The Trials and Tribulations of Parenthood

Disclaimer: I do not own any part of Inuyasha or Yu Yu Hakusho. They are owned by their respective authors. I only claim ownership of the plot.

Authors Note: This story is in many ways a parody of the way things can and sometimes do happen in real life. Some OOCness may occur but I will try to keep it at a minimum. With that in mind, enjoy the story.

The Trials and Tribulations of Parenthood – Chapter 3

Hiei was feeling like a complete ass but he didn’t know how to correct the situation. ‘I will not say I’m sorry for what I said. I didn’t ask her to go and get herself pregnant, but now that it’s happened I’ll just have to deal with it. Maybe I should bring her some flowers or something. I bet Kurama has some in his garden, he shouldn’t care if I take a few.’ With that decision made, he took off for Kurama’s apartment and then home.

He had just reached the apartment building and walking towards the garden in the back when a small whine caught his attention. A small little dog that looked suspiciously like a fox was sitting and staring at him. Hiei glared at the little dog and snarled; “Go away, you’re not wanted here.” He turned and went into Kurama’s garden when he heard a small sound behind him. The little puppy had followed him and was happily digging in the dirt beside him, sending sprays of dirt clods flying through the air and onto Hiei. “I said, go away!” Hiei hauled the little puppy up by the scruff of the neck and glared at him while the puppy whined appeasingly. “Stupid puppy.”

Hiei sighed, the puppy had managed to do a lot of damage to the garden in a very short period of time. ‘He better not think that I came here and destroyed his garden on purpose. For that matter he better not think I destroyed it at all’ He looked again at the puppy he was still holding in disgust; “You’re more trouble then you’re worth.”

He heard whistling coming from around the corner and looked up to see Kurama walking towards him. “Have you found a new friend Hiei? Kurama chuckled when Hiei dropped the puppy fast and looked down at his dirty hands. The puppy, undeterred, started playing with Hiei’s pants leg, pulling on it and growling furiously. “Stupid puppy.”

“By the way Hiei, what happened in my garden? I assume that you will be kind enough to help me repair the damage? Apparently it was your new puppy that caused most of the damage anyway.” Kurama just couldn’t avoid saying that, he knew Hiei’s dislike for puppies and kittens but this was just too good to pass up.

“Hn, it isn’t my puppy.” Hiei stalked away headed for home with Kurama’s laughter following him. “Sure could have fooled me Hiei, he’s right on your heels.” This sucked, it just wasn’t his day. ‘ Ah man, and I even forgot my flowers.’

He opened the apartment door and walked in never noticing that the puppy had followed in on his heels until the puppy whimpered. “Stupid puppy! Maybe you’ll be good for something after all. Stay here.” ‘The puppy will work just as well as the flowers would have, she’ll never know the difference. But where is she?’ Hiei had walked through the entire apartment but she wasn’t there. He looked in the closet and saw that a suitcase and several sets of clothes were gone.

“Now where the hell did she go? See if I try to do something nice for her again anytime soon.” He stalked over to the puppy that was sitting on the floor looking at him. “This is all your fault you stupid mutt.”

‘Kurama?’ Hiei reached out to his partner with a tentative thought thread, he wasn’t sure what his friend might be doing and he didn’t want to interrupt if he was busy with more personal activities, such as mating with Yukina. It wasn’t something He wanted to picture in his mind, but it came to his mind unbidden anyway.

‘Did she like the puppy?’ Kurama’s voice came back to him with no hint of irritation; apparently he hadn’t been interrupted from anything important.

‘I would know the answer to that if she was here so I could give her the damn thing. Do you or Yukina know where she might be?’

Kurama answered him very slowly. ‘I figured Yukina was over there with Kagome since she isn’t home either. Give me a minute Hiei, let me see if I can find them.’ Kurama let the link with his friend drop and sent a questioning thought down his link with Yukina, which was immediately answered with a feeling of love and welcome. It felt like an eternity to Hiei but probably wasn’t more then a minute later when he again felt Kurama in his mind. ‘Yukina is on her way home, but Hiei, Kagome will be gone for a few days.’

