Blood Stained

 

 

Blood Stained

Chapter 50: Sneaky

 

Kouga was lying down on Sesshomaru’s bed while watching the TV.  Kagome was in her own bed, doing the same, minus the fact that she often fell in and out of consciousness.  He was more than joyful to be back by her side, but he was extremely worried.  It had been one thing to hear Sesshomaru describe her current state of mind, but it was another to see it with his own eyes.

 

He had seen Kagome sad before, but that word was not powerful enough to explain the sight in front of him.  The scent of tears staining her cheeks was hard to ignore.  Their reunion had been fairly normal, she had appeared happy to see him, but something had been missing. 

 

Also, Kagome was naturally a fairly talkative person, yet at the moment, she was completely silent.  Granted it was because she had a hard time remaining awake, but still.  He could tell she was in a lot of pain and he didn’t like it.  Unfortunately, there wasn’t much he could do about it.

 

On top of that, Sesshomaru didn’t share with him all that much information.  About two hours ago, he had left, without saying where he was going and he had yet to return.  He wasn’t sure if Kagome was aware that Sesshomaru was gone, since she hadn’t asked him about it.  She had barely said hi to him when he walked in.  So she probably did not know just yet.

 

Even though Sesshomaru hadn’t told him of his whereabouts, he had given clear instructions about how to take care of Kagome.  His tone had been rude, but Kouga hadn’t expected anything less.  Apparently the Daiyoukai was still sore about the little conversation they had the previous day.

 

Kouga knew how to look after Kagome, but he had not pushed his luck and had listened.  Obviously, he wouldn’t let anything happen to her.  That included those maniacs that kidnapped her.

 

Since all he had to do was remain in the hotel room, he didn’t bother to hide his youki.  After all, he needed to remain alert, meaning he required it.  Kouga was not often home, meaning he usually hid his true nature, he had to admit, he was going to enjoy being himself for the next little while. 

 

Unlike Sesshomaru.

 

For him to ever be himself would signify trauma for Kagome.  At least in Kouga’s opinion it was.

 

“Sesshomaru?”

 

As soon as Kagome spoke, Kouga tilted his head in her direction.  Unfortunately for him, she had spoken the wrong name.  To avoid her making any unnecessary effort, he moved from Sesshomaru’s bed, to sit on the edge of hers. 

 

“He’s gone,” he said, his voice soft.

 

Kagome struggled to open her eyes, seeing was a bit blurry.  She blinked a few times until her vision became clear and she could see who was in front of her.  “Kouga?”

 

It took her a few seconds to remember that he had arrived in the room a few hours ago.  Today she was feeling worse than yesterday and her mind was not cooperating very well.  She was inflicted with heat waves and nausea, making it hard for her to focus or even stay awake.

 

She offered him a weak smile.  “Sorry, I forgot.”

 

Kouga took no offence to her words, as he grinned back at her.  “Don’t worry about it. Want some water?” 

 

Kagome weakly nodded, before slowing pulling herself up so that she was sitting in the bed, instead of laying down.  As Kouga got up to fetch her water, she couldn’t stop her eyes from traveling to the door.  She could recall Sesshomaru saying he was leaving, but if she was correct, that had happened quite a while ago.

 

His whereabouts were really none of her business, but considering what had happened to her recently, the more people around, the safer she felt.  Of course it wasn’t fair to prevent him from going somewhere because of that, but nonetheless.  Perhaps it was because he had been doing everything for her and she had begun to depend on him.

 

It was a habit she shouldn’t allow to develop.

 

Maybe it was better that he wasn’t there.  Even though she had to keep herself calm and in bed most of the time, it didn’t mean she had to be hopeless.

 

Kagome was quickly brought out of her reverie when Kouga dangled the water bottle in front of her.  She smiled before taking it.  “Thank you.”

 

Instead of returning to Sesshomaru’s bed, he resumed his sitting position on the edge of her bed.  He could tell with one look at her that something was not right, but he wouldn’t ask.  Instead, he would wait and see if she would share with him. 

 

As Kagome began to sip her water, his eyes traveled down to her bulging stomach, the sight never ceased to attract his attention.  It almost didn’t feel right to see her pregnant and perhaps never would, though his thoughts should not be focused on that at the moment.  For now, she was worried about losing the life growing within her and he had to reassure her.

