The Affair

A/N: I know. Technically, it was a little over that, and it sucked that as soon as he started getting things together, I got with someone else. *sad face* But keep reading. It's looking up! *happy dance*

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She can't tell me that all of the love songs have been written,

'Cause she's never been in love with you before.

Your skin smells lovely like sandalwood.

Your hair falls soft like animals.

I'm tryin' to keep cool, but everyone likes you.

I want to kiss the back of your neck,

The top of your spine where your hair hits,

And gnaw on your fingertips and fall asleep,

I'll talk you to sleep.

But i'll be the one, i will have chosen.

I'm tryin' to keep cool, but everyone here likes you

I'm not the only one.

Your skin smells lovely like sandalwood.

Your hair falls soft like animals,

And nothing else matters to me.

She can't tell me that all of the love songs have been written,

'Cause she's never been in love with you before.

Your hand,

So hot,

Burns a hole in

My hand.

I wanted to show you.

- Lisa Loeb, "Sandalwood."

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Chapter 15: The Lullaby.



Shippo had always sort of wondered who it was that his mother and Sango argued about sometimes. The man was a bad man, he knew, from what both of them said, and his mother had been trying to forget about him for a long, long time. But, for some strange reason, she wouldn't, or she couldn't. He didn't know which.



His mother was a strong woman; he had respect for her. She was soft, too, and gentle; he hated the thought of anyone hurting her.



And he really didn't like this new guy, Hojo. Shippo wanted his mother to be happy, but he knew that this Hojo man couldn't do that.



And he was right.



Six months into their marriage, Hojo moved back out, Kagome demanding a divorce. He talked her into a "trial separation," whatever that meant. Shippo didn't care; he was just happy to have that man out of their home and have his mother all to himself once again. Sure, Sango and Kagome may have been right when they said he needed a father figure, but as far as Shippo was concerned, his mother was the only parent he really needed.



Things were going well after that. Kagome's business was booming; people everywhere were coming in to have gorgeous pictures taken by the outspoken photographer and her crazy friends. Shippo was glad for the new business; it meant more time for him to spend impressing his mom and less time for her to go out with Hojo, who, try as he might, could not repair the relationship.



Then, something went a little haywire.



When the man first walked in the door, Shippo thought nothing of it. He was dressed like a normal guy, a bright red t-shirt, blue jeans, and white and black sneakers. He had very long, silver hair, and his eyes were a bright, bright gold color. But when Shippo's mom rounded the corner into the lobby, she stopped right where she was and stared at him, a look of pure shock and horror on her face.



Shippo jumped at the expression on his mother's face, but he stayed where he was as she strode quickly across the room and slapped the man across the face. The man howled and grabbed his cheek, glaring at Kagome.



"What the hell?" he cried out.



She struck him again. "Hit me," she murmured, still staring at him.



"What?" he gasped, reeling from her request.



"I said hit me!" she yelled angrily, her face starting to turn a little red. "Pinch me! Something!"



The man pinched her arm.



Kagome stood still, staring at him incredulously. "Inuyasha," she mumbled.



Shippo's pup's ears pricked up when he heard the name. 'Inuyasha,' he thought. 'That's the name of the mean man Sango doesn't like.' He turned and headed for the stairs, knowing just what would get this intruder out of their life.



Kagome threw herself into Inuyasha's arms, laughing happily. "I'm so glad you're here!"



He grinned, squeezing her tight. "I'm glad to be here," he told her. He pulled back to look at her once again. "Damn, woman, it's just too good to see you again. I missed everything about you! You're eyes, your smile, your laugh, your SCENT! EVERYTHING." He hugged her again.



"Oi!"



They both looked to the stairs. Sango stood there, glowering, Miroku trying to hold her back, and Shippo standing by, grinning at the sight.



Sango stalked forward, ignoring her husband, who also held Akiko in his arms. The toddler just blinked at the sight before her, not understanding. "Inuyasha," Sango growled, her voice deep and unforgiving. The hanyou blinked at her. "Hey, Sango," he said. He looked at his best friend. "Hey, Miroku."



