The Lucky Ones
Chapter Twenty-Six
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Theky Oky Ones
By Terri Botta
Disclaimer: I don’t own
Inuyasha. Sole copyright belongs to Viz and Rumiko Takashi. I’m poor so don’t
sue.
Rating: R for later chapters.
Pairing: Inuyasha/Kagome,
Miroku/Sango
Summary: Sometimes Fate hands
you a gift you never thought you’d ever get, and it’s up to you to accept it
for what it is.
Feedback to:
tci100@psu.edu
Website: http://www.wordsmiths.net/Botta
A/N: I want to thank all of
you who are reading and reviewing Lucky Ones. Half the time I think my Muse is
talking to you because you’re suggesting things I already have planned. Just
goes to show great minds think alike.
I expect Lucky Ones will
start to wrap up and I think there are about
Kikyou before this is all over, and a few other things are going to happen
before all is written and done. Next chapter is a ‘filler’
although we do see someone come back with his tail between his legs. :)
Thanks again all of you. I’ll
shut up and let you read. :P
*******
Chapter Twenty-Six
Miroku
flipped open Kagome’s book and resumed studying the chapter on foreplay and
manipulation of erogenous zones. He had to admit the book had proven to be most
educational and useful, and had significantly improved intimate relatiobetwbetween him and Sango. It was obvious that the people in Kagome’s country were
very advanced indeed if they had time to devote to the kind of study and
research that went into writing such a book.
volunteers,
He’d
already read the book once through, including the ‘advanced chapters’ Kagome
had said that not even she and Inuyasha had gotten to yet. He made it a point
to read those closely to absorb thformformation. Not one to be outdone, he
fully intended to reach the ‘advanced’ level before the hanyou and his lover
did. He had a reputation as a hentai to uphold after
all; although some of the things the book talked about were very strange and he
knew he hadn’t a prayer in Hell of getting Sango to do even a fraction of them.
There was a
section on an organ in his body called a ‘prostate’ and it could be manipulated
by going through his anus. The book said the practice, when done properly, was
extremely arousing and pleasurable. Briefly he wondered if Inuyasha and Kagome
had tried it out for themselves. He tried to picture such a thing in his mind,
but- even with the book’s helpful illustrations- he couldn’t bring himself to
imagine it.
this work volunteered for the job. And were live models used…’
There were
also two entire chapters devoted to toys and other ‘pleasure enhancement’
tools. Some of the items were slightly disconcerting, and he wondered what type
of person would use such things in order to ‘increase their sexual enjoyment.’
A few of the things designed for men looked more painful than anything else,
although there was one ‘toy’ for women with two appendages that
intrigued him. And of course, the section on anal beads made him wonder if he
still had his old rosary somewhere.
The black
crow feather shimmered enticingly in the sunlight, reflecting rainbow colors
off of its surface. The book had said a feather or soft brush could be used in
the technique he planned to try, and the feather had appeared to him during one
of his walks in the forest like a divine gift from Buddha Himself.
‘
mused, reaching over to pick up the perfect primary wing feather next to him.
a sign from
The sound
of footsteps approaching made him hastily place the feather in the book to mark
his place and close it, slipping it into the folds of his robes. Sango might be
the direct benefactor of his new-found resource, but he wasn’t ready to reveal
his secret quite yet. Besides, he knew if she saw some of the things in the
book, she’d make him give it back to Kagome and he wasn’t finished with it.
While Sango was definitely a woman before her time, there were some things
about her that were still very traditional; her views on sex being one of them.
Unhappily,
he had to admit that he had had a hand in shaping that view because he had been
her first. Reading Kagome’s book, he’d come to realize that he could have made
his wife’s first experience much better than it had been, and he could only
hope that he would be able to bring her around with his new talents. Still, he
needed to ease her into things because she was shy in bed and often nervous.
sexuality, like she thinks she’s not supposed to enjoy it.’
