It Takes Two
Disclaimer: I don’t own it. If I did, I would be filthy, stinkin’ rich!! *Sigh* Oh well
Summary: 11 years and 9 months ago, Kagome Higurashi at 16 years old had twin hanyou children. They had been separated at birth, their mother taking one of them back to the present with her while the other one stayed with her father in the Feudal Era. What happens when the two somehow meet and attempt to make their family whole. Based on The Parent Trap.
It Takes Two
Episode 2— Home Again
Kagome parked her rented green Infinity next to the curb, getting out of the car she stretched reaching her arms up towards the sky and trying to get that crick out of her back.
“This is where you lived?” Tsuki asked amazed as she was getting out of the car. They walked through the two large wooden doors, crossing over colored stones.
“Yep, this is where I lived for sixteen years.”
Tsuki looked up at her mother, “Did you have me here?”
Clearing her throat, Kagome clasped her daughter’s hand in hers, “Yes, I had you here in Japan, but we soon moved to the United States.”
The two of them continued on their way, Tsuki was so entranced by everything around her, the booth that sold information on the shrine to the giant tree that had some kind of pretty sacred ornament going around it. All of a sudden the young girl stopped and threw her mother slightly off balance. She looked at her daughter who was staring intently at the sacred tree.
“Tsuki, what is it?”
“Why does that tree have that rope around it, it seems so different that the other ones.”
Kagome turned and glanced up at the tree, she remembered when she had first gone through the well and found a dog eared boy pinned to it. She smiled fondly at the memory, of course her eyes narrowed when she recalled that he had tried to kill her. But through time she couldn’t have asked for a more loyal and honest friend. Her first real love.
Tsuki cleared her throat and watched as her mother seemed to lightly shake her head and come back to where ever her mind was. She noticed that her mother did that quite a lot.
“Oh, I’m sorry. You were asking about the tree.” She put her arm around her daughter’s shoulder and pulled her against her. “Well that tree has been standing there for five hundred years…” She smiled. “Make that five hundred and almost twelve years now.”
“It looks so strong and big.” Tsuki said looking up at it, “Why does it have that long diamond shaped groove in it?”
“Let’s go find your grandmother,” Kagome said, hoping her daughter didn’t catch the subject change. Taking Tsuki by the hand again the hurried to the front door where Kagome rang the bell.
It wasn’t long before the door was pulled open, and there stood her mother who was grinning widely from ear to ear. Kagome was suddenly pulled into a bone crushing hug.
“Mom, ugh I can’t breathe.”
“Oh, sorry.” Kagome’s mother, Naomi let go quickly. “It is just that we never see you, Eleven years is really too long between visits.”
“I call.” There was slight guilt in Kagome’s tone.
Naomi shook her head, “That is not enough, but we’ll talk about that later.” She looked down at the little girl before her. “And this must be Tsuki.”
“I am.” Tsuki said, loudly, excitedly. “I have been looking forward to meeting you grandma.”
Naomi enveloped the young girl in a strong hug. “You have gotten so big, look at you!!!” She squealed.
“Mom, mom let go you’re squishing her.”
Naomi couldn’t help her giggling as she put Tsuki back on the ground, and brushed the silver locks out of her granddaughter’s eyes. “It has been a long time since I have seen you, the last time I did you were so small.”
“Well I am a big girl now.” Tsuki said, confidently, her left ear twitching a little.
Nodding, her eyes brimming with tears. Naomi wiped at her eyes. “Yes you are.”
Tsuki tilted her head a bit, looking up at her grandmother. “Why are you crying?”
“I am just so happy to see you and your mom. It’s been a really long time.” Naomi answered patting Tsuki on the head. “Come in, come in.” She stepped aside and watched as her daughter and Tsuki came inside the house. “Are you hungry Tsuki, would you like something to eat?”
Glancing around the kitchen, Tsuki nodded. “Oh yes please. I am starving.”
Smiling, Naomi went to the pantry and got out some instant ramen, and set the water on the stove to boil. “How about you Kagome, would you like something.”
“Just some tea would be fine Mom.” Kagome said as she sat down at the kitchen table with Tsuki across from her.
While the water was heating, Naomi sat next to Kagome. “How is work?”
“It’s all right I suppose, I am at a little bit of a block right now. But the new fall line should be a success.” Kagome said with a smile.
“Isn’t it a little early for fall style clothing, after all summer has just begun.” Naomi said.
Laughing a little Kagome nodded, “I know but this is just the way things are done in the fashion world.”
The whistle of the tea kettle blew and Naomi stood to attend to the hot water. She started pouring the water into the instant ramen. “They opened a boutique featuring your creations here in Tokyo, Kagome, you should feel good about that.”