‘She better be getting her ass home where she belongs. How am I supposed to give her this stupid puppy if she isn’t here? Kurama, I’m trying to apologize to her, I can’t do that if she isn’t here.’

‘Give her the night alone Hiei, you did treat her rather badly. If she doesn’t come home tomorrow I’ll go and talk to her. Just take my word for it, she’s safe for the night.’ Kurama let his link drop when Yukina walked in the door to the apartment.

Hiei growled and kicked the innocent unoffending couch. He glared at the puppy and sent it cowering into the corner where it promptly peed in submission. It was going to be a very long night.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Yukina walked in the door and gave Kurama him one of her brightest smiles. She was honestly happy to see him and that he already had dinner started was an added bonus. “That smells good. Is this a special occasion or are you just happy to see me?”

‘I’d be more happy to see her lying across the bed right now.’ Youko was already imagining what fun they could have again and snickered when he felt Kurama’s body beginning to respond to the images he was putting in his mind. ‘You want her too, don’t even try to deny it.’

‘Youko, you’re worse then Hiei during his heat cycles. At least he gets a break for a couple of weeks out of the month from hormones ruling his body.’ Kurama could feel the kitsunes huff in his mind at that comment.

‘Meh, it isn’t my fault that the little firebug is flawed in his design. And why are you just standing there, at least kiss her or something. Preferably more of the something.’

“Kurama?” Yukina was still standing there watching him, waiting for him to say something. She hadn’t failed to notice his rising arousal but she wanted to have a serious talk with him first. “I’ll set the table so we can eat, then I want to share something very special with you.”

‘Special? Did I hear special? Maybe she is planning to give us a private lap dance or something.’ Youko was letting his imagination run away with him again and it took all of Kurama’s attention to bring him back under control. ‘Stop it Youko.’

Yukina had gone into the dining area and was rummaging through the china closet. She pulled out silver candlesticks and a complete setting of china. This would be perfect. A delicate lacy tablecloth came out next, followed by stemmed crystal leaded goblets. Hand worked silverware completed setting and Yukina lit cinnamon scented candles and turned the lights off. Kurama walked into the dining room carrying dinner and stopped short at the sight that greeted his eyes. He thought he had never seen her looking more beautiful.

“Are you going to stand there holding dinner all night or are we going to eat it?” Yukina giggled when he hurriedly set the food down and pulled her chair out for her, waiting for her to sit. Only after she was seated and comfortable did he take his own place at the table and begin passing the food to her.

“Besides celebrating our mating, is there a reason for this intimate little dinner? Or are you trying to seduce me?” Kurama’s eyes were glittering in the candlelight, going from green to gold and back again as the flames danced in their reflection. “If that’s what you’re thinking we can skip dinner.”

Yukina giggled again and looked down at her hands. It would be very tempting to drag him off to bed right this minute but she wanted to tell him her news first. “Kurama, I want to tell.” The heavy banging on the apartment door interrupted what Yukina was saying and made them both look at the door in surprise.

“This had damn well better be important!” Kurama stood and went over to the door ready to rip the head off of whoever had interrupted his evening. He opened the door to find Koenma standing there along with Hiei.

“This had better be important Koenma. I was just sitting down to a very nice dinner that you have so rudely chosen to interrupt.” Kurama wasn’t amused, he looked over to Hiei but the fire demon just shrugged his shoulders. “So let’s hear what you have to say!”

Koenma puffed up his chest and looked at all three demons in front of him. “Just what were you guys thinking, deciding to get pregnant without consulting me first. And it wasn’t enough of a shock to find out that Kagome and Hiei were expecting children, but Kurama and Yukina too? I swear you guys are trying to give me an attack of some kind. Just drive a stake through me why don’t you, it would be less shocking.”

Hiei growled and stepped forward. “I’m sure I can arrange to do that Koenma.”

Yukina sat down on the couch and folded her hands in her lap, tear gems slowly starting to fall from her eyes. Kurama was at her side in an instant. “What's wrong Yukina?”

