The Lucky Ones
Chapter Thirty-Six
xmlns:st1="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"
xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40">
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 Thirty-Six
The guests
started arriving at a
Yukio supposed he couldn’t really call them guests because the majority of them
were his family, but there were a few here and there who weren’t directly
related to him. When the others started trickling in, he’d left his spot under
Goshinboku and joined his grandmother while Jii-chan sat by the main shrine and
played the part of head priest. There he pointed out each newcomer and told her
who the individual was and what relation they were to him. He could see her
eyes opening wider and wider as she tallied the number of people he claimed as
‘brother’ and ‘sister.’
“That’s my
sister Yumi,” he told her, indicating a slender young
woman on the arm of a robust man. “She’s a kawauso-hanyou.
The man next to her is her mate. He’s a full-blooded kawauso-youkai.
Not too many of them these days. The rivers are too polluted. They moved to the
about sixty years ago, before the A-bomb dropped.”
“
“And over
there is Kioshifather was a panda-youkai from
“
of these names! And none of them are showing their real faces,” she admitted.
“All of
thfacefaces are very similar to their true face. It’s just the youkai traits
that are hidden. If you look at me on my human night, I look the same as I do
now. Don’t worry, Mama-baachan. All of them know you’ve never met them before.
They’ll all remind you of who they are.”
“I’m so
glad.”
“Eggs?” a
young man asked, coming up to them from the opposite direction they were
facing. He was holding a shopping bag.
Yukio
smiled at him. “And this is my brother Miroku. He’s an inu-hanyou like me,” he
said. “Miroku, this is Mama-baachan.”
Miroku
bowed deeply and kissed her hand. “Mama-baachan.”
“I know
you,” she gasped.
“We have
met before. Years ago when my mother wandered into our woods as a toddler and I
brought her back. I even left her on the roof once so she wouldn’t try to
follow me.”
“It
you! I thought I knew you from somewhere!” she replied, her eyes wide.
“Of course
I didn’t know she was my mother at the time,” Miroku commented, flashing angry
eyes at his oldest brother. “I just thought I was going crazy when you and she
smelled familiar. No one bothered to
ago.”
Yukio gave
him a sheepish smile and a little shrug. “Mom and Dad told me I wasn’t
allowed.”
“Eri knew,”
his brother countered.
“Eri’s a
snoop.”
Miroku
rolled his eyes. “Anyway, here are the requested eggs,” he said, handing
Mama-baachan the grocery bag.
“Arigato,”
she answered with a bow. “I’ll put these in the kitchen. Please excuse me.”
They
watched her go.
“She’s
holding up rather well,” Miroku commented.
Yukio
nodded. “She’s used to the unusual. Look at how she handled Mom and Dad when
they were still able to go through the well.”
The other
inu-hanyou nodded. “Mom and Dad aren’t here yet?”
He shook
his head. “No. Soon though. They’re taking a hired car
from the train station. Dad won’t let Mom ride the subway.”
Miroku just
shook his head and snickered. “Frankly, I liked your idea of sealing him to a
tree until after the baby is born.”
Mama-baachan
rejoined them and Yukio offered her his arm, which she accepted. As she did so,
Miroku sniffed and turned his head to look for someone.
“Ah,
there’s Ranma. I need to talk to him about the
accounts. I’ll see you later, okay?” he said.
Yukio
nodded. “Okay.”
Miroku
bowed to his grandmother and kissed her hand again. “I am sure we will have
plenty of time to talk and get to know each other. I live only a hop away from
here.”
Mama-baachan
smiled. “You must come for tea or dinner sometime.”
Miroku
grinned. “I’d like that. Thank you.”
With a
final nod, he headed off to talk to his brother.
“He seems
like such a nice boy,” she sighed. “I remember when he brought Kagome back all
those times.”
Yukio
nodded. “He’s a little mad at me because I kept the truth from him, but I know
why my parents made the choice they did and it was for Okaa-san’s protection.
If there was even a hint that my mother would be endangered, I’d have glued my
mouth shut.”
“Just like
your father.”
“No.
Otou-san would never glue his mouth shut. Then he couldn’t curse anymore.”
Mama-baachan
giggled.
They
surveyed the growing crowd and Yukio looked up to the clouds.
not out and it isn’t too humid,” he noted.
“Yes. We
aren’t supposed to get rain until tonight.”
