Disclaimer: I don't own jack!

Suggested Listening: Let the Flames Begin by Paramore

Crashing Tides

Chapter Four: Shockwave

The trip home had been tense. Okita had forgone running errands in favor of picking up their son and getting them back to their house safely. Kagome observed as her husband lounged across the sofa with Kei tucked under his arm. The boy leaned into his father's side as they watched an old favorite film. Her heart softened at the image they'd made together. The boy's wide, azure eyes were drawn to the screen in rapt attention. His hands pulled at his father's shirt, pointing at the images and asking a plethora of questions.

She turned her attention to the partially chopped vegetables in front of her. Her mind drifted off as she resumed preparations. She'd have to keep vigilant. Sesshoumaru was bound to drop by the office from time to time. Given his reaction earlier, she assumed that he was going to try everything he could to reconnect with her. A sickening feeling roiled in her stomach. The very notion was revolting.

Once finished, Kagome took the prepped ingredients and added them into the pot of boiling broth. Her eyes became unfocused—the memories of that night threatened to spill over. It had been the worst thing she'd ever experienced. If Okita hadn't been there for her then she didn't know what would've happened. She'd been in so much pain, both physical and emotional. Her index finger instinctively shifted to trace along the faint line of a scar hidden in the hairline behind her temple. Sesshoumaru wasn't going to give up without a fight. If anything they were going to need a lawyer.

Her eyes shifted to her husband and son once more. She'd do everything she could to protect her family. It wouldn't be much longer before the man discovered Kei's existence. When that happens…

Kagome shook her head. No. She couldn't think like that right now. Her eyes shot to the phone. It blared noisily over the sound of the television. The boy jumped up from his spot and darted towards it.

"I've got it!" Kei reached for the device. It was a nasty habit of his. Nearly eight years old and he was already desperate to prove how 'grown up' he was. At first it was adorable but now a sickening feeling twisted in Kagome's stomach. Something felt off.

"Okita residence," The boy greeted the person on the other line. "Oh, she's making dinner. Did you need to talk to her?" Kei wandered towards her. He held out the cordless phone for her to take. "It's for you, mom. The guy says that he's from work."

Her brows knitted together. She took the phone from him and smiled warmly at her child. The boy's lips quirked up into a satisfied grin before he ran back to his father's side. Okita divided his attention between them. His eyes were sharp, full of the concern he felt. Kagome lifted the phone to her ear.

"Okita Kagome speaking."

"You never told me." The voice on the other end hissed through gritted teeth. An icy chill went down her spine.

Sesshoumaru

"It was never your business. Besides, Souji's had things handled." She tried to keep her wording vague. She didn't want Kei to get caught up in this mess. She wouldn't allow it.

Okita shot up at the mention of his name. He grabbed their son and quickly sent him off with the promise of finishing their movie after dinner. It was a desperate attempt to shoo him away from hearing something he shouldn't.

"It is my business. You never told me that we had a son." Kagome kept her temper even against the harsh tone Sesshoumaru used.

"He's not your son." She stated definitively. Okita rushed to her side. His arms wound around her waist as he listened in to their conversation. "He's Souji's son." Kagome asserted. Her husband's arms tightened in response. She knew that he was ready to interject at any moment—to make himself known and push Sesshoumaru out of their lives.

"Hn, we'll see about that." There was a short pause on the line. "I want a paternity test done." Kagome felt her heart drop as soon as those words were spoken. "We can either work together and make this easy, or we can play hardball. I'd rather not force this through a courtroom. You can not deny me access to my son."

The woman bristled. She tried to think of a good argument but Okita swiftly took the phone from her hands.

"Let me make something clear you filthy piece of shit." The man pulled her close to him protectively; pillowing her head against his chest so that all she could hear was the sound of his heart and muffling of his voice. "Don't you fucking dare approach my family. I know damn well that you stalked Kagome this morning."

An edge of worry pulled at the pit of her stomach. Okita's arm trembled violently against her waist. A rage she'd never seen filled his face as his eyes turned dark. She wasn't naïve to her husband's temper. He was vicious, especially where his family's protection was involved. Right now, their entire life together was on the verge of being ripped apart. So Okita responded in the only way he knew how.

"Kei is my son. You have no right to barge into our lives after what you've done!"

