InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ As Fate Would Have It ❯ Chapter 5

Chapter 5

 

Inuyasha jumped out of the well with Kagome in his arms, bridal style. She, in turn, held the little hanyou baby, who looked none the worse for wear for her first trip through time. She looked up at Kagome and Inuyasha with big blue eyes and yawned.

 

Kagome chuckled. “So much for impressing her with the 21st century,” she said with a grin. Inuyasha started to grin too then caught himself. He coughed out a “keh!” and led the way out of the well house.

 

As soon as the well house door was slid open, Kagome's mother opened the back door to come out to greet them. Oh, boy, thought Kagome. Here it comes…

 

Oh, boy, thought Inuyasha. Here it comes…

 

“Kagome!” Her mother said as she walked toward them with a smile on her face. “I happened to see the pink light from the well and hoped it was you coming back! How…was…your…” she slowly trailed off as she approached the two of them and saw the black haired hanyou baby in Kagome's arms.

 

Kagome, Inuyasha, and her mother all blinked at the same time as silence loomed. “Er, Kagome,” her mother said, looking back and forth between the two teenagers and back to the baby. She opened her mouth as if to ask tons of questions, then seemed to think better of it.

 

Instead she smiled wide and pulled Inuyasha into a hug, while he squirmed and blushed furiously. “Congratulations! When were you going to tell me you two were married?”

 

Kagome and Inuyasha stared at each other, their faces beet-red. “Um, Mom,” Kagome said, looking rather uncomfortable, “we're, um… we're not…”

 

Inuyasha stood up as straight as he could and took on his best “dead-serious” expression. “We didn't get married, Mrs. Higurashi,” he said.

 

Kagome's mom turned and looked at him, her face falling. “You didn't??” Then she glared at him. “You got my baby pregnant and you wouldn't even marry her???”

 

“Mom!” Kagome cried out, putting one hand on her mother's arm as though to stop the older woman from beating Inuyasha to a pulp. “He didn't get me pregnant! This is a wolf hanyou baby whose father was killed by demons!”

 

“So this is Kouga's child then? Tell me you at least married him!”

 

A vein popped out in Inuyasha's forehead at the thought of Kagome and Kouga getting married and having little wolf babies everywhere. He clenched his fists and let out a low growl.

 

“No, Mom!” Kagome said, trying to make her mother understand. “I didn't get married to anyone!”

 

“Did these demons kill Kouga before he could marry you?” her mother interrupted.

 

Kagome sighed. “Mom, let's go inside. I'll explain everything once we sit down.”

 

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A little while later, Minako was happily cooing in Kagome's mom's arms. “So this poor little thing has no one?”

 

“Just me, Mom,” Kagome answered. “And I came back to get some baby supplies from this era so that our journey will be easier for all of us.”

 

Kagome's mom suddenly stood up, striking a pose much like a superhero. “This is what I've been waiting for all my life! Shopping for grandchildren! Let's hit the stores!”

 

Kagome blinked several times. Inuyasha was oblivious- he was nose-deep in ramen. So she was only waiting for me to have kids so she could spoil them? Kagome thought to herself, amused.

 

After finding a hat for Inuyasha and wrapping Minako in an old baby blanket of Souta's so that her little black ears were covered, the trio set out for the stores. They bought bottles, formula, cloth diapers (Kagome's mother protested about the environmental hazards of disposables), sleepers and blankets. They even found a carrier that Kagome could use to carry Minako on her front.

 

Wherever they went, everyone wanted to see the baby. Kagome made sure that only her face was exposed, so that her little wolf ears stayed hidden. No way to explain those!

 

Inuyasha got several slaps on the back in congratulations from the men and the women would smile at Kagome knowingly. Everyone seemed to think the baby was theirs!

 

Not wanting to spend an eternity trying to explain over and over the actual situation, Kagome just nodded and acted like she knew what they were smiling about. Inuyasha would give the men odd looks and once almost tried to hit a guy back. Kagome had to calm him down before he caused a scene, and she threatened to “osuwari” him if he didn't behave.

 

Once they were home, Kagome packed up her yellow backpack with the baby stuff and “ninja” food that had been requested, dressed Minako in a cute pink sleeper, wrapped her in a new lavender blanket, and headed toward the well. Inuyasha followed, carrying the backpack.

 

“'Bye, Mom!” she yelled as she opened the well house door. “We'll see you later!”

 

“Be careful, Kagome!” her mother yelled back, waving. “And take care of my babies, Inuyasha!”

 

Inuyasha turned red as he jumped into the well. He had just about had enough of this whole baby business for today, and they still had to begin their journey.

 

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As Inuyasha jumped out of the well with Kagome in his arms again, they were greeted by Shippou and Kirara. “It's about time you got back!” the kitsune. “I'm starving!”

