Disclaimer: If Romiko Takahashi ever gives Inu to me, you'll be the first to know, 'cause I'll rub it in everyone's faces. Hahahaha!

A/N: So sorry for the long wait. I am really trying to update all these loose ends. I actually wrote this chapter a very long time ago but never had a chance to update. I hope it doesn't disappoint.

Last time: Tears filled Kagome's eyes and she sobbed softly into her mate's shoulder. "He didn't deserve this. He didn't deserve to die like that either, without even a name."

Inu Yasha pulled her a little closer, tucking their pup deeper between them. He could do nothing more than comfort her. He didn't understand completely what she was feeling, but he knew the tenderness and depth of her heart.

In the cold they sat silently, the only sounds Kagome's soft sobs and the pitter patter of the rain.

Chapter 12 – Shelter

The silence of the forest was broken by Sango's voice. Inu Yasha lifted his head from where it rested on Kagome's. He watched as his two companions carried by the fire-cat descended. It hadn't been hard to find the location with all the destruction and debris floating in the air.

"Inu Yasha!" Miroku was the first off Kirara as she landed. "Is Kagome all right?"

"Quiet monk, she's asleep." Inu Yasha growled, keeping his voice low. Their son too was quietly sleeping between them and he did not want to wake either mother or child.

Sango hurried forward, her eyes fixed on the small bundle between the two adults. She knelt close. "Inu Yasha, is that….?"

Inu Yasha turned his gaze to the silver-haired bundle. "Yeah, he is."

Sango frowned. It was very chilly out and the rain had just begun to let up. "We need to get them both inside quickly. A new born shouldn't be exposed to the elements like this. He could easily become sick or die from them."

Inu Yasha nodded, he had begun to notice Kagome's increasing warmth as well. "Yeah, but Kagome's not feeling well. I couldn't exactly get them both back safely without exposing one or the other to the cold."

Sango nodded, she set her jaw before asking the thing she somewhat dreaded. "Will you let me carry the baby, while you carry Kagome?"

Inu Yasha's immediate and instinctive reaction was to snarl. The idea of anyone, even members of his pack touching his new pup was simply unacceptable and completely out of the question. 'Mine!' his instincts cried.

Miroku spoke quickly to pacify the hanyou. "Inu Yasha, you said yourself, you cannot carry both and we must get them to some place dry and warm quickly. Please, allow Sango to carry him."

Inu Yasha swallowed hard. He nodded slowly, reminding himself constantly as she took the bundle that she was pack and no harm would come to him. He watched her carefully as she pulled a piece of warm cloth from beneath her clothing and wrapped the waking child in it.

The pup opened his golden orbs ever so slightly and then fully when his small nose detected the unfamiliar scent. Suddenly he began to wail. The cry was frightened and harsh.

Inu Yasha nearly jumped out of his skin. "Give him back!" He began to move away from Kagome, but the moment he did she began to fall. He was torn between his mate's need for his support and his pup's cry. He chose to stay with Kagome but he growled as he spoke. "Give him back, Sango." It came out very much sounding like a threat and the demon-slayer couldn't help but take a step back.

Miroku immediately stepped between them. "Inu Yasha, he is an infant, of course he will cry when not with his parents. He is also likely cold and hungry. The quicker we return to Kaede's the sooner he will be more comfortable."

Inu Yasha growled but was silenced when a small hand touched his shoulder. He looked down at Kagome. She smiled ever so slightly, exhaustion evident in her gaze. "It's all right, Inu Yasha. Let Sango hold him." She closed her eyes. "I want to go home. Inu Yasha, take me home." She rested her head on his shoulder again.

Inu Yasha made a face. He flattened his ears against the wail of his child and gritted his teeth. 'I have to block out the noise for now. I have to focus on protecting them both.' Although his son continued to wail, he gathered Kagome into his arms and pressed passed the others to Kirara. "Let's go, Sango." The demon slayer followed a bit hesitantly at first. She climbed on behind. "Sit close to me so he can smell my scent." Sango obeyed scooting closer to the point that Inu Yasha's long mane tumbled down within mere inches of the pup.

