My Precious

Author: Saraste
Series: My Precious, part 9 - Retribution
Pairing: Kouga/Miroku, past Inuyasha/Miroku
Rating: PG-13
Genre: romance, post-mpreg, fluff, angst
Wordcount: 2811
Warnings: slash, post-mpreg
A/N: I'm particularly proud of this chapter. And even more over stuff I've yet to write. Yes. I am indeed evil. And I seem to have a real bad memory with updating this as it was written in... April. But BA final essay happened. And things.


* * *


It was not long until he was found. Dark patches on the grass and the slashes on his robes told their tale about what had happened even before Kouga had had time to sniff it all out. The wolf was by his side the instant he saw him, taking in his wounds and ragged breathing and cursing himself as he smelled dog. He growled. All the while sniffing at his beloved monk, fearing the worst. Even while unconscious, Miroku's scent was heavy with fear and infinite sadness, panic. But he did not smell tampered with, abused by more than claws and fists. For that, Kouga breathed a sigh of relief and cursed himself anew.

Shin, the baby was gone. Miroku's precious boy was gone!

Kouga's arms squeezed Miroku tight, he was too angry to put a rein to his actions, anger burning through him. His inadvertent rough handling jostled Miroku into a some kind of state of coherency.
His bloodied hand gripped Kouga's shoulder, crimson smearing over tanned skin, holding tight. The dark violet eyes were clouded with pain, both physical and emotional.

“Shin... he took Shin... please?” Blood trickled down the monk's chin as he spoke, his words dragged out of him, somewhat blurred. But his eyes burned with feverish intensity now, piercing Kouga's. “Bring Shin back to me?” Pleading, sobbing now. The monk's breathing was laboured, pained, but his heart beat steady. If anything, Kouga could take comfort in the fact that he wasn't dying in his arms. Yet.

The prince's heart grew cold. Familiar footsteps stopped by him and he heard the taijiya gasp. He'd been blocking her view and the human woman did not run as fast as he did, at any rate. Her voice sung of her horror and sympathy for the monk. She dropped to her knees by them and Miroku turned his quickly closing eyes to her, too. “Shin... please... Inuyasha...”

And Kouga's blood boiled. If only he'd still had his Shards! He could have gotten to Miroku quicker, even when he'd first caught just that faintest sniff of that bastards scent. He could have been here to prevent the attack, which by all accounts seemed to have been swift. Inuyasha was now gone, having taken Miroku's son with him, injuring the monk in the process. Kouga felt the man's heart beat against his own, a panicked quick beat of a cornered animal. His heart screamed for him to go after Inuyasha, right now, to answer the monk's weepy plea but he knew he couldn't...

The prince of the youroozoku hefted the weeping monk up in his arms, grimacing at how light he was. Was he still not eating proper? Even after all those times when they had supped together so he could watch his loved one eat enough... As Kouga adjusted the monks weight in his arms, Miroku protested, hands fisting in his furs, begging brokenly. “Shin... Please... Kouga... Shin...”

Sango looked at Kouga, her face full of compassion. “I'll take care of him. You go after Shin. There's no guarantee what...” She left the words hang in the air. She offered her arms, easily supporting the monk's weight in them as she and Kouga did the switch. The monk whimpered as he was jostled. Both hoped the damage wasn't too bad. At least Kouga didn't smell death on him, just injury. Blood. And Miroku needed a healer.

The wolf nodded, giving Miroku's battered face one last look, seeing his broken eyes close as unconsciousness once again claimed him, making sure the monk was still breathing. Eyes darkening by the minute. Taking off, flanked by his loyal sidekicks and a whole lot of wolves, the wolf chief ran away to catch a thief. Sango took off in the opposite direction, taking her wounded friend away from the fray.

And Kouga ran, ran his legs off to reclaim what his beloved held most dear.

* * *

Yet it came to be, that another beat the wolf chief's quick feet to his goal.

“Stop!” The voice was barely raised, still it cut through the air like the poisonous whip oft used by the one who'd spoken so commandingly. It was as if his whip had actually been struck and it had stopped the hanyou, wailing babe in his arms, on his tracks. The word seethed venom and contempt.

Inuyasha had halted. He growled, his eyes bleeding red as he looked at his brother. There were still flecks of gold within the crimson but they were drowning quickly. The infant screamed in his arms as he handled it roughly, possessively.

“Mine!”, the hanyou growled at the regal Lord of the West blocking his way.

His brother regarded him with a fleeting pity, it was clear Inuyasha was driven now by his youkai blood only.

The nature around them screamed, the wind of their wildly flailing youki blowing leaves and twigs around them. Trees groaned on their roots, bending at the sheer power of their unleashed fury, skies bleeding just a shade darker and the ground below their feet rumbled. Two silver haired creatures faced each other in a show of dominance.