He nodded.
“Tetsu promised to make sure the weather would be okay. He can control storms
when he wants to.”
youngest. He’s a dragon-hanyou. He’s not here yet. I think he’s coming over
from
Mama-baachan
gasped. “A dragon-hanyou?”
got him was because his mother died and his human relatives were too afraid to
kill him.”
“Oh how
awful.”
shrugged. “He was better off with us anyway.” ‘We were all better off. No one could have done a better job of raising
all of us than my parents. I think this new baby will do them a world of good.
Okaa-san’s arms have been empty for too long.’
“It looks
like Kagome did a wonderful job raising all of these children.”
and firm, but none of us have ever doubted that he loves us.”
“Inuyasha
spent so much of his life hated and alone. It’s no wonder that he tried so hard
to make sure none of his children ever felt that way.”
He smiled
at her insight. “Exactly.”
“YU-U-U-K-I-I-O-O!!!”
came a booming voice.
He grinned,
pulled away from his grandmother, and faced the owner of the voice. The man was
barreling towards him, his head down. Ignoring his grandmother’s
head into Isato’s charge. There was a loud
from the impact, and if both of them had been human they would have been
comatose from the head injury, but because they were both hanyous they didn’t
even get a headache.
“How are
you, Isato?” he answered, gasping as his back was
slapped enthusiastically.
concealment spell. Instead of his former Japanese appearance, he had traded it
for a dark haired, olive-skinned Spanish look.
“Oh, I am
well! Very well!” Isato
answered in English.
“You got a
new concealment spell.” ‘And why are you
talking in English? Spanish-accented English no less?’
“Oh yes. Do
you like it? I look like Antonio Banderas, yes? The
Spanish ladies love me!” he replied, spinning to show off his new look.
“
“
Yukio
raised one eyebrow. ‘You were born in
“I’m glad that you have found a place where you are happy.”
“Oh,
happiness is not the word. She is a paradise! And the ladies... the ladies have
no equal. You must meet Isabella, my brother! She is magnificent.”
Yukio’s
eyes were drawn to a raven-haired, dark-eyed beauty that was coming towards
them.
cross.’
The hanyou
female curtsied perfectly and offered her hand to him. He bowed as he took it
and placed his lips upon the back of her hand, all while taking a discrete
whiff to make sure the scent of human death was not on her. Isato
wasn’t picky about who he took to his bed. In fact, his requirements were
fairly simple: 1) was it female? and 2) was it
breathing? It wouldn’t be the first time he’d brought home a human-eater, and
he’d have to break the news to him before their father found out.
the bull-hanyou often couldn’t tell.
a shame Father’s swords can’t increase I.Q.’
Luckily,
Isabella smelled clean.
“It is a
pleasure, my lady,” he said to her as he released her hand. “Once again my
brother has chosen a lovely woman.”
She giggled
and snapped open a lace fan to hide her face. “You are too kind, Senor.”
He managed
another smile at her, then turned his attention to his
brother.
“
said.
“Ah!
Senora! It is easy to see where my mother gets her beauty!” Isato
exclaimed in Spanish-accented Japanese which made Yukio cringe because it was
just wrong.
“You are a
He kissed
her hand as she blushed and giggled. “Thank you.”
“You must
come to
there. It is most luxurious and beautiful.”
“I’d... I’d
like that someday. Thank you for the invitation.”
“Come in
July. We will go to
the running of the bulls, and cheer for the bulls, no?”
Yukio saw
Mama-baachan fight to find words to answer. Thankfully, Isato’s
attention-span, which was never very long to begin with, was distracted by a
newcomer to the gathering.
“Ah! I see
my sister Mariko. Come Isabella. You two must meet!”
the hanyou female and dragged her off. Yukio heard his grandmother give a small
sigh of relief.
“Bull-hanyou,”
he explained. “Not the sharpest tack in the box, but... whew... strong.
“He
certainly seems very... passionate,” she replied, choosing her words carefully.
Yukio snickered.
“That is one way to describe him.” He looked at his watch. It was
Souta running up to them.
greeted.
“Who are
all of these people?” the thirteen-year old asked, wide-eyed.
complained, a smile tugging at his lips.
“Eh? Who
are you?”
“Well, I
guess it could have something to do with the fact that the last time you saw me
I was this big and could barely say your name,” he replied, spreading his hands
about one meter apart.
