The Lucky Ones
Chapter Forty
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The Lucky Ones
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: This is a long one so
*******
Chapter Forty
When Miroku
woke it was to a world of pain. Literally
had just gone twelve rounds with a bull-youkai and the bull-youkai had won.
Dimly he tried to piece together the picture of his memory, clearing away the
pain-filled haze to sift through the fuzzy images that played on the outskirts
of his muddled mind.
was so damned excited about Okaa-san’s pup, and I just wanted to scream and
tear something to pieces. Then Aniki came home and…’
He flinched
as the memory flooded back. His brother, himself, locked in combat, claws
slashing, fangs gnashing, blood…
the hell was I thinking?’
More
memories rolled before his mind’s eye, images of smashed furniture and the
kitchen floor dark with blood and coffee, the sound of his mother’s scream
echoing in his head.
‘
fighting… then Otou-san came…’ He gasped, his eyes flaring open.
him…’
Heed ted to
move but pain exploded behind his eyes and he saw stars.
into next week.’
He let
himself relax for a moment, waiting for the pain to subside, and tried to take
stock of his surroundings. Scent was the first sense he regained and that told
him he was still home, or more specifically in the back yard. He smelled blood,
but most of it was his own with some of his brother’s and father’s laced into
it, and he smelled Tomo close by.
to come at three to visit with Otou-san and Okaa-san.’
He groaned
and turned his head towards the scent, cracking his eyes open to see the
willowy figure of his older brother leaning over him.
“Don’t try
to move,” Tomo’s light tenor told him. “You’re pretty badly beaten up.”
“Ugh,” was
all he could manage.
A hand came
to cup him under his neck and shoulders and guided him into a sitting position,
then something was being pressed to his mouth and he opened his aching jaw to
accept it. A pill was pushed through his numb lips, followed shortly by a sip
of lukewarm green tea.
“800 mg
Ibuprofen,” Tomo said. “Here, take another. I think you’re going to need it.”
He nodded,
and accepted another pill and more tea to wash it down, then Tomo lowered him
to the grass and he stared up at the tall trees, following the movement of the
branches as they swayed in the wind. It was then that he noticed a weight
across his chest and recognized it as Jyu-ichi-Kenshuga.
“I went
into a blood-rage, didn’t I,” he said tonelessly, his hand reflexively gripping
the familiar hilt.
“Apparently
so,” Tomo answered.
I’m no better than a wild dog that kills his own pack-pups once he gets the
taste of blood.’
He didn’t
remember all of it now, but he knew he would eventually. The memories of his
blood-rages always took a while to reassemble themselves.
myself with and remind me of how inadequate I am.’
“How bad?”
he asked.
“Both Aniki
and Otou-san are banged up but they’ll be okay. The house took the worst of
it.”
“Okaa-san?”
He saw
Tomo’s jaw clench and felt his heart sink. ‘No…
I didn’t hurt her, did I? I don’t remember hurting her…’
“She
couldn’t take the stress in her delicate condition. She’s gone into premature
labor. She’s at Hirata now. I’m supposed to bring you over there as soon as
you’re able.”
He gulped,
feeling a sick roll in the pit of his stomach.
beta and alpha-males and I sent the alpha-female to the hospital. Otou-san will
strip me of my rank and kick me out of the pack. It’s no more than I deserve.’
He “Lie still. There was a “Yukio tome yme you believe Okaa-san’s new pup will replace us. Would you like to tell me An old pain “Do you
struggled to sit up, but Tomo’s hand pressed him firmly back down and he was in
too much pain toht.
I know the painkillers haven’t taken effect yet, and I want to talk to you.”
hard edge to his brother’s voice; something he had never heard come from the
bat-hanyou before and he realized, not for the first time, that he really
didn’t know much about his older sibling. Tomo had mated and moved out of his
parents’ house long before he was even born, and he’d seen little of the
slightly built hanyou as he was growing up. What he did remember of him was
that Tomo never got angry, never raised his voice, and seemed perfectly content
to do nothing but read, listen to music, and sleep all day. He was a
writer/editor by trade and more active at night, and had something akin to the
bat’s system of sonar which allowed him to see in complete darkness. Bright
light hurt his pale eyes and he was almost never without his protective
sunglasses these days. Miroku noticed that he wasn’t wearing them now, but then
again, it was heavily overcast and would probably rain later.
about that?”
knotted in his chest and he turned his head away. “Isn’t it obvious? They went
to such lengths to have a pup of their own. Us foundlings are just unwanted
castoffs they took pity on.”
really believe that?”
swallowed hard and didn’t answer. He had vivid memories of his biological
mother and her three perfect inu-youkai pups. How She had looked at him…
be crushed under Her foot…’
He was
expecting Tomo to go into a long speech about Inuyasha and Kagome and how they
had raised hanyous for the better part of 450 years. It wasn’t anything he
hadn’t heard before, and he’d always countered their arguments with the simple
reality that they had raised adopted hanyous because up until now they couldn’t
have
their own pups. What Tomo actually said took him completely by surprise.
“My mother
killed herself, you know.”
He turned
his head to look at Tomo, his eyes blinking in confusion. The bat-hanyou was
seated next to him, his legs up against his chest and his eyes staring straight
ahead.
“I’m not
supposed to know that. Okaa-san and Otou-san never told me, but Shippou let it
slip one day about how my birth mother tossed herself off a cliff on the way
back to her village after I was born.” He paused and picked absently at a blade
of grass. “She chose to commit suicide rather than live with the shame of
birthing a hanyou. It’s surprising that she didn’t do it before I was born and
kill me with her. I suppose I’ll never know why she didn’t. I am a worthless
hanyou, after all. There was no reason to spare my life.”
Miroku
could think of nothing to say. In fact he was stunned speechless.
“But you know,”
Tomo continued. “That woman who killed herself. She wasn’t my mother. She was
just the means through which I came into this world. I never knew her, and from
all accounts she never wanted to know me. She didn’t even look at me after I
was born.”
away in Okaa-san’s arms…’
“No. That
woman was not my mother. My mother was the human female who took me still wet
from the womb, and wiped my face, and put me to her breast. She was the one who
tended me when I was sick and comforted me when I was scared. She was the one
who fed me, and guided me, and gave me everything of herself and more.
“And my
father wasn’t the raging bat-youkai who raped a village girl. He was the one
who guarded me on my human night when I was helpless and terrified, who went
out and searched far and wide for the fruit I liked just so I would have it,
and who defended me from all dangers both real and imagined.”
Tomo looked
at him and their eyes met. There was something in those eyes that stared
unblinkingly at him: sadness, disappointment and pity.
‘
“You put
too much weight on the value of biological parents. It doesn’t matter how a
child came to be with those who love him and raise him, only that he is wanted
and adored for who he is. Children belong where they are loved. Can you say
that you weren’t loved? That Okaa-san and Otou-san did not cherish and adore
you?”
< He shook
his head slightly, unable to move it too much because of the pain that still
radiated through his skull.