“The pup is not yours by any means, Inuyasha!” Sesshoumaru said with an icy, commanding tone. “Youkai, especially taiyoukai, do not abandon, renounce, their young! You are a disgrace to the house of Taisho!” The lord's words were clear, uttered with the absolute authority that Sesshoumaru had. The stripes on his cheeks, the moon on his forehead glowed eerily, pulsing with his power, the gold of his eyes was replaced by an angry red as the silver halo of his hair whipped about him. His gaze bore onto his brother and a growl issuing from his lips demanded obedience.

Inuaysha merely looked at him. His silvery mane floated about him, his fangs digging into his lover lip as he growled. His claws held the child in his arms tightly, too tightly. And his eyes, they were past understanding, there was not a shed of reason in them. He was past comprehension as his youkai took hold.

“MINE!” Inuyasha shook the frightened child, his son if only by name, making his screams rise even higher in pitch.

Shin was terrified of him.

And his uncle livid.

Such audacity his half-brother, no, the half breed had! First to renounce his own flesh and blood, abandon the one who'd carried his progeny, and now this?! This was beyond forgiveness. The cries of Inuyasha's child cemented the loss of his right to call the child his own.

Sesshoumaru growled deep within his throat. A challenge, display of authority, dominance. Something which Inuyasha should have heeded, yet he did not. The lord of the West damned the half-breeds youkai to the deepest pit. This was beyond unacceptable! All of Inuyasha was mad. With a snarl and a swift jump, Sesshoumaru made his move. In a way, he had not expected the hanyou to retaliate. Not with the pup.

But he had.

It was a swirl of snarls and growls, a blow to a blow. The world around them was but a violent blur, a cacophony of colour and distant sound. And finally, an opening. A chance which Sesshoumaru took, grabbing and snatching. Flicking his wrist, he landed a poison laced blow on his brother's chest, leaving deep gashes on his flesh, ripping open his red clothing. Inuaysha flew against a tree, impacting with a sickening thud, crumpling to the ground in a broken heap. But he was not dead, that Sesshoumaru could ascertain.

Not yet, at least.

The lord of the West waited a moment to be sure that Inuaysha was truly out of it, before changing his full attention to the child in his arms. He peeled back some of the blanket around him and considered his nephew. The bond, the blood between them was true, despite all of Inuyasha's actions. The uncle inspected the child, a rare smile visiting his graceful features, lighting them up and showing his true self as his eyes bled back to gold.

The child looked up at him, looked up at him wild wide golden eyes, the family trademark. He whimpered but did not cry as he had when Inuyasha had been holding him. And the Lord of the West found himself choking, feeling for this child who was family. This poor child that had been denied half his parentage, half his family. This beautiful child. Precious thing.

“Welcome to the family little one...” Sesshoumaru could not find any more words to greet this new addition to their already alarmingly diminished blood line. He and Inuaysha were the last two. Or had been, until the birth of this child. And the child's youki was shaping up strong, the blood of the house of Taisho ran through his veins thick. “But you do not belong with me, but with that man who gave up so much for you.”

Glancing at his fallen half-brother, the lord of the West leaped to the trees with Shin in his secure hold. The child cried out in alarm but seemed to recognize blood, calmed by half murmured words. Rin had given the stoic lord much practise in parenting. And the little one's youkai recognized his as family.

Back on the forest floor again after a lengthy leap, Sesshoumaru thought about what he should do. The child needed to be with it's bearer, that much was clear. The little boy had been through too much already in his life, the lord of the West didn't even think to take him away from his sole parent. The one who had carried him for long months and cared and loved him. Before he had more of a chance to ponder things over, Sesshoumaru was stopped by a growl.

“And just where do you think you're going with that pup, Lord of the West?”

Kouga.

Sesshoumaru faced him, the child in his arms seemed to calm. And reach out for the wolf. Interesting.

“Leader of the yourouzoku of the East.” It wasn't a question, merely a statement, something the lord of the West knew. An elegant eyebrow arched up and Kouga was awarded with a long steady look for his efforts. Sesshoumaru was toying with him.

“Hardly anywhere,” the taiyoukai stated dryly, cocking his head as to underline the ridiculousness of the other's superfluous question. Protectiveness, love and a fierce need to care. And a heart ready to fight, legs flexing to jump and take the babe by force if need be. The ookami was easily read by the taiyoukai, his actions and emotions open. By design or because he was so wound up, it was unclear. Sesshoumaru voted for the latter.

“Hand him over” Kouga retorted to the lord's words, hackles raised. Behind him, the wolves and his trusted comrades finally caught up to him. He was looming over the dog, as much as he could, anyway.

Sesshoumaru gave Kouga a long, steady, look.