 

“You hungry?”

 

She nodded her head as she pulled the bottle away from her mouth.  Slowly, she put the cap back on the bottle. 

 

“Actually yes.  But I’m not sure I can hold it down.”

 

He sighed.  Of course he had forgotten all about her upset stomach.  She had to get down some sort of food, didn’t she? 

 

“Is there anything you can eat?  I mean you’ll both need strength to…”

 

Kouga put a halt to his sentence, unable to find the right words.

 

“Survive,” provided Kagome, her tone a bit bittersweet.

 

Idiot.  “Kagome, that’s not what I meant.”  He ran his fingers through his long ebony locks, feeling like he had screwed up.  “It’s just, you both need energy to keep you strong.”

 

Sesshomaru had shared the odds of survival with him, but he had decided to ignore that detail.  As long as Kagome believed deep down that there was hope, then so did he.  If it was her child, he would be as strong as her and he would make it through this. 

 

Although it might be a bit out of line, he wanted to bring her some comfort.  She appeared to be so sad and desperately lonely.  However, she had a mate, even though they weren’t really honoring that commitment.  The comfort he wanted to provide her was friendly.  He had made his peace with the fact that Kagome wouldn’t be his.

 

A gentle sigh rolled off her lips before she put her water bottle on the nightstand table. 

 

“I guess I could eat a little something.”

 

Truth was, she was really afraid she would not succeed in keeping it down.  Then again, she hadn’t eaten any real food in over two days and Kouga was right.  If she wanted energy to help both herself and her son, then she required nutrients.  She would do her best not to let her nausea get the best of her. 

 

“I’ll get Ginta to fetch you some soup, It’ll be easier on your stomach,” said Kouga before nearly jumping off the bed and aiming for the door. 

 

He knew Kagome had no problem with his companions, but since her health was not the best, he preferred if the environment around her was calm and as serene as possible.  Too many people might make her feel crowded and he wanted her to be at ease. 

 

Kagome observed him with a smile, as he seemed all excited to be doing something for her.  Kouga truly hadn’t changed in the last five hundred years, yet that was a good thing. 

 

Feeling the hotness of the air get to her, she grabbed her hair, before twisting it into a louse messy bun.  It was then that she heard the door close and saw Kouga facing her once more.  No words were exchanged as he decided to give her some space and return to Sesshomaru’s bed.  As he was doing so, Kouga did not look where he was going, causing him to accidentally kick Sesshomaru’s suitcase, which was near the bed. 

 

His foot kicked the suitcase hard enough for it to fall onto the ground, slightly opening as it did, causing a bit of its contents to pour onto the floor.  Kagome would have probably ignored it and Kouga would have just put it back in its place, if the content had been anything ordinary.  The first to notice what was inside was Kagome. 

 

She bent down slowly, from the side of the bed, before reaching out for a photograph that had landed near the bed.  As soon as she flipped it around, she found herself looking at a picture of her younger self.  If her memory served her exactly, she was about six years old. 

 

As Kouga collected the rest that escaped the suitcase, he couldn’t help but notice as well that they were pictures of Kagome.  It was none of his business, but it did intrigue him to know why Sesshomaru’s suitcase made him look like an obsessive stalker. 

 

He gathered them all in his hand and then, took a step in Kagome’s direction, ready to hand them to her.  Her grey orbs were still locked onto the one she had in her hands, as if she was unable to tear herself away from it.  Many questions ran wild through her mind, the first one being, why?

 

Why did Sesshomaru have pictures of her?  Was that all there was in the suitcase? And why had he been carrying it this whole time? 

 

The curious part of her wanted nothing more than to roam through his personal suitcase, but she knew better.  It wouldn’t be fair to invade his privacy without his permission.  Granted it was a picture of her, but his personal belongings were his and no one else’s. 

 

If she wanted an answer, she’d have to ask him personally.

 

Her heart felt a bit heavy as she handed her picture back to Kouga who seemed a bit confused.  He took it from her, adding it to the pile he was already holding. 

 

“Don’t you wanna know?”

 

She shrugged her shoulders.  “I’d be lying if I said no, but… I would rather ask him than to go through his stuff without him knowing.”

