InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ The Strength of Love ❯ Chapter 11 ( Chapter 11 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

Disclaimer: I do not own it.

I know I just updated with the last chapter but I just finished going through this one and it looked okay, so here it is. This means I have to get my butt in gear for the next one.

---

She waited by the door to hear and listened to what they were saying.

"I don't know why he's kept her this long. Himitsu would have given him a fine heir, but having a hanyou heir, that's just disgraceful."

"As disgraceful as his father."

'That's it...'

She slid the door open with force. "I don't understand why this couldn't be said when I'm not around. I know you all knew I was out there. I wasn't born yesterday and I will not sit idly by while you talk about my family that way.

"And why can't we. It's obvious we are of higher standing. And that means we can look down on whom ever we like. I happen to think that Himistu should have been the Lady of this house. We wouldn't have a hanyou walking around here, would we?" scoffed Lady Leiko.

"Mommy," smiled Tatsuki as he walked in and stood by her.

"Hello, my son."

"Such a disgrace, that little one is. Sesshoumaru should have kept himself out of the likes of you and put himself where he belongs."

Rin's eyes squinted before she erupted into a laughing fit.

"What is so funny? Are you too stupid to realize I am mocking you? I saw your shoulder. What happened to your mark? Did he want it removed? Did you get yourself pregnant with the scum of the earth to keep him?"

She took a deep breath, balled her hands on each side, and in the most regal voice she could find she said, "You are such a bitch." She raised her fisted right hand up and into the side of Lady Leiko's face.

Lady Yuki rushed to her side and looked angrily to Rin's smiling face.

"I will not let you talk about my family that way. He has not stopped loving me and he never will. He is as happy as I am with these babies. He loves Tatsuki with all his heart and even if something went wrong between us, he would never hurt his children, his pups. Half demon children are not the scum of the earth. They are beautiful beings that will be stronger than any human or demon because of the stupid things they have to go through."

She took a deep breath as she felt her children move. "I am strong. I am stronger than Himitsu. I have stared in the face of demons that wanted to kill me. I have been beaten by humans. I have died by wolves. I have lost a husband. I have lost two children. I have done more things in my life than all of you put together. I went out on my own and saved my only friend at the time. I was eight. How many of you can say you risked your life for someone else at the age of eight?

"But still I have managed to somehow come back. I've come back to be with my mate. I might have my moments of weakness, by my Lord is always there as the solid pillar. If he is weak for loving me, then let him be weak. I just don't see how weak he is when he has time and time again beaten your mate in battle." She paused. "Oh, and this mark is like this because a boar demon wanted to get rid of it so he could mate with me, not because Lord Sesshoumaru wanted to get rid of me."

"Lord Sesshoumaru and the others want to know if there is anything wrong," said Jaken as he scampered in.

"Nothing is wrong Jaken. I was just welcoming Lady Leiko to our palace."

"He's not going to like this," said Jaken beside Rin.

"What is he going to do?"

Jaken stood dumbfounded as Rin laughed again.

"Lady Rin is everything all right in here?" asked Mochihiro at the door, allowing Jaken to scamper back out.

Rin turned around and smiled. "Everything is fine. I am going to lunch. Come on Tatsuki." She held out her hands and when he walked close enough she picked him up and walked past Mochihro and towards the dining room.

"Rin."

"Yes," she answered, still smiling.

"Mommy hit her."

She watched his eyes became angry. "Rin."

"Yes. I hit her, but she deserved it."

"You should not do that in your condition."

"I can and I did. They wouldn't hit me back. They are too afraid of you, even if they aren't afraid of me."

"Rin."

"Sesshoumaru. I can't let them talk about you or our son that way. It's not right. I mean, you are not weak for loving me. They just don't know how that gives us strength. They don't know all the crap we've been through. They don't know that even when I shamed you and your family you still loved me. They...They...They...Oh, great, now I'm crying. I'm not even sad." She wiped the tear from her eye.

"Mommy sad Daddy?"

"No, Mommy's just having babies. They make her sad. Mommy is happy. Daddy is happy," she said at Tatsuki on her hip.

He leaned forward to talk to her belly. "Stop make Mommy sad." He then looked up at her. "They say sorry."