“Then why
do you yearn for the touch and acknowledgement of one to whom you mean nothing?
Why do you envy Her youkai pups? Believe me when I say there is nothing to be
envious about. I know this female. She was in Uncle’s court when we lived there
during Oda Nobunaga and Hideyoshi’s
reigns. She was arrogant and unpleasant even then, and the years did nothing to
improve her disposition.”
curiously at him.
“Tell me,
do you think any of those youkai pups can depend on her?” he asked, then
continued in a straightforward voice, “Answer me this: it’s
and your car has broken down on a deserted
road. Who comes for you?”
Miroku
furrowed his brow. The scenario sounded familiar, and he had a vague memory of
hearing about one of his sibs getting stuck out in a blizzard.
‘
The
bat-hanyou’s next sentence answered his unspoken question.
“And you
can’t make a phone call because there’s not enough signal, and all Otou-san
hears on the other end is your voice and a bunch of static. But he knows that
the only reason you’d be calling is because you’re in trouble and you’re out
there in that storm. So he goes out in that cold and that snow, and he searches
all night until he finds you. And he’s wet and half frozen because
car got stuck in a snow bank, but that didn’t stop him from searching on foot.
And when he finally finds you, his first concern is to make sure
all right, and he huddles with you and warms your hands heedless of the fact
that he’s soaked and chilled to the bone. And he won’t let you help him because
he’s
the dad and you’re the pup even though you’re over 400 years old.
“Tell me,
Miroku, do you think any one of
come for them? Or would she just tell them to dig a den then roll over and go
back to sleep? Would
them barefoot
in the snow?”
She wouldn’t.
In his heart, Miroku knew she wouldn’t.
He
remembered a cold, wet night when he was just ten and his parents were busy
with his brother Sai. Itching to prove his worth and skills, he’d gone out to
hunt, hoping to bring home dinner and help his father and older brother. He’d
ended up taking on a boar, a female with young to boot, and she’d slashed him
with her tusks. The wounds weren’t serious, but the scent of his blood had
attracted carrion-eaters and hanyou-hunting youkai. His saving grace had been
the coming of one of the storms the rainy season was so famous for, and the
ensuing downpour had masked his scent.
Cold, wet,
and injured, he’d found a small cave to crawl into to heal and wait out the
storm. He knew he was taking a terrible risk because the cave was blind and he
would be trapped if an enemy found him. As he huddled in his soaked clothes he
remembered his father’s warnings to
allow himself to be cornered, but the storm was brutal and he was a c a child
who wanted to be dry.
Terror had
surged through him when the shadow had fallen across the cave entrance, and
he’d backed all the way in, trying to hide in the darkness, frantically trying
to figure out a way to escape if he was attacked. Then he saw a familiard-cld-clad leg, to be replaced by the bending figure of his father as he peered
into the cave, nose sniffing. Somehow, even in the storm, Inuyasha had found
him.
His father
came in, sniffing him out immediately, and moved without hesitation towards
him. He didn’t speak as he inspected his wounds and reassured himself that his
boy was all right. Then he’d gathered him up and wrapped him in his haori,
warming him with his body heat and hugging him close. Later he’d get a sound
tongue lashing on his irresponsibility and foolishness for going out alone, but
right then all there had been was silence and relief that he had been found and
was safe.
In all of
his memory, he couldn’t think of a single time his parents hadn’t done
everything they could to be there for him. Even on that horrible day when he’d
approached his birth mother and
Inuyasha who had shielded him with his own body and snarled warnings at the
bitch inu-youkai who had dared to hurt his pup.
it,’ he thought dejectedly. ‘Damnit.
Damn temper. Damn blood-lust. What am I going to do now?’
Tomo
shifted next to him and he looked up into the pale eyes. One fine-boned,
delicate hand came down to gently brush the hair from his brow.
lift Ni-Kenshuga...’
“They chose
you,” Tomo said firmly. “They didn’t have to take you, but they did. When I was
born, hanyous were routinely drowned or left to starve, but I found a home and
a family that loved me. You have no idea how lucky we are to have been so
cherished and cared for.”
“I know,”
he whispered, forcing his voice past the lump in his throat. “I... What I’ve
done... it’s unforgivable. I don’t know what I’m going to do.”
his head moved down to lightly pat his shoulder. “We are going to gather up
some things for Okaa-san, and maybe a change of clothes for Otou-san and Aniki
because theirs were in shreds when they ran out of here, and we’re going to go
to Hirata and see our mother. Everything else... well, we’ll see now won’t we.
How’s the head?”
“Only
pounding instead of splitting,” he admitted.
“Do you
think you can stand?”
“Do I have
a choice?”
“Not
really. I’m anxious to get to the hospital. It’s been forty minutes, and I’m
worried about her.”
“You don’t
think the pup...” He stopped. He couldn’t say it. If he’d been the cause of the
death of the unborn child... He didn’t even want to think about what would
happen to him. ‘There would be no hope
for me. I’d ask Otou-san to kill me or do it myself.’
Tomo shook his
head. “Okaa-san was well into her third trimester. Even if the baby was born
now, I think it would live. Technology has gotten so much more advanced these
days. They save babies born much earlier now.”
Yes, they
did now, didn’t they, and by all accounts the pup was healthy. With luck it
would be born without complications.
Gritting
his teeth, he forced himself to sit up, then to slowly rise to his feet. Tomo
helped him, offering a steadying hand and a shoulder to lean on as he painfully
made his way to the house. He winced when he saw the huge hole in the sunroom
glass and remembered how both he and his father had gone crashing through it.
pack my stuff and get out, I’ll still make sure everything that got damaged is
fixed.’
The inside
of the house wasn’t much better, and he stared at the wreckage that was the
kitchen.
she sees this mess and quit on the spot.’
“Why don’t
you sit down and I’ll get Okaa-san’s things,” Tomo offered.
“Okay,” he
agreed and sank into the only chair that wasn’t smashed to pieces.
Tomo
disappeared, leaving him alone in the ransacked room. Slowly he took in the
destroyed cappuccino machine, the demolished table, and the puddles of coffee,
blood and shattered glass all over the floor.
‘Yukio came in and wanted a cup of
coffee, and all I could think of was that Okaa-san was still out when she
should have been back hours ago, and she’d done nothing but push herself and
putselfself in danger ever since they started trying to have a pup. And it just
made me so mad. Why weren’t we good enough? Why did they need another pup?
They’d had 33 of us. Wasn’t that enough?’
The ache in
his heart grew and he closed his eyes to hold back the tears that threatened.
that it would never happen. Hanyous can’t have pups. That’s the way it’s always
been. I never believed that Okaa-san could actually get pregnant and carry a
pup to term. And when she did... all I could see was Her and her prized youkai pups, and me... the half-breed
born.’
He rubbed his temples, trying
to will the headache he still sported to go away. Even with 1600 mg of
painkiller, the throbbing had only abated a little bit. He stayed there,
waiting for Tomo to return, looking dazedly about the room and rubbing his arms
because he was suddenly cold. Tomo found him hugging himself with his head
down, his shoulder-length hair hiding his face as he rocked slowly.
