InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Peace Treaty ❯ Family ( Chapter 56 )
[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]
By: piratequeen0405 
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance / Hentai / Drama / Adventure / Action | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 11.10.2011 | Pages: 3 | Words: 7.1K | Visits: 1.0K | Status: Work In Progress
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance / Hentai / Drama / Adventure / Action | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 11.10.2011 | Pages: 3 | Words: 7.1K | Visits: 1.0K | Status: Work In Progress
Kagome shifted the pile of pillows on her chair in an attempt to get comfortable, a seemingly simple goal that had become more and more elusive over the course of the summer. Sitting, standing, lying down—each carried a variety of challenges and discomforts, and made Kagome constantly aware of the changes in her body. She was seated at the window in her bedroom that overlooked the grounds of the manor, a spot that had become her private refuge, and even it brought her little relief. The late summer sun shone directly on her face, making her flushed and sweaty. And unfortunately the view of the pond and flowers did not distract her from missing her mate as much as she had hoped it would.
Sesshoumaru and General Inutaisho had gone to Shiga, the meeting place of the Council of Great Families and perhaps eventual capital city. The hope was to one day have a central governing body made up of representatives of both Ningen and Youkai societies, primarily to oversee trade and also ensure that War would never again threaten the future. For now the strategy was to shore up the structures that would hold the new system in place. Ningen and Youkai leaders were gathering to finalize trade contracts and discuss additional, now-advantageous, marital alliances. Most important they were there to deal with kayaku, a subject that had been the source of months of heated debate. Rather than destroy the last stores of the weapon and formula for the black powder, they decided to give its secrets to all, in the belief that it was more dangerous only known to a select number. If everyone had access to it, the power would never be concentrated in the hands of only a few. It was a testament to the amount of trust that had developed between the races that this was seriously discussed, never mind actually decided to be implemented. And it emphasized to all the importance of continuing the peace treaty.
Kagome sighed and ran her hands over her huge, round belly. She would have liked to be present for the final culmination of the peace process that she had been so integral to, but her time was nearing and travel was unwise. And truth be told, she was happy to not go. There was one more event to be carried out at Shiga—the execution of Generals Kurono and Akagawa. The renegade Ningen had evaded capture for a month after the last battle, but they could not hide forever. Kouga and General Miyamoto caught up with them hidden in Akagawa’s ancestral lands. The trial was complete; death for treason was the verdict. Lord Okuri had already been judged according to Inuyoukai laws and had been delivered to Shiga. In a concession to Azami, General Inutaisho agreed to let his cousin commit ritual suicide the night before the executions rather than face the shame of a public beheading. Even if it meant being parted from Sesshoumaru, Kagome was happy not have to be witness to any of it. After so much killing, she had no interest in watching more death. She had future life to think about.
Once they returned to the stronghold after the last battle, Kagome and Sesshoumaru grabbed hold of the normal life they had craved. And clung to it as if it were a wild thing that would flee if they blinked. Gone was the shame and fear, the awkward way the tiptoed around each other, not sure how to behave. Sesshoumaru waited a week to mark her. He wanted to be able to be with her and not torture himself, for the dreams where she died in his arms to go away. He waited until she could look at him without the dull gloss of guilt in her deep blue eyes, for her to know that she didn’t need his forgiveness for her recalcitrance and independence. When he finally bit the other side of her neck, it felt right, like they had had a proper courtship. After that, they spent the summer months refusing to be parted. Kagome understood, as she never had, the true nature of Inuyoukai males and what it meant to be protected by him. There was nothing overbearing or domineering about his presence, no doubt that she couldn’t competently care for herself; it was, rather, the feeling that he would willingly die for her, a feeling of trust, safety, and love.
The closeness they had achieved made the current separation that much more cutting. Kagome also finally appreciated what it meant to share Youki with him. She smiled to herself to remember how she had bristled at the physical connection with him, resentful that the bond had been imposed on her. Now she understood that her feelings toward him and the pull of Youki did not need to be split apart. They were as intertwined as the vines that grew wild in the forest beyond the stronghold walls.
“Time for a walk,” Kagome said aloud. “Now that I am officially incapable of getting comfortable, I may as well get some exercise.” She breathed heavily as she rose to her feet, slowly balancing her weight to avoid dizziness. There was a brief tightening across her wide abdomen. It was easy enough to ignore, but she silently implored her mate to return home soon.
XXXXX
Gina carried the last basket of herbs into the infirmary and dumped the contents next to the other bundles waiting to be tied up to dry. End of summer was a busy time of year for harvesting the medicinal plants that she would use throughout the autumn and winter months, and she was happy the end was ever more in sight. “That’s the last of it,” she announced. “We got it all in before the rain started.” She had watched as the ominous dark clouds rolled in, knowing that if she wanted to stay dry, they had to finish by mid-day.
Taka glanced up from where she was helping a hanyou apprentice and grinned. “No standing around in the mud tomorrow? And I was so looking forward to you getting dirty.” Gina was not quite as fussy about her appearance as Taka liked to tease her, but it was a useful, jokey remark that acted as a stand-in for the flirtation they shared when they were alone. The infirmary storerooms no longer offered them convenient privacy, though there was no denying that the tall Inuyoukai was happy to have help in the gardens.
Taka had brought three older hanyou orphans back to the manor with her after the last battle. They were too old to fold into one of the intact families of freed hanyou slaves, and Taka refused to simply assume they would find places to call home. It felt too much like abandoning them. She instead spoke directly with General Inutaisho about bringing them back to the West to be trained by her and Gina to be healers, increasing the odds that one day they would overcome the unfairness that had been heaped on them since birth.
Gina watched Taka’s strong hands sort through the pile of herbs and smiled to herself. Those hands and the woman attached to them had brought her more contentment than she had ever had in her life. She knew her time with Taka was limited. The miko was upfront in saying that if she was called to go to a village or city, she was obligated to honor her vows. But she seemed confident that Lady Kaede would allow her to stay at the manor at least until Kagome gave birth, if not until the hanyou orphans were competent enough to serve as a healer for a village. Gina fantasized that she and Taka would have years together to travel and train healers, serving as an example of tolerance between the two races…keeping the exact nature of their relationship a secret, of course. For now though, she would take whatever time was given to them.
There was a distant rumble of thunder, and the door to the infirmary opened. Kagome came in and slumped in the nearest chair. “I’m in labor,” she said without preamble.
“What?” Gina and Taka asked simultaneously.
“It started yesterday evening when I went for a walk. I went to bed thinking the pains would go away, and they did. For a few hours. I was able to get some sleep, but with morning came a definite rhythm that I can’t ignore. I sent Jaken to the aviary right away, but the bird won’t arrive at Shiga until this evening.” Kagome closed her eyes and tears squeezed out. “This wasn’t supposed to happen until Sesshoumaru got back. I thought I would go another few weeks. It’s only been eight months.”
Taka went to Kagome and affectionately squeezed her shoulder. “Since we don’t know the gestation period of a Ningen-Taiyoukai hanyou, I’m confident in saying that, based on the size of your belly, you’re ready.”
Though she felt sympathy for Kagome, Gina was glad her cousin was still gone. She was not looking forward to his worried interference while his mate was in labor. Inuyoukai males were nothing but a hindrance in the birthing room, so frantic in their inability to take away their mates’ pain. Sesshoumaru would have been no different. “Kagome, he would be here if his presence wasn’t required in Shiga. I know he didn’t want to leave, but he’ll be back soon enough. Have you eaten yet this morning? You’ll need your strength.”
