When they finally arrived back at the village, Kagome and Sesshomaru were greeted by Kaede and Sango.

"Kagome! There you are! We were getting worried! We came home to check on you and you weren't here!" Sango said with worry in her voice. "Where were you?"

"I decided to take a walk in the forest." Kagome explained. "I went into labor shortly after and I had nowhere to go. I was lucky enough to have Sesshomaru come across my scent in time to help me."

Sango and Kaede looked at Sesshomaru.

"I see. Ye helped Kagome deliver this young child?" Kaede asked.

Sesshomaru nodded. "I decided it would be best if I see that she gets home safely, considering that both she and this child are a part of my family now…"

Kaede and Sango looked at Kagome.

"He knows." Kagome stated. "He could smell Inuyasha's scent on me through my child…"

"It's amazing… If Sesshomaru can tell just by your scent, then how come Inuyasha did not notice?" Sango asked.

"Inuyasha probably was not looking for anything like that… and he was probably used to smelling his own scent on Kagome so when he did smell it, he probably brushed it off and thought it was nothing." Sesshomaru responded. "And besides, his nose is not as sharp as mine."

Kagome smiled. She wished that Inuyasha was there to see his child, but she knew that he could never know of their daughter. He was a married man now. Behind Sesshomaru, he was next in line for the throne.

"Kagome, you need to tell Inuyasha about this." Sesshomaru said as he noticed that she was no longer a part of the conversation.

Kagome lokked up at Sesshomaru. "No! No, he cannot know!"

Everyone looked at Kagome, shocked.

"He cannot know… he is married… he is going to produce his own heirs soon enough and I will have probably already been forgotten. I do not think that it would be right to burden Inuyasha with the two of us…"

"Inuyasha has a right to know…"

"I know he does. But what do you think will happen if I did tell him? Do you really think that everything would be ok and things would go back to the way they were?"

"Kagome, that child is a royal heir to the throne. Inuyasha's flesh and blood."

"Do you really think that your father would allow that?! She is a commoner's daughter!"

The child in Kagome's arms began to cry as Kagome yelled at Sesshomaru.

"Kagome…"

"No! I will not put my child's life on the line just because she is one of the next heirs to the throne! I want her to have a normal life!" Kagome's voice lowered as she too began to cry. "I just want my daughter to live a happy life… and not have to deal with the same shit that Inuyasha and I have gone through…"

"I understand. If you won't tell Inuyasha… then at least let me help you." Sesshomaru said.

"Help me? How?"

"I will come and check on you two regularly. I will make sure that you two are safe and that your secret is kept a secret, despite the fact that she looks just like Inuyasha. If you need anything, do not hesitate to ask for it."

Kagome thought about what Sesshomaru was offering her. He was willing to risk getting in trouble in order to keep her and her daughter safe.

"Thank you Sesshomaru… I would appreciate that… but does that not put you at risk of getting caught?"

"Father trusts me more than he trusts Inuyasha. If I say that I am going somewhere, he believes me and does not question it. I think I will be fine." Sesshomaru said as he smiled lightly.

"Thank you…"

"So," Sango asked, changing the subject. "What are you gonna name her?"

Kagome looked down at her daughter. "Inu Tsuki… but we will call her Tsuki, to keep her identity a secret."