“Huh?”
Yukio gave
a quick look around, confirming that there were no unaccounted for humans in
the shrine, then he took off his ring.
Yukio
slapped his hand over the screaming teen’s mouth to silence him.
son,” he whispered hoarsely, kneeling on one knee behind the boy.
against his palm, his eyes wide.
“Do you
recognize me now?”
The boy’s
head nodded vigorously.
Slowly he
let Souta go, half expecting him to scream again.
“You don’t
look anything like you used to, but Inu-no-niichan
always used to grab me like that when I walked in on him and Kagome so I knew
it had to be you.”
just as Mama-baachan gave a choked gasp.
“How’d you
get so big so fast?”
He gave his young uncle a
small smile. “That’s a long story and I’ll leave it for my parents to tell
you.”
“Are Kagome
and Inu-no-niichan here?”
He shook
his head. “No. They’re coming from
by train.”
“No, I rode
my bike up from
morning.”
Souta
gasped. “Is that your cool racing bike parked in front of the steps?”
He laughed.
“Yeah, that’s mine.”
“Awesome!
Can I have a ride on it, please?!”
He cast a
nervous glance up at his grandmother who was looking rather shocked.
“You’d
better ask your mother for permission.”
Souta
turned pleading eyes to his mother. n cln class=GramE>“Mama? Can I
please?”
“Souta...
I... I don’t know. Motorcycles are very dangerous...”
“And I
don’t have a spare helmet,” Yukio added, rapping lightly on Souta’s
skull. “If I wreck the bike, I’ll be fine, but your weak human
highway.”
even Mama-baachan turned slightly green.
“Besides
that bike’s a little uncomfortable with two riders, even for a little scrap of
a thing like you. I’ve got another that’ll be better. I’ll be here in
for a while so why don’t I drip wip with it sometime and we’ll go for a ride?”
“Put your
ring back on before I graft it permanently into your forehead with my foot, you
twit,” Eri’s furious voice commanded.
Yukio
gulped and flattened his ears as he looked up at the raging neko-youkai.
when she’s angry.’
“Who are
you?” Souta asked.
“This
blithering idiot’s sister,” she answered harshly. “Now put it back on, Yukio,
before someone who isn’t supposed to sees you.”
“Eri,
there’s no one here!” he argued.
“You’ve got
a sister?”
“Yes,” they
both replied in unison.
Eri took a
deep breath. “Yukio,” she said patiently. “You don’t spend enough time here in
since you moved to
with Mom and Dad. The Fushikenwa and Nishitaishou
families are still big enough names to catch the attention of the press. At any
time an entourage of reporters from the tabloids could come in here. Until we
get a Spell of Normalcy cast over this place, you should keep yourself
concealed. This is to protect you and to protect Mom and Dad. What do you think
Dad would do if a bunch of slobbering paparazzi showed up here with cameras
flashing and they could see you? There could be chaos. Someone might get hurt.
might get hurt.”
One look at
Eri’s face and he knew she was being deadly serious. While he craved open space
and the untainted wilderness, Eri loved cities and the urban life. She was far
more qualified to make a judgment on the dangers of their situation than he.
Where he lived, sometimes he could go days without meeting another individual.
He nodded gravely and put the ring back on.
“That is
cool!” Souta enthused.
Eri nodded
in approval. “Thank you.”
Standing,
he faced his sister. “Mom and Dad aren’t here yet. They must have been delayed.
I’ll wait another ten minutes then I’ll call Dad on his cell phone.”
She nodded
and crossed her arms. “About half of us are here already. I just saw Rumiko and
Asame arrive. Ryoukan’s not
here yet, but I wouldn’t expect him until after the meal is served. He still
prefers his food raw.”
“Is
everything in place and to your liking?” Mama-baachan asked.
Yukio
surveyed the tables, the canopies put up in case of rain, the floral
decorations and the efficient catering staff that was now serving hors
d'oeuvres and drinks from trays carried by waitpersons. Everything seemed
perfectly in order and going smoothly.
“Well the
ice sculptures are melting, but that’s to be expected. I’ve got an ice-demon
hanyou working on prolonging their lifespan, but she can only do so much,” Eri
replied.
“Whose
bright idea were they anyway?” Yukio questioned.