She smiled. "Thank you Tatsuki. They need an older brother to keep them in line."

"Rin. That does not mean you can punch our guests."

"I know, but..."

"You should listen to your Lord," said Lady Leiko as she walked past with Lady Yuki.

"I'm sorry I didn't stand up for you. They knew you were there and they wanted to make you mad. I should have stopped them," said Lady Nara walking up behind the other two.

"That's all right. It felt good to punch her," she smiled.

Rin looked back at Sesshoumaru. "We have a month of this?"

His eyes went from light amber with a tint of anger to dark amber painted with love and gave her a small smile. "We can sit outside tonight."

"Really?"

"Yes, my Rin."

She sighed and leaned up to kiss him on the cheek.

"Mommy happy. Time eat."

"You should go back. I will have them send lunch to you."

"Thank you, my Rin."

"You're welcome, my Sesshoumaru," Rin blushed.

----

"We should probably go inside soon. I know you don't want to spend the whole night outside," said Rin as she sat in between his legs with his hand rubbing her stomach.

"I could sit with you like this forever."

"I could too, but we should sleep." She moved and awkwardly stood up. "Come on, I'll help."

"I can get my self up," he said with importance.

Rin laughed. "How can you do that? How can you say something so sweet and then be so...so..." Sesshoumaru put his hand in her right one that hung by her side. "What's this for?"

"I thought you were going to help me up," he said, this time with a hint of mischief.

She laughed again as she helped her mate up and they walked into the palace and up to their room hand in hand. After they got into bed she snuggled close to him as he took his hand and brushed it over her cheek.

"Are any of them in love?" she asked.

"I believe Lord Genbu and Lady Nara are. Their marriage was not arranged like the others."

"I'm happy for Lord Genbu and Lady Nara. It's nice to have love. Was it easy for them?"

"I do not remember."

"You don't remember or you don't want to tell me?"

"Maybe both," he said as he brushed his hand through her hair. "It is not something I cared to know. Why do you want to know?"

"I'm just curious. They are our most trusted allies and I think I should become friends with her. She could help me with things."

"What things?"

"Like how to be a Lady, how to run the palace, how to raise children, or something like that. Maybe even how to make a demon Lord happy."

"But you already know how to keep this Lord happy."

Rin giggled and she moved her hand to trace his markings. "I love these. The color is beautiful."

"You are beautiful."

"If you keep praising me I'm going to get a big head."

He leaned in and kissed her forehead then her nose and then her lips. She watched as he went under the covers and she felt the cloth of her bed clothes open up and the lips of her mate on her stomach. She lifted the covers and watched, with difficulty in the dark room, Sesshoumaru place another kiss on her.

"She called you a disgrace, you and your father. She also said that you should have kept out of me. Then she said that I trapped you because you wanted out and I purposefully became pregnant again." She felt another couple of kisses. "She thought that because of the mark. She thought I was having the scum of the earth to keep you." He came out from under the sheets and kissed her mark. "I feel like I let you down."

"You should not feel that way. You know that these and any future pups are not scum. You have not let me down and if they feel that way, then let them."

"But I...and then I..."

"It is in the past. Let us look into the future with our pups."

"I thought I was all right with the mark the way it is, but when they looked at me...I felt ashamed. I want it to go back to the way it was before I...before I..."

He brushed the tears from her eyes. "I will mark it again if that is what you want."

"Will it look the same as before he ruined it?"

"I do not know."

"Do it." She sat up with Sesshoumaru and bit into her and lapped up the blood as he did the first time. She closed her eyes and ran her hand over the area. She felt the marks the boar left and mentally cringed. She ran her hand back over the mark, but this time it was smooth other than the small mark of her mate. Even the small scar that Himitsu left when she tried to dig the mark out was gone.

"It...it worked." She smiled. "This mark shall never be tampered with again." Rin started to cover herself back up with her yukata.

"Stop," said Sesshoumaru.

Rin moved closer to him as he moved closer to her.

----

Rin laughed as she came down the stairs with Sesshoumaru, her hand holding his arm tightly behind his back. "I have you now, my Lord."

"Or so you think." He moved his arm quickly out of her grasp and moved down the rest of the stairs.

