Family Ties by Fluffy's Lady

Chapter 1

Full summary: Ties that bind, ties that release, ties that strengthen, ties that weaken. Inuyasha loved her and left her, left her behind with their pup to raise. The world has come to a spinning halt as Kagome is forced to pick up the shattered pieces of her life. An unexpected help arrives in the form of Inuyasha's older half-brother. What will happen is as uncertain as the future itself.

Note: The first 5 chapters are typed out. 5 reviews to receive the next one.

Title: Family Ties

Genre: Romance/Drama/Humor

Wondering about my other three stories? Don't worry, they'll all be updated in time. ;D

Disclaimer: I own nothing. Nothing except this storyline and any other characters that may appear in it. (i don't think there is going to be any tho.)

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Family Ties

Chapter 1

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Kagome bounced her small pink bundle in her arms, willing it to stop crying for just a moment.

"Hush, baby," she said, cooing at it and trying to find her patience. My precious little girl, she thought with a smile. It's been three years since Naraku's defeat and the well's sealing. I was lucky, though, Kikyou chose to go to hell with Naraku rather than try to keep her claim on Inuyasha. Today is our first anniversary and you'll be three months old in a week. How lucky are we to have you? She nuzzled her baby tenderly, My little pup. You are indeed a miracle and a wonderful work of Nature, if not a bit of an oddity. It certainly is strange that you are a hanyou like your father and not a quarter breed like everyone expected. Kaede says that whenever a miko marries, her child will be whatever the father is, whether that's human, youkai or hanyou.

The young pup snuffled and hushed, sticking her small thumb in her mouth and staring at her mother with wide blue eyes. Two silver dog ears, sticking out from the top of her head, twitched about, listening to the soft sound of her mother's heartbeat and her father's approaching footsteps.

"Oi, Kagome," Inuyasha called softly, walking over to his mate. He stood beside her as she turned to face out the doorway of their home. Inhaling deeply, he caught her scent mixed with the scent of the soft morning that was breaking outside. What a beautiful creature you are, Kagome. A blessing from heaven sent to lighten my life. How could I have been such a fool to think of you as Kikyou's replacement and nothing more? You and her are nothing alike; she was cold and dead, even in life, while you are warm and open hearted, loving everyone and anyone regardless of status.

"Hm?" she asked, watching as the dawn broke over the eastern hills. What a beautiful morning, she thought absently.

"I--," he started before coming to a stop. I love you. I love you with all my heart and soul. I'm just not man enough to say it aloud...

"Yes?" his mate smiled softly, lifting her head to meet his eyes. Eyes that are a warm golden honey, that go straight to his soul. Oh, beloved, are you finally going to tell me that you love me? Her heart beat in her chest, rapidly pounding and making her head spin. She leaned against the rough frame of the house for support.

"I--," the red-clad hanyou began again before he was interrupted by a loud wail.

The baby, no longer content to be quiet in her mother's arms, wanted attention. Her little face screwed up into a grimace and her mouth opened, letting out an ear-piercing cry. "Waaa...!!"

"Gaah!" Inuyasha cried, clamping his hands down on top of his ears. "Pup! Don't you know that hurts?" He shook his still ringing head.

Kagome laughed at her mate and nuzzled her pup again. I love you, my sweet girl. "Quiet now, darling. Outou-san's ears are much more sensitive than yours or mine are." For now anyway, soon her hearing will improve and she won't be able to stand such loud noises. She laughed and hugged her baby to her chest, gently rocking the wailing child. The rocking slowly took effect, closing the baby's eyes and sending her off to dreamland.

"You know you are so good at that?" her hanyou asked. "Every time I try to rock her to sleep she just wails louder and louder until she turns blue. But when you rock her she falls a sleep like that," he snapped his fingers. "I just don't get it."

The young miko looked up at the man she loved and adored. "You just don't have a woman's touch, that's all." She smiled laughingly at him, reaching one hand up to gently pinch his nose. "When she's older, though, she'll come running to otou-san to save her from evil okaa-san and all her chores," she reassured him.

"How do you know?" he pouted.