Granted,
since he had been tending more diligently to his ‘husbandly duties,’ getting
her to perform her ‘wifely duties’ was becoming easier and easier, and he tried
to employ something new on a regular basis. Last night he had licked and sucked
at her feet and toes. It wasn’t something one would normally consider arousing,
but put in the proper context and time, it worked like a charm. It was amazing
how the simplest things could be used to give pleasure if employed in the right
way. The book compared the human body to a fine instrument. When played
correctly and with skill, it could make the most beautiful music, but skill
took patience, time and practice… lots and lots of practice.
trouble practicing.’
Putting
aside his hentai thoughts, he turned to see Sango,
carrying Miyoko, coming around to the side of their
home.
“How is
outside the hut. He smiled at his baby girl who blinked at him with her dark
eyes.
my daughter, my beautiful little girl.’
He won’t admit it, but I know he is going to miss
really make him smile.”
He patted
her hand reassuringly. “But he did smile. That means there is hope for him.”
She looked
at him and gave him a grateful smile. He smiled back, taking in her beauty and
her strength. She was perfect in his eyes, even in her flaws.
woman more.’
“Thank
you,” she sighed, and leaned against him.
They were
quiet for several moments before Sango spoke again.
“You were
cruel to Inuyasha and Kagome today,” she teased.
“I was?” he
replied innocently.
“You know
you were. You knew they wanted to be alone, but you kept asking questions.
You’re very lucky Inuyasha has matured as much as he has. A year ago if you’d
done that, he’d have lost his temper and thumped you.”
“
changed since he and Kagome-sama adopted Yukio and
became closer.”
She nodded
against his shoulder. “Speaking of Yukio. Where is he?
Did you leave him with Kaede-sama?”
Miroku
froze, a cold shiver running up his spine. “What do you mean? Isn’t he in the
hut? Didn’t you have him with you?”
She sat up
and looked at him, her eyes concerned. “No. I haven’t seen him since Inuyasha
gave him to you at lunch and we returned here.”
“But I
asked you to watch him when I went to help Keiko carry her water.”
“When did
you ask me that?”
yoke, and Tamu wasn’t around to help her, so I
offered to carry it for her. I put Yukio down and called to you to watch him.”
She
blanched and turned pale. “Miroku, I never heard you ask me to…” She trailed
off, her eyes opening wide. “Oh no…”
They both
stood at the same time.
“I’ll go to
Kaede-sama’s,” he said.
“I’ll leave
Miyoko with Kohaku and get
Kirara.”
They split
up, each going in separate directions.
‘
miko,’ he prayed as he ran to Kaede’s hut.
“
hurried in.
miko asked.
“Is Yukio
not here with you?”
Both of
them shook their heads.
“No. We
thought the child was in your care.”
“Yeah,
Inuyasha gave him to you to take care of,” the kit replied. “You didn’t lose
him, did you?”
“
Very bad…’
Inuyasha is going to kill you!”
more concerned that a ten-month old hanyou baby might be wandering around out
there by himself!’
“
hut. “No one’s seen him. Is he not here?”
“No,” he
answered.
He turned
to the fox kit. “Shippou can you track him?”
The kitsune
set his jaw and nodded. “I’ll try.”
“Do you
know how much of a head start he has on you? How long ago do you remember
seeing him?” Kaede asked.
down to help Keiko carry a yoke of water because she’s 8 months pregnant and
her useless husband won’t help her. Sango was in the hut and I called out to
her to pick him up. When I returned from carrying the water, he wasn’t there so
I assumed she had him.”
“But I
never heard him call me,” she explained, then turned
to her husband. “Did I answer you when you told me to get him?”
He shook
his head. “Not specifically, no.”
“Let’s go
back to your hut, Miroku. I can try to pick up Yukio’s scent from there,”
Shippou said.
“Let me
kno fin fin find him. If you can’t catch his scent, you’ll have no choice but
to fetch Inuyasha,” Kaede said.
“Oh,
Inuyasha isn’t going to like this!” Shippou fretted.
“Let’s go
quickly. With luck he won’t have gotten far,” he hoped, offering an arm for
Shippou to hop into.