"Hey, that's not fair. I can't move that fast right now...or ever," she said quickly rounding the corner. Sesshoumaru stood in front of her then turned around and placed a small kiss on her forehead. "My turn." She moved in and kissed him on his crescent mark. When she moved back she looked into his eyes and then at his mouth, both were smiling at her.

"Do you think I will have at least one girl?" she asked looking at her stomach, instead of her bare feet.

"I would not know."

"Can you hear their hearts?"

"Yes. They are beating quite well."

"I am starving. I wanted something to eat last night after..." she blushed, "but I didn't want to bother you."

"You would not have bothered me. I am happy to do anything for my mate and pups."

"I know, but...well, next time," she smiled. "Let's go. I'm sure Tatsuki already bothered Mochihiro for something to eat."

"He is there."

"I was going to take him out today; just to walk around the palace grounds."

"That would be good."

"I will see if any of the Ladies want to come."

He ran his hands through her hair and she sighed lovingly.

"What a sweet sight. It makes me want to...well, Seiryu you know how I get when I eat sweets."

"That I do, Leiko."

Rin glared in their direction as they walked down the hallway to the dining room. "It's been a month. You'd think they would get tired of it."

"It is their source of fun. They like to play with their food," he said with distain.

"I wish they would stop." She sighed. "At least we have a week to go. I don't know what I would do if they were here for three months."

"Let us eat. Tatsuki is already there."

"First thing on his mind when he wakes up, just like his father," Rin winked. She heard a small growl from the back of his throat and she knew she got him.

"Mommy. Daddy. It time eat."

"Yes, I know. Mommy is hungry," she said as she led him back to the table.

"How are you this morning, Lady Rin?" asked Mochihiro.

"I'm fine. Just a little tired, but that's my fault." Rin threw a glance at Sesshoumaru and she heard a snort come from across the way. She snapped her head back to in front of her while she clenched her jaws tightly.

"It is time to eat," said Sesshoumaru from his spot at the end. "Nothing more shall be said to upset my mate."

Rin looked around the table and saw the heads of the other nobles bow slightly in recognition. Inside she smirked as she watched the Lord and Lady of the Eastern Lands do the same thing.

"Today looks like it's going to be beautiful. We should go to the gardens while the men talk this morning," she said.

"I would love to go. Your gardens are gorgeous. I just love that one tree with the great enclosed area," commented Lady Nara.

"It...it used to be our special place to relax," Rin said to Nara with a small hiccup as she thought about why they didn't go there anymore.

"I want that." Tatsuki pointed to the bowl of miso soup.

"Here," Rin said, moving the bowl closer to him. She helped him by putting the chopsticks in his hand and placing her hand over her son's. She fed him like that until he wanted the broth and then she helped him tip the bowl so he could drink out of it.

"I like that," he said with a big smile as he looked up at her.

"So do I," she smiled back. "And so does your father."

"You do?" he asked.

"Yes, Tatsuki, I do."

"I'm done. I play."

"In a little bit. Wait until we are all done. All right?"

"Yes," he hissed happily.

"Lady Yuki, Lady Leiko, would you both want to come to the gardens?"

"I would like to go," said Lady Yuki.

"Are you going to show us where you disgraced the Lord of the Western Lands?" asked Lady Leiko with deviance in her eyes.

"I don't know what you are talking about," Rin lied.

"I believe you do. I believe his name was Akito."

"Tatsuki," said Rin as she nudged him off her lap and closed her eyes while she took a breath.

"I said no one was to say anything that upset my mate," boomed the voice of Sesshoumaru.

"I see I've touched a sore subject among the Western Palace."

Rin opened her eyes quickly and shot a look at Leiko. "Shut up Leiko. I invited you to my house so the Lords can try to work things out because to keep the demon world going as it is there needs to be alliances. However, I do not mind if we loose yours. You and your mate have done nothing but pick at me and my family. I have tried to put up with it for the sake of that possible alliance, but this is it."

"Even if you say it we will not listen to a human."

Rin slowly stood up. "I am the Lady of the Western Lands and that means you do have to listen to me! Now, get out of my palace!" She pointed her finger at the dinning room door for emphasis.

"Rin."

