A/N: I KNOW I should be working on 'The Asylum' and 'Room for Rent' but this plunnie attacked me and won't go away. As with most of my stories, this isn't going to be your typical Sesshoumaru and Kagome story. Despite how it starts out, I promise that it will be a Sess/Kag before the end. I don't know how often I'll update because I'm working a lot right now but I will try to keep it updated as often as possible. As always reviews are greatly appreciated.
I do not own Inuyasha or any of the characters associated.
********************************************************************************************************************
“Mr. and Mrs. Nakashima the doctor can see you now” the young nurse said to the only couple sitting in the waiting room.
Sesshoumaru spared a quick glance over to his wife Mika and nodded. This was the moment that the two of them had been waiting for, for nearly 3 years. Their marriage seemed like it was strong on the outside, but on the inside they were both in turmoil. The two of them had met at a charity function that his company had sponsored 8 years ago. She was attractive, intelligent and knew how to work the crowd. He was immediately drawn to her and after a whirlwind courtship; they were married 5 months later. He loved her, he really did but he couldn’t help some of the nagging feelings that had popped into his mind not long after they said ‘I do’.
He hoped and prayed that the rumors that she was only after his money were false and that she had married him out of her love for him. He believed in his wife and he refused to let the things that others who were jealous of her position said bother him. Some of the signs were hard to ignore though. She refused to go to work despite her degree in marketing from one of the most prestigious universities in Tokyo. Before he had proposed she talked of nothing but being able to put her degree to use and that she was looking forward to a position in one of the top advertising firms. The minute the ring hit her finger, any thought she had about going to work were gone. He mentioned it a couple times but all she would say was that she hadn’t found the right fit.
The second thing he noticed was that she shopped…a lot. There was never a day that he came home and failed to find several bags from the trendiest shops sitting on the kitchen counter. He didn’t mind the fact that he was in a position that allowed her to do it; he just wished she would take a break. Did she really need a new purse or pair of shoes every day?
The final clue that should have sent his mind spinning came three years ago when she brought up children. While it was natural for a married couple to want children it had become an obsession to Mika. He hadn’t expressed any desire to have children right away but it seemed to be the only thing she was focused on. After their first year without successful conception she began strategically planning their intimate encounters around her body’s natural cycle. At the end of the second year when there still wasn’t a child, she carted him off to doctor after doctor looking for answers. Finally, 3 years after they started trying they finally made an appointment to see a specialist outside of Tokyo. Another round of testing had led them to where they were now; heading off to meet with the doctor for the results of the testing.
By this point, Sesshoumaru was just as disappointed as she was. While he hadn’t been completely receptive to the idea at first, he found that as the time ticked away he was looking forward to being a father. He shared her frustration and pain when the results were the same every month.
He shook his head to clear his thoughts. Now was not the time to dwell on the past. He needed to stay positive and be supportive for his wife’s sake.
The nurse led them back to the doctor’s office and had them take a seat. After offering some tea, she promised that the doctor would be with them shortly before she excused herself. Sesshoumaru looked at his wife again and noticed that she sat completely stiff and straight and her eyes never moved. He needed her to relax; this was hard enough on the two of them as it was. He reached over and pulled her tiny hands into his larger ones before he pulled them to his lips and gave them a soft kiss.
“It’ll be okay. We’ll listen to what he has to say and we’ll go from there” he tried to reassure.
“I know…it’s just we’ve been trying for so long. What if…”
“No ‘what if’s’. Let’s wait to hear what he has to say before we start worrying okay?”
Her smile didn’t quite reach her eyes but she gave it to him none the less. He just didn’t understand how important this was to her. She needed to be able to have children. It was the only way she could secure her future.
Mika loved her husband but she would admit to herself that it wasn’t what she thought it was going to be. While he paid attention to her and gave her anything she wanted he was gone a lot on business trips, worked late hours and was more focused on what his family thought of him that anything else. Then of course there was her. That damn woman who he proclaimed to be his best friend. She found it incredibly hard to believe that they had been friends their whole lives and nothing had come of it. She hated the fact that that woman knew more about her husband than she could ever dream of knowing. Whenever things were bothering him he would go to her instead of sharing it with his wife. As it was, they met once a week for dinner and Sesshoumaru had made it perfectly clear that Mika was not invited to attend. She didn’t feel threatened by the woman, not in the slightest but she was extremely jealous of the attention he bestowed on her. The woman was a nothing, a nobody while Mika was the daughter of prominent politicians. She alone deserved the position that she had in Sesshoumaru’s life and she would be damned if she let some bitch take it away from her.
