The Lucky Ones
Chapter Twenty-Seven
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The Lucky 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
*******
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Autumn
progressed and all the signs pointed to a particularly harsh winter. As Kagome
studied and dealt with the added stresses of her senior year of high school,
Inuyasha and the village men prepared for the coming lean season. Much of the
village’s winter firewood needs were already taken care of thanks to Inuyasha’s
tree cutting spree that summer, but larders and root cellars still needed to be
filled with food that would last the winter.
When she
wasn’t studying, Kagome was helping Kaede gather and dry herbs that would soon
no longer be easy to find. She also stocked up on medicines from her time,
preparing for the winter cold season, although the villagers rarely became ill
with something like the common cold. Infection was the worst fear most of the
time and Kaede’s poultices and tonics usually cured the minor cases, but her
modern medicine was always welcome, especially her bandages and treatments for
burns. Kagome made sure the old miko had plenty of gauze and anti-bacterial
soaps and creams, plus her medicines for poisons and venoms.
Yukio had
been with them almost nine months and soon he would be a year old. It was hard
for her to believe that so much time had passed because it seemed to her that
it was only yesterday that his mother had come staggering into the village with
her hanyou infant. At the same time, she couldn’t imagine her life without the
giggling bundle of mischief the baby was turning into. Mobile and
communicative, Yukio was getting into all the trouble a toddler almost twice
his age would find, and both she and Inuyasha were having trouble keeping up
with him. He was almost completely weaned now, with her down to nursing him briefly
once a day before bedtime.
With
weaning well under way, she’d tackled the chore of potty-training him, only to
find that he practically did it himself. Inuyasha explained that Yukio knew
instinctively not to soil whee sle slept, or as the adult hanyou had so
colorfully put it, “Pups know not to shit in the den.” Instinct or no, he was
ridiculously easy to house-train, and was now just about off diapers. She had
him in the walking pull-up diapers that served double-duty as underwear just in
case he had any ‘accidents.’
It was a
cool late autumn day and Kagome and the others were all sitting outside of
Miroku’s hut, when she suddenly felt the familiar tingle of a shikon shard. She
and Inuyasha both snapped to attention at the same time.
“Kagome-sama?”
Miroku questioned.
“Shikon
fragments. Two of them, coming closer.”
Inuyasha
began to growl loudly, making Yukio hide behind his mother.
“It’s that
damn wolf. I can already smell his stink. And he’s brought friends.”
“Kouga?”
Gripping
Tessaiga, the hanyou was off to face the challenge before Kagome could stop
him.
“Inuyasha!”
“Kagome-sama,”
Miroku said and she turned to see the houshi and Shippou on the transformed
firecat.
“I’ll stay
here with Kohaku and defend the village if something gets past Inuyasha,” Sango
offered, moving to put Miyoko into their hut.
“It will be
good to get back in action again,” the taijiya admitted.
“Forgive me
if I hope that doesn’t happen,” the monk said quietly.
“Okaa-san!
Okaa-san!” Yukio cried, seeing that he was about to be left behind.
“Stay with
Sango,” she told him. :Pup stay with pack-female.:
“NO!” It
was his new favorite word.
She growled
at him. “Do as I say.”
He started
to pout and give her his tell-tale pre-temper tantrum face.
Otou-san will scruff you,” she warned.
“NO!”
:Mother-female don’t leave pup!:
His bottom
lip started trembling and she knew he was seconds away from a full-fledged
crying fit.
“I’ll watch
him Kagome-chan,” Sango assured her.
“Okay.
Let’s go,” she said, hardening her heart before she changed her mind.
Miroku
urged Kirara ahead and they took off, hoping to get there before Inuyasha’s
brashness caused serious damage to the village. She heard Yukio’s cries, but
knew he would be safe with Sango. If Kouga was coming, she didn’t want to give
the wolf youkai any chance to take her son.
They found
Inuyasha standing, Tessaiga at the ready, at edgeedge of the forest. They were
surprised to find that the old miko was beside him, bow and arrows in her hand
along with Kagome’s bow.
“Here,
child,” Kaede said, handing her the bow. “There are many approaching.”
“I know.”
here. He’s never come to the village. Is he… is he coming to get revenge on
Inuyasha and me?’
They
waited, along with a number of the village men, for the wolf youkai to come out
of the forest.
“I wanna
know what the hell that stinking wolf is doing coming here,” Inuyasha
complained. “He should fucking know better.”
“Inuyasha,”
she warned.
“What?
Pup’s not here, right?”
She sighed.
