Busted

After her meltdown in the hallway, Kagome had gone through the rest of the school day in a daze. To her, it seemed as if she were on auto-pilot and couldn't recollect what had happened in the last few hours. Hell, she wasn't even certain if she had homework or not. If it hadn't been for Sango then she would have likely climbed aboard the wrong bus and ended up on the other side of the city.

Now, the young mother sat on her bed fidgeting badly, her mind swirling with panic as thoughts fired rapidly. Holy shit. What was she going to do? She needed to come up with something fast because Sesshōmaru would be showing up soon.

The understanding brunette sitting wearily beside her exhaled deeply and placed a hand on her shoulder, shaking it lightly as she spoke. "Kagome will you stop that! You're making me nervous."

Kagome instantly ceased her fretting and flashed a faint apologetic smile before promptly shutting her luminous eyes and willingly taking several calming breaths. "Sorry, I just can't help myself. I'm freaking out. I don't know what to do."

Sango glanced thoughtfully out the window and chewed on her bottom lip, trying to think of anything that she could help with. How could she assist her dearest friend? What could she do? Her eyes light up, and she turned back to Kagome with a satisfied smile of her own. "How about we take Malakai over to my house? I'm sure my grandma will watch him."

The anxious teen arched a dark brow unconvinced and naturally wondered if her charming friend had conveniently forgotten who her grandmother was. Grammy Kaede was undoubtedly like a bloodhound and could sniff out that there was something going on. The old woman was no fool and though she would not question them; it still felt wrong to lie even if it was an omission of sorts. Hell, Kagome already felt awful lying to the kind elderly woman about the situation in the first place.

Sango didn't look the least bit worried as she dismissively waved a hand and bobbed her head vigorously. "I don't think so. I think she may help, but we won't know unless we ask her. Even if she says no, I'll watch him, so let's get Malakai ready and take him over."

Kagome stood up and carefully smoothed out the wrinkled uniform with trembling hands then peered over at her confident companion. "Are you sure?" She didn't want Sango to feel like she was morally obligated to help her out. It was her glorious mess after all.

Sango hopped to her feet and stepped closer, so she could touch her arm lightly. "Yes. You're my best friend and you would do the same thing for me if I needed help. Plus, I told you I'd back you up."

Bringing her hand up to gently rest on the one on her arm, Kagome knowingly gave it a squeeze and blinked back the tears that glazed her vision. "Thanks. You have no idea how much this all means to me."

"Aww no tears right now, okay? We can have a heartwarming cry after you deal with the Ice Prince." The tall woman smiled warmly while dropping her hold and kindly nudging the shorter female towards the connecting doors. "Now come on. We should get going before it's too late."

"Yeah, you're right," admitted Kagome with a nod and hurried into Malakai's room to secure the things he would need for his brief stay.

A few minutes later had the teen mother slinging a diaper bag over a dainty shoulder and making her way out of the room and to the stairs. "Okay, I think I have everything, so all we need to do is get Malakai." Whispered Kagome while patting the bag lightly as they carefully headed down the steps and followed the booming laughs coming from the direction of the living room.

Peering eagerly into the modest room, Kagome spied her brother sprawled out on the large couch with Malakai reclining next to him; both were watching a campy anime and eating something from a big bowl.

She tentatively approached the distracted pair and cleared her throat to capture their attention away from the animated screen.

Malakai's toothy smile, brightened when he spotted his mother, and his little arms stretched forward, so she could pick him up and hold him. "Mama! Up," cried the pup excitedly.

Reaching out to snag the small child from the plush cushions, Kagome hitched him on her hip and greeted the tiny yōkai with a big kiss on the cheek. "Hi, baby." He leaned in and pressed a sloppy kiss to her own then hugged her tightly. 'Aww. He is too cute.' She wasn't convinced if she would ever be unaffected by her son's adorability. Maybe when he became a teenager, she would think differently.

Shifting her focus away from the adorable child and to her lounging sibling, Kagome kicked the foot dangling off the couch to get his attention.

He grunted as his inquisitive gaze swiveled from the television and a brow rose in silent questioning, "What?"