“Here,”
Tomo offered gently, handing him a fresh set of clothes. In his other hand he
carried two tote bags. One smelled of his mother and the other of his brother
and father.
“Thanks,” he said aloud, and accepted the jeans and T-shirt, smiling at the
irony of Tomo choosing a shirt his father had given him a number of years ago.
Inuyasha
had the habit of sending witty T-shirts to his pups on a whim, and Miroku was
convinced that his father would buy every single sarcastic T-shirt from the
What On Earth catalog, then save them for an occasion where a funny gift was
suitable. This particular shirt had been given to him to commemorate his being
awarded tenure at the university. It said, “If you can read this, you’re
overeducated” in Latin. He’d never forget the shirt Inuyasha had given his
sister Natsumi when she graduated from medical school: “Three out of four
doctors recommend another doctor.” The shirts had become somewhat of a running
joke and they never knew what Inuyasha was going to come up with next.
Today
however, he held the shirt close to his chest, remembering the day his father
had sent it to him, and tried not to cry. Wiping his eyes roughly, he pulled
himself together and ripped off the ruined shirt he was wearing, then slipped
the fresh one over his head. The pants were a little harder to get off because
they were stuck to his legs where his blood had dried but he finally managed.
Tomo handed him a dampened rag to wipe the blood from his skin and he cleaned
up as best he could under the circumstances.
Once he was
dressed in clothes that weren’t a bloody, torn up mess, Tomo handed him
Jyu-ichi-Kenshuga and he lashed the sword to his waist through the belt loop.
Then he and Tomo made their way out to the garage. He heard the noise
immediately and wondered why he hadn’t noticed it before. Carbon dioxide and
fuel fumes came spewing out of the garage the moment they opened the door, and
he almost went woozy from the stench. Tomo steadied him until his head cleared.
“What is
it?” his brother asked.
“Gas,” he
replied, blinking away the vertigo. “Be glad you don’t have an inu-youkai
nose.”
Tomo nodded
and reached into the driver’s side of the Aston Martin to turn off the engine.
“I wonder
why he was in here with the door closed. That wasn’t very smart,” Tomo
commented.
Miroku
shook his head. “He probably only planned to turn the car on for a couple of
seconds.”
to hear the engine so he kept the door closed. He was in here when Yukio and I
were... fighting. He didn’t hear us, but he heard Okaa-san’s scream. He could
probably hear her whisper all the way over at the shrine, he’s so attuned to
her.’
haphazard jumble of tools littered on the concrete floor. Tomo’s hand on his
arm brought him out of his thoughts as he was ushered towards a silver BMW
parked in another bay.
“Where are
the keys?” Tomo asked him.
“In the
glove compartment,” he replied.
“Are you up
to driving?”
“No.”
“Okay.”
“Sorry, I
know how much you hate
traffic,” he apologized.
Tomo tossed
the tote bags into the back, slipped into the driver’s seat and adjusted it for
his height while Miroku got into the passenger seat.
“Yukio said
you’d know the way to the hospital?”
He nodded.
“Yeah. When you get to the end of the driveway, make a left.”
“Okay,” his
brother replied, turning the ignition and putting the car into drive.
Twenty
harrowing minutes later, they pulled into the Hirata parking garage. Tomo
grabbed the tote bags and was heading for the elevator when Miroku stopped him.
“I... I
just want to say... no matter what happens... thanks and... and I’m sorry.”
Tomo gave
him a small smile and a pat on his shoulder. “I won’t say it’s okay, because
it’s not. But I think it will be okay in the end. I know how you feel and I
understand why you feel that way. I’ve lived most of my life knowing my birth
mother chose to die rather than live with the knowledge that she gave birth to
me. You’ve lived most of your life knowing your birth mother won’t even say
your name. Both of us were rejected in the worst way possible by the ones who
have loved us, but that’s
Okaa-san’s and Otou-san’s fault either. Don’t blame them for what
did. Don’t dishonor them by putting them in the same category as
They deserve so much more than that from you.”
He hung his
head, clenching one fist while the other gripped the hilt of his sword. “I... I
know.”
“C’mon. I
wanna see Okaa-san,” Tomo said, tugging him towards the open elevator doors.
He
swallowed hard and nodded, following meekly behind with his heart in his throat
as Tomo pressed the button for the emergency room floor.
“Fushikenwa
Kagome,” Tomo said to the triage receptionist once they had exited the elevator
and approached the desk.
The young
female, a bird-hanyou like their sister Mariko, typed the name into her
computer with lightning speed.
moved to the third floor. Room 328. Take the elevator up and turn right,” she
said.
Tomo bowed
and took his arm again. “Thank you.”
“You’re
welcome.”
Back in the
elevator his palms started to sweat and he almost started whimpering in
distress. Tomo gave him another pat but it didn’t seem to help much this time.
He touched Jyu-ichi-Kenshuga again and felt a sense of calm wash over him. The
sword was not rejecting him, and that fact gave him some small measure of hope.
“
worthless, stinking son-of-a-whore!”
Eri screamed at him as he and Tomo entered the waiting room at the entrance of
the main ward.
'> He didn’t
have time to even register her words before she slapped him clear across the
face, raking his cheek with her claws and sending his already pounding head
splitting again.
“I’m in the
middle of a meeting with reps from Daimaru when I get a phone call that my
is in the hospital and that
He did not
retaliate or speak, but kept his head down and refused to look at her as blood
dripped down his face from the fresh wounds.
“That is enough,”
Uncle’s voice said firmly, and he cast his eyes upward to see the taiyoukai
standing beside his sister, one hand clamped on her shoulder.
“But...”
Eri argued.
“It is his
father’s responsibility to deal with him.”
Eri hissed
and flashed her fangs. “You are so lucky, you prick. If Mom had lost the baby I
would have disemboweled you myself!”
Her harsh
words actually brought relief and he could not stop the sigh that escaped his
lips.
I’m so glad...’
“Leave him
alone, Eri,” Tomo defended, lightly pushing him forward.
He went
willingly, keeping his head and his ears down, but he couldn’t help but look at
the small crowd gathered in the room, recognizing a number of his siblings.
Aside from Uncle, Aunt Rin and Eri, he saw Izayoi with Tetsukazu, Shippou and
his mate, Hikaru, Asame and Mariko, and he was sure others were on the way but
hadn’t arrived yet. Mama-baachan, Jii-chan, Souta and Kirara were also there,
but seated slightly apart from the others. Yukio was closest to the ward doors,
still dressed in his torn trousers but someone had given him a physician’s
scrub shirt. When their eyes met, Yukio very pointedly turned his shoulder to
him.
They’ll all turn their backs pretty soon once Otou-san kicks me out of the
pack. None of them will acknowledge me anymore. What I most feared, I brought
down on myself.’
