldn't worry."

Inuyasha shrugged. "She's a nurse. She should know. I'm more concerned about that damn baboon-youkai doctor. He just irritates me."

She giggled. "You don't like him because Naraku wore a baboon skin."

He shook his head. "It's not just that. He's just… I don't know. I just don't like him. He touches you like he knows you and he treats you like a little girl."

"And we already talked to Dr. Maggiano and she said Dr. Hattori has been practicing youkai obstetrics for a hundred years. She has the utmost respect and faith in him and I trust her judgment," she reminded.

"I dunno. He seems a little young to have been practicing medicine for 100 years," he grumbled.

"And you don't look a day over nineteen," she countered.

"I've stopped aging," he pointed out.

"Don't bring logic into this. I'm eight months pregnant."

He grinned. "Yes, you are." He kissed her. "And you've never been more beautiful."

"Oh great. I'm bloated to the size of a small house. I haven't seen my feet for over a month. I'm tired, cranky and achy all the time. This kid regularly uses my insides for boxing practice. And you think I'm beautiful."

He waggled his eyebrows. "Absolutely. After the pup is born, I'm going to get you one of those pregnancy pads that make you look like you're carrying a pup when you're really not."

"You're twisted. You know that, right?"

He snickered then they both looked up to see Mariko standing in the doorway.

"Is something wrong?" she asked her daughter.

"There's a phone call for Papa," the miko replied.

"From who?" he demanded.

"Uncle."

"Sesshoumaru?"

Mariko nodded and Inuyasha sighed. "I'd better go see what he wants now."

He lifted himself up from the sitting nook and left the room. Mariko stayed behind and explored the nursery.

"This room is beautiful," her daughter commented.

"Thank you."

The presence of Mariko in the baby's room reminded her of the earlier conversation with Inuyasha.

`She is a shaman. Sometimes she can See like Tetsu can, although it's not quite the same…'

"Mariko, do you get any sense of what is going to happen with the baby?" she asked.

Mariko gave her a confused look. "How do you mean?"

"Have you Seen anything regarding the birth? Anything I should know?"

"Like Tetsu's visions?"

She nodded. "Yes. Have either he or Izayoi said anything to you about what he Saw?"

Mariko shook her head. "No."

"Do you get any feelings about it?" she pressed.

"Only that Tetsu is right and the baby is born alive."

"What about me? Do you sense that I'm all right as well?

Mariko looked at her for a long time, then her eyes slid away and she looked pensive. "The way ahead is dangerous but I sense nothing terrible. There is potential there, however it has not yet been realized. Not all is set in stone at this time."

She frowned. "Mariko. You know if anything happens to me, your father will be affected as well," she reminded.

Mariko blanched visibly, and it disturbed her to see the usually calm and poised miko show such emotion.

"I know."

"If something does happen to us, you have to make sure that the others get through it. You of all of my children will have the fortitude to guide them. Yukio will be a wreck. You'll have to look after him…"

Mariko waved her hand and cut her off. "All will be well, Mama. Be at ease."

The words brought her only a small measure of comfort because Mariko had refused to use negatives. That meant she had intended the statement to be a Blessing and not just a mere reassurance that everything would be fine.

Someone stomping down the hall interrupted their conversation as a very pissed off Inuyasha stormed back in.

"You wanna tell me why one of Sesshoumaru's sentries saw you two leaving the apartment building of that bitch doctor today?" he demanded.

Now it was her turn to blanch and she sighed.

`Well, it stayed a secret for all of half an hour…'

"You had me followed?" she countered.

"No, I didn't. Sesshoumaru has people watching the building to make sure she does what she's supposed to."

"Oh, like getting out of Japan?" she responded testily.

"Yes, and staying the hell away from your family. Now answer the fucking question."

Mariko opened her mouth to answer but Kagome stopped her. The trip had been her idea and she would take the blame for it.

"I went to see her."

Her bold-faced admission took him off-guard, and his mouth dropped open for a moment before he rallied with renewed anger.

"You did what?"

"Well somebody had to after the way she was treated," she replied, getting angry herself.

"What?!" he sputtered and she could almost see the veins popping on his forehead.

"That woman lost her job and her home just because you couldn't keep your temper, Inuyasha. What Sesshoumaru did to her wasn't right," she told him.

"You're joking! Pregnancy has made you insane," he countered.

"How am I insane, Inuyasha? You were the one who gouged her car and threatened her life. She had every right to seek compensation for that."