“As the head of his family, I could claim the rights which this child's father has discarded.” The lord of the West hefted Shin to be more comfortable in his arms. The child wriggled.

The words made Kouga's heart grow cold. That bastard! He wouldn't! And yet the Lord of the West was within his rights to do as he proposed. Kouga growled, baring his teeth.

“That pup belongs with his mother!” the Wolf Prince told the lord of the West with as much venom in his tone as he could muster.

Sesshoumaru looked at him. The other's tone, it screamed of the youkai's feelings towards the human his brother had cast away. So the rumours were true. Intriguing.

“Indeed,” Sesshoumaru replied coolly. The monk's absence was beginning to dawn on him. He gently sniffed the air and smelt fresh blood. Saw it on Kouga's furs, his arms and hands. Saw the ache in his eyes, behind the fury. “Do not doubt, I will punish my wayward brother for this. How fares the monk?”

“He will live, no thanks to that bastard brother of yours, Lord of the West.” Kouga ground out. He was torn between wanting to hunt Inuyasha down for what he had done to Miroku and just wanting to be there for the pretty monk and shield him from harm, wipe away his tears. Take Shin back to him and make him smile again.

“Calm yourself, my... brother,” the taiyoukai's mouth itself seemed reluctant to part with the word, acknowledge the family connection with such an abominable rogue, “will be punished over his actions.” There was a foreboding sense of finality in Sesshoumaru's tone which somewhat appeased the rage within Kouga.

Both looked at Shin, who had decided to not be complacent no more. Sesshoumaru held him firmly, smiling. The child gurgled unhappily, flailing it's arms about and kicking. A tantrum was imminent. And was upon them swiftly, the child bellowing.

“The boy has goof lungs, he'll be strong...” Sesshoumaru stated the obvious.

Kouga looked at him, his thoughts raving. “He needs to be with his mother, he's too young to...”

“Do not worry, prince Kouga, I'll not take the child from it's mother.”

Kouga now crossed the distance between them, he looked at Shin's uncle, hopefully. Yet ready to snatch the child and just run, if need be.

A gentle wind rustled the leaves in the trees around them as the Lord of the West looked at the leader of the yourouzoku of the East.

“Will you allow me to take him back to his mother now, Lord Sesshoumaru, please?” Kouga asked. “Miroku was frantic, he's hurt and I don't...”

As he swallowed a sob, Kouga finally decided.

He needed to be by Miroku's side. There would be a time to confront the bastard hanyou. Later. Now was the time to stand by his beloved monk's side. He needed to bring Miroku's on back to him, love him in his time of need.

“How badly was he hurt?” Sesshoumaru asked, wanting to know the amount of his brother's madness. It was truly unacceptable that the hanyou had treated the bearer of his child in such a way as he had. And he, lord Sesshoumaru of the West, would make his brother pay for everything.

“He was unconscious as I left him bruised, beaten and bleeding. That fucking bastard!” Kouga snarled. His hatred for Inuyasha ran deep. He shook his head to clear it, looked at Shin and then up into Sesshoumaru. “I need to go back. He needs his son. Please, Lord Sesshoumaru!” He pleaded.

And Sesshoumaru handed Shin over, giving the young child one last look.

“What is his name?” the Lord of the West asked, his finger touching the stripes on the child's cheek.

Kouga looked down at the child fussing in his arms and smiled. He hoped Miroku would one day see him as a father to the child he held.

“Shin. Miroku named his son 'Shin'.”

“I see,” Sesshoumaru said. “Keep your intended and his son safe, prince Kouga.”

Kouga's head snapped up and he looked at Sesshoumaru with an understanding passing between them. Shin was Sesshoumaru's family and as kin and head of the house of Taisho, he would have had the right to just take the child and raise him as his heir.

Yet he hadn't. It was a show of respect and trust toward that yourouzoku leader that he hadn't. And it showed that he was different from his brother.

“I will, lord Sesshoumaru of the West,” Kouga promised solemnly. His body was arching to run back to Miroku as quick as it could. “If he'll only let me,” he added, unable to help himself. His lips still remember what was now the ghost of a kiss, the only one they'd shared, wondering if the monk would ever truly agree to be his.

“Give him time. And assure him that I will punish Inuyasha for his actions today and in the past. He'll not get away with what what he has done to the monk Miroku and my nephew.” Sesshoumaru's golden eyes grew harsh and his body hummed with power. They were both ready to depart and head for their separate goals. But a few words more were shared between the two still.

“I will, lord Sesshoumaru.” Kouga said, his arms securing Shin, his body poised for running.

“I'll come and see Shin in the summer. I do not wish to disturb your tribe during mating season, prince Kouga. Do not rush his father.”

And with that the lord of the West was gone and Kouga went off at a run, back to Miroku.