Miroku smiled at him. "Hey, Yash. What's up, man?"



"Nothing. Reuniting with my mate, is all."



"Cool, cool."



"MATE?" Sango and Kagome cried out simultaneously. Sango huffed, and Kagome stepped forward. "Whoa there, buddy," she said, putting both hands flat on Inuyasha's chest.



She paused for a moment, her eyes glazing a little as some of her fantasies came rushing back to mind. Then she shook her head and stepped back, away from him, and he almost whimpered at the loss of her scent in his nostrils.



When he looked up into her deep, chocolatey eyes, the look held in them was strong, determined.



"I left you, Inuyasha, six years ago," she mumbled.



He watched her, his amber eyes intense. "And you took my son with you. OUR son."



Shippo gasped.



Kagome and Inuyasha both turned their heads to look at him.



The pup stepped forward. "YOU'RE my father?" he asked Inuyasha, staring at him incredulously. Kagome nodded as Inuyasha just stared at the boy, who blinked. "At least it's not Hojo," he said, and Kagome sighed, knowing of her son's very low opinion of her current husband.



"Wait," Inuyasha said, looking back and forth from his mate and his son. "Who the hell is Hojo?"



Miroku stepped back, hiding behind his wife a little. Kagome sighed and crossed her arms over her breast. "He's my husband," she told him.



"Her soon-to-be EX-husband," Sango chimed in. Kagome shot her a look.



Inuyasha turned to glare at Sango's husband. "Miroku, you never told me she was seeing anyone new!" At his words, Kagome turned to glare, shocked, at Miroku also. Sango turned and smacked him, yanking the baby out of his arms. "You baka! You hentai! You asshole! You bastard!" As she chased him up the stairs, she continued hitting him in the head, calling him every curse word and insulting name in her vocabulary.



Kagome shook her head. "Shippo, your father and I need to talk some things out. Why don't you go upstairs and play with Kenji for awhile?"



The boy was about to argue, but the look on his mother's face made him stop still. She had this strange look of resolve that he had not seen there for quite some time. And... a hint of relief at the sight of Shippo's estranged father? Shippo only nodded and turned, heading up the stairs after Sango. But he didn't go upstairs; he hid at the top, by the door, and listened to his parents talking. 'Strange,' he thought with a small, pleased smile. 'I've never had parents before. Just Mom.'



For the first few minutes, both were silent. Kagome paced a little, and Inuyasha just stood and watched her, his hands stuffed in his pockets.



"I'm sorry for leaving the way I did," Kagome started.



Inuyasha nodded. "It's all right. I forgave you a long time ago. I mean, yea, I was pissed for a little while about the whole running off with my child thing - By the way, how pregnant WERE you when you left?" he asked.



Kagome sighed and smiled a little. "I was about four months," she answered.



He whistled. "Wow," he said.



She nodded, chuckling a little. "Yea," she went on, "it explains why I was so moody and upset with you all of the time."



They were silent for a few minutes more. Inuyasha smiled at her for no apparent reason. "You know," he said. "I figured I'd lost you. When you moved out here, I mean. To this place." He walked around the lobby, looking around at some of the pictures set out on the endtables, the stills hung on the walls. He stopped at one, a silhouette of the box office in the theater.



He exhaled loudly. "I remember that one."



She stepped up to stand beside him. They observed it, together, silent, for only a moment. "I was so proud of it," Kagome murmured. "One of my best, that first year of photography prerequisites."



Inuyasha turned his head and looked down at her. She was so small and pretty, his Kagome. Her long, wavy, ebony hair fell down her shoulders and back in wisps, contrasting rather sharply with the cream-colored sweater she was wearing. Her jeans hugged her thin legs perfectly, and they were a dark shade of indigo. She wore black, high-heeled boots and tiny, little voodoo men hung from her ears.



The feel of her lips burned hot on his own. Images flashed in his mind right then; skin on skin, tongues dancing, hair between his fingers.



He reached over and brushed her long hair behind her shoulder. "You know, after six long years, I still remember how good you taste..." Inuyasha leaned in to kiss her, and she stepped away.