"I just do, that's why," she shrugged. Because that's what I did before my dad died. Whenever mama would give me a chore to do I would always run to papa and beg him not to make me do it. Sometimes it worked, most of the time it didn't, though.

"Kagome, I--" Inuyasha began for the third time. This time, though, he didn't cut himself off, nor was he cut off by his child, instead a villager came running up to their house, fear lighting his eyes.

"I--Inu--Inuyasha-sama!!" the man finally got out. "A demon is attacking the village!"

"Is it so hard to kill that I have to come do it?" he asked, more than a little perturbed. He had been enjoying the morning with his wife and daughter and didn't want it ruined by some stupid youkai who didn't know when to die.

"Yes sir! It is a large boar youkai. It seems to be out of its mind. The monk, taijiya, her fire cat and the young kitsune are already out in the fields, trying to prevent the beast from coming any closer. They are holding it off, but it is taking a lot out of them to do so. Please, help!" the villager begged.

"Feh," Inuyasha snorted. "Pathetic humans."

"Inuyasha," Kagome said warningly. The inu-hanyou immediately flattened his ears against his head. That's better. "Send Shippou back here. He's still too young to be out there."

"Feh, woman, he's six years old, give him a little freedom won't you?" he groused. The look in his wife's eyes, though, held no argument. "Feh," he snorted again, "Fine, I'll send him back here." He turned to the villager who had been sent for them. The man looked to be in his late teens to early twenties. He stood clutching the door frame for dear life, leaning heavily upon its support as he tried to regain his breath. His clothes were as ragged as his breathing, and his short black hair was tied into a low knot at the nape of his neck. His brown eyes sparkled with fear. "Go," Inuyasha commanded, "go out to the fields and tell them I'm coming." He turned to his wife. "I'll be back, Kagome, I promise." He softly kissed her cheek and that of his precious little girl.

With that, he turned and ran out of their house, following and quickly surpassing the fleeing messenger. Be safe, my love, she thought as a sense of foreboding washed over her. She turned her back on the door and went inside. Walking down the small hallway, she opened the right hand shoji door and went inside her daughter's room. The room was small but had a spacious feel to it thanks to a large window on the far wall. A bassinet sat along the left hand wall. The small crib was painted a light pink and had fresh feather padding in the bottom. A light blanket lay pulled back, waiting its charge. In one corner of the crib was a small stuffed dog, white as snow with golden eyes.

In between the window and the bassinet sat a high backed rocking chair. A small pillow, squashed and flattened with use, rested in the seat of the armless chair. On the opposite wall was a raised table with two levels and some light padding on the top level. The second level was stocked with old fashioned cloth diapers, a bowl and pitcher filled with water and some smaller pieces of cloth. In the center of the room was a sunken fire pit with a covering. During the winter, the fireplace would be lit early in the evening and banked at night to provide sufficient heat through the coldest of months. Some heavy black cloth was rolled and tacked above the window frame. At night, the cloth would be loosed and tacked along the bottom and sides of the window in an attempt to seal the room from the cool night winds.

Kagome walked into the small room, turning and closing the door behind her. She crossed the room and laid the sleeping child gently in the bassinet, slowly pulling the light blanket up to her shoulders and tucking her stuffed dog in beside her. Laying a soft kiss on her forehead, the young miko went to the window and quietly let out the "drapes". The room immediately darkened, but not so much that Kagome was blind. In fact, she could still see quite clearly. Opening the door, she took one last look at the room and stepped back into the hall, leaving the door cracked open enough for her to hear when her daughter awoke.

Later in the morning, Kagome was sweeping out the front room of her house when she felt a sudden pang go through her heart. Clutching her chest, she sank to her knees gasping for breath. Inuyasha was her first thought. A loud cry interrupted her thoughts, the baby had awoken as well and was upset about something. Kagome struggled to her feet and slowly made her way up the hall, leaning on the walls for support.

When she reached the baby's room, she had regained enough of her strength to stand on her own. Opening the door, she quickly went inside and pulled back the drapes, flooding the room in light. Kagome rushed over to her distressed daughter, picking her up and slowly rocking her.

"Shh..., it's alright, everything's going to be alright. You'll see, Otou-san will be back soon and everything will be fine." She gently bounced and rocked the infant, cooing and humming, trying everything to quiet her daughter. It took longer than normal but eventually the child was quiet once more, although she did not want to be separated from her mother.