"I need a favor." She blurted out to get to the heart of the matter, so the trio could leave before Sesshōmaru came over and caught them red-handed.

Souta sat up on the couch and regarded his sister curiously; the television show now forgotten. "What kind of favor?"

"I need you to move my dresser back in front of the connecting door in my room and hide anything of Malakai's, including pictures. Also, spray a lot of air freshener throughout the house. I'll give you 3400 yen if you will. You can hit up the gaming center that you've been wanting to go to," said the teen mom while carefully adjusting the wiggling toddler on her ample hip.

His thick brows furrowed in confusion and Souta stood from the couch to scratch at his head, voicing his bewilderment. "Why do you want me to do this?"

Her cheeks puffed with air and an unoccupied hand ran through her raven locks before answering vaguely. "Certain circumstances have arisen, and it needs to look like Malakai was never here. That is why I'm taking him to Sango's house for a couple of hours."

"Would this circumstance have anything to do with you know?" He lifted this chin at his nephew, and a look of concern flashed over his youthful features.

Kagome dropped her brother's questioning gaze and slid it to the wiggling child in her arms. Another sigh escaped, and she turned back to him with a brief nod. "Yeah it does, so I need you to do this for me, please."

Souta scanned from her to Malakai, and his capable shoulder quickly slumped in resignation. "Fine but you owe me a favor when the time comes." He extended his hand and curled his fingers back and forth. "Money please."

"Thank you, baby brother." She leaned in to give his cheek a quick peck then pulled back to dig through her small purse to retrieve the yen. Kagome passed him the bills and returned her attention to her son. "KaiKai, say goodbye to Uncle Souta."

A podgy hand waved in the direction of his uncle and smiled broadly. "Bye!"

Souta smiled fondly in return and held out his hand in front of the adorable toddler. "High-five little man. I'll see you when you get home."

Malakai slapped it excitedly, and he bobbed his dark head before waving again "Bye."

Kagome bid her brother goodbye, and the trio hurried out the door and down the shrine steps. The shorter teen paused thoughtfully at the bottom and looked about to ensure that she didn't see the Inuyōkai anywhere, then the trio continued their way to Sango's home.

Wandering along the sidewalk, both women were quiet for some time before Kagome shattered the silence. "Sango are you sure this is okay with you?"

The striking brunette gently waved her off and levelled her brown eyes in considerable frustration. "I already told you that it's okay. I have no problem doing this for you so stop worrying."

Kagome shoved a manicured hand roughly through her raven locks and sighed heavily. "Fine. I just wanted to make sure that you were okay with it."

Sango threw an arm over her shoulders, squeezing her lightly and smiling down at the anxious woman. Her expression held kindness and empathy while the tone of her voice possessed a soft edge as she spoke. "I know you are, but it's fine. I would do anything for you; you're my best friend."

She leaned into her companion's side and smiled up at the serious looking teen. "You are a great friend, you know?"

Giving Kagome another squeeze and small hip bump, the brunette grinned smugly and boasted proudly. "Yeah, I know. I'm the best."

A humorous giggle bubbled over the teenage mother, and she rolled her eyes skyward. "Is your head getting bigger or is it just me?"

Sango laughed heartily and dropped the heavy limb from Kagome's shoulders as they came up to the gate of her house. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Uh huh. Sure." Kagome snorted softly, shaking her head as she followed her friend through the gate.

Digging keys out of her pocket to unlock the front door, Sango pushed it open and called out to her grandmother. "Gram's I'm home! Can you come here for a minute please?"

"Child I will be right there." They heard the smoky tone of the elder then something being set down and the shuffling of feet.

The squat form of Sango's grandmother, Kaede appeared through an entryway and smiled when she spied Kagome and Malakai. "Hello, Kagome. I see ye brought the child."

Kagome's lips twitched upward nervously at the older women and hitched the sliding toddler into a more comfortable position. "Hi, Grammy Kaede. Yeah, I did, and I was wondering if you could watch him for me? Mama's at the nursing home helping out with grandpa right now and Souta is going to the gaming center. It would only be for two hours or so and no longer than that."