‘It’s hopeless. I should just stop
trying.’
“You say
you know this youkai, Inuyasha?” Kaede asked.
The hanyou
nodded. “He’s always pawing at Kagome, and calling her his beloved. He even
tried to take the pup. Kagome almost ripped his arm off.”
“I sense
shards.”
“Kouga has
two in his legs,” she replied. ‘But
something is different. I can feel it.’
“Don’t
worry, Kaede-babaa. I can handle these wimpy wolves without any problems.”
“But
please, let’s see what he wants first before we attack, okay?” she tried.
than I already have.’
“Bah!
Woman, the way you talk I might think you have feelings for that flea bag.”
“He’s saved
my life a couple of times. I owe him enough not to attack him unless he attacks
first.”
Inuyasha
snorted but nodded in agreement.
When Kouga
emerged from the trees, he was walking. That in and of itself was odd, but what
really gave her pause was who was walking beside him. Although she hadn’t seen
the red-headed female wolf youkai in almost two years, she recognized her
immediately.
“Ayame…” ‘
finally…’ she wondered hopefully.
Hakkaku and
Ginta were behind them, along with what seemed like the entire remainder of the
wolf pack.
“Oi! Wolf!
What the hell are you up to coming here?” Inuyasha challenged.
Kagome put
a restraining hand on his arm and took a step forward. “Inuyasha, wait.”
legs anymore. That’s why he was walking. Could that mean what I think it means?’
“Oi, what
the fuck are you doing, woman?” he hissed.
Kouga and
Ayame looked at each other, then Ayame nodded and they both approached, their
hands up in peace. Inuyasha and Kagome moved forward to meet them while the
others stayed behind. Coming closer, she could see that Kouga’s aad had healed
rather well and for that she was glad. It was scarred but it looked like he had
full use of it.
“Kouga. Ayame,”
she greeted.
“Kagome,”
the female wolf youkai replied, nodding.
“Whaddya
want, wolf?” Inuyasha growled.
“I came to
speak with Kagome,” Kouga answered.
“Then speak
to her and get the hell out of here.”
“Alone,”
the wolf prince amended.
Inuyasha cracked
his knuckles and bared his teeth. “Why I ought to…”
“Inuyasha,”
she warned.
He blinked
at her. “You can’t honestly tell me that you intend to go off with him!”
She touched
his shoulder to reassure him, and spoke gently, “Ayame is here. I think I know
what this means. I’ll be perfectly safe. Besides, if he tries anything, you’ll
kill him, right?”
Inuyasha
snorted. “Right. One wrong move, one
you,” he threatened.
Kouga met
his gaze without fear or submission, but nodded.
She stepped
up to the wolf lord and nodded for him to lead the way. He turned and walked
away from the group, leading her closer to the trees but not out of sight.
“We
shouldn’t go too far. You know how anxious he gets,” she reminded.
“I just want
to get out of Dog-turd’s ear shot.” He walked a little further then stopped.
“This should be far enough.”
They stood
and faced each other. It was an awkward silence because there was so much
between them and their last meeting had been so painful. Finally, Kagome
gathered enough courage to speak.
“Your arm…
it looks like it healed well. I’m glad,” she commented.
He touched
the scar, his eyes unreadable. “You did not damage me permanently. You could
have easily killed me, but you didn’t and for that I’m grateful.”
She lowered
her gaze, blushing with shame. “I… I never wanted to hurt you…”
“But I had
your pup. I forgot because it had been so long since I had been around a
breeding bitch how protective of her pups a mother could be. I was a fool to grab
him.”
“And
Inuyasha and the others… they said you would kill him.”
Kouga
huffed. “Does he think I am that simple-minded? I am the leader of my tribe. It
would be beneath me to kill a helpless pup.”
pups of ours…’ she thought, but decided not to remind him of that. Words
spoken in the heat of battle could often not be trusted.
She opted
to nod instead. “I understand that now.”
“I would
never have harmed him.”
“That makes
me very glad to hear.”
Kouga took
a deep breath and let it out slowly. “I came… to say good-bye.”
“Good-bye?”
“The
with Ayame to the
We will rebuild our tribe together.”
“You’re
going to take her as your mate then?”
He nodded.
“Yes.”
She smiled.
“Good. I am glad.”
He
shrugged. “She is not you, but she is a good woman. She will make me happy and
bear good pups.”
“Kouga… I’m
sorry…”
“Don’t be.
That stinking dog-turd had your heart long before I ever met you, and nothing I
ever did swayed it,” he admitted.
