CHAPTER 7
Month Seven

"I see you still haven't gotten me the demon's blood I need." the old witch said as she glanced at Sesshomaru's glaring mother, "It's been a month. I would have expected that someone like you had enough power to get one simple vial." the woman snarled, earling a small cackle from the witch.

"I need a way of getting on the inside. Maybe a shape shifting potion would do me well. Then I can get you your demon blood." the old hag groaned, getting a blank expression as she stood.

"A shape shifting potion you say? I didn't know you of all people had to cheat to get what you wanted." the beautiful woman sighed, leaning on a fist.

"I have been cheated myself. Is it not my right to cheat back?" the old woman scoffed, giving a single laugh.

"That was your husband deary, not your son. Sesshomaru didn't run out on you for a human woman." the woman threw her hands up in the air.

"My idiot son did mate with a human after turning her into a demon, and now she's pregnant with his twins!" oh how fun it was chiding with this woman. The old hag grinned with a low chuckle.

"It does not matter. Why are you so intent on ruining your son's life? Shouldn't you be happy for him?" when she didn't receive an answer, she shrugged and turned back around, "Alright. If you're so intent on killing this Rin, here is what you'll need to get inside the castle." she tossed a vial of dark blue liquid at the demoness, "One sip will allow you to shape shift for one hour at a time. So make haste. This vial doesn't hold much in it." the demoness smiled and nodded, tucking it into her sleeve.

"You have my thanks. I'll take my leave now. The next time you see me, I will have her blood." with that she swiftly left, disappearing into the dark sky.

She later arrived at her home, looking to the figure dressed in black clothing, "You know what to do." he nodded and took the vial, drinking half of the liquid within. He then disappeared without a trace.


"Sesshyyyyyyyyy." Sesshomaru groaned quietly, stopping mid-creep in his attempt to get out of his bedroom, "I heard that. Well grrrrr to you too." he couldn't help but chuckle as he turned around, arching a silver eyebrow as he watched his lover try to sit up. She had been a little…. Cranky this past month. For reasons Sesshomaru couldn't grasp. But Inuyasha had warned him that the third trimester was always the worst. Sesshomaru picked up the list of symptoms Inuyasha wrote down during Kagome's pregnancy. Leg cramps, hemorrhoids, varicose veins, itchy skin, aches and pains, heartburn, and indigestion. Damn what a list! "Seshyyyyyyy." there she went again, "Can you rub my ankles? They hurt and are swelling a lot." the look in her amber brown eyes made it hard for him to say no. With a silent sigh he pulled up a chair and she propped her feet in his lap. With his skilled hands he went to rubbing her feet and ankles, "Oh Seshyyyyyyyyy…. That feels niiiiiiice." she leaned back, closing her eyes, "I don't know why I'm so tired…. I slept all night yet I'm still exhausted." he shrugged.

"It's probably the children. They are using your energy to grow." she scoffed, peeking an eye open.

"Yeah, and my food, and my sleep, and my body." Sesshomaru chuckled, moving to lay beside her to give her a soft kiss.

"I rather like your body. You're beautiful Rin." he placed a clawed hand on her rather plump belly, rubbing it in soothing circles. Rin sighed, leaning her head on his shoulder.

"I love you… You know that?" he nodded, smiling softly as he nuzzled her cheek.

"You've mentioned it once or twice. And I love you." there was suddenly a little smirk on the woman's face.

"You better. I'm carrying your kids for two more months. I deserve an award or something." Sesshomaru let out an uncharacteristic laugh, holding Rin closer to him, "Why are we laying sideways on the bed?"

"Because you wanted me to rub your feet." he said without missing a beat. She groaned, trying to look at her feet with no avail.

"You know you're fat when you can't see your feet." Sesshomaru shook his head, running a hand through her soft locks.

"You're pregnant, not fat Rin. How many times must we go through this?" Rin took him by surprise by stealing a kiss. She snuggled to him, sighing as his hand continued to caress her bloated belly. Her eyes lazily drew back open, finding that his molten gold orbs were looking directly at her, soft while tenderly looking at her.

"What?" she said while partially raising her head. He shrugged.

