InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Time Goes By; Life Goes On ❯ Free As A Bird ( Chapter 8 )

Chapter Eight:

Kagome woke to the delicious smell of bacon and eggs. Her stomach growling with acknowledgement of the aroma wafting into her room, and that only meant one thing. Her mom was already here, and against the grain of her mom and the doctor, Kagome waddled out of her room and into the kitchen. For the first time in days, she actually left the confines of her room, and she knew her mother would have a fit. However, she did not care. She was hungry and she couldn’t wait for her mom to bring it to her.

“Kagome, what in the world are you doing out of bed?” Her mom asked with a tone that said, you had better march your butt right back to your room and lay down. Ignoring the glare, Kagome continued her way to the kitchen table; with a small smile, she lowered her self carefully into the wooden kitchen chair. She took a careful glance at her mother, and she could see the warning look dance all over her mother’s face but again she simply ignored it. She was going to do things her way and no one was going to tell her otherwise. Not now anyways, as of now her heart was broken, her body is changing and her spirit was slowly dwindling. Now, was her time, a time for her to live for herself and her baby.

“Oh c’mon momma, I am just outside my room, and I thought we could eat in here today. But not only that I am tired of staying in bed watching TV day in and day out. I needed a change.” Kagome was trying to get her mother to see her side of the argument and though normally she would not have won such a trivial argument. Today proved to be her day, not only is she eating in the kitchen she will be lounging in the living room with strict orders to stay off her feet, at least until she goes to bed. It was a battle to say the least and fighting her mom was like fighting a brick wall, but as always, she prevailed and got her way.

“Kagome you know if you weren’t pregnant I would have carried you back to your room, but seeing as how you only have a few more weeks to go I can allow you this one day of freedom. But mark my words if you feel any pain or discomfort from being up you have to go back to your bed and stay there.”

“Okay mom, I get it. I will just lie on the couch and watch TV. I promise I will not do anything else,” Kagome said. She hated seeing her mother cater to her, so she devised a plan to make this as exciting as she could. Her mind was reeling with ways to get her mom out of the room so she could move about without much effort. She knew she was pushing the envelope but she was about to go crazy. The doctor had warned her about excessive moving or being on her feet too long could evoke labor but she was not worried. With her powers, she was sure she could take control. At least she hoped she could.

After breakfast, Kagome attempted to help clear the dishes only to find a stern face and a pointing finger demanding her to relinquish her duty and head to the living room. With a grunt and a small-frustrated groan, Kagome did as expected. Her feet shuffling on the carpet as she tried to pick up her heavy legs, but instead of heading to the couch, she changed direction and headed to the panoramic window that faced the city. She gingerly sat in the awaiting wing backed chair with a slight wince. Her body was reacting to the pregnancy and she could barely move, her ankles slightly swollen, her back was beginning to ache and her belly was much lower than the previous weeks. She knew it was closer to the time she could feel Isamu shifting positions and constantly kicking her womb with his small feet.

A small smile crossed her face as she watched two pigeons chase each other in an acrobatic form of tag. They were graceful and beautiful as they dove down toward the earth before changing directions and headed for the heavens. It was a sight she missed, the simplistic beauty of nature.

She envied the birds she watched. She had longed to be free like that. No one to tell her where to go, or what to do, in all of her years on this earth she had never loathed rules until now, and now she really did want to be a bird and fly away from all her troubles and strife. To see a different city every day, to smell the world for what it was, and most importantly, she wanted to be able to live again. As her inner rant wore on Kagome could feel tears of sadness well in her eyes, and in an instant she knew she was wishing on a far off star, because she would never be free, no instead she would be here in hell to care for a baby she was scared to love.

Kagome's mom watched from the entrance of the kitchen as Kagome battled with herself. She knew it was hard to leave all her friends and especially now since she is with child. Her heart hurt watching her daughters small frame heave with powerful yet silent sobs. With the grace of an angel Saya closed the gap between her and her despondent daughter and did what any mother would do, she wrapped her arms around the spasmodic girl and tried her best to comfort her.

They sat there by the window holding each other as tears ran down their faces. Saya had tried to stay strong for her daughter but she could not stop the few tears that escaped.

As the day wore on Kagome felt better and even became almost happy when the phone’s shrill sound broke through the happy laughter of mom and daughter.

“Hello?” Kagome sang into the receiver. She hadn’t been this happy in a long time. They had been talking about her childhood and the time she decided to make a Souta statue out of play-doh, and it turned out play-doh made more of a mess than a statue. Now for the first time she was excited about being a mother. They trials and tribulations that ensued would keep her and her mind busy.

“Hey sis, can I talk to mom?” Souta’s shrill excited voice came through. She had to pull the receiver away from her ear so she wouldn’t go deaf and she handed it to her still laughing mother.

“Hey Souta, what’s up?”

“Mom I need you to come home right away. There is something you need to see and you won’t believe it. But don’t tell Kagome,” Souta said hanging up the phone.

Saya’s heart skipped a beat; she had not heard her son so excited since the last time… ‘No it can’t be.’ Saya made an excuse about going to pick up Souta before rushing out the door.

Inuyasha led Sango and Miroku toward the shrine. That was the only place he knew to go that was safe and out of prying eyes. It was late when they finally arrived to the steps that led to the protected land. It had been too long since he set foot here and his heart became heavy with expectations. How he longed to be here again in her time with her, though he hated this time-with its smells and sounds- he did whatever he had to do to be near her.