The kitsune
kit gave him an incredulous look. “He’s a hanyou pup. He could be half a
Shippou.”
Shippou was
able to track Yukio’s scent through the village. He lost it a couple of times,
but eventually he did find the trail again. It was amazing how far the toddler had
traveled, right past huts and gardens, with no one catching a glimpse of him.
Miroku believed the villagers when they said they hadn’t seen the child. All of
them knew Inuyasha’s son and were very interested in his well-being. Inuyasha
was the village protector and he was worth a hundred samurai in a battle
against youkai or bandits. They didn’t want anything to happen to him or his
family, so he knew that if any one of them had seen the toddler they would have
raised the alarm.
Yukio had
made his way through the village in almost a straight line. This was no
wandering child off exploring. No, this was a kid with a mission, and it soon
became apparent that he had a very specific goal in mind. Soon, they didn’t
even need the scent trail to guess whhe whe was going, but knowing where he was
headed offered no comfort.
Shippou
stopped at the edge of the village, looking out into the woods known as
Inuyasha’s
then joined by Sango on Kirara. They all looked in the direction of the tree
the hanyou had been sealed to and the Bone-Eaters Well.
“He’s
headed for the den,” Shippou said, voicing the conclusion they had all already
come to.
Miroku
nodded gravely. The toddler might be a hanyou, and he might know where he was
going, but there was a great deal of dangerous forest between the village and
his destination, especially for an unprotected child.
“Kirara...”
Sango said, preparing to go after Yukio, but Miroku put up a hand.
“No. It’s
my responsibility. Inuyasha gave him to me and I was the one who lost him.”
Sango gave
him an incredulous look. “Does that really matter right now? He’s out there in
the forest alone!”
Miroku
looked to the trees, his heart heavy and resolved.
“He’s
headed right for the den. It won’t be hard to follow him. It’s
better that only I go. That way only I will face Inuyasha’s anger if he finds
out I failed to watch his son.”
“If you
think I’m going to let you go looking for that lost baby by yourself, you’re
out of your mind,” she countered.
She didn’t
wait for his answer before she urged Kirara forward and the fire cat took off.
He shook his head and sighed.
“You should
have seen that coming. Sango’s a mom too. There’s no
way she was going to let you search for Yukio alone,” Shippou said.
“Let’s go
then, and hope we catch him before he makes it to the den.”
Shippou
hopped up onto his shoulder and he set off at a run.
hunting in the forest. I know Inuyasha killed a number of them before he left
for the Western Lands, but he’s been gone for sixteen days and that’s enough
time for more demons to move in.’
“I hope no
youkai are in here,” Shippou commented as if he could read the monk’s mind.
“I was just
praying that there weren’t any.”
He stopped
once they were in the trees and Shippou got down to sniff
for the scent trail.
“This way,”
he said, pointing towards Inuyasha’s tree.
There was
no doubt about it now. Yukio was definitely headed for the den.
thought since he was so young, there was no way he could wander off like this.
I didn’t realize that hanyou babies were this mobile so quickly.’
They found
a torn scrap of white cloth that looked vaguely familiar near Inuyasha’s tree.
Shippou didn’t even have to go near it to recognize the scent, and the fox kit
blushed.
“Those are
Kagome’s,” he whispered.
It didn’t
take much to figure out from the ripped cloth and the crushed grass what had
happened there.
Shippou
sniffed around and nodded. “He made it this far.”
all the way to the den, what will he be interrupting when he gets there? And
will Inuyasha let me live long enough to explain?’
said, indicating a deer path through the trees.
He nodded
and Shippou hopped up again as they headed off.
“I can’t
believe he made it this far,” he breathed in wonder.
“Much
faster,” he complained.
They came
to a clearing and Sango and Kirara landed beside them.
“Any sign
of him?” she asked.
Miroku
shook his head. “Shippou said he made it to Inuyasha’s tree.”
Shippou
jumped down and scouted for the trail while they talked.
“Over this
way,” he called and dashed off into the bushes.
They
followed, hoping to find the boy before he got them all into deeper trouble
than they were already in.
