February 26, 2014

I do not own Dragonball or Inuyasha

Chapter Twenty-One

Kagome sat up in bed, staring down at her son with a loving smile as she fed him. He was a hungry little boy, that was for sure, and she accounted that to his saiyan heritage. She giggled softly as the babe's tail wrapped around her wrist. His fur was different from hers and Vegeta's, it was soft and silky whereas theirs was only soft near the base while the rest was coarse for protection. Kato had told her that the boy's fur would become that way in time, but not until he was a few years old and needed the protection it would offer him while he grabbed things with it. For now Kagome was content to pet the small tail admiring how soft it was while her baby fed happily.

Vegeta sat in a chair next to the bed, watching his mate and son bond. He had been rather surprised at this hospital's way of helping the mother bond with her child. Immediately after the birth the babe was placed on his mother's bare stomach to allow them to have skin to skin contact immediately. The babe was left there for a few minutes while the doctor cleaned up down below and handled the after birth. The umbilical cord was not cut until after the placenta stopped pulsing. The doctor had allowed Vegeta to cut the cord, instructing him where and how to do it. After that the babe was quickly cleaned off before being placed in his mother's arms without so much as a blanket to keep him warm. While Kagome held the baby Sesshoumaru did the ceremony he mentioned, leaving immediately afterwards because he knew the hospital's procedure about the mother and child bonding. Kagome had been informed about it, too, so she wasn't surprised when the doctor politely asked her to remove her gown. One of the nurses quickly taught her how to properly breast feed and then the new parents were left alone in the room, Kagome sitting in the bed covered with only a blanket.

(BEFORE YOU GO CRAZY ON ME: some people really do this, though it's not really common practice. But it's been proven that skin-to-skin contact is good for both the baby and the mother right after birth. NO FLAMERS; I KNOW IT'S WEIRD. I just thought that, since this is a yokai hospital and all, I'd write something a little more... I don't know the word. Primal? Instinctual, maybe.)

"Why did they request you be naked, mate?" Vegeta finally asked. He didn't understand it one bit. On his planet, when the child was born it was immediately taken to a nursery where many other infants were. There the caretakers measured their power levels and decided what level of a warrior they should be placed in. The babes were not clothed and the parents rarely went to see their child before it was sent to another planet to eradicate the populace. Only after the child returned, a time that normally consisted of three years, did the parents take care of the child, raising it and training it to be a warrior.

"It's a yokai thing, really." Kagome said quietly. "They are very particular about the mother and child bonding immediately after the birth and the best way to do that is through skin to skin contact." she explained to her mate. "We'll be left alone for about an hour. That gives us time to bond with the baby and let me rest before the doctor comes to check on us again." She told him, glancing down at their son as he patted her breast in a cute manner and then whined a little but did not cry. He'd stopped feeding so Kagome assumed that meant it was time to switch sides, and she guessed right. The babe quickly latched on and started feeding again. Vegeta reached up now and gently put his hand on the child's head, touching his son for the first time since he was born not even an hour ago. He wanted to hold the child, honestly, but he wouldn't take away from his mate's time to bond with him. Besides that, the kid was still feeding and showed no sign of giving that up just yet.

"So small." Vegeta said quietly as he looked at his son. The baby was actually a very healthy size, with his mother's blue eyes and a wisp of jet black hair that came from both parents on the top of his head. His tail was darker, the same color as Vegeta's while Kagome's tail was a lighter brown. The babe looked a little like Vegeta in the face but Kagome's looks softened Vegeta's harder looks. For now he was rather calm, content to feed from his mother, but he'd had an impressive set of lungs when he was first born until his mother calmed him down like an expert.

Kagome smiled lovingly as she watched Vegeta touch his son gently, as if he were afraid of hurting him. He stroked the babe's cheek lightly and the touched his small tail that was still wrapped around Kagome's wrist. Then he gently kissed Kagome, cupping her cheek in his hand.

"I'm so sorry I wasn't here for you, mate, while you carried him. I should have been at your side." he whispered against her lips. Kagome kissed him back softly, giving a small smile.

"It's okay, Vegeta. I understand why you had to go." Kagome told him softly. "And it was better that you were gone while I carried him... that way you get you spend time with him before the fight." she said quietly, kissing him again. "How was your training, by the way? Did you get stronger like you wanted?" she asked her mate. Vegeta answered with a smirk that told Kagome he was quite proud of how strong he'd gotten the last few months. Kagome smiled sweetly at this; at least he did what he wanted to accomplish, so her time apart from him wasn't in vain.