Although, still in unfamiliar arms the arrangement did seem to calm the babe quite a bit. Miroku nodded approvingly. "I'll meet you at Kaede's." Without responding Kirara took to the air carrying the precious cargo on her back.

It didn't take long for them to reach the old hut. Inu Yasha carried Kagome inside, followed immediately by Sango. Inu Yasha laid Kagome beside the fire. Kaede first inspected the babe that Sango handed over gently. Being handed from one unfamiliar non-family member to another the young babe began to wail again. This time Inu Yasha couldn't help himself and tried to take the pup from the old miko.

"Inu Yasha, your son needs to be cleaned and fed. Leave him and Kagome to us for now."

Inu Yasha growled. "He doesn't know you! Give him to me!"

The pup wailed louder yet with the sound of anger from his father. "Inu Yasha, ye must calm yourself. Kagome needs to nurse him. Ye will wait outside."

"The hell I will! He's my pup and that's my mate! I ain't letting them out of my sight until I'm sure that bastard Naraku and that imposter aren't coming back."

"Naraku?" Sango looked up from her place beside Kagome.

"Yeah, that bastard Uenho was being controlled by him. He took over his body. But I disintegrated Uenho along with Naraku with my Wind Scar. Actually, it was kind of lucky that imposter was there." Inu Yasha replied, his eyes fixed on the pup still crying in Kaede's arms. "He saved Kagome's life."

"He did?" Sango nodded. 'I guess it would make sense. Every ounce of Inu Yasha's being is engraved with desire to protect Kagome. If Naraku tried to use some part of him to replicate him, the duplicate too would be engraved with that desire.'

"Inu Yasha, ye must now go so we can properly tend to Kagome and the child." Kaede was already trying to move past him.

Inu Yasha balled his fists beside him, pushing down the instinctual desire to rip the old woman apart and take care of frightened pup. He gritted his teeth. "Fine, but keep him close to Kagome. Inuyoukai are sensitive to scent. He'll only recognize her without me here."

Inu Yasha moved toward the doorway nearly running into Miroku on the way out. "Get out Monk. If I can't stay, you damn sure can't." He shoved Miroku back outside.

Miroku took a seat outside the hut and watched as Inu Yasha began pacing nervously, his ears flattened and a scowl on his face. He could still hear the small cries of his pup and the women talking. Kagome's voice, though it was soft and hoarse, was among them. After a few moments their son's cries ceased. Inu Yasha paused and turned to look at the mat door. Part of him wanted to force his way back in to be with his mate and child and investigate the sudden silence, but another part of him was relieved that it seemed both were finally content and safe.

Miroku watched the hanyou pace with a wary ear turned toward the hut. Kagome hadn't looked well. He knew from experience that a woman could easily become ill or die from being exposed as she had been. 'If Kagome dies, Inu Yasha will likely follow soon after. His demon blood won't allow him to live beyond his mate.' Miroku frowned. 'That will leave their child alone in this world and with neither parent available to him, he too might die.' He shifted his eyes only for an instant to the doorway and back to his companion. He closed his eyes and began to pray to Buda for Kagome's quick recovery.

A little while later Sango pushed aside the mat door, in her arms was a small bundle. "Inu Yasha, you can come in now."

Inu Yasha was already moving before she could finish her sentence. He gently gathered his son from her. The boy smelled of milk and his skin was cleansed of the amounts of blood that had been left from the birth. He took a moment to admire his son truly for the first time. Little could be seen of Kagome in him because he was so much like himself. The small pup opened his eyes just a crack, he acknowledged him, yawned widely, rolled slightly towards his father, and fell quickly into sleep.

Inu Yasha sighed deeply, and despite the small audience, nuzzled his pup affectionately. His features relaxed for a moment as he drew in the infant's scent, a mixture of his mother and father, a new and unique scent all his own.

