Always and Forever

It had finally ended. After months of agonizing, excruciating battles, each one leaving Inuyasha and his companions closer and closer to their demises, the demon known as Naraku had been destroyed. Kikyo's previous death fifty years ago had finally been avenged, as well as the fatality of Kohaku, Sango's younger brother. To Kagome, the destruction of Naraku was a miracle. For the first time in a long time, she was able to sleep at night without worrying nearly as much as she used to. Oh, there were still demons that were after the sacred Shikon jewel, but many of the gem's pursuers were too afraid to even attempt to take it, for the infamous Inuyasha was now its protector. It was the least he could do, he thought, for letting Kikyo die. Finally giving up on his attempt to become a youkai for now, Inuyasha had decided to take a break from his adventures and remain in the village from whence he came: the village where he and Kikyo once resided together, but where he now felt that he was alone, even though he was surrounded by friends. In an attempt to make him feel more at home in Kaede's village, some of the townspeople helped to build Inuyasha his own hut to live in. Once it was completed, however, they were utterly disappointed because he spent hardly any time in it. Most of his nights were spent high up in the trees, and during the day, he could be found either roaming throughout the countryside or spending time with Kagome, who he'd grown even closer to after Naraku's death. Inuyasha had finally come to the conclusion that it was Kagome who had made it possible to defeat Naraku. Without her, he never would have had the inspiration, let alone the strength, to fight against such a terrible creature, and he owed her his life. He could never truly forget Kikyo, she would always be a part of him; but Kagome had done so much more for him than Kikyo could ever hope to do. She'd given him the support, friendship, and maybe even the love he needed to carry on day after day. Just when he'd felt he'd break down, she was there to lend a hand or a kind word to help him on his way. These things were going through Inuyasha's mind as he trudged along the shoreline of a stream located just a small ways outside the village. The ground surrounding this body of water was made up of mostly white limestone, and he soon realized that this was the very stream that he'd first seen Kagome bathing. Even though it had only been a little over a year since he'd first met her, that time seemed so long ago. Back then, his heart had been cold and hard because of Kikyo's "betrayal", and his only thought was how much he longed to become a full-fledged youkai. Now, during these days of peace, his state of mind had changed drastically, and he was finally content with things the way they werewell, for the most part anyway. There was still the subject of Kagome. With Kikyo gone forever, never to return to the world of the living, Kagome was his last hope of ever being happy. He had once longed to spend his life with Kikyo, but now that that was no longer possible, he had his heart set on the young high school girl whom he'd come to care for so deeply.

Inuyasha had known for quite some time of her feelings for him. The love she had for him had been made painfully obvious all the times she had embraced him, soothed him, or tended to his injuries. Although she had never admitted those feelings with words, her scent changed drastically every time he was near, and on occasion, that smell had been tinged with desire. When he had become a full youkai and nearly lost control, she had kissed him. That touch had brought him back to reality, and he returned it tenfold. No other moment in all the time they'd known each other had Kagome's scent suggested so much longing That had been the final clue he'd needed to piece it all together: Kagome was physically attracted to him. With that thought in mind, he was faced with another problem: letting her know that he felt the same way. Unlike the monk, he never tried to express his true feelings to anyone, even those thoughts that brought pleasurable pain to his loins. But this time around, he felt that it was necessary. As soon as he could get some time alone with Kagome again, he would tell her how he felt. Hopefully he wouldn't scare her away, but that was a risk he'd just have to take. His wish was granted much sooner than he'd expected, he discovered, when he heard that charming, familiar voice call his name. "Inuyasha! Wait up!" He grinned as he turned around to greet Kagome. As usual, she too had a smile plastered on her face as she ran up to him, her backpack on her shoulder as always. "Inuyasha," she said his name again when she finally caught up to him. "I brought you something to eat. Kaede said you hadn't eaten anything all day, so I brought you some of my instant noodles. Are you hungry?" "Of course I am," he replied. "I've just had a lot on my mind lately, so I kind of forgot about eating." "Well, it's a good thing I found you, then, because it sounds to me like you're malnourished. Come on, I'll lay out a blanket for us somewhere and we can have supper." Inuyasha followed her deeper into the forest until they reached a clearing, where the Sacred tree still stood. There, Kagome laid out a patchwork quilt onto the ground and brought out her battery-powered boiler to cook the noodles. Ten minutes later, they were chowing down. After they'd finished eating and Kagome was putting her things back into her bag, Inuyasha noticed that the sun was almost completely blocked from sight by the rolling hills. The orange and purple colors of dusk were taking over, and Inuyasha laid back on the grass to await the arrival of the first stars. When Kagome finished packing, she turned around to see Inuyasha gazing up at the sky. She moved on over and sat down next to him. It was quiet for a while until Kagome broke the silence.

"Inuyasha?" "Hmm?" "What are you thinking about?" He turned to look at her. "I'm thinkingof how nice it is to be alive, andeven with all the hardships I've faced in my life, I've managed to overcome every one of them." Kagome smiled at him. "I'm glad to hear it, Inuyasha." All of a sudden, something told him that now would be the perfect time to tell her how he felt. He tried to shake it off, afraid of what it might result in, but he couldn't get rid of the overpowering urge. So, he decided to do what he should have done from the very beginning: He was going to tell her everything before the night was through. Sitting up to where his weight was supported on his elbows, he asked, "You know what else I'm thinking?" "What?" "I'm thinking of how nice it would beto hold you right now." Kagome's breath immediately caught in her throat and her cheeks turned pink. "Wha-what did you say?" Leaning over a little, he wrapped one of his arms around her waist and pulled her close into his chest. He then laid back down on the ground, pulling her down with him. The blush never left her face, and he could feel the blood rushing to her cheeks against his neck. "Inuyasha," she began, "what are you doing?" "Isn't it obvious? I'm holding you." "I know that, butwhy?" Sitting up, he sighed and took her hand in his. Almost instinctively, her fingers curled around his as his forehead touched hers. He stared deeply into her eyes, wanting to be able to see into her very soul. When that didn't happen, he kissed her twice on her forehead, once above each eye. "These eyes," he began, "have seen so much. Blood, death, destruction, people sufferingyour eyes saw these things every day. When you first came here, they were untainted. Now, with everything we've been through, these eyes have seen more chaos than should be allowed."

He took both her hands in his. "These hands are the same way. They know what it feels like to have blood run through the fingers from bodies we've had to bury along our journey, and they've almost been broken numerous times. These hands have touched the sacred jewel when it was tainted with Naraku's malice, which is like touching evil itself." Then he took her hands and placed them on her chest. "This heart," he began again, "has been through the most excruciating pain of all. It's been broken countless times without being mended, and the one who broke it never even tried to fix it. It's been crying out for the same person for so long, almost in agony, but the person it cried out for didn't have a heart that could answer. That person's heart has been as cold as ice and long since cracked, so it was incapable of returning the love your heart has for it." Inuyasha then put her hands to his chest. "Only recently has the other person's heart melted. That heart has finally heard your cries, and now it's here to make amends. He leaned in and whispered in her ear, "And that person's heartmy heartfinally realizes what it should have known long ago: That it feels the same love for Kagome that her heart feels for Inuyasha. And nowmy eyes want to see only you, and my hands want to be the ones to hold you and let you know you're safealways and forever." Kagome couldn't hold back the tears. She tried with all her might, but in the end, she buried her face in Inuyasha's chest and sobbed. He just laid back and ran his fingers through her silky hair, holding her close with his other arm. It took a few moments for Kagome's weeping to subside, but when it did, Inuyasha pulled her up closer to his face and kissed her deeply. She immediately gave in and returned the caresses. Unlike their first kiss, which to Kagome felt had happened decades ago, this one was passionate. Inuyasha probed her mouth, begging for admission inside. She allowed him entrance, and their tongues began the age-old dance. After a few moments, they pulled away to catch their breath. Inuyasha wiped away the tears that still fell from her eyes. When she had composed herself a little, she smiled at him, and he grinned back at her. Then, laughing a little, she stood up and, grabbing her bag, ran back in the direction of the village. "Come on, Inuyasha!" she called. His smiled widened as he took off after her. ~##############~ Back in the village, Kaede got a fire started in her hut to cast some illumination in which to see through the bleak darkness of the night. Outside, she could hear the wind rustling through the branches of the trees and the chirps and cheeps of the night peepers as they awoke from their

daylong sleep. Then, a quite different sound came to her ears. She could hear Inuyasha and Kagome headed right toward her, so she spread out a few more blankets upon the floor for their arrival. A few moments later, the two of them walked through the doorway, laughing and carrying on without a care in the world. "Greetings, KagomeInuyasha," Kaede said, bowing her head in reverence. "What honor do I have to be blessed with your presence this evening?" "We just thought you might like some company," Inuyasha said, crossing his arms over his chest in their regular fashion. The two of them stayed with the elderly woman well into the night, chatting away with her about nearly forgotten things of the past, reminiscing about the good times they'd shared, as well as the bad. After a while, though, Kaede grew quite drowsy and excused herself, for she needed to rest. Inuyasha and Kagome, however, were anything but tired. They quietly made their way out of the hut, leaving Kaede to get some much needed sleep. Once they were outside, Inuyasha took Kagome's hands in his and pulled her into him, kissing her once again. She returned his affections and caressed his lips with her own. Kissing her neck, he moved up and whispered in her ear, "Let's go to my hut." He picked her up and rushed towards his "home." Once there, he kicked open the door and placed her on the floor on her feet. Then they commenced sharing saliva. Inuyasha, with his arms still around her, backed her up against the nearest wall and began running his hands up and down her sides, squeezing her hips. Kagome gasped and pulled away. She looked into his eyes, and was almost frightened to see the desire that was so obviously present in the way he was looking at her. Her face flushed and she moaned as he kissed her again. "Inuyasha," she muttered against his lips. "KagomeI love you so much," he managed to say, never wanting to take his lips away from hers. "II love you, too." Inuyasha, whispering again, "I want to show you how much I love you." Kagome gasped as his hand lowered to cup her behind. "InuyashaIwe can't." "Why not?" "Because II've never done that before." "Neither have I."