“
short time!” Sango panted.
“I was ing ing that earlier myself. Shippou said we shouldn’t be surprised.”
“I never
realized how different hanyou babies were from human ones. In my village, we
never spent much time wondering about how the young were cared for and grew. We
only concentrated on how to kill them.”
He nodded
gravely and said nothing in reply.
They caught
up to the toddler just outside of the den. They arrived at the small hillside at
the same time Yukio came crawling out from beneath some undergrowth. He was
filthy and his clothes were a ragged mess, but he was unharmed. Miroku had only
a moment to breathe a sigh of relief and say a prayer of thanks before Yukio
made a dash for the den entrance.
The toddler
startled and shied, feinting to the left faster than any of them expected. He
obviously hadn’t known they were there and his protective instincts kicked in.
Kirara snarled and grabbed for him, snatching him by his red shirt, but the
shirt was his old ‘Big Dog’ top that had seen better days and the fabric ripped
on her fangs. The child fell from her mouth and rolled, going under the fire
cat. He got to his feet and started running again.
Miroku, who
had sought to prevent Yukio from getting into the den, had run for the
hillside, and was there when the toddler popped out from underneath
he could go through the camouflaged reed door.
“
because the sounds coming from inside the den were definitely not ones he would
want to have interrupted.
Yukio,
shocked and scared, twisted and snarled, then bit him and scratched at him with
his little claws, carving deep wounds into his forearms. He gasped at the
sudden unexpected pain and released the boy, dropping him practically into the
den entrance.
clutched his bleeding arm.
barreled through the reed door and into the den.
There was a
moment of stunned silence then an enraged howl erupted from inside the
underground shelter. It was answered by Yukio’s frightened scream.
“
suggested.
Sango,
seeing the deep bite wound and gashes on his arms, took him by the elbow.
“We need to
wash those right away. Come over to the stream. Inuyasha will find us,” she
said.
He
a little one could cause, and followed his wife to the stream that ran not far
from the den entrance.
“You
shouldn’t have grabbed him like that. You frightened him and he protected
himself instinctively,” she scolded softly, kneeling next to him and washing
the gashes in the flowing cold water.
“I know he
didn’t mean to hurt me.”
Sango
cursed and shook her head, examining the bites. “These are deep.”
“He doesn’t
know his own strength,” Shippou offered, looking sad and pale.
“I know
Shippou.”
“Inuyasha
is going to be furious,” the kit continued, shivering.
He looked
at his wife, who met his concerned gaze with one of her own, and her mouth
tightened into a thin line.
“It will be
better because he wasn’t hurt. He may have interrupted their private time, but
he got there safely,” he said.
Her eyes
told him that she wasn’t convinced.
“In any
case, there is nothing to be done for it. What is done is done and I will take
responsibility for it.”
She sighed
and nodded. “We should have Kaede treat these as soon
as possible.”
coming for us very soon.”
Sango
agreed and ministered to his wounds as much as she was able as they awaited the
imminent arrival of the angry hanyou.
********
Yukio
screamed again and hid behind her, weeping and shaking. The shock was just
wearing off and clarity was only just returning to her addled brain as she
tried to grasp what had happened.
She and
Inuyasha had been in the middle of making love when the reed door had been
ripped open and Yukio had come streaking in crying their names. Inuyasha,
enraged at being interrupted and not fully aware of what was going on, had
turned on the child with a feral snarl, scaring the liver out of her son. He’d
screamed and dashed for her, narrowly avoiding a swipe Inuyasha made with his
claws at what he perceived as an intruder, and tackled her, knocking her to the
futon. Inuyasha finally came to his senses and when he realized what he’d
almost done, he slammed his fists into the den floor repeatedly and struggled
to get his body under control.
Kagome felt
torn between them, not sure whom she should comfort; Inuyasha was trembling
with stymied need and shock at his attack on his own son, and Yukio was
whimpering and crying behind her in abject terror.
“Fuck!”
Inuyasha cursed loudly and she didn’t bother to punish him for it. “What the
hell is he doing here?”
