What Never Should

I do not own InuYasha or any of it’s characters. Any side character belongs souly to me and will not be used or touched by another.

Summary: Review to chapter 1.

Writing Style: Review to chapter 1.

**~**~**~**~**~**

Chapter 14. The Beat Of One’s Heart

Golden eyes moved back and forth... and back and forth over and over again, their silent gaze pierced only on the pacing elderly woman before them. She hadn’t looked at the young silver haired hanyou since she had examined him, nor had she said anything. After the examination, she had began to pace, back and forth. His left ear twitched in annoyance and he slammed his hand down on the wooden floor, making her stop.

“You’ve been pacing since forever,” InuYasha growled. “What’s wrong?”

Kaede sighed, rubbing her old wrinkled face with one old hand, sighing again, this time longer and more exasperated than before. She sat down in front of InuYasha, staring at him like there was no tomorrow. Her expression changed slightly, a smile tugging the side of her old lips and her good eye softened the slightest.

“Have ye noticed a change in yourself InuYasha?” she asked.

“What are you talking about?” the hanyou huffed.

“InuYasha, I believe ye may be housing something far from what I have expected,” Kaede said with odd confusion.

InuYasha looked at her blankly.

“InuYasha... I think ye may be pregnant,” Kaede announced.

InuYasha felt his eyes go wide and a rock lodge in his throat. He, pregnant. A male, pregnant. What was Kaede thinking, she must be going crazy in her old age. InuYasha slowly uncrossed his legs and crawled forward to look the old woman closely in the eyes. He put a hand to her head and tested his own temperature. She definitely wasn’t ill.

“You kidding?” InuYasha asked, his face cracking as he tried to hold back the laughter.

“I am not.”

That was it, he was done. He exploded, rolling backward onto his back and rolling across the ground back and forth, his eyes filling with tears as his chest began to cramp from his heavy outburst. He tried to sit up, but when he saw Kaede’s surprised expression he rolled back again and continued t laugh loudly. He rolled onto his stomach and pounded the ground and he snorted gently, the tears in his eyes dripping onto the floor.

“G-good... o-o-one Kaede,” InuYasha said, his laughter dying away into gentle hiccups.

“InuYasha,” Kaede hissed darkly. “I wasn’t making a joke for you.”

“So I’m pregnant?” InuYasha asked, smiling smugly.

“Yes.”

“A male, pregnant?”

“Yes.”

“Me, a male, am pregnant?”

“Yes.”

“Me?”

“Yes.”

“Pregnant?”

“Yes.”

“Me, InuYasha, a male half-demon, is pregnant?”

“Yes.”

“Me?”

“Yes.”

“Me, I’m pregnant?”

“Yes, InuYasha, yes,” Kaede snapped.

He smirked at her and sat back against the wall, crossing his arms over his chest. He sighed and rubbed the bottom of his eyes, a tear flicking from his long clawed finger. He looked at the old miko sitting opposite him, her frown making him smile wider. He was having fun annoying her. She had really made his burst with laughter when she said he was pregnant. Yea right, a male demon getting pregnant, not likely.

“Alright, InuYasha, if you do not believe me,” Kaede said, a smirk replacing her frown.

She picked up a rock from within the coals of the dead fire. She tossed it in her hands up and down before clasping her hands tightly around the smouldering piece of boulder and lifted it over her head. She looked down at InuYasha’s stomach and, without a second warning, hurled it at him with great force.

He gasped, the elderly woman not giving him an warning of what she was doing. Almost instinctively, InuYasha jumped up and wrapped one of his arms around his stomach protectively whilst slashing the rock in half with the other. He flopped to the floor, surprised by his own movements, Kaede’s smug smile making him look even more confused.

“InuYasha... why do ye protect your stomach?” Kaede asked.

The silver haired hanyou looked down, his one arm still draped protectively over his toned stomach. He arched his brows, wondering the same thing. There was no reason for him to want to have to protect his body unless... what the woman said... was... true...

“Oh God....”

InuYasha jumped up, crashing through the door. He jumped the strairs, tripping over his feet and almost falling face first into the ground. He darted for the woods, standing up straight. He shot by Miroku, Sango and Rin, the three turning to him as he raced by them, not stopping to say hello or even to talk. They looked at one another and then back at the fleeting hanyou.

“Wonder what’s up?” Sango wondered.

“Maybe he’s horny,” Miroku laughed.

Sango slapped the back of his head and glared at him, pointing down at Rin. The young girl looked up at them suspiciously, her big eyes wide with curiosity. Miroku laughed nervously at her and looked at Sango, his face breaking out into beads of sweat.

“Miroku-sama.... what’s being horny?” Rin asked.

