Fawks sat at the front of the cave, her keen green eyes scanning the area for any sign of danger. Hearing Sessho-maru groan softly, she turned to look at him. He was fast asleep, his wounds had already begun to heal and his fever had broken earlier that night. She came over to him, he looked completely at peace. Fawks smiled softly remembering all the times she had watched him sleep after they made love, of how she'd been afraid to sleep, thinking she would wake up to find it was all a dream.

'...I guess I finally woke up...'

Fawks gently brushed his bangs away from his face, his golden eyes fluttered open.

"...Did I wake you?" she asked, pulling back. Sessho-maru grabbed her hand as she pulled it away, she gazed at him in confusion. His eyes were so intense, she felt as if they were trying to melt her.

"...Why did you save me?" he asked, his voice as smooth and rich as honey. Fawks looked away, red coloring her cheeks.

"...because I'm a silly lovesick girl..."

Sessho-maru smirked at her response, "...Then I am a silly lovesick pup, wanting to die because I can not have the one I love..."

Fawks clenched her fists, "...Stop it..."

He gazed at her in confusion, she glared at him, tears welling in her sweet green eyes.

"...all you've done for the past few months is hurt me! How can you say you love me?!"

Sessho-maru looked away, "...For that I am truly sorry..."

"...Yeah I bet you are..." Fawks growled.

"...You don't understand...everything I did, I did to protect you..."

"...You raped me to protect me?" Fawks raised an eyebrow.

"...Except that..."

Fawks rolled her eyes.

"You knew I was in heat, you shouldn't have refused me..."

"...Oh! So it's my fault, well isn't that just precious!!" Fawks growled. Sessho-maru said nothing, Fawks looked away.

"...I'm pregnant..."

Sessho-maru's gaze refocused on her, "...Nani?!"

"...I'm carrying your child, Sessho-maru..." she said again.

"...was it when..."

"No...when...we were still together...before you started sleeping with that neko whore" Fawks sighed. Sessho-maru's eyes narrowed, "And you bedded that other inu-youkai anyway?"

"I didn't know! I found out after you...well...y'know...the village physician took a look at me and said it was a miracle the pup survived!"

Sessho-maru adverted his gaze again.

"...The point is...I'm coming back to you...I have no choice, I don't want our baby to grow up without a father..." Fawks whispered ashamedly. "No matter how much I hate you..."

"...You should have let me die..." he growled.

"What?! Can't I have a little appreciation here?!" Fawks snapped.

"I broke your heart, endangered the life of our pup and am causing you to suffer...what reason do I have to live?"

"...our child..." Fawks said softly. She took his hand, pressing it against her belly, he felt a tiny heartbeat.

"...you don't know what it's like...the wondering...the waiting...every year it gets worse...I want you to be there for our baby, teach 'im things...only a father can teach..."

Sessho-maru could see the tears threatening to fall, he knew how her father had betrayed her, he had never treated her like a daughter. Instead she was a slave and a punching bag, Sessho-maru had saved her from that life, he had given her the love she always wanted. Where had they gone so wrong? He gently wiped away her tears, groaning as he sat up.

"...Sessho-maru...you should be moving yet..." Fawks began. He silenced her with a kiss, Fawks couldn't help herself, she kissed him back with a ferocious passion. The next thing she knew, Sessho-maru was on his back again, only with her straddling him. She blushed attempting to move away from him, but his grip on her thighs held her fast.

"...you should know the truth, my love..."

"...The truth about what?"

"...why I betrayed you"