Eri gave
him a shrug. “I have no idea. Probably some simpering toady of Uncle’s who
thought they would make a nice touch. They weren’t in anything
ordered, and the delivery boy listed them as a gift.”
“My guess is
it was what’s-her-name.
Swans seem right up her alley,” he commented.
“I think I
know who you’re talking about. Blue hair, always has a
vacant look on her face?”
He nodded.
I said I was using a cell phone.”
Eri
snickered. “I remember that. It was the last time we went to Uncle’s for New
Year’s and all the courtiers showed up.” She looked at her watch and frowned.
“Anyway, it’s almost
The band is due to arrive at 5. I have a harpist coming in to play during the
meal. She should already be here actually...”
She gave a
quick scan for the harpist but came up empty. However, she suddenly sniffed and
went still. Yukio sniffed too and immediately recognized the scents. Then a
wave of awareness passed among the guests and the din of conversation quieted
to a whisper as all heads turned to face the entrance to the shrine grounds.
“What is
it?” Mama-baachan asked nervously, whispering in the sudden quiet.
He opened
his mouth to answer when a loud, irritated voice answered for him:
shoved in your ass every week for
“Mom and
Dad are here,” he announced.
the next prefecture,” Eri commented.
“True. I’d
better go check.”
He stepped
forward but his arm was quickly grabbed by his grandmother.
“Kagome?”
she questioned, her eyes hopeful.
He gave her
a reassuring smile and nodded. “Yes.”
She gasped
and moved towards the stairs, her pace increasing the closer she got to them.
The crowd parted to let her pass and Yukio followed at her heels. She stopped
several feet away from the shrine entrance and waited.
The first
figures up the stairs weren’t his parents, but his brother Tetsukazu
and his sister Izayoi. He whispered their names to
his grandmother, but she only nodded, her eyes fixed on the top step.
“They’re
right behind us,” Tetsu said quietly as he and Izayoi
came over to him.
“They were
getting out of the car just as we were walking up. Mama looks stressed and
tired,” Izayoi added.
have stayed at fucking
House, steps bedamned! She had to climb these ones
anyway so it didn’t make a shit bit of difference.’
“Are you
alright?” his father’s voice asked, closer now.
No answer.
“You should
just let me carry you, wench.”
“Why are
you being so damn stubborn?”
Behind him
and Mama-baachan, the rest of the guests began to gather close. He could feel
the press of their bodies at his back and it made him slightly claustrophobic.
“You’re
just doing this to get back at me for this morning, aren’t you?”
Still no
answer from his mother and he frowned. ‘Either
she’s too busy concentrating on getting up the stairs to yell back at him, or
she’s too angry to scream.’
Two heads
appeared over the top of the stairs and he tensed. The heads were followed by
two sets of shoulders, then chests, and then the rest of their bodies as his
father helped his mother slowly climb up. As always, while his voice was
complaining and irritated, his father’s body language said the exact opposite.
His hand was lightly on the small of his mother’s back, his other hand
supporting her under one arm to both steady her and support her weight with
each step up. His face was concerned and serious. His mother looked exhausted.
He almost
went to help, but he knew how territorial his father had been lately so he kept
his distance, and his parents finally made it to the top. They were dressed
finely. His father was wearing a loose white raw silk shirt with rolled cuffs,
his prayer beads peaking out from underneath the open collar, and a pair of
black cotton pants. On his feet were the open toed Birkenstock sandals he
preferred whenever he had to wear shoes. On his right ring finger he wore the
signet ring that anchored his concealment spell. Tessaiga was at his side as
always, in its sheath, but the concealment spell made it look like a cell phone
that was attached to his waistband. Because the blade had been broken all those
years ago and his demon blood had been released, Inuyasha never went far
without the sealing sword; unlike Yukio whose sword had never been broken and
his youkai blood never released. He still had it with him though. It was in the
satchel he had packed that morning, in its own enchanted carrier that shrank
the blade and made it fit into the small pack.
His mother
was dressed in a lovely green silk dress with a matching long open jacket. It
was loose and generous to accommodate her growing belly, and he knew she had
gone for comfort rather than style. On her feet were the custom made walking
sandals that she loved so much and that were easy for her to walk in.
Neither of
his parents were looking ahead of them as they cleared
the stairs. His mother was looking down at her feet, while his father’s
attention was completely on his mate. But when they finally did come out of
their own little world to take stock of their surroundings, they stopped short
at the sight of everyone gathered there waiting for them.