"Sesshoumaru, I won't put up with it. I want them out of my palace. I don't want them near you. I don't want them near Tatsuki. And I don't want them near me."

"Rin, you need to calm down."

She took a couple of deep breaths while looking at the floor, or what she could see of the floor around her belly. She looked back up to see Sesshoumaru walking towards her. "I want them gone," she said in a whisper, but she knew they could hear her also.

"They will be gone in a week."

"I know, but I don't want her here. She's making those remarks...it hurts me, Sesshoumaru, it hurts. That last one was it. I don't like how she made that comment about Akito. She doesn't know anything. She doesn't have the right to say something when she doesn't know. She doesn't know...she doesn't know...she doesn't know," Rin repeated as she thought of Akito and his death.

"You are crying," he said softly.

Rin wiped the tears from her face and said flatly, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to." She walked towards him to close the gap, hoping that he would just hold her.

Instead he turned around. "Lord Seiryu and Lady Leiko, you will leave this place as soon as you can. I believe I made myself clear when I said that nothing was supposed to be said to upset my mate. You have deliberately gone against my wishes so you must leave."

"Sesshoumaru..." She walked up to his side and looked into the eyes of two shocked dog demons. She took more deep breaths and took on her husband's phlegmatic look. (Phstoic)

"If you want an alliance with us then you should not kick us out," said Lord Seiryu loudly.

"If you wanted an alliance you should not have disrespected my family," Sesshoumaru fired back. Rin couldn't help but smirk.

"You want us to leave because we know of your mate's indiscretions. Is that it? You fail to realize that we have dignitaries here like you have with us? Do you think something like that will not make it to our ears? That the son of the Great Lord isn't enough for even a frail and inferior human? She-"

Rin cut off Leiko as she stepped forward. "STOP! I will not have you spit on his name! He is just as great as his father and he will be around long after you are dead!"

Leiko stepped forward so there was about three feet in between the two women. "If he is so great then why did he mate with you? That has been his biggest mistake. You have brought him nothing but pain. He has to live with hanyou pups and a mate who goes after every male in her palace."

Rin's chest heaved with anger. "He loves Tatsuki and he will love any pup I give him. I do NOT go after any male. I love my mate. Something you obviously don't. Akito was a great demon as well. He served my Lord honorably. Sometimes I think that maybe mating with me was a mistake, but then I remember that my Lord does not make mistakes. It is I who make mistakes. Akito was my mistake. But it was a mistake between my Lord, Akito, and me. It is no one else's business, but as you can see my Lord has forgiven my mistake."

"One such as him never forgets."

"Leave," Rin said under her breath.

"What?" Lady Leiko put her hand up to her ear.

"You heard what I said. I...want...you...to..." Rin took a deep breath then screamed. "LEAVE!!!!"

"I will not be told what to do by a cheating whore," growled Leiko.

"I am not a whore," Rin growled back.

"Rin, you need to calm down. It is-"

Rin turned around as fast as she possibly could and looked at Sesshoumaru in the eyes. "NO! I will NOT calm down. I WILL calm down when you stop biting your tongue and start defending our son and me. I do not appreciate it when you stand by and do nothing while she calls me a whore. She has heard rumors about Akito. She has not heard the truth. She needs to be told by you to shut up."

She turned back to Lady Leiko. "Do you want to feel my fist again? I am not a whore and you shouldn't judge me because of rumors. I admit that Akito loved me. I admit that I kissed him more than once. I-"

"Rin," she heard Sesshoumaru behind her.

"SHUT UP! You should be telling them to leave! How can you do this?! How can you say you love me, but never stand up for me?!"

"Lady Rin, you need to calm down," said Mochihiro calmly.

Rin looked at him, still trembling with anger. Then her eyes went to the other two Lords and Ladies. Lastly, her eyes went to her son. He was looking at her in what she took as terror. "Tatsuki..."

"Mommy..." he whimpered.

She turned back around to look at Sesshoumaru who would not look at her. Rin closed her eyes and bowed her head in shame. "I am sorry, my Lord. I should listen to you. I should not have said anything about Akito either. I'm so very sorry. There has been things said between us that I cannot say here, but you have given me your heart and I do this to you. I should not call into question the things you do. You...you protect us and all I...I do is question you."