"Butit will hurt." "Just for moment." "Inuyasha" "Please, Kagome. I need you." "But" "Shhh," he said, one hand on the back of her head, the other still on her rear. "Be still. Just tell me how this feels." Using the hand on her backside, he lifted up her short skirt from behind and caressed her buttocks, causing her to gasp again and cling to him. Then he delved his fingers into her panties and went deeper. He felt around, discovering that she was already very moist from their earlier kissing. He moved his hand farther down until he could stick one of his fingers inside her opening while he stroked a small nub of flesh with his thumb. She bucked her hips against his hand, silently begging for more. "How does if feel, Kagome? Do you like it?" "Ye-yes!" she cried, burying her face in his chest, her body shaking. "Do you want more?" "II don't know!" "Should I keep going?" "Iummoh!" The sudden addition of another finger made her bite her bottom lip hard. She shivered in pleasure, not understanding what he was doing to her body. "Well?" "Yes, Inuyasha!" Grinning, he bent to his knees, pulling her skirt down with him. She stepped out of it and he threw it aside; then he turned back to face her. The panties she wore were just a simple white, not like the ones he usually saw her wearing when she undressed to bathe. Nevertheless, he leaned into her and nuzzled her thighs, planting light kisses up and down the insides of her legs and along the hem of her underwear. Kagome gripped his head and held it in place. When she felt she couldn't take much more of his teasing, he rose to his feet and, picking her up, carried her over to the bundle of blankets on the floor that was his "bed" and placed her in the middle of them. Then he moved his hands to the

ties of his clothes and worked them free, and in no time at all, he was left dressed only in his pants. Kagome had seen him naked once before, but it was only a fleeting glance before her face had gone crimson and she'd turned away. She'd also seen him half naked on more than one occasion while tending to his wounds, but never before had he looked so enticing without his shirt on. She fought the urge to run her hands over his hard muscles, even though her body was screaming at her to do just that. Inuyasha stared down at her with a grin. Then, crouching down, he pulled her sweater over her head until she was left only in her undergarments. He tried to take the thing called a 'bra' off of her like he'd seen her do so many times before when she wasn't looking, but he found it easier to just tear it off of her. Once that barrier was gone, he lowered his mouth to her chest and suckled on her breasts, using his hands to knead them at the same time. When she again moaned in pleasure, he slipped her panties off her and threw them onto the rest of her clothes. She now lay before him more exposed than she'd ever been. Still incredibly modest, she used her hands to cover the place between her legs, mortified at the way she must have looked. She turned her head to stare at the wall, too ashamed to look him straight in the eye. He tried to pull her hands away, but she refused to let them budge. "Come on, Kagome," he said. "Don't be shy now." "Inuyasha," she began, "you once told me that my body didn't interest you." He leaned down and kissed her forehead. "I was lying." "You mean it?" "KagomeI love your body." He gently pulled her hands away from her secret place and kissed her fingers. "You're so beautiful." He then turned her over onto her stomach and pushed her up onto her hands and knees. "Spread your legs for me, Kagome." "But" "I promise, you'll like this." She obeyed, and slowly but surely spread her knees so far apart that she could almost have been doing the splits. Inuyasha slid underneath her until his face was right beneath her heat, and then leaned his head up to have better access. He sniffed her and was met with the strongest scent he'd ever smelled. It nearly drove him over the edge, and his erection was getting bigger because of it. He licked her opening to get a taste, and nearly keeled over from that as well. She was like a drug, intoxicating him with her scent.

"InuInuyasha!" Kagome nearly screamed, tightening her thighs around his head. Her head had suddenly been filled with blinding flashes, and she couldn't think straight. All she could do was feel: feel the overwhelming sensations that came from her soon-to-be lover giving her the ultimate pleasure between her legs. When she was almost to her climax, he stopped his ministrations. Sliding out from underneath her, he removed his pants, giving her a point-blank view of his hardened penis standing at attention. Unable to resist, Kagome sat up and reached out her hand to touch him. He let out a low hiss, and she quickly pulled her hand away. "SorryI didn't hurt you, did I?" "Nonot at all. It felt great. Do it again." She complied with his request and this time, she gripped him in her hand, and in response, he let out a low groan. She began slowly pumping him, watching his face as she touched him. His eyes were tightly shut and his mouth hung open as his hips bucked slightly. Wanting to return the earlier favor, she lowered her lips to the tip of his member and began licking and sucking him. He cried out and quickly pulled himself out of her grasp, gasping for breath. "Inuyashadid Idid I do something wrong?" "No," he said, still trying to catch his breath, "you did it exactly right. It's just thatif you'd kept on doing thatI wouldn't have been able to stop myself from forcing myself on you. I don't want our first time to be like that." She gasped. "First time?" He grinned. "Of course. I plan on doing this again. You don't think I'll be done with you after only one night, do you?" She smiled back at him. "I guess not." "So are you ready?" he asked. "For what?" "To finish what we started." Laughing, "Yes, please." They both literally fell onto the blankets, kissing each other deeply. Inuyasha used his fingers to spread open her folds. She was already incredibly wet; her juices were flowing down her legs, so he positioned himself at her entrance and pushed in a little ways. He kissed her harder and pushed the rest of the way in, using their touching mouths as a way to muffle her whimpers of pain.

"I'm sorry, Kagome," he whispered in her ear. "I promise never to hurt you again. Please forgive me." Even with tears in her eyes, she smiled. "It's all right, Inuyasha. I'm fine. Just, please, keep going." He did as she said and started a slow, steady rhythm, pumping in and out of her. As their pleasure heightened, he began to move faster, until the waves of an orgasm washed over them both. When it settled, they collapsed into each other, their skin covered in sweat and body fluids. Inuyasha rolled off of Kagome and pulled her close. They eventually fell asleep in each other's arms, drifting away into a silent slumber that assured pleasant dreams for them both. ~#############~ For the rest of the week, Kagome and Inuyasha couldn't get enough of each other. Whenever there was a free moment, they'd run off to Inuyasha's hut, the woods, the stream, or anywhere else they could think of to be alone. None of the others were exactly sure what they were up to, but it had become painfully obvious to Miroku, Sango, Shippo, and even Kaede that something was up. Miroku was especially curious about why the two were spending so much time together. The fact that they were always close to one another wasn't nearly as puzzling as the fact that they never fought anymore. When one of them made the other angry or bitter, they'd gather up all of their strength to fight off the urge to raise their voices or hit something. In fact, Inuyasha had begun to sit down with Kagome and talk about what was bothering them or what either of them had done wrong. It got to the point where it drove Miroku crazy to be so oblivious to what was happening to his friends. He decided that the next time they ran off, he'd follow them. He got his chance much sooner than he'd expected. A week after Inuyasha and Kagome's first passionate night together, he was repairing a hole in the roof of Kaede's hut one evening when he noticed a pair of inexplicable shadows making their way down to the river. Knowing right away whom the silhouettes belonged to, he jumped down from the roof and ran after them, hiding behind the occasional rock or shrub to conceal himself from sight. Upon reaching the familiar waterway, he settled behind a small bush to watch whatever was going on from afar. His eyes went wide when he saw Inuyasha and Kagome kissing passionately, their hands running through each other's hair and playing with the ties and fastens of the other's clothes. Inuyasha began to run his hands under her shirt, caressing her skin with the tips of his claws, and she moaned into his mouth, pushing her hips into his body. By this time, Miroku's mouth hung open. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. He'd always expected that Kagome and Inuyasha were attracted to each other, but he'd never really thought anything would come of it. Turning away, he walked back towards the village, wanting to give his friends their privacy.

Even though it was apparent that he was shocked, he still felt very happy for his companions, especially Inuyasha. The young hanyou had gone for a long time without a woman in his life, and since the last relationship he'd been in had gone up in flames (literally!), he was glad that'd he'd found something in Kagome, who seemed to be the perfect match for him, considering their identical personalities. Miroku made his way back to Kaede's hut and finished repairing the roof. Once the task was completed, he went inside to find that the elderly woman and Sango were sitting in front of a small fire drinking green tea. Smiling, he sat down next to Sango, who offered him a cup of the steaming, clear green liquid. After a while, the sun had gone completely down behind the mountains. Sango, realizing how late it had gotten, excused herself and left. Miroku followed. He soon discovered that she, too, was heading towards the river. Probably for her nightly bath, he thought with a grin. She made a quick stop at her own hut, and to Miroku's utter delight, she came back outside with a drying cloth, bucket, and a little white rock-shaped object that Kagome had given her called "soap." He continued to follow her into the woods until they'd reached the river. Just as before, he hid behind a bush so as not to be seen. Sango placed her things along the shore and began to undress slowly. He watched intently as her kimono fell around her feet, leaving her completely naked. The chilly night air brushed against her skin, making her shiver. He could hear her teeth chattering as she put one foot into the water and immediately pulled it back, hugging her arms to herself. "Gods, that cold!" she cried. "Maybe I should have done this tomorrow when it's warmerno, then that damn houshi would have a better opportunity to see me. I'm going to have to do it now." She stepped into the water, still shivering violently. To Miroku, it was one of the most arousing things he'd ever seen, and he groaned silently when his penis started to harden. Sango began to rub the soap up and down her arms, and the flowery scent managed to find it's way over to Miroku, where he breathed it in with a sigh. How he wished he could be the one to wash her, to hear the noises she made when he cleaned the more interesting parts of her body. He wanted to look into her eyes as he ran his hands all over her, touching and caressing the parts that yearned for attention. Silently and practically undetectable, he made his way over to where Sango was bathing. The closer he got, the better he could see every fine feature of her body. The water glistened off her skin, and she was still shivering from the icy coldness of the water. When he was only a few yards from where she was, he stopped. This was the closest he'd ever been able to get while watching her bathe. He could see every movement she made, hear every sound, perfectly. She turned around so her back was to him. That was when he noticed the scar that covered her back.

In all the times he'd watched her like this, he'd never before noticed that mark. It stood out like a sore thumb, and he wondered how he could have missed it in the past. It looked so incredibly painful, even though it was apparent that the wound hadn't been formed very recently. Any other man would have cringed at even the thought of such a scar, but to Miroku, it just proved that Sango was a very strong and brave person, and he loved her for it. Sango was almost finished with her bath when she heard a rustle in the trees behind her. She quickly grabbed the drying cloth on the ground next to her and used it to cover herself. "Miroku!" she called. "I know you're out there! Show yourself!" Miroku stood up to where she could see him, a huge grin plastered on his face. "What the hell are you doing here, houshi?" Miroku, still smirking, "Why, I just came to check on you, and protect you from any demons that may be about." She scowled at him. "I'm so sure. Now if you would be so kind as to leave, I may just forget to slap you for your lecherousness this time." He sighed and turned to leave; but a small thought nagged at him and he stopped in his tracks. Smiling, he turned back around to face the young taijiya. She still held the towel tightly around her, but it did little to cover her from his sight. Her wet body had soaked right through the thin cloth, and he now had a fairly clear view of the skin that was underneath. Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath and let it out in one sweep. "Sango" he began. "That scar on your backdoes itdoes it hurt you?" "Wha-what?" She gasped and her eyes widened in shock. Then they softened, and she looked away from him in shame. "Sango?" "It doesn't bother me that much," she confessed. "The only times I even realize it's there are when I think of Kohaku. I try not to think about itit's better that way." "What do you mean?" he asked curiously. She blushed slightly. "If I don't think about it, then it's easier to forget that I'm not an ordinary woman anymore. People used to tell me I was beautiful. Then when Kohaku's blade pierced my back, I walked strangely for a while afterwards, like a hunchback, because it hurt so badly. Now I just feel as if I'm hideous with this deformity." Miroku sat down on the ground next to the river, his hands resting on his knees.

