What Will Happen After

Disclaimer- you know the drill, I own none of these characters, blah blah blah.  I'm too poor.  I can wish, but I never will.  If only I could own InuYasha, I would be so much happier. <Sigh> I am merely borrowing, so if you're a lawyer or something I will gladly admit I did not make up these people.  However, I did make up this story.  So ha!

A/N This is only my second fic so far, and thanks to Miroku Girl for being kind enough to host my sad excuses for literature.  If that.  R&R please!  ^_^ Spoiler warning; if you haven't seen episode 118, be forewarned.  There's a little reference to that one.  -LS

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InuYasha worked at catching his breath as he sheathed his Tetsaiga.  Instinctively, he glanced over at Kagome as she hesitantly lowered her bow and arrow.  His other friends we slowly coming out of their fighting stances and peering at the youkai laying on the ground before them.  

"Did we do it?" asked Kagome cautiously, voicing the question ringing in everybody's mind.

Her thought was cut short as Miroku suddenly dropped his staff, which fell to the ground with a clatter.  He grimaced and clutched his cursed hand with the other, doubled over in sudden pain.

"Houshi-sama!" Sango cried and rushed over to him, laying her palms against his back in vain attempt to comfort him.  "What is it?"

He slowly straightened, untied his prayer beads sealing his Kazaana and stared at his palm.  "It's gone," he whispered.  "Just…as if it had never been there at all."

"We did it!" Kagome squealed and flung herself at InuYasha.  "We finally defeated him!  We can collect the rest of the shikon shards!  Miroku won't die now!  And Sango . . ." she trailed off as she turned to the taiji-ya. 

Sango ducked her head and held herself.  They all remembered what had happened about halfway through the battle. 

<Flashback>

In the midst of their battle, Naraku sneered at them evilly.  "It would be too easy and not as entertaining to simply attack you physically.  I enjoy injuring the heart more."

InuYasha, acting upon reflex, leaped in front of Kagome and bared his blade.  "No you don't, Naraku, you bastard!" he growled. 

Naraku laughed.  "That wasn't what I was referring to, stupid half-breed."  With that, he grabbed Kohaku, who had been silently observing the battle, and in one swift movement sliced at the vein in his neck.

"NOOOO!" Sango screamed in anguish, and ran at Kohaku in one last desperate attempt to save him.  Miroku grabbed her arm and stopped her from running towards them and possibly to her own death.  He yanked her back and into his arms, where she hid her face and cried.

InuYasha, Kagome and Miroku all turned to Naraku, new anger boiling in their veins.  He had now taken all of Sango's family from her.  He had gone way too far. 

With this newfound rage, they managed to weaken him to the point where Naraku was immobile.  Then InuYasha handed Sango his sword.

"You do it," he said humbly.  She more than happily obliged.  Naraku was no more, and Sango had lost her family for the second time in her life.  

<Flashback ends>

Sango looked up, her tearstained face sad and yet somehow contented.  "Even if I had saved him, he would not have really lived.  And I have avenged my people."  With that, she picked up Hiraikotsu and headed over to Kirara, who had been sheltering Shippou the whole time.

InuYasha admired Sango for her strength, although he figured that she was hiding most of her pain.  All of his companions were accustomed to doing that.  Silently he turned to the others.  "Lets head back to Kaede's and give her the good news.  She would like to know that her sister was avenged."  Thinking of Kikyo at a time like this would have usually depressed him, but with Naraku dead he felt a weight lifted from him.  He glanced at Kagome, and then stared firmly ahead when she smiled back at him.

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Sango walked feeling somewhat torn.  Half of her was devastated at the loss of her little brother for the second time, but her other side was elated.  Naraku was dead, her people avenged, and Miroku could now live.  Live and prosper.  That alone perked her up a little, but knowing there was no chance at all that she could have a normal life now seemed to shoot down all her happy thoughts.

She felt a familiar hand on her, although not on her backside or any other unbidden area.  It slipped around her shoulders, squeezing her comfortingly.

"Sango.  You were very brave back there," Miroku said quietly. 

"Pshaw.  I blubbered like a child.  You saw." She retorted, but she couldn't help but lean into the Houshi's warm embrace.  What's wrong with me?  She thought.  Come on Sango, slap him and walk away like usual.  Even so, she found his grasp soothing and…she wouldn't let her mind continue.  Oddly enough, she immediately felt safer in his arms.  Strange.  Normally she felt at risk when she was around that hentai.