The ward
doors were presented to him and he knew he had to pass through. He had no
doubts that his father waited for him on the other side, but he dreaded what
was to come. He hesitated at the l, sw, swinging doors a bit too long because a
set of hands pressed against the back of his shoulders and pushed him roughly
through. He stumbled and almost fell to his knees, but recovered and regained
his footing quickly. The person who had pushed him through the doors had not
followed and he found himself alone in the stark white hallway.
He stared,
blinking slowly at the too bright walls and tiled floor, wondering which one of
the rooms that lined the corridor was his mother’s. The first room to the left
was marked 301 so he began walking, past the nurses’ station, following the
room numbers as they counted up until he saw 326.
He didn’t
even get to the door before it opened and he was faced with the crossed-armed
figure of his father blocking the entrance. Inuyasha was still dressed in the
bloodied, ragged clothes he had run from the house in, but it looked like
someone had cleaned and treated his wounds. He tried to look past his father to
the room within, but Inuyasha moved to block his view.
Neither
moved for a long moment, each regarding the other warily. Miroku knew what was
expected of him, but he had no idea if it would be enough. By the laws of the
pack, he had committed horrible crimes and it was ultimately the right of the
alpha to decide his fate and punishment. The very fact that Inuyasha would not
let him see his mother spoke volumes to him, and his already pounding heart
beat faster in his chest. Finally, when he knew he was reaching the limits of
his father’s patience, he raised his chin, bared his throat in submission and
waited. He didn’t have to wait long.
Inuyasha
growled and he felt a clawed hand grab his neck. The fingers were tight but not
painful, nor did they crush his windpipe or the claws cut into his skin. He was
merely being held in a somewhat uncomfortable way for several seconds; then the
hand clamped down.
‘
himself to be still and accept whatever his father chose to do.
right...’
Another
growl came from Inuyasha, low and menacing, but he did not react. An odd calm
had settled over him and he closed his eyes. It was easier than he thought it
would be, but then he was tired. Tired of being second best. Tired of being
rejected by the ones who should love him.
Without
much warning, Inuyasha’s hand switched to the back of his neck to grab him by
the scruff and he was literally dragged down the hallway to an empty room. The
door slammed shut behind them as he was shoved to the cold linoleum floor, the
hand back on his throat and pressing down. Inuyasha was growling again and
snarling above him, the hot th vth very close to his face. He couldn’t stop the
whimper that escaped, but he rolled to expose his belly and further lifted his
chin to bare more of his throat.
“Idiot pup.
You’d let me kill you, wouldn’t you?” his father accused. “You wouldn’t raise a
single finger in your own defense.”
He didn’t reply.
He didn’t need to because the answer was obvious. A moment later he heard his
father sigh heavily, then the pressure on his throat eased up.
“We need to
talk, pup.”
He opened
his eyes to blink confusedly at his father when Inuyasha took him by the
shoulders and dragged him across the floor to the nearest wall. Then Inuyasha
sat down with his back to the wall, gently lifted him under his torso, and
pulled him into a strong embrace. Powerful arms wrapped around him, cradling
him as his cheek was pressed to his father’s shoulder and he was held like a
small child in need of comforting.
It was so
drastically different from what he had been expecting that he didn’t believe
what was happening at first. He stayed perfectly still and silent, afraid to
move or speak lest he discover that it was some kind of twisted joke, but then
he remembered that his father would never, ever be so cruel and hateful.
He shifted
a little, bringing one hand up to curl against Inuyasha’s chest and Inuyasha
responded by pulling him closer and tucking him further against his body the
way he used to do when Miroku was just a little whelp.
“Otou?” he
whispered in a small voice.
“It’s okay,
pup. I’ve got you. You’re all right now.”
The words
echoed across time and into his heart. They were the first words his father had
spoken to him all those centuries ago when he was huddled in the cave wet,
wounded and scared, and his father had found him: “It’s okay, pup. Otou’s got you. It’s all right now.”
Suddenly he
realized that he wasn’t being rejected.
throwing me out of the pack…’
The shock
made him tremble. He had been so convinced of his fate that to now be faced
with something so unexpected and unbelievable was difficult for him to
understand. By all rights, Inuyasha should have stripped him of his position in
the pack and told him to get out, but his father had hugged him instead and
told him he was going to be all right.
How can any of this be all right?’
It was more than he had dared to
hope for, and more than he deserved. A shiver ran through him, a slight quaking
as his frayed nerves began to go into overload and his mind scrambled to
comprehend how his father could be so forgiving.
“Otou…” he
whispered shakily, struggling to stay in control of his run-away feelings.
:Pup safe.
Pup witaderader-male,: Inuyasha replied in inu-youkai, stroking his hair and
running his fingers over his ears.
The gentle
touch cracked him open and he lost his battle as he began to cry, the dam
holding back his emotions breaking and everything came flooding out. Great,
hiccupping sobs ripped their way out of his throat as he wept bitterly,
surrendering to the torrent of relief and remorse that took over.
:Sorry.
Sorry. Sorry. Sorry. Sorry,: he ed, ed, whimpering and groveling for his
alpha’s pardon.
Inuyasha
barked a response, nd and and then licked his temple, and the acceptance only
made him cry harder. He reached for his father and clung to him, holding onto
the bulwark that had always been his safety and protection; the male who would
shield him with his own body and guard him when he was weak and frightened.
“Otou.
Otou.”
Inuyasha
was the only father he had ever known, and he had been so terrified of losing
his place that he had almost brought his worst fears down onto himself. But
Inuyasha knew, just as he had always known what nightmares kept his son awake
or what shadows lived behind his eyes, that Miroku’s problem resided in his
fear of being abandoned and cast aside, and he would not turn his back on him.
After everything, even after he had attacked his brother and the alpha himself,
and sent the alpha-female to the hospital, even after all of that, his father
refused to reject him. His father still loved him.
< sty style='mso-tab-count:1'> “It’s okay,
pup. You’re gonna be okay,” Inuyasha promised, rocking him as he wept.
But it
wasn’t okay. How could it ever be okay when he had been so blind and hurtful?
When he had turned his claws on his own pack, rent and slashed at the ones who
loved him, and repaid their love with anger and pain. He deserved punishment
and exile, not the warm, strong arms of his father wrapped around him and his
tender voice in his ear. He was utterly stunned and humbled by the depth of the
love being shown to him, and he knew he would spend months, if not years,
trying to make up for the damage he had done.
He cried
for a long time, sobbing until the bloody shirt beneath his cheek was soaked
with his tears, and he thought his nose was going to explode if he didn’t blow it
soon. Inuyasha obliged him by reaching up to the made bed next to them and
ripping off part of the top sheet for him to use as a handkerchief, then he
also yanked down the blanket and wrapped it around his shoulders because he was
shivering. He huddled in the blanket, sniffling occasionally, and pressed close
to his father’s chest long after he had run out of tears.
Inuyasha
did not speak or push him to talk or get up. He merely held him tight and let
him cry until he was finished. Lying there in Inuyasha’s arms, he felt a safety
and comfort that he had only experienced when he was cuddled just like this
with his parents' scent in his nostrils and their heartbeats in his ear.
when he wanted to sleep with Otou-san and Okaa-san again,’ he realized.
ever hurt him because they were there. Oh, Aniki, I understand. I’m sorry. I’m
so sorry.’