Yukio saw
his father survey the crowd with both wary and approving eyes, and he also
noted how he tightened his grip on his mother’s arm and drew her just a little
closer.
still defensive and territorial.’
His mother,
however, only had eyes for Mama-baachan.
“Mama?” she
said in a small voice.
The sound
gave him pause. While he knew that his parents had stopped aging 450 years ago
and still bore the same youthful appearance they had back then, he never saw
them as “young.” To him, they were always older and somehow wiser, especially
his mother, but right now she looked every bit the tender age of eighteen she
had been the day his father had made his wish on the Shikon no Tama.
“Kagome,”
Mama-baachan replied.
Kagome took
a step forward, her arms reaching out. “Mama.”
“Kagome,”
Mama-baachan breathed again as she rushed forward and, heedless of Inuyasha’s
warning glare, embraced her daughter.
tears and began to sob. “Mama. Mama.”
Yukio moved
closer, coming to stand only a few steps away from where his mother and
grandmother were embracing, and he could hear their words perfectlp>
p>
“
stroking her daughter’s hair.
“I know.
But I’m here now. We’re together again.”
“It’s been
so hard without you,” Kagome admitted, hugging her mother tighter.
“I know,
but it’s alright now. Everything will be alright now,” Mama-baachan soothed,
tucking Kagome’s head into her shoulder.
“Oi, be
careful, she’s delicate,” Inuyasha warned.
Mama-
reached out to rub his fats eas ears. What was even more amazing was that his
father didn’t jerk away.
“I know,
dear, I know.”
Then
Mama-baachan reached out and put an arm across Inuyasha’s shoulders, drawing
him close. Inuyasha’s arm came up to loosely hug her and he buried his nose in
her hair.
There were
several expectant moments as the rest of them watched Kagome be reunited with
her mother. No one approached too closely and let the three have their private
moment of reunion until Inuyasha stepped back, followed by Kagome who beamed at
her mother and wiped the tears from her eyes.
“I love
you, Mama,” she said softly.
“I love you
too, Kagome. So much.”
As if by
some unspoken agreement, the spell was broken and the heavy silence erupted
into a cacophony of voices all vying to be heard at once.
Yukio knew
they were making a mistake. Their father was far too stressed and protective
for him to handle all of them converging on their mother at once. He tried to
intervene before it became an ‘incident,’ putting himself between his mother
and grandmother and the others.
“Everyone
wait! Just hold on a second!”
A few
stopped and listened to him, but others, too excited to really hear his
warning, simply went around him.
“Hey guys,
wait a minute. At least let Okaa-san sit down! She’s pregnant and just climbed
those steps!” he tried again.
His request
was drowned out by numerous voices calling for their mother. He heard his
father growl and smelled the tell-tale scent of his rage, then there was the
unmistakable sound of sliding metal and he felt the pulse of Tessaiga. He took
a brief look to confirm that his father had indeed drawn the sword and was now
holding it horizontally over his head in a gesture that all of the children
knew meant, ‘Freeze and shut up!’
They froze
and shut up. Inuyasha didn’t even have to say a word, but Yukio could hear him
huffing under his breath and see the stress radiating from him. It was obvious
that he was holding himself in check, trying not to come out swinging because
he did not want to harm his children. Besides he had to know such a display
would earn him repeated ‘sittings’ if he even tried. It didn’t look like his
mother was in any mood to deal with her mate’s overprotective temper.
“Someone
bring a chair!” Yukio ordered into the sudden silence.
A chair was
set down next to him immediately and he turned to his mother.
“Okaa-san,
please…”
Kagome gave
him a tired, grateful smile and moved forward to sit down. He gave her a swift
hug.
“You look
lovely.”
“Thank
you,” she replied. “You’re looking handsome as ever. I didn’t see you. You left
early this morning.”
He smiled
and kissed her on the temple, sneaking in a quick lick to her chin. “I wanted
to get here and make sure everything went smoothly,” he explained, then looked
up at his father.
“Let’s
carry her over to the head of the table,” he suggested.
Inuyasha
nodded and sheathed Tessaiga. Then he and his father stood on opposite sides of
the chair and they both lifted it up with his mother still in it as they
carried it over to the long, decorated table, which was
actually several tables placed all in a row. They set her down beside the
table, but with the chair facing outward so the table was at her back.