Inu Yasha finally lifted his head, turning his attention to his mate. Kagome lay on the far side of the fire, she was very quiet and still. The scene reminded him very much of the time she had gotten sick before, but this time there was no modern medicine or physicians. They would have to make her well on their own. He frowned intensely as he started forward.

Kaede stopped him short. "Inu Yasha, Kagome and your son have both been cleaned, and your son feed. But Kagome must rest. The birth and cold has made her ill. She is running a fever. She needs rest to recover. I suggest you remain here the night."

Inu Yasha opened his mouth to make some remark but closed it. This wasn't the time for that. He nodded quietly and moved past her. Kneeling next to Kagome, he stroked her cheek gently. She opened her eyes and smiled warmly. "Inu Yasha…"

His eyes soften. Her skin was warm and clammy, and she sounded so very tired. "Shhh, Kaede says you need to rest. So sleep."

Kagome's eyes shifted to the bundle in his arms. Her smile widened. "Isn't he magnificent? And so strong," she closed her eyes and rolled into his touch, "just like his father." Sleep overtook her and her mate stroked her hair for a moment, before pulling her blanket higher.

"Don't worry, koi. You are both safe and I will never let anything happen to you again." He slowly sat back and tucked their son inside his haori. He smiled to himself and closed his eyes. Sleep would not come to him this night, he would remain watchful over his mate and child. And with his pack nearby there was no chance of danger reaching them.

Kagome woke groggily to the sounds of her son's cry. Inu Yasha touched her shoulder from where he sat beside her in the near pitch darkness. "Inu Yasha, is something wrong?"

"He's hungry. Can you feed him?"

Kagome nodded, knowing instinctively that her mate could see the small movement in the dark.

Inu Yasha laid their son in her arms as he helped her sit up. He placed himself behind her as a brace. Kagome relaxed into him and he helped her hold the small pup as it feed. Inu Yasha spoke softly in her ear. "How are you feeling?"

"Tired."

He gently nuzzled her neck. "You did wonderful, Kagome. So, don't worry about a thing. You just get well. Besides," you could hear the smirk in his voice now, "you don't actually think I can take care of this pup by myself?"

Kagome chuckled softly. "Nope, not at all." She turned slightly to him and brushed her lips against his. But Inu Yasha was not satisfied with the breath of a kiss. He intruded her mouth with the determination to show her his heart and soul, the love and appreciation he felt for her.

Despite her fatigue she returned his feelings in kind. Their son had stopped his feast to watch them, his golden eyes glowed in the darkness. Kagome smiled down at him. "He looks just like you."

"He'd better, wench."

Kagome couldn't help but chuckle at Inu Yasha's mock offense to the comment. "Yeah, he's down right adorable."

"Feh, I'll make a warrior out of him."

Kagome laughed softly as she lifted the boy to her shoulder and rubbed his back inducing small burps and a little spittle. Kagome sighed as his little clawed hands gripped her kimono and pawed her neck. She slowly laid him back in her lap where he looked up at his mother. Exhaustion began to fill her again as Inu Yasha began to rumble softly in her ear. He was content to have both his mate and child in his arms for a little while longer. Their son seemed to appreciate the sound just as much as his mother and his bright golden eyes began to slip shut.

After a while, Kagome had fallen deep into sleep once more and he gently lowered her back to the simple mat bed. He lingered just a moment to gaze at her. She was strong indeed, although she was still hot from the fever her skin no longer held the clammy texture it had a few hours earlier. He knew this was partly because she was his mate and thus shared his own healing abilities, though they were of a smaller caliber than his own. As he turned his attention back to their pup, he wondered how much of healing ability he would inherit. He was obviously strong and carried the features of his demon ancestry, but did that mean he would inherit the same powers as his father or would it be less.

The pup cooed softly and Inu Yasha began to rumble again, inducing the pup into dreams once more. Dawn was near now, and soon the others would be stirring. 'If Kagome is well enough, I think I'd like to go home today.' He closed his eyes and rested, though sleep once more would not come.