That was why she was so desperate to have a child. If she could just get pregnant she knew he wouldn’t go anywhere. If by some chance things managed to completely fall apart, she would take half of what he owned. She smiled to herself when she thought about how she convinced him to forgo the pre-nup. She told him that if he truly loved her and trusted her it wasn’t necessary. Of course he agreed and she knew she had him. If he even thought about divorcing her she would show him who he was dealing with.
The door behind them opened and both individuals tensed as the doctor entered the room and took his seat before the nervous couple. Sesshoumaru’s grip on his wife’s hand tightened and she looked into his eyes. He was the picture of calm and she hated him for it.
“Sesshoumaru, Mika it’s good to see you both again” the doctor began.
“Do you have our test results?” Mika blurted out quickly.
“Yes, I do,” he said slowly.
“Well?!”
Sesshoumaru shot his wife a disapproving glance before he turned back to the doctor.
“Please forgive my wife’s attitude, we are just nervous and have been waiting a long time for answers” he apologized.
“Don’t worry about it. This isn’t exactly the easiest thing to go through for anyone and I know how stressful it can be. The results of your tests are both good and bad. The good results are that both you and your wife are healthy, fertile individuals. Your hormone counts are right where they should be and your sperm is fine. Your wife is ovulating just as she should be and is producing healthy eggs”
“Then why haven’t I gotten pregnant?”
“The problem, I’m afraid is this” he stood up and pulled a copy of the latest ultrasound of Mika’s ovaries up to the light.
“Do you see these dark spots resting on the outside of your ovaries? That is scar tissue from a condition called endometriosis. Endometriosis is a problem many women have during their childbearing years. It means that a type of tissue that lines your uterus is also growing outside your uterus. This does not always cause symptoms. And it usually is not dangerous. But it can cause pain and other problems.
The clumps of tissue that grow outside your uterus are called implants. They usually grow on the ovaries, the fallopian tubes, the outer wall of the uterus, the intestines, or other organs in the belly. In rare cases, they spread to areas beyond the belly
Your uterus is lined with a type of tissue called endometrium. It is like a soft nest where a fertilized egg can grow. Each month, your body releases hormones that cause the endometrium to thicken and get ready for an egg. If you get pregnant, the fertilized egg attaches to the endometrium and starts to grow. If you do not get pregnant, the endometrium breaks down, and your body sheds it as blood. This is your menstrul period.
When you have endometriosis, the implants of tissue outside your uterus act just like the tissue lining your uterus. During your menstrual cycle, they get thicker, then break down and bleed. But the implants are outside your uterus, so the blood cannot flow out of your body. The implants can get irritated and painful. Sometimes they form scar tissue or fluid-filled sacs. Scar tissue may make it hard to get pregnant.”
The doctor paused to gauge the reactions of his patients. This was always difficult news to deliver but there was never an easy way to do it.
“In some cases the condition can be overcome and those women are able to get pregnant but I’m afraid it won’t be that way in this situation. You have a very severe case of endometriosis Mrs. Nakashima and that will make it impossible for you to ever carry a child on your own. Even if we did in-vitro fertilization the results would only be a failure. I refuse to put you both through that.”
Mika hung her head and didn’t hide the tears that were flowing out of her eyes. The news was devastating and she knew that her one chance of making sure Sesshoumaru stayed married to her had just been thrown out the window. What was she going to do now? Without a child, he could leave her at any point.
Sesshoumaru was doing his best to remain calm and by all appearances he was on the outside. Inside he was dying. He would never be a father. At least not if he stayed with Mika. Where did that thought come from he wondered to himself. Despite her faults, he had never once entertained the thought of ever leaving her. So what if they couldn’t have children? Their lives were fine the way they were. One look at his wife though prompted him to make sure there were no other options.
“How is it we were not told about this before? She and I have been seeing doctors for almost 2 years now, how is it that no one has caught it before?” he questioned.
