Strength

Discovered one thing over the weekend, if you are writing 2 fics, and in one you want to kill a character cause he is an absolute jerkward in that fic, its almost impossible to write the lovey dovey moments that involve that character in the other fic. Gah!!!

synergy02 : Thanks so much – truly appreciate it.
jdbbrz : Well you dont always have to cry you know... errr.. does Sesshy in this seem like the courting kind? Just wondering.. hehe.. and the time frame is shorter, thanks to advice from Ladykaa28
Princess Sin : Hugs! The Goddess has an idea who the dad may be – but she is not gonna tell, however... Let me just say I'm not done with her. do you really want Kouga instead of Sesshy to take center stage?
Ladykaa28 : Thanks so much for everything, and No not finished with them – but later!
Megerakawaii : Am happy to provide angst, next chappie will be a a house load depending on the vote
Clouds Envy : Well the deal for fast updates is review! *lol
RajiniSeikah, midnightsweet , memorietrail : Thanks for the support, We will see, tell me what you want.

Small break from angst in this chappie...

Edited By Me!

Chapter 5 : Wanted ... cooked food!

Inuyasha had found a way to keep his pups alive without the presence of the other father, now all he needed to do was find a safe den to give birth in, far away from threats. He was a month and a half along, his pups were due in 3 and a half months.

The travelling was painfully slow to the Hanyou. He had to take breaks, the drain on his Youki, tired the Hanyou more then he would admit. He travelled slower, in order to ensure that he had the energy to fight at critical moments.

Inuyasha headed north, avoiding heavily settled areas. It took him a full month to cover a distance that would have normally taken him 2 weeks. That understandably caused the Hanyou a great deal of irritation. In his travels, when he heard a cry for help, his legs were taking him in the direction before his brain engaged. Inuyasha helped out humans and weaker Youkai that he stumbled across on his journey. His reason for helping – he was bored. He did not think further then that. After helping he didn't bother engaging the people he saved in discussion, instead led by his nose, he would take some of their food as payment. Traveling by himself, Inuyasha went back to his old ways of hunting for food and for the most part just eating it raw. The raw meats that Inuyasha caught were good for his pups, but the Hanyou had- well- urges. He liked cooked food, as long as he was not the one cooking it, that is.

So he figured if he helped save whomever, the least they could do is feed him, and since except for a couple of exceptions, he really did not want to talk to stupid creatures who stank of fear when they looked at him, he would just take the food and go. Oh and because the Hanyou was hiding he now wore a gray hooded cape all the time hiding the signature ears. His hair was tied back, and covered with black berry juice to so that he was not so obviously a Shiro Inu. As disguises went it was not too bad, and when he was really bored, he found himself merrily sucking on strands of his berry flavored hair.

Inuyasha was heading towards Akita. He hadn't been at first, but as he traveled he saved a bunch of gypsies from a landslide. They had been very grateful and friendly and invited him for a warm meal. That was not something Inuyasha could turn away, truth be told after six weeks of traveling he had been hungry for food and company. During the course of conversation he had mentioned that he may be taking a ship voyage soon. They had on hearing that, assumed he was heading to Akita, and since they had been kind enough to show him their map.. the Hanyou was now heading in the general direction of Akita. He could use that as a port to leave Japan if he needed to. He had no intention of birthing the pups in Akita, he just wanted to be near enough to get to the port if his pups were born with Hanyou ears.

Inuyasha found one an added benefit of his situation. Since the Goddess blessings to an extent awakened his human blood all the time, there was no need for his human blood to gain supremacy for a time. On the moonless night, Inuyasha found himself still himself, a Hanyou. He did not need to fear for his pups, and it was a relief that he was immensely thankful for.

His travels were for the most part without major incident. Inuyasha spent a lot of time talking to and reassuring his pups, not just for their sake, but for his own. He had traveled with company for almost three years, and the time since he had left the village had been achingly lonely for the Hanyou. He bore everything on his broad slim shoulders, his Youki was drained more and more as the pups grew, so he was tired all the time. He took care of everything, to the best of his ability, and through it all, harbored the fear that his best would just not be good enough.

It was a month till he was to give birth, he was hardly showing. Due to the continuous activity the puppy was involved in, and his baggy robe none would guess he was pregnant. Most of those who crossed the Hanyou's path thought only that he was a little plump, around the middle. And chalked it up to the beginnings of a beer belly, or at least the Youkai equivalent to it.