“I’m
sorry,” he choked through hoarse lips, throat swollen from sobbing.
“I know, pup.
I know.”
Sniffling,
he lifted his head and licked his father’s chin, reaffirming Inuyasha’s
position as his leader. The older hanyou responded by turning his head and
nuzzling him gently. The sound for forgiveness did not come, however, and that
one small omission told him that he wasn’t absolved quite yet.
“You’re not
forgiven yet, pup,” Inuyasha said, answering his unspoken question.
Miroku
expected some punishment for his actions, but whatever his father chose to do
to him couldn’t be nearly as horrible as thnishnishment he had thought he was
going to get.
“You’ve got
a lot of reparations to make before you’re back in my good graces.”
He nodded.
“I understand. I’ll do whatever you tell me to do.”
“I’m glad
to hear that. It’s the most intelligent thing you’ve said all day.”
small chuckle and sighed, closing his eyes, not wanting to lose the feeling of
warmth and acceptance.
“The first
thing you’re going to do is get some help,” his father dictated. “If you think
your mother and I would reject you because we’re having a pup, and believe that
I would slit your throat in cold-blood, you’ve got seriissuissues. I’m sure
Asame can recommend someone, and we’ll go with you when the time comes to work
on your specific problems with us. I don’t want this shit to ever happen
again.”
He nodded.
“Me either. I’ll go. I promise.”
“Plus,
until you’ve got a handle on this, I don’t want you to leave your sword behind.
Part of your problem was you went into a blood-rage and it wasn’t there to calm
you.”
He cringed.
Inuyasha was right. If he had kept Jyu-ichi-Kenshuga with him, chances were he
wouldn’t ever have gone into the blood-rage to begin with.
“I’ll keep
it with me always,” he assured him, feeling the weight of the hilt against his
hip.
“Trust your
sword to seal your blood. It’s what ies fes for you. You didn’t need a powerful
sword for fighting, but you needed a powerful sealing sword to hold back that
youkai temper of yours.”
“Yes. I
know. I’ll remember, I promise.”
Inuyasha
grunted. “The second thing is you’re responsible for the damages.”
“I already
planned to take care of all of it. I’ll make calls tomorrow for the sunroom,”
he replied.
“The third
thing is you will apologize to your mother and do whatever she wants you to do
to make reparations to her.”
He nodded
again. “Of course. Is… is Okaa-san okay?” he asked timidly.
“Yeah. It
was a false alarm brought on by all the upset. They’re keeping her overnight
and will probably send her home in the morning, but they’ll want her to rest and
take it easy until the pup comes; so if I see or hear you doing anything that
will upset her, I will beat you bloody.”
“Yes,” he
agreed.
“The last
thing is you will present yourself to Yukio and submit to him. He is the
beta-male and you attacked him. I am sure he will have a few things he wants
you to do before he accepts your apology.”
He nodded.
He’d expected that. In fact, each of his father’s demands were exactly what he
had anticipated, without the physical punishment or rejection.
“That is
very reasonable. I will do my best, but he is very angry with me right now.”
Now
Inuyasha chuckled. “You have no idea, pup.
stupidity.”
“It would
be no more than I deserve. I was honestly expecting a much worse punishment
than I received.”
Inuyasha
tightened his grip and held him closer. “I know, and I’m warning you not to
make my leniency with you be a mistake or next time I’ll really hurt you.”
“I’ll try,
but a few cracks in my skull might let in some common sense,” he joked weakly,
repeating something he had heard Inuyasha say on numerous occasions.
“Keh. You
got that t. St. So far you’ve been a bigger idiot than the bitch who birthed
you. A couple of head injuries might rattle that pea-brain of yours enough to
improve your attitude.”
He laughed
faintly at the joke and closed his eyes again. “Thank you.”
“Don’t ever
think for a minute that your mother and I don’t adore you,” his father told him
gently, smoothing his hair again.
He
shuddered and didn’t answer, merely pressed his face further into Inuyasha’s
shoulder and sighed.
“Never
scare me like that again,” Inuyasha warned.
“I’m sorry.
You were scared?” he asked, opening his eyes to peer up at Inuyasha’s jaw.
His father
snorted. “Of course I was scared. You could have hurt yourself.”
spanspan>“What? You
thought you could beat me? You’ve never seen me fight, pup. I was going easy on
you.”
“You kicked
my ass into next week and you weoingoing
Inuyasha
shrugged. “I was more worried that you’d do yourself harm trying to hurt me.”
He blinked
and furrowed his brow.
fighter and I thought I’d seen him fight, but now I’m not so sure I’ve ever
really seen him use his power. I’ve only ever seen him use Kaze no Kizu a
handful of times and I’ve never seen the other attacks Tessaiga has. I thought
he’d gone soft over the years, but he took me out with one punch the moment he
knew he had to. I should have paid more attention to my older sibs when they talked
about Otou-san’s battles and fighting
skills. It would have saved me the bruises and the humbled pride.’
“Even when
I’m trying to hurt you, you’re still looking out for me,” he commented.
“Hurt
Yo
You thought you were hurting me? Pup, you’ve got to try a hell of a lot harder
before you cause me any pain,” Inuyasha scoffed.
“But you’re
all bloody...”
“Bah, these
are just scratches. I’ve taken down Naraku, pup. Compared to him, you’re
Myouga.”
“Keh, you
hit like a girl.”
“A girl?
Don’t let Eri hear you say that.
neko-youkai. She doesn’t count.”
Miroku
laughed softly, then sobered. “Otou, can I see Okaa-san now?”
There was a
long silence, then Inuyasha sighed. “Yeah, but not for long. They’ve given her
some sedatives so she’s really tired. But I think she’ll be glad to see you and
know you’re all right.”
“Thank
you.”
Inuyasha
helped him stand, although he really didn’t need the aid, and he roughly wiped
his eyes with the back of his hand, then straightened his rumpled clothes,
dropping the blanket onto the bed in a heap. He saw his father look at the
shirt he was wearing and smile.
“I love
that shirt. The moment I saw it, I knew it was for you.”
He brushed
some dust from the hem and re-read the Latin. “I’ve always liked it. Tomo gave
it to me to change into. My other shirt was ruined. So is yours. Tomo brought
clothes for you and Yukio to change into.”
Inuyasha
grunted a reply and they quietly left the room.
“Think
they’ll be upset about the bed?” he asked.
“Do I care
if they are?” his father answered.
“I guess
not. Thank you for fixing my car by the way. I found it when Tomo and I opened
the garage.”
Inuyasha
shrugged, then carefully opened the door to 328,
peering in through the crack.
“Kagome?”
he heard hitherther ask softly, then his mother’s sleepy reply.
Opening the
door further, Inuyasha ushered him inside to stand by his mother’s bed.
“Miroku is
herw,” w,” his father said, then stood back and let him have a moment with his
mother.