< “Is this good,
Okaa-san?” he asked her.
She nodded.
“Yeah, this is fine. Thank you.”
“Do you
need anything?”
“Something
to drink?” she requested.
He smiled.
“I’ll get you some water.”
“That would
be wonderful. Thank you.”
Once his
mother was settled in the chair with her water, Mama-baachan came to stand next
to her while Inuyasha took a few steps to the side to allow the others to come
forward. It was chaos for the first fifteen minutes as children who hadn’t seen
their parents in three years came to greet them enthusiastically.
“Dad!”
Kagome’s
obvious pregnancy was a hot topic of conversation and everyone wanted an update
on how things were going. When the rush of greetings died down, Yukio took his
place at Inuyasha’s right shoulder and stood with him. His father gave him a
nod but basically ignored him as he crossed his arms and kept a wary eye out
for potential dangers.
“You can
stop mate guarding, Dad. We’re all family here,” he reminded teasingly, hoping
the light tone would get his father to relax a little.
anything,” Inuyasha scoffed back.
“Okay, I
amend my statement. We’re all family here and none of us are Uncle. Better?”
“
of his shoulders.
“
heard his sister Mariko ask.
Mariko was
a bird-hanyou and she had some miko powers. If she
cast the spell instead of his mother, Kagome wouldn’t have to expend the energy
to cast and anchor it.
“That would
be wonderful, Mariko,” his mother answered.
Out of the
corner of his eye he watched his sister, resplendent in a turquoise and silver
dress with matching caftan, set the markers to define the boundaries of the
spell and then anchor energy into them to cast it. The familiar feel of
disorientation flowed over them, making them momentarily dizzy, but then they
all breathed a collective sigh of relief and removed their concealment spells.
Immediately the crowd of mostly black-haired humans became a sea of varied
color and shape and size as all of them revealed their true forms.
“What’s a
Spell of Normalcy?” he heard Mama-baachan ask.
“It’s a
spell that makes people see only what we want them to see. If someone came in
here now, all he would see would be humans gathered here and nothing would seem
out of the ordinary. We cast it over whatever area we’re gathered in to protect
us but also to give them the opportunity to be themselves,” Kagome explained.
Mariko, now
in her true form with a beak and teal feathers for hair, came back over in a
flurry of turquoise and silver.
Mariko bent
to kiss her mother’s cheek, as much as she was able with a beak for a nose and
mouth. “Anything for you, Mama.”
Yukio
turned his attention back to his father and let his sisters
fuss over their mother.
“How was
the ride up?”
“Long.”
“I told you
we should have stayed at Tokyo House. Mom had to climb the shrine stairs anyway
so it didn’t make a difference.”
“Shut up,”
Inuyasha snapped irritably, which meant that he’d already realized his mistake,
but didn’t want to admit it.
Yukio just
smirked to himself and took off his signet ring, dropping it into his pocket.
He watched his father do the same, then kick off the
hated Birkenstocks.
“Inuyasha,”
Jii-chan called as he and Souta came over to them.
A quick
glance revealed that Kagome and Mama-baachan were still swamped so his uncle
and great-grandfather must have decided to take their chances with Inuyasha.
Inuyasha looked down at the thirteen-year old and Jii-chan,
and Yukio swore he saw a shimmer of emotion. Then Inuyasha bowed slightly to
Jii-chan, just a fraction but a bow nonetheless.
“Hello, old
man.” The words were harsh but the tone was respectful.
“
“
as usual, but his posture had softened making Yukio reassess what this reunion
meant to his father.
He’d always
assumed that Inuyasha was going to such great lengths for Kagome because she
missed her family in the Modern Era. It never crossed his mind that his
little brother and Jii-chan as the closest thing he has to a father-in-law.
Okaa-san said her family always accepted Otou-san,’
“I was
supposed to be the cool big uncle,” the teen complained. “You promised that I
could be, but Yukio’s all grown up. I missed it.”
Yukio
watched as his father gave the boy a tender smile and that solidified his
suspicions even more.
“Things
didn’t work out that way, kid, I’m sorry.”
Souta
pouted for all of three seconds then smiled. “But that’s okay because my
is going to take me out for a ride on his cool bike!”
Inuyasha
looked uncomfortable and scratched his head. “Ahhh,
do your mother and sister know that?”