InuYasha crashed into the trees, diving over fallen logs and old roots. He bounded across the trees, jumping into the high branches in search of his brother. It was the only demon who could have ever impregnated him... if he was pregnant, that was. He panted heavily, his tongue lolling as he tried to regain his breath.

‘Odd, I’ve never gotten this breathless before?’

He looked up at the late sun, squinting as the bright sunlight stung his tired eyes. He sighed, slumping down against the trees, his body tiring quickly. Something was wrong, very wrong. He wiped his brow, the thick line of sweat making him nervous and think that he really was pregnant. He knew that female demons were weakened during their birthing state, that they fell ill days after the child was born... but he was male... not female.

‘Sesshomaru... where are you?’

InuYasha jumped down from the tree he was standing in and curled into the trunk of the large oak. He shivered, the sudden cold rushing over his body. He was having hot and cold flashes... not a good thing. He was also throwing up his food, another thing that wasn’t good. Lastly, he was feeling very moody. He wanted to cry, his brother’s abandon presence aching into him like a bad sore.

*~*~*

‘Disturbance is in the air,’ Sesshomaru thought to himself. ‘It’s all around.’

He sniffed the air, his silver hair dancing behind him as the wind kicked through the long field around him. He knew InuYasha would be angry with him, enraged, even, but he had to leave. He would be back, he would need to be. There was something odd with his brother and he had become far more protective of his youthful sibling. That is why he had left after he had seen InuYasha into the village. He had to know where the disturbance was radiating from.

The air held a sour smell, the rotting stench sifting lightly on the breeze that would rush across the flat plain and scream in the thick white snowy ground below. The wind snapped and nipped from the cold, biting across Sesshomaru’s marked cheeks. A long silver strand of hair fell over his shoulder, fluttering in front his face. He tucked it behind his ear with ease, the scent he had been detecting dripping away like it had never existed.

‘Odd,’ was all he thought.

His grey eyes widened a fraction, his brothers soft spoken voice echoing in his head, the words vibrating off his ear drums and swaying in his mind. He turned only an inch, his eyes gazing back in the direction of Kaede’s village. The words in his brothers voice were so sad, so lost. It hurt to hear them. He slipped his arms from within his haori and held them at his sides, one had sliding across the handle of Tokijin.

‘He is calling me.’

He turned, following the scent of the village, the warm smell of burnt wood and smoldering stones drifting in the overhead breeze. He had not told anyone, not even InuYasha, about his eyes. In retrospect, he hound the world returning to a blur. He would see the brightness of the sun dance into his dead eyes, but it was nothing but a silver shine. He could still not see what lay ahead of him, but his sense of smell was still what he would use. In his heart, Sesshomaru wished to see the face of his brother again, to be able to look at him with such lust as he felt from the hanyou himself. He wanted to look his brother deeply in the eyes and tell him over and over again he was sorry for all the times they fought, for the hatred he showed to his brother, for the snide remarks he had driven at him.

His heart sank at the thought, and he stopped. He had been so cruel to InuYasha and still the hanyou loved him like no other. Sesshomaru had shown his brother such hatred and arrogance and still, the hanyou gave him the love he felt deeply. It was gutless of think about, the ways and reasons he treated InuYasha for so many years. It was nothing to smile about, nor to laugh about. He was family... his lover... his mate.

Sesshomaru began to walk back toward the village, his heart aching with the sorrow that seemed to well deep within him. He still didn’t know how, or why, InuYasha cared for him so deeply, but he knew he had to protect him... to all ends. He deserved to die for hurting the one he loved so much. He had shown his hanyou brother so much pain before because he had loved him. He felt disgusted for his lover toward the young hanyou, and he had resented the fact that he actually loved him. For that, he hated InuYasha.

‘I will never hate you...’

*~*~*

Kagome, Sango, Miroku, Shippo and young Rin all sat around Kaede’s small hut, their eyes scanning from one another in a mass of confusion. The elder miko had called them together to discuss a potential problem she had been faced with by InuYasha. Kagome had immediately jumped to the top of the list, running into Kaede’s hut and sitting to wait for the others. Sango and Miroku were a little less concerned in the matter. InuYasha had been a problem before, why should it change now. Shippo was blindly confused, being as young as he was... and Rin was sitting in by chance, the other children having gone to eat their dinners.

Kaede had resumed her pacing from when InuYasha had left, her eye constantly flickering to the door and back again as if InuYasha would burst in at any moment, rage and pure hells fire spitting from his golden yellow orbs. In all cases, she had been wrong, and InuYasha had not returned. She sighed, the others still watching her with what seemed to be a fascinated confusion. Kirara had decided to doze away into sleep on Sango’s lap whilst Shippo and Rin played games on the floor.

Kaede hummed to herself and finally sat down, her feet now throbbing from having stood for such a length in time. She rubbed the side of her face with the patch and leaned back against the far wall of her small hut, her weary old eye becoming tired and fatigued. She would need sleep, having been awake for such a time and InuYasha not giving her much help while annoying her senseless with his inferior and childish questions he asked over and over.