"Inuyasha," she said. "I'm still married."



He nodded. "I'm not anymore." He pulled something out of his pocket, and Shippo realized it was a card. 'Nice,' he thought. Inuyasha handed it to Kagome, who looked at it a moment. "Please remember, Kagome. Call me if you - OR Shippo - need anything." He stopped as he opened the door. "I mean, ANYTHING." And the door swung shut, the bell ringing faintly. Shippo watched as his mother stood there, leaning against the counter, staring down at the business card. He watched as she turned and opened a drawer in the desk behind the counter, dropping the card in and shutting it gently.

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Shippo didn't quite understand what was going on when Sango and Miroku came rushing up the stairs one day, grabbing things and telling him to hurry. Miroku grabbed up Akiko and her diaper bag while Sango hurried Kenji and Shippo to get dressed. When they asked what was going on, Sango told them in a rushed voice, "Kagome was hurt in a car accident. We have to hurry up to the hospital."



Shippo paled. He ran downstairs, Sango, Kenji, Miroku, and Akiko chasing after him. He threw the drawer of the desk open, remembering the card held inside. He found it, recognizing the name: Inuyasha Taisho. He blinked for a second, staring at it. "We have the same last name."



Sango scooped him up and ran with him out the door, barely remembering to lock the front door as they loaded into the car and drove off.



When they arrived at the hospital, no one could really tell them anything. As Sango and Miroku balanced their two kids and argued with the nurses and doctor, Shippo found the nearest pay phone and dropped in a couple quarters and dialed the number on the card.



A sleepy voice answered the cell. "Hello?"



"Inuyasha?"



"Yes?"



Shippo shook his head and rolled his eyes. "Dad!" he yelled. "Wake up!"



That seemed to get Inuyasha's attention. "Shippo?" he asked. "Pup, what's wrong?"



"It's Mom! Sango says there was an accident. These stupid doctors aren't saying anything-"



"Hang on there, boy," he mumbled, pulling a pair of jeans on. It had been less than a week since his encounter with Kagome at the studio; he was still staying in town, scouting the area. Sesshomaru had said that since he was going to visit his honey, he might as well look for a good spot to set up shop.



Inuyasha got to the hospital as fast as he could. Shippo jumped to his feet when he saw him, and Inuyasha ruffled his hair, a strangely comforting gesture to the boy. Hojo was there as well, demanding to see his "wife." The doctor was arguing with him when

Inuyasha pushed past both of them and headed straight into the room, locking the door behind him.



Kagome was awake, but she was groggy. She smiled very gently at her baby daddy. "I flipped my car," she mumbled. Inuyasha grabbed the chart hanging at the foot of the bed and flipped through it, scanning. "Broken arm, concussion, possible further head trauma..." he murmured, his eyes running over the information. He set the chart to the side and sat down on the side of the bed, taking her hand in his.



"My poor baby," he whispered.



He leaned forward, collecting her in his arms. She was way too drugged to fight him. He held her and hummed gently in her ear. It was a lullaby his own mother had hummed to him, and Kagome perked her head up a little through the haze at the sound of it. "Hey," she mumbled. "I've heard this before. I hummed it to Shippo when he was small and afraid."



Inuyasha smiled, holding his mate closer. "That's my girl."

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A/N: Wow, am I tired. This one was a long one, but one of the best days of my life. Well, minus the whole wrecking my car and getting a giagantic bump on my head.


P.S. DemonGoddess? You're really weird. And, please, no more reviews about stupid, nitpicky technical errors. I am here to write and to convey a meaningful and hopefully pleasing tale. And I have no idea how I could receive payment for such a tale, which is technically my own. I have a job; I do this for fun. Don't see how stating the obvious at the beginning of every chapter is going to make much difference.

Any questions? Good.

Also: update on the ch. 2 sitch. thing is, i keep trying to edit the chapter, and the chapter's THERE, just hidden. I'll probably move it over with ch. 3.


Next time:



Chapter 16: The New Life, the Good Life.