“I don’t
know,” she stammered, then reached behind her to pick up her shivering baby.
His clothes
were ripped and streaked with mud, and the back of his shirt was torn
completely open.
“It looks
like he ran all the way here…” she commented, looking him over. His hands were
filthy. ‘What on earth happened?’
Suddenly
Inuyasha sniffed and growled. Then he grabbed Yukio by what was left of his
shirt and yanked him to his face.
“What have
you done?” he demanded.
“Inuyasha!”
she scolded, surprised by his rough treatment of the child.
haven’t done it three times already and we’ll have other
Yukio
cringed and submitted, but Inuyasha continued to scruff him angrily.
“What have
you done?!”
“Inuyasha!”
she warned, getting angry and preparing to ‘sit’ him if he didn’t let her baby
go.
He flashed
he ordered.
She
flinched and her eyes opened wide at his rage, then she stared as he took the
baby and pinned him down by his throat, snarling and growling. On some level
she knew he wasn’t hurting her son or applying any pressure at all on his
tender windpipe, but it was still painful to watch. Yukio began to wail,
begging for forgiveness and squirming in his father’s grasp. His struggles only
earned him another scruffing.
“Inuyasha
stop it!” she cried, unable to take it anymore.
“I said
stay out of this!”
“Don’t
punish him for wanting to be with us!”
“He reeks
of Miroku’s blood!” he spat back.
She gasped.
‘Miroku’s
blood?’
Still
pinning Yukio, Inuyasha ground out an explanation, “Somehow he got away from
his keepers and made his way here…
At some point Kirara and Miroku tried to stop him. He’s got their scents all
over him. Miroku must have grabbed him and he attacked. He’s got blood and
flesh under his claws and it smells like he may have bitten him too.”
Yukio
finally stopped struggling and his father let him up, only to grab him again.
Pack-male grabbed pup!:
Inuyasha
deposited Yukio in his sleeping space none too gently and turned his back. The
pup, looking devastated reached for his father, but Inuyasha moved away and
ignored him. He then turned pleading eyes her way and she didn’t know what to
do.
“Turn your
back. Don’t look at him,” Inuyasha commanded.
“Do it.
He’s being punished. Turn your back.”
Yukio obviously disobeyed and hurt our friends. I… I have to trust him in
this.’
Her heart
breaking at the sight of her baby’s tear-streaked face, she did as Inuyasha
ordered and turned her back. Yukio’s cries of panic and horror when they
seemingly cast him out of the pack cut right through her, and it took all she
had not to pick him up and comfort him. She settled for comforting her adult
hanyou, who was obviously badly shaken and upset.
“Inuyasha,”
she whispered gently, placing one hand on his bare shoulder.
His hand
immediately came up to grasp hers, holding on to it like a lifeline.
“He ran
away from them and came here through the forest,” he replied hoarsely.
She gulped,
nodding, knowing his thoughts were just as dark as hers. ‘Anything could have happened to him. Anything.
My God, we could have lost him.’
She
shivered and decided that Inuyasha’s punishment was paltry compared to what
could have happened to him if he’d gotten hurt, attacked or lost.
them and putting his hands on their backs, scrabbling at their bare skin,
trying to make them acknowledge him.
Inuyasha
spun and snarled, making Yukio flinch and skitter back to his spot.
Yukio
sucked in huge gasping breaths, sobbing and whimpering.
“
her eyes and clench her fists not to turn around, but she was following
Inuyasha’s lead and he hadn’t told her she could.
“I know I’m
being harsh,” he told her gently and she was relieved not to hear anger in his
voice. “But he has to learn now. He can’t ever turn his claws and fangs on a
pack member. He doesn’t know his own strength and he could really hurt one of
them. In a year or two he’ll be able to sever a limb without thinking, and he
could kill a human without really meaning to. Being strict with him now is the
only way.”
“I
understand,” she said, putting her hand on his shoulder again.
“And he
disobeyed and ran away from the people we trusted to watch him. He has to learn
to listen to what we say.”
