Convergence

A/N: Here's a new chapter with some action and a LEMON
___________________________________________________________________

Kagome was sitting in InuYasha’s lap eating.

“Kagome, may I ask...What did Sesshomaru do to you?” Sango posed quietly.

Kagome looked up at InuYasha. “You tell them. I...I can’t.”

“Later.” InuYasha said. He didn’t want to upset Kagome further. When she was asleep he would tell them so that she didn’t have to go through it all over again.

Miroku and Sango seemed to understand his reasons and let the subject drop.

Later when both Kagome and Shippou were sleeping soundly. InuYasha spoke as he absently stroked his mate’s hair. His voice was low and carefully controlled. “Sesshomaru came upon her when she was bathing after training one day. He told her that he wanted to see if I really had taken her as my mate and asked her how it felt to know that I was just using her to have a pup since I was still with Kikyou. He told her that he saw me and Kikyou rutting together. She called him a liar.”

None one missed the note of pride in his voice at Kagome’s courage and faith in him.

InuYasha continued. “She told him that he was just jealous of me because I am more like our father than could ever be. He pinned her to a tree and then he touched her. That fucking bastard had his hands all over her, in her...” InuYasha took a few deep breaths to calm down. “She panicked and her power shocked him. He threw her to the ground and by then I was on my way to her so he left. He broke youkai law when he hurt her and even though I’m only hanyou I had the right to demand his life for what he did.”

“That’s terrible. Why would he do such a thing?” Sango wondered aloud.

“Who the hell knows why that bastard does anything.” InuYasha growled. “He’s just lucky that Kagome comes first no matter what.”

“And you trust that what he told you was the truth?” Miroku questioned.

“He may be a bastard but it would be beneath him to lie and beside if he was lying our deal would be off.” InuYasha replied. “I’m also going to have Kaede make sure nothing in the tea will hurt her or the pups before I give it to her.”

*****

They made it back to the village and there was nothing to be done but wait for the herbs Sesshomaru had promised to arrive. It was nearly a week later when Sesshomaru’s imp arrived with several bound parcel’s each containing a different herb, each labeled and a scroll precise instructions. There was also a warning that the tea must be prepared exactly a written to be effective and that two of the herbs if prepared incorrectly could cause harm to Kagome if not to the pups.

InuYasha handed it all over to Kaede trusting the elderly miko. She was very experienced with healing and preparing medicinal herbs.

“Kaede, none of those herbs will hurt her or the pups right?” InuYasha asked.

Kaede took her time checking the ingredients and how they were to be used. She noticed that InuYasha wasn’t rushing her and knew it was because he understood that it was important to be thorough. “Some of these are common and I use them frequently if not for this purpose, but they will cause no harm. Others are more rare, but safe as well. Two I have never before used, but are not known to be harmful and two others I have no knowledge of nor have I ever seen them before.”

InuYasha frowned. No matter how sure he was that Sesshomaru would think it beneath himself to lie and to harm Kagome in such a cowardly way, he couldn’t take that chance. “What am I supposed to do? I can’t risk Kagome or the pups, but she can’t stay like this either.”

“Kagome speaks often of the medicines in her time. Perhaps in her era they have knowledge of the items Kaede is not familiar with. Would her family not be willing to aid you?” Miroku asked.

“Maybe you are more than a pervert.” InuYasha said.

Miroku remained silent as the hanyou rolled up the scroll, and gathered the herbs, knowing that InuYasha had been in his own way thanking him for his help.

“You’ll watch her while I’m gone right?” InuYasha asked. “I don’t want her left alone not even for a minute.”

“Of course we will.” Sango offered. “She may be your mate, but we all care greatly for her and will allow no harm to befall her in your absence.”

“Thanks.” InuYasha muttered as he headed out of the hut bound for the well.

He could have taken Kagome with him, but he didn’t want to bring her to see her family until she was recovered. He leapt out of the well and found Kagome’s mother in the kitchen. He briefly wondered why the woman seemed to spend so much time in that particular room of the house, but dismissed it as unimportant.

Asami turned when he slid open the shoji. “InuYasha welcome. Where is Kagome?”

“I left her at the village with the others.” InuYasha said. “They’ll protect her until I get back.”

“I don’t doubt that you would not have left her if you were not confident that she would be safe.” Asami assured him. “Did you have any luck on your quest?”