By the time dawn had broken, so had Kagome's fever. Kaede gave her more herbs and scolded her for trying to get out of bed too soon. But all the young miko wanted to do was go home and sleep in her warm fur bed. "Please, Kaede, I'm actually feeling a lot better than last night. I'm sure I'll be completely fine in a day or so. Besides, Inu Yasha will be with me." Inu Yasha nodded firmly from his place beside her.

"But ye could become ill again…" The old miko had seen many young maidens die from infections and other complications soon after giving birth.

Sango spoke up from the other side of the fire. "If it will make you feel better Kaede, Miroku and I will also stay with them. Besides it may be a few more days before Kagome can get back to her normal routine."

"Yes, and with Inu Yasha being as distracted as he will be, I'm sure we'd all feel better keeping a watch for a few days."

Miroku's comment elicited at an infamous, "Feh," from his hanyou companion.

Kaede finally nodded her agreement. "All right, but do you plan to take Shippo with ye?"

"Of course, the runt lives with us, doesn't he?"

"Well, then perhaps you should go find him."

"What are you talking about old woman?"

"Inu Yasha, have ye not notice the boy has not been here all night?"

Inu Yasha flinched and scanned the room. Sure enough, the fox was nowhere to be found. "Well, where is he then?"

"When Shippo returned last night to find everyone gone, he turned and ran out into the storm. I could not stop him. I do not know where he went."

"Inu Yasha…." Kagome looked up at him with worried and pleading eyes.

Inu Yasha sighed. It was true that Kagome loved the runt like her own. And he couldn't deny that he himself was worried about the kit. He handed their son gently over to his mate. "I'll find him." He rose to his feet. "Come on, Miroku. We can cover more ground together." Miroku nodded and followed the hanyou out of the hut and into the morning sun.

Inu Yasha was not able to catch the kit's scent. The world was still damp and boggy from the night's storm. So, the two men began to walk through the forest calling the kit's name. After some time, Inu Yasha finally caught the boy's scent. "Hey, Miroku over here."

Curled in the shallow hallow of a tree was the kit. He was shivering and wet. His normally fluff tail was wrapped around him in attempt to stay warm, but the effort had been futile for his tail was soaked through and through.

Miroku sighed as he removed his purple outer cloak. "I wonder what could have possessed him to run out into that storm. Shippo hates the thunder thanks to the Thunder Brothers."

Inu Yasha grunted as he took the cloak from Miroku and bent to gently wrap it around the kitsune. Shippo didn't move while he did this, only shivered. "Damn it, Shippo. What were you trying to do? Make yourself sick?"

Miroku blinked at his companion's back. Beneath Inu Yasha's rough speech there was true worry and concern. 'Well, I guess Inu Yasha really does take his job as Shippo's surrogate father a little more serious than I thought.'

After wrapping him warmly in the cloak, they began their trek back. Inu Yasha was deathly silent. He cuddled Shippo close to his body in attempt to warm his still shivering form. They were over half way back to Kaede's when Shippo finally stirred. Inu Yasha nearly missed a step when the boy twitched and mumbled something incoherent. Shippo blinked and rubbed his eyes. "Papa?"

Inu Yasha frowned but kept his eyes on the path before him. "Shippo, don't ever worry Kagome like that again. She's been through enough for one night."

Shippo blinked at him, his small body still trembling from the cold that didn't want to leave him. "Inu Yasha….I'm sorry….Kagome is-"

"Kagome's fine."

Shippo mouthed the word 'fine' in disbelief and relief. "But I left her and-"

"And you were wrong for doing that." Shippo cringed slightly in his arms and Inu Yasha paused in his step for a moment. He finally looked down at the kit and voice softened. "But it's alright. Kagome and the pup are okay. And we'll all be going home today."

A/N: Yes, it was short. I have to get back into this one a little so bear with me as I update.