 

Kouga slowly nodded as he accepted her answer.  Perhaps he was more edgy to find out the reasons than she was.  No, Sesshomaru wasn’t doing anything wrong by having pictures of her, but it left him to wonder.  After all, he already had a hard time causing Sesshomaru to admit he cared out loud, that he wanted to know why he had always been so interested in Kagome.

 

Sesshomaru was a confusing man, there was no doubt about that.  Kagome wasn’t sure how to approach him or how to process the words he said at times.  The conversation he had with Kouga the previous day didn’t help her confusion any either, except she shouldn’t have heard it, she didn’t know if she should take it into consideration or try to forget it. 

 

Her relationship with Sesshomaru was different from what it used to be.  Kagome could still remember when she didn’t know if she could give him a chance or even trust him.  Yet, it felt like that happened a lifetime ago.  Slowly, she had allowed herself to trust him and she hadn’t even realized it had happened. 

 

Heck she had given him a quick kiss on the lips. 

 

Somehow it made her feel twisted and she felt her insides rage against her. 

 

Her relationship with Sesshomaru would always be complicated, especially if you considered their past, the fact that they were going to have a child together and the new people they were. 

 

She didn’t know if she could be his friend, but she knew he couldn’t be absent from her life considering everything. 

 

But she couldn’t be with him.  She couldn’t be with anyone.

 

-B-

 

He hated to leave her alone, although she had the Wolf with her, but it was a necessity.  After the sudden unexpected emergence of his beast the previous day, he hadn’t been able to clear his mind.  Because of the bracelet, the beast shouldn’t have been able to do what he did. 

 

Yet it had happened.

 

Sesshomaru had an unsettling feeling in the pit of his stomach, because it strangely reminded him of a situation that occurred in the past.  Back in the Feudal era, when his beast had been in control, Sesshomaru had been able to speak when he was supposedly locked away. 

 

At first, he had thought it was because he was gaining control, but it was because they were merging.  The reason behind their merging was his fighting against the mating, which didn’t fit the current situation.  He didn’t perceive the Miko the same way he used to, so why would they be merging? 

 

The only way he might be able to have an answer was to speak with his beast.  It was true that he might have been able to do it with her around, considering the fact that the beast hadn’t done anything harmful to Kagome in a long time, but she would have been a distraction and she didn’t need any type of stress right now.

 

So once again, he had gone and found a rather isolated place where nobody could see or hear him. 

 

As Sesshomaru reached a spot that was secluded enough, he pressed the button on his watch and waited for his youki to fill him.  Recently he had allowed himself to be transformed more frequently and he had to admit it created an ache inside of him.  He had missed the feeling of being whole and now he was granted it too often. 

 

After this, he would have to slow down a bit.

 

It didn’t take too long for his green eyes to slowly change to shining amber, as his black locks slowly lightened.  Sesshomaru closed his eyes as his claws grew back and he felt his power return to him.  Once the transformation was complete, he expected the beast to take over like it regularly did, but nothing happened. 

 

A bit confused, he opened his eyes and glanced around.

 

He was indeed himself. 

 

It had been a long time since he had been allowed to truly be himself, without being locked away.  Usually the beast was quick to push him down, but not today.  He couldn’t say he wasn’t grateful for the break. 

 

A gentle breeze came through, blowing through his short locks, as he enjoyed the feeling. 

 

It took him a few seconds of peacefulness to remind himself of the reason why he was doing this. 

 

Why did you speak out of place?

 

Sesshomaru waited, expecting his beast to answer, but the moment never came.  He frowned a bit, before giving it another shot.

 

How were you able to speak?

 

Mate is important to you.  You care for her.

 

Sesshomaru could still clearly remember back in the days when his beast wanted him to admit he’d look after her, that he’d make sure nothing would happen to her.  Now, he was doing it of his own free will without a complaint. 

 

How had things changed…

 

I will take care of her.

 

You will do anything for her to be happy.  You love Mate.

 

Love.  It was still a word he wasn’t sure he understood.  Did he – could he – love Kagome?  After the painful past they shared, the unforgettable memories?  Even if he ever was to truly be her mate, there was no chance she’d ever allow it.  Not that anyone could blame her.

 

It wasn’t a relationship that could work.  Perhaps for the sake of the child, no painful words would ever be exchanged, they would see each other fairly regularly, but would it ever be more?  Would she ever be able to handle more?