Kagome sighed and gave up, giving in to her daughter's wish for comfort. Frankly I could use some comfort myself, she thought wistfully of the long nights she and Inuyasha would spend together, sleeping in each other's arms, among other things. I wonder how Inuyasha is doing with that boar; it's taking and abnormally long time, especially if Miroku and Sango are helping him. Shippou hasn't come back either, something's not right. She began to panic as a sickening feeling lodged itself into the pit of her stomach.

At the smell of her mother's fear, the child's superficial calm evaporated. She opened her mouth and let out a wail loud enough to hurt even Kagome's ears. Kagome flinched and forced herself to calm down for her child's sake, and that of her ears. Breathing deep, and letting the breath out slowly, helped to calm her down. Once she was completely calm, she slowly walked around the entire house, singing softly to her child as she went.

Some time later, Kagome heard her name being called.

"Kagome!"

She ran to the doorway to greet her guest. It was Shippou. The little kitsune slowly trudged up to her door, looking sorrowful and contrite.

A wave of an unknown emotion slammed into Kagome. No, please, Kami, no! "What's the matter, Shippou, another village girl break your heart?" she tried to joke weakly.

Shippou looked up at her and his face drove another arrow through Kagome's heart. "Kagome," he said slowly, too slowly.

The young miko blanched. She looked over the kit's shoulder to see a procession approaching. In the lead was Sango and Miroku, bloody and beaten, but alive. A weakened Kirara in her kitten form was cradled in the taijiya's arms. Sango's hair had escaped her ponytail sometime during the fight. Her face was covered in scratches and her slaying outfit was torn and shredded in places, particularly her knees. Her broken katana rested in her waistband and her sleeves had been torn open from where she had released her hidden knives. Her eyes were dull and her step heavy. Her hiraikotsu hung on her back.

Miroku had a stricken look on his face and leaned heavily on his staff. His hair was tossled and a thin stream of blood ran down one side of his face. His left eye was swollen shut and his right eye threatened to do the same. His left arm hung in a makeshift sling that was made from somebody's clothes. His sandals had been lost and his bare feet were coated in dust. His lip was split along with his cheek. His step was slow.

Kagome looked past her long-time friends to see a body carried on a stretcher in between two village men. A sheet covered the body, obscuring its identity. A crowd of somber eyed people slowly walked behind the stretcher, tears pouring down their faces even as their mouths moved in silent prayers for the dead.

No, no it can't be! she almost cried. "Inuyasha? Where is Inuyasha?" She looked around, expecting him to jump out of the trees and scare her, expecting him to sneak up on her from behind and wrap her in an enormous hug, expecting him to get up and say it was all a joke.

When Miroku and Sango looked at each other, then at her, something broke inside of Kagome. She sank to her knees in the doorway, clutching her wailing child to her chest. Her face was drawn and tight and her head was swimming. Her breathing became ragged and her heart was pounding.

Miroku and Sango saw her sink to her knees. "Kagome-chan!" "Kagome-sama!" they cried in unison, running to reach their fallen friend.

Shippou was the first to reach her, though. He gently took the baby from her limp arms and stepped back, allowing the other two to reach the young woman.

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The morning was cheerful. The sun was shining and there wasn't a cloud in the sky. Birds flew all around, filling the air with their songs. There was a gentle wind flowing through the trees, lightly shaking them. The trees sighed in delight at the beauty of the day.

It's like nothing has ever happened. Their world goes on even though mine has stopped. It's not fair, why do the princesses in all the stories "live happily ever after" yet my story has a tragic ending to it? She looked at the others surrounding her, their clothes as somber as hers. She was dressed in a long black dress that reached down to mid-shin. She wore sandals on her feet and her hair in a high ponytail. Her brown eyes leaked tears as her heart leaked its pain.

The child in her arms cried too, though not as loudly as she once did. Now it was more of snuffles and whines rather than an all out cry.

She looked on as a wooden casket was lowered into the ground and covered in dirt. She stayed rooted in one spot even after everyone had left. Eventually she turned and left the new grave, her heart broken.