Kaede watched with an eagle eye then waved a hand much like her granddaughter had done earlier and reached out for the small yōkai. "Child, ye go and do what ye need to do, but ye should not keep Malakai a secret from the person ye are running from."

The older woman's brown eye twinkled knowingly, and Kagome felt a flush creep upon her features, and her words stuttered. "W…w…what do you mean?"

Lifting Malakai up on her fleshy hip, Kaede looked from him to Kagome and shook her gray head. "I already know that this little one belongs to ye. So ye do not have to act with me, child."

Sango stared at her grandma with a slacked jaw in disbelief; it snapped shut, and she questioned the older woman. "How'd you know?"

Kaede tapped her granddaughter's cheek lovingly and smiled. "Only a mother could hear her child crying from rooms away."

Kagome grinned sheepishly and rubbed the back of her neck embarrassingly. "Well umm…"

Oh, yeah, she had forgotten about that day. Her mother and Malakai were visiting Kaede, and she and Sango had been hanging out in her room. When a high-pitched cry rang out, she had realized that it was Malakai and instantly reacted without thinking. She had bolted out of the room and reached him before her mother could. No one had commented on her reaction, so she never thought that she had tipped anyone off, much less Kaede. She should have known that eagle-eyed grandmother would have figured it out and kept quiet until the opportunity presented itself.

The elderly woman jolted her out of her thoughts by placing a wrinkled hand on her bicep and rub it reassuringly. "Child, yer secret is safe with me so do not worry. Though I do not know why ye are keeping him a secret at all."

Kagome's blue eyes dropped to the floor while her fingers intertwined anxiously. Bangs covered her shame-filled face as she whispered to the older female. "I…It's complicated, and I have my reasons."

Kaede sighed and moved her hand from Kagome's arm to gently touched her cheek, "Yes, I suppose ye do." The withered hand patted it lightly, and the elder bestowed a bit of her wisdom. "Just remember, child, that difficult roads lead to beautiful destinations."

The teen fought the tears that glazed over her vision at the old woman's words. She really wanted to believe them but could not give herself false hope. There would be no beautiful destination with this one.

Blinking away the salty liquid, Kagome changed the subject by thanking the senior and leaning in to kiss her son goodbye. "Thank you so very much, Grammy Kaede, and I'll be back in a couple of hours to pick him up."

They made their way to the entrance and the teen passed off the diaper bag to the old woman, who took it quickly and shooed her out the door. "Go child. You would not want to keep yer visitor waiting."

"Okay, I'm going. Bye." She blew Malakai a kiss and closed the door slowly behind her. She stood on the stoop for a few minutes taking in a couple of deep breaths and willed herself not to freak out. It would be better to have a clear head when dealing with Sesshōmaru.

Swallowing down the panic and taking in several more lungful of air, the nervous teen stepped off the stoop and began to walk down the five blocks to her home.

It didn't take Kagome that long to get to the shrine and by the time she was approaching the multitude of steps, a familiar white muscle car pulled into view. Cursing silently and mentally kicking herself, she checked her watch to see the time. 'Shit. It's six already. I should have known he would be here right on time.' Breathing in deeply and bucking up the nerve to approach the newcomer, she softly chanted a spell to make Malakai's scent disappear then put on a fake smile and strolled up to the vehicle. 'Well, the sooner we get this done; the quicker he gets out of my life.'

The silvered haired Inuyōkai stepped out just in time to see Kagome's gradual approach. His golden eyes flashed, and the Inu's body language oozed smugness as he haughtily spoke. "I told you, you would be here, did I not?"

His ego had her wanting to roll her eyes and quip something rather bitchy in return, but she stopped herself; it would do no good to start a fight. Keeping the phony smile plastered on her face, Kagome shrugged her shoulders and glanced at her watch in mock boredom. "Yes, well you're lucky. I just got done with the plans I had with Sango, so I was able to show up. It would have sucked to be standing out here like some creeper." Okay, so she could not stop that one from slipping free.

He slung a messenger bag over his shoulder and glanced at her while he shut his car door. "I see. So, are we going to stand out here like creepers or are we going to get this project started?"