(A/N : I know the above is a bit rambling, I wanted it to kindda reflect Inuyasha's journey – rambling, long, tiring and irritating to the Hanyou.)

Inuyahsa was tired, the pups had been acting up, moving in his belly the whole night. It had been fascinating, he was sure that they could hear him. So he had spent the whole night awake trying to communicate with his pups. "If you can understand me kick twice... I am pressing this side, punch as hard as you can... ooo...ooo.. are you swimming in there? Ok who can touch my other side first! What do you prefer – jumping or running - touch my belly button if you like what I do..." He has spent the entire night talking and playing with the puppies in his belly, fully convinced that they were responding appropriately.

Consequently he scowled at the sun, which surprised him when it rose way too early. Inuyasha yawned, he had been traveling none stop for months, maybe he should sleep the day away. The Hanyou stretched in the branch he was comfortably sitting in and went back to sleep.

It felt as if he had hardly closed his eyes, when feminine screams rent the air. He was tempted, he was really tempted to ignore it, but his pups seemed to kick at that moment. "Nag! Nag! Nag!" He grumbled as he gently stoked the small bump on his belly. Then unsheathing Tessaiga he bounded to the sound. A girl and her mother were being attacked by a centipede Youkai. Seeing the ferocity of the attack Inuyasha fully expected the two to be dead before he reached them. Inuyasha was just too far away, he watched with a sick feeling as the Centipede lunged at the two, his eyes widened in surprise as the centipede instead of having a snack, slammed into a barrier.

Inuyasha did not hesitate, he wind scarred the creature, and as it turned to him hurt but not dead. With a smooth flick of his sword he sent the adamantium barrage at the monster. Finishing it off, without having to risk close combat with it. Inuyasha stood holding the sword and breathing heavily. If not for the drain this would have been nothing, but with the drain – much to his self disgust - he needed to rest after even such a small battle. Inuyasha looked curiously at the two he had saved, his nose twitched in disappointment, no food on them.

He then heard a gasp, "Inuyasha-sama, Inuyasha-sama." The small girl raced towards him, she came to a sudden stop about two feet from him, and reached out to grab this robe tightly. The girl had silver blue hair, golden skin and pale violet eyes, she was also a Hanyou. Inuyasha blinked in recognition.

"Shiori? It that you? You have grown taller." Inuyasha said rather weakly. He looked up and saw her mother following behind. The look of relief on her face to see the Hanyou was immense, tears gathered in her eyes. Inuyasha looked at her in alarm. "Hana, what are you.. ahh...Nooo."

Inuyasha lunged forward to catch the woman just as she collapsed, into a faint. Shoiri began to cry, and Inuyasha placing the woman gently on the green earth, looked at the small girl. "Shiori, there is no time for that, did your mother get bitten?" He could not see any bleeding or cuts on the woman.

Shiori shook her head violently, "No, I made sure the monster could not get to us, we have been running from it for three days, Mommy is very tired. Shiori is very tired." The little girl who did not seem much older from when they met three years ago, swayed on her feet. Inuyasha let out an exasperated breath. This was just what he needed, why did the universe always have make stuff difficult for him.

"Come on, lets get you both to shelter." Inuyasha swung the unconscious mother over his left shoulder and picked up Shiori with his right hand. Shiori immediately cuddled into his warmth, and playing with the ends of his robe watched him quietly. Damn Inuyasha was tired, but he would be damned before he would let the little girl see how tired he really was. He walked at an easy pace, and after a few minutes the girl slumped against him fast asleep. The Hanyou sighed and continued on searching for a safe resting place.

The smell of cooking fish woke the two females. The two were lying together under the some huge roots, beside a small stream. A gray cloak had been draped over them, to keep them warm. Inuyasha was relieved to see both their eyes open, as they had slept a good part of the day away. Inuyasha had stuck the fish he caught on the fire, so that his 'guests' could have something to eat.

"What did you do to your hair?" Were the first shocked words out of Hana's mouth. Inuyasha blinked at her, of all the reactions he imagined her to have that.. was.. was.. well beyond his capability to imagine. What was it about women and his hair and ears?