"That's okay, Sango.  After all, you never let yourself properly grieve for your family.  You have every right to cry." His voice was light and casual, but the sound of his speech in her ear seemed to cause her to lose all reason. 

"Will you too hurry up before I come over there and slice you up like I did that bastard Naraku!" called InuYasha, sounding impatient.  The sound of his aggravated tone made Sango remember herself.

She shrugged off Miroku's arm and sped toward the hanyou.  She walked briskly past InuYasha, with her head down.  She knew that he would giver her a hard time about her walking with the Houshi's arm about her later.  It was just like him to tease her in such ways.  If there was anyone for her to talk to, it would be Kagome.

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Kagome was comforting as usual, and Sango felt a little better after their talk.  She had gotten a lot of things off her chest.  With the knowledge that Naraku was dead and they were safe in Kaede's village, she relaxed immediately and fell into a restful sleep. 

Tears streamed down her face as she hid her face in someone's neck.  She felt arms wrap around her and hold her possessively

"Gomen, Sango,"whispered a familiar voice.  "I did not mean to upset you."

"These are tears of happiness, you baka," she retorted with a smile.  She gazed up at the man holding her.  "Miroku . . ."  

Sango sighed in her sleep and opened her eyes and immediately received tiny kitty kisses from the fire cat demon curled up beside her head. 

"I guess I was dreaming," she said to Kirara absently.  The fire cat made a confused sound and cocked her head at Sango, thoroughly confused.  Sango grinned at her pet's infinite cuteness and scratched the cat's ears.  "You kawaii little thing, you."

"Talking to animals again, eh?" said InuYasha snidely.     

"They can be more understanding and civilized than actual people and you out of anyone should know that." She teased back with a completely strait face.  She slowly eased herself out of bed, still battle-weary from the fight with Naraku the day before.  "Where's Kagome-chan and Houshi-sama?" she inquired when she noticed their absence.  "And Shippou?"  The kitsune was nowhere to be seen. 

"Kagome is back in her time.  She had more of those test things," answered InuYasha as he watched Kaede stir something cooking in a pot.  " And I don't know where Miroku is.  Shippou's probably with him."

Sango got up and stretched, smoothing the wrinkles from her yukata and slipping on her sandals.  "I'll go find them then," she said, trying to sound nonchalant as she headed towards the door.

InuYasha laughed.  "Why?  So you two can snuggle some more?"

"Hiraikotsu!"

-5 seconds later-

InuYasha tenderly rubbed the bump on his head from Sango's weapon.  "Damn that woman!"

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Miroku gazed at his now uncursed hand, rubbing the spot where the Kazaana used to be, smiling faintly and thinking of Sango.  Shippou was asleep next to him and the others were all elsewhere.  He had time to be alone with his thoughts.

Sango was certainly brave after witnessing another death of a family member.  He never knew what had happened to her mother, and now her father and Kohaku were gone.  She seemed to take it well for someone who had seen so much pain.  He could tell, however, that she was hurting inside, and he so badly wanted to comfort her.  He remembered how she seemed to fit in the contours of his arm.  It felt so right, as if she were made to be there.  That stupid dog demon just had to show up and ruin the moment. 

Even so, his smile widened as he remembered her leaning into his arm wearily.  Perhaps she was just tired, or maybe she was finally giving in…there was hope for her yet.  He knew she cared for him the way he cared for her.  He wouldn't call it love, not yet, but she did get jealous easily.  And there was that one time, in the caves of Mount Hakurei…

<Flashback>   

"Sango, please survive this for me."

She shook her head violently and more tears poured down her face.  "No, if you won't leave then at least let me die with you!"  With that she flung herself onto the Houshi, who was lying poisoned on the ground.

"Sango . . ."

<Flashback ends>

It was proof that she did indeed cared for him.  He understood that she was scared to show it, it was against her nature, and she couldn't open her heart right now.  At least, not so soon after losing her family.  He knew she needed time to allow herself to love anyone again.

He indeed knew what it was like to have to come to terms with not love, but more like that infinitely strong feeling between like and love.  He had experienced it when he first met her, and now he knew he loved her.  She just needed time to sort things out.  He let his train of thought drift towards the demon huntress herself.