“I wanted to tell you the news that I am pregnant myself”

~*~*~*~*~*~

‘What does it matter. I’m tired of being in the middle, I’m tired of catching all the shit for everyone else. It feels like I must have stupid tattooed across my forehead. My choice of men sure hasn’t been the greatest either.’ Kagome shook her head sadly. ‘I thought I’d done better this time but I guess not. Even if he wasn’t happy about the pregnancy, at least he didn’t have to yell at me like that. It isn’t like I did it on purpose. He had a part in this too but I guess that doesn’t count either. I give up, I just plain give up.’

‘And it sure isn’t like any man is going to want me. A single mom with a half demon child. Face it Kagome, you really screwed up this time. It would be so easy to just die.’ Kagome’s eyes traveled up the wall of the temple where Genkai’s display of weapons resided.

A small voice came into Kagome’s head; it had an almost dreamlike quality, except the voice sounded like it was crying. ‘But mama, if you die I won’t have the chance to be born.’ Kagome’s head snapped up at the sound of the familiar voice, eyes searching all around her but she couldn’t find anyone. Her head dropped again. ‘Must have been my stupid imagination.’ A single tear slid down her cheek.

Youko felt the edges of his youki flair in response to a new unknown presence. He looked over at Hiei, wondering if he had felt anything, but if the fire demon had felt it then he wasn’t showing it. The new presence brushed against his youki again and he clearly heard a child’s voice in his head. ‘My mama, Kagome, needs help. Will you come?’ This time Kurama heard the voice as well. ‘Youko? Who was that?’

‘Apparently one of Kagome’s new children. I suggest we go find her. Hiei can take care of Koenma.’

Kurama stood and went to the closet to get his jacket while all eyes looked at him in surprise. Apparently he was going to walk out while Koenma was standing there yelling? “I need to go out for a few minutes. Hiei, would you stay with Yukina please?” And before anyone could say a word Kurama was gone. “Hn” was all Hiei had to say.

It didn’t take long to reach the temple and Kurama ran up the temple steps. Inside he saw a lone figure kneeling on a straw mat in the center of the temple floor. Somewhere Kagome had found a white kimono, she looked like an angel knelt in prayer and Kurama’s breath caught in his throat. Then she shifted position slightly. Kurama’s eyes widened and then narrowed at what he saw.

Kagome’s legs were bound together with a piece of cord; a katana lay slightly off to one side. It appeared she was finished with her prayers and her hands moved slowly over to the katana and picked it up.

‘She is performing the ritual of Seppuku’. Youko’s voice was cold. ‘She’s committing suicide.’

‘We can’t let her do that.’ Kurama made a running tackle and knocked the girl over on her side and the sword went flying out of her hands.

Kagome dissolved into tears. She looked up at Kurama and asked dully “Why did you stop me? Don’t you know? Hiei doesn’t want me; he’s proved that by what he said to me about this pregnancy. He has never made the offer to make our relationship permanent. And how can I raise my children with them knowing that their father doesn’t want them? There’s no honor in that, my children will be shamed and disgraced, they’ll be outcasts. I can’t do that to them. And they don’t deserve that, it’s better to never have been born.

Kurama didn’t know quite what to say to her. How could he tell her that had been almost exactly the story of Hiei and Yukina’s birth? ‘Maybe you should remind her of Hiei’s beginnings’ Youko said quietly in the back of his mind. ‘It’s obvious she isn’t thinking clearly. But from what I’ve heard most times breeding females don’t.’

Gently he lifted her head off his chest and forced him to look at her. “Kagome do you truly believe all that you have just said? Do you realize that Hiei’s mother did almost the exact same thing except she killed herself after he was born. If she had killed herself before they were born, you would never have known Hiei and I wouldn’t have Yukina. And I know you could not be so selfish as to truly want that.” Kurama was hoping that somehow his words would reach through Kagome’s pain and allow her to start thinking clearly again.

Kurama established a mind link with Hiei. ‘Bring Yukina and come to the temple. Your stupid actions or lack thereof very nearly cost the lives of Kagome and your children this night.’