There was a brief pause on the line. Then, "We'll see if he's truly your son, Okita." The dull blaring of a dead line rang through the device. Kagome held her breath. Her legs felt weak and nausea threatened to work its way up. This couldn't be happening.

Okita shifted to hold her closer, "We'll be fine." His words were a sharp whisper. "No matter what that damn test says. Kei is still our son; not his." Her husband lifted the phone and made a call.

It rang three times before the line was answered.

"This is unusual. You normally don't like to call me, Okita-kun." The voice on the other end gave a mirthful laugh.

"Cut the shit Sanan. We need your help."

Kagome felt her stomach coil nervously as they spoke. Why did it have to come to this?

Sesshoumaru leaned back in his recliner. He rubbed his eyes with his index finger and thumb. Why had the thought never occurred to him? How had he let so many years slip by without ever knowing about the child?

Golden eyes narrowed into thin slits. Okita's insistence on the boy being his own was both predictable and frustrating. The man would not back away without a fight. Undoubtedly they were going to be getting into contact with a lawyer soon. He felt his lip curl into a sneer at the notion.

Let them. At the end of the day they needed to know who the father truly was. He had no heir to speak of and should the child be his then it'd give him a significant advantage. Not to mention a connection to Kagome for the duration in which co-parenting would take place.

The man sighed deeply. This hadn't been how he'd wanted to go about this but he'd take his chance.

The truth was that the boy's parentage could go either way. He hadn't been a fool in the tail in of their relationship. At least not in how Kagome thought him to be. He'd known that she'd been spending more and more time with Okita. He'd known that she'd been going to him for advice and comfort when his drinking had been at its worst. That night he'd discovered that they'd slept together. Whether it'd been something they'd had done for a while or if it'd been spur of the moment; he hadn't known.

The only thing he knew for certain was that another man had taken what'd been his. In his drunken state of mind he'd grown possessive and violent, committing the worst crime against Kagome he ever possibly could have. She'd always shut him down for sex in their relationship. He'd been frustrated and angry. Then he'd found that she'd taken Okita into her bed. His fury hadn't let up for some time. All he knew was at the end his life had irrevocably changed and there was nothing he could do about it.

Right now he needed to know if he'd gotten her pregnant all those years ago. It wouldn't erase the pain but maybe he could start small—reconnect with the son he'd lost and slowly earn her trust back. It was the only thing he could think of.

Sesshoumaru blinked at the sound of his phone's shrill ring. He needed to change that soon.

"Speak," The greeting was clipped. Much like the way he felt.

"You fucking shit!" Inuyasha screamed on the other end of the line. "I just heard from fucking Houjo that you stalked Kagome today. Are you out of your fucking mind? What in the hells are you fucking thinking going after her again!"

Ah yes, he'd nearly forgotten about him.

"Calm yourself brother. I merely wanted to talk to her." He had much that he wanted to address. The child being at the top of that list.

"Talk? Talk?!" Something glass-like broke in the background. "You raped her, best the ever loving shit out of her and then slandered her name across all of Tokyo! What the fuck do you think you'll be able to talk about!"

His lip curled in fury, "In case you've forgotten she was sleeping around behind my back."

His half brother sputtered furiously, "So that makes what you did okay?! Newsflash, you break up with someone. You don't pull the shit that you did." There was a slight pause. "Besides I know damn well that you were pissed that she wasn't giving it up so you slept around a hell of a lot more you fucking man whore."

A brief flash of disgust went across his features. Man whore? Clearly Inuyasha's vocabulary was still lacking.

"That's beside the point."

"The fuck it is!" Inuyasha plowed on, "Leave her the fuck alone Sesshoumaru. She doesn't need you in her life. For gods' sakes she's pregnant."

His fist clenched at the thought. He wouldn't decide himself into thinking that he could care for a child that was not his by blood. The life growing within her was not his to claim.

"It doesn't matter," Sesshoumaru ignored the pointed comment. "There is still something that I need to do. If you've got the time to berate me then you've got the time to look after your own pregnant wife. Stay out of my affairs."

He hung up, shutting off the phone shortly after he did so. Leave her alone, huh? He'd done that for so many years. Now there was a boy that could possibly be his son. He couldn't leave her alone. Not now.

He'd contact his lawyer in the morning. For now he'd need a plan.