“I always
appreciated your affections, Kouga, even if I didn’t return them.”
He gave her
a sad nod. “You always treated me kindly, and helped me whenever you could.
That is another reason my behavior was so unforgivable. You thought of me as
pack, even protected my followers, and I repaid you by stealing your pup. Even
Durd’urd’s saved me more than once, though I hate to admit it.”
“I know you
think he’s nothing more than a stupid, violent jerk, but you don’t know him
like I do and you’ve never seen the side of him he shows to me. He is a good
man and I love him very much,” she said softly.
Kouga
sighed and looked away, his face pensive and weary.
“I wanted
to see you one more time before I go; to apologize for taking your pup, and
also… to give you these.”
He reached
into his armor and pulled out the shikon fragments, placing them in her
upturned hands.
“Kouga-kun,
thank you.”
“There was
a time when we were at war with the Gokuraku-chou when these were invaluable,
and again when we were fighting Naraku. But Naraku is dead and the
Gokuraku-chou are as decimated as my tribe. Now these shards only attract
power-hungry youkai to my den. If I am to have pups and rebuild my tribe, it would
be better not to have something that attracts so much attention. It is true
that I will not be as fast, but I am strong, and I think it is time for me to
stop depending on them,” he explained, holding her hands.
She gave
him a tender smile. “That is good to hear Kouga-kun.”
“This will
also assure thag-tug-turd doesn’t come hunting for them himself, and hopefully
I’ll never have to see him again.”
“Oi! How
long are you gonna hold her hands, you fucker!” Inuyasha yelled, looking like
he was going to come storming over.
Both she
and Kouga rolled their eyes and she gave Kouga a little wink.
“Inuyasha.
Osuwari!”
The hanyou
immediately hit the ground with a thud and a series of colorful curses.
Kouga
chuckled. “Although I think I will miss hearing you do that.”
She
giggled, then grew serious. “The northern lands? They’re cold.”
“Not too
cold, and they are more remote; fewer humans.”
“Will you
go back to hunting humans?” she asked fearfully.
He shook
his head. “No. We won’t attack humans unless they attack us.”
“I’m glad.”
She put the
shards in the vial around her neck, then placed her hand on his scarred arm.
“I’m so
glad I didn’t cut your arm off. I was afraid that I had or that you would lose
it because it wouldn’t heal properly,” she admitted.
the scar as well, threading his fingers with hers.
“It took a
long time to heal and delayed our trip to the north. We had wanted to leave
earlier than this to make sure we could get through the mountain passes before
the snows. It will be a bad winter.”
“The
weather readers here say the same thing. I hope that you will get to your new
cave safely.”
Her concern
made him smile. “There’s no need to worry about me, Kagome. I don’t need
looking after like that mangy mutt of yours.”
She smiled
and shook her head as she gently pulled her fingers from his. “The two of you
will never get along. I’m amazed that you
I am glad that you are both alive.”
“How is
your pup?” he asked suddenly.
She beamed.
“He’s doing really well. Walking, talking, and becoming more like Inuyasha
every day. He’ll be a year old in a little over a month.”
“That is
good to hear.”
“His latest
thing is to say ‘no’ to everything I tell him to do. And of course, he’s
learning all of Inuyasha’s bad habits…”
She looked
over at Inuyasha to see him holding Yukio and frowned. ‘He must have gotten away from Sango…’ Sure enough, the taijiya was
running towards him, her face flushed swe sweaty from exertion.
“Like
refusing to stay where he’s told,” she added dourly.
Kouga
laughed softly.ile ile I hate to pass up a chance to insult Dog-turd, from what
I remember of pups, they’re all that way.”
She sighed
as Yukio caught sight of her and she could hear his “OKAA-SAN!!!” as he
screamed at the top of his lungs, making everyone around him cringe.
“We’d
better go back before Inuyasha pops a vein. We’ve been here for a while and
I’ve already sat him once, and he’s glaring at us as if looks could kill.”
Kouga
chuckled. “And we should go. The wolves are making your villagers nervous.”
at Kaede and the village men and saw them looking very uncomfortable. Turning
to Kouga, they both walked back to where Inuyasha, Ayame, the breathless Sango
and the suddenly contrite Yukio were waiting.
him to stay with Sango,’ she fumed.
Ayame was
cooing at the toddler and fussing over him. She turned to her betrothed with an
irritated look in her eyes and her hands on her hips.
trouble already.’
“
was the pup you threatened?” the female wolf youkai demanded.