Kagome
looked worn and exhausted, but she smiled at him and lifted her hand to take
his. He reached out and cradled her small hand in his palms, giving her a
little smile of his own.
“Okaa-san.”
“I’m so
glad you’re all right. I was so worried about you.”
challenging Yukio and doing my best to kill him, she was worried about me.’
“I’m fine, Okaa-san. A headache and a few bruises is all I have.”
She laughed
softly. “I think that’s the motto of this family. ‘I’m fine’ when you’re
battered and bloody. Your father would routinely suffer wounds that would have
killed a human and brush it off as just a scratch.”
He chuckled
back then bit his lip as a wave of emotion hit him. ‘This is my mother and I hurt her. I hurt her and she still thinks of my
welfare before her own.’
“Okaa-san…
Mama… I’m so sorry,” he choked, the tears welling up again.
“Shhhh,
don’t cry, sweetheart. It’s okay. It’ll be okay.”
hospital and almost sent her into premature labor.’
He took her
hand and raised it to his mouth, kissing it with trembling lips.
“Mama…” he
whispered, losing the battle with his tears as they began to roll down his
face.
Bending
over, he nuzzled her and licked her chin, sniffling as she put one arm
awkwardly around him and tried to comfort.
“Miroku, my
sweet boy. I’m sorry too. You must have been so scared. I’m sorry you had to go
through that. I’m sorry it got so bad that you felt you had to do what you did.’ll ’ll always love you, baby. Please don’t ever forget that.”
“Okaa-san.
Thank you. Thank you.”
“You’ll
always be my baby. You’re all my pups, each and every one of you. This little
one isn’t going to change that. I’ll still love you just the same.”
He pressed
his nose to the pulse point of her throat and squeezed his eyes shut to quell
his tears.
“Okaa-san.
I love you, Okaa-san.”
have ever thought they would replace me? Maybe it’s a good thing that Otou-san ins insisting I get some help. I’ve… I’ve never talked about
much.”
Kagome took
the hand that still held hers and drew it down to her womb, pressing his palm
against the underside. A moment later, he felt a definite kick.
“Feel
that?”
He nodded
as the unborn pup kicked again.
“That’s
your little brother or sister in there.”
already a handful, isn’t he?”
She
chuckled. “No more than any of you. He just started earlier.”
“I’m so
glad the pup’s all right. I’m…” He stopped. There weren’t any words. “Thank god
I didn’t kill it” seemed wholly inappropriate, and he didn’t know what else he
could say to convey his regret and relief.
“It’s all
right. The doctor says the baby’s fine,” she assured him. “And if you listen
closely, you can hear his little heartbeat.”
He nodded,
closing his eyes and focusing on the whoosh-whoosh-whoosh sound that beat
faster than his mother’s heartbeat.
glad…’
“Well,
well, well. What do we have here?” a new voice said in the open doorway.
His
reaction was immediate and instinctive. :Not-pack male! Female hurt! Protect
mother-female!:
He whirled
and took a defensive stance, casting a glance to see that his father had done
the same. No matter what differences they might have, both were viciously
protective and they stood shoulder to shoulder to face down the possible
threat. The newcomer, a youkai doctor in a lab coat, threw up his hands in
peace.
“Easy.
Easy. I mean no harm,” he assured them, even as they both lifted their lips and
gave him twin growls. “Sheesh, these inus. Calm down already.”
“You must
forgive them, Doctor,” Kagome whispered faintly. “They are just doing what they
do best.”
“Growling?”
the doctor asked jovially.
“Posturing.
Really, don’t worry. They’re all bark and no bite.”
“Speak for
yourself! I can too bite!” Inuyasha complained, even as he backed down from his
glare and growl.
Miroku
relaxed too, yielding his place by the bed as the doctor came into the room.
“You should
be resting, my dear. I’ve read your file and you’ve had quite an exciting
afternoon,” he said. “I’m Doctor Hattori. I’ll be taking over your case through
the birth of this little troublemaker.
The doctor
patted his mother’s womb in a gesture he found far too familiar for his tastes,
and the look on his father’s face showed that Inuyasha agreed with him. His
mother, however, didn’t seem to mind too much.
“They tell
me my baby’s fine,” she prod.
Dr. Hattori
looked at the file in his hands and nodded. “Everything seems normal. It says
here you don’t want to know the sex of the baby beforehand. Is that right?”
She nodded.
“Yes.”
“Then I
won’t tell you. I will say that your little one is doing fine in spite of the
earlier scare,” the doctor answered, patting her womb again.
“Excuse me,
but who are you again?” he asked, sensing his father’s growing irritation.
The doctor
turned to face him and Inuyasha, bowing. “I’m sorry. I’m Doctor Hattori. I’ll
be Fushikenwa Kagome’s obstetrician through the birth.”
“What
happened to Dr. Maggiano? She said she would fly in from
a week before my mate’s due date,” Inuyasha countered, slightly upset.
“Dr.
Maggiano sends her regrets, but she won’t be able to come to
One of her other patients was elevated to extremely high risk, and she has two
others who are also high risk, all of whom are due at about the same time as
your mate. She felt that it would be unprofessional of her to leave her other
patients at such a crucial time, so she transferred your mate to me,” the
doctor explained.
Inuyasha
frowned. “We liked and trusted Dr. Maggiano,” he complained.
“I know
it’s a change, and during a very stressful time, but believe me I’ve been
delivering babies for quite some time now. Everything will be fine,” he replied,
a little too patronizingly.
through the roof,’
There was something he just didn’t like about this doctor.
“Thank you,
Doctor. Dr. Maggiano must trust you a great deal to have handed my case to you.
I’m sure I’m in good hands,” Kagome said.
Dr. Hattori
turned to his mother again and patted her hand. “Thank you for the vote of
confidence. Now looking aur sur stats, I see that your blood pressure is still
a little high. I want you to get plenty of bed rest and drink lots of fluids.
And no mountain climbing or skydiving before the baby is born, all right?”
She laughed
softly. “I promise, Doctor. I’ll try to restrain myself the next time I get the
urge to jump out of a plane.”
“And the
two of you should get out of here and let this young lady rest,” the doctor
suggested, looking at him and Inuyasha.
His father
crossed his arms and got the tell-tale stubborn look on his face that his
children knew so well. “I am not leaving my mate.”
“I assure
you, she will be perfectly fine, and you… you look a little worse for wear.”
“I’m fine.
These are nothing. I’m not leaving my mate. I’ll sleep on the floor if I have
to but I am not going anywhere.”
“Inuyasha…”
his mother tried, but Inuyasha rounded on her.
“I am Not.
Going. Anywhere,” he repeated and his voice brooked no argument.
here tonight, they’d better be ready for a fight,’
reasoning with him.’
The doctor
sighed. “Very well. Far be it from me to go up against an inu when his mate is
involved. I like my hospital in one piece, thank you very much. I’ll have the
staff bring in an extra chair and a blanket and pillow.”
Inuyasha
grunted and nodded in agreement.