"I don't think you're strange at all," he said. "A wound like that should not make you suffer. I thinkthat it is a sign that you've done something with your life. You fought for your brother's life, and even though he literally stabbed you in the back, you still pressed on, never letting anything stop you from defeating Naraku. And it was that same fiery spirit of yours that helped to crush Naraku in the first place." He smiled at her. "It's also what makes you so uniqueit gives you your own kind of beauty." Sango blushed. "Do you really mean that, Miroku?" He reached out and took her hand in his, pulling her towards him until she was out of the water and on the ground with him. Then, whispering in her ear, "Every word." She smiled shyly. "Thank you." He stared into her eyes and moved his face close to hers, cupping her cheek in his cursed hand. "Sango," he began, "would you do me the honor of allowing me to kiss you?" She blushed and averted her eyes from him, but slowly nodded. He brought her head back around to face him and planted a light kiss on her lips. At first she tensed, unsure of what to do; but after a moment her shoulders went slack and her breathing grew more deep and even as he made the kiss more passionate. It didn't take long for her to respond. She began kissing him with a fervor that he never knew she had, wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him closer for easier access to his warm, inviting lips. He shifted so she could sit on his lap, her legs straddling his hips. His lips never left hers, and he placed his hands on her sides. When Sango felt a slight pressure on her breasts, she backed away from the kiss and looked down to where Miroku was gently squeezing the soft mounds of flesh through the towel. Her eyes went wide and she looked at him in surprise. He simply smiled and kissed her again. He began to squeeze harder, and she moaned. "Miroku," she began, "what is this you're doing to me?" "I'm trying to pleasure you," he replied. "Will you let me?" She nodded. "Yes." A low, almost animalistic growl escaped his mouth and his lips traveled lower until he was sucking on her neck. He used one hand to unwrap the towel from around her body and spread it out across the ground, and then he used the other to place her on top of it. He sat back to allow his eyes to wander over her body, from her gorgeous chest to the apex of her thighs where he could see the moisture gathering there. He spread her legs farther apart to get a better look. Using his fingers, he traced the edges of those nether lips, spreading the juices

around. Her back arched sharply off the ground and she cried out, but he flattened his other hand on her stomach and pushed her back down, holding her there to keep her still. "This is the most sensitive place on a woman's body, Sango," he said. "One touch can turn you inside out. Do you feel that way right now, while I'm caressing you? Does it make your head spin out of control?" He nuzzled her heat with his cheek. "You're so soft hereso warm, hot, and ready." Those words caused her to whimper. "Miroku" He blew on her center, causing her to shiver. Then he used his tongue to caress her thigh, making sure to stay away from operation central for the moment. When he did decide to take his caresses further, he slowly began to kiss his way back up. Realizing what he planned to do, Sango twisted violently and pulled away, panting heavily. "No!" He looked at her, confused. "What is it, Sango?" "II don't knowif you should do that." "Why not?" "Because I'm afraid." "Don't be." He pulled her back over to him and spread her legs once more. "It'll feel good. I guarantee it." With that, he tentatively kissed her flower, pushing his tongue in and out of her vagina, making sure to occasionally lap at her clitoris. Sango was literally screaming his name the entire time, writhing beneath his touch. Her legs tightened around his head and pushed him further into her heat. "Mi-Miroku!" "Come for me, Sango. That's it, love." Her juices splattered onto his face as she climaxed. Her hips bucked in rhythm with his tongue as she rode out her first orgasm. When it finally ended, she loosened her hold on his head and fell back onto the ground, exhausted and out of breath. No sooner had she calmed than she felt a hot, sweaty, masculine body wrap itself around her. Somehow Miroku had managed to undress without her ever knowing it. His arms encircled her waist, and she felt the tip of his long-erect member touch her opening. His lips fervently met hers as he finally pushed in. Surprisingly, Sango felt little pain, and any discomfort she had experienced was quickly overtaken by immense pleasure. Each time he

pulled out and pushed back in again, he hit a spot deep inside of her that made her want to scream in ecstasy. Their sweat-slicked bodies rubbed up against each other, creating a new type of friction that only heightened their satisfaction. Miroku whispered her name and came inside her. Sango wasn't far behind. ~#############~ Sango awoke to the sound of birds singing. Stretching her arms out over her head, the events of the previous evening flooded her mind, and she blushed. Had she really done that, and with Miroku, of all people? She absolutely adored the man, but had she been ready for such a commitment? The moment she had allowed him to touch her so possessively, he'd become more than just a mere companion. She knew it was improper for a young lady to participate in sexual intercourse before marriage, but it had felt so right at the time. Looking to her side, she could see her lover was still fast asleep. He lay on his stomach. There was nothing covering his body, which gave her a great view of his backside. Looking around, she soon realized that sometime during the night he'd used his robes as a blanket to cover her. Smiling to herself, she snuggled up closer to him, covering him up as well. The stirring woman next to him caused Miroku to awaken. Yawning, he wrapped his arms around her and planted light kisses along the top of her head. She pushed her body further into his and inhaled his scent. It was a combination of the perspiration that had built up during their long journeys and the incense he used sometimes in his rituals to ward off evil spirits and demons. "Good morning, Sango," Miroku said, running his tongue along the side of her neck. "A good morning to you, as well, you feisty monk," she said. He laughed. "I'm only so lively when I'm around you, love. You do this to me." "Is that so?" she asked. "That must be why you came onto me so heavily last night. Your advances were much more ardent than usual." He smirked. "Get used to it, because I plan on doing it a lot more often." She kissed him deeply, running her tongue along his lips to encourage him to return the ministration. He did, tenfold. "There is something that concerns me, though," she began. "Last night, when we were making loveyou didn't pull out. You released your seed inside of me." "I didn't pull out because I knew there would be no child by doing that." "Do you meanthat you want to have a child with me so soon?"

"Yes, Sango. I want you to bear my child. But first, I must knowwill you be my wife?" She gasped. Had he just asked her to marry him? It couldn't be. How could anyone want to marry her? He had to be bluffing. There was no way that this monk, who had such a lecherous reputation and who had probably slept with countless other women before her, could possibly be asking for her heart but the look on his face said that he had spoken the truth. His eyes alone seemed to be begging her to accept his offer. When she saw that he was indeed serious about the proposal, tears came to her eyes. She wiped them away, a smile on her face. Looking deep into his eyes, she smiled. Then she fell into him, her arms wrapping around his neck. "Yes, Miroku," she sobbed. "I will marry you." ~###########~ After a while, it became obviously clear to Inuyasha how deeply he had fallen in love with Kagome. The feelings he'd had for Kikyo were very similar; however, the difference was the desirable tendencies that took over his mind and body whenever he got close to Kagome. With Kikyo it had simply been a feeling of belonging and acceptance, but with Kagome, it was so much more. Even being in the same room with her caused his mouth to go dry and a trembling sensation to start in his lower regions. It had often gotten to the point where he'd had to put quite some distance between them to control his imperious desires. That particular day was no exception. Now nearly three months after their first passionate encounter, Inuyasha had had to go out into the woods, far away from Kagome, to get control of himself. However, this day, Kagome had decided that she'd had enough. Every time she tried to get close to Inuyasha when they were around others, he would always run off. She needed to find out what had been bothering her dog-boy and why he'd been spending less and less time with her. She found him almost a mile outside the village sitting in a tree. She'd almost passed him by, for the leaves did well to practically conceal him from her sight. Looking up, he seemed to not have noticed she was there, for he had his back to her. She knew better, though. He'd sensed her, all right. It would have been impossible for him not to, what with his dog senses and all. The fact that he was deliberately ignoring her was proof that something was bothering him, and she was determined to find out what it was. "Inuyasha," she said worriedly, hoping he'd pay attention to her. "Go back to the village, Kagome. I can't talk right now." She suddenly became angry. "Why the heck not?" "It's hard to explain."

She began to climb the tree in a futile attempt to reach the top where he currently sat. He looked down at her almost in amusement when he saw her try to pull herself even to the first branch. She did manage it, though, and proceeded to go up even further. When she was almost halfway up her foot slipped and the fair skin of her leg was scraped against the rough bark, causing her to cry out in pain. He quickly descended to where she was, a concerned expression on his face as he helped her get in a position where he could get a closer look at her wound. "Are you all right, Kagome?" he asked. "Yeah, I think so," she replied. She used her injured leg to push up on her body weight to see if it could still be used, which resulted in her hissing as a stinging sensation shot through her body. "Try not to move too much on that leg, okay? You may have sprained it as well." He removed the blood-soaked sock and shoe that adorned that foot and added pressure to her ankle with his fingers, asking every now and then if his touches hurt. Most of them did, so he instructed her to stay still while he tried his best to tend to her. Afraid that Kagome would fall out of the tree if he went back to the village for some of Kaede's herbs, he licked off the blood that was already running down her leg to her foot. When he placed his tongue directly onto her wound her body tensed and she bit her bottom lip so as not to cry out again. When her skin was relatively clean, he tore a strip from the sleeve of his fire-rat kimono and tied it around the injury. Then he carefully picked her up and, leaping down from the tree, placed her on the ground, her back to the trunk of the tree so she could sit up. "That should work until Kaede can take a look at it. For now, I think it would be best if you stayed still for a while without moving and gave that thing some time for the blood to dry and clod up." Inuyasha's words comforted her somewhat. She realized that even though he'd been ignoring her so much recently, he was still concerned for her safety and well-being. "Inuyasha," she started, "will you please tell me what's bothering you?" He sighed. "Do we have to talk about it now?" "Well, we're alone with no one else around. I think it's the perfect time, especially if you don't want anyone else listening in." Inuyasha looked down at the ground. "It's not something I can just talk about openly. To tell the truth, I don't even really understand it, so I doubt you would." "Try me." "Kagomeis there any way I can get out of telling you?"

"Nope." "Will you promise not to laugh or make fun of me afterwards?" She placed her hand on his shoulder. "Inuyasha, I could never make fun of you for something so serious that obviously has you down in the dumps. I promise you that I will love you no less than I do now, so please, tell me what's wrong." "All right." Turning to face her, he took her hands in his and kissed each one. "Kagome," he began, "I know that you already realize how much you mean to me. I've come to believe that we've grown closer in these past few months than throughout our whole first year together. Every time I look at you or even think about you, my heart is filled to overflowing with my love for you, and I want to touch and caress you all over. "This is an effect that Kikyo never had on me. When I looked at her, of course I felt a sense of love. She accepted me in a way that no one else had since my mother was alive. That was the main reason I was willing to die for her. I figured I owed it to her for always being there for me. I did love her very much, but she is no longer in this world. "I have discovered, though, that I love you much more than I ever loved Kikyo. What I felt for her in the beginning could be described as puppy love or a first fling to the people of your era. I never felt desire towards her like I do you. As I've said, just being around you makes me want to touch you. I get turned on so easily just by being in your presencesometimes it scares me. The last thing I need is for the others to see me aroused like that. It's embarrassing because I'm afraid of my own feelings. That's why I've been running off so much lately; I don't want them to see what you do to me." She caressed his cheek with her hand. "Inuyashado you truly mean that?" He nodded. "Yes, Kagome. My love for you can only be rivaled by the love I had for my mother. No one else has affected my life the way you have. I only wish that I wasn't ashamed of these feelings I get when you're around. I know it's nothing to be embarrassed about, but the others might think I'm going soft if they knewthat I get completely weak when I'm with you." Her eyes suddenly grew dark "You meanthat even though you love meyou're ashamed of what you feel for me?" "No, Kagome, that's not what I meant!" he cried, panicked. " I could never be ashamed that I love you, even if I wanted to! I'm happy to be with you! It's justwell, for one thing, my desires are so often on the verge of making me lose control. I worry about being too rough with youand I'm also afraid that if you have too much of me, you might get bored and I won't be able to please you anymore." "Inuyasha," she said, looking deep into his eyes, "there is no possible way that I could stop desiring you. You're the only person whomakes me feel that good. Every time we make love,

it's better than the lastand if you ever get too rough with me, I'll make sure to tell youor use the magic word." That last remark she said with a smirk on her face. Inuyasha grinned. "I don't know what it is about you and your knowledge of the way my brain works, but somehow you always know the right things to say at exactly the right time." She leaned into him and kissed him deeply. "I just say what I feel, Inuyasha, and no more." He kissed her back. "Then you feel all the right things." My feelings must be right, she thought to herself, because I fell in love with Inuyasha. ~##########~ Inuyasha carried Kagome back to the village. The pace was slow, for he was afraid any sudden movements might cause her pain. The trip was silent and without words, but the glances and smiles that they gave one another only further confirmed that everything was all right between them again. When they reached the town, Inuyasha dropped Kagome off at Kaede's hut so the old woman could better care for Kagome's scrape than he'd been able to; then he bounded out to the wheat fields to visit with Miroku. When he finally spotted the monk, he noticed that the blacked-haired man had his sleeves rolled up and was digging holes in which he would most likely be planting more seeds. Inuyasha slowed down and began ambling on over to him in a slower manner. "Good morning, Inuyasha!" Miroku called, releasing one of his hands from the shovel just long enough to wave to the hanyou. Inuyasha returned the gesture. "Hey, Miroku," Inuyasha replied. "Need any help?" "NothanksInuyasha," he said between grunts, continuing with his digging. "A farmeris paying me for this workI'd have tosplit the prize with youif you helped me, and besidesyou have no use for money or valuable goods." "I guess so," Inuyasha said. "However, that work looks almost too much for you to handle." Miroku stopped for a moment and wiped the sweat off his brow with his sleeve. "Even so, I must stay in shape for whenever danger may arise and I may be needed. My wind tunnel may one day disappear, and then I will have to rely on my physical strength to protect myself and others." Inuyasha was astonished. "You mean your wind tunnel hasn't closed up yet?" Miroku shook his head and held up his cursed hand for Inuyasha to see. Sure enough, it was still covered by the long purple glove and sealed with prayer beads.