Kagome nodded. “A bit. I’ll have more in a little while. I think I’d like to walk around outside before it starts to storm.” Taka helped her to her feet, and as soon as she stood, Kagome stopped with a look of calm concentration on her face. “Still around the same intensity,” she said when she opened her eyes. “Come with me?” she asked Taka, a shy look on her face.
“I’m not going to leave your side.” Taka took her hand and looked over at Gina. “We’ll be back.”
“I’ll finish here and gather some things. I’ll meet you in Kagome and Sesshoumaru’s quarters.” She paused a moment, thoughtful. “Is there anything you’d like me to tell my aunt?” Gina knew the bond between Kagome and her mother-in-law had blossomed in the past few months. Once Kagome got over the self-consciousness of being newly pregnant, she was less horrified by Lady Seiobo’s exuberance, and, since her own was dead, Kagome naturally turned to Sesshoumaru’s mother for stories about birth and infants. “It is custom for Inuyoukai females to choose those they want present when they birth.”
Kagome smiled at Gina with gratitude. She would have assumed Seiobo knew she was welcome. “Tell her I’ll need her.” The desperate lonely feeling that Kagome had when she woke in her empty bed began to dissipate. She was surrounded by those who love her.
XXXXX
“Kagome, you can’t run away from this.” Gina followed Kagome into the dining room shared and held her as another labor pain crashed down. Kagome had been doing well, content to lean against the window frame in her bedroom and watch the gathering storm’s bluster as she breathed through the pains. During the past hour though, things had changed. She was restless, going from room to room with an increasing agitation that bordered on panic. “I know walking earlier helped, but now you are just going to make yourself tired. You need to relax and let it happen.”
Kagome breathed deeply and rested against Gina; the respites between contractions were becoming shorter and less satisfying and it was all she could do to not get carried away on a sea of pain and fear. “Piss off, Gina.” They both laughed for a brief second. “I feel like such an ass. For years I’ve been at the side of birthing women telling them they are doing fine, that they are almost done. I had absolutely no idea what I was talking about. I feel like a fraud.”
Gina had the words Kagome, you are doing great on the tip of her tongue. She bit them back and motioned for Seiobo. “I think she’d like a bit of your motherly wisdom.”
Another pain hit Kagome just as Seiobo reached her side. The Youkai quickly traded places, and Seiobo rubbed Kagome’s lower back as hard as she could.
After a minute Kagome looked up weakly. “That helped.” She straightened, sighing convulsively. “It hurts.”
“I know,” Seiobo said sympathetically. “It hurts and it stops. Then it hurts worse and just when you think you are at your limit and you can’t possibly go another moment, the bad part is over. Then the tiring pushing part and you’ve never worked so hard and you don’t think you have any more energy. Then you hear the sound of your pup’s cry and all the pain and work was worth it. By the next day, you’ve forgotten it all. Holding your infant for the first time is a powerful amnesiac.”
Another pain swept through her, gripping her middle like a vise. Kagome grimaced and shook her head.
“Just breathe, Kagome. Don’t fight it.” Taka had entered the room and was ready to offer a drink of water.
Kagome took deep breaths until it was past. “Fighting is what I do,” she said. There was no trace of humor in her voice, but she accepted the drink.
“You can’t fight this battle, darling,” Seiobo said. “It is a practical first lesson of the powerlessness of being a mother. Admission that there are some things that are bigger than you.”
Kagome’s laugh was more like a sharp exhale. “You make it sound so wonderful. Is it too late to change my mind about this?”
XXXXX
A half an hour later, the storm was whipping into a frenzy. Winds pummeled the trees, scattering leaves that were not ready to fall. The rain that began as ponderous plunks against the roof tops, now came in driving sheets. The sun was completely lost in the heavy black clouds. Inside, the inhabitants of the stronghold lit candles against the unnatural dark and prayed the storm would quickly pass.
Kagome was in her bedroom, braced against the window ledge. She was soaked with sweat and shaking. “Not again. Not already,” she whispered, tensing up.
Seiobo stood next to her and winced as Kagome squeezed her hand. Kagome, with all the eloquence of a foot soldier, had requested that no one touch her during a contraction. “You are doing wonderfully, darling. You are almost done. Keep breathing.” She glanced at Gina and Taka, who were standing nearby, for confirmation. The pains were close and difficult—it would not be much longer.
“I want…Sessh,” Kagome gasped.
“I know,” Seiobo said. “By now surely he has gotten the message and is speeding to you. He’ll be here in two days.” She wrapped her arms around Kagome when the pain passed. “Move away from the window, my sweet. It’s not safe to stand here any longer.” She eyed the violence outside and spared a thought for the safety of the Youkai at the stronghold. There hadn’t been a storm this intense in many years.
Kagome nodded and let her mother-in-law wipe the sweat from her face. She wanted to cry but didn’t, afraid that it would make the pain worse. It was enough to know that he was thinking about her and was coming home. She leaned her forearms on the wall and rested her head on them. “I’m so tired.” She was quiet a minute, then her deep breathing turned to low moans.
Gina and Taka watched Kagome, waiting for the familiar signs. “She’s starting to bear down, isn’t she,” Taka whispered.
“It appears so.” Gina gently guided Kagome onto the bed and laid her on her left side. “How does this feel?”
“A little better. I feel…” She closed her eyes and blew out, making another low, throaty noise. “Pushy.”
Taka helped her bend her legs and rubbed her back in wide, firm circles. “Just rest. Push when you feel you need to. We can get you on your hands and knees—”
“I need to,” Kagome said quickly. She remembered all the things she had told other women. Listen to your body, relax your face, breathe out. She closed her eyes and moaned as she pushed and was rewarded by a large gush of water and an instant lessening of pressure. “Oh that’s better. It feels better.” Another contraction came, and this time she was ready. She bore down and almost laughed with the way she felt like her body was obeying her again.
Taka and Gina had already laid towels and extra blankets on the bed. Taka brought over dry towels and a clean robe. “I was wondering when your water would break. Sit up a second and I’ll change—” Her eyes widened as she pulled at the towels and lifted Kagome’s robe. “Good gods, Kagome. I think I see the head. Slow down!”
Kagome grinned between her light shallow breaths. “Hair?”
“Can’t tell quite yet,” Taka replied, while gesturing at a pile of smaller blankets and giving Gina a pointed stare that said she wasn’t kidding. She looked at Lady Seiobo. “Bring all the candles we have.” Gina grabbed the blankets and rushed to Kagome’s side, Seiobo right behind her. “I’m surprised a baby this big is coming so fast. You must be a very efficient pusher.” After a few minutes of Kagome bearing down, Taka announced, “White hair.”
Gina and Seiobo, sitting at the side of the bed and holding Kagome’s hands, smiled at each other. Kagome would have sung if she hadn’t been so focused. “Okay, here it comes. Go slow,” Taka instructed. Suddenly a slippery body slithered out and into Taka’s waiting hands. “A girl!” Taka said before her voice broke. Kagome rolled onto her back, stretched out her arms. Taka passed the baby under Kagome’s bent leg and placed her on her mother’s chest. The newborn started to howl immediately.