Kami, did he have to be such a prick all the time? Kagome's faux smile dimmed some, and she had to choke back another cheeky comment toward the arrogant yōkai. The ruffled teen turned on her heels and hurried up the steep steps, mumbling under her breath. "The quicker, the better."

Sesshōmaru raised a slick eyebrow but only made a sound of disapproval as he continued to follow behind her. "Hn…"

Kagome quickly opened the front door and strolled in, taking notice that the house now smelt heavy of the citrusy scent of lemons and her brother was nowhere in sight. 'Thank the Kamigami!' She thought to herself, while toeing off her shoes at the entry and beckoned the Inuyōkai in. "Come on in. I'm sure you remember your way around. If not, I guess your shit out of luck." Damn. She had not meant to say something like that, but the yōkai had a tenancy to get underneath her skin and cause a great deal of irritation; much like something trapped in the eye that you can't seem to find.

Silver locks shook about and his features curled into a look of disgust as he slipped off his own shoes. "You have hung out with the half-breed for far too long and picked up on his deplorable habits; It is not surprising really coming from one with tainted blood, he lacks the refinement that a full yōkai embodies." The utter disdain for his younger sibling was clear in the dog demon's sharp tone.

'Tainted blood?!' Her mind screeched angerly, and fury like no other washed over her trembling form. How could he say that? Would he speak that way if he knew his own child was a 'half-breed' as he liked to put it? Whirling around with hands on her hips and chin jutting out to glare up at the callous yōkai, she made sure her own detestation was known when snapping at him. "Don't call him that! He is still a yōkai no matter his heritage. You could be a little nicer since he is your brother and you are family after all. No matter your feelings, he is blood and deserves some respect!"

Golden eyes curiously surveyed the furious female for a split second but didn't bother to remark about what she had said before pivoting on his spot and making another sound of discontentment."Hn…"

His reaction was unexpected and caught the angry woman off guard; reducing some of the heat and replacing it with confusion. Normally, the Inuyōkai would have lashed back with something utterly cruel then leave without an additional word. Her brows furrowed at his odd behavior and watched him stride towards the landing. He didn't even bother to look over his shoulder to see if she was following as he started up the steps. The dog demon's condescending attitude was still there along with that strange manner and had Kagome swaying her gaze to the ceiling and shaking her dark head.

The edgy teen breathed in a couple of cleansing breaths then hurried after the haughty yōkai before he discovered something that he wasn't supposed to. She was unsure what all Souta had accomplished. It wasn't like she had been very specific when she told Souta her favor. Maybe, she should have, but there was no sense of worrying about it now; it was clearly too late.

Rushing up the staircase, Kagome sighed with relief when she spied that her little brother had cleverly shut all the upstairs doors. 'Thank you, Souta. You definitely deserve some more yen when you get back.' The young woman silently thanked him and hurried to the waiting yōkai.

The demon in question had his back resting against the wall and roamed her form with impatient eyes as she approached.

She ignored the look and sidled passed him to slide open her door then scurried to the laptop on her desk to boot it up.

The dog demon pulled up an empty chair and plopped down then set the bag in his lap so he could begin to dig through it.

Logging in and loading the browser, Kagome stepped away for the computer and turned to the demon with a tight smile. 'Well, I guess I should try to be civil.' "Would you like something to drink?" Her mother would have her hide if she found out that she wasn't behaving like a proper hostess, even, if the guest in question was the man that knocked her up and left her to deal with the consequences.

Sesshōmaru glanced up from his bag and considered her question as he set a notebook and pencil down on the cool surface. "Yes," voiced the Inu while he hauled the laptop closer and proceeded to type something.

Her brow ticked with annoyance at his plain disregard for her personal space and not bothering to give her an idea of what he wanted to drink. "Okay. Is Melon soda fine?" She gritted this out carefully and lightly tapped her fingertips over the glossy tabletop.

His eyes never left the screen as he continued to scroll along with the page he was reading and answered distractedly with a wave of his clawed hand. "That is suitable."

The tick in her brow worsened at the dismissive gesture, and she fought the urge to stick her tongue out at him. She was not one of his servants for Kami's sake and didn't have to get him anything to drink. Not everyone was born with a silver spoon in their mouth.