"Keh! Obvious isn't it. I'm in disguise. So don't go round telling anyone that you met up with me." Inuyasha said roughly. "More to the point, what are you and Shiori doing out here by yourself. Its damn dangerous." Inuyasha waved them to the food, and waited for them to eat before they answered.

Hana ate and held Shiori close. "Things got bad in the village. The villages finally decided that instead of being afraid of Shiori they should use her abilities to make money. It was small things at first, protecting groups that farmed. Then it got dangerous, they realized what a valuable 'commodity' she would be. I heard them plotting to take Shiori from me and sell her to a warlord, that was the final straw. I ran. We have been running ever since." The lady said in a tired voice. She watched the Hanyou's reaction carefully and was grateful to see the sympathetic understanding look in his eye. Slowly she smiled, for once in after a terribly long time she knew she and her daughter were safe.

"Where are the rest of your group?" She asked innocently and was shocked when the Hanyou's golden eyes swirled with a combination of anger and pain.

"Keh! Who knows, who cares! I don't have a group anymore."

"Are,... are .. they the reason you are dying your hair, that horrible color? You don't want the group to find you?" Shiori asked suddenly.

"Ya them and someone else. I don't want anyone to find me, much safer that way." Inuyasha said his voice flat and hollow. Inuyasha stood up, and unthinkingly stretched a little.

Shiori suddenly started giggling "Inuyasha sama you are fat!"

Inuyasha went bright red and growled at the girl, "I'm not fat!"

"No!" Hana said softly looking closely at the Hanyou's belly. "No, Inuyasha sama is not fat Shiori, he is pregnant!" Suddenly the woman felt outraged at the group he traveled with. "You are pregnant and your group let you travel alone? How could they do such a thing."

The woman badgered Inuyasha gently for the story, but Inuyasha refused to explain anything, saying only that he was handling the situation and required no interference. Seeing the grimness in the handsome face, Hana dropped the topic. They kept the conversation light and casual for a while. Finally Hana gathered enough courage to ask what she needed to of the Hanyou. "Inuyasha sama, can we please travel with you for a while? We are sort of lost in this forest, and this is the first time in weeks we have had food other then berries to eat. Please."

Inuyasha looked at the two pairs of eyes pleading at him. He was not surprised, he had seen the request coming from the moment she collapsed in his arms. "You can cook?" He asked. "Not just char stuff on the fire like I do, but really cook – with spices and taste?"

"Yes, of course I can cook, rather well in fact."

"Okay, you can come with me for a while then. I will at least get you to a safe place before I go to birth the pups." Inuyasha replied.

"Oh! Inuyasha sama I could help you with the birthing, please! I would be grateful if you would let me help, it is not something that you should do alone." Hana said quickly.

Sad eyes looked back at her. "My Youkai would not allow you near me at the time of birthing, you have no relationship to me, so my Youkai would see you as a threat. Don't worry I know what to do for the birthing." Inuyasha said firmly. Closing the topic for now.

So it was that was how Inuyasha managed to ensure that he was able to satisfy his urge for cooked food, in the last month of his pregnancy. Hana was a gentle but strong lady, and much to Inuyasha's discomfort went out of her way to look after the basic needs of the Hanyou. She would cook the raw ingredients he brought, and her food was divine. If she had done that just Inuyasha would have been satisfied, but she also did stuff that confused him, like preparing his sleeping area for him, making the dye for his hair (much better quality and taste then his own version) and cleaning up after him without complaint. He roughly told her that she wasn't his servant, and did not need to do stuff like that. The lady however just smiled and continued what she did.

As they passed a sheer rock face in the forest, Inuyasha noticed a small cave in the cliff. It was high, hard to get to and secure, That night when the mother and child slept, Inuyasha paid a visit to the cave and found it, deep enough to be secure, defensible and small enough to make a comfortable den. It was perfect. The birthing lines had formed a few weeks ago, and by his estimation he had about a week before his pups were born.

The next day without telling them his intentions, Inuyasha led them to a small village about two days away. He did not allow them to argue, he told them to stay at the small but clean inn and dropped some coins into Hana's hand before bounding off and disappearing into the forest.

He had things to do, he needed to prepare for his pups birth.

-tbc-
 
Ok small break in angst for readers,
Oh! Shiori's mom has no name that I know of, so I'm going with Hana (flower) long names are for Youkai. :)
 
Thanks for reading.