Kouga
stammered and looked chagrined. “I wasn’t going to hurt him!” he defended.
She whacked
him on the head with her fist. “If it had been my pup you took, I would
have done a lot more than almost sever your arm!”
“Hah, take
that you wimpy wolf,” Inuyasha taunted, earning him a thump on the head from
her as well.
“Hey, don’t
call my mate names!”
“Mate?” the
adult hanyou repeated.
Ayame
smiled and hooked her arm with Kouga’s who was still rubbing his head. “Kouga
and I are to be married.”
Inuyasha
looked at the two wolf youkai and then smiled wickedly.
“Well this
means you won’t come sniffing around Kagome anymore, will you? That
good news!”
“Congratulations,”
Sango offered. “I hope you’re very happy together.”
“We will
be, and I hope to have lots of pups that are just as cute as you,” Ayame
replied, scratching Yukio’s ears.
Yukio
giggled at her, then saw his mother glaring at him and flattened his ears.
stinker.’
Inuyasha
looked at her, saw her glare and looked at his son.
“Okay, pup,
what did you do?”
“I ordered
him to stay with Sango and he obviously ran away from her,” she ground out
angrily, making Yukio shrink against his father.
Sango
looked apologetic. “He’s just so fast, Kagome-chan.”
“It’s okay,
Sango-chan. I understand. And he’s at that age where he’s going to push his
limits.”
Inuyasha
sighed and then pinned Yukio with a look. :Did you disobey mother-female?:
Big golden
eyes blinked and turned misty, but he was honest and nodded. “Okaa-san go
‘way.”
“Okaa-san
told you to stay with Sango-chan,” she said firmly. “Okaa-san thought there
might be danger.”
Yukio
sniffed and turned eyes to Kouga, sniffing again. :Not-pack male.: Then his
eyes widened and it was obvious that he remembered the last time he had smelled
that scent. He let out a frightened whine and scrabbled at his father’s haori.
:Leader-male! Leader-male!:
“Relax,
pup. You’re safe. But this is why your mother told you to stay where she put
you. You wanna get scruffed?”
The toddler
shook his head. “Noooooo.”
“Then you
gotta listen to what we tell you,” he scolded, then turned to Kagome. “So what
do you think we should do with him?”
He was
asking her whind ind of punishment they should mete out, but he winked at her
and that told her it would be more threat than actual discipline.
“Oh I
dunno. Maybe we ought to toss him,” she answered, referring to the practice of
making him liwn own on the ground and submit. It was similar to pinning him,
but without the hand to his throat.
“Noooo!ooo!”
Yukio cried, kicking.
Inuyasha
grabbed his son’s legs and stopped him. “You don’t kick me. You don’t kick
anyone. Understand?”
Sniffling,
Yukio nodded and began to chew on his fist like he always did when he was
upset.
“If you
don’t want to get tossed and you don’t want to get scruffed, are you gonna
listen?” Inuyasha said.
He nodded
vigorously. :Pup good! Pup good!:
“Okay.”
Inuyasha
turned to Sango and handed Yukio to her.
“Here, take
him back to the village. He is to stay with you until we come for him.”
:Stay with
pack-female,: he ordered Yukio. “If you don’t stay, you will be punished. Got
it?”
Yukio
nodded again, tearfully, as Shippou hopped onto Sango’s shoulder.
“I’ll come
with you, Yukio,” the kit offered.
“Shippou…”
:Pack-brother.:
“See,
Shippou is going with you,” she comforted. “Stay with Sango-chan and we’ll come
get you when we’re finished here, okay baby?”
“’Kay.”
“C’mon. I
think I have some sweet roots in the hut,” Sango told him as she carried him
off.
Kagome
watched them go.
“Why is it
that when you tell him to do something, he does it, but when I tell him, he
ignores me?” she commented.
“One,
because he’s attached to you and he doesn’t want you out of his sight if he can
help it. Two, I’m the one who punishes him. You’re the push-over,” he
explained.
“I am not,”
she complained. “I’ve scruffed him before.”
“Keh, like
when? You keep threatening to do it, but I’ve never seen you follow through.
I’m not telling you to be harsh with him, but if you say you’re going to punish
him and he wheedles his way out of it, he’ll never respect you.”
“Respect
me?” she repeated, getting angry. “Are you saying my baby doesn’t look up to
me?!”
Inuyasha
cringed and flattened his ears just like Yukio had only minutes before. “Eh…”
“We… should
be going,” Kouga interrupted.