"Umm. Yeah. I'll be right back," Forced out the annoyed teen before stepping away from the desk and making her way out of the room, so she didn't say something about his entitled ways.

Pausing at the landing, Kagome ran fingers roughly through her thick locks and tried to let go of the irritation that the demon seemed to produce once again. Gods, the yōkai knew how to get to her even when he wasn't trying to. 'Let it go. Pick and choose our battles as Mama says. There could be worse things that could happen.' She blew some bangs out of her eyes and started down the steps. The quicker she got this done, the sooner she could have the man out of her house.

Hurrying into the kitchen, the young mother went to the cabinet and grabbed two glasses setting them on the counter, while moving to the refrigerator to get the ice and two cans of melon soda. Filling both glasses with the cold cubes and topping them off with the soda, Kagome tossed the empty cans into the recycling bin then carefully carried the drinks back upstairs.

The sound of rapid typing became louder the closer she got to the room; Kagome quietly sauntered in and took notice that the yōkai in front of the computer was stiffer in posture than he had been before she had left to go get the sodas. Her dark brows creased in confusion, and she cautiously approached the silent yōkai to set down his glass then went to sit in the other chair.

She waited for him to say thank you for the drink, but he kept quiet and continued to type. If it hadn't been for the noise of the keyboard, the silence would have been deafening, though it did make Kagome's stomach tighten uncomfortably. Her teeth worried her bottom lip and wild thoughts ping-ponged around. Had she missed something? Was he still upset about earlier? Or was it something else altogether?

Minutes ticked by and still, he ignored her existence by typing and occasionally writing in the notebook. Finally, Kagome bucked up the nerve to break the uneasy silence and ask about the project. "So…what Era are we doing anyway?"

As if nothing was ever said, Sesshōmaru wrote something in the notebook without missing a beat. It was abundantly clear that he was giving her the cold-shouldering.

Her unease was beginning to turn back to annoyance. What the hell was his problem? She was about to say something else when he turned sharply to face her and his molten gaze burned hotly, and the soft tone was bitterly cold. "What did you name him?"

Kagome stilled as her mind went blank and eyes widened owlishly at the demon. 'What?' The panic she had been dealing with earlier came back with a vengeance and caused her heart to flutter violently out of control. 'He couldn't possibly know… How?' She must have misheard him and stuttered out a reply. "E..e…excuse me?"

A growl of displeasure sprang from the Inuyōkai, and the pencil in his hand snapped. "What did you name our son?"

Holy shit. She had heard him right. What was she going to do? He knows, and he is asking questions. He wasn't supposed to care. The panicked feeling was getting worse, and it was making it harder to focus on the demon in front of her. A tightening feeling began to take over her chest like a vise grip and sucking in the scented air was getting tougher by the second.

Sesshōmaru swiveled in the chair, reaching out to shake her shoulders roughly and sharply calling out the nickname he always used. "Gome! Breath…"

The endearing nickname snapped her out of the attack, causing the young woman to yank from the tight hold and shove at his chest to give them some distance. She sneered at him nastily, and a petite fist beat against the arm of the chair. "Don't call me that!" It was one name she never wanted to hear again, especially spilled from his silver tongue. He had no right to call her that; not anymore.

"I will call you what I want. Now you will answer this Sesshōmaru!", demanded the yōkai while locking his arms over his chest and leaning back into the seat.

Kagome released an uncouth snort and copied Sesshōmaru's stance with brows raising in defiance. "Why should I tell you?"

His upper lip curled into another snarl as his golden gaze burned into her person and barked out a reply. "Because this Sesshōmaru is his father that is why!"

That raven mane of hers toss back, and a brittle laugh sprang from the bitter teen. "Just because you were a sperm donor doesn't make you a father.", The nerve of the demon, she couldn't believe the audacity; Him a father, yeah right, and she's the reincarnation of the powerful priestess Midoriko.

His eyes turned to slivers, and a fist slammed against the desk while another snarl ripped from the angry yōkai. "You will not keep my son from me! I am the boy's father!"