"Apparently not. However, it has not gotten any bigger, which means that it has stopped growing. The curse was supposed to be broken forever at the destruction of Naraku, but I can still use the whole in my right hand, only it may just be a matter of time until I will no longer possess it." "Well, for your sake, I hope it never closes up. No offense, monk, but you're not much in the strength categorycompared to me, at least." Miroku laughed. "Boastfulness has always been a key attribute with you, Inuyasha, and it is one that may or may not be a good quality, depending on who you ask." The hanyou smirked. "Well, at least I can boast, houshi." "Good point," Miroku said, laughing. Then, looking around, he asked, "Where is Kagome today? Don't you two normally spend most of your time out in the woods somewhere?" Inuyasha blushed slightly. "She, uhhurt herself and I took her to Kaede for treatment." "Too bad," Miroku said. "I'll have to go visit her later when I'm done and see how well she's faring." "She'll be all right," Inuyasha replied. "She just hurt her ankle. Nothing too serious." Miroku nodded and popped his back. Then, lifting the shovel once again, he turned to his dogeared companion and said, "Well, Inuyasha, it has been a pleasant experience conversing with you, but now I must recommence working. If I don't have this done by midday my payment may be reduced. You'd better get back to Kagome in case she needs you." "Okay, Miroku. Take care." "Goodbye, Inuyasha. I shall see you at sundown." ~##########~ When Inuyasha arrived back at Kaede's hut, Sango was there helping to nurse Kagome's wound. The young taijiya had replaced the makeshift bandage he'd made from his kimono with a fresh one, and Kaede had propped Kagome up on the pillow and blankets the girl had brought from her time. The old woman had also made miso soup for the younger girls and herself, and they were just beginning to eat when the hanyou walked through the door. Smiling, Inuyasha walked over to his beloved and put his arms around her from behind. "How are you feeling?" he asked almost in a whisper that sent a shiver down her spine. "F-fine," she started. "It still hurts, but not so much anymore." "Does it hurt so much that you can't take a walk with me?"

Looking their way, Kaede stated, "I would not recommend that Kagome move on that leg. Let her rest for a while, Inuyasha." He snorted. "Well, can I at least take her home?" "Back to her own time?" Sango asked. "Noback to my hut." "Since when has your hut been her home?" Sango asked curiously. "Well, uh" He blushed. "Since I decided that I'd like to be the one to care for her." "Do you even know the right herbs to use on that type of wound?" Sango asked with a smirk. "Umnobut Kagome does. She can tell me." Sango sighed. "Very well, Inuyasha, do as you wish. But you'd better take good care of her." He snorted again, but then instantly his frown turned upside down. "Don't' worryI will." Inuyasha carried Kagome the short distance back to his hut, her school bag strapped to his back. She snuggled close to him the whole way, her face buried in his chest and her hands clutching his fire-rat kimono. She could have easily fallen asleep in his arms, but the slight pain in her ankle kept her from getting too comfortable. Even though old Kaede and Sango had done a fine enough job caring for her wound, it still hurt her something terrible. Out of her own curiosity, she cleared her throat and directed her attention to the hanyou who had her in his arms. "Inuyasha?" "Hmm?" "Why are you carrying me? I can still walk." "I know. I just don't feel comfortable letting you walk on that leg. Hell, I should have carried you to Kaede's earlier, as well." "I'm all right, you know. Really." "Are you?" "Yes, I swear."

Inuyasha's face grew serious. "I'm still not letting you walk. Not until I see that you're fine for myself." Kagome sighed. "You worry too much, Inuyasha." He grinned. "Maybe. But somebody has to. Otherwise you'd be limping all over the place." Kagome gave in with a sigh and snuggled into his embrace. When they reached the hut, Inuyasha laid her down on his blanket-covered mat and started sifting through her backpack, looking for something to eat. He pulled out some ramen noodles and was about to ask Kagome to fix them for him when something at the bottom of the bag caught his eye. He held it up for a better view. It seemed to be some type of book, but when he turned the pages he found that it consisted of nothing but pictures. Turning to Kagome, he asked, "What's this?" Kagome looked at what he was holding and smiled. "It's a photo album." "Pho-to al-bum?" Inuyasha asked curiously. "Yeah. You know the camera I brought here that one time? Well, I put all the pictures I take in this book so that I'll always have them. Here" She took the book out of his grasp and began turning pages until she found the one she wanted. She then pointed to a particular picture that made him smile. It was a photo of them and their friends. Miroku, Sango, Shippo, and Kaede stared back at them with big grins on their faces. In the corner were Kagome and Inuyasha, her arms around his neck and he with a huge blush on his face. "I remember that day," he said. "We were celebrating the completion of the Shikon no Tama and had a big party." "That was a fun day," Kagome replied. "I thought it was so cute when Shippo fell in the tub of water when he was bobbing for apples." Inuyasha smiled. "That kid is such a klutz." He turned to the next page and his smile turned to an expression of curiosity when he saw a photo of Kagome's mother dressed in a while frilly dress with what looked like a shawl covering her head. Next to her was a man dressed from head to toe in black and white with a flower pinned to his shirt. He immediately thought of Kagome when he looked at him. He sported jetblack hair like she had, and he had her deep brown eyes and her warm smile. Kagome averted her attention to what had made Inuyasha go so quiet and her breath hitched in her throat. At the sound of her gasp, Inuyasha looked at her and pointed to the man in the picture. "Who is this?"

Kagome swallowed heavily and looked forlornly at the floor. "That's myfather." Inuyasha stared at the image of the man and asked, "Why haven't I ever seen him before?" "He's" Kagome started. "He's not with us anymorehe, uhdied two years agoin a car accident." A solitary tear fell down her cheek and she wiped it away with her sleeve. Inuyasha scooted closer to her and cupped her cheek in the palm of his hand, rubbing her skin tenderly with his thumb. She placed her hand over the one of his that was on her cheek and allowed more tears to fall. "I know what it's like, Kagome, II lost someone dear to me as well. My mother passed away when I was barely old enough to fend for myself." Still sniffling, Kagome asked, "How did she die?" "Demons," he stated. "We were bathing in a stream outside our village. She lost her guard and was devoured by demons. There was nothing I could do. I was too young to protect myself, let alone her. So I did the only thing I could think of at the time, II ran away, leaving her there to die defenselessly." His free hand clenched into a fish on his knee and his teeth bared. "I've never forgiven myself for that." "I'm sorry, Inuyasha," Kagome said. "Not your fault," Inuyasha replied. He leaned into her and kissed her passionately, pulling her body to him and dragging her into his lap. Her fingers clenched into his robes, pulling him down for an even deeper kiss. Then he pulled away and looked into her eyes. "But I promise you, Kagome, I will never abandon you. I will not make the same mistake again. I swear that I will always be by your side and that I'll always be there to protect you." Kagome's tears turned from those of sorrow into tears of joy and she embraced him lovingly. "I love you, Inuyasha." "I know." He lowered her to the floor and they began to slowly undress each other. He lightly raked his claws over her body, emitting murmurs of pleasure from her that were quickly muffled by his own mouth placed over hers. Their tongues danced the age-old dance as their hands roamed each other's bodies. His fingers sought out her core, and he began readying her for their joining by stretching out her opening with two of his fingers. That was when he noticed it. There was a change in her scent. The smell of Kagome's arousal was the most potent of the scents racking his brain at the moment, but he could tell that there was

a slight difference. His nose still smelled the intoxicating aroma of the woman below him, but there was something more. He placed his ear on her stomach and held his breath, not sure what it was exactly that he was sensing. "Inuyasha, what are you doing?" Kagome asked. There. It was faint, but he could still sense it. The slow, drum-like thump of a heartbeat that signified the substantiation of life. Together with Kagome's rapidly beating heart, it was music to his ears. He squeezed her around the waist, rubbing his cheek against her stomach lovingly. "Kagome," he said delightedly, "I'm going to be a father." Kagome's eyes widened and she jumped up with a start. "Areare you serious?" He nodded. Without warning, she fainted. "Ah, shit! Kagome? Kagome!" ~##########~ Kagome's brain was going a mile a minute at the thought of expecting Inuyasha's child. In a way she was happy, but mostly she just kept wondering what her family would think of her when they found out. She could just see the disappointed look on her mother's face; Kagome had always promised her that she would be happily married before she'd even begin thinking of sleeping with a man. She knew her mother would be happy to finally have a grandchild, but the fact that it had been conceived out of wedlock would haunt her for the rest of her days. Inuyasha, however, had no such qualms. He was ecstatic and overjoyed with the idea of Kagome having his son or daughter. He hardly put voice to these emotions, but over the next few days he could often be seen with a ridiculously goofy grin that seemed to be permanently attached to his face. Sango, Miroku, and Kaede were curious as to why this usually disheartened hanyou had suddenly become so blissful, but when they asked him about it, he just grinned wider and never said a thing. At four months, Kagome started to show signs of her pregnancy. Her belly was starting to bulge out and the only way she could hide it was by wearing loose clothing. The occasional morning sickness and insatiable cravings for ice cream and pickles became a never-ending misery. Frequent trips back to her home in the modern era to re-supply her backpack with necessities were required to keep all these things in check So far, Kagome did not think that her mother had noticed what was happening to her. She tried to avoid her as much as possible while she was home, coming exclusively during the day while her mother was at work and Sota was at school, and if she was lucky, her grandfather would be

called off to perform a sance at another nearby shrine. But she realized that it was only a matter of days until she would have to tell everyone the truth; she could not hide it much longer. Shortly after her sixteenth week, Kagome started getting sick so frequently that she spent most of her time sleeping. One day she was so exhausted when she awoke in the morning that she was out of breath. Inuyasha began to get concerned about her and went to Myoga for some muchneeded advice. "It seems to me," the flea said," that since the child inside her is part demon, its inner strength surpasses even that of its mother, even at this point in its development. Because Kagome is not a demon, it has no demonic power to feed on while it is growing inside the womb, so it requires extra energy in order to grow properly. It gets this energy from Kagome's life force." Inuyasha was shocked. "So are you saying that our baby is slowly killing Kagome?" "Heavens no, Inuyasha!" Myoga replied. "The child will take only what it needs, just enough so that it can live. It may take a lot out of Kagome, but I promise you that she will not die. Just make sure to stay by her side during these exhausting times. It was hard for your mother when she was expecting you, and I'm sure it will be the same way for Kagome. Your father, Inutaisho, stayed by your mother's side day and night, which seemed to help, so I suggest that you do the same for Kagome." And he did. When he didn't have to stay in his hut next to his mate, he would run through his forest getting some much needed exercise. But he didn't do it very often; mostly just when Kagome was in a deep sleep and wouldn't be able to tell that he'd left. Otherwise, he stayed by her side endlessly. He occupied himself by reading some of the books Kagome brought back from her time. He could ready and partly understand everything except the book that was titled Algebra. The mindless, confusing combination of numbers, letters, and square root signs made no sense to him, so he didn't even try to understand it. The book titled Biology was a little easier to understand, but not by much. The ones that really caught his attention were Kagome's English and Philosophy books and a small paperback entitled The Black Stallion. The English book was filled with short stories that amplified his curiosity and he spent the rest of the day reading from it. Kagome finally opened her eyes a few hours preceding dusk. Looking around the small room, she saw that the floor was cluttered with her belongings. Her clothes were scattered about, and many of her toiletries were nowhere to be seen. She was on the verge of getting angry until she spotted Inuyasha reading one of her textbooks. She'd had no idea he was even the slightest bit literate, but he was turning pages at lightning speed, his eyes moving quickly back and forth across every page as he absorbed their contents into his brain. She scooted right up next to him and placed her head on his shoulder, curious about which story he was currently reading. He never even showed that he'd noticed her as he continued to flip through the pages mindlessly.