“Well, I
have other patients to see so I will take my leave. Both of you have a good
evening, and you, young lady, you get some sleep and don’t let these two inus
bug you.”
“I won’t,
doctor, thank you,” Kagome replied with a small smile.
With a
final bow to him and his father, the doctor walked out, leaving the door open
behind him.
“I don’t
like him,” his father announced.
“Oh
Inuyasha, don’t be rude. I’m sure he’s fine. If Dr. Maggiano gave me to him then
he must be good. I trust her judgment.”
“He touched
you like he knew you and called you a young lady. I don’t like him,” Inuyasha
insisted.
“Well, it’s
kinda late to get a new doctor now. I’m due in six weeks, and Dr. Maggiano
can’t be here.”
“He smells
funny too,” Miroku added, frowning.
“He’s a
baboon-youkai,” his father told him. “That’s probably what you’re smelling.
Their scent is… unusual.”
“Ah.”
the doctor was when I had no idea. When has he ever met a baboon-youkai?’
His mother
sighed and rubbed her womb.
“What’s
wrong?” Inuyasha asked immediately.
“I have to
go to the bathroom.”
“Here, I’ll
help you,” his father offered, reaching to help her sit up and slide off the
bed.
She fumbled
with the back ties of the hospital gown as she shuffled towards the restroom.
“I hate these things.”
He suddenly
remembered the tote bags Tomo had brought with them. “Tomo has a change of
clothes for you, Okaa-san. I’ll go get them.”
He waited
for Inuyasha to nod in agreement, then quickly left the room. Back in the
waiting room, he noticed that two more of his siblings had arrived: his older
sister Rumiko and younger brother Kitaru, but that Uncle and Aunt Rin had left.
All eyes turned to him the moment he opened the ward doors and he stopped for a
moment, suddenly battling nerves. Yukio stood up from where he was seated next
to Mama-baachan and came over to him, his face unreadable.
“Okaa-san
wants her clothes,” he said.
Yukio
nodded and retrieved the tote bags from the floor. Miroku reached for them, but
Yukio snatched them close to his body and fixed him with a look. He flattened
his ears in submission and let his older brother through the doors, following
silently behind as Yukio headed for their mother’s hospital room.
His parents
were just finishing in the bathroom as they arrived at the room. Yukio handed
his father the bags and Inuyasha took Kagome back into the bathroom to change.
When they came out, his mother was dressed in her favorite button-up nightgown
and his father was in fresh jeans and a T-shirt that said ‘I'm multi-talented.
I can talk and piss you off at the same time.’
Miroku had
to suppress a laugh at the shirt as Inuyasha helped Kagome back into bed. Then
he stood next to his mother while his father and older brother had a quiet
conversation.
“Miroku,
sweetheart?” his mother said, calling him out of his thoughts.
“Yes,
Okaa-san?” he replied.
She waved
him close and spoke in a conspiratorial whisper. “Do you think you could sneak
in some food for me?”
“Are you
hungry, Okaa-san?” he whispered back.
She nodded.
“Starving. I haven’t had anything to eat since eleven.”
He looked
at his watch. It was almost five-thirty. “No wonder you’re hungry. Won’t they
serve dinner here soon?”
She made a
face. “Hospital food?”
He
chuckled. “Okay, okay. What can I smuggle in for you?”
“Mos Burger?”
He laughed.
“What flavor?”
“Teriyaki
or the shrimp tempura burger. Or both.” She blushed.
He smiled
and kissed her temple. “I’ll get both for you. Do you want fries or onion
rings?”
“Ummm,
fries.”
“Okay. I’ll
just tell Otou-san where I’m going...”
A hand fell
on his shoulder, effectively stopping him.
“We’ll send
Kitaru to get it. He’s starting to fidget and it will give him something to
do,” Yukio interrupted.
Kagome
smiled up at his older brother. “Okay honey.”
“You wanted
fries, a teriyaki burger and a shrimp tempura burger?” Yukio asked.
She nodded.
“Yeah, and have them give me extra pickles.”
You’re with me,” his older brother said, motioning for him to follow.
He cast a
worried glance at his father, who only nodded once reassuringly, before obeying
Yukio’s command.
Back in the
hall, Yukio made him stand and wait while he went to tell Kitaru what their mother
wanted. The tanuki-hanyou would be glad for the job because it would make him
feel as if he were actually doing something. Kitaru never was one to sit idle
for any length of time; it’s what made him such a good manager. Miroku kept his
head down and waited for Yukio to return, knowing he would have to make
reparations to his brother before he would be back in good standing again.
He smelled
and felt Yukio’s return from the waiting room, and he closed his eyes and bared
his throat. Yukio gave a growl and he flinched, sensing movement from his
brother. The blow was not entirely unexpected, but it hit with such ferocity
that he knew Yukio hadn’t pulled the punch. He was thrown backwards by the
impact and slid several feet down the hall on his back. His vision had just
started to clear when a foot was pressed to his windpipe with just enough
pressure to get his attention.
“You have
got to be the biggest asshole on the planet,” Yukio seethed.
He looked
up to see his brother glaring down at him, ears pinned so far against his head
that they were completely buried in his hair. He whined in submission and
rolled to expose his belly, but otherwise said nothing. A tense moment later
Yukio sighed and removed his foot, letting him breathe freely again.
“But you’re
my little brother and I love you,” his brother said.
He blinked,
not comprehending what Yukio had just said, then realized that Yukio was
accepting him back in the same way their father had.
“However,
if you ever pull this shit again I will shred you to pieces and let Otou-san
deal with what’s left after I’m done with you,” Yukio added.
He sat up,
feeling his throat and knowing he’d be sporting bruises from both older
hanyous. Dazedly, he watched Yukio stomp over to where Jyu-ichi-Kenshuga had
gotten snagged on a doorjamb as he slid across the tile and ripped free of his
belt loop.
“And if I
ever see you without this, I will personally shove it up your ass,” Yukio
threatened, handing him the sword.
“It
wouldn’t be the first time someone’s accused me of having something stuck up my
butt,” he joked weakly, accepting the sword.
Yukio
chuckled and offered him a hand up. He accepted it and was surprised when his brother
not only pulled him to his feet, but also pulled him into a tight embrace.
“Don’t
scare me like that again, okay?” Yukio said into his hair.
for me when I was busy trying to kill them.’
Tentatively,
he returned the hug and was rewarded with an even stronger hug as Yukio pulled
him closer.
“Otouto,”
he heard Yukio whisper, and he shivered.
“Aniki,” he
replied, pressing his face into the side of Yukio’s neck and licking the deep
gashes he had put there with his claws. “I’m sorry, Aniki.”
Yukio
raised his jaw, giving him the opportunity to lick under his chin and reaffirm
him as the beta-male, then turned his head to look at him.
“You’re
gonna be on my shit list for a while, but I’m sure for forgive you
eventually.”
“Otou-san
told me I must make reparations to you as well as him and Okaa-san.”
Yukio
nodded. “And he said he told you that you had to talk to a therapist.”
“I’m going
to ask Asame to recommend someone,” he confirmed.