“Kaede,” Kagome said kindly. “Why is it you asked us here?”

“Young Kagome, I have some news I think ye should all hear about InuYasha,” Kaede muttered, rubbing her stubble of a chin. “He is not well.”

“We sort of figured,” Miroku said with kindness. “With the way he has been acting, it is not impossible to see.”

“He has become far more distant,” Sango agreed, nodding her head a fraction.

“Come on you guys, InuYasha has always been distant,” Kagome muttered, her eyes saddening. “He would never tell us anything before, so why now?”

“She is right,” Shippo quipped, the conversation catching his attention.

“Is there something wrong with InuYasha-sama?” Rin asked politely.

“There is child,” Kaede said with a gentle nod.

“What is it?” Kagome asked in a worried voice.

“I fear to tell ye,” Kaede spoke honestly. “I do not believe InuYasha would enjoy me telling ye such news.”

“Whatever it is Lady Kaede I am sure it will pass,” Sango said kindly.

“Ye are wrong child,” Kaede whispered. “This will not pass, but grow.”

“What is it, Lady Kaede,” Miroku asked. “Tell us so we may assist InuYasha through such times.”

Kaede sighed again, her own mind battling over whether or not to tell the young slayer, monk and miko before her. Shippo had ideally gone back to playing with Rin, his focus no longer on the conversation. Rin had not taken a care to such a conversation and only watched Shippo as he instructed her on a new game to play.

“I shall tell ye,” Kaede sighed, her mind made up.

“Well?” Kagome asked in anticipation.

“InuYasha...” she took a breath. This was it. “Is pregnant.”

Silence... it was what she expected. Everyone stared at her, their eyes widening ever so slowly before bulging at her. Shippo had lifted his head, as did Rin, both their brows furrowing as they registered what the elder miko had just spoken. Kagome slowly sat back onto the floor of the hut, obviously confused and slightly awestruck. Even Kirara lifted her small head to stare at the elder miko Kaede as her words seemed to echo in the hut.

“Kaede...” Kagome tried to think of the words, but they were lost to her.

“Did you just say???” Sango added, also fully confused.

“A male... is pregnant?” Miroku finished.

Kaede sighed and nodded.

“WHAT...”

Kagome’s voice boomed through the village and into the woods beyond, a young doe and her fawn lifting their head to the sudden noise and bounding away deeper into the darkness of their haven of trees, fear clutching their hearts as they ran from the explosive sound.

Kagome slumped to the floor, her legs giving way like gel as the realization hit her.. Sort of. It was not possible for InuYasha to become pregnant, he was male. It was unthinkably not possible. His anatomy could nut sustain such a burden like a woman could... it just... wasn’t... possible.

“Kaede... how is this...” Kagome tried, but once again the words flattened.

“Even I do not know child,” Kaede sighed. “Only a demon with great power could have done such a thing.”

“But... he’s male,” Miroku added, also still confused.

“I understand that,” Kaede said.

“So... how?” Sango poked.

“I have heard tales of half-demon warriors who are able to produce if they are not able to find a mate. I believe that InuYasha may have inherited these genes from his family line,” Kaede said, though her conclusion tot he situation was still a mystery to her herself.

“So InuYasha is supposedly one of these warriors,” Sango asked.

“I believe so,” Kaede said.

“Wow wow wow,” Kagome said quickly, waving her hands defensively. “Your telling me... us... that InuYasha had sex with some demon and now he’s pregnant?”

“Not just ANY demon, young Kagome,” Kaede said wisely. “A demon from his line of blood.”

“Like...” Miroku said, letting his words trail off as he looked to Sango, the demon hunters eyes widening.

“Sesshomaru...” she finished.

Everyone froze and looked down, Rin’s face poised on them with such surprise and shock. She got up slowly, her hands quivering with the slightest of fatigue. She backed up, her back squaring with the side wall of the small hut, lifting a hand to her mouth.

“Rin,” Sango spoke softly.

“He’s dead... it’s not possible,” Rin whispered.

“Child, he is alive,” Kaede said, giving the young child a thoughtful look. “He has not wanted you to worry of him.”

Rin looked from Kaede to Sango, from Sango to Miroku, and from Miroku back to Kaede, the realization striking her like a hard rock. She turned from them and stepped silently to the entrance of the hut, exiting out into the cold late day and, when out of sight, dashed from the place of origin. If he was alive, she would see truthfully for herself.

Miroku appeared at the doorway, stopped when he noticed her running to the village entrance and out into the forest. He dropped the curtain hanging in front of Kaede’s house, exiting with his staff in hand, Sango and a fully formed Kirara behind him. The pair looked at one another, nodding their heads as Sango jumped onto Kirara and rode high into the skies above the trees, searching out the young child.