"What're you reading?" she asked. "This one," he said, pointing to the page he was currently on. She took a glance at the header. It said Romeo and Juliet. "That's a good story," Kagome stated. "We read that one at the beginning of the school year." "I just finished it," he replied. Then, after a few moments, he spoke again. "I didn't like it." She looked at him, confused. "Why not?" "Romeo, hehe didn't get his woman. They both died in the end." He turned his head towards her and stared deeply into her eyes. "I'm not used to stories like that. My mother always used to tell me happy stories with happy endings. The girl always ended up with her dream man, winter always turned into spring, and no one except the villains died. I don't like it that both Romeo and Juliet died before they even had a chance together." "But that's not the way life is," Kagome replied. "The good guy does die sometimes." "I know," Inuyasha said, sighing deeply. "But sometimes I just wish that that's not the way it was. I prefer not to think about the bad things that have happened anymore. Now I just want to focus on the good things in lifelike you, andthe baby. Things like that outweigh the bad things, and I don't have to think negative thoughts with blessings like that." Kagome smiled and kissed him on the cheek. He turned his face towards hers and returned the caress by placing his mouth over hers. Their tongues entwined and his hands rubbed up and down her sides. Pushing her down to the floor, he moved his mouth lower to suckle on the creamy skin of her smooth neck. She moaned deeply in the back of her throat and stretched her neck out to give him better access. He brought his hands up and stroked her breasts through the fabric of her shirt and bra and she moaned again. Pulling her top garments off of her as quickly as he could, he suckled on her breasts until her breathing quickened. Then he tore the rest of her clothes from her body and began disrobing himself. He untied the sash to his pants, but before he could pull them off, Kagome sat up and stilled his hands with her own. She gripped the sides of his pants and slowly pulled them down his legs. Inuyasha moaned when his erection was finally freed from its restraints. Kagome removed his inner and outer kimono and then bent to touch him. Running her hands up and down the sides of him member, she squeezed the tip, making him gasp. His breathing became ragged and his hips starting bucking wildly in time with her ministrations. He eventually couldn't hold it in anymore, and he cried out her name as he came in her hands. He collapsed into her arms, breathing hardly. She pulled him down to the floor with him on top, wrapping her arms and legs around his body, embracing him tightly. She pulled his lips down to hers and they once again began kissing passionately. Inuyasha positioned himself to enter her, never once separating his lips from hers. He slowly pushed himself inside her opening.

Because Kagome was so aroused and had already lost her virginity long ago, there was absolutely no pain as he slid home. They immediately set a pace that had them both gasping for breath in a matter of seconds. The friction of their sweat-soaked bodies rubbing together added to their pleasure. Inuyasha placed his forehead against that of his mate's and stared straight into her eyes as he made love to her. Watching her eyes glaze over out of sheer satisfaction filled Inuyasha with a sense of pride and possessiveness that he'd never before felt in his life. In his opinion, nothing in the universe was more beautiful than Kagome at that very moment. And she was his. He was the only man who would ever see her, kiss her, or caress her in those places that made her cry out his name to the heavens. She belonged to him, and he to her. No pact of marriage ever devised could make them more of a pair than they already were. As the waves of pleasure subsided, their breathing slowed, but the heat between them still blazed. They soaked in the aftermath of their lovemaking. Kagome ran her hands up and down Inuyasha's smooth, tan back, feeling his muscles twitch under her fingertips. Inuyasha ran his fingers through a few strands of Kagome's long, jet-black hair. He held them up to his nose and inhaled deeply her scent. Inuyasha pushed himself up onto his forearms to take some of the weight off of his mate. He once again looked into her eyes and she smiled at him. A grin spread across his face and he leaned more towards her and kissed her. Pulling away from him, a serious expression crossed Kagome's face. "Inuyasha," she began. "I've got to tell my family about our baby." She placed a hand on her abdomen. "I'm starting to show. I can't hide it from them anymore." Inuyasha nodded. "I know. We can go tell them together." He noticed then the tears that we starting to form under her eyes. "Kagome? What's wrong?" Kagome sniffled. "My momshe's going to be so disappointed in me. I've always told her that I'd wait until I was married to have a baby." Inuyasha frowned. "Butwe're mated. We are married, according to demon standards." She shook her head. "I mean a traditional wedding, in a churchwith flowers, and a cake, and with me in a gownthat's what she's always wantedand that's what I've always dreamed I would have, ever since I was little." He took her head into his hands and wiped away the tears that continued to fall. "Kagome, look at mewhat we haveit's much more binding than any silly wedding. I've left my mark on you. You're mine. I'm yours. Any demon will be able to figure that out."

"Butwhat about the people in my time?" "KagomeI can't stay in your time. Even if we were to have a conventional marriage, I could never be there with you. My place is here, in the feudal era. If I lived with you in your time, the only way I'd ever be able to show my face in public would be on the night of the new moon, when I become human. I'd never be able to fit in over there." She nodded. "You're right, of course, butwhat about the baby? What will become of it?" "We'll cross that road when the time comes," Inuyasha said. "For now, let's live for today, for this moment." Kagome embraced her hanyou. "I love you, Inuyasha." "I love you, too, Kagome." ~##########~ Inuyasha stayed right at Kagome's side when she told her family about her expecting a child. She had wanted to do most of the talking, and he'd had no problem with that. But when Kagome's mother, still in shock about the news, made a comment about the fact that they were so young, Inuyasha felt that he should speak up. "Can you two even fathom what you're getting yourselves into?" Kagome's mother asked. "Mrs. Higurashi," Inuyasha began, "I love Kagome, even more than I'd dare admit to my worst enemies, and I know that she loves me in return. And we will both love this baby unconditionally. That, in my opinion, is all we'll need." Mrs. Higurashi looked at him forlornly. "Butit's such a huge responsibility. How will you manage?" Kagome took Inuyasha's hand into her own. "We'll figure something out, Mom. I don't know how, but we'll come up with something. We're both in this together." "Wellif this is what you really want" "It is, Mom." Mrs. Higurashi wiped a tear from her eye and smiled at her daughter. "Then there's really nothing else I can do but give you my blessingand tell you how happy I am for you both." Kagome embraced her mother, and almost simultaneously, they both broke into tears. Then Mrs. Higurashi turned to her son and father-in-law, neither of which had spoken a word during all this, and asked, "Well, do either of you have anything to say?"

Kagome's grandfather's expression immediately turned from serious to ridiculously happy. "Well, I must say, Kagome, that you've really surprised me. I never expected to become a greatgrandfather so soon. I must really be getting old." Sota ran to Inuyasha and jumped up on his shoulders, a big grin plastered on his face. "So does this mean that you're my brother now?" he asked the hanyou. Inuyasha smiled back at him and ruffled his hair. "Yeah, kid. We're brothers now." ~##########~ Later that day, when Kagome and Inuyasha got back to the feudal era, they retold their story to Miroku, Sango, Shippo, and Kaede. They weren't as surprised as Kagome's family had been, but they were just as enthusiastically joyful. Sango and Kaede immediately began plotting out the perfect kimono for Kagome. The young taijya did not want her best friend to start a new life with the man she loved without giving her a 'wedding' gift. After everyone had settled down, Sango took Kagome aside and told her friend her own bit of good news: she too was with child. Kagome was at first surprised, but that quickly turned to elation as the idea fully sunk in. "It would be neat if our babies were born on the same day," Kagome said with a laugh. Later that evening in Inuyasha's hut, Kagome and Inuyasha were snuggling together on Inuyasha's futon. She told him what Sango had said to her and the hanyou nearly jumped out of his skin. "Are you serious?" he asked. Kagome smiled and said, "Yeah! Isn't it great?" Inuyasha laughed. "So the monk finally got his wish. It's about time. I didn't think he'd ever get a good lay." Kagome punched his arm for that shrewd remark, but the hanyou just laughed harder. They lay together in the dark in silence for a while until Kagome finally spoke. "Inuyasha?" "Hmm?" "What are we going to name the baby?" "Inuyasha, Jr."

Kagome giggled. "What about if it's a girl?" "Inuyasha, Jr." "We can't give that name to a girl!" "Why not?" "It sounds too masculine. Why not something more feminine?" He turned over to face her and pinned her beneath him. "What, you want to name it Kagome, Jr.?" She giggled again. "Maybe I do." "I still like the idea of a second Inuyasha." "But what if it looks like me?" "Inuyasha, Jr." Kagome kissed his nose. "Okay, wise guy, if you insist but only if it's a boy. I am not naming my daughter after you." All of a sudden, an unexpected throbbing in her stomach caused Kagome to cry out in pain and buck underneath Inuyasha's weight. However, to the hanyou it just felt as if she was trying to get him off her, so he just pushed her back down. But when she continued to shout out her discomfort, he could tell that something wasn't right. "Kagome? Hey, what's wrong?" Kagome whimpered and held her stomach. "Inuyashait hurts.aaaahhh!" "Where?" "My-my stomach!" "Is it time already?" She spasmed again, "I don't knowIt's much too early! It's only my fourth month!" "Do you want me to get Kaede?" "Ohhhhhhyes! Hurry!"

Inuyasha quickly pulled his fire-rat pants on; he didn't bother dressing Kagome. He wrapped her up in a blanket and ran out the door with her in his arms towards Kaede's hut. All the while, Kagome continued to cry out in pain and writhe in his arms. "Inuyashawhat if something's wrong with the baby?" she managed to ask. "It'll be all right, Kagome. I promise nothing will happen to you or our child." When they reached the old woman's home, Inuyasha barged in the door. "Kaede, Sango, wake up! Something's wrong with Kagome!" Sango sat up in bed and lit a candle. The moment she saw Kagome thrashing around in Inuyasha's arms, she quickly got to her feet. So did Kaede. Inuyasha set Kagome down on Sango's futon Then the old woman tore the blanket from Kagome's body. Kagome's belly had swelled to twice its original size. It looked as if she'd been pregnant for the full nine months. "She's going into labor," Kaede stated. "Inuyasha, get me a bucket of cold water and a washcloth. Hurry!' Inuyasha did as he was told, but Sango looked at the elderly miko in confusion. "Kagome hasn't been pregnant that long, Kaede. Why is the child coming now?" "Demon children don't take as long to develop as do human children. Six months is usually all it will take. But you're right, even for a demon child, it is still too early for her to give birth." Inuyasha came back with the bucket and soothed the overheating skin of Kagome's forehead with ice-cold water. She was drenched in sweat and her breathing had become ragged. He began to run the cloth over the rest of her body when she looked up into his worried eyes. "Inuyashawhat's wrong with my baby?" Inuyasha couldn't hold back the tears. He put his arms around her and held her tightly in his embrace, his tears falling onto her warm skin. He wished he could say something- anything- to make things right again, or at least to make sense of things. But there was nothing that he could either say or do that would make any of this seem sensible. ~##########~ "How is she doing, Kaede?" Sango asked. "She has fallen asleep," said the elderly woman. "I told Inuyasha to leave her be for a while so she may get some rest. The poor dear is completely exhausted, and it is only the beginning."

