Disclaimer: I do not own any Inuyasha anything.

A Real Good Man

By: BittersweetLady

Chapter Twenty-One

It was in the months after the kidnapping, just before the Christmas festivities began, that Sesshomaru came to decision. He had to distance himself from her. He could make her believe that he loved her and keep himself from falling for her anymore than he already had. There was snow on the ground and kagome was almost to the end of her third trimester when she began to notice the difference about her husband. Sesshomaru barely spoke to her unless they were alone, which those times seemed to be only when they slept together at night. Sesshomaru tried to keep her busy when he wasn't there, but Kaede refused to let Kagome go in to work until the baby was born and that left her very little to do since the staff took care of the house work.

Despite her resolve, she doubted Sesshomaru's commitment to her. Even though he said he showed her and he did things for her that were not necessary, she could never get him to actually say he loved her. Even if he only said it to her once, it would be enough and she could put aside her doubts. But every time she broached the subject or tired to trick him to say it, he changed the subject or he had a sudden job he had to go into work for. Kagome made excuses for him to his family and to Sango who had developed a small hate for him. She hadn't liked him from the beginning and now she liked him even less. The first nail in the coffin of her love for him was the Christmas party his parents threw on Christmas Eve. She went by herself after Sesshomaru assured her that he would be there as soon as he finished up at the office.

Kagome sat and talked to Jocelyn and Ami for the evening. She pretended not to notice the pity stares she received from the other family members. Sesshomaru's father shook his head every time he looked at her and eventually he went up to his study. Kagome stayed as long as she could and then she had to leave before she lost it. It was Christmas and she had no idea where he was. He hadn't answered any of her calls or any of those that his father or Inuyasha had made. She left before she started to cry and went to Sango's for a while. She sat for a while with Sango and Miroku, also finding out that Sango was expect ting, which was not that big of a surprise considering Sango's husband was Miroku. She left their house and made it home at almost midnight and made her way up to her bedroom. The door to the bathroom was closed and she ignored it. Slipping on her night cloths and sliding under the covers. She turned away from the bathroom door and tried to go to sleep. Sesshomaru came out a moment later and sat beside her.

"I am sorry; by the time I got there you had already gone to Sango's." Sesshomaru said. Kagome shrugged and closed her eyes again.

"Your father said there was nothing that could have possibly taken up that much of your time. I don't care where you were, your promised you wouldn't leave me alone with your family any more. I love them, I do, but most of them do not like me." She told him softly and snuggled deeper into the covers. "It doesn't matter anyway, I am tired and I want to sleep." Sesshomaru heard the dismissal in her voice and left her be. For the first time since before they were married, Sesshomaru slept on the other side of the bed from Kagome. The next morning they exchanged gifts before Sesshomaru left. She gave him a new watch. One of the old time watches that didn't run on batteries, but the wheels and gears inside it. And he gave her a 'key to my heart' necklace. Even though he tried, he couldn't keep the feeling of contentment and pride when Kagome smiled, kissed him and put the necklace on immediately.

After that though it was much easier to avoid the emotional ties to her. Kagome was almost to her due date and she was put on bed rest by her doctor. Even though Sesshomaru told her not to go without him, he was never there to go with her. She figured that since it involved the health of their baby she could get away with it. Still to avoid a fight, she told him Sango went with her, which she did some times. To everyone else, they could see what was going on and assumed the worst, but didn't say anything for fear of destroying a very fragile woman at the moment. Apparently, Sesshomaru wasn't doing as good a job as he thought fooling every one into believing he loved his wife dearly and keeping his barriers up.

Kagome went into labor in late January. Things between her and Sesshomaru had been cool at best, except for when he made love to her, while they could without fear of hurting the baby. That area was still as hot as ever. Sesshomaru had told her that he would be in a meeting for most of the day and didn't know when he would be out, she wouldn't be able to reach him and that he would call her when he got out. It was noon when the first contractions hit Kagome hard. She had gotten up to use the bathroom and on her way back to the living room had to grab a hold of the wall to keep from falling. She cried out and immediately staff came running. They helped her into the car and called the hospital and the family on the way. When she arrived everyone was there…except one.