A cruel smile wove upon her features, and the words she spoke were meant to cut deeply into the demon's cherished pride. "A father takes responsibility for his actions, but oh wait, you didn't do that so you can't possibly be a father…" Before Kagome could say any more, the back of the chair was shoved up against the wall, jostling her about, and the furious face of the dog demon loomed over her dazed form.

Red seeped eyes stared down at the small teen, and his clawed fingers dug into the wooden armrests while his ragged tone spat out a warning. "Little Miko, do not press your luck. You will not like what you get."

The bewildered feeling left the woman, and it was suddenly replaced with bottled-up anger, causing Kagome to direct a growl of her own at the yōkai and challenged his warning. "What the hell are you going to do to me if I do, Sesshōmaru? Hm. What DAMN IT?!"

A look of malice flashed in his hot gaze, and he leaned in to whisper huskily in her ear to voice what he would exactly do if she did not head his words. "That is simple, Woman. I will tell Inuyasha everything, and I mean every single dirty detail."

Kagome's breath hitched at his vindictive threat, and her stomach twisted violently. She felt a tremble begin to shake her form and tried to keep the slight quiver out of her tone. "Y…you wouldn't dare."

Sesshōmaru bared his teeth at the trembling woman and mocked spitefully. "Indeed, I would. I have nothing to lose unlike you."

He was right. If he told Inuyasha, the half-demon would never forgive her. He would see it as a type of betrayal and cut off their friendship in a heartbeat. She'd be as hated as much Sesshōmaru himself was to him.

Tears welled up in her sad eyes, but Kagome refused to cry in front of the cruel demon and quickly turned away. "Malakai." A defeated sigh slipped past her lips, and the posture of her figure wilted into the chair. She slowly turned back to the towering male and peered up at him through thick lashes. "His name is Malakai, okay. Are you happy now?"

"Malakai." Her child's name rolled off the older yōkai's tongue, and he sounded rather pleased with it, then he smiled. "Does he look like me?"

The wetness in her gaze returned, and the emotional teen blinked for a few seconds before answering softly. "Very much so." Gods. He looked so much like the older yōkai at times that it hurt her wounded heart.

"You will go get him." It was more of a demand than a simply request for her to do so.

The salty liquid was no longer an issue when his demand sounded, and anger quickly washed over the woman once more. Like hell, she would, and she wasn't his fucking imp. He wasn't getting anywhere near her son. He could kiss her heart-shaped ass. "No!" sneered the furious teenager and flattened the palm of her hands against his broad chest and shoved the demon away. "Now get the hell off of me!"

Sesshōmaru quickly released the chair's arms and backed away from the furious miko. He ran his hand through his silver mane and raised his monotone voice to a bellow. "Woman! Do as you are told and go get my son!"

Once free of his looming presence, Kagome jumped to her feet and pointed at the door too mad to give a lick about his threat. Fuck it. Let him tell Inuyasha. "I said no and get the fuck out of my house before I call the authorities to take you out!" Oh, his dad would simply love that. She would give anything to be a fly on the wall to hear his explanation as to why the police escorted him out of her home.

The threat didn't seem to faze the Inuyōkai, and he simply raised a pale eyebrow before sidestepping the angry female to grab his bag and shove his things into it. Sesshōmaru swung the strap over his shoulder and turned back to the spitting mad woman. "We have more things to discuss."

Kagome hooked her arms over her chest and shook her head in disagreement as she replied with conviction. "I told you I'm done talking. You can do the project by yourself. Plus, I have another year, so I can take the class over to get the credit." She waved her hand towards the open door and snarled at the dog demon. "Now leave."

Sesshōmaru's jaw clenched tightly, and his nostrils flared a clear cue that the demon was pissed and hadn't liked what he had just heard. His knuckles were white from the strain of squeezing the strap resting against his side and it appeared as if he were warring with what to say; a first for the cool and collect Inuyōkai.

Instead of verbalizing anything, he stormed to leave only to pause in the doorway to glance over his shoulder and pierce the petite woman with a molten glare that screamed that they were not finished talking no matter what she had said. His jaw jumped rapidly and it appeared that he was going to say something when he suddenly whipped around and disappeared from view, leaving the female to run an unsteady hand through her raven hair and digest what had just happened.