"She wouldn't take the settlements!" he insisted. "Sesshoumaru offered her two and she refused both! She kept trying to file charges and she even hired someone to trail you at your school!"

She snapped. "Yes, a private investigator that Sesshoumaru ordered killed!"

"He was following you!"

"So what? For that Sesshoumaru had him eliminated? Was he even given a chance to back out? Since when do we condone murder?"

"We were protecting you! All he had to do was take pictures of you with Yukio and you would have gotten thrown out of school."
"That wasn't worth a man's life. I'd rather have been kicked out of high school than live with a man's death on my conscience!"

He took a deep breath and backed down a little which surprised her, then she looked at Mariko and saw her standing with her hands together and her fingertips to her lips.

`Probably trying to Project calm…'

"Okay, okay. You're right about the P.I. If I'd known about it ahead of time, I would have interfered, but the truth is Kagome we were in Alberta and neither of us knew what was going on," he admitted.

"Exactly. You left this situation in the hands of your ruthless, narcissistic brother."

"Well what were we supposed to do? We couldn't come back the Japan to handle it ourselves because our younger selves were still here. Besides, it wasn't like it started out nasty. Sesshoumaru offered her ten million yen in the beginning and she slapped him with a civil suit. You know he wasn't going to stand for that," he argued.

"She was within her rights to file charges."

"And do what? Drag you into court?" he snapped. "Two things could have happened, Kagome. One, the court date could have been set for before the well closed and you would have had to go testify. You would have had to Seal me to keep me away or I would have come in with you and caused trouble. You know how I was back then. Or two, the court date could have been set for after the well was sealed, and we would have had to come back to Japan from Alberta.

"In both cases she would have had to testify that I damaged her car and threatened her life. Unless she wanted to lie, she would have had to admit that I'd done the damage with my bare hands, and accuse me of being a hanyou, which would have gotten her medical license revoked and her ass committed for delusions.

"At least this way, she gets to keep her career, gets a nice cushy settlement and free airfare to wherever the fuck she wants to go. And we don't get slammed for something I did 450 years ago. Please explain to me what your problem is with that."

She shook her head and clenched her fists. "I don't know. It's just not right. It's not right that she should lose everything and her little girl have to suffer because of it. It's not right that that poor man was killed. What if he had a family? People who depended on him? Our family abused its power and destroyed more than one life because we didn't want to be inconvenienced."

"And none of it would have happened if she'd taken the fucking settlement to begin with!" he yelled.

"Peace! Peace!" Mariko interrupted and they both looked at her. "What is done is done. All we can do now is send her love and pray that her new life will prove to be happier. Perhaps this needed to happen for her to be able to move on. In the end, this may very well be the best thing that's ever happened to her or her daughter. As for the poor soul who was killed, there is nothing we can do for him now. If you so desire, I will investigate if he has family and do what I can to see to it that they are provided for."

"Anonymously," Inuyasha insisted firmly. "I don't want our family dragged any further into this shit."

Mariko nodded. "Of course."

"So did it help?" he asked Kagome suddenly.

"Huh?" she replied.

"Did going to see that bitch help? Did she forgive you? Did she say she was sorry? Or did she just tell you to fuck off?"

Kagome blushed and looked at her hands. "She just yelled and told me to fuck off."

Inuyasha snorted. "I thought so."

She raised her eyes to look at him. "But I felt better. Once my nerves settled down, that is. I knew that I had done what I could to try to help the situation. Besides, we met her little girl and found out she's Gifted. Mariko was able to talk to her for a few moments."

Inuyasha let out a mirthless laugh. "Now don't that beat all. Probably tells the kid she's hallucinating all the time. Maybe someone should charge her with emotional abuse of a child."

Kagome didn't grace his comment with a reply. Instead she looked out the window at the birds in the backyard.

`Kami-sama I'm tired.'

"I'm still mad at you," Inuyasha's voice said coldly, drawing her attention back to him.

"You didn't tell me where you were going because you knew I'd object so you just went behind my back. I really hate that Kagome. You put yourself and the pup in danger and I'm very upset about that," he continued when she met his hard gaze.

"Mariko was with me. I knew she would keep me safe," she replied in her own defense, but she was starting to feel badly about deceiving him. She knew his anger was hiding a deeper hurt.

"That's not the point."