She wiped away her tears as she heard Sesshoumaru walk closer. She looked up to see him walk past her and to the door. She slowly crept to the floor to sit on her knees and the tears came back.

"Stand up Rin. They will not see you like this," he said from the doorway before he left the room.

"Yes, my Lord," she said and moved to get up. She felt arms on her right side and looked up to see Mochihiro helping her. "Thank you."

"You are welcome, my Lady," he bowed.

Rin looked to the empty doorway and swallowed the lump in her throat.

"This is why humans don't make good mates. They don't know their place."

Rin's head darted to woman she just argued with. "SHUT UP YOU FUCKING BITCH!!!!!!" She walked to the door of the dining room to look for Sesshoumaru.

"Mommy?"

"Stay with Mochihiro. Mommy is going to find Daddy," she said without looking at her son.

"I sorry Mommy."

She turned around and looked into the teary eyed toddler. "You did nothing wrong, my child. You have nothing to be sorry about."

"I love Mommy and Daddy. Don't leave."

"I won't leave. I'm just going to find Daddy."

"Okay, Mommy," he said as he gave her a small smile.

Rin walked into the hallway and saw the ends of Sesshoumaru's hair move into the study. "L-Lord Sesshoumaru?" She received no answer so she walked to the study slowly, but steadily. She stopped right outside the door and looked into the golden eyes of her mate. "Sess-Sesshoumaru?" Her bottom lip began to tremble.

"Do not cry. Come in to the study with me." He stepped back so she could walk through and shut the doors.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to do that to you in front of them. I was just angry. I don't always think when I'm angry. Please forgive me."

"I forgive you. I...I am sorry too."

"You are sorry? But you did nothing wrong. I was yelling and I didn't li-"

"Rin. I should not have turned my eyes away from you or been so rash."

She let a small smile crawl on her face. "But that is who you are. And by doing those things you humbled me. You made me remember who I am."

"I did not. You are not below me. You are my mate, my equal."

Rin walked closer to him and laid her forehead on his left shoulder. She felt his hand stroke her hair and heard him breathe her in. She lifted her head and cupped his cheeks with her hands and let her thumbs graze across them gently. She blinked and Sesshoumaru caught the tear before it feel off her cheek.

"I love you, my Sesshoumaru."

"You are the star to my moon," he said and she pulled his head closer to hers so she could kiss the moon.

She let go of him. "I suppose we should head back. Tatsuki thinks he did something wrong and that I'm going to leave. I should play with him longer today. I just wish he didn't have to see me at my worst."

"He will forgive you. Tatsuki is still small and he loves you."

"I yelled at Leiko before I left."

"I heard."

Rin let out a small giggle. "I should tell him never to use those words."

"That would be wise."

She grabbed his hand and felt him squeeze back. "I will go back and apologize and send the men in. Do you want Lord Seiryu to come as well?"

"Yes. We may be able to work something out."

"So I didn't ruin everything. That's good."

"You didn't ruin anything, my Rin," he said with love in his eyes.

"I will get them," she said as she let go of his hand. She turned around and walked out of the study.

On the way back she felt a small stab of pain in her lower back. "Hey! Stop that!" she said as she placed her right hand on her stomach. She took a few more steps until the pain became unbearable. When she stopped the second time she felt something warm trickle down between her legs. Her eyes went wide and she ducked into the small room that is used as Tatsuki's play room. She lifted her three kimonos and felt the warmth.

"Rin!" called Sesshoumaru as he came into the semi darkened room.

Rin walked over the window and looked at her fingers and then looked at Sesshoumaru in terror.

"Lady Rin!" she heard three voices call followed by a small whine of a toddler.

"Sess...Sesshoumaru?" she whispered as the pain died down.

"Mochihiro! Take Rin upstairs to our room!" the usually calm Sesshoumaru yelled.

"No! Not there. It will smell of my blood. I can't do that to you."

"You are in no place to tell me where to go."

"The pain is gone. I can walk," she said walking from the window and into the middle of the room to go to the door on the opposite side. The pain returned before she made it to the door and Sesshoumaru made Mochihiro take her the rest of the way up.