“I guess success makes me feel good, after all I have worked hard to get where I am now.” Kagome answered as her mother handed her a cup of tea and the bowl of instant ramen with a set of chopsticks to Tsuki.
Tsuki held the chopsticks oddly and tried to grab a noodle, she only used them a few times. Being in America she is better used to a fork.
Naomi noticed the young girl’s hard time with chopsticks. “Are you all right with those?”
Shaking her head, Tsuki took a breath. “I am not able to use these well enough. I have tried and tried, but we mostly use forks at home. I can use them but only if I have too and it’s usually a struggle.” A fork was suddenly put down next to her and she looked up and saw the face of a young man. “Who are you?”
“I’m your uncle Souta.” He said with a smile.
Tsuki nodded. “You know who I am?”
He couldn’t stop grinning. “Of course I do, who couldn’t with those ears on your head.” He gently tugged on one.
Her eyes narrowed, “hey, hands off!” Tsuki barked out. “No need to make fun.”
Souta held his hands up innocently, “that wasn’t my intention, I’m sorry.” He apologized with pout.
Naomi looked up at her son, “What are you doing home? I thought you had a date?”
“I did,” He said sitting down after taking an apple from the basket on the counter. “But I also have a biology exam tomorrow at eight. So I need to study.” He looked at his sister. “It’s about time you came home, do you intend on staying this time?”
Kagome shook her head, “No, I am just here for a visit, and then it’s back to California and my life.”
“Why’s that?” Souta couldn’t help but sound a little bitter. “Afraid something will get you if you stay too long?”
Kagome stood, shouting “Shut up! You don’t know anything all right. So just…” She looked over at Tsuki who had noodles hanging half way out of her mouth, staring at her mother who had just yelled at Souta. “Never mind,” Kagome gathered herself and sat down. “I am very busy Souta I have a lot of work to do.”
“Yeah, well that’s been your excuse for not visiting us in the nearly twelve years that you have been away!” Souta said glaring at her.
She couldn’t believe it how dare he say something like that. Kagome shook her head. “Well, you two could always have come out to California if you were that desperate in seeing me or Tsuki. It works both ways you know.”
“What about all your friends, you just left without even telling them!”
Kagome glanced off to the side, staring at the stain on the floor. “It was better that way, it was better if they didn’t know where I was.”
“That wasn’t your decision to make!”
Standing, Kagome ignored her brother and looked at her mother. “Is my room still the same?” Seeing Naomi nod, she turned her attention to her daughter. “Tsuki, come on we should rest we had a long flight.”
“But I’m not tired…” One look at her mother and that face of don’t argue with me, and she knew that there was no way her getting out of this nap. Even if she felt she was too old for naps.
“We’ll talk later Kagome.” Naomi said and she saw her daughter yawn and take Tsuki’s hand, going up the stairs towards her room.
*~*~*~*~*~*
Sesshomaru, along with Mina and Rin stopped at the entrance of the village, the kitsune, Shippou was waiting for them. Rin waved wildly at Shippou where as Mina and Sesshomaru looked rather bored with this whole thing.
‘Like father like daughter.’ Shippou thought to himself.
Standing in front of Shippou, Sesshomaru glared down at him. “I will return at dawn for Mina and Rin, see to it that no harm comes to either of them.”
“Yes sir.” Shippou answered, as Sesshomaru turned his back on them without speaking and walked back towards the woods. Shippou smiled at Mina who was staring at him intently, he smiled again and started to feel uncomfortable. “How have you been Mina?”
“Adequate.” She said toneless and then turned her back on him in a similar fashion that her father had displayed earlier and headed into the village. She came across Sango whose belly was ripe with child holding the three year old daughter’s hand and Miroku who was balancing their five year old son his shoulders.”
“Salutations Mina,” Miroku smiled. “How lovely to see you again.”
“I wish I could say the same.” She looked up at him indifferently.
Miroku just continued to smile and wondered if she had actually been raised by Kagome would she be less like Lord Sesshomaru. “If you are looking for Inuyasha he is up in that same tree.”
“I was not on a search for him, I had just arrived.” Mina looked away from Miroku to Sango in disgust. Human’s reproducing was just so vile she turned her nose up at the two of them. “Although I was not on search for my half uncle, I will go speak with him nevertheless.” She moved away from the two of them.
Sango shook her head. “You would think she was a smaller version of an adult with the way she speaks.”
Miroku shrugged. “What can we say except this is definitely Lord Sesshomaru’s influence. He wants her to be more like a demon and less like a human. Even though she is a product of both.”
“I don’t even know the reasons Kagome even bedded down with him, it was odd don’t you think?”
With a nod, Miroku sighed. “Let us not dwell on the past, what has happened, has happened, we can not change it.” He looked up at his son sitting upon his shoulders and smiled. “Come on, I’m starving lets go get some breakfast from Kaede.” And with those final words, he and his family went towards the older woman’s hut for some food.