“He just
wanted to be with us. We’re his parents and you’ve been gone for so long. He
missed you terribly,” she explained.
“I know and
I understand that. Maybe it was wrong of me to leave him with the monk, but I wanted
time alone with you and he was only going to be away from us until dinner.”
“I know. I
don’t blame you for wanting that. I wanted to be alone with you too.”
She saw him
swallow hard and close his eyes, shuddering, but not with arousal.
“He knew enough
to track us here. He came all the way from the village all by himself. If a
youkai had sniffed him out he would have been completely unprotected and
defenseless,” he said brokenly.
“I know.
I’m still reeling from it myself. On one hand, I’m amazed and proud of him for
being able to make it here without any guidance, but on the other hand, I’m
scared to death of what could have happened.”
He put his
arm around her and pulled her close, touching his forehead to the side of her
temple.
“I know. I
know,” he breathed, his hand tightening on her shoulder as he sighed.
“
plaintively behind them, still sniffling and gasping in hitched breaths.
“Has he
been punished enough?” she asked hopefully.
Inuyasha
nodded. “Yeah. Let me go first.”
“Okay.”
She waited
as Inuyasha slowly turned around to look at their son, his arms crossed over
his chest.
member again?”
“Okay.
He opened
his arms and Yukio barreled into them, crying with relief and remorse.
Inuyasha
hugged his son and stroked his back tenderly, making little noises of
forgiveness and welcome.
“Okay, you
can turn around now,” he told her, and she moved immediately, wrapping her arms
around both her hanyous with Yukio pressed between
them, then she gathered him up and held him close.
“
You’re alright now. We forgive you. We love you.”
“
shoulder. :Mother-female. Mother-female.:
Inuyasha
came close and put one arm around her shoulders as he rubbed Yukio’s back and
ears. Gently she took her son and lowered him to her breast. It wasn’t his
feeding time, and she knew feeding him now would mean she’d only have a little
milk for later, but letting him nurse was the quickest way of showing him that
he was forgiven. He latched on and began to suck desperately. He was a little
rough but he wasn’t using his teeth so she didn’t discipline him. He’d been
disciplined enough already.
“I should
go see how bad it is,” Inuyasha said.
He nodded.
“Okay. I’ll
clean him up in the stream and put him in new clothes, then
I’ll come find you.”
Inuyasha
fingered the ruined shirt. “Your favorite Big Dog shirt…”
“It was old
and too small for him anyway. I’ve been meaning to go back to that store and
look for another one.” She nuzzled him and teased. “I’ll get you one too if you
want.”
He gave her
a little smile. “Heh. Don’t
need a funny shirt to know I’m the big dog.”
She
giggled, then regarded him seriously. “I love you.”
His smile
widened and he kissed her gently. “I’m glad to be home.”
“I’m glad
you’re home too.”
Giving her
another kiss, he pulled away and reached for his clothes.
“Don’t be
too long. Miroku will probably need your medicines and bandages.”
She nodded.
“I’ll be there as soon as I can.”
He gave a
grunt of agreement and moved to leave the den, examining the ripped reed door.
“I’ll fix
this later.”
“Okay.”
With a
final nod to her, he slipped out. She waited until Yukio was finished nursing,
letting him suckle long after her milk was gone just for the comfort value,
carried him out to the stream.
********
It took
Inuyasha longer than they had anticipated, but he did find them. He seemed
surprised to see them waiting for him by the stream, but he moved immediately
to Miroku’s side and examined the wounds.
“I’m
sorry,” they both said at the same time.
“I put him
down and went to help Keiko carry water and he wandered off,” he explained,
amazed that Inuyasha seemed more upset than angry.
“He called
to me to watch him, but I never heard him,” Sango added.
“I tracked
him up here, but when we caught up to him, he got scared and bit Miroku,”
Shippou said.
The hanyou
took his arm and turned it to see the bite wounds. He saw Inuyasha blanch and
frown.
“These are
deep…”
“I’ll be
fine. He didn’t puncture anything serious.”