The baby stopped feeding and Kagome gently pat his back to burp him. She was amazed at how much this little newborn could eat, and the fact that he didn't spit up at all when she burped him was astounding. Human babies could only eat a few ounces at a time and they spit up nearly half of it, but Kagome was now worried she wouldn't be able to make enough milk for her son. Kagome looked at her mate now and saw him staring at the baby again. With a gentle smile she held their son out to the tough saiyan prince.

"Do you want to hold him? He's your son, after all." Kagome said softly. Vegeta nodded and hesitantly reached for the baby, but stopped. He didn't know how to hold him. And what if he hurt the kid? Thankfully Kagome saw his problem and smiled gently. "Hold your arms like this." Kagome said, showing him with her own arms how to how the baby. "When I put him in your arms, use your elbow to support his head, okay?" Vegeta nodded and did as she said, watching as Kagome gently transferred their son into his arms. Vegeta stared down at the child in awe as he held him for the first time. Such a small fragile creature, but so precious all the same. The baby yawned sleepily and snuggled against his father's chest, his tiny hand griping the fabric of the white shirt Vegeta had been given to wear after the birth.

Kagome pulled her hospital gown back on and watched her mate and son, smiling sleepily at her mate as she, too, was overcome by drowsiness. Twelve hours of labor and then giving birth took a lot out of her. Vegeta handed the baby back to her, still worried he might hurt he child. Kagome lay down on the bed with the baby held safely against her bosom. They still had an hour left before the doctor would come in to fill out a birth certificate. Until then Kagome planned to get some much needed rest with her child under the watchful eye of her mate.

-break-

"Have you decided on a name?" The doctor asked Kagome and Vegeta as he prepared the birth certificate. Kagome looked to her mate as she held the baby. She wanted him to name their son and he'd had plenty of time to think of a name. Vegeta looked down at the baby and then back at his mate.

"Are you sure you want me to name him?" Vegeta asked and Kagome nodded. Vegeta sighed softly and looked at the doctor now. "Ryujin Vegeta Higurashi." he told the doctor. He wouldn't name his son after himself and his father, not his first name, anyways. If, when the kid was older, he wanted to go by his middle name, Vegeta wouldn't care. But for now he would be called Ryujin. Dragon king. It was a name worthy of a saiyan prince and, as a bonus for Kagome, it could be split into two pet names, Ryu and Jin (Thanks for the idea Gizmo 369!).

"Ryujin... I like it." Kagome smiled softly at the baby. It suited him, too, and that made the name even better.

"What a strong name." The doctor mused with a smile as he wrote the baby's name down on the birth certificate. "I need the father's name now. I'm afraid we haven't been introduced, sir. I am Doctor Toriyama."

"Vegeta Higurashi." Vegeta said to be polite. When he'd married Kagome he had taken her last name since he didn't have one and didn't feel like making one up.

"It is a pleasure to meet you, sir." The doctor bowed politely before writing the father's name on the certificate. "And who shall be the child's sponsor?"

"Sponsor?" Vegeta questioned, confused (he'd missed that discussion). Kagome spoke to the doctor now.

"Sesshoumaru-sama said he will be the sponsor since he is my sponsor as well. I think he would also like to sponsor Vegeta." Kagome told the doctor, who nodded and wrote that down. He would speak with Sesshoumaru-sama about this before it became permanent and he would also speak about getting Vegeta papers so the incident he heard about would not happen again. The poor receptionist was traumatized.

"Very well. I will leave you to your rest now. Would you like me to send the visitors in?" The doctor asked and Kagome nodded, watching the doctor leave. She looked to her mate and noticed his questioning glance and she sighed. It looked like she would have to explain sponsors to him, too.

-break-

Kagome yawned and forced herself to wake up as she heard her son crying through the baby monitor, probably hungry again. She swore Ryujin ate more than Goku sometimes. Yawning again, she walked next door to the room that was now Ryujin's nursery. It was painted to look like a thick forest, with realistic trees painted on the walls by hand, by Kagome's hand. The floor was covered in thick, soft green carpet that was now littered with baby toys. The crib and furniture were made to look like they were made from tree branches, though all the ends were smoothed out to keep the baby from hurting himself. Vegeta had been rather impressed when he saw the nursery; he'd actually been afraid she would do something girly or childish like a circus theme or bright girly colors. Instead the room was mostly neutral and cool colors to keep the baby more relaxed.