“Sort of. The hanyou we know...One of them, his mother died and the other, it wasn’t the same. She was able to tell us her mate made a tea for her that helped her with her sickness and lack of energy, but she couldn’t remember how it was made, and I thought about it a lot. I’m pretty sure that even if she had remembered it wouldn’t have worked for Kagome. I think it’s different for each species of youkai and her mate was a bat.” InuYasha explained.

“Oh...Do you have any one else you can turn to for information?” Asami asked.

“Has Kagome told you about my half brother, Sesshomaru?” InuYasha questioned.

“Only to say that you and he do not get along and that he has tried on many occasions to take your sword.” Asami replied. “She also mentioned that he helped when you faced Naraku.”

“He gave me this.” InuYasha told her handing her the scroll. “I’m pretty sure the bastard wants to be able to fight back when I get around to killing him, but before I give Kagome anything that came from him I want to make sure it won’t hurt Kagome or our pups. Kaede knows what most of the stuff on that paper is but not all. I came to see if you are able to tell me if all the herbs on this list are safe for her to take.”

“I will need to go to the library and use a computer to check on the ones I am not familiar with.” Asami said. “I will go right now and if you wish to return for dinner I should be able to tell you at that time.”

InuYasha felt a shiver of apprehension. “Something’s wrong.” he announced coming to his feet. “Kagome’s in trouble. I’ll be back.”

*****

Kirara’s fur stood on end and a low growling spilled forth. Sango looked at her long time companion. “What is it Kirara?”

“A youkai approaches.” Miroku said. “One with a powerful and dark jaki I believe it has a shard.”

“I will remain with Kagome.” Kaede said grabbing her bow and arrows.

Just then the screams of villagers could be heard heading their way. They hurried outside and Kirara transformed. Sango still in her kimono jumped on her back with Hiraikotsu. Kaede positioned herself at the huts entrance and encouraged the villagers to flee to safety. Miroku ran after Sango and Kirara as the oni drew closer to the main part of the village.

A woman running with her child tripped and fell. She screamed as the oni grabbed her child, but couldn’t move, frozen by her terror.

“Hiraikotsu.” Sango cried throwing her weapon.

The hand holding the child was severed and Kirara caught the child as it fell. Miroku helped the woman to her feet and she was able to continue fleeing with her son. The severed hand moved to reattach itself.

“Damn.” Miroku swore. “It has to have a shard. I can’t use my wind tunnel and without Kagome to tell us precisely where the shard is and we can’t hope to defeat it.”

“Houshi-sama. We have to hold it off until InuYasha returns.” Sango called. “His kaze no kizu will destroy it but not the shard.”

Miroku nodded and ran toward the oni prepared to strike at it with his staff and sacred soutras.

Sango threw her giant bone once again and this time removed the other hand of the monster before them. This time a sacred arrow pierced the hand and it was purified. Even without it’s hand the oni was still formidable since it could regenerate.

The oni lumbered forward trying to reach the hut holding the shikon fragments and the young miko inside. With a swing of a clawed hand Miroku was caught around the middle and thrown off into the trees. Sango atop Kirara raced to catch him before he hit the ground.

Keade readied her bow but was too slow as the oni ran forward and brought his fist down on top of the hut behind her.

A roar erupted from the tree line followed by a snarling growl. Sango and Miroku gasped at the sight of the decimated hut and then they saw InuYasha. His eyes were wild with fury and madness and he tore into the offending youkai the one that dared to harm his mate, with elongated claws and fangs, paying no heed to the wounds he was sustaining as the oni continued to regenerate.

Sango was crying quietly knowing she had failed to protect her friend since. Kagome could not have survived. The dust around the hut settled.

“Sango look.” Miroku said with a measure of awe in his voice.

Sango lifted her eyes. Floating about a foot off the ground among the remnants of the hut was Kagome. Her hair was blowing around her and a soft pink light surrounded both her and the small kitsune youkai in her arms. Her eyes did not open as she raised her arm and purifying energy shot out striking the oni.

His disintegrated in a burst of pure light. The light engulfed InuYasha and when it faded he was returned to his hanyou self. He glanced around wildly and finally his eyes settled on Kagome. The light around her was dimming and he ran to catch her as she lowered to the ground.

Sango and Miroku raced to the hut and pulled the debris off the groaning elderly miko.

After settling Kaede into a hut offered by one of the villagers for their use until the miko’s home could be rebuilt, InuYasha left, to take Kagome through the well since her mother was probably worried after the way he left and Miroku and Sango set about sifting through the remains of Kaede’s home.

*****

When InuYasha came downstairs Asami breathed a sigh of relief. He would have come in through the kitchen shoji if he didn’t have Kagome with him, which meant that she must be all right.