“Oh baby…my own sweet baby,” Kagome gasped. Gina took a thin blanket and wiped some blood and fluid from the little body, then covered the two up with a warmer one. “Gina, look at how pretty she is.” Kagome was mesmerized. She hadn’t known what to expect her child to look like. She knew it would be part demon and part human, but she wasn’t prepared to see something look so much like Sesshoumaru. The infant’s head was covered with copious amounts of wet white hair, she had a beautiful face, her ears came to a soft point, and a faint blue crescent adorned her forehead. She was her father’s daughter. “I suppose I had better get used to calling you a pup,” she said between choking sobs.
Seiobo and Gina held each other and cried, both overcome with joy of the easy, safe delivery.
Taka, on the other hand, looked concerned. “Kagome…that baby is tiny.”
“She’s perfect,” Kagome said automatically.
“Yes…” Taka reached for the suture string and her knife on the nearby table. “Let me check something. Hold still.” She laid her hands on Kagome’s belly and her face fell. “Kagome, there is another one in there.”
Kagome blanched and clutched the infant on her chest tighter. “What?”
Taka had already tied off the cord and started cutting it. “Give the babe to Lady Seiobo and lie back so I can feel how it’s positioned,” she said as calmly as she could, despite her racing heart. Gina took the pup and handed her to Seiobo, then helped Kagome move off the pillows. Taka tried not to let the panic she felt show in her face. “It’s lying sidewise. Don’t move and whatever you do, don’t push.”
Kagome closed her eyes and breathed through the contractions and the discomfort of Taka pushing on her abdomen. She had seen Taka turn a breech baby before, but that time was well before labor had begun and without the inherent risks of a twin birth. After what seemed like forever, Kagome heard Taka breathe a sigh of relief. “Head down?”
“Head down,” Taka said. There was no way the baby would have come out lying the way it had been. “Thank all the fucking gods above and below.” She moved back down to the end of the bed. Again her face reacted to what she saw. “Shit.”
“What is it?” Gina asked, though she had a good idea. Gushes of deep red blood.
“Kagome,” Taka said, “we need to get it out. Now. You need to push for all you’re worth.”
Gina got behind Kagome and helped her into a squat. “It’ll be okay, love. Just push hard.”
Kagome was too stunned to do anything other than follow their instructions. She took a deep breath and blew as she pushed, then immediately another and another.
“Okay, it’s coming down. Push harder.” Taka said nothing about the shocking amounts of blood. There was a possibility that not only would they lose the second baby, but her best friend as well. “Gina once this baby is out, I need you to take care of Kagome.”
Gina nodded, grim faced. So precipitously had their elation turned to horror. She had never attended a twin birth—they happened so rarely to Youkai that she had never had an opportunity to witness it. But Taka told her of the dangers, one being the afterbirth detaching too quickly. The second infant could be bleed to death before it was born and the mother faced fatal blood loss. Taka guided the limp, blue body of the second baby out. Gina grabbed the suture string and tied the cord before any more blood loss could occur. They cut the cord quickly and Taka carried the little body to the other side of the bed.
Kagome sat back, still in a state of shock. “It’s a boy?” Her voice sounded hollow.
“Kagome, I need you stay with me,” Gina said and reached for her herbal tinctures. She didn’t have to use them often but always kept them on hand in case. This was one of the times—Kagome was bleeding too much. “The afterbirth needs to come out.” She gently tugged on the cords. “Push as I pull, Kagome.”
Kagome didn’t care about anything than Taka and the second baby and the deathly quiet that came from them. She fought the rising tide of despair. “Taka, wake him up. Please. Please, wake him up.”
Taka’s hands glowed pink and she rubbed, trying to get the blood moving and the baby breathing. “Come on, little guy. Your mother wants to hear you cry.”
They waited, all focus on Taka and her glowing hands and gentle urging words. Even the female infant had stopped crying. Finally, the silence was split by a hesitant, mewling sound. It was the softest, weakest cry they had ever heard, but it was a cry nonetheless.
XXXXX
Seiobo entered her quarters and began to untie her kimono. She had slept in it the night before and worn it that day, and the thought of fresh clothing kept her afloat on the river of emotions. She looked at the fine silks hanging in a chest in her bedroom and shook her head. It felt so strange to see her wing of the manor looking exactly as she had left it the day before, after so much had happened. The infants were born the previous afternoon, in the middle of a furious storm—one that she hadn’t even realized had been so destructive until later when she went out to announce the birth to the Advisors and was told that several dozen trees had blown down, causing quite a bit of damage to the roofs of almost every building in the stronghold.
“Lady Seiobo,” her maid asked, “is everything alright?”
“Yes, Hannya. Everything is fine. I’m just here to change and give Kagome a chance to be alone. She has a lot to process and sometimes the best way is solitude…or what resembles solitude for her now.”
Seiobo allowed Yukika to help her don a new kimono. She would have liked to visit the bathhouse, but Gina and Taka were there and she thought they deserved an hour of privacy in which to relieve some stress. It was only late the night before that the two healers lost the fearful, serious expressions on their faces. The anxiety of the male pup’s slow, frightening beginning was soon enough matched by Kagome’s heavy blood loss. She, Taka, and Gina had taken turns all night watching the new mother and her infants, one whose very life seemed miraculous, for any signs of danger. With the rising of the sun, it became apparent that, not only Kagome’s bleeding had slowed to a point that Gina finally approved of, she was quickly regaining her strength. And her stubbornness. The argument that Kagome and Gina had over the employment of a wet nurse was only stopped by the loud, beautiful scream of the male pup, which promptly woke his sister.
Seiobo considered returning to Kagome’s room, worried by thoughts of being needed, but decided against it. Kagome was dealing well with both pups before she left, and she would have to figure out how to manage them eventually. She sighed and wiped a tear, remembering her first moments of being alone with a brand-new infant. The tentative, clumsy attempts at nursing; the incongruous combination of pride of accomplishment and humility in the face of something so large; the bond that felt stronger than the heat of the sun and the force of the wind. Sumiko. She straightened and remembered herself. She would not drown in that river. There would be time for melancholy later.
“I suppose I should go out and inspect the storm dam—” She paused, then smiled. The familiar twinge of her mate’s Youki rose in her soul. “He’s close. They’re back.”
Seiobo finished dressing and hurried out to the courtyard. General Inutaisho and Sesshoumaru were already strolling up to the manor, looking haggard and grim. She threw her arms around the General’s neck. “You’re back. Darling, you are never to leave me again.” Reunion was always sweet, no matter how difficult it was to be parted. She looked at her son and smiled her welcome. “I’m surprised you made such good time.”
“Good time?” Sesshoumaru scoffed. “We left four days ago.”
General Inutaisho kissed Seiobo on the mouth and hugged her tight. “The meetings went well, and Sesshoumaru was anxious to get back to his pregnant mate. You know I was more than ready to leave after the second day of talks.” He chuckled. “We left Sato and the guard there. He can help hammer out the finer points as well as I, and he has more fondness for diplomacy.”
“You left four days ago?” Seiobo said, looking suspicious.
“One-armed travel, we learned on the way there, is a bit more tedious…much like one-armed anything. The same was true on the return trip, but it was the storm that hit early yesterday that delayed us so long.” He looked around at the scattered debris and tarps thrown over roofs. “I see the stronghold wasn’t spared.”
Seiobo grinned a sneaky grin. She embraced her son and said, with as much seriousness as she could, “Sesshoumaru dear, leave your father and I to deal with this mess. You need to go straight to your quarters. Your mate has missed you.”
“Is she okay?” Sesshoumaru asked quickly.
“She’s fine. Go. Go straight to her. I left her only a bit ago in your rooms.” She took her mate’s arm after their son had left and whispered in his ear. “Do I have some news for you.”