"Come here, baby boy." Kagome smiled sleepily at her son as she lifted him up out of the crib and bounced him just a little as he cried. She carried him to the rocking chair and got comfortable with him before starting to feed him while she rocked slowly. Ryujin wrapped his tail around his mother's wrist like usual as he fed. She'd learned from her father that it was something he did subconsciously for comfort. He even did it to Vegeta when he held him, but he didn't do it with anyone else.

Sighing, Kagome rocked silently as she fed her baby. He would be two months old tomorrow. It was hard to believe she'd already had her son for two whole months, but she couldn't be happier. Well, that was a lie... she would be happier if she could get some more sleep. But, other than that, she couldn't get any happier. She loved Ryujin dearly and it was clear Vegeta also loved his son, though he showed it less noticeably and not so much around other people. When it was just the three of them, however, Vegeta would smile and hold his son. He'd even fed him from a bottle and helped give him a bath. The only thing Vegeta refused to do was change a dirty diaper, but Kagome was fine with that. Vegeta helped her out with the baby with everything else, taking turns with her to get up to feed him with a bottle from the small fridge in the baby's room, heated up by a bottle warmer. He needed less sleep, anyways.

Ryujin stopped feeding and Kagome burped him, smiling lovingly at her son as he yawn and snuggled against her bosom. She rocked him a while longer before he fell asleep and then she gently put him back in the crib before returning to bed. She lay down and snuggled up to her mate, who pulled her into his arms and kissed her temple before they both fell back to sleep... until Ryujin woke up again two hours later.

"I'll get it." Vegeta sighed, getting out of bed much easier than Kagome had. Kagome smiled gratefully at her mate and drifted back to sleep, knowing that Vegeta would be a good father, despite what everyone else may think.

-break-

Vegeta stopped his training and turned off the GR as he sensed his mate approaching. He opened the door just as she was about to knock. "Mate, what are you doing here? Where is Ryujin?" Vegeta questioned her when he saw her in her old training clothes. It was early afternoon and Vegeta knew Ryujin would still be awake right about now.

"I asked Aunt Bunny to watch him for a few hours." Kagome told her mate. "And I want to start training again. I want to help fight against the androids."

"No." Vegeta responded immediately. "I will not have you and Ryujin put in so much danger. You will stay here where it is safe." he said firmly but Kagome glared at her mate angrily.

"This planet is my home, Vegeta, and I will fight to protect it and our son. I'm not saying I'll be on the front lines, okay? But I do know how to fight and I'm positive I can be of some help against the androids."

"And what about Ryujin? You would just leave him without protection? Or worse, you would take him with you?" Vegeta frowned.

"Of course not! Ryujin will be very safe with Kouga and Ayame and he'll even have some little ones to play with." Kagome told him. "Plus my brother Souta will be there; he's gotten stronger, too. And Naomi-san and her children, too. Our son will be in a very safe place."

"I don't want you to come, mate." Vegeta growled. "It's too dangerous."

"In case you have forgotten, Vegeta, I'm no stranger to danger." Kagome huffed. "I know this is a battle I can't possibly win, but I can most certainly assist those who actually stand a chance. Me, Inuyasha, Shippou, my father, and Sesshoumaru all plan to be there, hiding, and we won't come out unless we need to. I will be protected by them."

"Woman..."

"Please, Vegeta... I want to help." Kagome pleaded with her mate. Vegeta stared down at her and, seeing the determination in his eyes, he sighed.

"Fine, but you will not show yourself unless absolutely necessary. Understood?" he said firmly and Kagome quickly nodded with a bright smile. "How long have you been thinking about this, mate?"

"A few months, actually." Kagome admitted. Then she grinned victoriously. "So... training?"

-END CHAPTER-

Yippee! I had time for another chapter, yay! And the Baby's name is officially Ryujin!

Here's the talley in case you're wondering:

Ryujin - 25

Taiyo - 7

Kane - 3

Hiroki- 1

Klyn- 0

Ryujin already had a huge lead but with the last update I got a bunch more votes than I ever did before! I was kind of rooting for Taiyo, really, but I liked Ryujin, too, especially when one of you pointed out that it could be broken into two pet names, Ryu and Jin. Thanks Gizmo 369!

Okay, so now there's going to be a time jump. Be prepared because it's going to be like a five or six month time jump in the next chapter. The fighting officially begins as the three year gap comes to an end. Get ready for some androids and an overprotective saiyan! Woohoo.

Tell me what you think! If you have ANY suggestions I would love to hear them. :)

Thanks for reading!

-Aozora12

In case you were wondering what my pen name means:

Blue (Ao)

sky (Zora)

my favorite number (12)

Aozora12