“What happened?” She asked.

“A youkai attacked the village.” InuYasha replied. “Kaede was injured when the oni destroyed the hut she was standing in front of, but she’ll be fine. Kagome was in the hut with Shippou and when I got there I thought...” InuYasha trailed off unwilling to mention Kagome and dead in the same sentence. “But she was fine, surrounded in a barrier of her spiritual energy. She was unconscious and still managed to protect herself and purify the youkai. I don’t know how she did it. She ain’t never used that kind of power before.”

“Perhaps some part of her realized the threat.” Asami suggested. “And I can’t think of anything more powerful than a mother’s desire to protect her children.”

InuYasha couldn’t disagree with that. He had learned that lesson plenty of times. When he was small and first on his own he had been starving and searching for something he could kill and eat. He came upon a wild boar nursing her young. It had seemed like it would be an easy kill, that at the very least he could get one of the babies, but he had been wrong. The boar attacked and injured him badly with her teeth and hooves and he had been driven to find a meal elsewhere.

He also remembered the way Jinenji’s mother, had attacked them with a large piece of wood when she thought they were going to hurt her son, and Shiori’s mother who had shielded her daughter from her youkai grandfather with her own body as he attacked.

His own mother, hadn’t she tried to protect him as well and driven off the other children as they made fun of him and pulled on his sensitive ears. His mother that had wrapped him tightly in the clothes he still wore and held him as fire raged around her, trying to reassure him with her words, that all would be well and that she loved him, even as she burned.

Kagome’s powers had always been tied to her emotions and all things considered it wasn’t all that hard to believe that she had protected herself and Shippou with the power of her heart even in her unconscious state.

After spending a bit longer with Kagome’s mother during which she prepared him a large bowl of ramen, InuYasha returned to Kagome’s side, but not before he secured a bowl of warm water and a towel to clean the dust from her body.

He removed her clothes, leaving her in her undergarments and wiped her body clean, his hand lingering over the tiniest swelling of her stomach. Once he was satisfied, he found some of her sleeping clothes and dressed her.

He remained with her until Kagome’s mother came up stairs near dusk to inform him that though some of the herbs were not traditionally used for the purpose he hoped to use them for that nothing she could find had even hinted that they would be harmful to her or the children she carried.

Not wanting to upset her sleep cycle it was decided that Kagome would drink a tea made with the hers Jinenji had given them to prevent her from being sick when she woke in the morning and that would be when they would give her the tea made from Sesshomaru’s instructions.

InuYasha left briefly to check on Kaede and the others and to let them know that hopefully he would be returning with a restored Kagome. She was just coming awake when he returned. She ate dinner with her family as well as drank the tea she was offered. She was nearly asleep by the time InuYasha set her on her bed.

“I’m sorry.” She said softly fighting the urge to fall into darkness. “I’m keeping us from getting the shards. I guess I am just a pathetic human.”

InuYasha stroked her cheek with his thumb. “You ain’t pathetic and I could give a fuck about getting the shards. You and our pups are more important that the damn jewel, so don’t be sorry.”

“InuYasha...” She muttered as she started to fall asleep. “I love you.”

“I love you too.” He whispered even though he knew that she was beyond hearing him.

*****

InuYasha trusted Kagome’s mother to prepare the tea. He had no doubt that she would be even more careful than Kaede to follow the instructions exactly. He sat on the floor beside his mate’s bed and waited for her to wake, anxious to see if Jinenji’s herbs had worked and anxious for Kagome to be herself again. She stirred and he scooted closer.

InuYasha nuzzled her neck and growled softly. Kagome opened her eyes and waited to be taken with the desire to be sick but it didn’t come. After a long minute she smiled.

“How do you feel koishii?” InuYasha prompted.

“Tired, but I don’t feel sick.” She replied.

Asami knocked on the door and opened it pleased to see her daughter awake. “I brought the tea.” she offered. “Shall we see if it works?”

Kagome nodded and sat up. She had no doubt that her mother and InuYasha would have checked thoroughly to make sure that Sesshomaru hadn’t suggested anything that would harm her. The drink was bitter and she scrunched up her face, but finished the cup. If this was what it took to get her back on her feet then she would suffer the foul taste without complaint.

“Now what?” Asami asked.

“We see if she gets tired.” InuYasha replied. “If it didn’t work it shouldn’t be very long before she falls asleep.”

Five minutes ticked by and Kagome could stand the silence no longer. “I have to go to the bathroom and I don’t feel the least bit tired so I think it’s safe to say it worked.”