“He
could’ve severed the tendons.”
“He could
have, but he ’t. ’t. He didn’t mean it. I grabbed him from behind and
frightened him.”
“You’re not
mad?”
“No, of
course not,” he answered, surprised to see the flash of fear and uncertainty in
the hanyou’s eyes. ‘He’s… he’s worried I’ll blame the child and hold it against him
bec he’ he’s a hanyou.’
“Yukio is
just a baby,” Sango said and he realized that she’d seen and understood what
Inuyasha was thinking too. “It’s not his fault.”
“I
shouldn’t have left him with you. Kagome spoils him and he’s used to getting
his way.”
“He’s just
living up to his name,” he joked weakly.
“We’re just
glad you’re not mad that we lost him,” Shippou admitted.
“Bah. I
shouldn’t have expected a couple of weak humans to watch a hanyou pup. He’s a
handful for Kagome and me and we’re used to him.”
“We were
amazed at how far he traveled. He knew exactly where he was going,” Sango
added.
Inuyasha
nodded. “Pup’s always tracked us well. He just followed our scent.”
He coughed.
“And it isn’t like you hadn’t
follow,” he commented leadingly.
He saw the
cheeks as he figured out what he was referring to.
undergarments under the tree, you shameless hentai.’
Inuyasha
sputd a d a bit, but he just smiled and gave him a wink.
“But he did
give us such a scare,” Sango said. “He was all alone in this forest with no one
to protect him. If it had been Miyoko out here, I
would have been terrified.”
“
for at least another six months, and even then she won’t get far when she
does,” Inuyasha scoffed, then softened. “Still, I’m
very glad that he made it to the den safely, and I’m sorry he hurt you,
Miroku.”
He waved
his less injured arm. “As I said, it was more my fault than his. He was just
protecting himself.”
“I punished
him and I’m sure he won’t do it again.”
he screamed, his punishment must have been very severe indeed.’
“I hope you
didn’t hurt him,” Sango blurted, worried.
Inuyasha
scowled at her. “Of course I didn’t hurt him. You think I would hurt my son?”
“A spanking
would be fine as long as it wasn’t too harsh,” he commented.
“I didn’t
spank him,” Inuyasha countered. “I threatened him with rejection from the pack.
If he’d been old enough to know what he was doing, his attack on you could have
made me cast him out for a couple of days. That kind of threat to an
punishments.”
he got as a child will make him refuse to raise his hand to his son. I know
Kagome-sama said Sesshoumaru was extremely harsh with
Inuyasha.’
“Yes, I
suppose that would work better than any spank” Sa” Sango agreed.
Shippou,” Kagome greeted as she came to the stream carrying a blotchy-faced,
red-eyed Yukio.
contrite.’
He watched
as the girl gave Yukio to Inuyasha then came over to see his arms.
“Inuyasha
said Yukio had your blood on him. Will you let me see?” she asked.
He nodded
and lifted his sleeves. She gasped when she saw the punctures from the child’s
fangs.
“
“It’s
mostly just a flesh wound,” he reassured her.
She turned
his arm to see the gashes from Yukio’s claws. “And these gashes…”
“They will
heal. We are just glad this is all that happened and nothing worse.”
“Kagome-
water and asked me to watch Yukio but I didn’t hear him. When he came back and
found that Yukio wasn’t where he’d left him, he assumed I had him. It wasn’t
until I asked him where Yukio was that we realized he’d wandered off,” Sango
apologized.
“You must
have been so scared, Sango-.”
are for the pain of others and not for herself.’
“Me? I
didn’t know how I was going to tell you if we couldn’t find him. If it had been
Miyoko who was missing, I would have been beside
myself. I don’t know what we would have done if anything had happened to him,”
his wife admitted tearfully.
Inuyasha
brought Yukio over to him and made the child look at the damage he’d done.
/spa/span>“Look what
you did,” the adult hanyou scolded.
Still
teary-eyed, Yukio looked at his father then to him and stuffed a fist into his
mouth.
“You will
say you’re sorry and you will never do this again. Right?”