“Well, according to your records, you’ve only been seeing fertility specialists concerned with the viability of your sperm and eggs. While it’s true this should have been the first thing that was looked for it is often times over looked. It is possible that the condition has only presented itself recently and the problems you had before weren’t exactly problems. Sometimes, nature has other plans and for others it can take longer to get pregnant.”
“Are you sure there is nothing we can do to fix this?” Mika begged.
“I’m afraid not. Sometimes, the problem will correct itself, or lessen to the point where you could get pregnant but as I said your case is quite severe.”
Sesshoumaru nodded and turned to his wife. She was crying hysterically and he needed to get her calmed down before they left.
“Mika please don’t cry. I know you wanted a child and I did too but this is not something we can control.”
She pushed him away and stood up from her chair. She didn’t want his pity or his sympathy right now. She wanted to go home, crawl into bed and stay there. She needed time to think about her options.
“You do have two options if you are willing to consider them” the doctor said after watching the couple come to terms with the news.
“But you just said that there was nothing you could do” Mika replied bitterly.
“There isn’t but you can always adopt. There are thousands of children out there looking for a good home. I could put you in touch with a very reputable adoption agency”
Before Sesshoumaru could even open his mouth his wife rounded on the doctor and level the harshest glare he had ever seen her give anyone.
“No, thank you but that is just not an option for me”
Sesshoumaru was stunned. She wasn’t even willing to consider it? There was nothing wrong with adoption; hell his younger sister was adopted.
“Then your only other option is to find a surrogate mother.”
“A surrogate?” Sesshoumaru asked.
“Yes, as I said you’re both capable of producing a healthy fetus it is just not able to be carried by your wife. We could take a fertilized egg and implant it into a surrogate mother of your choice. The woman would have to be screened of course but there have been a lot of successful births for couples who use surrogate mothers in recent years. It is not a common option because it is very expensive though.”
“What do you mean?” Mika asked while hope danced in her eyes.
“Typically, all of the surrogate’s expenses are covered by the family. Everything from her medical costs to her housing is arranged by the family. Then there is the compensation to the woman for carrying the child of someone else for nine months. It’s not unheard of for a couple to spend close to one million yen and of course you have to find someone you trust to act as the surrogate. That is not as easy as it sounds.”
Sesshoumaru sat back and considered what the doctor had told them. It was an option they would have to discuss once they were home and in private.
“Thank you for being so thorough and for providing us with honest answers. My wife and I will discuss all of the options when we are alone.”
His tone brokered no room for argument and Mika knew when she couldn’t push his buttons. The couple bowed before the doctor before taking their leave.
They had a lot to think on.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The ride home was silent while both individuals were completely lost in their thoughts. Neither one wanted to voice their opinion while they were driving but the silence was weighing heavily on their minds. The minute that Sesshoumaru pulled his car into the garage, his wife was out of the car door and headed for the house.
He sighed; they needed to talk and she was going to shut him out. He followed her through the house to their bedroom and completely ignored the questioning gaze of the servants that had been waiting for news. He shut the door to their room and turned to find his wife sitting on the edge of the bed with her back to him.
“I don’t want to talk right now” she snapped.
“I’m afraid that, that isn’t an option. We need to talk about this Mika and it’s not a conversation that should wait for a later date.”
“What is there to discuss? I’ll never be able to have children, end of story. I don’t see the point of dwelling on that any more than we have to!”
“Were you even in that room?!” he yelled back “The doctor gave us two very good options and you’re just going to throw them away because it’s not what you want? What about me, Mika huh?! Don’t you think this hurts me too?! I’m at least willing to consider another option before I give up totally!”
“I’m not raising someone else’s mistake Sesshoumaru! Just because some stupid whore couldn’t keep her legs closed doesn’t mean I want to be saddled with the responsibility of caring for a child that isn’t mine!”
Sesshoumaru stepped back and glared at his wife. How dare she?!
“So you’re saying that Rin is a mistake too? That my father and step mother should have left her to rot in the orphanage they found her in? Is that what you’re saying?”
“Oh don’t even bring your family into this Sesshoumaru. It’s not about them, it’s about us. Just because they decided to adopt a child doesn’t mean that you have to do the same.”
