kirigazette - Thank you; I'm so glad you are enjoying the story. I really appreciate the feedback and praise. I hope you like the ending too XD

Fleur Lilas - Haha, I thought Kazama would benefit from a little strife; take that ego down a few notches. Thank you for continuing to read my story!

nakigaoyuu - I needed some kind of plot device that would make Sen think Chizuru was ok. Since Sen never saw anything written by Chizuru before she left Kyoto in the anime/game, this was the easiest way to take her out of the picture. I figured it was logical Sen wouldn't realize the letter was a fake so easily (she's a bit gullible in my opinion), but Kazama is skeptical of everything. It seemed an effective way to continue the story in the way I wanted. I'm so glad you are enjoying the story; I hope you find this ending satisfactory.


EPILOGUE – 1 year later

Chizuru and Kazama

"CHIKAGE!" Chizuru yelled at the top of her lungs; her body rolling awkwardly in the futon.

Kazama appeared at the door, "Are you ok?"

"Fine, I'm just stuck. I'm getting too big, I can't get up out of the futon anymore."

Leaning down, Kazama easily picked her up and set her gently on her feet. "Anything else, Princess?"

Chizuru smiled at his use of the pet name, "Help me to the engawa. I want the fresh air, but I'm having trouble maneuvering my gigantic belly around. It's your fault, so you should feel obliged to help."

Kazama easily swept her up again. He walked outside to the courtyard of their estate, placing her gently in her favorite spot on the engawa, where her back could be propped against a support beam. He sat down next to her, wrapping a protective arm around her shoulders and placing his other hand on her belly. "How's the baby today?"

"Mmmm, good… active…," she responded, also rubbing her belly happily. She leaned against Kazama, sighing contentedly.

"I have to leave again, for a few days."

Chizuru's face fell at his statement, "Again?"

"It's only a few days. I wish you could come with me, but I don't think that's a good idea in your current condition. Amagiri will be staying to take care of you," he explained, rubbing her shoulder comfortingly. "You'll barely notice I'm gone."

"Fine, but I'm not happy you're leaving."

"I know, but it can't be helped," he sighed in response, pulling her closer and kissing the top of her head.

Kazama left an hour later; but Chizuru remained at the engawa, enjoying the crisp morning. Around noon Amagiri appeared next to her.

"Lady Kazama, you should eat lunch, allow me to escort you." He picked her up, as Kazama had, and set her down on her feet. Pulling her arm through his own for stability, he escorted her to the dining room.

Opening the door to the familiar space, she was shocked to find a long, tall, Western style table and chairs. "What's this?" she asked, turning to Amagiri expectantly.

"Lord Kazama thought the Western style furniture may be easier for you, considering the difficulty you have had of late getting up. He had me deliver this in the morning, while you were out at the engawa."

Chizuru smiled to herself; Chikage doted on her in such unexpected ways. Waddling forward, she took a seat, surprised by how comfortable the chair was. A servant placed a tray of food in front of both her and Amagiri. They ate in companionable silence.

"I'd like to take a nap. Can you please escort me back to my room, Amagiri?" Chizuru asked when she had finished eating. He nodded politely; and again took her arm in his, steadying her as she waddled away.

Walking into her room, she found more Western furniture. A large bed heaped with fluffy looking pillows had been placed in the corner. Crawling into it, she sighed happily. "Chikage always knows what I need. Thank you Amagiri. Please wake me before it gets too late." Rolling to her side, Chizuru fell into a deep, pleasant sleep.

A short time later, Chizuru awoke shouting because of a terrible pain in her abdomen. Amagiri came rushing in, while Chizuru breathed heavily, riding out the wave.

"Lady Kazama, are you alright!? Is the child alright?" he asked frantically, panic overtaking his features. Chizuru looked at him, concerned, as the pain dissipated.

"Amagiri… I think…" Another terrible pain hit her, causing Chizuru to scream and pant again until it dissipated. "I think I'm in labor…" she responded through gritted teeth.

"Oh! Oh! I will send for the midwife and Lord Kazama immediately. This is wonderful!"

The next few hours were a blur of pain, confusion, and pushing for Chizuru. When it was all over, she looked down at not one, but two babies cradled against her chest. She snuggled their soft skin, exhausted but content.

Just as she was starting to drift off to sleep, the bedroom door was flung open to reveal a beaming Kazama. He was breathing heavily and uncharacteristically sweaty. "I've never seen Amagiri so panicked in his life; I ran all the way here as fast as I could. I'm sorry it took so long."

He strode in, looking at the little bundles cradled against his wife's chest. "Twins? We have twins!?" he asked with irrepressible excitement.

Chizuru nodded sleepily in response, a goofy smile plastered across her face. "A boy and a girl," she murmured softly.

Kazama took the girl into his arms, cradling her against his chest, then climbed into the bed next to Chizuru. "Sleep, Chizuru; you've worked hard today. You deserve the world, but start with some sleep," he whispered into her ear as her breathing evened out.

Kazama smiled to himself. Their family, their happiness, was complete. "I love you, Chizuru," he said to her sleeping form, saying it aloud in her presence for the first time. "Always, and forever."


Author's Note:

Thank you everyone for reading! I hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it. :)