Disclaimer: I have never said that I owned Rurouni Kenshin, so no suing or flames!
I thank my single constant reviewer for his/her support! cries Arigato! (Means "thank you" in Japanese)
Please enjoy this chapter and all its quirks!
Keiko felt that Hiko was done speaking with Kenshin and called, 'Seijuro, you done yet?'
'Only just, koishii. What have you been doing since my idiot apprentice pulled me away to falsely accuse me?'
'Oh, nothing. I've been resting here, since I have to rest or I might miscarry at this time.'
He chuckled. 'Does that mean I get to carry you for the rest of the time?'
'I'm not on strict bed rest, but Megumi-san did ask me to take it easy.'
'Well then, I guess I'll have to rest with you.'
She giggled. 'You're so playful, koi.'
But, all of a sudden, a stab of pain went through her stomach. She visibly winced, her hands clenching each other.
Megumi noticed immediately and asked, "Keiko-san, are you all right?"
Keiko shook her head. "It hurts…here."
She put a hand to her stomach and as she did, a larger hand rested on top of hers. She looked up to see a very concerned Hiko beside her. He lifted her and stated, "Lead me to where she can lie down."
"Where's Ken-san?" Megumi asked.
"He'll be up in a moment or two. Now, are we going to act quickly? You are the well-known woman doctor around here, aren't you?"
"We should use the room that we prepared for her to stay in while you were here, Hiko-san," Kaoru suggested, walking to it and sliding the door open.
Hiko nodded his thanks and carried his spasming wife inside, unrolling the futon closest to him. Seeing as things were going to get messy, he removed her kimono and obi, leaving a white yukata on. He laid her on the bed, and she took his hand.
'Seijuro…you know this could just be false labor.'
'False labor wouldn't come this strongly. We might be parents two months earlier than expected.'
'Will the baby be all right?'
'Koishii, I don't know. For all we know, spell-caster children are born this early. I just don't know.'
Megumi placed a hand on Keiko's swollen belly. "The child seems to have turned into position. Keiko-san, are you ready for the most painful thing in your lifetime?"
Keiko shook her head. "I'll never be ready, but it has to happen anyway." 'I've never seen you this unsure since I first met you, Seijuro.'
He squeezed her hand, but said nothing.
Megumi turned and yelled at Sano and Yahiko, who were just standing there, "I need hot water and several towels! Get going, you two!"
They scrambled away to do as asked, and Kaoru asked, "What should I do, Megumi-san?"
"Keep all the men from the door. This is a very secretive time for Keiko-san, I don't want her to feel any undue stress from embarrassment," the lady doctor instructed. She then looked down at Keiko. "I need you to keep breathing evenly, Keiko-san. It will help you keep calm and relaxed."
Keiko nodded. "I'll try, Megumi-san."
Kenshin woke to find chaos around one of the rooms, Kaoru standing in front of the door like a guard of some sort. Yahiko came running with a stack of towels, and Kaoru took them, opening and closing the door so quickly the redhead couldn't see what was happening inside. Seconds later, Kaoru came back out and noticed him.
"Kenshin, Megumi said I had to keep everyone else out. It looks like Keiko-chan is going to have her baby."
"Oro? This early?"
"Yes."
"We should hope for the safety of both Keiko-dono and the child, that we should."
Kaoru nodded.
Several hours passed, before Megumi pushed Keiko's knees up and folded back the bottom of the yukata. "Now Keiko-san, I need you to breathe the same way, and when I tell you to push, do it as hard as you can."
Keiko nodded feebly.
"Push!"
Keiko cried out as she did so, pinching her eyes shut. Hiko, who could feel the pain as though it were his own, gritted his teeth against even making a sound.
"Good, now breathe."
'Seijuro, did you feel that too?'
'Unfortunately, yes. Having this bond will have its drawbacks.'
'Was it painful?'
'For me, the strongest of swordsman, it felt like fire burning through my body. I almost cried out the same as you, Keiko.'
'I'm sorry it has to be this way.'
'We can't change it, and it isn't your fault. So just ignore me and concentrate on giving birth to our child. I don't need you worrying about me when your life could be in danger.'
'What I wouldn't do for a shot of morphine right now…' A/N: If only all men had to suffer the same as their wives during this time, that would be kinda...fun and then they would understand why women scream so loud. Heehee! Sorry for the interruption!
At that, Hiko laughed, out loud, startling Megumi. "Hiko-san, are you all right?"
The large man sobered up at the doctor's scared look. "What, can't I laugh?"
She held up her hands in surrender and went back to encouraging Keiko.
Several more hours passed, before a newborn's wail could be heard throughout the dojo. Megumi wiped her forehead of any sweat and lifted the crying infant, wrapping it up in a blanket after cleaning it. "Keiko-san, it's a girl."
Keiko relaxed, exhausted from the long birth. Hiko held his hands out and received his newly-born daughter, who was still crying. He smiled and cradled the little girl in his arms, making her seem all the smaller by how large he was.
Her hair was the color of chocolate, and when she calmed, it was apparent she had her mother's eyes, except they were so dark purple they looked black. Her skin was fair like her mother's as well.
Keiko smiled and murmured, "Her name is Ai. That's what Seijuro and I decided on."
Hiko nodded wordlessly, his breathing a little uneven because of the whole ordeal. He'd deal with getting struck with a sword, his limbs cut from his body, disemboweled, anything, as long as he didn't have to feel that again. He now had a new respect for his wife. She had to suffer through that to have a child, maybe he didn't want to have her experience that for a while.
Megumi smiled. "What a beautiful name, Keiko-san. It's just as beautiful as yours."
"Thank you…"
Keiko fell asleep, a contented smile on her face.
"Hiko-san, Keiko-san will need at least a couple weeks to a month to recover, and I want to keep the baby healthy by keeping her in one place for the first month of her life."
"All right. But you know that the longer you keep us here, the worse the weather will be when we get going."
"You're actually going to walk all the way to Kyoto, aren't you?"
"I could easily afford to take a boat or a carriage, but I don't need to interact with that many people. I prefer to have a more peaceful route."
"All right. How long do you plan on staying in Kyoto before visiting us?"
"It depends on what Keiko decides."
The door slid open, and Kaoru asked, "Can everyone come in now?"
Megumi finished cleaning up and pulled a blanket over Keiko. "Yes, but be quiet, Keiko-san just got to sleep and the baby did, too."
Kenshin came in first, kneeling next to his master. "Shishou, congratulations. Will Keiko-dono be all right?"
"Yes. With rest, she will be fine."
Sano looked over Hiko's shoulder at Ai. "She's pretty cute."
Yahiko grinned. "Of course she's cute, Sano. Do you think she'd be ugly? Not all girls are ugly."
Kaoru started popping veins and hit her student over the head. "Would you quit calling me ugly, you brat!"
The messy-haired boy held his head. "Ow."
So now my OC has a new addition to her family... What will happen next? Only time will tell...
Please review!