"I know and I'm sorry. Ever since Yukio told me about what happened at the Public Prosecutor's Office, I've felt horribly about it. Our family is honorable and respected here. It wasn't right how we used our influence to bully her. What if the tables had been turned and it had been you or me that was being treated so poorly? Would you have backed down if someone was trying to intimidate and threaten you?"

He scowled but didn't answer, and she knew he couldn't argue because he would have done the same thing if he had been in Dr. Ishimoro's position.

"It was wrong of me to go behind your back, but I knew you wouldn't let me go if I told you, and it was something I needed to do. I took Mariko because she had the best chance of being able to help the situation. I did my best to make sure I stayed safe and didn't risk myself or the baby. And I didn't. I'm just very tired right now."

"I can attest to that, Papa. Mama was safe the entire time. She stayed calm even when Dr. Ishimoro started screaming at her," Mariko added.

"She screamed at you?" he asked, his eyes flashing rage.

She waved it off. "A little. She wasn't at all happy to see me or the fact that I was pregnant."

His face darkened. "I can imagine. Did she... did she touch you?"

"No. She never came anywhere near me."

"I wouldn't have allowed it," Mariko assured him.

"I thought it was funny when she said she'd charge us with trespassing. Sesshoumaru owns the management company who takes care of that building," she commented.

"I know."

She smiled softly. "Then we ran into Yuka, Eri, Ayumi and Houjou. Yuka and Houjou are dating. I'm very happy for them. I told them we were getting married and they wanted to be in the wedding."

"Keh. Oh, that'll be fun." He scowled. "And don't change the subject on me, wench! I'm still mad at you."

She frowned and looked at her hands.

"I'm sorry. I don't know what else to say. I wouldn't have done it differently, though. I would have gone regardless."

"I know. That's because you're as stubborn as I am. This pup is going to be the most hard-headed kid on the planet if he gets both of our stubborn-streaks from us."

She offered him her hand. "But we always work it out. We'll admit when we're wrong when we have to. I know it's rare, but it has happened on occasion."

He accepted her hand and held it tight. His body language told her that he was still upset, but that had more to do with her deceit and his worry about her safety than actual anger.

"Rare occasions," he admitted, then glared at her. "Don't ever go behind my back like that again Kagome."

"If I had come to you ahead of time, would you have let me go?"

He sighed. "I won't lie. I would have said no. But if you had insisted I would not have stopped you. I've never been able to deny you anything, Kagome. But this time you didn't even give me the chance. You just did what you wanted, regardless of my feelings and went behind my back."

`And that's the real issue here.'

"I know. I'm sorry. That was wrong of me."

He huffed and glared for another few moments, then softened when she yawned.

`He never could stay mad at me,' she thought with an inward smile as he brushed the hair from her brow with his free hand.

"You should go lie down. You're tired and I know you overtaxed yourself today."

"Yes, I ought to," she agreed.

He tugged on her hand and braced her under the arm with the other as he helped her stand up. Mariko came over and gave her a kiss on the cheek.

"Sleep well, Mama. I'll be here when you get up."

"I will. Thank you for your help and support today."

"Always, Mama. I'll see you later."

"Okay."

Her daughter left the room as Inuyasha escorted her into the hall.

"You should probably go supervise those two in the garage before they damage something. While it might be a good idea for Miroku to learn how to take care of his cars, you and I both know he's all thumbs when it comes to anything mechanical," she told him.

"Yukio has it under control, although I should go make sure he's not letting Miroku do anything to that engine that he shouldn't be. It took me long enough to get that piece of crap running," he replied.

She smiled and toddled to their bedroom.

"What do you want to do about dinner?" Inuyasha asked.

"Aren't Eri and Rumiko coming over? We were going to go out."

He nodded. "Will you be up to it?"

"I think so," she answered, sitting down on the bed.

"All right then," he replied, kneeling down on one knee to help her take off her shoes. "We'll decide where we'll go after you wake up."

She yawned as she pulled her large maternity dress over her head. "Good idea."

He handed her a billowy cotton nightgown and she slipped it on; lying down to curl on her side as Inuyasha pulled the covers up around her shoulders.

"Sleep well, koi," he whispered as he kissed her on the temple.

"Mmmmm. Love you," she sighed as she let sleep take her.

"I love you too. I'm still mad, but I'll let you make it up to me later," he murmured suggestively, with a lick to her earlobe.

She gave his hand a gentle squeeze and smiled.

"Hentai dog."

She didn't hear his answer because she was already asleep.