She came to her feet and was surprised to find herself unsteady. InuYasha reached out to support her. “You sure you’re all right?”

“I’m fine. It must just be because I haven’t been up in a while.” Kagome assured him.

“Are you hungry at all?” her mother asked. “I’ll make you whatever you like.”

“You know I think I would kill for an omelet with mushrooms, onions and a ton of cheese...” Kagome replied. “Ooh, do you have and steak... That would be really good in the omelet.”

“I’ll get right on that dear.” Asami said with a smile as she left the room.

“Maybe I should carry you.” InuYasha offered.

Kagome shook her head. “I can do it myself. You’ve been taking really good care of me and I can’t tell you how much that means to me, but I’m not helpless anymore.” She glanced at him and noticed his ears were drooped and realized her tone had been a little harsh considering how hard he had been working to help her get better and to take care of her. “I’m sorry. I just... I’m tired of being a burden to you. I can walk but I would be happy if you would walk with me to make sure I don’t fall.”

“Keh, how many times do I have to tell you, you ain’t a burden. You’re my mate. We take care of each other, that’s what we’re supposed to do.” He said gently as he steadied her with an arm around her waist as they walked down the hall.

She leaned up and kissed his cheek. “Come in with me. I need a shower, and I don’t want to risk falling.” Kagome lowered her voice and brushed her hand along the front of his hakama. “I also thought that maybe I could take care of you.”

InuYasha needed no more incentive to step inside the small room and shut the door behind them. He knew that Kagome wasn’t at fault for being unable to be with him as often as he would have liked, in fact he blamed himself since he had been the one unable to control himself on the night she conceived, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t looking forward to being able to mate with her again on a more regular basis.

Kagome took the initiative and began to undress her hanyou mate, first removing his haori and undershirt before freeing the tie of his hakama. She pushed them off his hips and noted with a smile that he was as excited about being with her as she was about being with him.

She reached out to touch him and he stopped her. InuYasha grabbed the hem of the nightshirt he had dressed her in and pulled it off over her head. He let his hands brush along the sides of her breasts as he brought them down along her body finally hooking his thumbs in the waistband of her panties and cotton pants. He loved the way she moaned softly as his claws brushed across her skin.

InuYasha slid off the last of her clothing going to his knees as he did so, to pull them off over her feet. Kagome gasped as his nose brushed against her followed by his tongue.

“Wait.” She managed. “Let me turn on the water first.”

The hands on her hips released her and she turned on the shower. InuYasha stood and stepped into the water and Kagome joined him. He head fell back as both the warm water and his lips trailed across her skin. She shuddered as claws bit gently into the skin of her bottom as she squeezed it pulling her flush against him.

The soft growl that filled her ears also vibrated against her chest causing her body to tingle. She slipped one hand between them and wrapped it around him. He groaned and she felt his fangs brush against her neck as she moved her hand along his length.

InuYasha was dying to have her he reached between her legs and found a slick wetness not caused by the water. Finding her more than ready for him he turned her around was urged her to bend over, but she resisted.

“Kagome?” He questioned.

“I want to look at you.” she replied softly. She back up against the wall and pulled him with her. She put her hands on his shoulders and wrapped one leg around him. “Lift me up.”

InuYasha only hesitated a second before reaching under her. Kagome wrapped her other leg around him and he quickly caught on to what she wanted to do.

“You can hold me up right?” She asked. “I’m not too heavy.”

“Keh, don’t be stupid.” he snorted. Before she could say anything in reply he joined with her in a single sure thrust and she moaned loudly. “I ain’t no pathetic human.”

Kagome held tightly to him as he moved against her. Her back slid along the damp tiles as he pulled away only to fill her again. With each thrust he brushed against her and pushed her closer to her release. “Ahh..don’t stop.” she pleaded. “You feel so good...please.”

InuYasha smirked against her skin as he returned to nipping lightly at her mark. This position he decided was one he would definitely have to do with her again. He had a perfect view of his mark and easy access to her perfect breasts. His hanyou strength made lifting her slight weight easy and she was obviously enjoying it as well.

She leaned her head down and kissed him roughly moaning into his mouth as she gripped him in her release. He tore his mouth away and sank his fangs into her neck as he spilled himself inside her. After a long moment he released her legs, but continued to hold her as he lapped the small wound from his fangs.

Kagome shivered and clung to him, enjoying his affections, content to be held in his arms for as ling as he desired.

“You know I think I like that one wench.” He said.

“Me too...” She replied with a soft smile and a slight blush.