XXXXX
Sesshoumaru went at once to his section of the manor. It seemed to have escaped most of the damage from the storm—no leaks coming from the ceiling, no splintered shutters—though it was strangely quiet. Jaken and Yukika were nowhere to be found, and Kagome, who would normally be in his study pouring through books at this time of day, was not there.
The amount he wanted to see her, to touch her was palpable. His duty to the West as his father’s heir meant accompanying him to this event, crucial for the future of Youkai-Ningen relations. Leaving his mate warred against all his instincts and was almost physically painful, and now it didn’t matter—he was back and she was here. Somewhere. She wasn’t taking tea in the dining room, the other place he expected to find her, but everywhere were the smells of his mother, Gina, and Taka. He wandered down the corridor and into their bedroom.
There she was, curled up with her back to the door, apparently asleep. “It’s not like you to nap,” he said without reproach. Perhaps his cousin’s constant suggestions that she rest more frequently had been taken to heart. As he neared the bed, two new smells hit him with the force of a typhoon. He slowly walked around the bed to face her. Sesshoumaru silently gasped and sank to the mats on the floor. He watched them, unable to move. He had no inkling for how long he sat and stared. Time had become inconsequential.
XXXXX
Kagome’s sleep was tickled by the Youki in her veins soaring. It didn’t take long for her dream state to step aside and allow her to wake. She was unsurprised when she opened her eyes and saw him, sitting next to the bed. She smiled. “You’re back. Thank the gods. I missed you.”
“Kagome…I didn’t…I’m sorry I wasn’t here. I would never have left you if I had known—”
“You’re here now. That’s the important thing.” She tried to sit up and groaned. Sesshoumaru got up and had her lean on him as he propped up pillows. “Thanks. I wasn’t even expecting you for another day. The message must have traveled more quickly than I thought.”
Sesshoumaru looked confused for a brief second, then he gave a short laugh. “My mother is a professional secret keeper,” he said, shaking his head. “How do you feel?”
“Sore. But good. Happy.” Kagome gestured for him to sit next to her. “I know from attending other women that it will get even more…interesting when my milk comes in.” Kagome was not looking forward to the engorgement and nipple chafing that seemed unavoidable. That and the soreness didn’t matter though; nothing mattered more than the two infants snuggled up beside her. “Would you like to hold your first born?”
Sesshoumaru couldn’t make his mouth work. He simply tried to look very receptive. Kagome laughed and picked up the sleeping pup swaddled in the red blanket, then gave her to her father. In his muscular arms, the infant looked hopelessly tiny. “Just hold the head…yes, like that.” Kagome gently took off the woolen cap that covered her head, exposing the white downy hair that she had discovered was almost impossible to stop touching. “For a hanyou she looks remarkably like a Taiyoukai. Your mother said she looks exactly like your sister.”
Sesshoumaru touched her cheek. The pale skin was smooth and warm. The hair was wild and soft as a kitten’s fur. “My daughter.” Her face pinched into a grimace, and she blinked her eyes open. They were a deep, dark golden brown that Seiobo said was typical of an Inuyoukai newborn. “So serious.”
“Yet another way she resembles you.” Kagome watched the two lock eyes and connect. The powerless fear of the birth disappeared, replaced by so much contentment. She picked up the other, still slumbering, pup and held him close. She knew she would do anything to protect both her children, but he was the one she had almost lost. “This one was born blue, but now he cries just as lustily and sucks as greedily as his sister.” Kagome decided not to tell him any other details about the birth. He would hear them soon enough from Gina, and she didn’t want this moment spoiled by unnecessary drama.
Sesshoumaru looked at her in amazement. “You gave me a son.” It was part a statement to make sure it was true, part a question of whether he could be any happier. “May I hold him?”
“Of course. Put the girl on my legs. Here.” Kagome handed the baby to Sesshoumaru and picked up her daughter. She held her breath as she watched. Sesshoumaru took the cap off the baby’s head. He had black hair, not as long as his sister’s but certainly as thick. His ears weren’t quite pointed, though they weren’t exactly rounded like human ears. There was no mark of any kind on his forehead. “His eyes are dark blue,” Kagome said, almost defensively.
Sesshoumaru glanced at Kagome. She had a mother-bear tone to her voice, but her face looked like she was about to cry. “What’s wrong?”
“I’m afraid…I don’t want you to reject him.” The tears began to flow. “I had horrid waking nightmares that you wouldn’t love him as much because he looks more human than Youkai.”
“Miko, stop. He’s perfect. They both are. You are.” He stroked her cheeks, wiping away her tears. “He is my heir. I’ve spent over a week away from you ensuring the peace treaty will last indefinitely. This pup embodies the future that we’ve all sacrificed so much to have. I wouldn’t have him looking any other way.”
Kagome smiled and sniffed back her tears. She suddenly felt ridiculous for having doubts.
“Where are Jaken and Yukika? And Gina for that matter. You shouldn’t have been left alone.”
Nothing could make Kagome snap out of her insecurities like the suggestion that she was dependent on others. “They spent this morning scrubbing and carrying loads of bedding to the laundry. Birth is a bloody business, and yesterday was no exception. I told them to take the rest of the day to relax. Don’t worry,” she said, “I’ve been well attended. Gina and Taka should be by any minute with more of Gina’s nasty blood tonic. I think she made it extra foul because she’s mad at me.”
“Why?” He was no stranger to Gina’s vindictive side, but he never thought it would be directed at Kagome.
“Because I refused her when she said I should employ a wet nurse. I don’t care how much blood I lost,” she muttered. “Mine is the only face I want these two to see when they feed.”
“Gina gives sound advice,” Sesshoumaru said hesitantly. “Perhaps now is not the time for being stubborn.”
“I’m as knowledgeable as Gina about nursing,” Kagome bristled. “And I’m not stupid. If I think I need help, I’ll ask for it. And for the record, you have seen nothing of my stubbornness.”
Sesshoumaru’s laugh startled his son awake. He was afraid at first that he would cry and Kagome would want him back, but the baby only yawned and opened his eyes. “I thought newborns were supposed to bawl,” he said softly.
“Oh, they do,” Kagome said. “And when one starts, the other isn’t far off. So far I’ve managed, but I’ve had a lot of help.” I have help now. She rested her head on his shoulder. “I’m glad you’re home. This is how it should be.”
Sesshoumaru reached up and ran his fingers through her hair, and she relaxed further against him. This was what he had craved their entire separation, and now their family was whole. “Do they have names?”
“Well…I started calling them Twig and Pebble because they are so small, but that won’t be the case for long.” Kagome glanced at Sesshoumaru. His imperious raised brow and dubious expression at the temporary names made her heart ache with love. “When they were crying this morning and I was trying to calm her, I called the girl Inuko.”
“Inuko?” Sesshoumaru said. “Not very creative. How did she react?”
Kagome smiled. “She seemed to like it.”
Sesshoumaru stroked the pup’s white hair. “Inuko. Would you like to be called that?” Inuko closed her eyes and yawned. “They find the work of naming to be boring. What about this one?”
“Arashi,” she said, her voice resolute. “Born in the middle of a wicked storm, he will make his mark on the world.”
Sesshoumaru’s breath caught in his throat. “A good name for my son,” he said after a minute. He looked into the dark eyes, unable to fully believe the gods had blessed him so much. “I expect my parents will be along soon.” The time Sesshoumaru spent traveling with his father, despite both of them missing their mates, had been a precious opportunity for them to reconnect. They hadn’t been alone together for an extended period in years, and they were reminded of the decades of affection and instruction and tragedy they had shared. He couldn’t wait to see his father hold his grandchildren.