“Good.
That’s a positive first step.”
Yukio
stepped back and took him by the chin, examining his bruises and wounds.
He nodded.
“I didn’t lose any teeth, but Tomo had to give me two painkillers before my
head would stop pounding.”
“Be glad
that’s all he did. He could have broken it.”
“I know.
Tomo said after everything, the house took the most damage.”
“Yeah, I
think he’s right about that. We’ll need a new coffee machine,” Yukio agreed.
“I’ll get
one in the morning and make calls about having someone come to fix the
sunroom.”
Yukio
winced. “I saw that. It looked like someone went through it.”
“Both of us
actually. I was trying to corner Otou-san and get under his defenses when I
rushed at him. We both hit the glass and it shattered.” ‘Come to think of it, Otou-san flipped us so he would go through first
and just pulled me along with him. He took the brunt of the impact to protect
me…’
“Speaking
of shattered glass, I should go home and start cleaning up the mess. If Hanae
sees it in the morning, she’ll quit and I don’t want to lose her as my housekeeper,”
he added. “Otou-san is going to stay with Okaa-san tonight and they’ll probably
release her in the morning.”
Yukio
sighed heavily and rolled his eyes. “And there’ll be no arguing with him.”
“I wouldn’t
and the doctor wouldn’t either. He offered to bring in a chair and a blanket
when Otou-san said he’d sleep on the floor. But if you want to try, I’ll just
stay here and watch as he pounds you into the wall when you try to peel him
away from her.”
Yukio
winced. “No, thank you. I’ve had enough of fighting with family for one day. You’re
right though; the house should be cleaned up before Okaa-san gets home, even if
the sunroom isn’t fixed. If she sees all the damage, it’ll upset her.”
Turning, he
headed for the ward doors. Yukio followed at his shoulder and went ahead of him
into the waiting room. Several of his siblings looked to Yukio as they returned
and his older brother made a gesture that confirmed that he was still part of
the pack.
The relief
that flooded through the room was evident in the sighs that escaped numerous
lips and his sister Izayoi came running towards him.
“Miroku,”
she sobbed and hugged him.
“Anu-ue,”
he breathed and wrapped arms around her. Of all of his siblings, she would
understand best because she was also an inu-hanyou like their father and older
brother.
:Pack-brother,:
she said in inu-youkai, smoothing his hair.
:Pack-sister,:
he replied and licked her chin. Not only was she his elder but also above him
because she was female.
hard, but hard enough. :Stupid pup!:
golden eyes flashing.
He lowered
his ears and ducked his head. “I know, I’m the biggest asshole on the face of
the planet.”
She huffed
and nodded, crossing her arms and looking very much like a female version of
their father. “You won’t see me arguing with you. Honestly, Miroku what were
you thinking?”
“He wasn’t.
That was the problem,” Eri accused, coming over. “Never expect a dog to use his
brain.” She turned to him, her face cold with fury. “You got off easy. If I had
been the one in charge, I would have beaten you bloody and kicked you out.”
He nodded.
“And it would have been no more than I deserved for my crimes. I am very lucky
that our father is so forgiving.”
Eri
snorted. “Too forgiving. Always has been. It’s a weakness you dogs have. None
of you know how to hold a grudge.”
He smiled
softly. “And cats hold one for fifty years.”
“Exactly.
I’d have made you grovel for at least two before I would have even spoken to
you.”
“I wouldn’t
have blamed you if you hadn’t. What I did… I’m so glad Okaa-san and the
“You’ve
seen her. How is she?” Izayoi asked worriedly.
“Tired and
hungry but okay. Otou-san is going to stay with her tonight,” he answered.
Eri
laughed. “I knew there would be no getting him out of here no matter what Yukio
promised.”
“The doctor
said they would bring him a chair and a blanket after he vowed to sleep on the
floor.”
Izayoi
smiled. “That’s Otou-san. Stubborn to the last.”
“Kitaru was
supposed to go get Okaa-san some food from Mos Burger,” he commented, looking
around, but not seeing his brother.
“He left a
short while ago. I’m sure he’ll be back soon,” Izayoi assured him.
“I hope so.
Okaa-san is tired and she should eat before she goes to sleep.”
“Then we
should get in there to see her quickly,” Izayoi said.
He nodded.
“Yeah.”
She put a
hand on his arm. “I’ll speak with Yukio, then take Tetsu in to see her. If
you’ll wait, we’d be happy to give you a ride back to Tokyo House after we’re
done.”
“I should
be getting back. There’s a huge mess to clean up.”
Izayoi
nodded, then spoke more quietly. “And I should get Tetsu out of here. His Sight
is almost out of control. He even sleeps with his sword to keep the visions at
bay. Something has triggered him but he won’t tell me what. I have a call in to
his dragon aunt for her to come and give him some remedial training, but her
office told me she’d be in
Miroku
looked over to where Tetsukazu sat apart from the others. He was huddled in the
chair with his eyes closed and the hilt of Jyu-shi-Kenshuga pressed to his
forehead. The signs of stress showed clearly on his face and it looked like he
was sweating.
Izayoi
followed his line of sight. “Being here surrounded by all of us is very hard
for him right now. Mariko laid hands on him a short while ago, but it only
helped a little bit. Let me talk to Yukio, then take him in to see Okaa-san.
Then we’ll go.”
He nodded.
“Okay.”
“I’ll just
go in,” Eri said. “My meeting was shot to hell, but maybe I can arrange a
business dinner for later tonight.”
With that,
she turned and walked through the ward doors without even bothering to ask
Yukio if it was all right.
of amusement.
Izayoi went
over to speak with Yukio while he stayed by the doors and looked around until
Tomo motioned for him to come over and sit beside him. Frankly, he was glad for
the invitation because it made him feel less alone since none of his other
siblings seemed interested in speaking to him. Sitting next to his brother,
Tomo asked him how their mother was doing and he answered all of the
bat-hanyou’s questions. A few minutes later, Kitaru arrived with Kagome’s food
and he was ushered in with Izayoi and Tetsukazu.
While he
waited for his sister and youngest brother to return from visiting their
mother, both Asame and Mariko came over and spoke softly to him. Mariko laid
her hands upon him and he felt the heavy weight of grief being lifted from his
heart at her touch, and Asame promised to provide the name of a therapist she
thought could help him and said she would set up an appointment for him as soon
as possible.
When Izayoi
came out with Tetsu, he rose from his seat and followed them out. Tomo would
bring Yukio back to Tokyo House in the BMW when they were ready to leave. In
the meantime, he would clean up the mess and begin to make his reparations to
his family. It was the least he could do to repay the kindness and forgiveness
they had shown to a thickheaded, stubborn idiot such as himself.
He looked
around the room as he prepared to leave, and felt an odd sense of peace. He
knew he was still in trouble, but he hadn’t been kicked out of the pack and
that was all that mattered. He had time to make reparations and heal the wounds
he had inflicted, and that was more than he had hoped for. In that respect,
Tomo had been right. It wasn’t okay, but eventually it would be.