She was beautiful, both inside and out, with her feminine dark features and her fiery, quiet strength.  For a long time he had not asked any girls his infamous "question", and when asked why he would simply reply that he was no longer interested in finding someone to give him an heir at the moment.  He had hoped Sango would notice the difference in him, but she still didn't seem to be able to get past his frequent groping.  He couldn't help it.  His heart cried out for her, and did his body.  He was only human, and a lecherous one at that.

Shippou awoke eventually and looked around, bleary-eyed and confused.  "Kagome?" he croaked. 

"She's still down the well, Shippou-chan." He answered.  "She'll be back in three days, like she said.  Go back to sleep."

The kitsune pouted like a spoiled child and got up, teetering sleepily and plodding down the path towards the village.  "I'm going to get some food," he called back at the Houshi.  "Want some?"

He shook his head no and leaned against a tree, somewhat bored and wondering where Sango was.  
 
As if on cue, the object of his thoughts materialized in front of him, along with Kirara.  She plopped down next to him with a sigh.  "It will indeed be a very boring day," she said quietly.  "We can't search for many shards if Kagome is away, and InuYasha doesn't want to go anywhere.  Tomorrow is the full moon, and he doesn't want to be caught away from the village."

The monk nodded his head and stroked the fire cat.  He desperately wanted to pull the girl into a tight embrace, to hold her against him, but he didn't want to risk scaring her away.

He heard a soft sniffling noise beside him and he turned to see her eyes filled with tears.  She hastily wiped them and tried to hide her temporary sorrow from him. 

"Sango, let yourself grieve," he murmured as he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulling her into his lap.  He was glad to have an excuse to do so. She tensed at first, and then melted as she cried into his neck.  "I don't want to bottling everything up inside you.  You don't deserve it."  Her sobs increased as he said this. 

"Sango," he said again, trying to find some way to comfort her.  "Shh, it's okay, I'm right here.  I'm here for you.  No matter what, you wont lose me, at least.  Not now."

She felt more tears slide down her face as realization hit her.  I won't lose him, eh?  She felt touched.  Another sob escaped her as she became overwhelmed with a new emotion, one she couldn't name. 

"Gomen, Sango," he said to her softly.  "I did not mean to upset you."

She laughed silently.  She wasn't upset.  "These are-" she stopped suddenly.  All this seemed very familiar.

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InuYasha needed to find Sango.  She was the only one that he could take through the well that could talk some sense into Kagome.  That stupid girl was staying a lot longer in her time than she said she would.  If anyone could get her to come back sooner, it would most likely be Sango.

Which was exactly why he was tramping through the woods, following Kirara's trail.  She and that lecherous monk had gone off together again.

He found them wrapped up in each other's arms under a tree, kissing.  InuYasha sighed in annoyance.  He was somewhat used to this now, but it never failed to piss him off.  "Sango," he called out, annoyed and impatient.

Sango turned casually toward the hanyou.  "I'm a little busy right now, InuYasha."  She said very bluntly.  "Is it important?"

Miroku, not having her lips to keep him busy, was contented to drop his face towards her neck and gently kiss there.

InuYasha harrumphed a few times and twitched his ears in annoyance.  "That's gonna leave a mark, you know." He said, indicating the monk's gentle nips.

She shrugged.  "What do you want?"

"Kagome has been-- Sango, he's going for a feel." He said feeling exasperated.  The monk's hand stopped on her stomach, hesitating.

She glanced down at his hand, and then tossed her head defiantly.  "Aw, let him.  It's been a long day."  Miroku happily obliged.

"Well, I can't concentrate on what I have to say when he's all over you like that." Stated the hanyou, ready to spill blood.

"What's the matter, InuYasha?" asked Miroku suddenly.  "Jealous that you're not with yours?"

The half-breed turned red and left. 

     
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Miroku felt glad as he stepped up to the hut where he knew a certain taiji-ya waited for him.  He and the hanyou had been away for several days, dealing with matters in another town while the girls and the kitsune stayed to rest in an old hut they found earlier.  Kagome was probably asleep, and InuYasha ran ahead to get first dibs on the last futon, so the Houshi was the last to arrive.   

He stepped into the hut and entered the sleeping area, where Sango pretended she hadn't seen him and kept at her chores in the corner of the room.  Perfect, he thought.   Everyone else is asleep. 

He came up behind her and grabbed her in a tight back-to-front hug.  She grinned, turned in his arms, and locked hers around his neck. 

"Missed you," he said into her hair.

