A/N: There's nothing I can say except enjoy the chapter!

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Ryo couldn't believe it. He hadn't expected his parents to be here, but they were and they were currently suffocating him.

"Mom, Dad, I can't breathe." he choked out.

They immediately let go of him, but only Koga backed off. Ayame cupped her son's face as she cried. She stared at him and ran her hands over his face for a few minutes before she finally placed her head on his shoulder and cried. Everyone was silent during the exchange between mother and son, but Kagome and Izayoi also had tears in their eyes. Ryo put his arms gently around his mother. He was a good six inches taller than her and he stood almost even with his father. He had grown in a lot of ways since her left.

"I'm sorry." he whispered.

He squeezed his mother tighter as he too began to cry.

"I'm so sorry."

Ayame looked up into Ryo's eyes and wiped his tears away.

"Are you alright? Did you find what you were looking for?"

He nodded.

"Then it's alright. You're home now. That's all that matters."

Ryo smiled as he pulled Ayame in for another hug. She eagerly returned it.

"It's good to see you son." Koga said stepping closer.

"It's good to be seen."

Ayame gently removed herself from Ryo's arms.

"Well, I think I've monopolized your affection long enough. There's another woman here that needs it."

Everyone looked at Izayoi, but all she saw was Ryo. They locked eyes and started sprinting toward each other at the same moment. They collided in a crushing hug as new tears sprung to their eyes.

"I'm home." Ryo whispered so only she could hear.

"I'm glad."

Ryo leaned down, and with both pairs of parents watching, he kissed her.

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A couple of days passed and Koga and Ayame stayed in the village with their son. It didn't take more than an hour for the whole village to figure out that Ryo had returned. Sango, Miroku, Kohaku, Shippo, and Hiruka all came to welcome him back. He was a little embarrassed by all the attention, but one look at Izayoi's smiling face had him on cloud nine. A week after his homecoming Koga and Ayame had to go home, but it was decided that Ryo would stay with Izayoi in the village. He would stay in Kaede's hut since she left it to Izayoi. A quick goodbye with a promise to visit was said and then Ryo's parents left. After they were gone he was about to head back to the village when Inuyasha appeared.

"Did your parents leave?" he asked.

Ryo nodded.

"Just a minute ago."

Inuyasha looked at the horizon and sighed.

"Can I talk to you?" he asked.

Ryo suddenly became very nervous, but he nodded. Inuyasha let him into a field and then turned to look him square in the eye.

"Do you love my daughter?"

Ryo was growing more and more nervous but he answered with complete confidence while meeting Inuyasha's gaze, "Yes I do."

Inuyasha nodded and then turned to look out over the field.

"So do I. I would do anything to protect her. I want to provide for her and take care of her and have her come to me when things go wrong. But, that's not my job anymore," he turned to look at Ryo, "that's your job now. As much as I hate it, Izayoi doesn't really need me anymore. She needs you. It's going to be hard for me to let her go, but I want you to know that I will try. However, if you hurt my girl I will personally rip your heart out."

Ryo nodded.

"I won't hurt her. I swear. I can't live without her. She's all I think about. All I ever want to do is keep her safe and take care of her. I want to give her everything, because that's what she deserves. She deserves the best, so I will be the best man I can be for her."

Inuyasha nodded.

"You better be."

They were silent for a minute, but just for a minute.

"Do you plan on having children with Izayoi?" Inuyasha asked out of the blue.

Ryo paled.

"Um…someday…not now." he assured.

"I didn't mate Kagome until she was eighteen. I would really like it if you did the same."

"I wasn't planning to…it's not like I would…I'm barely sixteen." Ryo stuttered.

Inuyasha laughed.

"That's good to hear. Just, give it a couple of years."

"A LONG couple of years."

"I will sir." Ryo promised.

Inuyasha crinkled his nose.

"Oh, and about this 'sir' business, stop it. My name's Inuyasha, so use it. Same goes for Kagome."