*~*~*

InuYasha shifted in his dazed position, half awake and half asleep. He was so tired, and the hot and cold flashes were not helping in the least. He would be lying comfortably until a blast of heat would sizzle through his still body and he would break out sweating. He would shift, picking up a pile of cool snow and placing it on his burning forehead. Suddenly, the cold snap would fire through him and he would wrap his arms securely around himself, begging the cold leave his iced body until another snap of heat would radiate through him.

He gripped the hard bark of the oak, using his strength to stand on his tired legs. He placed a hand over his stomach, looking down at the flat surface. It was so hard to believe, but now that Kaede had told him, he suddenly felt it may be real. She had really planted the words she had spoken into his head like a bad curse. He groaned, leaning over and placing his hand form his stomach and onto his head, a surge of heat spreading over his body.

The snow crunched from behind him and he turned, his golden eyes flickering with fear and protection. He gripped the tree once again and slid around it, leaning as far into the roots and trunk as he could. The steps grew louder, faster, at a running pace. He heard heavy breathing, someone closing in on his quickly. Twigs snapped and echoed in the depths of the balding forest. He leaned farther into the tree, praying the danger that was approaching pass without notice.

A sudden gasp and the splatter of snow and the frump of someone collapsing to the ground caught his dog-like ears. He turned to the sudden noise, black hair splayed over the face that now lay face down in the white powder below. His ears perked and his interest played on him as he shuffled forward on all fours and sniffed the new arrival, the scent processing in his brain and he immediately knew.

“Rin...” InuYasha whispered.

The young girl shivered and groaned, lifting her head from the muddy and snow covered ground, turning her head up to stare at the confused crystalline yellow eyes of the hanyou. She sat up onto her knees, wrapping her arms around herself as she shivered again. InuYasha noticed her bak was bare from any thick clothing. He stripped from his haori top and placed it around her shoulders.

“Thank you,” Rin whispered, lifting her head to look InuYasha in the eyes.

“You shouldn’t run out like that,” he whispered, “especially without proper clothing.”

“I know,” she sighed. “It’s just... InuYasha?”

The hanyou perked his ears.

“Is... is he really... alive?”

The words were spoken softly, shyly, even. He turned to her, his golden eyes on her delicate browns and nodded. Her youthful eyes widened dramatically and she sat back in the snow, pulling the red rat-skin haori closer to her small frame. She shivered again, looking up at the thick mass of intertwined tree branches and dead leaves.

“Why has he not come to see me?” She whispered sadly.

“Rin...” InuYasha cooed, wrapping his arms around her. “He isn’t ready.”

“What do you mean?”

“You were so distraught when he almost passed... and quite frankly... he can’t really see you at all,” InuYasha said with the utmost of truth.

“You mean...”

“He lost his eyesight in battle with Naraku whilst saving you,” InuYasha said, a soft sad smile playing his lips. “He does not want to se you when he cannot see you.”

“I think I understand,” Rin said softly.

“You don’t have to,” InuYasha whispered. “Your only a child, remember.”

She smiled every-so-softly at him and moved closer to his warmth, the heat of his body and the heat from hers keeping her warm in the cold of the dying day. She closed her eyes, weariness overtaking her. InuYasha smiled and wrapped his arms tighter around her small frame, a smile tugging his lips. He had never felt to hold someone so fragile like he was. Maybe if he really was pregnant, parenthood would not be so bad.

He felt a soft cloth wrap around his shoulders and looked up with surprise, the chock of seeing the blind eyes of his brother staring down at him warming and surprising. He smiled warmly, lifting a hand from around Rin’s shoulder and stroking Sesshomaru’s soft cheek. He ran his thumb softly his brother bottom lip, drawing the male in for a soft kiss.

“Where were you,” InuYasha whispered when they parted.

Sesshomaru lifted his brother into his arms, Rin resting gon the hanyou’s lap.

“I am sorry to have worried you, little brother,” Sesshomaru whispered with sincerity. “I sensed danger and went to look.”

“Sesshomaru... I have something I need to tell you,” InuYasha said, the sudden dread of his brother knowing sinking deep within.

“Tomorrow,” Sesshomaru whispered, brushing his lips over InuYasha’s forehead. “For now we shall take Rin back to the village and you to my hollow.”

The hanyou smiled and placed his head against Sesshomaru’s broad chest, closing his eyes as the weariness and fatigue set in from the long day and everlasting night. He sighed, breathing in the warm scent of his lover and pulling Rin close to him, the fatherly thought of protection surfacing within him.

**~**~**~**~**~**

A/N: I know.... SHORT... but don’t worry, the next chapter will be much longer and have two, yes TWO, lemons in it. Hope you will enjoy and remember to R&R.