"I know," she whispered back. 

She could feel his arms tighten around her.  He had been longing for this the entire time he was gone, she was sure of it.  His mouth hungrily searched for hers and she felt herself concentrating on his body heat and the feeling of his arms around her more than his lips.

The demon slayer was raised to fight like a man, so she was never really sure what it was like to be desired as a woman.  Even so, she could feel the need in which he held her to him; she could tell that he wanted to feel her body against his.  All this was new and surreal to her, but a sort of relief swept through her and she almost cried.  Instead, she let herself be picked up and carried to Miroku's bed.  

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Kagome and Sango giggled as the demon huntress teetered over the hill, heading back to Miroku and Sango's hut.  Her swollen, pregnant belly made her balance a little shaky, which always caused the girls nervous laughter. 

The baby had recently dropped, and Kagome noticed how Sango rubbed at her back a lot.  "Sango, does your back hurt?" she asked finally.

"Well, I've been having these annoying little muscle pains for a while now," she began to explain.

Sango and the people of feudal Japan did not know these warning signs, but Kagome did, and she started to panic.  "Sango, I think-" before she could finish Sango cried out and fell over in a puddle of water.

"It's- it's time!" Sango cried.  "Why must that stupid monk be performing an exorcism now?!"

Kagome screamed out for InuYasha and she helped the struggling Sango into the hut.  "InuYashaaa!" she cried again, wishing for her mother.

The hanyou burst through the door.  "What is it?" he asked urgently.  "Wha-?" he saw Sango and blanched.  "I'll get Kaede," he called over his shoulder and he ran off. 

Shippou danced around nervously.  "What should I do?" he kept asking.

Kagome tried to calm down and think.  "Um, take Kirara and fetch Miroku," she said finally.  "He should be here when his child is born."

For Sango, the delivery was a blur, but Kagome remembered each little detail.  First she tried to make Sango comfortable on her futon, and then got a bowl of water and some towels that she knew they would need.  By then, Kaede had shown up, and she took care of the rest, occasionally telling Kagome to fetch something or hold Sango's hand through a particularly bad contraction. 

Sango struggled late into the afternoon, but her demon fighting years made her strong.  She finally gave birth to a beautiful baby girl once the sun had set.  Kaede cleaned up the baby as Kagome tried to help Sango relax.  Miroku, hurry up! She thought impatiently. 

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Shippou had the worst time trying to find the elusive monk.  Even with the fire cat's nose, it wasn't until early evening when they spotted the Houshi on his was back from the town he was in. 

"MIROKUUUU!" the kitsune called out.  "Come on!  Get on!  NOW!"

Miroku looked up, alarmed.  "Shippou, what is it?" he asked, worriedly.

"Sango is having her baby!" Shippou cried out, unable to keep it inside any longer. 

The Houshi blanched and hopped on Kirara.  "Go, go!" he cried.  "I need to get to her!" What he didn't say was; what if Sango is not okay?  Many women die in childbirth!  Oh, I would kill myself if something when wrong and I wasn't there!

When they arrived, Miroku jumped off Kirara and ran to the hut where InuYasha sat outside.  "They wouldn't let me in," he said glumly.  "Kaede said it was women's work only."

"Is she okay?" Miroku asked quickly.

"I do not smell death," InuYasha answered quietly.  "A little blood, a lot of some strange fluid, Sango, Kaede, Kagome, medicinal herbs, and another I do not know." InuYasha relished the look on the Houshi's face as he ran inside.

Once inside, Shippou saw Kaede and Kagome grinning at Miroku, who was staring at Sango.  She looked tired, but radiant with a small bundle in her arms while she laid on the futon. 

Oh, the eye love!  Miroku walked over to Sango, kissed her forehead and gazed down at his daughter.  "Didn't we say we wanted 'Chihiro' for a girl?" asked Sango. 

He nodded blindly as Chihiro nursed for the first time.   The two looked on, enchanted.  "She has your eyes," he said finally.  "Those pretty brown eyes."

Shippou looked at InuYasha, who was gazing at Kagome with a sort of wistful longing.  With little Chihiro in the world and Naraku out of it, who knows what will happen after? 

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A/N So, you like?  I think this one is a lot better than True Colors, damn that one sucked, but please R&R so I know how you like it!  Whoa, that didn't sound right, LOL.  But please, I got no reviews last time.  It made me sad.  -LS