“Mama said
I could!” the teen insisted.
He stepped
forward and spoke softly in inu-youkai. :Pack-brother
safe with beta-male.:
look.
His eyes
opened wide and he snorted. :Impulsive leader-male!:
“Seriously,
you know I’d never let him come to harm. My hanyou reflexes are much sharper
and faster than any human’s,” he added verbally.
Inuyasha
nodded. “It’s not me you have to convince.”
“Yukio said
he’d ride up with a bike that’s better for two riders,” Souta clarified.
“Ahh, the
Triumph?” his father questioned.
He nodded.
The good thing about traveling overland and by yacht meant that he could bring
three of his favorite bikes with him.
“Good
choice.”
jump.
“Eh?”
“What have
you been doing with my granddaughter?” the old man demanded.
“Huh?”
“How many
years have you lived together? And now Kagome is pregnant!”
Yukio
snickered at his father’s shocked expression.
“And you’re
not properly married! The dishonor to our proud family! The
shame!”
married, old man! We just celebrated our 450th wedding anniversary!”
Inuyasha argued, flushed.
“You are?
How? When?”
“Here!
“Oh, well,
I suppose it’s alright then.”
Inuyasha
sputtered and Yukio hid his mouth behind his hand so his father wouldsee
see
his smile.
“Was the
wedding!” Jii-chan cried. “The shame! The shame! I
must pray to the ancestors and make offerings to the gods!”
The old man
moved to hurry off, but then turned and wagged an accusing finger at Inuyasha.
“You are marrying my granddaughter in a proper wedding! You will bring honor
back to this family.”
With that
he scurried away, muttering about proper offerings and prayers. Yukio lost his
battle with laughter and howled.
“Inuyasha,
what did you do to my grandfather?” Kagome’s voice accused.
Inuyasha
looked even more trapped his eyes wide and scrambling. “Nothing!
I didn’t do anything to him!”
Yukio only
laughed harder.
The
potential sitting was interrupted by the arrival of Shippou, his mate, their
kits and grandkits.
high-pitched voices cried as they swarmed around the chair, and Yukio had to
stop his father from wading in and peeling the kits off his mother.
Kagome
didn’t seem to be bothered by them as she laughed and petted each red-haired
head. “Hello, all of you. My how you’ve grown.”
“We haven’t
seen you in forever!” the youngest boy, Ashi,
exclaimed.
“We saw her
in October in Disney World,” his oldest sister, Kaede corrected.
“Well, that’s
forever, isn’t it?” Kagome asked sweetly, humoring the kit.
Kagome.”
Kagome
beamed up at him. “Shippou. You’re looking very well.
Hello, Mitsiyomi,” she said, greeting Shippou’s mate.
“Hello,
Kagome-san.” The kitsune female still insisted on using the honorific.
“And
are looking very pregnant,” Shippou teased.
Yukio saw
his mother put a hand on her lower abdomen. “Really?
Is it that obvious?”
Has Inuyasha noticed yet?” the adult fox said with a wink.
They just
giggled and Kagome turned to Mama-baachan.
“Mama,
remember the little kitsune kit I always told you about?”
“The one
you always brought candy and crayons?”
“Yes. This
is him, all grown up with kits of his own.”
Shippou
bowed and smiled. “Higurashi-san.”
Mama-baachan
bowed back. “I’m pleased to meet you. Kagome always spoke very kindly of you.”
“She and
Inuyasha became my surrogate parents after my father was killed. I see Kagome
as my mother as much as any of their officially adopted children do, and as you
can see, my grandkits adore her,” Shippou replied.
“When are
we going to go back to Disney World, Kagome-baachan?” another of the kits
asked, tugging on Kagome’s dress.
“I don’t
know, Genji. Not for a long time. Kagome-baachan is
ng tng to have a kit of her own soon,” she answered.
The kit,
on his father’s foot to keep him from going over and tossing the kit away from
his mate.
kid.”
Inuyasha
just growled softly.
“I can hear
him Kagome-baachan! He says he wants to go to Disney World,” the kit enthused,
making everyone around him giggle.
Two adult
Kagome.
“Come on
now. We shouldn’t tire Kagome-baachan out,” one of them chided as she reached
for three of the kits.
“Hello,
Suddenly
his mother gasped, making both he and his father start.
