"We need a clean place to lay her on!" I heard Sango shouting. Kagome stood beside me as she quickly cleaned and wrapped my bleeding arm and hand.

"Breathe…" She would whisper to me sporadically, any time I would catch my breath and hold it. "You're not helping the pain; you have to breathe through it…"

I glared at her as another wave of pain crippled me. "You must be crazy…"

"Just trust me Kaori; it won't hurt as much if you just focus on breathing and not the contractions. That's how my mom did it with my little brother."

I glowered at her but sighed, she probably was right anyway. I took slow deep breaths and focused only on the movement of my chest as I breathed in and out. Amazingly the pain did dull some.

"There isn't any good place to lay her on! Everything's covered in flowers and the house looks like it's just about to fall down." InuYasha was shouting.

"Just get a clean piece of linen and put it in the gazebo!" I shouted finally getting pissed off with everyone.

Sesshoumaru disappeared only to come back with a pristine white cloth which he quickly spread over the flowers on the gazebo, after checking if they had any thorns.

I walked over to him, with the help of Kagome. I smiled weakly up at him. "Now… You're going to have to take your brother and Miroku away outside…"

He just stared at me.

"I know that you'll be worried about me and I know your brother will keep you from loosing it and I just don't want Miroku around while I'm giving birth…" I stopped and groaned as a particularly large contraction hit me. "Please…" I stood up on my toes and kissed his cheek. "I love you…" with that I moved back and InuYasha dragged my husband out of the garden.

"You'll need to lie down now…" Sango was trying to be gentle with me.

"I know…" I answered as I lay back on the white fabric. I couldn't focus on anything but breathing slowly as the pain pulled through me faster than it should.

"Two minutes between each contraction…" Kagome murmured.

I felt the lower half of my body being moved and I looked down to see that Sango had spread another, more worn, piece of cloth under my hips.

She looked up when she felt me staring at her. "To keep the blood off the white cloth…"

I didn't know what she had meant but I lost all concentration when I was caught off guard by movement in my swollen stomach. "Oh god…" I murmured as I fell flat on the linen.

"Okay…" Kagome said as she moved between my legs. "Take a deep breath, hold it… and push."

I did as I was told. I took a deep breath and pushed.

The pain was immediate and mind numbing but I concentrated on the breathing. I let go of the breath I had been holding and caused my head to swim.

"Don't hold so long." Kagome scolded. "Just count to five and let go."

I tried to keep the rhythm of my breathing steady as I tried to concentrate on anything but the pain. Sweat broke out across my forehead as I continued to breathe, count and push, then let go.

Kagome's face lit up. "You're almost there!! Just keep pushing!!"

I glared weakly at her, how could I only be "almost" there? I took in another deep breath and pushed, holding my breath longer this time.

"Breathe Kaori; you'll make yourself light headed." Sango commanded as she moved down next to Kagome.

I gasped out my breath and tried to shake off the dizziness. Oh god… I thought as I struggled to keep myself from collapsing into the pain. How much longer…? I dragged in a ragged breathe and pushed again, this time I couldn't fight back the scream that clawed it's way up my throat and I screamed as the pressure grew then released. I watched Kagome's face turn into a huge beaming smile and Sango grab whatever she was holding and quickly start working on it, then I heard a slap and a high pitched cry came from where Sango's hands disappeared from my view.

"You're in luck…" She said as she smiled at me. "You have a healthy baby boy." She moved over to me and gently handed me the crying child; I smiled.

"Hello Kaemon…" I murmured as I touched his cheek lightly with my finger tip.

Sesshoumaru was by my side seconds after Sango handed me my child. "I heard you scream…" He started until he saw what I was holding. Quietly he knelt beside me and slowly reached out to touch the baby. "Is that…?"

I smiled. "He's your son…" I turned to gaze up at Sesshoumaru. "I told you I would have a boy… Would you like to hold him…?"

Sesshoumaru looked down at me then slowly reached out. I smiled and gingerly placed Kaemon in his arms, the boy quieted.

"It looks like he knows who you are." I smiled then hissed in pain.

"Sorry." Kagome answered. "Just trying to clean you up so you don't get some infection…"

I shook my head. "Don't be sorry, just warn me next time." I sighed and lay back on the cloth, closing my eyes.