She turned
to the wolves and blushed, realizing that she had been on the verge of creating
a scene right in front of them.
before, but…’
“Yes, you
should,” Inuyasha replied brazenly.
“Inuyasha,”
she warned, and he cringed again. ‘I’m a
push-over, huh? Then why are you submitting all over the place?’
Kouga took
her hands in his and looked into her eyes. “Good-bye, Kagome. I’ll never forget
you. But you’ll have to learn to live without me from now on,” he said to her.
His voice
was sincere, but she could see the twinkle in his eyes that told her he was
doing it just to irritate Inuyasha. It worked because the hanyou bristled and
started to growl low in his throat.
“Get your
hands off of her, you bastard! And in front of your own woman too!” he seethed,
swiping at the wolf youkai.
Kouga
leaped out of the way, but just barely. “Hup!”
“Keh,
you’ve gotten a lot slower, haven’t you wolf!”
“I’m still
fast enough to outwit you!” Kouga countered. “But you’d better take good care
of her, Dog-turd. If I get a whiff that she’s unhappy, I’ll comt yot you
myself.”
“Just get
out of here and mind your own fucking business!”
“C’mon
Ayame. It’s time for us to go.”
The female
wolf youkai smiled and nodded. “Good-bye.”
“Take care
and be happy,” Kagome said.
“We will.”
Hakkaku and
Ginta approached as their alpha-pair moved off.
“Thank you,
Nee-chan,” Ginta said.
“Yes, thank
you for everything. We’ll miss you,” Hakkaku added.
She smiled
at them. “I’ll miss you too. Safe travels to your new cave and good luck.”
“Oi! We’re
leaving now!” Kouga warned as he and Ayame began to run back to the trees. The
wolves followed.
“Good-bye,
Nee-chan!” “Bye!” Hakkaku and Ginta called as they hurried to catch up.
“Bye!” she
called after them, waving.
“And good
riddance!” Inuyasha added.
“Osuwari,”
she commanded, making him hit the dirt.
“Gah!
What’d you do that for, wench?”
“Because
you were being rude.”
She turned
away, feeling oddly subdued herself. was was glad that Kouga was alright and
had finally moved on from his hopeless love for her, but part of her was sad to
see him go. He had always been kind to her and, like Houjou in her time, she
could have loved him if not for Inuyasha.
Ayame and have many pups, Kouga-kun. You deserve it.’
“He gave
you his shards?” Kaede asked her, breaking her out of her thoughts.
She touched
the vial at her throat. “Yes. He said that they would attract attention to his
den that he didn’t want.”
“Feh. Wolf
might actually have a brain after all,” Inuyasha grumbled.
Kagome just
sighed. ‘At least I know Kouga would have
been completely devoted to me. Unlike Inuyasha who still hasn’t resolved things
with Kikyou. No… that’s not true. I’m not being fair. He hasn’t resolved things
because no one has seen her for over nine months. The last time she appeared
was two weeks before we got Yukio and there’s been no sign of her since.’
She knew
Inuyasha was worried about the undead miko because he’d finally gotten up
enough courage to ask her if she had felt anything happen to Kikyou. After her
initial irritation wore off, she realized that he was just concerned for his
former love’s welfare, and was glad to be able to tell him that as far as her
soul was concerned, Kikyou seemed fine.
“Oi,
Kagome, what are you brooding about that has that look on your face?” Inuyasha
demanded.
“Nothing,”
she replied and tried to make her smile reach her eyes. “Let’s go get Yukio.
Iure ure he’s giving Sango a hard time.”
“I hope we
will still have a hut left to live in,” Miroku commented, joining them as they
headed for the village.
“Keh.”
“So
Kagome-sama, Kouga gave you his shards?” Miroku questioned.
“Yeah.”
“That means
you have collected quite a bit of the Shikon no Tama.”
She looked
at the fused jewel on the chain around her neck, along with the vial of shards
that she had yet to add to the main piece.
“About
two-thirds I’d say.”
The houshi
nodded. “If things go as they have been, soon you will have the whole jewel in
your possession.”
She nodded.
“Yeah.” ‘And then what? Will Inuyasha
make his wish? Will I have to go back to my time and stay there? What will
happen to us? To Yukio?’
Inuyasha
sensed her distress and came close, his presence a welcome comfort. She cast
him a grateful look and reached for his hand. Like the situation with Kikyou,
the final solution was outher her hands, and there was really no point in
worrying about it.
have it. The rest will have to take care of itself. I’ll just have to trust
Inuyasha, and have faith that everything will work out alright,’ she
resolved as they returned to the village to pick up her son.