“Gina and Taka will want to check on us as well.” Kagome shifted and winced. “I’m under strict instructions not to get up without their supervision, so it’s probably for the best. Until they get here though, I’m going to freeze this moment and remember it forever.”
They sat together, staring at their offspring, neither willing to break the spell.
Converting /tmp/phpsfBS9m to /dev/stdout
Sesshoumaru and General Inutaisho had gone to Shiga, the meeting place of the Council of Great Families and perhaps eventual capital city. The hope was to one day have a central governing body made up of representatives of both Ningen and Youkai societies, primarily to oversee trade and also ensure that War would never again threaten the future. For now the strategy was to shore up the structures that would hold the new system in place. Ningen and Youkai leaders were gathering to finalize trade contracts and discuss additional, now-advantageous, marital alliances. Most important they were there to deal with kayaku, a subject that had been the source of months of heated debate. Rather than destroy the last stores of the weapon and formula for the black powder, they decided to give its secrets to all, in the belief that it was more dangerous only known to a select number. If everyone had access to it, the power would never be concentrated in the hands of only a few. It was a testament to the amount of trust that had developed between the races that this was seriously discussed, never mind actually decided to be implemented. And it emphasized to all the importance of continuing the peace treaty.
Kagome sighed and ran her hands over her huge, round belly. She would have liked to be present for the final culmination of the peace process that she had been so integral to, but her time was nearing and travel was unwise. And truth be told, she was happy to not go. There was one more event to be carried out at Shiga—the execution of Generals Kurono and Akagawa. The renegade Ningen had evaded capture for a month after the last battle, but they could not hide forever. Kouga and General Miyamoto caught up with them hidden in Akagawa’s ancestral lands. The trial was complete; death for treason was the verdict. Lord Okuri had already been judged according to Inuyoukai laws and had been delivered to Shiga. In a concession to Azami, General Inutaisho agreed to let his cousin commit ritual suicide the night before the executions rather than face the shame of a public beheading. Even if it meant being parted from Sesshoumaru, Kagome was happy not have to be witness to any of it. After so much killing, she had no interest in watching more death. She had future life to think about.
Once they returned to the stronghold after the last battle, Kagome and Sesshoumaru grabbed hold of the normal life they had craved. And clung to it as if it were a wild thing that would flee if they blinked. Gone was the shame and fear, the awkward way the tiptoed around each other, not sure how to behave. Sesshoumaru waited a week to mark her. He wanted to be able to be with her and not torture himself, for the dreams where she died in his arms to go away. He waited until she could look at him without the dull gloss of guilt in her deep blue eyes, for her to know that she didn’t need his forgiveness for her recalcitrance and independence. When he finally bit the other side of her neck, it felt right, like they had had a proper courtship. After that, they spent the summer months refusing to be parted. Kagome understood, as she never had, the true nature of Inuyoukai males and what it meant to be protected by him. There was nothing overbearing or domineering about his presence, no doubt that she couldn’t competently care for herself; it was, rather, the feeling that he would willingly die for her, a feeling of trust, safety, and love.
The closeness they had achieved made the current separation that much more cutting. Kagome also finally appreciated what it meant to share Youki with him. She smiled to herself to remember how she had bristled at the physical connection with him, resentful that the bond had been imposed on her. Now she understood that her feelings toward him and the pull of Youki did not need to be split apart. They were as intertwined as the vines that grew wild in the forest beyond the stronghold walls.
“Time for a walk,” Kagome said aloud. “Now that I am officially incapable of getting comfortable, I may as well get some exercise.” She breathed heavily as she rose to her feet, slowly balancing her weight to avoid dizziness. There was a brief tightening across her wide abdomen. It was easy enough to ignore, but she silently implored her mate to return home soon.
XXXXX
Gina carried the last basket of herbs into the infirmary and dumped the contents next to the other bundles waiting to be tied up to dry. End of summer was a busy time of year for harvesting the medicinal plants that she would use throughout the autumn and winter months, and she was happy the end was ever more in sight. “That’s the last of it,” she announced. “We got it all in before the rain started.” She had watched as the ominous dark clouds rolled in, knowing that if she wanted to stay dry, they had to finish by mid-day.
Taka glanced up from where she was helping a hanyou apprentice and grinned. “No standing around in the mud tomorrow? And I was so looking forward to you getting dirty.” Gina was not quite as fussy about her appearance as Taka liked to tease her, but it was a useful, jokey remark that acted as a stand-in for the flirtation they shared when they were alone. The infirmary storerooms no longer offered them convenient privacy, though there was no denying that the tall Inuyoukai was happy to have help in the gardens.
Taka had brought three older hanyou orphans back to the manor with her after the last battle. They were too old to fold into one of the intact families of freed hanyou slaves, and Taka refused to simply assume they would find places to call home. It felt too much like abandoning them. She instead spoke directly with General Inutaisho about bringing them back to the West to be trained by her and Gina to be healers, increasing the odds that one day they would overcome the unfairness that had been heaped on them since birth.
Gina watched Taka’s strong hands sort through the pile of herbs and smiled to herself. Those hands and the woman attached to them had brought her more contentment than she had ever had in her life. She knew her time with Taka was limited. The miko was upfront in saying that if she was called to go to a village or city, she was obligated to honor her vows. But she seemed confident that Lady Kaede would allow her to stay at the manor at least until Kagome gave birth, if not until the hanyou orphans were competent enough to serve as a healer for a village. Gina fantasized that she and Taka would have years together to travel and train healers, serving as an example of tolerance between the two races…keeping the exact nature of their relationship a secret, of course. For now though, she would take whatever time was given to them.
There was a distant rumble of thunder, and the door to the infirmary opened. Kagome came in and slumped in the nearest chair. “I’m in labor,” she said without preamble.
“What?” Gina and Taka asked simultaneously.
“It started yesterday evening when I went for a walk. I went to bed thinking the pains would go away, and they did. For a few hours. I was able to get some sleep, but with morning came a definite rhythm that I can’t ignore. I sent Jaken to the aviary right away, but the bird won’t arrive at Shiga until this evening.” Kagome closed her eyes and tears squeezed out. “This wasn’t supposed to happen until Sesshoumaru got back. I thought I would go another few weeks. It’s only been eight months.”
Taka went to Kagome and affectionately squeezed her shoulder. “Since we don’t know the gestation period of a Ningen-Taiyoukai hanyou, I’m confident in saying that, based on the size of your belly, you’re ready.”
Though she felt sympathy for Kagome, Gina was glad her cousin was still gone. She was not looking forward to his worried interference while his mate was in labor. Inuyoukai males were nothing but a hindrance in the birthing room, so frantic in their inability to take away their mates’ pain. Sesshoumaru would have been no different. “Kagome, he would be here if his presence wasn’t required in Shiga. I know he didn’t want to leave, but he’ll be back soon enough. Have you eaten yet this morning? You’ll need your strength.”
Kagome nodded. “A bit. I’ll have more in a little while. I think I’d like to walk around outside before it starts to storm.” Taka helped her to her feet, and as soon as she stood, Kagome stopped with a look of calm concentration on her face. “Still around the same intensity,” she said when she opened her eyes. “Come with me?” she asked Taka, a shy look on her face.
“I’m not going to leave your side.” Taka took her hand and looked over at Gina. “We’ll be back.”