 

Kagome chuckled, reached into the backpack and pulled out a bag of chips for him. “Will this do?” The little kitsune shrieked in delight as he snatched the bag and began eating.

 

It was late afternoon by the time they reached Kaede's village. Miroku came out to greet them as Kirara ran past him toward Sango, who stood in the hut's doorway. “I see your shopping trip was successful,” he said with a grin.

 

Kagome grinned back then looked down at the pink-clad baby wrapped in lavender. She certainly stood out against the natural earth tones of this era. But she didn't stand out as much as Kagome did in her school uniform. Kagome turned to Inuyasha and handed him the baby abruptly. “Here- I need to go do some things. I'll be right back.”

 

As Kagome left with Sango, Inuyasha was left holding the little hanyou girl. He held her awkwardly away from his body, as though afraid to hold her close. He looked at her; she looked at him. Blue eyes met gold. Blue eyes looked up and saw white doggie ears.

 

She grinned, a full-blown smile that couldn't be mistaken for anything but. Inuyasha looked at her, confused for a moment, and then he twitched an ear. Minako giggled then squealed with laughter as he wiggled the other ear. She reached her arms out as though trying to hug the inu-hanyou.

 

Miroku watched all this from a safe distance away. He never would've guessed that the grumpy hanyou would make such a favorable impression on the little girl. And if Inuyasha knew he was watching all this, his life would be forfeit. He turned and walked away, a smile wide on his face.

 

It would seem that Inuyasha had a heart after all…

 

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“So what do you think you'll do?” Sango asked, after Kagome had finished telling her everything that had happened. “From the way it sounds, he's determined to go with Kikyou when everything's said and done.” Kagome nodded sadly. Sango put a hand on her friend's shoulder. “Do you still love him?”

 

Kagome stared into space, mulling the question over in her mind. “I… I-I don't know…” she stammered. “I do love him, although I wonder if only as a friend anymore. I mean, his behavior when my mother asked if he had married me should've broken my heart, but I just felt sort of… numb, I guess.”

 

She sighed dejectedly. “It would seem that he's just broken my heart beyond the point of feeling any more.”

 

“Serves the baka right!” Sango exclaimed fiercely. “Men are more trouble than they're worth.”

 

Kagome laughed, glad her friend was there for her. “Miroku too?”

 

Sango blushed and stood up, abruptly changing the subject. “So let's go find out what happened to that baby's family.”

 

Kagome stood too. “Yes,” she agreed. “Maybe she has family that's looking for her.”

 

“If not,” Sango replied, “then we can be her family for her.”

 

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Kaede and Shippou waved farewell as the troupe set out the next morning on yet another quest. With Inuyasha sniffing out the trail, they settled into a basic routine. Eat, walk, rest, eat, walk, rest, eat, sleep. No youkai stalked them, no humans crossed their path. It was eerily silent. Everyone was on edge- this was not normal.

 

“I can hear a waterfall,” Inuyasha said one afternoon as Kagome rocked Minako in her arms. She had been such a good baby- quiet yet alert to her surroundings.

 

“A waterfall?” Miroku asked, intrigued. Inuyasha nodded, but his expression was grim.

 

“There's the scent of blood all around here. That man must've been attacked around here.” He looked toward the sound of the waterfall. “But a thinner blood trail continues back that way.”

 

“So he was continuously attacked as he ran for safety? The poor man,” Sango whispered.

 

“It's amazing he survived to reach us,” Miroku agreed.

 

Kagome stood up. “Then let's get going. Maybe we're getting closer to Minako's family.” Everyone nodded.

 

Inuyasha kept the group following the trail, and soon they came upon a clearing on the edge of the forest. He stopped and looked around as everyone stopped next to him. Off to his left, right next to the edge of the forest, were the remains of a hut. The man's scent led right to the hut.

 

Silent now, the group walked toward the ruins. Inuyasha sniffed, and then walked a bit faster toward a pile of lumber.

 

“Where are the other huts? The other villagers?” Sango whispered to Kagome. “Shouldn't there be evidence of them nearby?”

 

“It looks like this hut was just here by itself,” Kagome replied quietly, looking around sadly. “They were all alone here.”

 

The others watched Inuyasha walk away, afraid to even think of what he might have smelled. He started lifting the timber off the pile, until he found what he was apparently looking for.

 

Kagome covered her mouth with her hand, horrified. Minako, sensing Kagome's anguish, began to howl mournfully. Sango closed her eyes in sorrow and Miroku began chanting the same rites he spoke over the little hanyou's father.

 

The remains of a female Wolf youkai, clutching a homemade baby blanket in one hand, lay half-buried under the charred timber and rubble, her body ripped almost beyond recognition. They had found Minako's mother.