Sango shook her head. "It's these kinds of situations that make me afraid...I never fully realized how painful it can be to give birth. I just hope that I'll be as strong as Kagome when the time comes for my child to be born." "Ye will do fine, Sango. After all, are ye not a powerful demon slayer?" Sango smiled. "I suppose you're right, Kaede." Suddenly, the two women heard ragged breathing and moaning coming from inside the hut. When they re-entered Inuyasha was already at Kagome's side, holding her head in his lap as she took the full brunt of another jolt of pain. Inuyasha's eyes met Kaede's, and she was astonished to find them almost pleading. She could see that he'd been crying. His face was red, and his nose and eyes were puffy, and he looked as if he could burst into tears once again. "What's going on?" he asked desperately. "This shouldn't be happening...it's too soon!" "I...I wish I knew, Inuyaha, but..." Suddenly, a bright, golden light appeared in the far corner of the room and began to change shape. Inuyasha could have swore than it was taking on a human form, and he found that his suspicions were correct when a woman appeared in the midst of the glowing aura. "Midoriko," he gasped. "But how?" Sango questioned. "Isn't she...I thought she was...she's supposed to be dead." "I am as you say, demon slayer." Midoriko's voice was unimaginably intensified and echoed off the walls, causing Inuyasha's sensitive ears to flatten against his head. She spoke again. "There has been a great disturbance in the order of time, and I have made myself known here in an effort to correct it." "What are you talking about?" Inuyasha asked hotly. "We're kind of busy here. In case you hadn't noticed, my mate is about to give birth. Can't this wait?" "No, hanyou, it cannot...for your unborn child is the cause of the disturbance in which I seek to repair." "What the hell are you talking about? How is that possible?" Midoriko looked forlorn. "You and Kagome are from different times and dimensions. Her being here is all my doing. Originally I sent her here simply so the Shikon no Tama would return to this era, but when she shattered it with her arrow, I found it fitting to allow her to accompany you in bringing the shards together again, since she is the only one who can seek them out, and you, Inuyasha, are the only one who can take them back again."

She paused, but then continued. "I never expected that the two of you would grow to love one another as you do now. I should have foreseen it, however. After all, it is only natural that the reincarnation of the priestess you once loved would have the same feelings towards you. I was just too blind to see it. It is only because of my will that Kagome is present now. I can send her back in a flash if I so please, but I am not that cruel. I see now how much she truly means to you, but sadly, the child that the two of you have produced is torn between dimensions. Logically, it cannot exist in both places at once. Therefore, if I do nothing to repair the damage that has been done, both Kagome and the child will perish." Inuyasha immediately went pale. "But...that just can't be possible...how can this be happening?" "Do not fret, Inuyasha," Midoriko said. "Even though it may seem hopeless, there is one way I can save both your mate and child." His ears perked up. "I'll do anything...anything!" he cried. "Just don't let Kagome leave me! I can't take another person I love leaving me!" "I hear your words, dear hanyou," the priestess replied. "I can save your loved ones by tying both of them to one dimension and closing up the well temporarily. My powers are exhausted and need time to recuperate before I can once again bestow upon you the ability to pass through dimensions." "But...Kagome can't leave me," Inuyasha stated. "I love her more than anything else. I couldn't stand living without her or our baby!" "Inu...yasha..." His head whipped around to face the owner of the soft voice. Kagome had awoken and was staring into her lover's eyes, a false smile on her face. "Inuyasha...we have to decide...for our baby's sake." Tears began to form under Inuyasha's eyes. "What is there to decide? You have to stay here with me. How am I supposed to go on living if I can't see you whenever I like?" "It will only be for a while, Inuyasha," she said calmly. "Remember, Midoriko said it would only be temporary...then we'll be reunited and can raise our baby together." "So you're saying...you want to go back to your own time?" She nodded. "I have to. You know I love you, but this isn't where I belong. I want to stay with you, but I also can't hurt my family." Inuyasha averted his gaze to stare at the far wall, but Kagome reached up and, cupping his face in her hands, brought him back to look at her. "Inuyasha, you are going to be a wonderful father, and I know deep in my heart of hearts that you will raise our child right."

"You mean you're...leaving it here with me?" She nodded as a single tear rolled down her cheek. Then, carefully, she removed his subduing necklace and hugged it to her breast. "I'll take this to remember you by...and you take my baby to remember me. As long as it's here, I'll never be far." She embraced him, and he, her. He put his arms so hard around her she felt as if she'd burst, but he refused to let go. Midoriko smiled and said," Well...I see that you have made your decision. For your sake, I will use a remaining portion of my strength to keep the child alive so it can continue to develop inside of Kagome until the rightful time of birth. That is as much time as I can give you, so make it worth while." Kagome hugged Inuyasha tighter. "We will. Thank you." ~##########~ Shortly after Midoriko left them, Kagome's pains subsided. The baby's birth had been delayed. Inuyasha picked her up and carried her back to their hut in his arms. By this time she had fallen asleep once again, so he carefully placed her in her sleeping bag and made sure she was comfortable and warm. Sitting back, he stayed awake for the remainder of the night watching her and making sure that she was safe. By daybreak he'd become exhausted and eventually feel asleep just as Kagome was awakening. Looking around the room, she laid eyes on her best friend and lover. His hands were folded up in his sleeves in their usual position, and the Tetsusaiga was propped up against the wall at his side. He was laying on his side, snoring loudly. She giggled softly and, getting up, pulled a large blanket out of her backpack and placed it over him. He stirred slightly but didn't wake up. She dressed in a light blue sweater and an even lighter blue skirt and made her way outside into the crisp fall morning. As she neared the village, she could see that Sango had already woken up and was hanging Miroku's robes out to dry after they'd been washed. She waved to the older girl and a smile was her reply. "Kagome!" Sango exclaimed. "What are you doing out of bed?" "I'm fine, Sango," she replied. "I feel much better today. Midoriko did as she promised. I'm no longer in any pain." "That's good to hear. But really, you still shouldn't be moving around so much. You're child is to be born in less than two months. You need to conserve your energy. The closer you get to the time of birth, the more energy it will require for the baby to develop."

Kagome sighed. "I suppose you're right. Inuyasha and Myoga have both been telling me that it will only get harder. But I can't stay in bed all the time." "I suppose you're right," said the demon slayer. "But when the time comes, you must be careful, for your sake and for the sake of your child." Kagome nodded. "I understand." Then, looking around, she asked, "Is Miroku here with you?" "He, uh...went to the stream to wash up," Sango said. "He's been having, um, a hard time staying away from me lately...so he...went to the stream...to take a cold bath." Kagome laughed. It was good to laugh again. ~##########~ Later that evening, after Inuyasha had spent the day scolding her for leaving the hut that morning without his knowledge and receiving an impressive number of "Sit!" commands from his mate after she had made him put the prayer beads back on, Inuyasha and Kagome, to Inuyasha's delight, sat down around a blazing flame inside their hut for a carb-filled meal of instant ramen and potato chips. Inuyasha knew Kagome would normally never eat this "junk", as she often called it, but he realized that this was just her way of saying she was sorry for making him worry and for introducing his face to the ground so many times. He slurped up the noodles, all the while forcing Kagome to listen to the loud sucking sound they made as they passed over his lips and down his throat, occasionally whiplashing back and slapping his nose as he reached the end of his pasta delight. He tossed the bowl aside and laid back on their futon, burping satisfactorily. If it were not for the fact that he looked simply adorable in his after-meal euphoria, she would have made known to him once again the utter disregard he continuously showed for etiquette during their meals. But seeing him so relaxed, eyes closed in contentment and ears twitching against unseen disturbances, made her smile and forget her ever being the slightest bit upset with him. She laid down beside him and wrapped her arms around his midsection, burying her face in the crook of his shoulder and literally wrapping herself around him, her legs twining with his. Surprised at her forward show of intimacy, Inuyasha lifted his head and looked down at her face. Her eyes were now closed and her breathing was slow and even. He could tell she was happy, and that fact alone brought so much warmth to his heart that he felt it would burst. No one but her had ever had this effect on him. No one. Not even his mother...or Kikyo. Sometimes it scared him, but mostly it just made him feel as if he'd truly found where he belonged- in the arms of this girl...no, that was wrong. She was no longer the loud, obnoxious, bratty child he'd thought she was when they'd first met. During his time with her, they had both matured. She still had that same fiery spirit and was still as stubborn as hell, but she was no longer the inexperienced, scared little girl she had once seemed to be. She had become all woman...his woman, and the mother of his unborn child.

He leaned over and kissed her fully on the lips, drawing a moan from her. He moved to situate himself over her to give himself more control of the situation and to gain better access to what she would offer him. He cupped her face in his hands and continued to love her with his mouth. Their tongues danced and he moaned into her mouth, causing her to whimper in delight and eagerness. He eventually pulled himself from her and, pushing up her sweater, stared at her ever-growing belly. To him, she seemed to have gotten bigger just in the last twenty-four hours, and it excited him to no end to imagine their baby being born very soon. "Kagome..." he murmured. Then he lowered his face to her abdomen and stroked the swell with the palms of his hands, lightly grazing her skin with the tips of his claws, causing her to shiver and whimper again. "Inuyasha..." She moaned out his name and he smiled. He kissed her belly in a soothing manner, and she sighed as she began to relax beneath him. Her ears caught the sound of his whispering voice. She lifted her head in order to hear him better, and was shocked to find him talking at her stomach. He was blushing, which made it all the more adorable. "Hey in there," he murmured. "I'm your daddy...I can't wait for you to come out. I want to finally meet you. I just know you'll be a great kid...and if Shippo behaves, I just may let him play with you." He chuckled to himself. "You're mine...you could kick his ass any day of the week." "Inuyasha, that's not nice!" Kagome exclaimed. Inuyasha blushed again. "Damn it, wench, were you listening?" Kagome smiled and clutched her stomach. "Don't worry, little one, you're daddy really isn't that big of a meanie. If he ever picks on you, you just come to me and I'll 'S-word' him a good one." "Keh! Why'd you make me put this thing back on, anyway?" He motioned at the beads once again around his neck. "I thought you wanted to keep them." Kagome sighed. "I'll take them back after the baby's born. I need some way to keep you in line until then." Inuyasha 'keh'ed' once again and diverted his attention back to her stomach. "Can't even talk to my kid without you interfering. He'd better not have your attitude, or I'm really in for it." She laughed and reclined once again as her mate began to once again lavish her with his attention. She began to get a little anxious when he moved his attentions lower. He stroked her hips and lifted her skirt to catch a whiff of the heady scent coming from her nether region. He buried his

face between her legs and inhaled deeply, sighing as her pungent aroma pushed every one of his buttons even through the cloth barrier of her underwear. "Inuyasha...ahh!" Her hips jerked up when his nose came in contact with the sensitized nub of flesh. She whimpered when he pushed his face further into her warmth, moving it from side to side to let her feel the full effect. She whimpered, almost begging. "Inuyasha...we-we can't. The baby..." "Shhh, Kagome," he started. The vibrations of his voice so close to her center caused her to cry out and buck again. Inuyasha held her down to keep her in place. "We won't go all the way tonight. I just want to love you. Please let me love you..." He pushed her panties aside and ran his tongue along her core, paying special attention to that nub of flesh. She cried out again, his caresses nearly driving her mad. He ripped her underwear clean off and lifted her hips up to his face for better access. He buried his tongue deep into her warmth, using it as he would his length, showing her without words how much he loved and cherished her body. Every time his name passed her lips and she cried out for more, a great load was taken off of his heart. He'd realized a long time ago how much she loved him, but it wasn't until that moment, when she gave him her body so selflessly and trusted him so completely, that he truly discovered the full extent of her feelings for him and how much it would hurt when they finally had to say goodbye. As she once again sobbed out his name as she released, his heart again became heavy. He continued to kiss her core, bringing her down from that unbelievable high. Her breathing eventually returned to normal and she slumped against her bedding in exhaustion. He moved back up her body, bringing the blanket up to cover her form as he kissed her forehead and stroked her bangs away from her face. She smiled before kissing him back. He loved her. He loved her with all his heart. But he couldn't let her leave him. He'd die without her. Suddenly, he quickly stood up and made his way towards the door. "Inuyasha?" she said questioningly. "Where are you going?" "I need to go out for a while. I'll be back soon." He bounded through the door and out into the cool night air, leaving Kagome to wonder what in the world was going through his mind. ~##########~