"Sesshoumaru. What's going on? Tatsuki didn't come until the eight month. I'm only in the sixth. I can't have them now. It's too early. I didn't even get Kagome," she cried as she was laid on the bed.

"I can help. I have worked on humans," said Mochihiro to Sesshoumaru.

"I can get the help of this Kagome," said Lord Genbu.

"Mommy," cried Tatsuki. Rin looked up to see him in the arms of Lady Nara.

"Sesshoumaru," she started to cry out, but it came out as pained whisper as the pain came back.

"Rin," he looked at her. She could tell his demeanor had become calmer, but through his eyes she could tell he was as scared as her before he started to give out the orders.

"Mochihiro, take care of Rin. Genbu, get Kagome. Take Jaken. He knows where she lives. Nara, keep Tatsuki downstairs."

She watched them all nod and turn around to leave for their duties. She placed a hand on her stomach hoping to will the pain and the possible birth to stop.

"Mommy!! MAMA!!" screamed Tatsuki as Lady Nara took him out of the room.

"Be nice to Lady Nara, Tatsuki," she yelled after them, rolling to her side and bringing her legs closer to her stomach.

"I have some herbs that might help her pain," said Mochihiro and he walked out.

The pain subsided and Rin looked at Sesshoumaru, who was getting her yukata off the back of the chair on the other side of the room.

"Here. Put this on. It will be better than all those."

She nodded and sat up to put it on. Sesshoumaru helped her stand up and take off the kimonos and put the yukata on and then helped her back into the bed and under the covers.

"What is happening?"

"I do not know, my Rin," he said moving the hair behind her left ear.

"This needs to be rubbed on the source of the pain. Where does it hurt?" asked Mochihiro.

"It's all over the small of the back. The pain I had with Tatsuki and Kohaku started there, but it didn't hurt this much and it quickly moved all over the area. Something's wrong Sesshoumaru."

"I will put it on," said Sesshoumaru and he walked around to the other side of the bed. She opened the yukata underneath the covers and let him lift the back of it to rub the herbal ointment where her pain was.

"That feels good. I can feel it working a little." She smiled at Mochihiro. "That and Sesshoumaru's massaging. I don't feel any more blood either."

"You should rest then," said Mochihiro.

"Yes. I will be downstairs," said Sesshoumaru.

"No, don't leave."

"You will be fine. Rest, my Rin."

She nodded and closed her eyes to feel his hand retreat from under the covers and lean down to kiss her cheek. She smiled then felt a rush of wetness.

"I believe you are going to have your babies, Lady Rin," noted Mochihiro.

"I believe you're right. I hope it doesn't smell too much after. I should have gone to another room."

"This one will be fine."

"Yes, my Sesshoumaru."

-----

Rin opened her eyes and yawned.

"I'm surprised you got any sleep. You were moaning so much I thought you were up half the time."

"I think I was. It hurts so much. More than Tatsuki and Kohaku combined."

"I heard you bled."

"Yes. It scared me to death, Kagome. I think Sesshoumaru was going to faint from terror."

Kagome chuckled. "The great Lord Sesshoumaru being brought down by his lowly human mate."

"It wouldn't be the first time," smiled Rin. "When did you get here and what time is it?"

"I arrived four hours ago. That Lord Genbu can really fly. It's amazing how he can change into that light and take me and Jaken with him. It late afternoon and it looks like you should be ready to give birth before the middle of the night."

"Thank you, Kagome."

"You're welcome. I wouldn't miss it."

"Sesshoumaru. You can place that over here."

Rin looked up to see Sesshoumaru standing over her. "I will not."

"Why not that's the best place to put it in here," said Kagome.

Sesshoumaru ignored her and sat down on the floor in front of Rin. She gave him a weak smile and he brushed her left cheek. Then she watched him pick up some rice with the chopsticks and bring it to her mouth.

"I can feed myself," she said. He sat there and waited until she opened her mouth and he fed her. "Mmmmmmm, rice."

"It is the least I can do, my Rin."

"But I'm sure it smells in here."

"I can handle it."

"I'm sure-" He fed her some more rice. "-you can."

"I wish Inuyasha would have done something like this. He wouldn't get in the same hut until the baby was born and then he complained the whole time he was in there."

"Inuyasha is a-"

"Sesshoumaru! He's family."