"Good…" I heard Sango say. "None of the blood got on the white cloth." I felt her move me, but I was too tired to argue or say anything. "I'm going to go see if I can clean this one up. Come on Miroku."

I laughed quietly as Sango dragged Miroku away.

"I don't see any of Kaori in him…" InuYasha muttered quietly, but I still heard him.

"Be nice InuYasha!" Kagome hissed. "And he's got her eyes."

"But his eyes are brown."

"Kaori's eyes were brown when I first met her…" Sesshoumaru answered as I felt him sit next to me. He lifted my neck and shoulders up then carefully laid me against him. "Here… He wants his mother…" He murmured as he gently handed me back our son.

"Come on…" I heard Kagome whisper. "Let's leave them alone…"

I sighed contently and touched my finger to Kaemon's nose lightly. "He looks like his father…" I watched Sesshoumaru's hand reach around me and run down Kaemon's cheek lightly; he cooed happily.

"What did you name him…?"

I blushed. "Kaemon…" I answered. "I should have asked… We can change it if you want. He's too young to remember what name we've given him."

"No…" He murmured as we watched Kaemon's tiny fist close around his finger. "I think it fits him just fine…"

I smiled and leaned my head back so I could look up at him. "Are you happy to be a father…?"

He turned to look down at me, still able to keep his finger from traveling into Kaemon's mouth. "As long as it's with you I'm happy to be anything…"

I blushed and cuddled closer to him, closing my eyes. "I'm glad…"

"Where are you going to keep Kaori and the baby?" I heard someone whisper.

"I was going to try and keep her here but obviously we had an unexpected surprise."

"You can't keep her here, it's falling apart!"

"I know it is, but I was hoping to get it somewhat fixed up before he was born."

"Hush!" one of the girls whispered. "Don't wake them up. Kaori really needs her sleep."

As if he was waiting to be acknowledged Kaemon began to cry.

"Great…" The girl hissed angrily at the two men. "I was hoping she could sleep for another half hour."

I opened my eyes slowly and realized just how tired I really was. "It's alright… He's probably just hungry…"

"Alright men." Sango commanded. "Leave." Miroku and InuYasha stopped off through the whole they had made in the wall, Sesshoumaru stayed sitting next to me. "You too Sesshoumaru…"

"I have seen my wife naked before."

"I know you have but this is her first time feeding a child, ever. Let her have some privacy the first time she tries it."

I wanted to argue but I didn't even know how I was supposed to feed my son so I kept my mouth shut. I turned and gazed up at Sesshoumaru. "Sango knows what she's doing… I'll be okay…" I reassured him.

He stared at me for a moment then sighed and got up.

Sango waited until he was far enough away then turned to me. "Open the top of your kimono."

I gaped at her. "What…?" I tried to bounce Kaemon a little to try and stop his crying it didn't work.

"You breast feed him Kaori, so you need to open up your top and let him feed. I'm assuming you noticed that your breasts are quite larger than usual."

I blinked, I hadn't thought about it. "So I just… open up my top and put him to my breast…?" I asked confused.

"Pretty much."

I nodded weakly and pulled my top off one shoulder then placed Kaemon against my breast; I winced slightly. "ouch. I thought it wouldn't hurt, he doesn't have teeth."

"True…" Sango started as she sat next to me. "But babies suck hard, you'll have to get use to it."

"How do you know all this stuff Sango…?"

"I helped my mother when my brother was born…" She answered slowly.

"I'm sorry…" I murmured. "I didn't mean to bring up such a sad topic…"

We sat in silence as Kaemon fed happily.

"Okay…" Sango murmured. "You're supposed to switch breasts now if he's still feeding."

I stared at her. "What…?"

"It's to keep you from getting a build up of milk in your system."

"Oh…kay…" I murmured as I moved the other side down some, I hoped she couldn't see the bite mark, and carefully switched Kaemon to my left side; Sango pulled my kimono back up over my right breast.

"I know it's a little weird, but you'll get use to it after a couple of times."

I gazed down at my child and sighed a little.

I was a mother… and I didn't even know how to be one…