Miroku and Sango gasped when they finally seen the shrine, and though it was much different from their time they knew it was home. Sango's eyes roamed the stairs and the top of the building that peaked above the horizon slowly; she had to take it all in. Even Miroku seemed to be enthralled by the site before them. They were home yes but it was eerily different. The house was where the old shrine had stood, the stairs have aged, but from the looks of it were still the original work the people from her time slaved to make. She tightly squeezed Miroku's hand that she just realized she was holding before heading up the stairs with her companions in tow.

Their legs pumped faster and faster as they reached the top of the stairs, their hearts keeping time. They just knew they would find Kagome here, her presence swallowed the place but they were soon to be disappointed.

Inuyasha’s heart cried as he reached the last step, ‘She’s not here! Her smell has all but vanished.’ His gold eyes immediately flew to her room. It had been forever since he had entered the window she had so conveniently left unlocked, perhaps awaiting his arrival. Like old times Inuyasha bound to her window and peered in while, his friends took in the all too familiar grounds.

Miroku wandered to the old well house looking around, before heading down the sloped land that led him to the place where their village once stood. With sad eyes, he followed the soft rolling of the land when he felt a hand on his shoulder.

“Is this where our village used to be?” Sango asked her voice matching his eyes.

“Yes I do believe so. You know you would think pieces of it would remain. It’s as if it never existed in the first place.” Miroku said placing his left hand over hers and giving it a small squeeze, “Well I guess we should find Inuyasha and make camp.” Miroku grabbed Sango's small-calloused hand into his larger one and led her back up the hill.

They stopped dead in their tracks when they no longer saw Inuyasha by the window where they left him. Their minds were calling him but their voices did not follow, and to anyone else they looked to be gasping for air as their mouths moved to inaudible sound.

Inuyasha sat on the floor with his back to her small twin bed. His head was hurting from the vigorous smelling he did but to no avail. She no longer used this room anymore and her lack of scent was proof that she was long gone, and with one last attempt, Inuyasha's body slumped to the floor with sadness. ‘How could this happen? How could she just leave here without a goodbye? How could I have been so stupid to come here, she is probably mad because I did not protect her and she was stuck here. Will I ever find her? Inuyasha's thoughts rambled through his head like useless noise. His heart broke and his soft sobs could be heard by no one but the walls that separated him from the rest of the house, and after a few minutes of mind-numbing sobs, he exited through the same window to find Miroku and Sango in a panic.

“Oi, what are you two doing?”

“We were looking for you. When we came back and you were not in the place where we left you we…panicked,” Sango said her eyes welling with tears of anger, and her body fighting to refrain from smacking him in the head, but Inuyasha was oblivious to the anger that radiated from her. All he was worried about was finding Kagome and then killing Naraku if they ever found him.

“Well we can’t stay here in the open; we need to hide until morning.” Inuyasha said heading to the same place Miroku and Sango had just parted.


As always Inuyasha was the first to awake with relief, the night had been uneventful, as it always was in her time. The tranquil area they chose to camp in slowly came to life with the sporadic chirp of a bird or a love song of a grasshopper, and if the situation had been different, he would have been happy to wake to such a beautiful morning. Not today, today he had to make his appearance at the shrine. He left Miroku, Sango and Kirara sleeping as he headed toward the house, but before he could get to the top of the hill, he saw Kagome's mother getting in her car and pulling out of the driveway.

Inuyasha did not know what to do, a part of him wanted to follow her and the other part wanted, no not wanted needed to stay here and get as much information as he could. After a short battle inside himself, he decided to stay and talk to Souta and perhaps the old man, as long as he kept the ofudas away from him.

Before he could even reach the door, Inuyasha heard a tiny mew at his feet and he lowered his head to meet the inquisitive eyes of Kirara. He could see her apprehension and fear that radiated off her, and for the first time she was scared and unsure of her surroundings. Not once since they had been in Kagome’s time had she even transformed into her larger form. That was something Inuyasha was grateful for, because she would be hard to hide if she did. Inuyasha tried to make her go back to the others but she would not budge, in fact she laid down at his feet and began preening herself. He knew then that she had every intention of going with him, and if she was here then Sango was not far behind.

As if on cue, Miroku and Sango appeared over the hill. They looked tired and like Kirara scared. This was all new to them and it showed. Inuyasha let out a huff and in a flash, he closed the gap between him and his friends.

“Oi, you two would be late for your own funeral,” ‘What? Where in the hell did that come from?’ Inuyasha remembered the time Kagome had so those very words to him, because he was too long coming to get her. Of course, he did not know what they meant at the time but after many questions, he got the jist of it and even knew when to use it.

“If it weren’t for this pervert we would have been here sooner,” Sango said glaring at Miroku. She loved him yes and now they both knew the depth of their love, but she was not ready for him to grope her freely. After all, it had only been a few days.

Inuyasha did not miss the flaming handprint that adorned Miroku’s usually flawless features, and he knew that one day this handprint would burn an everlasting impression on his left cheek,

“Damn pervert cant you keep your hands to yourself? I mean seriously what goes through that thick head of yours?” Inuyasha said as he tried to contain his laughter. It reminded him of the all the other times Miroku so freely groped other women in Sango’s presence and he remembered very well how that turned out.

“Look we don’t have time to waste with Miroku’s antics we have to find out where Kagome is,” Inuyasha said reaching for the door. But before anyone registered what was going on the door flew open a bright eyed and excited boy appeared.

“Inuyasha!” Souta yelled running back into the house with abandon. His mind was reeling with the sight he had just seen. ‘Could it really be Inuyasha? Souta thought as he skidded to a stop at the phone and almost yanked it out of the wall in his haste. He knew he had to call his mom and tell her, but he was worried about Kagome. The doctor had given her strict orders to stay in bed and if she knew Inuyasha was here then she would want to come as well.