Inuyasha made his way through the forest towards the God tree. He needed some time alone to think, and the sacred tree where he had been pinned fifty-two years ago by his former love was as good a place as any to sit in solitude and contemplate the many thoughts that were racing through his mind. Kagome, Midoriko, the baby...just the thought of the latter gave him a sinking feeling deep in his gut. So many questions had yet to be answered, and there seemed to be no definite solutions in sight. Upon arrival, he leaped to the highest branch of the tree that was sturdy enough to hold his weight and took a seat. Although it was unusual for him, Inuyasha could feel the beginnings of a headache surfacing and wished he had some of Kaede's herbs and spices to squelch it. However, he decided to bear it. He just simply did not feel like moving for a while. Staring up into the stars reminded him how lonely he really was without Kagome at his side. If she had been there she would have cuddled up to him despite being dozens of feet above the ground. But that's just the way she was...so trusting of him that it made him wonder sometimes about her sense of logic. He knew for a fact that she was afraid of heights. Her first experience riding atop Kilala had been an unpleasant one. Inuyasha's ears still rang from all the screaming she'd done that day. But when she rode him across the countryside, her fear disappeared completely. The same went for when they cuddled in the God tree together, which they had done quite often since they had become mates. It was one of Inuyasha's favorite spots, and Kagome insisted on being near him as often as humanly possible, even if it meant facing potential danger. Being near her love made any trace of uneasiness or fear leave the vicinity. He wished she was with him now, but if she had been, he wouldn't have been able to concentrate as well as he needed to at that moment. What were they going to do? Kagome had insisted that Inuyasha take the baby and raise it in the feudal era, but he would have none of it. If his child's fate was to be part demon like himself, he would rather it live in Kagome's time where it would be safe, away from the demons of his world that would terrorize it just as they had terrorized him as a child. And who knew...maybe it would be happier with Kagome. Mrs. Higurashi would be a good grandmother and make sure the child was well cared for, and Souta would make a fairly acceptable playmate. The idea seemed like a good one. His decision made, he decided that he'd been away from Kagome long enough. Jumping back down to the ground, he was surprised to see her making her way toward him carrying the alwayspresent big yellow bag over her shoulder. "Kagome," he began. "What are you doing out here?" She placed the bag on the ground in front of her, grunting at the effort because it was so heavy. "I went back to my time for a while and got some things...I think you'll need them." Inuyasha looked confused. "What are they?"

She kneeled and, unzipping her bag, poured the contents out onto the dew-covered ground. Inuyasha was surprised to see her textbooks, as well as some flash cards, sheets of paper, pencils, and some childrens' books in the pile. "What's all this for?" he asked curiously. Kagome looked forlorn. "It's for the baby. After I leave I want him...or her...to be educated. I'm leaving these things here so it can learn." Inuyasha stared wide-eyed at her. "I don't need these things, wench! You've got it all wrong! You're taking the kid! I don't want it leading the same life I did, always afraid that demons will be after it! It will have a better life with you!" "Inuyasha, you know that's not true," Kagome said. "In my time there are no demons, remember? It would live less of a normal life there than here. I'd have to keep it locked up...otherwise they'd take it from me." "Who?" he asked. "The government, child services...people are always wanting to run tests and experiments on things like this...I just can't let my child be subjected to that kind of treatment. Do you understand what I'm saying?" "Vaguely," Inuyasha said. "And I suppose you're right, but..." Tears formed under his eyes and he suddenly rushed forward and embraced her, holding onto her as if she were his last lifeline. "Oh, Kagome...I just don't think I can let you leave. It's too hard to even think about. Just the thought of not being able to see you or...or hold you, or touch you...makes me terrified. I can't live without you." Kagome wrapped her arms around his neck and began sobbing. "Please, Inuyasha, don't make this harder than it already is. I love you with all my heart, you know that, and I regret every moment that goes by that we don't spend together because it just means more of our time has been lost...but I have to do this. The cycle of time won't be mended until I return to the modern era." They pulled apart and he stared into her eyes, trying to see the situation through her perspective. It was extremely hard. But he understood that she knew best...somehow she always did. "Come on. Let's go home." Taking his hand in hers, she led him back to the village and their hut. They made love for the rest of evening and didn't stop until well into the dawn when, exhausted, they finally fell asleep in each other's embrace, their hearts beating as one. ~##########~

The weeks flew by, and Inuyasha and Kagome spent every waking moment together. He never left her side. When Kagome had to return home for a doctor's appointment, Inuyasha sat perched on the roof outside waiting for her. When she bathed, he was always just a stride away, and more often than not, he would join her. At times Kagome even had trouble getting her privacy while going to the bathroom. As she neared the end of her pregnancy, her belly grew huge and getting around became more and more difficult. Inuyasha constantly insisted on carrying her to where she needed to go, which suited her just fine. She enjoyed those moments when he held her in his arms like something delicate. It made her feel special, wanted, and loved, like a new bride which, sadly, she knew she may never be. At night Kagome would catch up on her studying while, laying in bed beside her, caressing the mountain that had become her midsection, Inuyasha would talk to the small creature inside her, whispering tender words of devotion and love. After a while, however, Kagome's body began making more demands of the hanyou. She began to become steadily weaker by the day as the tiny semi-demon life inside her left her almost completely devoid of energy, and Inuyasha had to devote all of his time and attention to caring for her, whether it be by feeding her because she was too weak to sit up, or by just holding her hair out of the way as she hurled the contents of her stomach into a nearby bedpan. He would stay awake until dawn most nights, so he would be exceptionally tired the next day. But he never complained. Time spent with his Kagome was time well expended. One of Kagome's better days left time for Inuyasha to sleep in. She had felt a little nauseous upon waking that morning and had had a slight headache, but other than that, she was in a fairly good condition. Deciding to catch up on her homework, she reached over and picked up her books. As she began reading, Inuyasha, out like a light, turned over towards her on the futon and unconsciously laid his head on her shoulder. Kagome smiled. How lucky she was to have the man of her dreams finally return her love. After a while she began to get hungry. Not wanting to wake her mate, who's head had managed to find its way to what remained of her lap, she sat up slightly to reach for a piece of fruit in a bowl next to their bed when she was suddenly overtaken by the sensation of her insides dropping. Panicking at first, she soon realized what the problem was when she felt the futon soaked beneath her. Then the pain overtook her. Her body was strung taut and she cried out in agony, waking Inuyasha. He took one glance at the futon covered in birth fluids and Kagome whimpering his name and then, gathering her into his arms, raced for Kaede's hut. ~##########~ For hours Inuyasha paced outside Kaede's hut, the occasional cry of pain or agonizing moan from his mate reaching his ears. When it got to be too much he decided to go for a run to try and once again clear his head. Exerting a great portion of his energy, he raced around the perimeter

of his forest numerous times at top speed. Eventually he made his way back to Kaede's hut, where he found Miroku sitting cross-legged on the ground just outside the front door in an almost meditative state. Sliding to a stop in front of the monk, he asked, "Any word yet?" Miroku shook his head. "They won't let me inside. Sango insists that she and Kaede can take care of things...they won't even let Shippo enter." "They wouldn't let me in, either," Inuyasha said. He beat his fist into the ground. "Damn it...I want to know if she is all right!" "You had best calm yourself, Inuyasha," Miroku said. "It could be a while before we'll know anything." "Why won't they let me see her?" Inuyasha questioned. "Kagome is giving birth, you baka," Miroku stated. "For one thing, it's not proper for a man to be present when his wife is in labor. For another, she is incredibly stressed right now. Having you present would just remind her of everything that's going on." "They let me stay with her last time," the hanyou countered. "She wasn't giving birth back then. Although Kaede thought it was possible she might have been, Kagome's water didn't break so she knew she couldn't have been going into labor." "But still," Inuyasha growled. "Why won't they tell me anything? Is she all right, or isn't she?" "Relax, my good hanyou. We'll know all in good time." Inuyasha leaned back against the wall of the hut and sighed deeply in exhaustion. Closing his eyes, he decided to try sleeping to pass the time. "Kagome..." ~###########~ "Inuyasha...wake up...Inuyasha..." Slowly opening his eyes, Inuyasha was surprised to see Sango leaning over him with a questioning look on her face. He shot to his feet. "How is Kagome? Is she all right?" Sango smiled. "Why don't you go see for yourself? She and your daughter are perfectly fine."

"My...daugther...?" He burst through the door. "Kagome!" She was sitting up in bed with a small bundle in her arms. She averted her eyes to meet his gaze and he could see tears streaming down her face as she smiled warmly at him. Her cheeks were flushed, her nose was red, her hair was in wild disarray, and she was covered in sweat, but to Inuyasha she had never looked more beautiful. He rushed over to her and knelt by her side. "Kagome, how are you feeling?" "Never better," she replied. She pulled the blanket away from the newborn's face, giving Inuyasha his first look at his daughter cradled in her mother's grasp. Surprisingly, the child was completely devoid of dog ears. To his delight, she had the rounded, fleshy pink ears of a human. What little hair was on her head was silver, but a much darker shade than his because of the added darker hairs from Kagome's gene pool mixed in, but she could still pass for a human. He was amazed when she slowly opened her eyes and saw that she had the same eye color as he. "She's beautiful, Kagome," he managed to say. He put his arms around his mate and kissed her tenderly on the forehead. "Would you like to hold her?" Kagome asked. He nodded and she gently placed the baby into her father's arms. He stared in awe at the tiny bundle he was now holding. Everything about her was so small and fragile and he was almost afraid to touch her. He ran a finger very carefully, mindful of his claws, down the side of her soft cheek and underneath her chin. He was surprised when the baby reached up and gripped his finger in her surprisingly firm grasp. Her hand was so tiny it barely wrapped around the base of his finger. "I can't believe her eyes are already open," Kagome stated, leaning her head on her mate's shoulder. "She's one-fourth demon," Inuyasha replied. "Demon children mature slightly faster than humans. But once we reach a certain age we seemingly stop aging. It's a defense mechanism. We have to grow up faster so we can have a chance at defending ourselves." "How much faster?" Inuyasha thought about that for a moment. "In a few days she'll look like a two-week-old baby." "That's not much faster," Kagome stated. "I guess not." He handed the baby back over to Kagome. It was at this time that the two lovers noticed that they were completely alone in the hut.