 

It was true, she seemed much better than she was back when he had first seen her in this modern era, but it didn’t mean she was healed.  She probably still couldn’t purify the jewel and he could see the scars were still present.  He had a feeling that if she ever was to be with someone it wouldn’t be him.

 

However, he was satisfied with the fact that she allowed him in her life. 

 

Did he need more?

 

She will always be looked after.  Whatever she requires, I will provide.

 

Mate desires love.  Mate touched us.

 

It was true.  The feeling of her lips on his was still lingering in his mind.  However, he was fairly convinced that she hadn’t done it out of feelings.  At that moment she had been confused and desired comfort.  It had simply been a gesture to make her feel better. 

 

For her sake, he hadn’t talked about it and he wouldn’t. 

 

Had he felt something then?  Perhaps.  But then again, it had been so long since he had been involved with someone. 

 

She was the last person he had touched, it hadn’t even been out of his own free will or with her cooperation.  For five hundred years he had honored a mating that wasn’t, because it was the right thing to do.  Plus, with the debt he owed her, he wouldn’t have been able to care for someone else, especially with the guilt he had been carrying around with him.

 

It would remain that way.  Until she passed away, even probably afterwards since he would have an heir, he would respect the mating.  On the other hand, he wanted to make sure she knew that she didn’t have to do the same.  She actually deserved to find someone who would bring her happiness. 

 

She is still hurting.

 

But you care for her.  You didn’t before.

 

Sesshomaru was beginning to feel a tad bit annoyed by the repetitive speech of his beast.  He had come to speak with it for an important reason and he wanted to get straight to the point before it dragged on any longer.

 

How were you able to speak to me?  You should have been locked away.

 

We are one.  Being two is not right.

 

He couldn’t help but sigh, knowing he had been right. 

 

We are merging?

 

The beast didn’t answer, as his question fell silent. 

 

Could it be that they were returning to what they originally were because Sesshomaru cared for Kagome?  The beast didn’t need to force his feelings anymore, since their opinions were no longer torn apart?  It could be a good thing, just as much as it could be a terrible thing. 

 

Actually, it was terrifying. 

 

While being without his beast, Sesshomaru was a different person.  If his beast and him returned to forming one being, it would be as if he was the one who did all those horrible things.  While being different, it was easier for her to distinguish them, but if he was it, then wasn’t he the one who hurt her?

 

They were making a bit of progress, they were finally around each other without sour feelings rising.  Wouldn’t it sabotage everything he had done so far?  No, Kagome probably wouldn’t know if he didn’t tell her, but he would.  He wouldn’t harm her if he had full control, but it didn’t change that his appearance would remind her of horrible times.

 

He would be that monster, he would be her nightmare. 

 

-B-

 

Kouga felt his heart throb in his chest, as he walked down the hall one last time.  His youki was not sealed which could technically be dangerous, but at the moment, he did not care.  While he had been watching television inside Kagome’s room, he had caught a scent that sent chills down his spine. 

 

The first thing that had come to his mind was that it was the kidnappers.  Since he wanted to be the one to take care of them, he had sent Ginta and Hakkaku to watch over Kagome, while he roamed over the hotel, to find the origin of the scent.  So far, he had been going at it for over ten minutes, but it was proving to be more difficult than expected.

 

It was as if it spurted in certain places, before completely disappearing, leaving no trail.  That alone made him sure of his instincts.  It was them.  His only problem was that even though Sesshomaru had described them, he didn’t have a clear picture of what they looked like and they could be altering their appearances. 

 

He couldn’t trust anyone and he had to follow any suspicions. 

 

If only there was someone in the area, but it looked completely deserted. 

 

It was impossible for them to be renting a room in the hotel, Sesshomaru had taken care of that.  He was paying the hotel a swift amount of money to know about every new person to try to rent a room.  They wouldn’t be able to get one without Sesshomaru knowing their identity.

 

Unless, they already had someone here in inside the hotel prior to the kidnapping. 

 

Suddenly, footsteps were heard and Kouga jumped on his guard.  Unfortunately, quickly enough a too familiar scent reached his nose and he groaned.  Kouga leaned against the nearest wall, waiting for Sesshomaru to come into view. 

 

Before Sesshomaru could even see the wolf youkai, he spoke. 