“I’ll finish here and gather some things. I’ll meet you in Kagome and Sesshoumaru’s quarters.” She paused a moment, thoughtful. “Is there anything you’d like me to tell my aunt?” Gina knew the bond between Kagome and her mother-in-law had blossomed in the past few months. Once Kagome got over the self-consciousness of being newly pregnant, she was less horrified by Lady Seiobo’s exuberance, and, since her own was dead, Kagome naturally turned to Sesshoumaru’s mother for stories about birth and infants. “It is custom for Inuyoukai females to choose those they want present when they birth.”
Kagome smiled at Gina with gratitude. She would have assumed Seiobo knew she was welcome. “Tell her I’ll need her.” The desperate lonely feeling that Kagome had when she woke in her empty bed began to dissipate. She was surrounded by those who love her.
XXXXX
“Kagome, you can’t run away from this.” Gina followed Kagome into the dining room shared and held her as another labor pain crashed down. Kagome had been doing well, content to lean against the window frame in her bedroom and watch the gathering storm’s bluster as she breathed through the pains. During the past hour though, things had changed. She was restless, going from room to room with an increasing agitation that bordered on panic. “I know walking earlier helped, but now you are just going to make yourself tired. You need to relax and let it happen.”
Kagome breathed deeply and rested against Gina; the respites between contractions were becoming shorter and less satisfying and it was all she could do to not get carried away on a sea of pain and fear. “Piss off, Gina.” They both laughed for a brief second. “I feel like such an ass. For years I’ve been at the side of birthing women telling them they are doing fine, that they are almost done. I had absolutely no idea what I was talking about. I feel like a fraud.”
Gina had the words Kagome, you are doing great on the tip of her tongue. She bit them back and motioned for Seiobo. “I think she’d like a bit of your motherly wisdom.”
Another pain hit Kagome just as Seiobo reached her side. The Youkai quickly traded places, and Seiobo rubbed Kagome’s lower back as hard as she could.
After a minute Kagome looked up weakly. “That helped.” She straightened, sighing convulsively. “It hurts.”
“I know,” Seiobo said sympathetically. “It hurts and it stops. Then it hurts worse and just when you think you are at your limit and you can’t possibly go another moment, the bad part is over. Then the tiring pushing part and you’ve never worked so hard and you don’t think you have any more energy. Then you hear the sound of your pup’s cry and all the pain and work was worth it. By the next day, you’ve forgotten it all. Holding your infant for the first time is a powerful amnesiac.”
Another pain swept through her, gripping her middle like a vise. Kagome grimaced and shook her head.
“Just breathe, Kagome. Don’t fight it.” Taka had entered the room and was ready to offer a drink of water.
Kagome took deep breaths until it was past. “Fighting is what I do,” she said. There was no trace of humor in her voice, but she accepted the drink.
“You can’t fight this battle, darling,” Seiobo said. “It is a practical first lesson of the powerlessness of being a mother. Admission that there are some things that are bigger than you.”
Kagome’s laugh was more like a sharp exhale. “You make it sound so wonderful. Is it too late to change my mind about this?”
XXXXX
A half an hour later, the storm was whipping into a frenzy. Winds pummeled the trees, scattering leaves that were not ready to fall. The rain that began as ponderous plunks against the roof tops, now came in driving sheets. The sun was completely lost in the heavy black clouds. Inside, the inhabitants of the stronghold lit candles against the unnatural dark and prayed the storm would quickly pass.
Kagome was in her bedroom, braced against the window ledge. She was soaked with sweat and shaking. “Not again. Not already,” she whispered, tensing up.
Seiobo stood next to her and winced as Kagome squeezed her hand. Kagome, with all the eloquence of a foot soldier, had requested that no one touch her during a contraction. “You are doing wonderfully, darling. You are almost done. Keep breathing.” She glanced at Gina and Taka, who were standing nearby, for confirmation. The pains were close and difficult—it would not be much longer.
“I want…Sessh,” Kagome gasped.
“I know,” Seiobo said. “By now surely he has gotten the message and is speeding to you. He’ll be here in two days.” She wrapped her arms around Kagome when the pain passed. “Move away from the window, my sweet. It’s not safe to stand here any longer.” She eyed the violence outside and spared a thought for the safety of the Youkai at the stronghold. There hadn’t been a storm this intense in many years.
Kagome nodded and let her mother-in-law wipe the sweat from her face. She wanted to cry but didn’t, afraid that it would make the pain worse. It was enough to know that he was thinking about her and was coming home. She leaned her forearms on the wall and rested her head on them. “I’m so tired.” She was quiet a minute, then her deep breathing turned to low moans.
Gina and Taka watched Kagome, waiting for the familiar signs. “She’s starting to bear down, isn’t she,” Taka whispered.
“It appears so.” Gina gently guided Kagome onto the bed and laid her on her left side. “How does this feel?”
“A little better. I feel…” She closed her eyes and blew out, making another low, throaty noise. “Pushy.”
Taka helped her bend her legs and rubbed her back in wide, firm circles. “Just rest. Push when you feel you need to. We can get you on your hands and knees—”
“I need to,” Kagome said quickly. She remembered all the things she had told other women. Listen to your body, relax your face, breathe out. She closed her eyes and moaned as she pushed and was rewarded by a large gush of water and an instant lessening of pressure. “Oh that’s better. It feels better.” Another contraction came, and this time she was ready. She bore down and almost laughed with the way she felt like her body was obeying her again.
Taka and Gina had already laid towels and extra blankets on the bed. Taka brought over dry towels and a clean robe. “I was wondering when your water would break. Sit up a second and I’ll change—” Her eyes widened as she pulled at the towels and lifted Kagome’s robe. “Good gods, Kagome. I think I see the head. Slow down!”
Kagome grinned between her light shallow breaths. “Hair?”
“Can’t tell quite yet,” Taka replied, while gesturing at a pile of smaller blankets and giving Gina a pointed stare that said she wasn’t kidding. She looked at Lady Seiobo. “Bring all the candles we have.” Gina grabbed the blankets and rushed to Kagome’s side, Seiobo right behind her. “I’m surprised a baby this big is coming so fast. You must be a very efficient pusher.” After a few minutes of Kagome bearing down, Taka announced, “White hair.”
Gina and Seiobo, sitting at the side of the bed and holding Kagome’s hands, smiled at each other. Kagome would have sung if she hadn’t been so focused. “Okay, here it comes. Go slow,” Taka instructed. Suddenly a slippery body slithered out and into Taka’s waiting hands. “A girl!” Taka said before her voice broke. Kagome rolled onto her back, stretched out her arms. Taka passed the baby under Kagome’s bent leg and placed her on her mother’s chest. The newborn started to howl immediately.
“Oh baby…my own sweet baby,” Kagome gasped. Gina took a thin blanket and wiped some blood and fluid from the little body, then covered the two up with a warmer one. “Gina, look at how pretty she is.” Kagome was mesmerized. She hadn’t known what to expect her child to look like. She knew it would be part demon and part human, but she wasn’t prepared to see something look so much like Sesshoumaru. The infant’s head was covered with copious amounts of wet white hair, she had a beautiful face, her ears came to a soft point, and a faint blue crescent adorned her forehead. She was her father’s daughter. “I suppose I had better get used to calling you a pup,” she said between choking sobs.
Seiobo and Gina held each other and cried, both overcome with joy of the easy, safe delivery.
Taka, on the other hand, looked concerned. “Kagome…that baby is tiny.”