"Where did Sango and Kaede go off to?" he asked. "I don't know," Kagome said before kissing her daughter on the nose. "I guess they needed to relax after this whole ordeal." Inuyasha smirked. "Were you that much trouble?" "Oh, hush," she said. "I was having a baby, Inuyasha." "I know, I know," he laughed. Then, looking down at the baby, he asked, "So what are we going to name her?" Kagome looked down at her daughter in wonderment. Then, smiling brightly, she replied, "Kaori." ~##########~ Inuyasha carefully and quietly removed Kaori from Kagome's arms while his mate slept. Then he sauntered over to the fire and, sitting down, leaned back against the wall with the baby in his arms. He removed his haori and wrapped it around the infant so that only her face and tiny hands were exposed to the chilling air. Then he sat there admiring her in the firelight as the flames danced to and fro. The child was unmistakably Kagome's daughter. Even though her hair and eyes more resembled his, her facial features were exactly that of her mother's. Earlier that week there had been a new moon, and when Kaori had transformed into a human along with her father, Inuyasha had been amazed at how much she looked like Kagome with her hair black. He leaned down and planted a kiss on the soft skin of Kaori's cheek. She stirred slightly and then awoke, her large golden eyes staring into his. She blinked the sleep out of her eyes and almost immediately broke out into a wide baby grin and cooed. He held his clawed finger out to her and she grasped it in her tiny hand and put it in her mouth, the smile never leaving her face. "You need to go back to sleep, kid," Inuyasha said. "You're mom's already conked out and I was just about to hit the hay myself." Kaori looked up at him with a questioning look on her face and continued to make a meal of his finger. He sighed. "Oh well. You sleep all day, so it's no wonder why we can't get you to sleep at night." Kaori made some baby noises and continued to ignore him. "Just like your mom, I swear. She never listens to me, either." That's when Inuyasha caught a whiff of something that wreaked. He twisted up his face and held his nostrils closed with his free hand. "Kami, Kaori, what the hell have you been eating?" The baby laughed.

Standing back up, he walked over to where Kagome was asleep on their futon. He kneeled down and began poking her on the shoulder. "Kagome...Kagome...wake up, wench." Kagome stirred. "Mmm...huh...wha...? Inuyasha...what is it?" She looked up at him with tired eyes. "Kaori took a shit and she stinks. Will you change her?" Kagome sighed and took the baby from him. "Honestly, Inuyasha, it's just a dirty diaper. Would it kill you to change her once in a while?" "Feh!" he exclaimed. "I change her sometimes when she wets herself, don't I?" "Yeah, like once a week," Kagome replied. Laying the giggling Kaori on the floor of the hut, Kagome removed wipes, baby powder, and a fresh diaper from her bag and began to change her daughter." "One of these days I'm not going to be here to do this for you. What will you do then?" Inuyasha frowned. "Don't mention that. I don't want to think about that right now." "Fine," Kagome replied. Once Kaori was good and clean, Inuyasha took her again and began bouncing the girl on his knee lightly as she squealed in glee. "Doesn't take much to make her happy, does it?" he asked. "I think she gets that from my mom," Kagome replied. "My mom's always been a happy person...I can't think of anyone else in my family that's that cheerful." Inuyasha snorted. "What?" she asked. "My mother...she was happy too, you know." "Was she?" she asked. "I...didn't know that. You don't talk about her much. Why is that?" Inuyasha stopped bouncing Kaori and handed her to Kagome. Then he got up and walked over to the window. He stood there for a moment, looking at the crescent moon. "I don't like to think about her much," he said. "It's too hard, sometimes...so I'd rather just not think about her."

"Inuyasha," Kagome began. "You may not think so, but...talking about the good times you shared with her...it may make you feel better." He turned to look at her. "Not right now. Maybe later." Kagome dropped her head and looked down at Kaori. Time for a subject change... "Kaori will be four months old tomorrow," she said. Inuyasha's ears twitched and he turned to face her. "Really? Has it been that long already?" Kagome smiled. "Yep...she's really growing up." Inuyasha took Kaori and gave her an Eskimo kiss, which only made the baby laugh and gurgle. "Before you know it she'll be teething...and then walking...and talking." Kagome laughed. "Let's not get hasty, Inuyasha. Remember, we only recently started giving her regular solid foods. I think it's a little early to be thinking about her talking." "If she's anything like you it'll be hell getting her to shut up," Inuyasha said, smirking. She bopped him over the head with a pillow, but he only laughed. Kaori grabbed onto one of Inuyasha's long strands of hair and tugged, making him yelp. "Hey, stop it," he said. "That hurts." Kaori only yawned in reply and reached for her mother. "Took her long enough to get tired again," Inuyasha replied. "Keh." Kagome placed their daughter on the futon and covered her with Inuyasha's haori. Immediately the infant closed her eyes and began sucking on her thumb as she drifted off to sleep, sighing softly. Kagome moved over and leaned into Inuyasha, placing her head on his shoulder. "Why don't you go back to sleep, Kagome?" he asked. "Not really tired anymore," she replied. Then, out of the blue, she asked, "How do you think Miroku and Sango are doing?" "I suppose they're all right," Inuyasha replied. "Why?" "No reason."

Two months earlier, Sango had finally given birth to her first child, a son she had called Tenkei. Shortly afterward she, Miroku, and some other men and women from Kaede's village had decided to return to the demon slayers' village, rebuild it, and start a new life there. It had been difficult to see them go, but Kagome realized that it was what Sango had truly wanted. She would raise her children as demon slayers as she herself had once been and become a happy, wealthy woman as she and Miroku took their places as head man and woman of the village. Kagome could only wish that they had found the happiness they had longed for. "I miss them, Inuyasha...and little Tenkei, too." "Yeah, me too." They sat in silence for a while just enjoying each other's company. Then Kagome kissed him tenderly on the cheek and whispered in his ear, "I love you." "I love you, too." He turned to embrace her, but his arms only grasped thin air. He looked around the hut. She was nowhere to be seen. "Kagome?" He got up and ran for the door. Pushing the covering aside he called, "Kagome!" "She is no longer here, Inuyasha." That voice...he knew that voice. Whirling around, he was surprised to see Midoriko there with him, floating above the fire like an apparition. He growled low in his throat and his rage caused his demon side to slowly begin to bubble up to the surface. "Where's Kagome? What have you done with her?" Midoriko's expression was downcast, and she closed her eyes in shame. Inuyasha was astonished to see a lonely tear fall down her face. "I am sorry, Inuyasha...but my strength has finally given out. I could no longer tie her to this world without completely destroying myself in the process. If I had allowed that to happen, she would have been trapped here in this era forever." "But, Kagome, she..." He choked on his words. Tears began to flow from his eyes and down his face, landing on the cold, hard floor. "I am so sorry, Inuyasha. I did my best, but...it wasn't enough. I hope that, over time, you will forgive me. Perhaps after time has passed, and my powers have rejuvenated once again, I can reunite you with Kagome...but for now, dear hanyou, please be strong, and find it in your heart to understand...and forgive." With that, she disappeared, leaving no trace of her presence behind.

Inuyasha fell to his knees. In a mad fit of rage, he began to pound into the floor with his fists. "Damn it, damn it, damn it, DAMN IT!" He broke the boards beneath his feet and then turned to start punching the wall of the hut. "No...Kagome...Kagome! Don't leave me! Kagome!" Never before had Inuyasha been in so much pain. Even when his brother Sesshomaru had punched a hole straight through his chest, compared to the emotional pain he was in now, that experience had been a walk in the park. He felt like ripping to shreds anything that got in his way. He wanted to destroy something, anything, to make this empty feeling in his heart and soul go away. Suddenly he heard Kaori wailing behind him, and that brought him out of his wild fit of rage. Returning to his senses, he rushed over to his daughter and picked her up, rocking her back and forth in an attempt to soothe her. After a few moments she settled down and her crying was reduced to small whimpers. He continued to hold her and caress her forehead. Kaori looked around the room, her eyes searching frantically for her mother. Inuyasha couldn't take it. He wrapped his forearms gently around Kaori's tiny, fragile body and held her head against his shoulder with his hand. Then he let the tears flow once again, only this time there was no madness...only misery. Kaori tried to pull away and lift her head up from his shoulder, determined to catch sight of her mother, but Inuyasha held her down. "Mom's gone, Kaori," he said. As if she understood the meaning of his words, Kaori ceased struggling and buried her face in her father's shoulder, crying softly. Eventually she fell asleep, but Inuyasha remained awake for the rest of the night, mourning the loss of his mate. After a while he stood and, grabbing Kagome's bag and holding onto his daughter tightly, made his way outside. He had to get away from the hut and the village. The pain was just too much. But he had no idea where to go. So he just headed north as fast as he could, with a sleeping Kaori still clutched tightly to his chest. ~###########~ One minute Kagome was sitting comfortably next to Inuyasha in their hut, and the next, she was on her bed, in her room in the modern era, with the scent of the hanyou still fresh in her mind. "What...what happened? How did I get here?" She stood up, but immediately sat down again as it finally came to her. "I...I've been transported back to my own time. Midoriko's power, it...must have given out."

As the full reality of the situation took hold of her, she curled up on her bed and cried into her pillow. Suddenly, her bedroom door creaked open, and her mother entered the room. "Kagome? Is that you, dear?" Kagome, sniffling, looked up. When her eyes met her mother's, she couldn't hold it in any longer. She rushed into her mother's embrace and began sobbing. Mrs. Higurashi, quite astounded, held her daughter for a moment, letting her cry, and then finally asked, "Kagome...what's wrong?" "It's horrible, Mom," Kagome began. "The well...it's been...closed up." Mrs. Higurashi gasped. "What about Kaori and Inuyasha? They're not still on the other side, are they?" Kagome nodded and sobbed louder. "Oh my dear Lord," Mrs. Higurashi said as she squeezed Kagome tighter. "Kagome...I am so, so sorry. I wish...that there was something I could do..." But the only thing she could do was stay there with Kagome as the young girl cried her heart out into her mother's shoulder, soaking Mrs. Higurashi's blouse with her tears as she did so. ~##########~ He hadn't thought about where he was going, but eventually Inuyasha realized that somehow he'd made his way to the village of the demon slayers. He had no idea what else to do, so he willingly accepted and followed the path that Fate had laid out for him. It was extremely late, so of course Miroku, Sango, and even baby Tenkei would be annoyed at such an abrupt and unexpected visit from the exhausted hanyou at such a late hour. But once Miroku lit a candle and he and his wife saw the expression upon their friend's face, they immediately softened. "Inuyasha, what's going on?" Sango asked. "Where is Kagome?" Inuyasha placed Kaori, who was still wrapped up in his fire rat kimono, down on the futon next to Tenkei, never once lifting his gaze from the floor. "Kagome is...gone. Midoriko's magic finally failed. She's back in her own time...she's stuck there." Sango's eyes went wide and she gasped. Miroku just stared at his son and the small semi-demon child resting together on the floor in disbelief.

"We knew this would happen," the monk said. "We just weren't sure when. Midoriko didn't exactly give us a time and date on when to expect Kagome to leave." Inuyasha growled and brought his hand into a fist so tight that his claws began to draw blood. "This is so fucked up!" he cried. "Midoriko told me that if she had just let herself die permanently from lack of power that Kagome would have been stuck in this era. Why couldn't she have just done that? I mean...she said she understood how much Kagome and I need each other. Why didn't she just let her stay?" "Enough, Inuyasha," Miroku said sternly. "You're just being selfish. We will all miss Kagome, but don't blame all that's happened on Midoriko. It was because of her that you had the chance to meet and fall in love with Kagome in the first place. Did you forget that?" "I haven't forgotten," Inuyasha replied. "But...it's just so hard." He put his head between his knees as he felt the tears begin to fall again. His ears perked up and he lifted his head when he heard Kaori whimpering in her sleep. He reached over and cuddled her to him. She opened her eyes and, looking up and him, cooed contentedly. "You still have Kaori, Inuyasha," Sango said. Inuyasha nodded. "Yes. I'm thankful for that, at least." Glancing at little Kaori, Inuyasha made a pact with himself in that moment. I'll wait for you, Kagome, he vowed silently. For as long as it takes, to the ends of the earth, always and forever...someday we'll see each other again. I swear it. Thinking of her smiling and laughing face at the last moment with their daughter, Inuyasha couldn't help but smile to himself and let the tears continue to fall. "See ya, wench."