"Yes si…I mean Inuyasha."

Ryo began to bow but Inuyasha stopped him by putting a hand on his shoulder.

"No bowing either. People bow to my brother, not me."

Ryo laughed.

"Yeah. I noticed. He's got a nice house though."

Inuyasha snorted.

"He needs that big of a house so he can fit his oversized ego inside."

Both men laughed on their way back to the village.

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A couple more days passed and Hotaru was slowly getting his strength back. He had awoken exactly when Jinengi said he would, but it took a long time for him to recuperate. When he was strong enough to walk he would join his twin and Ryo by the river. Aiko and Ryo would fish while Hotaru watched. More than anything these outings were a bonding time. The twins may have been young, but they new who Ryo was and what he wanted.

"So Ryo, when are you and Izayoi going to live together?" Aiko asked.

Ryo looked at him in shock.

"Um…well…not for a long time. Two years at least."

Hotaru laughed.

"That's a long time to wait. You've known each other long enough to mate with her. Why wait longer?"

Ryo paled. How did the twins know about mating?

"Because I promised I would wait."

Aiko and Hotaru shared a look.

"Dad threatened you, didn't he?"

"No. He just said he would prefer that we waited."

Another shared look between the twins, "He threatened you."

Ryo laughed.

"Yeah, I guess he did."

Aiko nodded.

"He babies Izayoi like Mom babies us. But, one day he's going to have to let Sis go. Besides, you're a good guy."

Hotaru agreed, "Yeah, you're great! Shippo's our brother, but he never lived with us. It's nice to know what having an older brother closer to our age feels like."

Ryo smiled.

"I guess I don't mind having little siblings either."

"Good, because you're stuck with us."

All three began laughing.

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That night at sundown a woman came running to see Kagome. Ryo was sitting outside when he saw her. She looked at him and begged to be brought to the priestess. Ryo took her immediately to Kagome.

"Priestess! You need to come at once!" she exclaimed.

"Why? What's happened?"

"Hiruka is in labor!"

Izayoi and Kagome stood up.

"Inuyasha, come with us. You'll need to calm down Shippo. Aiko, Hotaru, you help your father. Izayoi, you help me with Hiruka. Ryo, make sure this woman gets home safely." Kagome ordered.

Everyone moved like cogs in a machine. They all did exactly as they were told and fifteen minutes later Inuyasha, the twins, Ryo, and Shippo were in the woods while Kagome and Izayoi were at Hiruka's side.

"Okay Hiruka, how are you feeling?"

"Much better than Shippo I think."

Izayoi laughed.

"Was Dad that nervous when I was born?"

Kagome nodded.

"There's a clearing in the forest because of your birth."

Izayoi shook her head. She should have known. Suddenly, Hiruka screamed.

"Ugg! Someone should have told me having a baby hurt. I would have rethought it."

Kagome laughed.

"You say that now, but you'll change your mind when you see your child. Since Kagome and Izayoi had arrived so late in Hiruka's labor it wasn't long before it was time to push. Kagome figured the fast delivery also had to do with the fact that Hiruka was a demon, but she'd think more on that later. Three hours form the time Kagome and Izayoi walked in the door was all it took for Hiruka to be able to hold her first child. Izayoi was silently counting the seconds before her older brother would show up. She barely got to thirty.

"Hiruka! Are you okay? How's the baby?"

Hiruka smiled up at him through her tears.

"I've never been better, and neither has our daughter."

Shippo smiled.

"Our daughter?"

Hiruka nodded. Shippo hugged his mate.

"Do you want to hold her?"

Shippo nodded. As he held his daughter for the first time he noticed how much she looked like her mother. She had curly blonde hair and dazzling green eyes that sparkled up at him. Hiruka watched her mate hold their child and a name suddenly popped into her head.

"Shippo, what about if we call her Satsu?"

Shippo leaned over to kiss his mate.

"It's perfect."