"Did anyone call him?" She asked and then screamed as another contraction hit. She looked expectantly at everyone in the room after the pain had passed.

"I tried several times, but the secretary said he wasn't taking calls. I even told her to tell him you were in labor, but he told her to wait for a moment, but he didn't answer again. I am sorry Kagome." Inuyasha looked helpless as he spoke. Kagome felt her heart constrict. And then another contraction hit. When it passed she held out her hand for the phone.

"Give me the damn phone! Someone now!" She yelled. A phone was handed to her and she dialed his cell. It went straight to voicemail, so she called the office. His secretary answered.

"Hello?" She asked.

"This is Mrs. Tashio, you tell my husband I am in labor and he needs to get his ass the fuck down here now!" She yelled as another contraction hit. They were getting closer and closer. She had refused any kind of medication, afraid of it hurting the baby, even though the doctors had assured her it wouldn't.

"I am sorry Mrs. Tashio I will try again." She said there was silence and then she heard his voice.

"Who is it now?" he asked.

"It is your wife, your pregnant wife I might remind you, who is in labor right this minute."
Kagome said into the phone.

"I am sorry, but I can't just leave. I will be there as soon as I can, I promise." He said.

"Yeah you promise I know how that works. Just forget it Sesshomaru!" She cried and snapped the phone closed before he could answer and throwing it across the room so that it shattered against the wall. "I am sorry whose ever phone that was. I will replace it."

"Don't worry about it." Inuyasha told her. She held Miroku's and Sango's hand during the labor. Inuyasha taped everything on the recorder someone had brought. Her body hurt so bad she didn't know if she could take any more. Eventually Doctor Onigumo came in and said that she was ready push. Kagome cried out, shouting Sesshomaru's name over and over. When she thought she was going to pass out and the pain was at its most intense, she heard her baby scream and knew that it was all worth it.

"Congratulation's, it's a boy." Naraku said and hand the baby to her. Kagome held him to her and he quieted. He opened his eyes and stared at her.

"He is so beautiful." She said tearing up. A nurse came and took him from her to clean him up. The nurse wrote down the baby's name and information before she took him out of the room. As everyone entered she looked for Sesshomaru hoping that he had made it, but everyone had come in and she still was waiting for him to walk through the door. Without warning, she began to cry. No one knew what to do, they still couldn't reach Sesshomaru. Lain had called his son again and was told that the meeting would be over in a moment. He just told the woman to send his son to the Tokyo General Hospital. He was very disappointed in his son.

Kagome eventually fell asleep. The room wasn't big enough for everyone to be in there at the same time and so they all sat on the sofa and chairs outside her room and took turns visiting with her and the baby. After a while the other's in the family left and the only ones there were Sango, Miroku, Jocelyn, Lain, and Touga. Kagome eventually fell asleep; Sango sat beside her and Miroku on the small love seat in the room. Sango had refused to leave her until Sesshomaru came. It was a few hours after the baby was born that Sesshomaru finally showed up. His parents and grandfather just looked at him with disappointed looks.

"I expected more from you Sesshomaru." Touga said. Sesshomaru felt the first hint of shame at his grandfather's words.

"I am sorry, I got here as soon as I could." He said.

"It wasn't soon enough, you asshole." An angry voice said. Sesshomaru turned to see Sango standing in the door way of Kagome's room and Miroku standing behind her. Sango stepped to him and he took a step away from her. Out of nowhere her hand came up and slapped him hard across the cheek. "Congraga-fucking-lations it's a boy." Sango stormed past him, with Miroku in tow. His father handed him a CD case as he walked by.

"The whole thing is on there, thought you might want to at least watch it." Everyone left after that. Sesshomaru stood outside Kagome's door gathering the courage to go in. He looked to Kagome first and then walked quietly over to the baby bed. Attached to the bed read Kenta Rotary Tashio. He looked down at the baby and was speechless. He had his mother's blue eyes and dark hair, but everything else was completely Sesshomaru. He picked up his son and held him. He sat in the only chair in the room and watched his son. Kenta stared up at his father, just watching him. Eventually he fell asleep and Sesshomaru placed him back in the little bed. He looked at the CD that he had lain on the small bedside table and then took his laptop out of his travel bag and put the CD in.