 

“Where were you?”

 

Sesshomaru, who had been quite lost in his thoughts, snapped his head in the direction of the voice.  Without answering him, he glanced around, only to notice he was alone. 

 

“Where is Kagome?” he inquired, before resuming his walking.

 

“Ginta and Hakkaku are with her.  I smelled something.”

 

Suddenly it was as if a hue of red shown through Sesshomaru’s eyes.  “They are here?”

 

The thought alone made his guts twist and cause a rage to flare inside of him.  Although he wanted them to come around so he could finish them off, they should know better then to try to kidnap Kagome again.  They were already lucky that he hadn’t killed them during their first encounter.

 

Kouga shrugged his shoulders.  “I don’t know.  I’m picking up a scent, but every time it’s leading me nowhere.”

 

Sesshomaru took a deep breath, calming himself, before nodding. 

 

“I will retrieve your friends and all three of you will look through this entire hotel.”

 

Kouga frowned.  “What about Kagome?  She needs protection.”

 

“I’ll look after her.”

 

Kouga almost scoffed.  “I doubt it.  We need someone who can really protect her.”

 

The Daiyoukai turned around, glaring at Kouga.  He was nearly growling at him, even though he was nothing but a mere human at the moment. 

 

“I said, I would do it.”

 

For a second Kouga was almost scared.  He wasn’t sure Sesshomaru could do it, but then again, he had been traveling with Kagome for an awful long time already.

 

“Fine, fine.  Don’t get your panties in a bunch.”

 

Ignoring his rude comment, Sesshomaru kept on heading towards their room.  His heart was beating a tad bit faster than usual.  He couldn’t believe that they were back so quickly.  Didn’t they require time to regroup themselves and come up with a new plan? 

It was true that he wanted to deal with them as quickly as possible, but he just hoped nothing bad would happen, that they would be able to deal with the kidnappers without Kagome getting hurt again.  The worse part was that she was probably already stressed and she had to have an idea of what was happening.

 

Once he reached the door, he stopped in front of it for a few seconds, so he could hide away his emotions.  If he appeared to be panicked it wouldn’t help her.  Once he felt in control, he unlocked the door and walked in, causing all three occupants of the room to glance his way.

 

Without bothering to greet the guests, he began giving his orders. 

 

“You will inspect the halls with Kouga.  I will remain here.”

 

Ginta and Hakkaku both looked as confused as Kagome, but judging by the look on Sesshomaru’s face, they decided it might be best not to argue with him.  They gave him a quick nod, before exiting the room as fast as possible, not because they were scared of Sesshomaru, but because they wanted to catch who ever had done harm to their sister.

 

Sesshomaru focused all his attention on Kagome, she was looking at him in a strange manner. 

 

He was there, she could ask him the questions she was dying to know, but she felt a bit bad.  After all, it had been an accident to discover the pictures, but it still would appear as if she had been snooping around.

 

“Is something the matter?” asked Sesshomaru when she remained silent while her eyes were filled with questions.

 

Kagome bit on her bottom lip, unsure.  Would it really be so bad?  He had never been angry about anything, at least not since she had known him in this modern era. 

 

“Kouga, he –well.”  Kagome pointed at his suitcase by the bed.  “He knocked it over.”

 

Sesshomaru didn’t need for her to finish the rest of her questions to know what it was she wanted to find out about.  To be honest, he was surprised it hadn’t happened before now.  Having nothing to hide from her, he reached out for the suitcase, before heading towards her bed.

 

“May I?”  He motioned to the side of her bed.

 

Kagome nodded before moving over to give him a bit of space.  Sesshomaru sat down beside her before putting the suitcase down on his lap.  Pictures of her weren’t the only things inside, but it was one of the main artifacts held inside.  Slowly he opened it, revealing an almost perfectly ordered suitcase, except for the things that had fallen because of Kouga’s feet.

 

Sesshomaru collected most of the pictures before handing them to her.  Then, he moved aside some of his work papers, before taking out a folder.  Since her hands were busy, he put it down in front of her, then closed the suitcase waiting for whatever questions she might have for him. 

 

Kagome slowly looked through the pictures, it was as if she was peering at herself growing up.  There was one for every year, most of them being school pictures. 

 

“How did you get these?” she inquired, a bit confused.