“You’re
pregnant!” she exclaimed.
answered, looking at her three girls. The remaining three kits, two boys and a
“Congratulations!
I’m so happy for you.”
and he nodded.
“Kagome-san,”
she began slowly, looking at both his mother and raising her eyes to his
father, making Inuyasha take a step forward. “With your and Inuyasha-san’s
blessing, we’d like to name this kit Akihiro.”
Oh my…’
His mother
took a sharp breath. “Akihiro? I…” She looked over at
Inuyasha whose face had gone unreadable. He did, however, give her a short nod.
“We would be honored, Sakamae. Thank you,” she said,
wiping a tear from her eye.
that such a strong name will help him become a strong and brave kitsune.”
More tears
fell from his mother’s eyes and he saw his father clench his jaw even harder.
never cried for Akihiro; not like he cried for Sai.
He said Akihiro didn’t deserve tears because he died such an honorable death,
and that we should be proud. I didn’t cry in front of him, but I bawled with
Okaa-san later.’
“If he is
anything like his namesake, he will do you proud,” Kagome said, wiping her
cheeks.
now, we’ll have more time with Kagome-baachan later.”
children as they followed their parents.
“I won’t.
Besides, I really can’t. I have an overprotective mate who goes ballistic if I
sneeze.”
Yukio snickered and cast a glance
at his father who was looking irritated.
“Well,
after this morning. Too much wax on the floor?
have a housekeeper at Osaka House or will I be conducting interviews next
week?”
didn’t quit.”
“Hazard
pay?” he repeated with a chuckle. “With you as an employer, I can see why.”
“Shut up.
The floors were too slippery.”
Yukio just
rolled his eyes and shook his head.
never admits he’s wrong.’
“And you,
Inuyasha. Yes, I see you there trying to play the alpha-male,” Shippou said,
coming over.
“I
the alpha-male,” Inuyasha corrected irritably.
Shippou
snorted but winked. “You take good care of her or I’ll kitsune-bi your ass.”
Shippou
lowered his voice and spoke softly, “Seriously. She’s looking very tired and
worn. I remember when Mitsiyomi was pregnant with Keitarou.
She slept a lot and was tired all the time. Kagome looks the same way. You
can’t be too careful with her.”
“
“He
going ballistic every time she sneezes,” Yukio confirmed.
“With all
the trouble and disappointment she’s had, I would too.”
The adult
kitsune put an arm around them both and patted their backs.
“Still,
it’s good to see both of you. Mitsiyomi and I willsticsticking close until the
baby is born, both of them now that Sakamae is
pregnant too. If you need anything, just call us.”
“Thanks,”
Inuyasha said.
“You call
us when she goes into labor. We’ll come down to the hospital. Are you going to
be here or in
Inuyasha
frowned. “Here. Kagome laid down the law and said we weren’t going back. She
wants to be near her mother.”
Shippou
nodded. “Mitsiyomi was the same way. Mothers really help their daughters when
it comes to labor and birth.”
“So we’re
staying at Tokyo House?” Yukio asked.
Inuyasha
nodded. “Yeah.”
“Okay. I’ll
take the train back tonight and come back on the Triumph in the morning. Do you
need me to bring anything back with me?”
“No. We
brought it all and took it to Tokyo House. That’s why we were so late.”
“Ah. I was
wondering about that.”
“We’ll talk
more later,” Shippou promised.
“Okay,”
Yukio replied.
Inuyasha
just nodded and they watched the kitsune go off with his family.
“Well,
everything seems to be going well so far,” he said to his father, giving him a
nudge with his elbow.
“So are
you.”
ramen.”
“Sure you
are.” He looked around. “Looks like almost everyone is here.”
He saw his
father close his eyes and take a deep inhale through his nose. Inuyasha knew
all of his children by scent and could easily pick out any one of them in a
crowd.
“
“Neither is
Uncle or Aunt Rin.”
Inuyasha
frowned. “Is he supposed to be here?”
Yukio
chuckled. ‘452 years and they’re
“Her I can
deal with. Sesshoumaru… if he pesters Kagome about the latest investment
prospectus, I’m decking him. I don’t care if Kagome sits me.”
“I’ll distract
her so you can get in a few good slugs before she makes you eat concrete.”
“That’s my
boy. I knew I could count on you.”
“Always,”
he answered with absolute seriousness.