“Are you so selfish that you would deny a child a loving home simply because it did not come from your own body?”
She reacted so fast that he couldn’t even blink. One moment she was sitting on the bed the next her hand was connecting with the side of his face. She slapped him. She actually slapped him. He couldn’t believe she was acting the way she was.
“Don’t you talk to me about being selfish, Sesshoumaru. You are more selfish than I could ever be” she spat.
“What the hell is wrong with you? I’ve given you everything that you have always wanted and more without question. You spend your days lounging by the pool, spending my money and hanging out with your friends while I work my ass off to provide you the money to do that and never once have I complained to you about it. You want to sit here and call me selfish, that’s fine. I’ll remember that the next time you want to spend my money”
With that he turned and left the room. He needed to get away. He needed to go and think somewhere where his wife wasn’t. If he stayed in the house he would undoubtedly break down and apologize for shouting at her. He wasn’t going to do that, not this time. Once he got in the car he sat behind the wheel and decided where he was going to go. His father’s house was out of the question; he couldn’t deal with their drama tonight. The bar? No, alcohol wouldn’t solve his problem and he very rarely drank to begin with. He was just about to give up and start driving aimlessly when it hit him.
There was only one place he could go and one person he could see right now.
She would make it better. She always did.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Across town a young, dark haired woman was lying on the couch fighting to stay awake. Realistically she knew she should go to bed but she waiting for a phone call that she didn’t want to miss. Kagome sighed and looked at the clock. It was 11:30pm. They should have been back from Osaka a few hours ago. Kagome wondered if the news they had gotten was bad and could understand if they wanted to be alone right now. Still, she couldn’t help but worry. Sesshoumaru was her best friend after all.
She smiled when she thought of that cold and often time’s aloof male that she called friend. They were an odd pair, there was no denying that but they made it work. She remembered the day they met and couldn’t help but laugh out loud to herself. It was her first day of school and she was terribly afraid of everything. Well, what 5 year old isn’t afraid of everything? She stayed huddled against the corner wall of the school building and watched the other kids run around, play and make new friends. She wanted to be like them but she was just too shy to approach any of the other kids, even the ones that were her age.
She remembered sitting down on the ground and pulling her knees to her chest when a group of boys came up to her. They were older than her and they were clearly after the lunch that her mother had packed for her. Just as the biggest of the boys was about to snatch her lunch away a tall, silver haired young boy put himself between her and the other kids. He practically ordered them to leave her alone and told them that if they ever bothered her again they would deal with him. The other boys laughed at him and decided they would make an example. They attacked him together and Kagome started screaming. Sesshoumaru fought them off with everything he had and in the end, the boys left…without her lunch. He was bruised and bloody but he had stood his ground for her. He helped her up and introduced himself as Sesshoumaru Nakashima. From that day forward the two were inseparable.
Kagome shook her head at the memory and smiled. They had been through so much together and there was no one she trusted more in her life than him. They were both worried when he went to college for business and she for history but their friendship endured. The biggest test of their friendship had come when Sesshoumaru told her he was getting married. She was thrilled for him, there was never any question about that, but she was afraid that they wouldn’t see one another anymore. She didn’t think she could handle not talking to him at least once a day but some things never change. They still talked on a daily basis and had dinner once a week.
She tried very hard to get to know his wife Mika but she always got the impression that the woman hated her. On some level, Kagome could understand why the woman felt like that but she never did anything to give the woman a reason to hate her. She was always polite and tried to engage Mika in conversation when they were all together but all she ever got were a few one or two word responses. She really wanted the woman to like her if only for the fact that it would make Sesshoumaru’s life so much easier. Kagome wasn’t going to abandon her friend just because his wife hated her.
She remembered when he came to her with their problems conceiving a child. Despite the fact that he had said that he didn’t want children in the beginning, she knew that it was bothering him a great deal. He wanted to be a father more than anything and she was determined to help them out anyway she could. She had spent all of her free time researching the best doctors for them. She wanted this for them almost as much as they wanted it for themselves. She wanted to see them as a happy family of three someday.
Kagome raised her head when she heard the tell-tell sound of a key being inserted to the lock of her apartment. She knew who it was without even having to guess so she didn’t bother getting off the couch. Sesshoumaru had unlimited access to her apartment whenever he wanted.