 

“I had been watching over your family before you were born, since I was looking after Rin’s descendants.”

 

Oh right.  She had almost forgotten about that.  Still it didn’t quite explain why he had so many pictures of her.  “But, why, only pictures of me?”

 

“I did not know anything about you, despite everything that occurred.”

 

“So you did some research,” she finished for him.

 

He nodded, waiting for a change in her emotions, but nothing happened.  Instead, she calmly finished looking through all the remaining pictures.  Once she was done, she put them on her lap before retrieving the folder.  She quickly flipped through, only to notice it was trivial information about her, including things like her grades and medical records.

 

“Why do you keep all of these with you?” she looked up at him waiting for his answer.

 

“Apparently not many people can be trusted.”  Which was right if you based it on what happened to her.  “It is safer to have all that information with me, then somewhere where anyone can stumble upon it.”

 

Kagome slowly nodded, agreeing with him.  These days, she trusted very few people, because anyone could betray you.  She glanced over at the files one more time, before returning it to him, along with the pictures.  It could have almost seemed creepy, but it didn’t. 

 

“Thank you for showing me,” she said, a small smile adoring her face.

 

Yes it was about her, but he technically didn’t have to. 

 

Sesshomaru gave her a quick nod, before putting everything back into the suitcase.  It was then that he heard Kagome sharply intake a  breath.  Immediately his attention was focused on her.  He watched, feeling a bit hopeless, as she wrapped her arms around her stomach.

 

A bit panicked, he put a hand on your shoulder.  “Are you well?” he asked hiding the concern in his voice.

 

He was expecting tears to appear in her eyes, but instead, her smile grew in size.  Suddenly a feeling of excitement bubbled out of her as she reached out for his hand.  He felt her fingers wrap around his, squeezing them a bit.

 

“He’s moving,” she said, joy filling her voice.  “It’s been so long since he last moved.”

 

This was more than a kick, because it meant he was still well and alive.  And apparently he had a bit of extra energy.  Kagome felt a strange feeling of relief wash over her, as she squeezed Sesshomaru’s hand tighter. 

 

It was then that she glanced at him, only to notice his eyes were fixed on her stomach, which was hidden by a blanket.

 

“You wanna feel?” she asked, her eyes sparkling.

 

Her excitement was overpowering and she wanted to share this moment.  She knew Sesshomaru was just as worried over Kiyoshi as she was.  But at the moment, this was such reassuring news that all she could feel was pure joy.  Not the pain, not the sickness, it was all pushed far away.

 

Sesshomaru found himself at a loss for words, so he nodded. 

 

Kagome kicked away the blanket with her free hand before guiding his hand that she had been holding to her bulging stomach.  Her shirt had already ridden up a bit, so his palm was making direct contact with her bare skin.  She put his hand where she had last felt the movement and they waited.

 

Tears of joy formed in her eyes as another small kick came through, which Sesshomaru felt.  He joined her in her happiness, by smiling.  He had only felt his son kick once in the past and this time felt much different, which was perhaps because his relationship with Kagome had evolved. 

 

Another kick came and both their smiles grew.

 

He hadn’t been moving much, at least not since the incident and Kagome had never felt so great.  It was as if a weight had been lifted off her shoulders.  Without thinking, she rested her hand on top of Sesshomaru’s as the tears began to pour out.  Slowly, Kagome leaned into him, until her head rested on his shoulder. 

 

Her gesture caused Sesshomaru to tilt his own head a bit, almost touching the top of hers.  Her tears were dripping on his shirt, but neither cared. 

 

The moment went on for a few more seconds, with Kagome’s breathing being a little fast, which he assumed was because of her tears, until Sesshomaru felt something strange under his free hand. A bit perplexed, he lifted it, only to look at the bed under him. 

 

He pressed his palm against it once more, only to realize it felt wet.  Searching for an answer, he pulled himself away from her a bit, to glance into her eyes.  It was then that he noticed her pupils were widened and she seemed a bit frightened.  The hand that had been covering his moved, until she grabbed unto his arm and squeezed.

 

Sesshomaru didn’t understand immediately, either because he wasn’t familiar with the situation, or because his anxiety was getting the best of him.  His eyes traveled to her stomach and for an instant it was as if he could no longer breathe. 

 

When he kept on going with a lack of reaction, Kagome’s mind went wild. 