Mina finally came to the tree that Inuyasha always slept in, she looked up. “Come down here, I need information.” She commanded.
Inuyasha shook his head and rolled his eyes, “And what makes you think I am going to listen to a little girl like you?” He said still staring off in the distance.
“Don’t make me ask again, I want to know about the woman who bore me. Now come down.” Mina was growing irritated by how her half uncle was behaving.
Inuyasha relented. He enjoyed talking to Mina about her mother. How he had missed her these past years. When she left without a word to anyone, he couldn’t help but feel his heart shatter for the second time. The first was when she announced that she was with child and just who the father of that child was, which in fact turned out to be two children. He had then understood how Kagome had been feeling every time he had gone off to see Kikyou and pledged eternal love and protection for her. He didn’t realize it hurt her that much until it happened back to him. He really couldn’t blame her for anything, although he did accuse her of betraying him which led to a huge fight.
He shook his head, trying to clear the image of him yelling at her and her saying how she was never going to speak to him again. After he was clear of the memory, Inuyasha then jumped down from his tree his silver hair flying up as he landed in front of Mina. “What would you like to know?”
Sesshomaru had made his way through a village in the east, he stood in the middle of the small town while the resident humans all hurried to their tiny huts, and to the left of him a Ice Youkai walked up to him. He turned his attention to her as she approached. She was a lovely Youkai, beautiful no, but attractive enough not to bring shame to the Western Lands. She was tall with a light blue complexion and frosty white hair, her eyes a very dark blue color and two white stripes similar to Sesshomaru’s magenta ones on the sides of her face.
“Lord Sesshomaru, must you frighten my villagers with your arrival?” She said.
Sesshomaru kept in growl at the way she talked to him, she should be ecstatic that he figured to grace her with his presence, not give him a lecture on how to treat humans. “Lady Kori, I have decided to seek you this day, do not push me.” How he despised these long courtships, he would rather stay unmated for the time being. He was not even drawn to her. But he was doing this for Mina who needed a mother and this Youkai seemed to be adequate, after all she is caring for humans. And Mina is hanyou so Lady Kori was the most suitable candidate for the position.
“Forgive me,” She bowed obediently. It wasn’t everyday a Youkai as powerful and wealthy as Lord Sesshomaru wanted to mate with a simple Ice Youkai like herself. She would do her best to get on his good side and then the Western Lands would be hers for the taking. She lifted her dark blue eyes to his. “I do not see your hanyou with you. I take it she is being cared for by another this day?”
“That she is, Lady Kori. I sent her to stay with my half brother for the time being. She has only seen you once I do not wish her to get familiar with you just yet. I will need time to explain the situation to Mina.” He said plainly.
“Who was her mother?” She watched as his eyes narrowed, into hard angry slits.
“That is not for you to know, I will not ever speak about Mina’s mother to you. Do not ask me that again.” Sesshomaru growled out in authority. Why did everyone insist on reminding him of the human girl that left him all those years ago? That has never happened to him before, and he hated her for the it, also the fact that the human girl was able twist his insides into knots with just the thought of her.
“I did not mean to anger you.” Kori said apologetically. Who ever this human girl was, she had left her emotional mark on Lord Sesshomaru some how. Or he wouldn’t be so angry or adamant in not speaking about her. But that was no matter to Kori, for she would manage to break through and cover over any impact the human had on her future mate. She would see to it that only she was to be the one in Lord Sesshomaru’s life and he would in turn love her. Oh yes her security and power plan was coming into play nicely. Kori reached out gently and took Sesshomaru’s arm. “Let us go for a walk, the fields are just lovely this time of year.”
Sesshomaru looked at her with a slight anger burning in his golden eyes, how dare this female touch him without permission! He pulled his arm from her grasp, there would be lessons later on how she was to treat him, but now was not the time for them. “Very well, we will see your fields.” He turned around to walk in the direction of the fields, he didn’t see her face slightly change into a sneer for not letting her go first. She followed after him nonetheless.
*~*~*~*~*~
It was very quiet in the upstairs bedroom, Tsuki who was still very much asleep rolled over; her body was expecting to come in contact with her mother’s warmth but was struck by cold. Her little arms reached out feeling the spot next to her. It was empty. Her eyes slowly opened and found that she indeed was alone. The late afternoon sun was shining in through the bedroom window and Tsuki sat up rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. Glancing around the room, she remembered that this was her mother’s room when she was a teenager. On the dresser next to the bed was an old fashioned alarm clock, one of those really loud ones. The glass covering looked shattered.
The carpet was a dark pinkish color, and the walls were painted a pale pink. She noticed a few pictures on the walls. Standing up, Tsuki approached the pictures, looking at them. The first picture she saw was of a woman in what looked like tight spandex and a man who was wearing old fashioned robes, holding a golden staff. They were smiling.