“She’s perfect,” Kagome said automatically.
“Yes…” Taka reached for the suture string and her knife on the nearby table. “Let me check something. Hold still.” She laid her hands on Kagome’s belly and her face fell. “Kagome, there is another one in there.”
Kagome blanched and clutched the infant on her chest tighter. “What?”
Taka had already tied off the cord and started cutting it. “Give the babe to Lady Seiobo and lie back so I can feel how it’s positioned,” she said as calmly as she could, despite her racing heart. Gina took the pup and handed her to Seiobo, then helped Kagome move off the pillows. Taka tried not to let the panic she felt show in her face. “It’s lying sidewise. Don’t move and whatever you do, don’t push.”
Kagome closed her eyes and breathed through the contractions and the discomfort of Taka pushing on her abdomen. She had seen Taka turn a breech baby before, but that time was well before labor had begun and without the inherent risks of a twin birth. After what seemed like forever, Kagome heard Taka breathe a sigh of relief. “Head down?”
“Head down,” Taka said. There was no way the baby would have come out lying the way it had been. “Thank all the fucking gods above and below.” She moved back down to the end of the bed. Again her face reacted to what she saw. “Shit.”
“What is it?” Gina asked, though she had a good idea. Gushes of deep red blood.
“Kagome,” Taka said, “we need to get it out. Now. You need to push for all you’re worth.”
Gina got behind Kagome and helped her into a squat. “It’ll be okay, love. Just push hard.”
Kagome was too stunned to do anything other than follow their instructions. She took a deep breath and blew as she pushed, then immediately another and another.
“Okay, it’s coming down. Push harder.” Taka said nothing about the shocking amounts of blood. There was a possibility that not only would they lose the second baby, but her best friend as well. “Gina once this baby is out, I need you to take care of Kagome.”
Gina nodded, grim faced. So precipitously had their elation turned to horror. She had never attended a twin birth—they happened so rarely to Youkai that she had never had an opportunity to witness it. But Taka told her of the dangers, one being the afterbirth detaching too quickly. The second infant could be bleed to death before it was born and the mother faced fatal blood loss. Taka guided the limp, blue body of the second baby out. Gina grabbed the suture string and tied the cord before any more blood loss could occur. They cut the cord quickly and Taka carried the little body to the other side of the bed.
Kagome sat back, still in a state of shock. “It’s a boy?” Her voice sounded hollow.
“Kagome, I need you stay with me,” Gina said and reached for her herbal tinctures. She didn’t have to use them often but always kept them on hand in case. This was one of the times—Kagome was bleeding too much. “The afterbirth needs to come out.” She gently tugged on the cords. “Push as I pull, Kagome.”
Kagome didn’t care about anything than Taka and the second baby and the deathly quiet that came from them. She fought the rising tide of despair. “Taka, wake him up. Please. Please, wake him up.”
Taka’s hands glowed pink and she rubbed, trying to get the blood moving and the baby breathing. “Come on, little guy. Your mother wants to hear you cry.”
They waited, all focus on Taka and her glowing hands and gentle urging words. Even the female infant had stopped crying. Finally, the silence was split by a hesitant, mewling sound. It was the softest, weakest cry they had ever heard, but it was a cry nonetheless.
XXXXX
Seiobo entered her quarters and began to untie her kimono. She had slept in it the night before and worn it that day, and the thought of fresh clothing kept her afloat on the river of emotions. She looked at the fine silks hanging in a chest in her bedroom and shook her head. It felt so strange to see her wing of the manor looking exactly as she had left it the day before, after so much had happened. The infants were born the previous afternoon, in the middle of a furious storm—one that she hadn’t even realized had been so destructive until later when she went out to announce the birth to the Advisors and was told that several dozen trees had blown down, causing quite a bit of damage to the roofs of almost every building in the stronghold.
“Lady Seiobo,” her maid asked, “is everything alright?”
“Yes, Hannya. Everything is fine. I’m just here to change and give Kagome a chance to be alone. She has a lot to process and sometimes the best way is solitude…or what resembles solitude for her now.”
Seiobo allowed Yukika to help her don a new kimono. She would have liked to visit the bathhouse, but Gina and Taka were there and she thought they deserved an hour of privacy in which to relieve some stress. It was only late the night before that the two healers lost the fearful, serious expressions on their faces. The anxiety of the male pup’s slow, frightening beginning was soon enough matched by Kagome’s heavy blood loss. She, Taka, and Gina had taken turns all night watching the new mother and her infants, one whose very life seemed miraculous, for any signs of danger. With the rising of the sun, it became apparent that, not only Kagome’s bleeding had slowed to a point that Gina finally approved of, she was quickly regaining her strength. And her stubbornness. The argument that Kagome and Gina had over the employment of a wet nurse was only stopped by the loud, beautiful scream of the male pup, which promptly woke his sister.
Seiobo considered returning to Kagome’s room, worried by thoughts of being needed, but decided against it. Kagome was dealing well with both pups before she left, and she would have to figure out how to manage them eventually. She sighed and wiped a tear, remembering her first moments of being alone with a brand-new infant. The tentative, clumsy attempts at nursing; the incongruous combination of pride of accomplishment and humility in the face of something so large; the bond that felt stronger than the heat of the sun and the force of the wind. Sumiko. She straightened and remembered herself. She would not drown in that river. There would be time for melancholy later.
“I suppose I should go out and inspect the storm dam—” She paused, then smiled. The familiar twinge of her mate’s Youki rose in her soul. “He’s close. They’re back.”
Seiobo finished dressing and hurried out to the courtyard. General Inutaisho and Sesshoumaru were already strolling up to the manor, looking haggard and grim. She threw her arms around the General’s neck. “You’re back. Darling, you are never to leave me again.” Reunion was always sweet, no matter how difficult it was to be parted. She looked at her son and smiled her welcome. “I’m surprised you made such good time.”
“Good time?” Sesshoumaru scoffed. “We left four days ago.”
General Inutaisho kissed Seiobo on the mouth and hugged her tight. “The meetings went well, and Sesshoumaru was anxious to get back to his pregnant mate. You know I was more than ready to leave after the second day of talks.” He chuckled. “We left Sato and the guard there. He can help hammer out the finer points as well as I, and he has more fondness for diplomacy.”
“You left four days ago?” Seiobo said, looking suspicious.
“One-armed travel, we learned on the way there, is a bit more tedious…much like one-armed anything. The same was true on the return trip, but it was the storm that hit early yesterday that delayed us so long.” He looked around at the scattered debris and tarps thrown over roofs. “I see the stronghold wasn’t spared.”
Seiobo grinned a sneaky grin. She embraced her son and said, with as much seriousness as she could, “Sesshoumaru dear, leave your father and I to deal with this mess. You need to go straight to your quarters. Your mate has missed you.”
“Is she okay?” Sesshoumaru asked quickly.
“She’s fine. Go. Go straight to her. I left her only a bit ago in your rooms.” She took her mate’s arm after their son had left and whispered in his ear. “Do I have some news for you.”
XXXXX
Sesshoumaru went at once to his section of the manor. It seemed to have escaped most of the damage from the storm—no leaks coming from the ceiling, no splintered shutters—though it was strangely quiet. Jaken and Yukika were nowhere to be found, and Kagome, who would normally be in his study pouring through books at this time of day, was not there.