"I'm just looking at how beautiful you are." Rin felt herself blushing, "I remember you when you were just eight years old. You were so naïve and carefree back then, and now you are a beautiful woman, soon to be the mother of my children. I bet Jakken is having a hay day trying to cope." Rin giggled, imagining Jakken having one of his master fits.

"How did I get so lucky Sesshomaru? To stumble across you in the middle of the woods, then to get saved by you twice." he frowned, his eyes looking away, breaking their contact with hers.

"I also got you kidnapped more than twice… I put you in danger the second time when my mother had to revive you, because I couldn't. I thought Naraku was going to kill you that time when Kagura stole you from Jakken." Rin did a little 'pffft' with a roll of her eyes.

"That weather whore had it coming when she was killed later." Sesshomaru arched an eyebrow.

"Weather whore?" Rin nodded with a smug little smile.

"I think it's a rather suiting name, don't you think?" she squeaked, looking down to her stomach, "Don't they ever give me a rest?" Sesshomaru's hand instantly moved back to her stomach, smiling as he felt the little nudges made by his children, or one of them at least. He tilted his head slightly, watching with full attention as the babies continued to move.

"I wonder…" he mumbled, shifting to his knees.

"What are you doing?" Rin questioned, moving to her regular spot on the bed and leaning comfortably on the pillows. Sesshomaru looked at her.

"I wonder if I can hear their heartbeats." Rin's eyes widened, but then they returned to normal as she shrugged.

"Who knows. With your demon hearing you probably can. Try it." with hands running delicately over her belly, he gently pulled her silk shirt up and pressed his cool ear to her stomach. A large grin suddenly graced his features.

"It's faint, but I can hear them." Rin smiled, "The heartbeats are strong. No doubt they're boys." now Rin put her hands on her hips and glared at the man.

"Now how do you know it will be boys? Are you saying that women have weak hearts?" Sesshomaru suddenly felt like a puppy being scolded. He held his hands out in front of him in defense.

"No no! I'm not saying that at all! I'm just saying that…" he didn't know what to say, and he saw that Rin was expecting an answer, "Besides, you didn't let me finish."

"Oh?" came her annoyed answer. Was it the pregnancy affecting her hormone levels that made her this edgy?, "Please explain." she said very sarcastically with a tilt of her head.

"Your scent has changed dramatically as well as your pregnancy progressed. There is usually a distinct scent between female and male babies that they give off within the mother's womb. Though it could only be one of our children that is giving off the scent. One of them could very likely be a girl, and the male's scent is just covering up her own." Rin sat up.

"Now are you calling us weak?" Sesshomaru groaned. She somehow found a way to twist his words around, "You men think we women are just so weak don't you? Let's see, men don't have to sit when they pee, you can just drop your pants anywhere and go at it behind a tree or in a bush." the man actually blushed at the thought, "You don't get periods every freakin month for seven days!" okay, now this was getting gross, " You don't have to deal with boobs all the time, when during pregnancy feel like bruises constantly. You don't have to be the one to get pregnant. You don't have to carry the kid, or in my case kidS-" she put emphasis on the kids, "For nine months while I gain so much weight it will take even more months to get my figure back, if I even can at all! And you sir, don't have to be in labor for hours on end until having to push a baby out an area where the head you think with got me into this mess in the first place!" Sesshomaru was sure that if he had ears like Inuyasha they would be folded back to his head, "So if you think women are weak, you turn into a pregnant women with twins for a day and see how it feels!" with a huff she fell back to the pillows, crossing her arms. Sesshomaru moved to her side, looking at her with kind eyes.

"I didn't say you were weak Rin. You are one of the strongest women I know, when you were human and now as a demoness." he touched her cheek with his index and middle finger. She leaned to his touch absentmindedly, "See? You can't stay mad at me." she turned to look at him with another world famous stares.

10 MINUTES LATER

Rin was sitting on the bed, arms crossed and lightly resting on her plump stomach, watching in utter delight and a grin on her face as Sesshomaru struggled to unlock the glass like door that locked him out in the rain. He was now soaked to the bone, shivering, cold, and somewhat pissed that Rin was somehow able to this to HIM while seven months pregnant with twins. He put a hand to the door, "Please unlock the door Rin!" she stood up at the best of her ability and waddled to the door, smirking.