Kagome laughed. "Don't worry. That's what they do best."

"YeAH," said Rin as the pain hit. She put her left hand in his and squeezed hoping that would help her not to scream.

"It is all right," said Sesshoumaru.

"But I don't want the others to hear, especially Tatsuki. I already scared him enough today," she said with clenched teeth.

"Here," said Kagome handing Sesshoumaru a wet towel.

"It does not matter if they hear." He put the towel on her forehead to cool her down.

She let go of his hand as the pain withdrew from her body. "Are they all here?"

"Yes."

"Do you think they'll be all right? Can you hear their heart beats?"

"They will be fine and healthy pups. Their heart beats are slower than Tatsuki's was, but Kagome said everything is fine."

"Are you sure?"

She heard Kagome chuckle. "Yes Rin, everything is fine. Just relax and focus on your mate."

"Fine. Give me your hand again." She held it out for Sesshoumaru's as the pain returned. "I...feel..."

"All right. We should get you to move over to the basin after this. I will run down and get Moch..."

"Mochihiro," said Rin.

"Yes, Mochihiro to help. I will be right back."

"Do you think they are going to be fine in life, being born early?"

"They will be fine," he said as he moved to kiss Rin on the lips.

"I love you."

"Is it over?"

She nodded. "Yes."

"We shall stand." He held onto her hand she slowly sat up and then stood. She grabbed his body to hold her up with her other arm and they stood there as the pain returned and the urge to push became a need.

"I have to..."

"Let's get her over to the basin, Mochihiro," said Kagome walking into the room.

"You have to let go, Rin," said Sesshoumaru as Mochihiro tried to pry her hand from him.

"No! I can't! I will fall!"

"You will not fall. I have you. I will never let you fall. Trust me."

"I tru-trust you." She let go with her right hand and let Mochihiro take it. They walked her over to the basin slowly as the pain and pressure eased a bit.

"Okay Rin. It is time to get those babies out."

Rin nodded and then screamed as she tried to get one of her new pups out. After a few minutes she could feel the baby leave and Kagome say "It's a girl."

She nodded then realized she couldn't hear her baby cry. "Why isn't she crying? Why isn't my baby crying?" she frantically asked.

"Let me take her," said Sesshoumaru and he left her side and Mochihiro stood behind her.

"Sesshoumaru! What's going on! Where are you taking her?!"

"Rin! Pay attention! Rin!" called Kagome.

"Lady Rin," said Mochihro behind her. "You have to be strong."

"But my baby," she cried, the tears mixing with her sweat on the side of her face.

"Your baby girl is fine," said Mochihiro.

"You need to get this one out, Rin," stated Kagome.

"I can't. I can't do this anymore."

"You have to, Rin. You can."

Behind her she could hear Mochihiro chant a small prayer.

"Sesshoumaru!" she yelled as she began to push again.

"That's great Rin. Keep doing that. This one looks like it wants to be out fast."

"Sesshoumaru!" she screamed as tears were squeezed out of her eyes. "I need you!"

Just then she heard the unmistakable cries of a baby. "Rin! It's another girl!"

Mochihiro stopped chanting behind her. "That is wonderful Rin. Two beautiful and healthy girls."

"Where is Sesshoumaru with the other one? What's wrong with her?"

"Okay, we are through, Mochihiro," said Kagome and he picked her up and brought her back to bed as Kagome followed with her youngest girl.

"Here. She looks like Sesshoumaru, Rin," smiled Kagome.

Rin's eyes darted from Mochihiro to Kagome and back to Mochihiro. 'I can't read them. I can't find out what happened.'

"She wants her mother, Rin."

She nodded and took the newborn. Her hands were curled up in tiny fists and up near her mouth that she was showing just how big it could be. Her ears were that of Sesshoumaru's; human-like, but pointed at the ends.

"She's so small. So much smaller than Tatsuki." Rin opened her yukata to let her new pup eat. "Now tell me, where is Sesshoumaru and what is wrong with my oldest daughter."

---

Sorry it's a cliffhanger. I hope to have the next one out soon. I just have to say I know nothing about birth and I researched the small blood thing with pain and it's believable, so it's not that wrong. That's about it.