InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Dangerous Faith ❯ Unsettling Discussions ( Chapter 3 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended. In other words, I don't own and I make no money from this.

Author Note: This chapter was originally posted to IB4Y on May 7, 2012 for W-Prompt #18 Complicated and won 1st place. It was also originally only 245 words but, like the previous chapters, has since been expanded for this story.

Speaking of which, if you read the previous chapters when they were first posted, please go back and re-read them. I have expanded them after several reviews and messages requesting more detail. As I said to those reviewers, these were originally challenge responses and thus had a word limit. But that doesn't mean I can't expand them now that the voting is over. If you are curious to read the original pieces I do include the livejournal community and date each was posted at the beginning of each chapter.

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It was a tense duo who approached their home village a day after their adventure. They had wasted no time in hurrying home and thus were tired, wet and hungry after traveling all night through the sporadic rain. Inuyasha and Miroku released sighs of relief as the village came into view. They sped up their pace.

Inuyasha spotted them first. Sango and Kagome sat talking beneath a tree outside of Inuyasha's hut, little Izayoi in her mother's arms as Jomei played with Miroku's three children. Happy and relieved at the sight before him, he sped up to where his wife was sitting, dropping to his knees and pulling her and their daughter into his arms. He was absently aware of Miroku repeating his actions with Sango.

Kagome returned her husband's hug before spotting the look on his face and worriedly asking “What's wrong?”

Inuyasha's arms tightened around her before he replied. “Long story, I'll tell you at Kaede-baba's.”

“Papa!” Jomei squealed, abandoning his game and racing toward the adults. He flung himself at his parents, wrapping his little arms as far as they would go around his father. Inuyasha merely sighed, one arm releasing Kagome to wrap around his son in return.

A now extremely worried Kagome shared a glance with Sango as she saw Miroku's three children tackle him to the ground. Rather than admonishing them as he would normally do, the houshi simply gathered them into his arms and held them. “Inuyasha?”

“Not in front of the kids,” he replied firmly.

Kagome bit her lip, then nodded. Rising, she managed to extricate her son from his father. “Come Jomei, let's get you and Izayoi to Rin. Your Papa and I have something we need to take care of.” Out of the corner of her eye she saw Sango also gathering her brood together.

“But Mama-” Jomei started to whine.

“I know you're excited to see him, just as he is you. But the sooner the adults are able to take care of this, the sooner he'll be able to play with you and tell you all about his trip. Okay?” Well, no, he definitely wouldn't be telling their son all about his trip, not with the way he was acting but she needed to placate her son somehow.

“Okay.”

Arrangements for the children to be watched were made and four adults shortly found themselves in Kaede's hut with the old miko. Sango and Kagome exchanged worried glances at the grim looks their husbands sported. Once all were seated by the fire Miroku and Inuyasha began to explain what had happened to them, Kagome clutching her husband's arm tightly as she learned how she nearly lost him.

Once their tale was done they sat in silence, contemplating what they had learned. Kaede stared into the fire before sighing. “You know this will make things more complicated?”

Miroku nodded grimly. “We'll have to be more careful when we travel. The story will spread and other villages won't be as welcoming as they once were.”

Inuyasha snorted as he pulled Kagome closer, a frown on his face. Kagome noticed and realized what he was thinking. She placed her hand on his arm. “Don't worry, the people here know and accept us. They won't turn on us.”

The others added their agreements. “Yes, Hitoshi is a wise man,” Kaede said, referring to the headman. “I will explain the situation to him. I have no doubt that he will support you in this, especially after all you have done for our village.”

Inuyasha felt some of the tension leave him at her words and the obvious support the others were showing. “Come on, let's get the kids and go home,” he told Kagome, eager to spend some quiet time alone with his family. Everything else could wait until later.