"Mmmmmmmnnnnn… No." she turned and went to get a blanket off the back of the small couch that was beside the bedroom door to wrap it around her shoulders. Sesshomaru groaned and put a hand on the glass.

"Please Rin. Whatever I said I'm sorry!" she looked up at him.

"I don't think so." she twirled the key around her finger, "You can do that little 'flying' thingie. Get down yourself." with a groan, Sesshomaru turned and leapt off the balcony, taking bounding steps in the air until he landed on the ground on a knee, right in a puddle. With a growl he went back inside, bounding up the stairs to their room. Dammit! She had already locked it!

"Dammit Rin." he muttered under his breath.

"I heard that you meanie!" with a sigh of defeat he turned to walk away, when he stumbled on an extra pair of pajamas that were beside the door. He smirked. She put them out for him to dry off. He took them and once more went downstairs, into a bathroom to change. On the way he passed a servant.

"Good evening Lord Sesshomaru." he replied with a nod. That was odd… he had never seen her around before. Shrugging it off as someone who must be new, he continued on his way.

A LITTLE LATER

Jakken chuckled as he watched his lord pace about the den in the light of the fireplace, "She kicked me out of the bedroom! I can't believe that she kicked me out of the bedroom!" Jakken rolled his yellowish eyes, the two headed staff sitting across his lap.

"In her defense my lord, you did sort of set yourself up with the story you told to me." Sesshomaru looked at Jakken in bewilderment.

"I never meant for her to take it like that! All I was supposed to do, was listen and see if I could hear a heartbeat. I did, and said they must be boys. Then her pregnant hormones flew all over the place when she thought I was calling the female population weak, telling me about how hard it was to be a girl. It was a total misunderstanding!" Jakken shrugged, looking up at his master.

"What I've learned, is that you just go along with it and say you're sorry. That's the best thing. Just give her time, I'm sure she-" suddenly, there was a blood curdling scream from upstairs. Sesshomaru's eyes widened.

"Rin… Rin!" he soon fled for the stairs, using his demon run to sprint up. On his way he drew Bakusaiga, running faster when he heard something shatter on the floor. He rushed down the halls to their room and slashed the sword at the wooden door, splintering it to pieces. He saw Rin on the ground by the wall, holding her hands out to try to shield herself. Her wrist was slashed and it was still dripping blood heavily. He saw the maid standing before Rin, holding a small clear vial in her hand with a dark red liquid inside. He guessed it was Rin's own blood. Sesshomaru charged at the intruder, but by the time he reached her, she ran out the balcony door, changing back into the figure in black and jumping off the balcony. Sesshomaru knelt down beside Rin, casting Bakusaiga to the side, "Rin, are you alright?" she didn't respond. Her eyes looked blank, but she was panting heavily, tears running down her cheeks. He tore part of the white bed sheet and gently wrapped her wrist with it, "It will heal soon. These kinds of cuts don't take long to-" before he could finish, Rin had her arms around his chest with her face buried in his shoulder with a sob.

"S-S-Sesshomaru!" came her quivering voice, "She came so fast… She knocked on the door asking if I needed anything… a-and I said more towels, so she brought them in, then she locked the door again and pulled out the k-knife!" he shushed her, holding her to him gently while rocking her while she continued to sob. She was shaking… she was so petrified. Sesshomaru honestly didn't know how to comfort her. She was never this scared before… he didn't know how to handle it. He felt her hot tears tap against his shoulder and run down his collarbone as she cried. He cringed, feeling her incredibly sharp nails dig into his back in an attempt to keep him anchored to her. He kissed her forehead.

"It's okay, the person is gone. I'm here Rin, I'm here." he saw Jakken at the door, "Jakken, go get Kagome. Now." Jakken nodded slowly, looking out at the pouring rain behind them. Oh what fun…but nevertheless he ran the opposite way downstairs, out in the pouring rain to obey his master's orders. Sesshomaru returned his gazed to the woman in his arms. With delicate movements, he swept her into his arms and placed her on the bed. She faced him, burying her face in his warm, comforting chest. He ran his hands up and down her arms to try to calm her, "It will be alright Rin. Kagome is on her ay. I'll be here with you." Rin nodded, sniffling a little before her tears began to cease. Sesshomaru was there with her… like he had said… he was here now, to protect her, like he always has. He gently took her wrist and unwrapped it. It was still seeping blood. He brought it to his lips and he ran his tongue over the wound, stopping the blood and sealing the wound. Rin's fingers curled into her hand as she placed it on his chest, closing her eyes to breath deeply. Sesshomaru smirked when he heard a little, quiet hiccup, "No more tears Rin." he crooned in a gentle voice when he heard another sniffle, "No more harm will come to you.' Rin nodded, trying to get closer to her lover.