The amount he wanted to see her, to touch her was palpable. His duty to the West as his father’s heir meant accompanying him to this event, crucial for the future of Youkai-Ningen relations. Leaving his mate warred against all his instincts and was almost physically painful, and now it didn’t matter—he was back and she was here. Somewhere. She wasn’t taking tea in the dining room, the other place he expected to find her, but everywhere were the smells of his mother, Gina, and Taka. He wandered down the corridor and into their bedroom.
There she was, curled up with her back to the door, apparently asleep. “It’s not like you to nap,” he said without reproach. Perhaps his cousin’s constant suggestions that she rest more frequently had been taken to heart. As he neared the bed, two new smells hit him with the force of a typhoon. He slowly walked around the bed to face her. Sesshoumaru silently gasped and sank to the mats on the floor. He watched them, unable to move. He had no inkling for how long he sat and stared. Time had become inconsequential.
XXXXX
Kagome’s sleep was tickled by the Youki in her veins soaring. It didn’t take long for her dream state to step aside and allow her to wake. She was unsurprised when she opened her eyes and saw him, sitting next to the bed. She smiled. “You’re back. Thank the gods. I missed you.”
“Kagome…I didn’t…I’m sorry I wasn’t here. I would never have left you if I had known—”
“You’re here now. That’s the important thing.” She tried to sit up and groaned. Sesshoumaru got up and had her lean on him as he propped up pillows. “Thanks. I wasn’t even expecting you for another day. The message must have traveled more quickly than I thought.”
Sesshoumaru looked confused for a brief second, then he gave a short laugh. “My mother is a professional secret keeper,” he said, shaking his head. “How do you feel?”
“Sore. But good. Happy.” Kagome gestured for him to sit next to her. “I know from attending other women that it will get even more…interesting when my milk comes in.” Kagome was not looking forward to the engorgement and nipple chafing that seemed unavoidable. That and the soreness didn’t matter though; nothing mattered more than the two infants snuggled up beside her. “Would you like to hold your first born?”
Sesshoumaru couldn’t make his mouth work. He simply tried to look very receptive. Kagome laughed and picked up the sleeping pup swaddled in the red blanket, then gave her to her father. In his muscular arms, the infant looked hopelessly tiny. “Just hold the head…yes, like that.” Kagome gently took off the woolen cap that covered her head, exposing the white downy hair that she had discovered was almost impossible to stop touching. “For a hanyou she looks remarkably like a Taiyoukai. Your mother said she looks exactly like your sister.”
Sesshoumaru touched her cheek. The pale skin was smooth and warm. The hair was wild and soft as a kitten’s fur. “My daughter.” Her face pinched into a grimace, and she blinked her eyes open. They were a deep, dark golden brown that Seiobo said was typical of an Inuyoukai newborn. “So serious.”
“Yet another way she resembles you.” Kagome watched the two lock eyes and connect. The powerless fear of the birth disappeared, replaced by so much contentment. She picked up the other, still slumbering, pup and held him close. She knew she would do anything to protect both her children, but he was the one she had almost lost. “This one was born blue, but now he cries just as lustily and sucks as greedily as his sister.” Kagome decided not to tell him any other details about the birth. He would hear them soon enough from Gina, and she didn’t want this moment spoiled by unnecessary drama.
Sesshoumaru looked at her in amazement. “You gave me a son.” It was part a statement to make sure it was true, part a question of whether he could be any happier. “May I hold him?”
“Of course. Put the girl on my legs. Here.” Kagome handed the baby to Sesshoumaru and picked up her daughter. She held her breath as she watched. Sesshoumaru took the cap off the baby’s head. He had black hair, not as long as his sister’s but certainly as thick. His ears weren’t quite pointed, though they weren’t exactly rounded like human ears. There was no mark of any kind on his forehead. “His eyes are dark blue,” Kagome said, almost defensively.
Sesshoumaru glanced at Kagome. She had a mother-bear tone to her voice, but her face looked like she was about to cry. “What’s wrong?”
“I’m afraid…I don’t want you to reject him.” The tears began to flow. “I had horrid waking nightmares that you wouldn’t love him as much because he looks more human than Youkai.”
“Miko, stop. He’s perfect. They both are. You are.” He stroked her cheeks, wiping away her tears. “He is my heir. I’ve spent over a week away from you ensuring the peace treaty will last indefinitely. This pup embodies the future that we’ve all sacrificed so much to have. I wouldn’t have him looking any other way.”
Kagome smiled and sniffed back her tears. She suddenly felt ridiculous for having doubts.
“Where are Jaken and Yukika? And Gina for that matter. You shouldn’t have been left alone.”
Nothing could make Kagome snap out of her insecurities like the suggestion that she was dependent on others. “They spent this morning scrubbing and carrying loads of bedding to the laundry. Birth is a bloody business, and yesterday was no exception. I told them to take the rest of the day to relax. Don’t worry,” she said, “I’ve been well attended. Gina and Taka should be by any minute with more of Gina’s nasty blood tonic. I think she made it extra foul because she’s mad at me.”
“Why?” He was no stranger to Gina’s vindictive side, but he never thought it would be directed at Kagome.
“Because I refused her when she said I should employ a wet nurse. I don’t care how much blood I lost,” she muttered. “Mine is the only face I want these two to see when they feed.”
“Gina gives sound advice,” Sesshoumaru said hesitantly. “Perhaps now is not the time for being stubborn.”
“I’m as knowledgeable as Gina about nursing,” Kagome bristled. “And I’m not stupid. If I think I need help, I’ll ask for it. And for the record, you have seen nothing of my stubbornness.”
Sesshoumaru’s laugh startled his son awake. He was afraid at first that he would cry and Kagome would want him back, but the baby only yawned and opened his eyes. “I thought newborns were supposed to bawl,” he said softly.
“Oh, they do,” Kagome said. “And when one starts, the other isn’t far off. So far I’ve managed, but I’ve had a lot of help.” I have help now. She rested her head on his shoulder. “I’m glad you’re home. This is how it should be.”
Sesshoumaru reached up and ran his fingers through her hair, and she relaxed further against him. This was what he had craved their entire separation, and now their family was whole. “Do they have names?”
“Well…I started calling them Twig and Pebble because they are so small, but that won’t be the case for long.” Kagome glanced at Sesshoumaru. His imperious raised brow and dubious expression at the temporary names made her heart ache with love. “When they were crying this morning and I was trying to calm her, I called the girl Inuko.”
“Inuko?” Sesshoumaru said. “Not very creative. How did she react?”
Kagome smiled. “She seemed to like it.”
Sesshoumaru stroked the pup’s white hair. “Inuko. Would you like to be called that?” Inuko closed her eyes and yawned. “They find the work of naming to be boring. What about this one?”
“Arashi,” she said, her voice resolute. “Born in the middle of a wicked storm, he will make his mark on the world.”
Sesshoumaru’s breath caught in his throat. “A good name for my son,” he said after a minute. He looked into the dark eyes, unable to fully believe the gods had blessed him so much. “I expect my parents will be along soon.” The time Sesshoumaru spent traveling with his father, despite both of them missing their mates, had been a precious opportunity for them to reconnect. They hadn’t been alone together for an extended period in years, and they were reminded of the decades of affection and instruction and tragedy they had shared. He couldn’t wait to see his father hold his grandchildren.
“Gina and Taka will want to check on us as well.” Kagome shifted and winced. “I’m under strict instructions not to get up without their supervision, so it’s probably for the best. Until they get here though, I’m going to freeze this moment and remember it forever.”
They sat together, staring at their offspring, neither willing to break the spell.
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