The movie, if that is what you would call it, opened with Kagome lying in the hospital bed on her side. Sango was holding her hand and Miroku was rubbing her back. There was a fine sheen of sweat on her skin and she was shaking. Suddenly she cried out and everyone in the room, which included his parents, his grandfather, Inuyasha, Miroku and Sango helped her to breathe through it. Kagome glared at them all and told them to shut the hell up. After a moment she relaxed and turned on her back.

"Did anyone call him?" She asked he could see the beginnings of a contraction on her face. She took a deep breath as someone answered. She held out her hand for a phone, demanding someone give her one. He watched as the conversation he remembered so differently took place. His heart constricted at the look on her face before she closed the phone and threw it against the wall. She breathed through a few more contractions, each coming faster than the last. Finally the doctor came in and Kagome's feet were put up in stirrups' and she was leaned forward.

"You can push when you are ready, Kagome." The doctor said while ordering everyone but Miroku, Sango and Inuyasha out. Kagome took a deep breath and Sesshomaru could see her body bearing down, trying to bring his son into the world. His first shock came when she screamed his name, the doctor was announcing that the baby was crowning, Sango seemed to have an angry look on her face and Sesshomaru couldn't blame her. The camera panned back to Kagome's face and he could see lines of strain. His name was screamed again and again as Kagome continued to push his son from her body. Finally, there was a piercing cry and a small bundle of bloody, squirming blankets was placed on her belly. Sesshomaru rested his head in his hands as he felt a tear slip out of his eye. He had missed this, missed his son's birth, the end of Kagome's first pregnancy. He watched as Kenta was taken from her and placed in a bed and wheeled out. Kagome stared out the door even after the others had all crowded into the small room. He saw a tear slip out of her eye and then another.

"Turn that off, Inuyasha." His mother said. The last thing her saw was Kagome being hugged by his mother and Sango. He shut the computer down and wiped his eyes. He looked again at his son and then at kagome. She was turned on her side toward the baby, her face soft and beautiful in her sleep. As if she felt the weight of his eyes on her, Kagome opened her eyes. Her gaze settled on him and he didn't like the look her saw there. The look of betrayal and hurt was in her eyes. He stood and went to sit on the edge of her bed, careful not to jostle her. He bent to kiss her and she turned her face from him. He kissed her cheek instead.

"I am sorry baby, I tried to get here as fast as I could." He whispered in attempt not to wake Kenta. She looked up at him from beneath her lashes and a soft smile lifted her lips, but didn't reach her eyes.

"I know." She whispered. She looked at him and then moved over in the bed as much as she could. "Will you hold me?" She asked. Sesshomaru swallowed. How could he tell her no? He moved in to the bed beside her and pulled her close. She fit her body against his, her head under his chin, her face pressed into his chest. She was just starting to get back to sleep when Kenta started to cry. Sesshomaru moved off the bed as gently as he could and picked up his son. Kagome held out her arms for him and Sesshomaru placed the baby in her arms. He sat on the edge of the bed and watched fascinated as kagome undid the front of her gown and held the baby to her breast. The baby's mouth rooted for her nipple. When he found it, he latched on and Kagome held him close to her as she fed him.

"You hurt me." She said simply. Sesshomaru watched her feed his son for a few more moments before he looked up at her eyes.

"I know. I am sorry." He said truthfully. He watched her and he didn't know how he was going to do this without hurting her. He couldn't love her; he couldn't tell her he felt anything for her. Having the control made him strong. He depended on no one. But that didn't mean that he wanted to or that he meant to hurt her. She was silent for a moment longer.

"Don't do it again." She said. Sesshomaru smiled at her before he answered, so sure of himself now. Sure that he could pull it off.

"I promise."