The next picture was of an old woman with a younger one they were both wearing white and red, Tsuki noted that the younger woman looked a lot like her mother, not exactly but she could see the resemblance. They were both smiling.
Tsuki’s eyes moved to another picture, a group picture, where there was the four people she saw in their own picture with two more new ones she hadn’t seen yet, one young man with dog ears and silver hair much like herself and another young man with dark hair that was tied up in a high pony tail wearing old battle armor with fur shoulder pads, Tsuki laughed lightly at the skirt he was wearing. ‘Boy’s don’t wear skirts’ she said to herself.
She glanced at the last picture on the wall, her eyes narrowed slightly at it. It was of three people, there was that dog eared boy and another. Her mother was there between them, smiling at the camera. The two standing on either side of her looked similar, but the one the right was a lot taller, and he had similar markings on his face that she had on hers. She touched hers absentmindedly. She noticed the two of them in the picture had their arms crossed over the chests and they were slightly glaring at each other, not smiling at all. She felt a weird feeling coursing through her as she continue to stare at the picture and she shivered lightly. Tsuki closed her eyes and the feeling vanished, she looked back at the picture and wondered what was with all the old clothes. Were these her mother’s friends and were these pictures taken at some kind of festival?
Tsuki nodded to herself and decided to ask her mother about these pictures, this one especially. She took the picture of her mother and the two men of the wall and headed for the door of the room. Tsuki opened it and started down the stairs, she heard her mother talking to her grandmother. It sounded like they were mad at each other for some reason, she then heard her name in the conversation and decided to stay put and listen.
“…She deserves to know who he is.” Naomi said as Kagome shook her head.
“No, I will not ever tell her who he is. She doesn’t need to know.”
Naomi groaned. “At first I was a little shocked when you told me that she did not belong to Inuyasha, we all figured it was him you would end up married to.” Naomi knew that he daughter was never married to Inuyasha or the babies’ father even though she had his children. They were created from passion and heat, back then that really disappointed her but now it didn’t seem so important. “And what about Tuski’s si…” Naomi was interrupted because Kagome knew what she was going to say.
“Stop it! I will not think about that. I can not. If I do I won’t ever stop crying.” Kagome took a deep breath. “What he stole from me was so precious… I don’t want to remember it.” She tried to stop the tears, but they continued to well in her eyes. Kagome felt weak and she leaned against the wall for support. “Half the time he scared me out of my mind and the other half…” She couldn’t help the blush that crossed her cheeks. Shaking her head, she covered her face with her hands and sunk to the floor, not able to stop the tears this time. “It never should have happened. I made a mistake, a big mistake.”
Tsuki was leaning against the wall, who were they talking about? Were they talking about her father? She so wished she knew who he was and why he was not with them? And what was this about a mistake, was she the mistake? And was she not wanted? Did her mother not really want her, was she a burden on her? “MAMA!!”
Kagome turned her head to see her daughter there, she held something in her arm, and her left hand was clinched tight at her side. “Tsuki,” She stood wiping her eyes with slender fingers.
“Mama, how could you say that?!” Tsuki’s head hung low, her silver bangs covering over her eyes. “You don’t love me mama!” Tears were streaming down the little girl’s face. “I’m a mistake! A MISTAKE!!” She turned and ran up the stairs as fast as her little legs could carry her.
Shocked to hear such anger and betrayal in her little girl’s voice, Kagome ran up after her daughter, “No Tsuki, no you aren’t a mistake.” She turned down the hall and raced into her room finding it empty. “Tsuki… Tsuki?” She searched the closet but her daughter was not in there. Feeling a draft she turned to find the window wide open. Her eyes widened and she ran to the window. “Tsuki! Come back!” She yelled leaning half way out the window, looking around wildly for her daughter. “I’m sorry! Come back! Please?!” Kagome cried into the setting sun, her body trembling hard with the amount of tears cascading down her cheeks.
~~~~~~~~~
Next time on It Takes Two,
Tsuki stared at the figure before her too stunned to do anything else except breathe, her mouth was hanging slightly open. She was staring back into the face of herself. “It’s like looking in a mirror.” She whispered.
Her mirror image crinkled its brows together. “What sorcery is this? Why do you look like me?” She growled suddenly very angry.
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Inuyasha stared at the two of them with his arms crossed over his chest. “Hmm, now what exactly is your plan?”
“We are going to change places.” Mina said with authority. “I am going back to take Tsuki’s place so that I may meet the woman who bore me.”
“And I am going to take Mina’s place so that I may get to know my father.” Tsuki smiled.
Inuyasha sighed and pinched his sinuses. “Are you sure that is wise…”
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