The toddler
nodded, then reached for Miroku. Surprised, he took
the boy into his arms and was stunned when Yukio hugged him, whimpering.
“
patted the child’s back and hugged him. “I forgive you. I know you didn’t mean
to hurt me.”
Yukio
whimpered again and Kirara hopped into his lap, rubbing up against the child
and mewing. The boy hugged the fire cat in her kitten form and she purred for
him.
“
he said, tears rolling down his little round cheeks.
Kirara
licked his tears away and nuzzled him. Pulling away, he turned to his father
and opened his arms.
“
Inuyasha
moved to pick him up, but Kagome stopped him.
“I’ll take
him. I need to wash and change him,” she said, lifting her son into her arms.
“
shoulder.
Kagome
moved to take Yukio to the stream and Sango, Kirara and Shippou went with her.
There was a shallow pool formed by an eddy in the bank just a short distance
downstream that was perfect for bathing as long as you didn’t mind the cold water>
>
“Don’t…
don’t tell anyone that Yukio bit you, please,” Inuyasha said once the women
were out of earshot.
“You don’t
want anyone to know he can be dangerous.”
“The fewer
reminders they have that he’s a hanyou the better. Let them think he’s just a helpless
baby with puppy ears. At least until he’s old enough to defend himself.”
He nodded.
“The old
woman can know. She’ll have to treat your wounds and she can be trusted. I just
don’t want anyone else knowing because they might decide two
“I doubt that. You’ve proven
too many times that you are an invaluable village protector, and I think you’ve
saved all of their lives at least once,” he argued. “Besides, who would blame
an innocent child for defending himself in the only way he knew how?”
Inuyasha’s
eyes clouded and he frowned. “You’d be surprised, monk. You’d be surprised.”
He regarded
the hanyou seriously, wondering what painful memory he was recalling.
spare his son the pain he suffered.’
Knowing how
much he loved and wanted to protect his own child, he would never begrudge his
friend that. He knew too well what humans could do if they turned into a mob. And
Inuyasha probably knew first hand what it was like to be hunted by one. He
thought of Yukio’s pootherther and the terror and pain she must have felt when
her mate was killed, then the agony and struggle of her last four days of life.
thing. We spend so much time convincing ourselves that all demons and
half-demons are evil. But how many of them are like him? And how many of them
have illeilled just because they were different from us?’
“I will
never betray you, my friend,” he assured him.
Inuyasha’s
eyes flooded with some emotion which might have been gratitude, before closing
off again.
“Bah! Like
you could,” he snorted, huffing.
He waited,
knowing the hanyou would most likely speak again. He’d been taking lessons from
Kagome on ‘the care and handling of irritable hanyous,’
and knew that if you didn’t rise to take Inuyasha’s bait, a capitulation was
soon to follow. It came a few moments later.
“
“Yes?”
cla class=MsoNormal> “Thanks.The last thing I want is for the villagers to turn against us. I’d... I’d be
okay, but I’d be worried about the old woman, and
Kagome... Kagome should never have to see that, y’know?”
He nodded.
“I know, and they won’t. Your home is safe. In time, you will build Kagome a
house in the village and live in it with her and your children.”
Inuyasha
pursed his lips and nodded, and Miroku knew he wouldn’t get any more out of the
normally closed-off hanyou. What he’d gotten was enough to tell him all the
things Inuyasha couldn’t say.
taken you a long time to believe that, but it’s true. We’ll all keep Yukio
safe, and I’ll raise my children to respect and like hanyous.
It might be only the barest scratch in the surface of the hatred many feel
towards them, but at least it’s a step in the right direction.’
“We should
get you to the old woman. She and Kagome should treat those wounds,” Inuyasha
finally said.
Inuyasha
cocked his ear and listened for a mo. “J. “Judging by how he’s wailing about
how cold the water is, my guess would be yes, she’ll be done with him soon.”
He chuckled
and moved to walk down the path that lead downstream.
Inuyasha joined him, and they walked in companionable silence as they went to
rejoin Kagome and the others.