 

“S-sess-homaru?”

 

She might have never given birth before, but she had a feeling she knew what was happening.  At first, it had been a certain sharp pain, which she had thought to be residual from the trauma, but when she had felt a wetness surround herself, she had, froze in place, unsure of what to do.

 

Sesshomaru’s brain had also ceased to function, as he also refused to accept what was happening.  It felt so rushed, yet it meant the pup was well, if he was about to born…

 

“Are you?”

 

She was shaking her head, even though she wanted to nod.  “I-I think so.”

 

Her heart was throbbing in her chest, even though she was terrified, she was happy. 

 

“He’s going to be okay,” she said through the tears.

 

She slowly wrapped her arms around him, before burying her face in the crook of his neck, wetting his skin with her tears.  Sesshomaru returned the gesture by encircling his arms around her waist, bringing her closer.

 

Kagome had been so terrified that she would lose her son and now he would be born!  It was not the conditions she had imagined, but it didn’t matter.  As long as Kiyoshi would be alive and healthy, she wouldn’t ask for anything else. 

 

In Sesshomaru’s embrace, she felt her neck pulse where the mating mark was, but in her joy, she barely paid any attention to it.  As Sesshomaru was holding her, he had a million thoughts going through his mind and he didn’t know what to do first.

 

She had to stay in the hotel room, since they had no idea how the child would come out.  However, with everything that happened he wanted a doctor nearby.  That meant the first thing he should do was call Izumi.  But, he didn’t wish to leave Kagome alone, meaning he had to find those idiots so they could stay with her.

 

Unfortunately, he found that he had no desire whatsoever to pull away from her.  A certain feeling of possessiveness was growing within him, especially since she was ready to give birth to his pup. 

 

Having the birth of her child so close, caused Kagome to be nervous, but she held it in.  She was about to be a mother, she had to be strong, not only for herself, but for Kiyoshi.

 

Suddenly, the door nearly slammed opened, a panicked Kouga appeared in the doorway.  His nose had quickly betrayed the situation that was happening inside the room and he had left Ginta and Hakkaku to search while he went up to see if they needed his help.

 

“Are you okay?  Can I do something?” he said, his tone betraying his anxiety.

 

Once he fully walked in the room, he took notice of their position and quickly glanced away.  Though Kagome’s face was hidden, a slight blush appeared on her cheeks.  Nonetheless, she slowly revealed her visage and winced a bit. 

 

“I’m o-ookay.”

 

“In the pocket of my jacket,” started Sesshomaru, pointing in the jacket’s direction, without letting go of Kagome, “there’s a number.  Call the doctor on the card, tell him what’s going on.”

 

He could have let go of Kagome and done it himself, but she didn’t seem to want to let go, so he would not be the one to push her away.  Kouga quickly recovered by nodding and quickly grabbing the jacket.  He rapidly dug through the pockets until he got the piece of paper and then he dashed to the phone.

 

“What do I say?” asked Kouga as he dialed the phone number.

 

“Say it’s about Kagome, that she is in labor.”

 

Sesshomaru finally unwrapped his arms from around her, only to help her lay down.  He was usually a calm person, but he couldn’t prevent his hands from trembling, making his actions a little messy.  Then a thought hit him hard.  He was about to become a father. 

 

It almost gave him a nauseas feeling in the pit of his stomach.  Could he even be one?  Did he even have what it took to be a good father?  He didn’t doubt Kagome’s abilities to be a great mother, but he couldn’t say the same about himself.

 

Suddenly, he felt her slender fingers brush against his and he looked down at her.  Even though her face was crisped in pain, she was smiling.  Her biggest prayer had been answered and everything would be fine. 

 

She felt Sesshomaru grab hold of her fingers, as she close her eyes while another wave of pain hit her.  It should have hurt more than it did, but after everything, that was actually a relief instead of any added suffering. 

 

There she was laying in the bed, ready to finally give birth to Kiyoshi, her beautiful son, with Sesshomaru by her side, holding her hands.  Yes there were still risks and those kidnappers were apparently still on the loose, but it didn’t matter at the moment. 

 

Kagome was going to have a family.  She never thought it would happen that way, but it hardly made a difference now.

 

From now on, no matter what, they were linked together.

 

By a child. 

 

-B-