"I'm sorry I locked you out in the rain." she said in a quiet voice, almost a whisper, "I don't know what came over me." she said with a slight chuckle.

"It was probably your hormones. In any case, I forgive you." she smiled, sighing slightly.

"I really don't deserve you Sesshomaru. After all the trouble I've caused you over the years… I should have stayed in the village like you told me to." he put a finger on her lips, silencing her. Blood shot eyes turned to look at him.

"Don't say that. I am happy that you returned to my side. It had gotten… quite boring with only Jakken keeping me company. I'm glad I let you rejoin me. I don't think we would be here right now if you didn't plead to come back." he cupped her cheek in his hand, her features leaning into his touch, "If anything, I don't deserve you. You've given me everything, and I haven't been able to return anything to you as thanks." she reached up and touched his face.

"You thank me every time you kiss me, every time you say you love me and all the times we made love. Now all you have to do is find a way to thank me for carrying your babies and we'll be even." he chuckled softly, closing his eyes and shaking his head.

"I'm sure I'll think of something." he kissed the tip of her nose. She put her hands on her belly.

"Did you know that Kagome told me that the babies can recognize our voices now? She said it's good to talk to them often. It encourages good growth in the last months of development in the womb." his eyes widened in amazement.

"So, they know that you're their mother?" she nodded.

"Mmmhnn. And they know that you are their father." she moved one of his hands to her stomach. They both turned to look at the door when they heard a knock. Jakken opened the door, Kagome behind him. Kagome rushed to Rin's side.

"Rin, are you okay? Jakken told us what happened!" Kagome put her hand on Rin's forehead, "You don't have a fever. Are you having any abdominal cramping?" Rin shook her head, "That's good. The scare didn't cause your babies to go into distress." Sesshomaru looked at Kagome with wide eyes.

"Distress?" Kagome nodded.

"If something like this happens, usually the baby or babies will take it as the mother's body to be dying, so they themselves can cause early labor to insure that they survive." Rin's eyes widened, "I know that it was a scary situation, but if you let you scare like that again, it's likely your babies will cause you to go into labor early. If you are ever scared like that, just take deep breaths." Rin nodded. Kagome looked at Sesshomaru, "I'm sure Sesshomaru will take care of you. You should get some sleep now. You're probably exhausted." Rin smiled kindly at the woman, "I guess I'll be on my way then. You look just fine and the babies don't seem to be in any trouble at all."

"Do you want to stay here for the night? The storm should be over by morning. You're welcome to stay here." Kagome grinned.

"Thank you, but I need to return home. Kenji is still up due to this storm and Inuyasha thinks it's funny to tell his son scary stories about monsters who kidnap kids when it rains. I don't know what I'm going to do with him. I appreciate the offer though. I'll see you in a few days Rin." with a hug to her sister-in-law, Kagome left, followed by Jakken. Sesshomaru looked at Rin.

"You heard her. Bed." she giggled, placing a hand on his chest.

"You need some sleep too. You haven't rested in days. And you'll need your strength if you're going to fix that door." he chuckled, gathering Rin back in his arms.

"True. Though I won't sleep until you do." she kissed him.

"Alright. Goodnight Sesshomaru." she yawned, soon slipping into sleep.

"Goodnight Rin…" he drew the blankets over her, wrapping his arms around her protectively.


Sesshomaru's mother held the vial of blood in her hand, a wicked smile on her features. She turned to the figure in black, reaching him a bag of gold coins, "You have done well. Your services are no longer needed." the man bowed and left the room. Sesshomaru's mother turned, inspecting the blood red liquid, "Now, to get you to the old hag."


Here's the next little chapter for this little story. Well, not in Rin's case. *giggles while avoiding Rin's death glare.* anyway... I hope you liked it! Please review! :)