“Hey” she called out sleepily.
“Kagome” he replied but his tone caused her to sit up quickly. Something was wrong, very wrong.
“Sesshoumaru? What’s wrong?”
His eyes softened when he took in her sleepy appearance. She was obviously up waiting for his call.
“You should be in bed, it’s very late”
“Yes, it is very late. You should be at home so don’t try and change the subject on me. You never come here this late unless you’re too tired to drive home or you and Mika have a fight. What happened?”
He sat down on the couch next to her and laid back. He was so tired right now that he didn’t even know where to start.
“Sesshou, you’re scaring me”
“I am fine Kagome” he replied slowly.
“Don’t lie to me, you suck at it.”
Her soft hand came to rest on his shoulder and that forced him to look at her. Her face was a mixture of concern and apprehension and he smiled. That was his Kagome.
“It’s just…we…we went to the doctor today as you know. The results…they weren’t…” he sucked in a deep breath and tried to continue.
Once he started speaking, the entire story came flowing from his lips. He told her everything the doctor said them including the options that he had given them. He told her of Mika’s reaction and of the fight when they got home. When he was finished he buried his face in his hands and slumped forward.
He felt Kagome’s arms go around his shoulders when she laid her head against his. They sat there in silence before she gave him one final, tight squeeze. She pulled away and sat back down next to him on the couch.
“I’m sorry, Sesshoumaru. I wanted it to be good news for the both of you so badly. You both deserve it.”
“I know Kagome. I just don’t understand why she made such a big deal about it. I mean, sure we both wanted to be parents but I never thought she would say the things she said. She knows how important Rin is to me and she basically threw the circumstances that brought her into my life in the garbage. We didn’t even get a chance to discuss the second option before I left.”
“Well, judging by her reaction to the adoption idea, I don’t imagine that she would be very receptive to a surrogate either.”
“That’s the thing, she seemed like she was interested in that option. I mean, the child would be ours she just wouldn’t be the one to carry it. It would come from both of us, there would never be any question that it belonged to us.”
“She’s just afraid right now Sesshoumaru. Ever woman dreams of being a mother one day and to be told that it’ll never happen is not something that is easy to swallow. Give her some time to cool off and talk to her again.”
“I was considering it you know…finding a surrogate. I’m sure it wouldn’t be that hard to find someone that we both trusted enough to carry our child.”
“So tell her that. Take tonight so the both of you can cool off and go back tomorrow. Tell her how you feel and tell her that you’re willing to do this for her. She has to understand that you want this as much as she does.”
“I hope so.”
Sesshoumaru yawned and stretched. Kagome couldn’t help but smile.
“Bed time mister. No arguing with me on this one either”
He chuckled. She was such a mother hen.
Something in his brain clicked then. He already knew someone who was perfect to fill the role as a surrogate to their child. The question was; would he be able to convince her and his wife to go along with it? Could he do that though? Could he convince his best friend to carry a child, his child, for nine months? What would it do to their relationship? Kagome had hopes and dreams of her own and he didn’t want to interfere with her plans. Could he really ask her to do this? He needed to sleep on it; he was too tired to broach the subject tonight.
Kagome got off the couch and headed to her linen closet. She pulled out her extra pillows and blankets along with a pair of pajama’s that Sesshoumaru kept at her place. While he changed in the bathroom she made up the couch so it would be as comfortable for him as possible. He didn’t stay over often but she always felt bad that she didn’t have a bigger place with an extra bedroom for the times that he did.
When he came out of the bathroom she gave him a light kiss to his cheek and told him she would see him in the morning. She retired to her room but her mind kept her awake. She wanted to help them out anyway that she could but there was only one idea that she could come up with.
She knew how Mika felt about her and she knew that it would be a difficult battle but it would be worth it in the end if she agreed. It wouldn’t impact her life that much until the end and even then it would be minimal. Sesshoumaru trusted her more than he trusted himself sometimes. If he agreed then the only obstacle would be Mika.
Sighing, Kagome rolled over and allowed sleep to claim her.
Tomorrow she would tell Sesshoumaru that she would be the surrogate mother to their child if that was solution they agreed upon.